His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 104

(ALEX]

“Do you have a family?” She asked, and I’d be lying if I said that the first feeling in me wasn’t suspicion.

But it didn’t look like she put any thought into it, just asked what was on the top of her head.

“I do,” replied.

“What? Really?” Her eyes widened. “I didn’t think you were a family guy.”

“I have a mom. A dad. A twin sister. Younger brother. An uncle and an aunt. The whole package, actually,”

“No way.” Her eyes bulged while she made her way to sit on the wooden steps leading to the garden, her feet still dipped into the grass as if it was something to touch. She wanted to touch grass. Who the f**k touches grass? “Your parents encouraged you to be a part of the…” she hesitated, her voice turning into a whisper, “Mafia?”

I rolled my eyes at how dramatic she was. “Mafia. You can say it.”

She raises her shoulders.

“And no,” I answer her, I don’t know why. “My father wanted to kill me when he found it, but I think a part of him always knew about my knack for destruction- right since I started a fire in my school,”

Now, her eyes looked like they would fall out of their sockets. “You started a fire in your school? How old were you? Sixteen?”

“Twelve,” I smile, reminiscing.

“Why even?”

“I wanted to go watch a football game.”

“Unbelievable. What did your parents

grounded for the month. Mom didn’t talk to me for a week.

“Aww. Mama’s boy?”

wasn’t going to

“What happened then?”

a gun and started

I had a family, I would never

tired of hovering over her back, I sit next to her, leaving a good few feet between us. “Did you ever try

and she told me I showed up outside an orphanage when I was just three days old.” Her voice turns smaller. “I think they gave me up because they didn’t want me, but I still missed them all my life, you know? Like there was this huge mom and dad shaped emptiness inside me growing up and that never went away, no matter how much I told

tt

I enquire, “No friends?

time I was shifted into a new foster home, I lost them. At some point, it felt why attach yourself to people if you’re

her voice, and then there was the way she looked straight ahead, as if making a conscious effort to not look at

I push. “How did you find

me, a light scoff under her breath.

“really do.” Tinsist.

There was no

grey eyes turning almost icy when they were set at me,

the one getting to know you. Why do you live alone in this huge

on my floor, except you

your floor if you’re the only

empty rooms, where do I make other hostages

eyes widened, something flashing in

“Maybe,” I lie.

“Other girls?”

raise an eyebrow.

that they’re not here

visibly shudders. I resist a smile. “But you’re right, you don’t get to