Chapter 4 Tell Me Your Price

"Why did you make that? I can't eat spicy food," Lev protested.

"Oh, I didn't know that," Alayna replied.

Lev's frustration grew, "My head hurt because of a hangover, and now I must eat chili. Make me another meal!"

Alayna took a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure. "Can you please hire a house helper for us? I'm going to the office now. It's becoming challenging to juggle my responsibilities at home and work."

Lev's response was quick and sharp, "Isn't that the job of a wife? I don't want to bring strangers into my home, it makes me uncomfortable."

"Yes, but our marriage isn't real. Why do I have to cook for you every day? You could even easily buy a restaurant and have them deliver the tastiest food right to your doorstep." Her words carried an undercurrent of disappointment.

Provoked by her statement, Lev fired back, "So, I don't have to provide for you every month? Is that what you're saying?" Tension filled the room like an invisible storm.

Alayna held her ground, "I can provide for myself. But remember, you promised to give me benefits from our marriage." Her words conveyed a sense of longing for the promises made.

Lev countered, "And it's in the agreement that we will provide mutual benefits."

"Yes, unless it's a physical contract. And you've broken it," Alayna's voice trembled.

"It's a mistake. I know," Lev said in a flat tone.

"Only that?" Alayna frowned.

At least Alayna hoped for an apology, but there was not the slightest regret in his eyes.

"Yeah, what else? Besides, I did it because I drank too much. Not because I want you. I don't have feelings for you." Lev defended himself.

Alayna's gaze remained fixed on Lev. "Why did you marry me then?"

"You know why."

"Cammon, I don't really believe that you genuinely wanted to help me to solve my paper's issue. What's your ulterior motive?" Alayna asked without any more hesitation.

Maybe, if Lev kept being kind and wise, he would never have thought badly about him. He was a successful businessman in various industries and owned the largest stake in The Prime Times. However, her respect for Lev Halton was gone after he took her womanity crown.

Alayna looked at Lev with a sharp gaze, looking for any hint of honesty in his expression. Lev felt tense, but he tried to keep calm.

"Alayna, relax! Calm yourself down and we'll have a good talk. Okay?"

Alayna sighed, she pulled a chair in front of the pantry table and sat down. "Go ahead. Tell me more."

Now, amidst the soft light of the morning sun, the atmosphere grew tense. Alayna glared at Lev, her gaze reflecting doubt.

Lev, with his immaculate suit and secretive face, stood straight before her. As if he was a man who held many mysteries. He took a deep breath and sat down across from Alayna.

"The truth is I do want to help you to fix your passport issue. And another reason is I want to take part in politics. For that I need a news anchor or journalist who can gather mass and vote for me," Lev explained.

"You can use your money to buy the votes of all citizens."

"If it were that easy, then I would. But it would drag me into dangerous illegal business," Lev replied. "The safe way is with media support and you are the right person to ease my way."

"If I can do it, of course, I will promote myself first. But nope, I can't do that."

"You just don't realize the potential you have. Your career took off when you were still twenty-five years old, apart from being physically attractive you are also smart and you always obey the law."

"Exactly! I don't think I've ever committed any fraud. I filed my passport through the agency and paid them. Then all of a sudden I got a call and a day later you were at my event and offered to help. Was it a coincidence?"

"Maybe it's fate." Lev shrugged his shoulders.

"Now I think you can do anything, Lev. You can stage this so there's no chance for me to refuse your contract marriage offer."

"You accuse me without any proof? What if you're wrong?"

Alayna was silent, her breath stopped for a moment. Her face showed the inner battle she was going through. She looked into Lev's eyes, searching for the truth behind his words. One side of her heart screamed that something was wrong, but the other side realized that making accusations without evidence was not a wise move.

"I don't want to accuse without evidence. But I feel something is wrong, even though I can't prove it at the moment," Alayna stated firmly. "You broke my trust with what you did last night.

"I've admitted that It was a mistake. It has happened and I can't do anything else about it. Besides, It's just a physical encounter."

"What? Is it just a physical encounter?"

"Yeah, what's else? Let's just get over it and live our lives as usual, okay?"

Alayna began to feel her blood boil again at Lev's words.

"You have to compensate for that 'merely a physical encounter' or consider ending this marriage!"

Lev's response was unexpected, fueling Alayna's pain. "How much? Tell me your price. I can buy you." His words cut like a knife, igniting anger and hurt in Alayna's heart.

Lev reached for his wallet, pulled out thousands of dollars, and held it out to Alayna.

The room fell into silence as Alayna struggled to process the weight of his words.

At first, she had imagined financial gain would bring satisfaction, but now, he treated her as if she was just an item in the market to be bought easily with money.

The weight of her emotions became overwhelming, and without a word, Alayna grabbed a handful of money and threw it in Lev's face.

Feeling hurt, she swiftly exited the room, leaving Lev standing there in stunned silence. The tension was palpable, and the cold air seemed to mirror the icy distance that had formed between them.