An unnecessary drilling sound invaded my deep sleep, giving me discomfort. Wanting to shut out the noise, I pressed my pillow on my ears. It had no effect whatsoever, and I had to wake up in frustration. Checking my phone, I confirmed it was still seven in the morning.

Switching off the blaring alarm, I carefully placed my phone back on the pricey bedside table. An alarm blaring off on a Sunday should be listed as felony, but there were things needed to be done.

Taking a deep breath, I felt all my laziness escape through my lungs. Tying my hair in a messy bun, I wore my blue pajama shirt back, and got out of bed. On my way to the attached bathroom, I stopped in my tracks to once again admire the unreasonably large window, which gave me an extensive view of the beautiful garden below.

I reminded myself once again, how lavish and extravagant Florian's house was, and then continued to do my thing. That's all what his displays of wealth were to me - just something to stop and wonder at momentarily. Nothing more, nothing less.

After I had brushed my teeth and washed my face, I went back to my room and searched through my bags for my sketchbook. Looking at my clothes still in my suitcase, I was reminded of my new, fully clothed closet that I refused to wear.

Filled with dresses in horrendous styles and flashy colors, and lingerie that would barely cover anything, that closet was a nightmare for me. It didn't matter that I had to look high class from now on since I would become André Beaumont's wife. I would never lay hands on such pieces in my life.

Mentally making a note that I had to throw away all those dresses and settle my clothes in, I focused my attention to the sketchbook and pack of pencils I'd packed for myself. It was my favorite for drawing new designs whenever I had the inspiration, and I couldn't go anywhere without it.

Although there was a desk in my room where I could work, I wanted to work in a more open space, which was full of sunlight. Last night, I had noticed a perfect place for working, and I headed for it straightway.

There was a different section in the living room, reserved for just making coffee. There was a counter in front, where one could lounge and drink their coffee, or just sit and laze around. If I was lucky, I wouldn't find anyone out there, and I would be able to do my work in peace.

Luckily, as I climbed down the stairs and entered the living room, it was empty. The whole house, in fact, seemed to be empty. Maybe no one was home, or they just liked their Sundays a lot. Setting my things on the white flawless marble counter, I surveyed the expensive coffee machines in front of me. Everything for these people just had to be plated in gold to be enjoyable.

Sighing, I proceeded to crush fresh coffee beans in the machine. I placed a large mug beneath the dispenser, and waited for coffee to pour into it. Turning around, my eyes fell on the closed the dining room, and I recalled last night's talk with Florian.

Flashback to last night...

"If you can really use your power, I want you to use it to use those people to your advantage. If you can do that, I'd be very grateful."

"Do you even know what they've done? How can you defend those people, when you barely know anything about them?" He asked me, getting more serious, but I stood my ground.

I replied, "If their mistake is that unforgivable, why didn't you fire them? Why are they still sitting in your company? Also, you said soon, the news of my engagement to André Beaumont will be revealed. Will you let your daughter-in-law become a laughingstock of the company?"

Two beats later, he asked again. "Are you threatening me with a position I gave you, to give you another position?"

"No, Mr. Beaumont. I'm merely stating the facts. And yes, if I had the choice to either have a position in name only, or to remain unemployed, I would definitely choose the latter. I don't want to put my name next to anything that's not worth my time."

"Alright, then. I'll take another chance on them and you, and I'll see how pretty the output with your name is. Although I'll be called a dumbass for trusting your team once again, I'm still curious to see the change you will bring about in them."

He continued, "Ms. Fontaine, you need to prepare everything without a single mistake, because even if this is your first time, there will be a lot of eyes on you.

End of flashback...

Within minutes, fresh aromatic coffee trickled its way down into the mug. Just smelling its heavenly fragrance gave energy to me, and a small smile spread on my face. Apart from my mama, coffee was one thing that always made me happy.

Setting the mug on the counter, I took a seat in one of the wooden stools. I slipped on my glasses, and took a small sip from my coffee. It's rich bitter taste brought another wave of euphoria inside me, and I opened my eyes, only to see someone standing in front of me.

Someone whose presence made me nervous, and not the usual bad kind.

As soon as I broke free from his grey eyes that had arrested me, I took notice of his physique for the first time. Standing tall at six feet something, he had a chiseled body, and I could say this because he was standing shirtless in front of me. And it was definitely not because I had never seen a naked man in my life.

It was just like in the movies I'd watched, where the man comes in shirtless with smooth six packs, and goes about his way around the house. But, I'd never thought people could attain and maintain such bodies in real life as well. Paired with his long platinum blond hair tied into a bun, he looked..... ethereal.

Realizing I'd been daydreaming a bit too much, I averted my eyes from his distracting presence. Cursing at him internally for successfully making me lose my focus, I took another sip of my coffee.

A moment later, I realized he hadn't moved an inch from where he was standing. I peered at him through the glasses I was wearing, confused as to why he was still standing there like a statue. Was he that surprised to see me here? He should have gotten used to it by now.

"Uh... so, you know how to use these machines? That's.... interesting," He said, grabbing my attention.

I glared at him, feeling frustrated that I found a man like him attractive. But, he avoided my gaze and walked towards the counter. "People use electrical appliances in Chantilly as well. Chantilly too, is a place on earth."

He coughed at my response, probably feeling my anger seeping through my glasses. Still keeping his eyes on the coffee machine, he replied, "Yeah, of course. It's definitely on earth."

Awkwardness prevailed between us, and I didn't know what to do. I hadn't ever socialized with a lot of people, let alone a man I was supposed to pretend to marry. What does one say in such a situation?

Thankfully, the buzzing of the coffee machine filled the silent air, and I no longer felt awkward. Still, his lingering presence behind me made me nervous for some reason, and I found myself on edge. What was this feeling? Why was I so edgy about him standing so close behind me?

After a minute, before I could drive myself mad with all these thoughts in my head, André finally left the machine and came to sit before me. Occupying the seat on the other side of the counter, he firmly placed his mug down and looked at me.

There were questions in his eyes, lots of them, and I gulped. Something told me he wouldn't leave me alone until he got his answers, so I prepared myself for the interrogation. Strangely enough, he hadn't said a single word, yet, I had understood him. This was a lot to take in, considering I didn't even know anything about this man apart from his name and family relation.

"As you know my dad had suddenly dropped this bomb on me, that too in front of you. Since that day, I haven't had a proper chance to sit with him and talk about this issue, but since he seems to be serious about keeping you around, I wanna ask one thing," He said, and took a deep breath.

I breathed in with him, readying myself for ultimate question.

"What exactly is this deal you made with my dad? And, is money involved?"

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