　　“How much do you have in your bank account?” Kaius asked the moment my butt touched the swivel chair.
　　“Excuse me?” I asked back, stunned at him.
　　Kaius laughed softly and I peered at him.
　　“The question isn't meant to offend you, in case it did. I need to know how much you have right now because I need a clearer figure to establish in our plan the percentage of shares that we can buy out from the current shareholders in Hayes Hotels.” I slightly bobbed my head, understanding the meaning behind his question.
　　“I have about seven or eight grand in my bank account.”
　　“Just 800, 000 dollars?”
　　“That's just a rough estimate, but the numbers on my account won't amount to a million dollars.”
　　Kaius threw a look at Alonzo that only the two of them could understand.
　　“What you want to happen is impossible, Alonzo. I'm a businessman, not a magician,” Kaius blabbed out, resting his head 

　　“If your gut feeling tells you that not telling the truth will keep the two of you at peace, then don't, Irina. It's just that simple.”
　　“But, I don't want our relationship to be built around lies, Eve, which is why I'm pondering.”
　　Eve put down her teacup and cracked up, “Girl, please. Dr. Alonzo and you are in this fake marriage setup, which means that your relationship was inarguably built around lies and deception.”
　　I wanted to refute Eve's argument when my phone beeped.
　　“I'm going up. Alonzo's home,” I said and got up.
　　“You said that he'll be home late?”
　　“I assumed because he's been going home late these days. He's busy with his patients.”
　　Eve's jaw fell to the floor, “You're not aware of your husband's schedule?”
　　“No. Do I have to?”
　　“Fucking yeah? You should ask for his schedule just to be aware, then he won't have to come home to an empty suite, rather he'll come

　　Irina looked so petite and weak in my arm, which made me feel like I should be protective of this woman who had been trying to enshroud the tears in her eyes and pull herself together.
　　“My friend is the heir of this hotel. Eve will certainly get me a room of my own once she hears that I was thrown out of the mansion.” Irina nibbled her lower lip, “S-She has a condo about fifteen minutes drive from here. I can stay there with her too. I appreciate your help, really, but I don't want to trouble you anymore.” Our orbs cinched in, her lips quivering as she thought of something else to tell me in a hurry.
　　“Why would you stay with your friend when I have a suite that is big enough to accommodate us?” I curiously cocked my head to scrutinize her shock and confusion.
　　“If you want this marriage to be believable, you'll have to live with me, Irina. I never heard of a married couple living away from each other, especially at this time.”
　　“What time?”
　　“Honeymoon?” I said in a questioning sort. Irina dumped her eyes somewhere else.
　　“My suite has two bedrooms. We'll use a separate bedroom if that puts you at ease. Nothing will happen between us again unless you want it to, who am I to say no?”
　　Flabbergasted when she suddenly jumped at me to cover my mouth.
　　“Please, let's not talk about that thing. I don't want to remember how slutty I was last night for sleeping with the man that I just met!” she blurted. Irina left me behind as the elevator opened.
　　She stormed into my suite like the place belonged to her. Irina only slowed down after she saw a figure of a man watching a show.
　　“You didn't tell me that your friend was here!” She spoke near my ear.
　　“I asked him to come. Kaius grew up in L.A. He has a connection with pretty much everyone, and he'll be a help to our problem.” Irina raised an eyebrow at me.
　　Whenever she's acting all bratty, my head plays back to the memory of her being whinny and submissive to me from the other night.
　　“Our problem? You mean, mine?”
　　I rang my arm around her waist, “Yours, but as your husband, your problem is my problem too,” I said to her, winking.
　　Irina pulled me to the master's with her. She even locked the door behind her. 
　　“Can you stop phrasing it like that? You're making it look as if we're a real married couple!”
　　Irina didn't know that Kaius knew the truth about this contract marriage, and I liked it better this way.
　　“It doesn't matter to me if this is just a fake marriage, Irina. I'll still treat you like how I'll treat the woman I married for love.” She gaped at me, and I became more serious.
　　“I couldn't ask about it earlier, but now is the perfect timing. Why were you crying like a lost child on the side of the street?”
　　“How can I not when I lost everything? I was bereaved of my right to be the next CEO of our company, and my father stole my shares from me.” Irina looked at the ceiling in an effort to make herself stop crying.
　　“Your father did what?” My grandfather was deemed heartless and ruthless by everyone who had heard about him, but he'd never do something like this.
　　“What kind of father would steal his daughter's shares? Who would do that to their child?”
　　“Warren Hayes will,” she girded.
　　“Even the properties that I inherited from my grandparents were transferred to my Dad. I didn't sign anything. I'm not sure how it happened, but he acquired it illegally and there's nothing I can do!” Irina burst.
　　Fondling her back as I let her cry out her frustration, “There's something that we can still do about that.”
　　“Ha? How? What is it, then? I'm now married to you. I'm no longer a Hayes, and I'm basically a speck of dust to the empire that the Hayes are!”
　　“You said that I'm the only chance for you to claim your right.”
　　"That was when I thought that you're---” Irina sighed and shook her head.
　　I pulled up her chin.
　　“You're not a Hayes anymore, but you're my woman and my wife now. I won't let anyone wrong my wife.”
　　“Freshen up yourself first and then Kaius and I will be waiting at my office to work on our strategy.” I point out the door, inkling to the walk-in closet and bathroom.
　　Stepping out from the master's, the TV was already off and Kaius couldn't be found in the living room. 
　　“Do you want one?” Kaius asked. I walked into my office and saw him pouring a glass of champagne on his flute.
　　“I need your help.” Kaius enjoyed his drink before he bobbed his head.
　　“I deemed that was the reason when you asked me over. For what?”
　　“Irina was the firstborn daughter of the Hayes. She should have been Warren's heir, but Warren made Esmeray his heir instead. All her shares and property that she got from her grandparents were stolen from her by the brute, too.”
　　“Everyone in L.A. knew that Warren Hayes was a scheming shrewd, but none would have expected that he'd do something like that to Irina.”
　　“I'd like to help Irina get back what was meant for hers in the first place, and I need your help to do that.” Kaius smiled cheekily at me. “What?”
　　“So, you're playing knight in shining armor to the damsel in distress?”
　　“Irina is my wife, Kaius.”
　　“Fake wife, Leandro---”
　　“Alonzo, Kaius. If you call me by my real name once more, I'll strangle you to death.”
　　“Relax, I thought you needed my help to save your wife's ass? Why are you threatening me now?” Kaius tossed the champagne on his throat.
　　“And will you tell me why you wanted to save the damsel in distress when I thought that you were the damsel in distress and being married to Irina will save you from this mess?” I shot a glare and Kaius threw off his hands in the air.
　　“You're supposed to be using Irina, Alonzo. Have you forgotten that you married her for that reason? Now that she was kicked off from her family and their wealth, there's nothing much that she can do for you.”
　　“Are you telling me to abandon her too?” I asked in, gritting my teeth.
　　“That would be a smart thing to do. You're in L.A. and you're not a Sterling. You're a man of authority and power in New York, but that is not the case here. Warren Hayes could turn your life upside down.”
　　“And I should be scared of that?” I sneered at him.
　　Kaius sighed his frustration.
　　“You know what. You can be honest with me. I won't judge you. It sounds impossible, but Irina is an exquisite woman. Everyone's crushing on her.” I stared at him with a clenched jaw.
　　“Except for me, but are you in love with her? Was it like love at first sight?”
　　“I'm not, Kaius. Cut this crap, ok?”
　　“You're not, more of like not yet. I'm not blind. I can see the way you check her out, Alonzo. You're attracted to her,” he continued. Kaius raised his two fingers.
　　“What is that?”
　　“An ultimatum? Two weeks and you'd be down bad for Irina.”
　　“That's not going to happen. I just want to help her first, and I'm confident that Irina will return the favor to me.”
　　“Or you'll beg her not to divorce you anymore,” he said, summing up the future that's never going to happen.

　　“How much do you have in your bank account?” Kaius asked the moment my butt touched the swivel chair.
　　“Excuse me?” I asked back, stunned at him.
　　Kaius laughed softly and I peered at him.
　　“The question isn't meant to offend you, in case it did. I need to know how much you have right now because I need a clearer figure to establish in our plan the percentage of shares that we can buy out from the current shareholders in Hayes Hotels.” I slightly bobbed my head, understanding the meaning behind his question.
　　“I have about seven or eight grand in my bank account.”
　　“Just 800, 000 dollars?”
　　“That's just a rough estimate, but the numbers on my account won't amount to a million dollars.”
　　Kaius threw a look at Alonzo that only the two of them could understand.
　　“What you want to happen is impossible, Alonzo. I'm a businessman, not a magician,” Kaius blabbed out, resting his head on his chair.
　　“Why? What's going on? What were you aiming to happen?” Alonzo stripped his eyes fro

Chapter 7: Irina