What I saw at the news was unexpected...

The Grey company went bankrupt yesterday and the stocks keep falling after the exposure of their schemes.

The Grey family...

My adoptive and biological family. Asher Grey, the chairman of the Grey company and my father. The man who is cousin of my biological father.

The family that treated me like a puppet. They wanted to marry me off to a lewd old man in order to gain some millions.

The ones that hit me when they weren't in the mood to see my face.

I swore to take revenge on them but I was too late. How did this happen? All my efforts are wasted. Why do I feel so helpless?

Kyle looks satisfied. Why? The Grey family didn't do anything to him. That's weird...

There was a knock on the door. Kyle was about to open the door as I stopped him. I quietly signaled him that I will see who is outside from the security camera.

I went upstairs to the security room and saw two people standing at the doorstep.
A man and a woman. Asher Grey and Gregoria Simons. His wife. Why would they show up here?

I told Kyle to hide.

I opened the door and met face to face with that shameless couple. When they saw me, they stared at eachother reluctantly and then Asher stated.

"Kira where are your manners? Won't you let us in?"

"I would be simply stupid to do so"

Gregoria Simons narrowed her wrinkled eyes and furrowed her brows. Then she exclaimed.

"Aren't you a rude one to your parents?!"

"Are you my parents?"

"Yes! We raised you!"

"So you say that I should welcome you because you once adopted me?"

"Exactly!"
Gregoria shamelessly said.

"Then, I apologize madam but I must disappoint you. I am not grateful to you for anything. You were never really parents to me so I don't find it morally right to welcome you inside... But if you have a request, I will gladly hear it."

They again looked at eachother trying to communicate through glances. They think that I don't know that they want money. They want to use me and throw me away.

I faked a cough to disturb their little stare contest.

"Is there actually something you need to tell me? I can't read minds."

Asher put on a fake smile and said in an awkward tone.

"Kira... My daughter... We need your help. We need money to save our company."

"So what?"

"We need you to marry the son of a big company overseas..."

"No thank you."

"Why?"
Gregoria asked.

"Because who I marry depends on me and marriage to me is not a tool for personal gain."

"But you said that you will hear our request!"
Asher complained.

"Indeed..."

"So you will right?-"

"Indeed I did listen to your request but as a human being with human rights and free will, I can choose whether to accept or decline. "

Gregoria snapped.
"You ungrateful wench! We raised you and this is the thanks? "

*Chuckle*

"You raised me?! I think you are delusional madam. Since l entered your filthy house, I was mistreated and used everyday! If you call that raising a child, then I guess you shouldn't be called a mother even by your biological children."

They both widened their eyes.

"You!-"

Gregoria said pointing at me with her index finger.

Asher kneeled on the ground.

"Kira. I beg you! Marry that person please!"

"No!"

"Why?"

Kyle chuckled and came out. The thick-skinned couple's jaw's dropped.

"Mr. Grey... You asked Kira Kim, why she declines to marry the man from overseas right?... Well I have the answer!"

"Tell me."

Asher said curiously.

Kyle smiled, held my hand and said enthusiastically.

"Kira is marrying me!"

Now my jaw dropped too.

I looked at Kyle to see if he was alright. Maybe he hit his head! Why would this narcissist want to marry me? Is he finally crazy?

Kyle looked at me with a big smile and patted my head.

"Let's go inside my love~"

Kyle took me inside and closed the door in the face of the couple.

Marriage?!

What kind of object hot him in the head to make him think like that? Did he catch their crazy too?

Kyle stopped while still holding my hand.
His ears were red.

"Kira... Let's get married."

"What? Why all of a sudden? Do you even love me?"

"..."

Kyle didn't answer.

"I mean a contract marriage..."

"With what terms?"

"I can give you anything you desire and you can help me too."

"What kind of help?"

"My parents want me to get married and my aunt wants me to get married to my cousin."

"Well it seems that it benefits us both."

"It does!"

"Then let's do it."

I never thought that I would marry someone as part of a contract. I always thought that I would get married to man who loves me and have a family with him...

I heard that contract marriages don't last long. Maybe I will fulfill my dream after the contract expires.

Let's not think of something that hasn't happened yet.

Kyle went back to his room and fell asleep. I went to the pool and swam. I held my breath and let gravity pull me down to the deepest part of the pool.

I felt the cold pulsing water slowly embracing me. I opened my eyes and saw the endless blue unravel around me. I observed the tiny bubbles of air I blew slowly from my mouth. They were dancing like feathers till they reached the surface.

The surface looks like a mirror that can't display reflections. A silver wavy surface.

I heard a splash. Like someone just dived into the pool. Is it Kyle? I thought he was sleeping!

He is swimming like a dolphin underwater moving towards me.

He looked at me and I waved at him.

His eyes widened and he came even closer.

He took my hand and hugged me. He administered air to my lungs with a kiss. Does he think that I'm drowning?

He kicked his legs and took us on the surface.

Kyle inhaled deeply and exhaled.

"Kyle?... What's wrong?"

"Kira! Are you okay?"

"Yes. I was diving!"

His eyes widened and he got red remembering the underwater kiss. He touched his lips and blushed.

We went out of the pool and I noticed that he was wearing clothes when he jumped into the pool. His wet clothes were sticking to his body, revealing his figure.

Every inch of him was soaking wet.

Why am I so nervous around him?

I feel my heart beating so hard that it might go out of my chest.

I grabbed a towel and threw it at Kyle.

I took another towel and wiped my body.

This is so awkward!

"I.... I have to go tho my room"

I said out of embarrassment and ran to my room. That was the first time a guy saw me in my swimsuit! I went to my room and closed the door behind me.

I dived into my bed and screamed as I blocked my mouth with a pillow.

That was the most embarrassing moment of the day!

I wore my pajamas and dried my hair. It's not the time to sleep yet. I went to the bookshelves and pulled out a random book. It had a hard cover and golden letters in calligraphy that were so cursive that they were unreadable.

I opened a random page and started reading.

"If you continue to plead the fifth you will lose any chance to be proven not guilty Dave. You have to tell us what happened. Pleading the fifth will only make you look guiltier than the other suspects... Dave lowered his head in confusion. Should he confess who is the criminal? Should he not? "

Poor guy...

I am somehow in such a dilemma too. If I continue acting like that Kyle will know about my feelings... But my feelings aren't like that! Should I confess? Should I not and let our feelings unravel naturally?

I shook my head and took another book.

"Diana pushed Ludia out of jealousy. What Diana didn't know would happen, was that as Ludia missed her step, she fell on top of Harrison. As she fell on top of him and their bodies aligned, their lips touched and locked into a kiss."

What kind of romance novel is this? Does that actually happen all the time?

Somehow, someone might deliberately use my situations on books! That is a very realistic conspiracy theory.

I put down the books and went to bed.

The bed was awfully comfortable but I couldn't sleep. I could only think of those embarrassing moments that keep repeating after Kyle appeared in my life.

I said he was my husband at the hospital,  we kissed accidentally, I slapped him to make a scene, I saw him soaking wet!

Why does this keep happening?