(Not) The Billionaire’s Replacement Bride

The doctor came to check on her at nine in the morning. After ensuring that she was okay, Ariana was finally allowed to go home, but not before getting permission from Gerald, who was contacted by his loyal bodyguards who had been tailing him since he left for the office that morning.

Mrs. Rosaline asked Ariana to come back home with her, but Ariana refused. She felt uncomfortable staying there. She decided to go back to the restaurant instead. Again, she could only leave with Gerald’s permission.

Did she really have no say in her own life anymore? Ariana snorted. But well, what could she do? Running away seemed pointless.

She didn’t say much when she entered the restaurant. Although Jody, Amber, and Adel looked at her with concern, they didn’t say anything. Ariana just went upstairs, intending to lie down there. She wouldn’t force herself to work for now, even though she wanted to.

Amber and Adel entered shortly after Ariana found her comfortable spot. “Are you okay?” Amber asked, clearly scrutinizing Ariana’s pale face.

Maybe last night, she assumed Ariana was just sleeping when Gerald carried her from the second floor.

“I’m fine,” Ariana replied with a smile on her face.

“But you look pale,” Amber commented again. Ariana just raised her eyebrows.

“You’re still here,” Ariana shifted her attention to Adel. The young girl looked annoyed. “Not going home yet?” Ariana asked again. The girl shook her head. “Isn’t anyone at home looking for you?” Ariana inquired once more. Again, the girl shook her head.

“Leave her be. She might cry here later,” Amber muttered. Ariana chuckled, and Adel pouted. “Well, why are you following me here anyway? Go work downstairs with Jody. If not, I won’t pay your salary, and I won’t let you stay at the apartment anymore,” Amber threatened. After hearing the threat, Adel straightened her posture and left the room immediately. Ariana could only shake her head.

Amber crawled onto the bed, sitting beside Ariana, who was already positioned to sit back against the bed.

“Are you really okay?” Amber repeated her question.

“Is there any news I need to hear about the people at home?” Ariana countered. Amber shrugged.

“I don’t think so. I haven’t heard anything from Dad either,” her friend and cousin replied. Hearing her answer, Ariana just smiled and nodded. “What’s going on with you, really? I know ever since Karenina arrived yesterday, you’ve changed,” she commented again. Ariana fell silent.

She was torn between whether to confide in Amber or keep it all to herself. So far, all Amber knew about her marriage to Gerald was that he forced her to replace Karenina at the wedding. Besides that, Ariana hadn’t told her anything. Until now, she simply hadn’t had the time to talk, given her tendency to avoid problems by escaping rather than confronting them.

“What’s your opinion about Gerald?” the question came out of nowhere.

Amber straightened her shoulders and turned to Ariana in surprise. “What do you mean, my opinion about him in what context?” she asked, puzzled.

“Everything. Overall. Especially your views on his attitude towards me and the marriage between us right now,” Ariana clarified.

Once again, Amber fell silent. She furrowed her brow, thinking. “I guess I’ll evaluate him physically first, huh?” she said rhetorically. “He’s got a great physique. Good body, good face, and honestly, when he smiles, he looks handsome. Even though his constant frowning makes him look sour.” Amber’s last statement made Ariana chuckle. “Financially, he’s definitely husband material. He seems like a hard worker, and I’m sure his bank balance is hefty. Just look at him; he doesn’t hesitate to hire people to watch over you all the time.” Amber’s remark referred to his bodyguards, which not only Amber but also all the employees at her restaurant were aware of.

“But in terms of personality, all I can see is that he’s stubborn and doesn’t like to be contradicted. Isn’t that right?” Amber asked again. Ariana simply nodded slightly.

“What do you think, could my marriage with him work out, based on Gerald’s current attitude towards me?” Ariana asked. Amber furrowed her brow again at her cousin’s question. She truly didn’t understand the meaning behind Ariana’s question. “What do you think, if, for instance, I were to consider accepting this marriage as a real one and accepting Gerald as my husband, not Karenina. In your opinion, do you think this marriage could succeed?” Ariana tried to explain in her own way. But Amber just stared at her with an intense gaze.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Soooo, from the beginning, you always thought you’d end up being Gerald’s widow, huh?” the girl asked bluntly. Ariana laughed and nodded. “You’re crazy! Most people would fight tooth and nail to keep your position, but you’re desperately trying to escape it!” she scoffed. Ariana could only laugh again.

“Is it wrong?” she asked. “Of course, it’s wrong, you idiot!”

“Explain to me which part of my decision is wrong? Do you prefer a comfortable life with lots of money while feeling unhappy because you always feel restricted?”

“Do you feel like Gerald is restricting you now?” Amber asked, incredulous.

“Do you think having two bodyguards out there means he’s monitoring everything I do?”

“Maybe that’s what you see right now, but it’s clearly different from what I see,” Amber replied matter-of-factly.

“And what do you see?”

“What I see from Gerald right now, his behavior in every aspect, reflects that he genuinely cares about you. He’s in a phase where he’s afraid of losing you. He’s jealous. Not just with Chris, I think. But with every living creature of the same gender as him.”

Ariana snorted at Amber’s response. “Are you making this up?”

“Say whatever you want. What I see is that Gerald genuinely likes you right now. Maybe this is his way of showing that he likes you. Just think logically. What more does Gerald lack? He’s handsome, he’s rich. Ignore his status as a parent for a moment. Out there, guys who are old as the hills and have great-grandchildren would make girls drool as long as they have guaranteed wealth, especially someone like Gerald. He wouldn’t be ashamed to flaunt you everywhere. Now logically, a guy like him, do you think he can’t find a girl anywhere? If he really doesn’t like you, why doesn’t he just let you go and find another girl? But he doesn’t do that, because he genuinely has feelings for you,” Amber answered.

Ariana continued to shake her head. “What about Karenina then? If he doesn’t like Karenina, why force himself into this marriage? After he knew Karenina left, he didn’t have to threaten me with my Dad. He could find another woman,” Ariana said, voicing her thoughts.

“Well, maybe because he wants to marry you, not Karenina,” Amber responded.

“If he really wants to marry me, why didn’t he announce who I really am during the reception?” Ariana countered. Amber fell silent. “If he truly wants to marry me, why didn’t he make it clear to all the guests that the woman he married, the woman he paraded around, was Ariana, not Karenina?” Ariana asked again.