Contract marriage: My billionaire’s cure

We were in the indoor garden of the hotel’s eighth floor. The theme of the photoshoot today was summer but since it was winter outside we had to have the shoot in the indoor garden which was almost like a green house.

Before the photoshoot of the contestants began the owners had their own photoshoot. We were asked to do one for the front pages of the magazines.

My stylists gave me a light pink blazer jacket and pink pants to match the roses behind me.

Throughout the entire photoshoot Marcus sat on a wooden stool at the corner, smiling while I posed for pictures. I had done this all my life but under his stare I felt slightly embarrassed.

Clara tried shoving me away so that she could take the spotlight but I didn’t even budge. And since I was the one hosting the event, naturally the spotlight would be on me.

After an exhausting photoshoot, I asked the cameramen to send me my photos and after receiving them, I quickly ran to the other side to hug Marcus who was scrolling through his phone.

I engulfed him in a warm hug and sat on his lap, surprising him. Marcus quickly wrapped his arm around me to keep me steady and I pecked his lips with a huge grin on my face.

He beamed at me and returned the peck with a passionate kiss. He pulled me to him and groaned in pleasure while tangling his tongue with mine. I pressed him further back to deepen the kiss but I suddenly got an idea when I saw the phone in his hand.

“Give me your phone” I held my hand out and he kept his phone on my palm without question.

I quickly sent a picture of me from the photoshoot to his phone and changed Marcus’s wallpaper to it. Marcus gave me a are you serious look but I just grinned at him and tucked his phone inside his coat pocket.

“You changed my wallpaper to a photo of you?”

“Smile” Without answering him I held my phone to take a selfie with me on his lap. He narrowed his eyes but kissed my cheek as I took the photo.

“Hey I told you to smile not to kiss”

“Don’t care, I like it that way” he kissed my cheek again and I looked back giving him a disapproving pout. With a smirk he kissed my pout and showered me with more kisses on my left cheek.

I groaned in annoyance and stood up, pushing him away. Through the corner of my eye I saw Steve and Sarah staring at us, giggling in joy.

Marcus stood up and pulled me to him by my wrist. He landed another kiss on my lips and looked at me intently. “I have to go to to Thailand for a few weeks”

“Weeks? When will you be coming back?”

“I don’t know but I will get here before the finals”

I leaned my head on his shoulder and sighed loudly. Suddenly weeks felt like years for me. How am I supposed to stay that long without him? The longer we stayed together the harder it gets to stay apart.

“I have to go to my office now. But I will come later at night. Don’t hang out with the male models. Don’t go outside alone. Don’t cross roads alone. Be safe. Eat well ”

He leaned down for another kiss but I bent back my head and laughed loudly, tears pricking my eyes at his overprotectiveness. “Marcus I have been living well for 24 years. And you are just leaving for a few days. Not forever”

He shook his head and pressed another kiss on my lips. “Everything’s not the same. You’re with me now. I don’t want you to get hurt again”

“Fine fine my prince charming. I’ll be eagerly waiting for your arrival” I stood on my tip toes and gave him a kiss on his forehead.

“Call me if anything happens”

“Gosh you are overreacting. Fine I’ll call you”

I pushed him away before he could give me another kiss. I winked at him and walked away to the shoot. Marcus stared at me for a while with worry filled eyes and walked out the door.

“Bitch” I turned to the sound behind me. Clara was standing with her hands on her hips.

“You really have him wrapped around your little finger don’t you? I don’t get what he sees in you. Maybe he wants to take your money and become even richer”

I rolled my eyes and looked to my left as I heard someone clearing their throat. “Who’s this bitch?” Blair said pointing at Clara.

“Bolton bitch with freckles on her tummy”. Both Blair and I toppled to the floor, laughing at my hilarious joke.

“Very funny” Clara said in a mocking tone and walked past us, purposely bumping into me on her way.

“Maybe you should ask your husband if I have freckles on my tummy. He has seen me. All of me” Clara smirked and winked at me.

“Wait what? Don’t tell me he slept with her?” Blair asked, dumbfounded.

“Apparently yes, three days before our marriage”

“What the hell? Do you want me to beat him up?”

I laughed loudly and leaned in to whisper in her ear “Are you willing to be my secret warrior?”

“Does it pay well?” She whispered back earning another laugh from me.

“Camilla” My brother came running, his phone dangling between his fingers. His disheveled hair was bouncing up and down as he hopped towards me. But he stopped mid way seeing Blair and quickly ran his fingers through his hair, tidying it. Then he started walking elegantly like the Barbie in Princess charm school.

“Hi”

“Bye” Blair rolled her eyes and walked past Jake who had a disappointed pout on his face.

“You like her?”

“What-no of course not. I like her personality. She’s feisty. My type of woman” Jake said while staring at the fading silhouette of Blair.

“That’s exactly what you mean by liking someone. Anyways why are you here?”

“I found out classified information”

“How so?”

“Through Anderson’s staff”

“You’re not supposed to tell me how you got the info if it’s classified” I shook my head at his immaturity.

“I’m older than you have some respect” He smacked my head and I yelled out in pain.

“So what info did you get?” Jake leaned in to whisper in my ear.

“Marcus’s birthday is next month”

“Really. Oh my god how did I not know? What should we do?”

“I don’t know. Last time I checked, he was your husband”

I slumped back in my chair, thinking about what to buy for him. I always hated going for birthdays of rich kids back in school because I had no idea of what to give them. They had everything and so was Marcus.

But everything except for a mother.

My eyes widened as an idea popped into my mind. He always used to cry out for his mother. His life was devastated without her. The best present I could ever give him was bringing his mother back into his life.

I jumped into Jake’s arms with excitement. “Ew yuck! Get off me”

…

I went home in the evening and texted Marcus, asking him whether he wanted his bags packed. He gave me permission so I rummaged through his closet trying to find clothes to pack.

Most of Marcus’s clothes were suits. So I really had no choice but to pack his best suits along with casual wear. I was folding them neatly when I felt two large arms wrap around my waist.

I smiled knowing who it was so I continued laying the folded clothes orderly in the suitcase. Marcus buried his head in the crook of my neck and inhaled deeply while pecking my collarbone.

“I will miss you”

“You are so cheesy. What happened to the rude man I married?” I asked teasingly.

“Long gone and never coming back” he started trailed kisses down my jaw to my throat, groaning softly as he nipped my tender skin. I hummed in contentment enjoying his lovely gestures.

“It’s already late. Go and have a shower” I pushed Marcus to the bathroom and gave him his towel along with a pair of sweat shorts and a grey t-shirt. He narrowed his eyes in displeasure and closed the door.

After his confession he was all touchy in a cute way that made my heart skip a beat. I walked over to the bed to continue with my work but saw Marcus’s phone on the nightstand.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

I took it to see if he had changed the wallpaper. I unlocked his phone and smiled evilly, seeing that my photo still dominated in his wallpaper.

I bent down to keep the phone back in place but suddenly he got a notification. It was not my place to open it but I had this frenzied urge to check it.

“Don’t think that you will get away with this. You killed them. You will pay for what you did. I will destroy what’s yours”

My heart beat at a rapid pace as I read the message over and over. He killed someone? I couldn’t believe it. Marcus was not capable of harming even the smallest creature as far as I knew.

And whoever this person was, needed to destroy what belonged to Marcus. No wonder he had been overprotective these days.

I quickly kept the phone in place and decided not to rush and ask him about this. I will slowly get the answers from him out of his own accord.

I went back to packing his bags and after a while the bathroom door opened and there came a shirtless Marcus.

Wait shirtless?

“Um… I think I gave you a shirt. Well if you don’t like it wait I will give you another one” I turned to walk towards the closet but suddenly Marcus gripped my arm stopping me.

“You wanted to see my marks and I’m letting you”

“Y-you don’t have to force yourself to do that. Sorry if I-”

“I want to. I want you to see them”

Marcus walked to the bed and sat with his back facing me. I inched closer and knelt down, observing the almost fading but long, light red whip marks across his back.

I traced my fingers along each mark, my eyes slightly watering as I felt him shudder at my touch.

“Marcus”

“Hmm” He turned to me.

“I’m sorry”

“Why are you apologising?” He narrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

“I’m-” My voice broke. “I’m just sorry. It hurts knowing that some children go through this daily and knowing that I can’t do anything about it even with all the money, I feel sorry”

“Hey hey” Marcus pulled me to his lap. “Don’t feel sorry for something you have no control over”

“I know but I wish you hadn’t gone through all that pain. If I can use all my money and built a time traveling machine-” I gave a soft laugh. “I would save you”

I giggled and his lip’s twitched up into a smile. “Ah yes then you can be my superhero”