(Not) The Billionaire’s Replacement Bride

Gerald woke up to the sound of his phone ringing. He felt around the bed and even the bedside table, but couldn’t find his phone. Where was the thing? Why wouldn’t it stay put? He cursed to himself and finally opened his eyes.

Alright, his orientation was a bit off. Gerald suddenly remembered he wasn’t in his own room. He glanced around the room dominated by white and wooden brown before checking the wall clock. Six o’clock? He grimaced and then abruptly got up.

Last night, after Ariana entered Amber’s room, he couldn’t sleep anymore. It was all because of that girl and Gerald’s unmet needs. So Gerald had to take a cold shower at three in the morning and ended up falling asleep, goodness knows what time.

He was late, of course. Gerald got up and put on the same pants and shirt he had taken off last night. He didn’t even bother making the bed. He left the room and searched for his phone that was ringing again. The phone was on the sofa in front of the TV. Gerald must have left it there and forgotten to bring it into the room in his haste to make sure Ariana didn’t leave him outside.

Unfortunately, the girl had different thoughts and had gone into Amber’s room, not following his predictions. Since when did Ariana ever act according to Gerald’s predictions anyway? Alright, next time he thought about Ariana, he should consider the opposite of what women in general would think.

Gerald answered the phone when he saw Vivan’s name on the screen. “What!” he snapped irritably. “Boss, it’s already morning,” Vivan said on the other end.

“I know. Why are you bothering me so early? What if you interrupted me being intimate with Ariana?” he grumbled irritably.

Vivan seemed to chuckle on the other end. And Gerald frowned. “I know you’re not being intimate with the lady, Boss,” the man said, sounding amused.

“What do you mean?” Gerald asked, confused. He glanced at Amber’s closed door and assumed Ariana was still inside.

“According to our informant, your wife is currently shopping at the traditional market with her employee named Jody,” Vivan reported. Gerald grimaced. Quickly, he walked towards Amber’s room and opened it forcefully. The door opened easily. Bright and neatly arranged.

“Damn!” he cursed irritably. Vivan was definitely chuckling over there. Gerald was sure of it. “Are you still tailing her?”

“I haven’t told them to stop, Boss,” Vivan replied. Gerald should have been thankful to the man for his efficiency in work. But instead of feeling grateful, Gerald felt irritated. How could Vivan predict this while he couldn’t?

“So, why are you calling me?”

“I just wanted to ask, are you having breakfast at home or will you have it at the office?”

Gerald thought. Going home was useless because he wouldn’t find Ariana there. And having breakfast at Ariana’s place, that was definitely impossible because he had no reason to do so. Ariana’s restaurant was clearly only available for lunch and dinner. “I’ll have breakfast at the office,” Gerald finally answered because it was the only option he had at the moment.

“Alright, Boss,” Vivan replied. And a moment later, the doorbell of the apartment rang. Gerald walked over and opened the door.

Of course, he wasn’t surprised when he saw his assistant standing there in a complete suit in both of his hands. Gerald walked back in after opening the door. Vivan followed him from behind. The man didn’t talk much and still stood after placing Gerald’s shoes on the floor.

Gerald moved towards the bathroom. He chose to shower quickly to avoid imagining inappropriate things in there. Honestly, being in Ariana’s bathroom, seeing her belongings, ended up making him think about her.

And thinking about her wasn’t good right now because it made his body crave for something he shouldn’t want at the moment.

Gerald stepped out of the bathroom with a towel that was too small, brown in color. Again, he couldn’t find any patterned towels or cute bathrobes that women usually used.

Was Ariana really that tomboyish? Even tomboyish girls usually had cute trinkets in their collection, but Gerald couldn’t find any.

Really. Last night, he had been audacious enough to open all of her closets and drawers. And he didn’t find anything that girls usually called ‘cute’ and ‘adorable’. No stuffed animals, no accessories except for a casual-looking watch, and Gerald didn’t even find anything in shades of pink. Most of her belongings were black, gray, and brown.

Gerald shook his head. It made it even harder for him to figure out Ariana’s personality. He couldn’t know her preferences. At least, he should know what gift Ariana would like, but he couldn’t find a single clue.

What could he give to that girl? Something she would like, something unique in black, brown, and gray?

Gerald continued to ponder as he exited Ariana’s room, his suit impeccably put together. Vivan remained mostly silent, and Gerald felt too proud to ask for the man’s opinion on what Ariana might like.

If Vivan could guess what Ariana wanted, and his guess was correct, Gerald’s dignity as a husband and a playboy, as accused by the girl, would truly plummet.

They descended to the basement and got into the car, still in silence. Gerald chose to stare at the increasingly busy road, even though it was still early. His mind was working hard to think about what Ariana might like. Suddenly, Vivan cleared his throat.

“Boss,” he said hesitantly.

“What?” Gerald replied irritably. He was genuinely frustrated with Vivan for one thing the man had done today.

“Um… well,” Vivan began, hesitating.

“Just say it.”

Vivan seemed to be trying to find the right words that wouldn’t set Gerald off. “Mrs. Aarzu has returned to the restaurant,” he said.

Gerald furrowed his brows. Was his assistant boasting because he was still monitoring Ariana? He thought, irritated.

“Good.” That was Gerald’s only response.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“But, Boss,” Vivan spoke again, still looking uncertain. “What now?” Gerald asked impatiently.

“There’s a handsome man in an expensive car currently talking to Mrs. Aarzu at the restaurant,” Vivan’s words startled Gerald. He glared sharply at Vivan.

“Change direction, head to the restaurant!” he ordered the driver. The driver hesitated, glancing at Vivan. Vivan nodded subtly, and finally, the driver turned the car around in the allowed area.