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”

stepped away from me so quickly, as if coming close to me was a mistake. “Arthur

scowled. I asked him to not touch

“What? No. Sofial”

“What?”

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

stared at him, just

clenching. “He’ll pay for

okay. If you do that, you’ll lose him as a

“And?”

Your grandfather will not like

my responsibility And no man gets away with coming to my house and touching my wife without her consent. Are we

if he

black as if he hadn’t heard, mt correctly

asking is since our marriage isn’t real, are

at me without

sleep at home some of the nights. I was wondering if you’re with

He didn’t reply.

in the contract you made me sign. I added

was heavy, and the more it continued, the more humiliating it felt. I was talking to Gabriel about sex. Correction, I was talking to him about having sex with

a deep breath, “I was out at night with work. I was not out sleeping with other

mean, the work part Not

almost cracked a

Almost.

to

He took out time from his schedule to check on

for

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Chapter 10

checking on me.”

don’t know, you call me. You don’t wait for Luna to call Peter

I nod.

He added,

door shut behind me. I wondered if he meant we would have lunch together. That’s why he

talk about me getting a job over lunch, I headed down. Luna was there, talking to the driver, handing him a

add some of your art supplies to

spun upon talking to Gabriel, I took the list from 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 from the car and get me into the house last night because I slept.” I looked

my peripheral vision, I could see Luna

It

was, huh?” I asked, eyes flickering

offered because Sir had a bit of backache

you

Thanks for letting me know.” I handed the list back to him and turned to Luna, who was mumbling apologies under her breath and something

I headed to the couch.

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

believe

at him, eyes narrowing.

to him,”

believe his calmness one bit, but I didn’t push. “I want

to the dried paint on my knuckles. “If you like, I can

He nodded. “Um… Arthur,

did?” Gabriel stopped eating. “Did

“No, just that.”

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“Okay.”

going to