Novel Square
Chapter 117
Stephanie was in the middle of devouring the crab that Vincent had meticulously peeled for her when she learned that Graham had been made the scapegoat once again. She couldn’t help but burst into uncontrollable laughter, “Forgive me for giggling at someone else’s misfortune,”
Vincent continued peeling crab with methodical grace, a sight so pleasing it could steal your breath away. “A friend is someone you’d take a knife for,” he quipped.
“Yeah right,” Stephanie said amidst fits of laughter, “I can just picture Graham saying, ‘A friend is someone who stabs me in the back.!”
Vincent, watching Stephanie howl with laughter, gently brought a peeled crayfish to her lips, “Then I guess I should set him up a few more times in the future.”
Stephanie paused for a moment, her expression turning serious, “I wonder if Julianna will get grilled at home about this?” Having been too caught up in the laughter, she quickly wiped her hands with a napkin and grabbed her phone to give Julianna a call. On the other end, Julianna was boasting to Stephanie about how she’d successfully tricked Graham when his deep voice suddenly interrupted their call. “Excuse me, I need to have a word with
Julianna,”
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Staring at her hung-up phone, Stephanie raised her eyes towards Vincent, “Julianna won’t get into any trouble, will she?”
Vincent’s smile was subtle as he reassured, “She should be fine.”
Stephanie let out a relieved ‘oh, but then Vincent continued, “The worst that could happen is they end up married.”
Stephanie coughed violently at his remark-this seemed a little too serious for comfort. She wondered how Julianna was going to handle the situation.
Meanwhile, Julianna found herself being scooped into Graham’s car, his arm around her waist. “Just a talk?”
Julianna pried his hand off, “Stop taking advantage of me!”
Graham let out a soft laugh, “You spread rumors about me, shouldn’t you be responsible? Otherwise, I’ll just reveal that the guy in the picture is Vincent.” If this news broke, Vincent’s rehabilitation would no longer be a secret.
Julianna’s eyes went wide, “You
“You’re threatening me? Vincent is your friend, how c
can you betray your best friend like that?”Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.
Graham raised an eyebrow, “When I’m crazy, I don’t even spare myself.” The corner of Julianna’s mouth twitched. She wondered that this guy must be out of his mind.
He took a cigarette out of the pocket of his suit jacket, placed it between his lips, and clicked open the lighter. The orange-blue flame flickered as he lit the cigarette, and he drew a deep breath before blowing smoke rings into the air. Julianna eyed his handsome profile and couldn’t help but feel there was something undeniably s**y about this moment,
Marry me.
Just get married like that? What about my pride? Besides, marriage isn’t child’s play. If I get married and then divorced, it’ll be my second marriage.”
“Isn’t it worth it for Stephanie?” Graham countered, waiting for Julianna’s response. Julianna’s mouth opened, but no words came out. He had found her weak spot.
Graham rolled down the car window, tapped his finger holding the cigarette through the window, “You have five seconds to think. Five, four, three, two, one!” He pulled out his phone and dialed his assistant, “On behalf of Whitlock Group, release a statement that the person in the photo is-”
Julianna s n a t h e d the phone and hung up, “Fine, marriage it is! But we’re getting a prenup!”
Graham asked, “What kind of prenup?”
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“Let me think,” Julianna replied.
“Okay,” Graham said, “but we’re getting married first.”
“What?”
As Julianna looked on in bewilderment, Graham reached back and grabbed a document bag from the rear seat. “All our documents and paperwork are hère; we’re going to get married now.”
Julianna was totally flabbergasted, “Wait, how can it be this last?”
Graham extinguished his cigarette and tossed it into the ashtray. Starting the car, he headed straight for the city hall,
Julianna was utterly confused until two marriage licenses appeared in her hands. “Is this… we’re married?” she asked in disbelief.
No sparks of courtship, no whirlwind romances, no grand proposals-nothing-and just like that, she was considered a married woman. Julianna pouted with a mix of frustration and disappointment, “Just like that, my first marriage is out the window?”
Graham took the marriage license from her, opened it, and glanced at the serious photo of himself and the somewhat dazed Julianna. His lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile as he took a photo with his phone and sent it to his assistant to make the official announcement. The assistant promptly broadcasted the joyful news of their union under the name of the Whitlock Group.
The rumor-m n g e r s who had been eagerly watching were instantly silenced. There was nothing wrong with a legit couple bulk-buying condoms. It just shows Graham’s vitality. Using it with his own wife was not against the law. Everyone dispersed, the drama they anticipated turning into thin air.
Julianna’s brows furrowed, finding it hard to digest the news, looking at the updates. She was now a married woman. “I want a prenup,” she stated, her
lips pursing tightly.
Graham nodded, “Sure. You talk, I’ll remember.”
Julianna, discontent, shot back, “I have a lot of demands. Shouldn’t you be noting them down?”
“My memory’s solid, go on,” he assured her.
Julianna rattled off a list, “Remembered everything?”
Graham replied, “Remembered, but two things need tweaking”
“Which two?” she demanded.
“First, I want us to live together after marriage; second, I want a real marriage, the substantial kind. Revise that,” he explained.
Julianna’s eyes widened as she crossed her arms in front of her as if fending off a p e e r t. “No way! I disagree!”
olding the marriage license, Graham retorted, “It’s legal.”
“Don’t mess with me! The law also says you can’t force me! Our plastic pretend marriage might just end any time now!”
Graham arched an eyebrow, “The Whitlock family spouse column lists ‘widowed, never ‘divorced.”
It was then that Julianna realized she might’ve been played. But it was too late, she was shackled by marriage.
Graham cupped her chin, his eyes smiling d
at her, “Hello, Mrs, Whitlock.”
Julianna found herself whisked away to the Millennium Hotel by Graham, where both families gathered to celebrate the occasion,
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Unable to sit still, Julianna stepped out with her phone to call Stephanie. “Stephie, Graham and I got our marriage certificate.”
Stephanie, taken aback, had been focused on her designs and missed the news about the marriage certificate. “You actually went through with it?”
Julianna blinked, “Did you predict this?”
“Vincent mentioned it, but I thought you’d refuse.”
Frowning, Julianna expressed her skepticism, “I feel like he’s duping me. Seen any new movies? You think he’s after the Saunders family fortune?”
Stephanie responded, “Julia, you might be overthinking. The Whitlock family seems to have way more clout than the Saunders family. But I’m surprised you agreed to get the certificate.”
Julianna concealed her feelings of being coerced, not wanting Stephanie to feel guilty, “I just got carried away.”
“Did he threaten you?”
“Of course not!” Julianna denied. “Anyway, let’s talk more tomorrow.”
Taking a deep breath and turning around, she found Graham standing behind her. He beckoned, “Mrs. Whitlock?”
Julianna huffed, “Don’t even think about taking advantage of me!” She strode past him in her high heels, her subtle fragrance lingering in the air, while Graham’s lips curved upwards again.
After hanging up. Stephanie headed to another room to find Vincent. “Graham really did register the marriage with Julianna. Don’t you think he was a bit rash?”
Vincent pulled her into his lap, wrapping her arms around her, “Graham is not an impulsive person. He’s very deliberate in what he does. Maybe this is at good match after all?”
After Vincent offered some comforting words, Stephanie left his study.
He quickly grabbed his phone and texted Graham, If you don’t treat Julianna right, forget about being friends.]
Graham was speechless.