Isabella's POV

I wake up with a start to see Jayden stirring in his sleep and my hands over his chest. My eyes open wide and I take my arms off him and scramble out of bed with my heart pounding hard in my chest.

What the hell!

When did I put my hands on his body? I ask no one in particular as my eyes glance around the room to see that the light wasn't off.

Why didn't he turn off the light before sleeping?

Slowly, I drag my silly self to the sofa with my two hands on my cheeks. I drop to the sectional sofa and my butt hits something. I shoot to my feet to grab whatever it is and my eyes fall on the book I am supposed to hide from Jayden.

A loud gasp escapes my mouth as fear begins to consume my whole existence. This book has been on this sofa all through yesterday and I am wondering if Jayden had seen it or not.

How can I forget something like this? If he sees the book, then he will get to know that I am invading his privacy by going to his personal office and going through his things.

He stirs again in bed and I become alert as I hide the book behind me and try to put on a normal expression. The moment he goes still again with his chest heaving up and down slowly, I rush over to my bag and drop the book there.

An unconscious sigh of relief is released from my mouth.

I shake my head at my stupid behavior, thinking of what excuse I would have given him if he had caught me with the book.

Maybe he will just send me home. He will ask me to leave without giving a care about this so-called marriage.

It is obvious there is more to that place. There is something about him hidden in there and despite the fear in me, I still want to go ahead to unravel the mystery before me.

I like puzzles. The sheet of paper that slipped from that novel and the contents are puzzling and I want to get to the root of this.

I sigh again and turn to walk back to the sofa when I see Jayden sitting up in bed and I scream and run back in fright.

"What's the matter?" He asks, almost getting out of bed.

I don't know if I was startled to have seen him suddenly in bed or if it is because I was scared that he must have seen me with the book while I was thinking he was fast asleep.

"Oh, Goodness!" I breathe out a sigh of relief and bend down. "I'm sorry. I was startled."

"Oh!" He only murmurs, adding to my relief that he didn't see anything.

Silence ensues and I expect him to go back to bed only to see him rise from the bed and walk to the bathroom.

Is it morning? Why is he heading to the bathroom?

I look up to check the time on the wall clock opposite the bed. It is 5 am.

"Oh!"

Still feeling guilty, I wall back to the sofa to sit. I won't be able to go back to sleep now and I really wish I can ask Jayden for this book I am hiding. I wish I could ask him freely to lend him so I can also read in his presence but I know I can't because of what I saw and what I did behind his back.

He will be mad at me if he knows but I can't just sit home all day without doing a single thing.

With my hands propped on my jaw, I begin to plan my day. I will take a bath after Jayden is gone to work so we won't have issues with privacy and then I will take a tour of the mansion.

When I am done with that, I will go get groceries for Grandma before visiting her place. I will ask her if she is still interested in moving so I can instruct some of the bodyguards to help her with it tomorrow.

We have a lot to talk about and I will spend the whole day there. Once it is getting late, I will come home.

Thinking about visiting Grandma, I ask myself if it is necessary to inform Jayden of my outing or not.

The last time I went out, he kept asking me questions about where I went.

I should tell him.

After a few minutes, the door to the bathroom opens and he comes out with a towel wrapped around his waist and water trailing down his muscular shiny body.

He must have washed his hair. Didn't he wash it yesterday too? Do men wash their hair every day as women do?

I don't realize my brows are furrowed until he raises a similar brow at me. I gulp and look away.

"I want to visit Grandma today", I inform him, not staring at him.

He has a hot body and if I keep seeing this every single day of my life for the next 360 days, I might not come out the way I came into this marriage.

I slap myself mentally at the thought.

"Ok? Is she moving today?"

"I don't think so but I will ask her when she wants to move", I say with a smile. "I plan to get her groceries first."

"Ask one of the maids to get those for you…"

"There is no need for that, I can do that myself", I cut him short.

He stares hard at me. "If you are not comfortable with that, I can lend you Anna for an hour to get that done for you."

"Anna?" My brows crease in confusion. "Who is Anna?"

"You don't know Anna?" He looks surprised that I don't know who it is. "My new Assistant, of course. The lady I asked to accompany you shopping the other day, you seemed cool and comfortable with it."

"Oh!" I only say, wondering why his Assistant has to do such chores for me. "But why her?"

"Why her?" He asks me as he takes his office wear out and drops them on the bed. It is a well-tailored Italian suit and I wonder what the occasion is today. He grabs a pair of matching suede shoes to complement the look. "Nothing, I just feel like asking her to do that for you."

"Won't she be annoyed to be given such a task when I am just the boss's wife?" I am trying to put myself in her shoes.

Will I be pissed up too if I was given such a task to do?

I think I see him smile and my confusion increases. How did he even get another Assistant in just a few days of me leaving the post?

Is she someone he knows?

"I have my reasons, Isabella", he mutters before turning his back to me. He wears his pants and I look away.

I can't keep this to myself. I want to know his reasons.

"Can I know your reason or reasons?" I ask softly, praying within me for him to answer this question and not wave it away like the other day.

Silence creeps in and I am beginning to bite my lower lips with regrets. I shouldn't have asked him that question. I should learn not to overstep the boundary. I shouldn't feel too entitled.

When I turn to stare at him, he is fully dressed and he is facing me squarely.

"Because Anna is the woman my mother wants me to marry", he finally answers and I shake my head to let the words process.

Anna is the woman Mrs. Russell wants him to marry. His new secretary? Is this why he is doing this?

My mouth drops open.

"I won't be the one to fire her, I will be patient enough for her to submit her resignation letter to me. I'm sure she is going to do that soon so please let Anna do the grocery shopping for you", he throws a wicked smile my way as my mouth is still hanging in the air before he grabs his suitcase beside the drawers and heads for the door.

****

What does Jayden mean by waiting for Anna's resignation later? Is she still a threat to their contractual marriage?

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