His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 10

SOFIA

When I came to my room, the intention was to switch on my series while reading more about Wales, the company I was going to work at from Monday. A little research beforehand was always good. But I was distracted, thinking about my interaction with Arthur Geller. I hadn’t told Gabriel about it, and I wasn’t sure if I should. I wasn’t sure if he would care:

Twenty minutes in, my reverie was interrupted by knocks on my room’s door.

And not the soft kind. Not Luna’s kind.

There was loud banging on the door with an angry fist, and if I hadn’t rushed to open the door, I’m sure it would have broken down

On the other side, there stood my husband. He wasn’t wearing a coat, just his white shirt tucked into black formal pants. He looked mad. He looked so mad, that I almost got scared.

But when his eyes met mine, they softened. Uninvited, he stepped into my room and shut the door behind him.

“Where did the touch you?”

“What?”

He grit his teeth, as if controlling his anger. “Where did Arthur Geller touch you?”

I blinked.

“Freckles. He paused. “Can you answer?”

“What?” I asked again, dumbfounded as if I had lost my ability to speak. “He- He didn’t.”

Gabriel relaxed. “He didn’t?”

“No. He.. He just held my wrist to stop me when I was calling your

“He held your wrist? Something darkened in his eyes.

“Yes, I agreed in a small voice.

“Show me.” He replied as if constantly putting effort in keeping his voice calm.

Gabriel confused me. Sometimes, he was the most cold hearted person I knew, who couldn’t care enough about if I lived on died. And other times, he left his work to come check on me after he got to know that one of his clients paid me an unsolicited visit

Nonetheless, I just raised my left hand, and he held it in between both of his. His eyes remained fixed at me and I shivered when his thumb slightly traced my wrist. He didn’t stop, aware of the effect his little touch had on me.

“Are you okay?” His voice was gentle, eyes flicking from my hand to me.

It was almost as if he actually cared.

I nodded.

“Okay”

“Okay?”

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Chapter 10

“Okay”

as if coming close to me was a

I scowled. I asked him to not touch me. I’m

“What? No. Sofial”

“What?”

that that’s the only reason I associate with a prck like him.” He seemed offended. “I had heard rumours about him, his behaviour, but I never bothered to stop working with him. because of it, because I couldn’t care less about what he did outside his business… until

at

“He’ll pay for misbehaving

I’m okay. If you do that, you’ll lose

“And?”

Your grandfather will

get one thing straight here.” He replied, his words slow as if emphasising on each one, “You’re my responsibility And no man gets away with coming to my house and touching my wife without her

if he

as if he hadn’t heard,

our marriage isn’t

at me

I noticed you don’t sleep at home some of the nights.

He didn’t reply.

the contract you made me sign. I added

humiliating it felt. I was talking to

was out at night with work. I was not out sleeping with other

mean, the work part Not the not sleeping with other

cracked

Almost.

got work to do,”

nodded. He was a busy man. He took out time from his

for

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Chapter 10

checking on me.”

up at the door that you don’t know, you call me. You don’t wait for Luna to

I nod.

home for lunch. He added, and turning around, he

I wondered if he meant we would have lunch together.

Luna was there, talking to the driver, handing him a list.

to add some of your art supplies to the list right?” She

her and added the A4 canvases I needed with brush brands and sizes, and the oil paints. “I was told that you had to pick me up

peripheral vision, I could see Luna

mistaken, ma’am. It was

was, huh?” I asked, eyes flickering

because Sir had a bit of backache the week before your wedding, but he refused to

you

for letting me know.” I handed the list back to him and turned to Luna,

headed to the couch. If he cares,

me at the dining table, asking Luna to call me down from my room, which I am glad he did because I was so lost trying my new art supplies I had completely lost track of time. The first half of the lunch

throat. “I believe Arthur

at him, eyes narrowing.

him,” he

bit, but I didn’t push.

the dried paint on my knuckles. “If you like, I can ask somebody to clear a room besides yours for you

nodded. “Um… Arthur, he mentioned something about there being

did?” Gabriel stopped eating.

“No, just that.”

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“Okay.”

are we going to the