It wasn't much of a surprise. After they had tried to land a high-society husband for her, the family gave up on getting any social credit through her. With her inheritance on the horizon, they hatched a plan to secure it by marrying her to a cousin.
Gorden's words hit Abby like a ton of bricks, igniting a mix of fury and disbelief that turned her cheeks bright red.
"Are you blushing because you're excited to be married to me?" He had joked.
Suppressing her sharp reply, Abby struggled to collect her thoughts amid the swirling chaos in her mind. She finally managed to ask, "Gorden, if I-I agree to marry you, would you ever stand up to your parents for me? Would you let me see my father and take care of him?"
His smile faded, and his round cheeks drooped as he met her earnest gaze.
He grumbled, "If you weren't so stubborn, they wouldn't treat you like that, sweetheart."
Anger coursed through Abby, her stammer emerging as she responded, "Y-you'd take my in-inheritance and give nothing back—"
"Why would you even need a fortune?" he jeered. "You're timid, useless, not into fancy stuff or jewels. Bad at chatting, not that attractive, no real talents. You should thank me for agreeing to marry you, but you're too slow to see that."
"I-I-I—" Frustration silenced her, leaving her glaring and gasping in protest.
"You're just plain dumb," Gorden snapped impatiently.
Abby bit her lips as she began to fathom a plan. She had gotten him drunk and while the bodyguards weren't looking she had slipped through the crowd of the club and left.
Fortunately she had gotten a cab once she stepped out. Her friend and secret business partner, Fredrick had helped her to hide for a month now.
Abby turned and found Remo staring at her. She blushed deeply, averting her gaze.
"Are you regretting it now?" He questioned, a faint smile on his lips.
Was she? Remo Quinn was different from the man she envisioned herself to be with one day. He lacked any trace of kindness, love or warmth. He came across as a predator who likely enjoyed playing with his prey before finishing them off.
As Abby stared at him she realized that his beautiful eyes remained void of emotion even when he smiled—an enchanting, cunning smile that left one breathless. His sensual, wry mouth and the gleam of his white teeth added to his allure. Undoubtedly, he was an incredibly captivating man, and he was fully aware of his charm.
Curiously, despite all this, she didn't find him intimidating. She believed his ego was far too big to physically hurt a woman.
What she feared was the brutality of her uncle and aunt. Never again, they would never hurt her again and she would let them pay for any slap, punch, pain they had inflicted on her.
"N-no. I'm not regretting it."
Remo chuckled softly, rising from his seat. He sauntered over to her, then leaned in closer, his expression a mix of playful confidence. Abby's heart skipped a beat as Remo's presence felt both thrilling and nerve-wracking.
She tried to steady her breathing, feeling a flush rise to her cheeks. As he leaned in, she couldn't help but hold her breath, wondering what he was about to say or do.
His voice, low and smooth, carried a hint of mischief as he whispered, "You know, since we are now married, why don't we skip the formalities?" Abby's heart raced at his words, her mind trying to process what he was suggesting. The air seemed to crackle with tension as she looked into his eyes, her cheeks flushing even deeper.
Remo's proximity was electrifying and she felt weird.
"W-what?" Her voice quivered, betraying her mixed emotions.
Remo's grin widened, and he reached out to gently brush a strand of hair behind her ear. "I mean since you're now my wife, we can't have you calling me Mr. Quinn right?," he murmured, his fingers lingering for a moment longer than necessary.
"I-Yeah."
"Mmmhm so I can call you Abby or you prefer to be called Mrs. Quinn?"
His face was so close enough to hers that she could hear how rich and rough his voice was , only adding to how absolutely frantic she was.Abby's heart fluttered at how good her name sounded coming from him.
Did his voice really have to sound like that on top of everything else? How was that even fair?
"A-bby is fine."
She flicked her eyes to his, heat spreading over her cheeks.
"Alright Abby, let's go home." He said pulling away from her.
Abby blinked in confusion, "Home?"
Remo nodded, "Of course, don't you want to see where you would be spending one year of your life with your lovely husband?"