"Ou-Our room?!" Lauren stammered while pointing at herself in doubt.
"Yes," Alexander responded calmly, but then as he looked at the dazed Lauren who stood still in that same position, his brain flashed and he realised why she had been stunned.
He frowned deeply and then looked at her, "What? Seems Mrs Ashford has forgotten the words I said today when we got the certificate?"
"Huh?" Lauren asked, her brain still stunned from the announcement that they would sleep together.
She looked up and met the deep and cold eyes of Alex which told her the seriousness of things.
"If My madam has forgotten, then I don't mind helping her remember," Alex said, then stood up and walked towards her with an aura that was so powerful that they made Lauren's heart beat louder in nervousness.
Finally, he stopped in front of her and looked at her deeply, then he said, "I, Alexander Ashford, don't believe in a scam marriage. The moment you agreed to this marriage and signed that certificate, I already saw you as someone I'll spend the rest of my life with. As my wife, you're the closest person to me and I would never agree to sleep in a separate room because I don't believe in this!" He said, then pursed his lips in a tense way.
He knew she was still new to this and he might be moving too fast, but he also knew that if he didn't state his terms, she might never come out of her cocoon and their marriage might continue to be stiff.
Even if he had wanted to get married for a reason, he had never taken it casually.
He was a serious person and would never do things he didn't want to do. This marriage was their choice and he believes they should both make it work and not just one person pushing and the other running away.
But still, as he looked at Lauren, he sighed, then decided to take things slow. This was enough for today.
"You're allowed to slowly get used to the change in your life, but you should know how to fix it. This is marriage and not a play drama." He said calmly and seriously but this also woke Lauren up.
Her eyes also became firm and she looked at him seriously, "I understand! I have never thought of taking this marriage as child's play and I'll try my best to adjust." She said in the same tone he used and this time, Alexander was satisfied.
He knew Lauren was a smart and straightforward woman and if not because of the situation she found herself in, she would have become a big person in her industry.
His eyes became colder and ruthless when he thought of the people who betrayed her. He had investigated her and knew some things about what happened to her, and though if she asked, he would gladly take care of those small fries, but he knew she was someone who didn't love to depend on people, so he would leave it to her and only come up when she was in danger or needed him.
"I'll go up and freshen up." Lauren snapped him out of his daze, then walked away.
Alex watched her leave with the butler with narrowed eyes.
To be honest, he was supposed to be abroad to take care of his business. Well, that had been his plan, but he didn't know what went wrong with him, he had suddenly cancelled his flight and followed his assistant to pick her up.
Maybe he thought of the call she took, or was it the self-mockery she had shown? He didn't know, but he had suddenly had that urge and he followed it.
Now, he had to rearrange things and book a flight again but that was left to his assistant to take care of.
After a while, Alexander walked upstairs and went straight to their room.
Immediately he opened the door, he found out the room was empty, but then he heard the sound coming from the washroom and smiled gently.
Though he wouldn't get used to it fast, it also felt nice to have someone else with him. Someone he could call his own.
Lauren finished washing up and put on the pajamas she had brought into the washroom. She took a towel and began to dry her hair, but then she saw herself in the mirror.
She paused and stared at her reflection. Long wet hair, flushed face, long eyelashes, pink plump lips, but her eyes...
They were devoid of emotions. Cold, indifferent and-mysterious Pain hidden deep.
Her lips curl in a shallow smile, "Seems no matter how I look calm and relaxed, the pain and anger wouldn't leave, it was just hidden in a place." She muttered.
She knew it. She was someone who had experienced pain and betrayal, and if she didn't solve it all, she would never experience the peaceful life she wanted.
Her heart had been tormented, and to soothe it, she needed the people who had put her in this position to pay.
The ones who had caused the death of her mother, the ones who she had called her own beloved people but had long betrayed her and many more...
Lauren's eyes became ruthless. "I'll make you all pay!"
***
After washing her face and wrapping the towel around her long hair, Lauren walked out of the washroom with a calm and gentle demeanour, but the moment she stepped out, she met the gaze of the man sitting on the bed in the room.
She was speechless, then nervousness covered her every being.
"Oh my goodness... What should I do? Today is our wedding night, would he demand it? But.. What should I do if he does?"
Lauren's mind flashed with so many questions but she still couldn't find an answer to her questions.
She inhaled, then let out a polite smile and walked awkwardly to her bag which the maids had brought in. She opened it and began to take out some clothes. She had seen the closet and wanted to put her things in it.
"Do this tomorrow. You must be tired, right?" Alexander's voice sounded which startled her. She turned around to look at him, and that was when she realised he was shirtless and seemed to be on his way to take a shower.
Lauren was stunned. She looked at the back of the shirtless man and gulped nervously. Her face had long turned red and his well-muscled chest flashed in her mind.
Though she hadn't seen it well, his back and torso were just too-
"Ahh!! What the hell are you thinking about, Lauren?!" She scolded herself, then as if to cover her embarrassment, she closed the bag and rushed to the side of the bed to lie down, but not before removing the towel on her head.
Lauren was lying stiffly on one side of the bed with all her senses focused on the sound in the room. Then-
"Click!"
Her body and mind froze.
"He...He is here!"
