His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 5 I had shivers when I opened my eye but he was gone.

The file that he had cto take still lied on the table untouched, and the ghost of a smile played on my lips as his scent still lingered in the air around me.

The moment I processed what had just happened, reality kicked in.

I couldn't be smiling thinking about Gabriel. I couldn't and I wasn't.

He was rude, and he hadn't spent even a single night at this house since we got married. He could be sleeping with someone outside for all I knew, could have a serious girlfriend he planned to marry the moment our contract marriage ended.

So. I let the smile disappear as I left to my room thinking of different ways to kill ttill I heard back from the job I had just interviewed for, but preparing for dinner with Gabriel's parents was the only thing on my schedule until the next night.

Gabriel hadn't letknow what twe had to leave for dinner at his parent's, and I was too egoistic to call him again. I half expected a call from Peter, or for Luna to pop in to letknow Gabriel is finally h(I may have positioned her at the main entrance of the house instead of outside my door and ask her to run in and letknow when he comes), but I heard nothing.

He had said the dinner was tonight, hadn't he? I had a midnight blue long dress picked out and steam ironed, accessories kept on the dresser, a French manicure done, and still, there was no sight of him till six in the evening.

Just when I was about to get home, there was a knock on my door I threw it open knowing exactly who it was. "Luna, is he hom-?" Words dried in my throat when the person on the other side wasn't the pale, timid girl I was expecting, but the man himself: "He is home." Gabriel seemed amused, his eyes flickering fromto the room behind as I stood at the door, blocking him, from walking in. "You aren't dressed." He said in a matter-of-fact tone..

u never toldwhat tI had to be dressed at." "You He raised his eyebrows, as if disappointed. “I didn't think there was something to be said." "So you just expectedto be dressed since evening and parade around the house like a butterfly?" I stared at him for a second too long, my mouth almost gaping. You're kidding, right?" "I don't... kid" "Of course you don't. I muttered under my breath. "Just give30, okay?" "That'll be enough? "It will" "Okay, then He nodded and left.

1/3 Chapter 3 Oh my God. I was married to a robot who doesn't express a single emotion. And if he was like that, his parents must be... terrifying. That's all I could think of as I got dressed, suddenly doubting if a form-fitting dress was the right choice, blue the right colour, or the real diamonds studded bag the right accessory.

Nonetheless, I was downstairs in about twenty-seven minutes, and I knew that because I put a timer of thirty. I remembered. how pissed he was the last tI had taken a shower ten mines too long, and I didn't need the extra set of nerves before visiting his parents.

"Sorry, Sofia When Sir entered, he knew exactly why I was waiting by the door and askednot to move from there," Luna whispered softly, handinga glass of water.

"It's not your fault. He's... well...." I trailed, looking at him cout of his room and walk towards the stairs, thirty minutes.

on the dot.

Attractive.

"Intimidating?" Luna offered.

The way he was folding his white shirt? Hot.

"Scary?" She murmured again, and I snapped out of it.

"Annoying. I huffed, shaking my thoughts of Gabriel Whitlock was not attractive.

You're early" His voice echoed in the halls around us, as he stood in front of me, still so much taller thandespite the stilettos I was wearing.

I shrugged, not offering a reply to what he said. "A compliment wouldn't kill you." His eyes narrowed. "I don't do compliments." Jeez. Thanks "The car's pulled out. Let's go, we're late already." Without looking atthe second time, he walked out and shaking my head, I followed.

There wasn't a long-a*s limousine waiting for us outside. Instead, a black mustang with a driver standing outside with keys in his hand that he handed to Gabriel immediately, who looked atfor a brief second before he got into the driver's seat Gabriel was going to drive.

I paused in my tracks for a moment before taking a deep breath and walked to the other side, getting into the passenger's seal.

The fifteen minutes drive, not so surprisingly, started out silent, so I decided to speak up: "Can I play smusic?" He sparedhalf a look.

"Letguess, you don't do music either?" He remained silent, eyes on the road.

My mouth fell. “Wait, you actually don't like music?!" It was more of an accusation then a question.

"Freckles, anyone ever tell you that you talk a lot?” "No, actually. You're just the most quiet person I know. So, you think I talk a lot. I don't. I just make conversation, it's the Chapter 5 Tue, Jun polite thing to do, you know, "Speople like their peace.

"Such people die alone." His hand stiffened on the steering wheel, and I wondered if I had hit a nerve.

"Sorry." I murmured, “I just ramble a lot when I'm nervous.” He didn't seem like he was interested in talking in the way he deep sighed, but asked nonetheless, "Why're you nervous?" "To meet your parents, of course." "You have no reason to be nervous. He replied. "They're...different."

“Different?” I asked. He didn't answer, and I didn't push. The rest of the ride, I tried wrapping my head around what different could mean, and then we reached. Gabriel stopped in front of a house that was identical to many houses in a row like a society of cottages, a two floor house with a lawn.

I was surprised because even though it looked warm and comfortable, I Ma didn't think they'd live in a house like this with the amount of money backing the Whitlock name, I was expecting more of a Victorian-style castle. "You coming?" Gabriel's voice pulledout of my thoughts and I realised he had already stepped out of the car.

Nodding. I quickly got out of the car him and rushed behind him up the wrap around porch, He gavea moment to catch my breath before he rang the bell of the house. "We've had a love marriage." He tells facing front to, the white door, as if he wasn't talking to me.

"What?" I looked at him, unsure if I heard him correctly but before he could say anything, the door flung open.

X