(Not) The Billionaire’s Replacement Bride

It was already ten in the evening, and Gerald found himself in front of Ariana’s restaurant once again. Not that he wasn’t tired – he was utterly exhausted. His shirt, which had been neatly buttoned earlier, was now undone, and his tie had been removed. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows, and his perfectly combed hair was now disheveled.

If only Ariana was an easy-to-handle girl, he wouldn’t have to go through all of this trouble. But he did all of this because he knew Ariana wouldn’t return willingly. She would either stay at the restaurant or, worse, she might go back to her apartment. And Gerald didn’t want that. He didn’t know why, but he felt that being possessive of Ariana was something he needed to do.

Torn between entering the restaurant or not, Gerald decided to wait in his car until he saw the last customer leaving the restaurant. After about fifteen minutes, he saw one of the employees exiting the front door, ready to put up the announcement board.

“Is Ariana inside?” his question seemed to startle the employee, who jumped in surprise and almost dropped the signboard.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

“Wh-who are you?” the girl stammered. She might have been a new employee or simply didn’t witness the scene that had unfolded between Ariana and Gerald earlier.

“I’m her husband,” Gerald replied flatly.

“Husband?” the girl’s eyes widened in shock. Gerald wanted to laugh, but he held it back. “Are you really her husband?” she asked, uncertain.

“Don’t lie. Ariana isn’t married. How can she have a husband?” the girl replied.

Another person came out of the door – it was Jody. “Why are you taking so long outside?” he asked the girl. Jody looked at the girl and then at Gerald, alternating his gaze.

“Is Ariana inside?” Gerald asked Jody. Jody nodded slightly. Gerald chose to enter, ignoring the girl, who still seemed incredulous.

“Jody, she said she’s Ariana’s husband. Is it true?” the girl asked Gerald when she caught up with him. Gerald wanted to laugh triumphantly, but he kept it inside. The girl was clearly too naive.

“Yes, it’s true,” he replied. “Now, can you tell me where Ariana is?”

The girl continued to stare at him, not entirely convinced. “You can’t be her husband. Ariana isn’t married,” she insisted.

“Let me worry about that. Now, can you please tell me where she is?” Gerald said, his patience waning. He needed to find Ariana.

Inside, Ariana and Amber were there. They seemed to be engrossed in something in their notes when Gerald entered. Several employees were gathered around a table, eating something placed in front of them. When Gerald approached, the girl he met earlier rushed towards Ariana. “Ms. Ariana…” she whimpered, hugging Ariana.

“What is it, Adel?” Ariana asked, confused.

“It’s her. Jody said he’s Ariana’s husband.” Adel pointed at Gerald, drawing everyone’s attention towards him, including Amber and Ariana. Ariana furrowed her brows, looking at Gerald. “Is that true? Is he your husband?” Adel whined. “Do you think so?” Ariana countered. She looked at Adel attentively.

“He doesn’t seem suitable to be your husband,” Adel said. What was this? Gerald was getting irritated by her statement. “You should leave him. Chris is back now. You should be with Chris,” Adel continued. Alright, so this girl was Chris’s lackey. Gerald glared at her, but who was she? As far as Gerald knew, Chris didn’t have a younger sister, let alone a younger sister like this.

“Yes, yes. I’ll think about it,” Ariana replied casually. Gerald widened his eyes at her. But she seemed unfazed. “So, where are you staying tonight?” Ariana asked, obviously changing the topic.

“Adel is staying at her aunt’s place,” the girl said, pouting.

“No, you can’t!” Gerald objected instantly. His high and stern tone grabbed everyone’s attention, again.

“What can’t?” challenged Adel. “You can’t stay at Ariana’s place. Come on, stay with Amber instead,” Gerald commanded. Adel looked upset, stomping her foot with an annoyed expression. Meanwhile, Gerald couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly, reveling in his small victory.

Ariana finished her tasks with Amber, and soon, the girl tagged along with Gerald. “Why did you come here at this hour and create a scene?” Ariana asked, clearly annoyed, once they were outside the restaurant.

“I wouldn’t have if you knew the way home,” Gerald retorted. Ariana stopped in her tracks. Vivan opened the back door of the car for them, and Ariana just climbed in, looking irritated.

“I’m not a child who doesn’t know the way home,” she grumbled.

“But you’re a child who likes to play hide and seek,” Gerald replied. Intentionally, he nudged Ariana to give her more room on the back seat. She shifted without much noise and chose to sit in the farthest corner of the seat. She even opened the window wide, ignoring the fact that the car was already air-conditioned.

“It’s not my fault I like to run away,” she muttered. Vivan could be heard stifling his laughter with a soft cough. Gerald just looked at her, irritated.

It was clear that she had intended to escape, hoping that Gerald wouldn’t follow her to her workplace.

“Who’s Adel?” he finally asked, as there was nothing else they could discuss.

“Why? Jealous? Interested in her? Want me to introduce you?” Ariana retorted, her tone sharp.

Gerald smiled. He moved closer, deliberately placing his hand on Ariana’s shoulder and pulling her closer. “Is Mrs. Aarzu feeling jealous?” he asked, his voice a soft whisper in Ariana’s ear.

Ariana stared back at him sharply. Their faces were just centimeters apart. Ariana could even feel his breath on her face. Deliberately, she pushed Gerald’s face away with both hands. “Back off! Your breath stinks!” she ordered. And Vivan once again stifled his laughter with a fake cough.

Gerald was shocked when Ariana told him that his mouth smelled bad. He instantly recoiled slowly, feeling uneasy. “Does my breath really stink?” he asked himself. After all, he had been brushing his teeth regularly and even rinsing with expensive imported products. But was it true? Gerald began to doubt himself.

Meanwhile, Ariana, after uttering that demeaning sentence, returned to her original position as if she hadn’t said anything. They arrived home shortly before eleven.