My Stand-In Groom Is A Secret Tycoon by Lydia Pierce

Chapter 2 A Bank Card

The Rhodes family lived in a nice two-story cottage in a wealthy part of Riverdale, complete with a spacious parking pad in front. A low-profile Volkswagen pulled up in front of their door.

Audrey hopped out, her long white wedding dress getting caught on the seat. She felt a tear as she stepped out-there was a big hole in the hem.

But surprisingly, she didn't seem bothered at all. Instead, she quickly ripped off the trailing tail of the dress and glanced sideways at the closed villa door nearby.

"Do you want me to come in with you?" a low, mellow voice asked from behind her.

Audrey suddenly remembered she wasn't alone. She turned to look at her new husband from their whirlwind marriage, feeling a bit awkward. She touched her nose nervously and smiled. "No, I've got this on my own." Even though they'd just tied the knot, she wasn't quite ready for Alistair to meet her family.

It felt like saying he wasn't part of her world yet. Luckily, Alistair didn't push the issue. He simply pulled out a dark green bank card and handed it to her without a word. "Take this."

It was a dark green bank card. He held it out between his slim fingers. Audrey blinked in surprise. "What's this for?"

wait around," Alistair explained calmly. "Just head to our new place and grab whatever you need. If anything's missing, go

house in Riverdale and hoped she would move in with him. Audrey wasn't too keen on sticking around her family, so she hadn't

the financial reins like this, basically making her

wasn't exactly thrilled about spending his money. She didn't know much about him, aside from the fact that

pretty average, so it felt wrong to let him foot the bill, especially since he just bought the house. But rejecting

Aren't you worried I might just run off with your money?" "Not a chance," Alistair replied, raising his enchanting eyes slightly, a playful glimmer dancing in them. "Unless your proposal was just a whim, and

his lips, so devoid of emotion yet charged

to refuse him. But before she could finish her thought, Alistair had already slipped the bank card into her hand without

ought to do my part, even if we're not officially husband and wife." He looked at her with a serious expression, an undeniable presence radiating from him. Before Audrey

the card grazed her palm as Audrey clenched it

"Then think of it as my way of trying to earn some brownie points. Just

first move and got shot down.

still didn't know if they could make it work,

thoughts, but he didn't push it. For him, her accepting the