The Marriage Bargain - ENGLOT

Chapter 9: what's the plan?

(A/N:) this chapter is dedicated to clem_in_wonderland  because she hasn't commented in awhile and I miss her 🥲😆

———————xx——————-xx———————-

Cadence's POV:

"Hey Emory?" I ask hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

I paused for a moment, unsure if she'll agree. "Can I come visit you right now?"

"Uh yeah sure." Emory said from the other end of the line.

I heaved a sigh of relief and replied, "Ok I'll see you in a bit."

"Okay." Emory said before hanging up. I'm currently at Nevaeh's campus, I have just paid for her pending school fees with the money I got from Emory. I pocketed my phone and headed towards Winslow Enterprises.

——————xx———————xx——————-

As I approached the glass doors, I stepped inside, greeted with a spacious and well-lit lobby. The receptionist's desk was just off to the side, and I made my way over.

a young woman behind the counter smiled warmly. "Good morning, how can I help you?"

"Hi there, I'm Cadence. I'm here to see Emory," I said nonchalantly.

The receptionist looked up at me with a raised eyebrow.

"And you are?" she asked, eyeing me up and down.

"I'm her wife," I replied, holding my head high.

The receptionist rolled her eyes, her warm demeanor replaced with a cold one. "Uh-huh. Sure you are. Look, Ms. Winslow's never been married or even been in a relationship as far as I know. So if you're trying to pull a fast one, I suggest you leave."

I felt my cheeks redden in embarrassment. I guess I did expect this kind of reaction from strangers.

"I understand that you're skeptical," I said, trying to keep my cool. "But I'm here to visit Emory, and I promise you, I'm her wife."

The receptionist narrowed her eyes at me for a moment before finally reaching for the phone.

"Fine. Let me call up to her office and see if she's expecting you."

I watched the receptionist's every move, trying not to fidget with anticipation. After a few seconds that felt like hours, she put the phone back down.

The receptionist's expression softened, but I still felt slightly embarrassed especially since her voice was a bit loud earlier. "I'm sorry to doubt you, we tend to get a lot of women who come here, claiming to have a connection with ms. Winslow. She's quite a catch," she said with a chuckle.

I gave her a small smile, "Yes, she is," I replied, slowly calming down.

Then the receptionist handed me a visitor's badge and showed me the way to Emory's office. "Take the elevator up to the 20th floor. Her office is at the end of the hallway."

As I walked down the sleek hallways, I couldn't help but feel nervous. I wanted to make a good impression on her employees and show them that I'm worthy of being Emory's wife, pretend or not.

...

I took a deep breath before I knocked on Emory's office door. This is the first time I'm visiting her, and it felt like a huge step in our fake relationship. But it's necessary, especially since we need to strategize for the upcoming family dinner where I would meet her grandmother, and potentially blow our cover.