Chapter 10
After dinner, Alex sent a driver to take me home. Once I stepped through my front door, it hit me-I totally forgot about Angela.
“Laurel, I thought you were out there having fun with some guy!” she yelled on the phone.
I let out a sigh and adjusted myself in bed. The black card Alex had given me still felt surreal. I raised my hand to touch my face-yep, definitely not dreaming.
“Hey, Laurel, what’s going on with you?” Angela’s voice echoed in my head.
“Angela, this date you set up for me, where did you find this guy?” I asked.
“It was your request, remember? Someone mature, financially stable, and not a player,” she chuckled. “As for whether he has eight-pack abs, you’ll just have to find that out for yourself.”
Not quite the answer I was looking for. But hey, being the daughter of the Adams family, she probably had access to tons of great guys-just never thought one of them would be Alex.
“So you don’t actually know who he is?” I pursued.
Angela paused for a second before explaining, “I saw some photos. He seems to fit your criteria-age and looks are solid. He was introduced by my uncle. How did it go?”
“He’s okay.”
Then Angela got serious. “Laurel, you’re not still hung up on Austin, are you?”
“Of course not.” I hesitated for a moment before adding, “The guy from the blind date is Alex Herrera.”
“Alex Herrera? That name rings a bell. You’re not worried about the Herrera name, are you?”
“Alex is Austin’s uncle.”
Suddenly, there was silence on Angela’s end. After what felt like forever, I could hear her laughing so hard she was practically gasping.
“Wait, Alex? The president of Herrera Group? Laurel, girl, you just hit the jackpot! When that bastard Austin and his little princess girlfriend see you, make sure they start calling you ‘Aunt!’
“And don’t forget about Amanda-once you two are sisters-in-law, let’s see if she’ll still try to boss you around.”
“Angela, why do you sound more pumped than I do?”
“I live for the drama! Austin’s just a disgusting two-timer. Make it your mission to give him a taste of his own medicine and take him down a notch!”
Hearing Angela’s excitement somehow eased the frustration I had bottled up
inside.
I pursed my lips and asked quietly, “So, you really think I should marry Alex?”
“Absolutely, Laurel! You’ve got to seize the chance and keep Alex close. He’s a big-time CEO, good-looking, and loaded.
“Just think about it, your mom only lost it when you broke up with Austin because she’s stressing about you finding
someone.
1/3
Honestly, I was hoping for a little scandal.
But then Angela’s nudge reminded me that marrying Alex really did seem like a no-brainer. Sure, he was a bit intimidating, but he paid a lot.
“I know. I’m going to bed,” I cut her off.
“It’s not even ten. Didn’t you sleep all afternoon?” Angela sounded a bit reluctant.
“I have to be up at eight tomorrow.”
“Going to the hospital that early?”
“Nope, city hall to grab a marriage license.”
“Wow, Laurel, just go to sleep. Dream about everything. Make sure to text Alex more often when you wake up.”
Angela hung up after that. I held the black card in my hand and couldn’t help but smirk.
Then my phone lit up, and I saw Austin’s friend request. Oops, I had almost forgotten that I blocked him on WhatsApp.
But now didn’t seem like the right time to add him back. I turned off my phone, set my alarm, washed up, and hit the hay early.
I expected to toss and turn all night, but surprisingly, I slept like a baby and woke up before my alarm.
After freshening up and having breakfast, I got a text from Alex. I grabbed my bag and rushed downstairs.
But as soon as I hopped into Alex’s car, I started second-guessing my outfit-it felt way too casual compared to him. I felt like Cinderella with her prince.
“Having second thoughts?” Alex said, rolling down the window and looking at me with that calm, collected expression he always has.
Seriously, could he stay that cool even if his house was on fire? While that level of maturity was impressive, he almost seemed like he’d lived a thousand lives.
“I was just thinking about changing,” I replied.
Alex chuckled softly, “Nah, do you have all your documents?” I nodded and settled into the car, ready to roll.
The car had this unexpected woody scent that felt calming and almost peaceful. I sneaked a glance at Alex next to me. He was quiet, not dozing off this time, but instead focused on his laptop, checking his emails.
When the car finally stopped, Alex slipped off his suit jacket and opened the door for me. His long, elegant fingers brushed my wrist, and my heart did that weird skip thing as I took a deep breath, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves.
About half an hour later, we got the marriage license without a hitch.
“Where are you headed? I can have the driver drop you off,” he offered.
“Nah, you guys go on ahead,” I replied, feeling a bit awkward about the whole license thing.
It was a bit silly, really-I had waited six years to marry Austin and finally get this license. Who would’ve thought that
2/3
Chapter 16
yesterday was just a blind date, and here I was, less than 24 hours later, actually getting a marriage license?
“Alright, I’ll be banging around for a few days, so if you need anything, just give me a shout.” Alex paused, then pulled out an averss card from his car and handed it to me. “This is for my place. You can check it out and, if you like it, feel free to move
in.’
Before I could even process what he said, the car was already driving off into the distance.
I pulled the marriage license from my bag, and when I thought of Austin’s handsome mug, I couldn’t help but pinch my arm, muttering. “This can’t be real. I really just sold myself to him”
Just as I was getting lost in my thoughts, my phone buzzed. “Aunt Bonnie, what’s up?” I answered it quickly.
“Laurel, you should come to the hospital. Austin’s here,” Bonnie said.
I felt a shiver run through me. It was clear that what was meant to be would happen sooner or later.
After hanging up, I got a text from Rosemary. [Laurel, is there anything fun to do in Nifelheim City?]
Turns out, Austin had brought Rosemary along when he came to plead for me to get back with him.
