His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 10 SOFIA When I cto my room, the intention was to switch on my series while reading more about Wales, the company I was going to work at from Monday. A little research beforehand was always good. But I was distracted, thinking about my interaction with Arthur Geller. I hadn't told Gabriel about it, and I wasn't sure if I should. I wasn't sure if he would care: Twenty minutes in, my reverie was interrupted by knocks on my room's door.

And not the soft kind. Not Luna's kind.

There was loud banging on the door with an angry fist, and if I hadn't rushed to open the door, I'm sure it would have broken down On the other side, there stood my husband. He wasn't wearing a coat, just his white shirt tucked into black formal pants. He looked mad. He looked so mad, that I almost got scared.

But when his eyes met mine, they softened. Uninvited, he stepped into my room and shut the door behind him.

"Where did the touch you?" "What?" He grit his teeth, as if controlling his anger. "Where did Arthur Geller touch you?" I blinked.

"Freckles. He paused. "Can you answer?" "What?" I asked again, dumbfounded as if I had lost my ability to speak. "He- He didn't." Gabriel relaxed. "He didn't?" "No. He.. He just held my wrist to stopwhen I was calling your "He held your wrist? Something darkened in his eyes.

"Yes, I agreed in a small voice.

"Show me." He replied as if constantly putting effort in keeping his voice calm.

Gabriel confused me. Sometimes, he was the most cold hearted person I knew, who couldn't care enough about if I lived on died. And other times, he left his work to ccheck onafter he got to know that one of his clients paidan unsolicited visit Nonetheless, I just raised my left hand, and he held it in between both of his. His eyes remained fixed atand I shivered when his thumb slightly traced my wrist. He didn't stop, aware of the effect his little touch had on me. "Are you okay?" His voice was gentle, eyes flicking from my hand to me.

It was almost as if he actually cared.

I nodded.

"Okay" "Okay?" 1/5 Chapter 10 "Okay" He left my hand and stepped away fromso quickly, as if coming close towas a mistake. “Arthur Geller is my client. He's an important client." "Oh." I replied quick. "I was rude to him. I- I scowled. I asked him to not touch me. I'm sorry if that causes issues for you " "What? No. Sofial" "What?" "The reason I am telling you he is an important client is to tell you that that's the only reason I associate with a prck like him." He seemed offended. "I had heard rumours about him, his behaviour, but I never bothered to stop working with him. because of it, because I couldn't care less about what he did outside his business... until now." I stared at him, just blinking.

Gabriel swallowed, his jaw clenching. "He'll pay for misbehaving with you." "No, Gabriel, it wasn't that serious. I'm okay. If you do that, you'll lose him as a client." "And?" "And? Your grandfather will not like that." "Sofia, let's get one thing straight here." He replied, his words slow as if emphasising on each one, "You're my responsibility And no man gets away with coming to my house and touching my wife without her consent. Are we clear?" "And what if he has my consent?" Gabriel blinked, looking black as if he hadn't heard, mt correctly "What?" "I guess what I'm asking is since our marriage isn't real, are we sleeping with other people?" He kept looking atwithout replying.

It felt embarrassing even talking about this. I shifted my weight to my other foot. "I- I noticed you don't sleep at hsof the nights. I was wondering if you're with someone else: 1-1 don't mind, but I would just like to know where we stand on that..

He didn't reply.

There was no clause about this in the contract you madesign. I added nervously.

The silence between us was heavy, and the more it continued, the more humiliating it felt. I was talking to Gabriel about sex. Correction, I was talking to him about having sex with another man.

"Freckles," He took a deep breath, “I was out at night with work. I was not out sleeping with other women." "Oh. Okay I nodded, That's good. Great. I mean, the work part Not the not sleeping with other women part. Or both. I- That's good." He almost cracked a smile.

Almost.

"I've got work to do," He said.

"Yeah, of course," I nodded. He was a busy man. He took out tfrom his schedule to check on me. “Thank you for 2/5 Chapter 10 checking on me." "Next time, a man shows up at the door that you don't know, you call me. You don't wait for Luna to call Peter who will tellwhen I'm free. You. Call. Me. Clear?" I nod.

Tll be hfor lunch. He added, and turning around, he left.

As the door shut behind me. I wondered if he meant we would have lunch together. That's why he said that to me, right? Right.

Deciding to talk aboutgetting a job over lunch, I headed down. Luna was there, talking to the driver, handing him a list. Gabriel was gone.

"Sofia, you had to add sof your art supplies to the list right?" She asked.

"Yeah." My mood having spun upon talking to Gabriel, I took the list from her and added the A4 canvases I needed with brush brands and sizes, and the oil paints. "I was told that you had to pickup from the car and getinto the house last night because I slept." I looked at the driver. I'm sorry, and thank you! In my peripheral vision, I could see Luna shutting her eyes tight You're mistaken, ma'am. It was Gabriel Sir." "It was, huh?" I asked, eyes flickering to Luna who wouldn't look at me.

"Yes, in fact I offered because Sir had a bit of backache the week before your wedding, but he refused to let anyone carry you "Okay. Thanks for lettingknow." I handed the list back to him and turned to Luna, who was mumbling apologies under her breath and something about 'Sir's orders.

"Traitor!" I feigned anger but my heart smiled as I headed to the couch. If he cares, why does he pretend so hard not to? Gabriel returned at lunch and casually waited forat the dining table, asking Luna to calldown from my room, which I am glad he did because I was so lost trying my new art supplies I had completely lost track of time. The first half of the lunch was silent.

Then, he cleared his throat. “I believe Arthur won't be a problem again." I looked at him, eyes narrowing. "What did you do?" "I spoke to him," he replied calmly.

I didn't believe his calmness one bit, but I didn't push. “I want to begin working again." "Sure," He nodded, his eyes flickering to the dried paint on my knuckles. “If you like, I can ask somebody to clear a room besides yours for you to use." Yeah that would be really nice. Thanks." I half smiled. He nodded. "Um... Arthur, he mentioned something about there being a charity gala?" He did?" Gabriel stopped eating. “Did he say anything else?" "No, just that." 3/5 "Okay." "So, are we going to the gala?" "I am invited, yes. But Arthur would be there. I didn't think you would want to see him again after today." "You said Arthur wouldn't be a problem again, right?” I asked softly.

He nodded.

I shrugged, "I trust you. We should go to the gala."

Gabriel just looked atfor a long moment. I didn't know what madesay that, but it had something to o with how warried he was that do Arthur had madeuncomfortable, how serious he was that I was his responsibility. I did believe he had taken care of the situation and I didn't need to worry about it again. He gavea little smile. It's this weekend. On Saturday night. We'll leave at seven, you might want to wear a dress that touches the floor. There's a code." "Okay, I nodded, suddenly enthusiastic and smiling. "What's the charity for?" "Penguins? I think? No, I guess it was sharks." I giggled at his lack of knowledge. "I don't think anyone ever raised money to save the sharks." "Then they must be raising money to kill them." He muttered.

"Gabriel!" "Ssea animal they're saving, Freckles." "Penguins are hardly sea animals," I teased.

He huffed, and after moment of silence, added, "I think I owe you an apology for being unfain towards you after we got married. I was recently made to realise that you left your entire life to be my wife for six months. So.. I looked at him in surprise. "Okay?" "Okay?" He repeated.

"You said you owean apology, I mused. "So, apologise?" "That's it. That was my apology." I chuckled. "Oh my, God. No one ever taught you to apologise.

He ignored me.

"So, does that make us friends? Sort-of friends? "I don't do friendships, Freckles.

Then what do you do, Gabriel?" I rolled my eyes. "The more I get to know about y you, the more boring I think you are.

"I don't know what I dislike more, the fact that you rolled your eyes at me, or the fact that you just calledboring. He raised one corner of his lips into a somewhat smile.

I smirked. "Both. What're you going to do about it, husband?" 4/5

"If you don't stop teasinglike that, wife, I might have to actually show you.” He replied in a huskily low voice that send shivers down my spine, and he smirked, knowing exactly what he had done to me. 1 shut up for the rest of the lunch.

Chapter 10 5/5 0 X