"What?" she shouted out by mistake and all the mikes turned towards her. 'I don't want to say anything.'
"Mrs. Liliya Cooper, do you think you can manage Bradford empire?"
'Of course, I can't!' Lili felt like hell to maintain the smile during every situation. "Do you mean that Mr. Cooper made a wrong decision?" she smartly diverted the target. The person who asked that question turned into a cat and hid himself. None of them could dare to ask the same question to Niklaus, as they knew the consequences. Mr. Cooper had explained the world with an example.
Nik smirked, looking at the trembling journalists, "You guys don't have to be frightened. Let me ask you a question. Why do you think all the companies that I invested in are successful?"
There was a silence, while Lili wondered why he was asking such a random question.
"Your prediction and analysis are perfect and flawless." Answered one of them.
"So, why do you think that my analysis on Liliya is wrong?"
There was an awkward silence, and Lili was dumbstruck. 'Analyse? What am I? A company! Problem or Question?' The situation perplexed her. Should she be happy that her so-called husband supported her? Or should I be sad that he treated me like a math problem?
Her eyes finally lit to hear Beau calling the interviews session over. 'What's next? Is it at least over now? What? Photo session?' She was happy for a second, which God didn't want.
Just to get over the ridiculous and useless marriage as fast as she could, Lili nodded to the stupid poses the photographer adjusted. There was a faint pain in her cheeks, which seemed to increase slowly. 'Smiling isn't a simple task. Ah!!' she groaned without losing that absurd grin on her tired face.
Her brain gradually lost energy to think, and all she could do was to listen to the people around. Lili sighed, releasing that even if she had full energy, there wasn't any need to think. She is just a tongueless creature, whose words were never taken seriously. She helplessly looked at the audience, who were walking out. 'I miss my home, my room.' It was the first time that Lili actually wanted to go home.
"Mr. Cooper, the car is ready," Beau interrupted, and informed that the time allocated for photos is over.
'Yah!! I can go home!' Lili's soul danced and her eyes started searching for Bella, whom she hadn't seen since the wedding started. Her parents, whom she saw before the photo session near the stage, weren't present. 'Fine! I will change into my clothes and leave.'
"Mrs. Cooper, this way!" Beau showed Niklaus' back. At first, she didn't respond, obviously, as she wasn't used to that name. Later, when she saw where Beau pointed, she stopped walking.
"I had to marry you. I, married. Now, let me go home."
Nik halted to hear that statement. Without turning back, "Beau, tell her that I don't want to tire my HR team."
Lili blinked, not understanding what he was saying. Beau, who stood beside her, noticed and smirked. "He meant to say that he doesn't want the media to notice and create a hassle."
"But, my clothes!" she cried.
"I can buy the entire store. Which shop shall we go to?"
'Think of something that he can't buy! Shoes, books, jewelry, certificates…YES!' She finally relaxed to find a thing that the rich, ruthless, and weird Cooper guy can't purchase. "My certificates... I need them."
"Don't the university take the previous certificates? As far as I know, you have just taken your final examination." Beau said, crushing all her plans. "Please!" he showed the way again.
"Let me at least meet Bella and my parents." She pleaded.
"You can meet them tomorrow, not today!" Nik slummed her with words and gestured Beau to bring her.
'Idiot! What are you? Is he good or bad?' That was the question that worried and amused as well. For a minute, he would be very caring, supportive and act as if he had known her for a long time. And the next minute, he would completely turn into a ruthless person and treat her like a useless object. Keeping his obnoxious character to the side, Lili just wondered why Bella would leave her and go. The disappearance of her parents didn't surprise her even a bit, but Bella!
"Where is Bella?" she asked Beau while following the cold Niklaus' back.
"I have assigned a driver to drop your family and friend."
Lili gave a loud groan. "Seems like you forced them to!" A corner of her mouth curled up, her nostrils flared, and eyes gave Beau a fierce glare. Her heart was trembling at what other atrocities she had to view. She thought marrying would be enough and then she could live her life as well as her parents would be happy. But upon seeing the condition, Lili thought if she took a wrong step. But what else could she do? The more the time she spent with Mr. Cooper, the more suspicious he appeared to her.
Finally, the black-haired man halted near a long black car. Lili blinked at its superfluous length. And to her surprise, Mr. Cooper opened the door for her. 'What's with him again?' she thought but gave a plastered smile and got into the car.
Her eyes widened to see the beige coloured interior. There were two reclining chairs facing an enormous TV screen, and an adjustable multipurpose table was present before the chairs. It was a car that Lili usually saw in action movies. Though her father was rich, he was kind of stingy and preferred not to spend money on comforts, food or anything else that didn't bring him any profits.
Now, in spite of being in such a car, she wasn't able to enjoy herself. 'Where is he taking him? His home! I don't want to go.' she told herself as if she had a choice not to go. As soon as Niklaus sat and the door closed, she blasted out, "Where are we going?"
"Home!" he replied and switched on the Television.
"Can't you see I am talking to you?" she yelled.
"Well, I can do both. Continue!" he said in a monotonous tone but smiled while gazing at the screen.
Lili tightened her fists and glanced to check what made the moron smile. It was their wedding! Lili's lips curled up to see her beautiful self over the news.
"Speak and shout as much as you want, now. But keep your tongue in control when you reach home."