"Joe..." Isabella whispered, glancing toward the bathroom door to make sure Hunter was still there because she was now connected to Joe.
"Isabella... I'm in New York now, at the hotel where you got married," Joe said over the phone.
Isabella's eyes widened and her heart raced. "Joe, what are you doing here?" she asked, already imagining where Joe was now. Was he going to mess up her work or not?
"Isabella, I want to see you... I want to make sure that man doesn't have you completely!" Joe sounded anxious.
"Joe..."
"It's been so hard to let you marry him... so hard. I can't be at peace anymore. I always think that he will touch you, have you completely... He will make you fall in love with him!"
"No, Joe... That's not true!" Isabella shook her head anxiously, glancing at the bathroom door. "He won't do that to me, he's weak... I already told you, he's impotent... He won't even be able to force me!"
"I know... But I'm still scared..."
"Don't be afraid, trust me."
"I won't believe it until you meet me... I'm waiting for you on the rooftop."
"You're on the rooftop?" Isabella's eyes widened.
"Yes... Isabella... Please come here for a moment. I don't mean to bother you, I just want us to talk for a bit. This is important!" Joe sounded pleading.
Isabella bit her lower lip, suddenly startled as the bathroom door opened, and Hunter came out in his wheelchair. Reflexively, she ended the call.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Hunter asked.
"Um..." Isabella quickly walked to the wardrobe. "I... I need to clean up too." She hurriedly grabbed a pink pajama set complete with underwear and a bra, then headed to the bathroom.
Hunter stayed silent, puzzled by Isabella's behavior. He furrowed his brows and moved his wheelchair closer to the bed, picking up his phone from the nightstand.
He scrolled through the contacts until he found one named Robert.
"Mr. Brown?" Robert answered.
"I have a task for you," Hunter said seriously. "I got married today, everything happened so fast... It was all arranged by my mother."
"Oh my God, you should have refused, then what's the benefit of pretending..."
"Robert!" Hunter shouted before Robert could finish. "Just do this task for me this time. I'll explain later about why I couldn't refuse my mother's orders!" he continued quietly but firmly.
"Okay..."
"I want you to investigate Isabella Quinn... I mean, my wife. Please look into her background," Hunter requested, his gaze fixed on the bathroom door, imagining Isabella possibly showering, cleaning her beautiful body. "I need to know whether I should let her go after the contract ends or if I might change the rules or even cancel the agreement."
"Alright, I'll do what you ask."
"As soon as possible!"
"Okay..."
Hunter let out a harsh breath after ending the call. He glanced at the bed, got up from his wheelchair, and climbed onto the bed to lie down.
'Isabella Quinn. She's so beautiful and simple... But she married me because she wanted money. Is it possible that if I had nothing and was known as a paralyzed and impotent man, she would still marry me?' he wondered, imagining a love-based marriage between him and Isabella.
After a few minutes of daydreaming, while looking at some photos of Isabella stored in his phone's gallery, Hunter felt very anxious until he noticed the bathroom door opening and saw Isabella coming out, already dressed in her pajamas with her hair loose.
'Damn...' he cheered inwardly, continuously staring at his wife, who looked so fresh he could even smell her fragrance as she got closer.
"I thought you were asleep," Isabella said awkwardly.
Hunter smiled. "This is our first night. There's no way I could sleep."
Isabella frowned, fearing Hunter would suggest they have sex.
'But isn't he impotent? Didn't he say he has something useless?'
"Hahaha..." Hunter laughed, seeing Isabella's confused expression. "You must be thinking I'm enjoying you!"
Isabella just smiled shyly and looked away.
"You already know a lot about me, which means you know we won't do anything but talk," Hunter laughed, then patted his right side. "Come here next to me... You are my wife now, don't be shy. My mother already paid you and you have to do whatever I want," he continued, raising an eyebrow.
"What should I do for you?" Isabella asked cautiously.
"What do you think?"
"I... I don't know..."
"Then come here, you'll find out." Hunter patted his right side again.
Reluctantly and nervously, Isabella climbed onto the bed, crawled to Hunter's right side, and lay there, staring at the white, clean room ceiling. Everything seemed pristine white, like something pure.
"Do you have a boyfriend?" Hunter asked without looking at Isabella.
Isabella immediately frowned, glancing at Hunter and remembering Joe, who was waiting for her on the rooftop.
'Why is he asking that? Does he suspect me?'
"Do you have a boyfriend?" Hunter turned to Isabella, who immediately blinked and looked away.
"Uh, I don't have one," Isabella replied nervously. "If I had a boyfriend, there's no way I could accept your mother's offer to marry you," she continued, lying.
Hunter just gave a faint smile.
"I've always been single because I focus on working ... And I don't want to date because it would only make me anxious, I'd be afraid of heartbreak," Isabella added.
"A girl as beautiful as you choose to stay single because you're always comfortable, you don't want to leave that comfort zone but you choose to marry not for love," Hunter replied, then turned to face Isabella. He reached out, pulling his wife's arm to make her turn to face him, so he could see her naturally beautiful face, and of course, those fresh-looking lips that he wanted to kiss. "What's your problem, Girl?"
"I thought you already knew," Isabella whispered nervously, daring to look into his large dark brown eyes that appeared so sharp.
"I don't know," Hunter whispered. "I only know your name and your picture... That's all... Even that was just a glance because I wasn't very interested in getting married," he continued.
"Then why get married? Is this because of the gift from your grandfather?"
Hunter fell silent as if Isabella's guess was correct.
"I don't understand..." Isabella shook her head. "You're not taking advantage of this marriage because you... You can't... Can't treat me however you want because of your limitations. Then why... Why get married? Even though it's a contract marriage."
Hunter just stayed silent.
"Um... Alright." Isabella lay back down, facing upwards. "I don't need to know much, I just need to do my duty."
"I need a wife very much," Hunter said.
Isabella immediately turned to him.
"I need a wife who will take care of me sincerely. But that's impossible... Girls only come close because of my money," Hunter continued, still staring at Isabella. "Besides, which girl would love a paralyzed and impotent man? Unable to provide satisfaction, unable to pamper... A girl who would be with me would only want to enjoy my wealth, and then cheat on me... That's like an insult to me... It would make me look very pitiful, right?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
Isabella was stunned, swallowing hard. Hunter's words felt like a slap to her because she still had a relationship with Joe. It certainly felt like cheating, and it would be fatal if found out by Juliana.
"At first, I didn't like my mother's plan, but when I saw your picture... I thought there's no wrong in getting married," Hunter said with a faint smile. "At least I won't be lonely, even if only for three months," he continued, his smile slowly fading.
"I will do my duty as a wife well, I promise," Isabella replied anxiously. "I'm sorry if you don't like this marriage... But... This has already happened and... And I don't want it to be canceled because I need the money... so, I will be a good wife for you, I promise," she continued nervously.
Hunter just shook his head.
"No... Don't be too good to me," he said, smiling.
Isabella was stunned and confused.
"I don't want to fall in love... That's something wrong," Hunter said again, then lay back down, looking at the ceiling. "You only need the money, so don't be good to me. Don't make me love you because you won't love me... No... You won't. You're too perfect for me... You surely want a man who can protect you, not just have money," he continued cynically as if mocking himself.
Isabella just stayed silent, now confused about what to say, but she understood Hunter's words as a hope that she married him not for money, but for love, yet also feeling unworthy of receiving love.
'If he weren't sick, maybe he would have the confidence to marry a girl far better than me,' she thought.
.