Dangerous Desire The CEO’s Hidden Woman

“You know getting a marriage license is much easier and less important than holding a wedding ceremony. So I’ll leave it to you to decide everything for the wedding, okay?”

Scarlett suddenly clapped her hands and said, “Cool! Babe, I think a wedding ceremony would be such a waste. We don’t need it!”

Francis ground his teeth. He was speechless.

***

Francis’s car pulled into the parking lot of the Office of the City Clerk. Before getting out, Francis held Scarlett’s hand and asked, “Honey, what’s wrong? Are you… trembling?”

“No, not really.” Scarlett put her hands on her thighs and smiled awkwardly. “I… I’ve never been married. That’s all. I’m just… I’m just a little nervous, I guess…”

Scarlett’s offhand remarks touched Francis’s raw nerve. He felt inferior and sorry that although Scarlett was his first love, this would be his second marriage.

“Anyway… so… did you draw up a prenup as we decided?” Scarlett asked tentatively.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Earlier that day, Francis and Scarlett had managed to reach a consensus. Their prenuptial agreement would include principles and practical regulations on issues like property distribution and custody… in case they ever got divorced.

According to the agreement, Scarlett would get the villa they lived in and the property ownership of two other houses, but she wouldn’t get any money or cars. Scarlett had insisted that she get custody as well.

“I went back on my word,” Francis answered calmly.

Scarlett was shocked and stared at him. “What do you mean by that?”

“If we ever get divorced, I will become the most miserable person in the world. Money and property won’t mean anything to me if I’ve lost my wife and children. Don’t you see?”

Francis gazed into her eyes and begged, “Scarlett, don’t be so cruel to me, okay? I don’t want to sign that stupid contract. Prenups are for people who only care about things. I don’t care for things.”

“What? Don’t you want to protect your property? We are adults, and we should take into account all possible outcomes.” Scarlett insisted.

Francis shook his head. “We’re not going to get a divorce, right, babe?”

Scarlett frowned. “Francis, I just want to be realistic. I’m not saying we will get divorced, but we can’t be naïve.”

“Why do you have to be so unfeeling? Can’t you see that I love you and our unborn children more than anything in this damn world?” Francis suddenly raised his voice.

“I know you don’t care about money, and I know the real reason you want to sign the stupid agreement is for the custody of your baby. You are afraid to lose her. But Scarlett…”

Francis took a deep breath and continued, “Do you really even care about our children? Have you thought about what kind of family is actually good for the children? Are you really thinking about your children… or just yourself?”

“I am just trying to defend my own rights,” Scarlett argued. “Only God knows what kind of future this marriage will see. Francis, as a businessman, you would never doubt the truth: to forestall is better than to amend.”

Francis sighed, “I’ll give you time to think about it.”

“Good!” Scarlett opened the door and got out of the car.

Francis rubbed his temples and felt very tired.

The old Jim opened the door and looked at Scarlett in shock.

Scarlett walked in and said, “What is it? Oh, yeah. I’m… pregnant.”

“What happened… to …” Jim was so shocked that he basically lost his ability to utter a complete sentence. He had woken up with a nasty hangover. But now, with the sight of a pregnant Scarlett, he became sober all at once.

Scarlett took a glance at him and said, “As you can see, I’m pregnant, and I’m getting married. I just came back from the City Clerk’s Office.”

“You’ve registered?”

“Nope. We had a serious quarrel, and we postponed getting registered.”

“Who’s the baby’s father?” Jim was stunned and curious.

“You’ll find out sooner or later. End of conversation, I don’t really wanna talk about it, okay? I came here to get him off my mind and relax. By the way, what’s that odd smell?” Scarlett pinched her nose and looked around.

“You came here to relax? You’re crazy. There’s only gasoline and loud noises here. What kind of relaxation are you hoping for anyway?”

“I don’t know. I thought of you, and I just came.”

“Let’s go. I’ll take you out for some real relaxation.” Jim put on his coat, took the car keys, and walked out. Scarlett followed silently.

“Seriously?” Scarlett used her hands to block the direct sunlight. She looked at the rollercoasters and happy crowds in front of her.

“Doesn’t this take you back to being a kid?” Jim turned to look at her.

“Yeah, for sure. I really wasn’t expecting you to bring me here, but I really appreciate it. Thanks, man.”

Jim nodded and smiled.

They walked around the amusement park and talked about Scarlett’s childhood. When Scarlett and Skyler were little, it was a luxury for them to visit an amusement park. Jim had brought them to amusement parks on two separate occasions, and those experiences were probably the best memories of their childhoods.

“Is it alright for a pregnant woman to be riding these crazy rides, though?” Jim asked, sounding worried.

Scarlett suddenly burst into laughter, “It’s just a merry-go-round, Jim! Even a baby can ride this without any problems! Don’t be silly. I’ll be just fine.”

Jim rubbed his hair and felt a little embarrassed. “I mean, you have to be particularly careful ’cause you’re pregnant…”

“I surely will, Jim. You wanna join me?” Scarlett waved her hands.

Jim shook his head repeatedly and took out his phone. “I’ll take pictures of you.”

When they walked out of the amusement park, Scarlett suggested that they could go to a famous restaurant nearby. It was very well-known in the area. Jim looked a bit hesitant, so Scarlett assured him that she would pay.

“My treat, Jim, as a way for me to say thank you to you for today’s wonderful amusement park trip.” Scarlett always knew that was on Jim’s mind.