She entered the reserved suite, and her feet froze.
It was not only the same hotel; it was also the same room from five years ago!
Her fists clenched. She was hesitant to be in this room with him, but if she brought her brother, he would just fume in anger.
Today she was going to do everything to convince him to leave them alone and also to use his hands to deal with the media.
Valerie found him sitting on the other side of the room. She immediately ran over.
Instead of sitting opposite him, she stomped her purse on the table, flopping beside him. Her eyes instantly fell on the table filled with kids' snacks.
"Where's my son?"
Valerie frowned.
He went from 'our son' to 'my son'! Little Roe was hers!
Ignoring him, she shoved her phone at him. "Have you seen this?"
He squinted his eyes at the headline, 'Who is the other woman? Is Roman Sinclair the bastard child of Azreal Hawthorne?'
She swiped it up and saw several similar posts. They had found a photo of Little Roe from a friend's wedding and were comparing the son's and father's pictures.
There were also pictures of their matching rings and his photos with his fiancée, some calling her a side chick and others calling her an early mistress.
She couldn't sleep since she had seen them. Her family called everyone they could, but someone seemed to be pushing these articles from behind.
He looked up at her and noticed her face was red like she had cried. Instinctively, he reached for her, making her flinch back.
He dropped his hand, pursing his lips.
Picking up his phone, he went to the side, coming back after 20 minutes. "They will be taken down soon."
She sniffed, looking at him in accusation. "That doesn't solve the problem. Everyone's talking about it."
"Hmm... It doesn't." He took a sip, serving one in front of her.
Valerie leaned forward eagerly. "Yes, but if your company officially release a statement that I'm just an old friend you happen to pick up. Wouldn't that solve this issues for both you and me?"
He stared at her as if he were looking at a kid. "Old friend I wear matching rings with?"
She opened her mouth and then closed it. There was no work around here! He had practically ruined this for them!
"Then why did you call me?" She scurried back.
Azrael looked at her quietly before smirking, "Why do you think?"
"How would I know?" She huffed, annoyed, and went on a rant. "You met my uncle and brother with forged evidence and threatened to take my son from me! How am I supposed to look them in the eye now? You are an engaged man-"
"I was."
She froze. Gossip traveled at light speed in their circle, and last she checked, he was engaged.
"The evidence wasn't forged but you would know better. Did I look like I was in my senses that night?"
She rolled her eyes in frustration, "I don't know! I told you before, I don't remember! I was in a post-graduation party downstairs, accepting drinks one moment and next I woke up naked in that bed!"
For all her huffing and puffing, she was a petite woman. Her outburst would be cute if her family wasn't treating his son like shit.
His eyes hardened. "I can't let my son be treated like a bastard. He will live with me."
"He isn't treated-"
"I found him trapped in a car trunk for hours."
"H-he was in a car trunk?"
Her brother hadn't told her the details, and Little Roe only talked to the 'cop uncle'.
He scoffed in disbelief. Just thinking about how Little Roe could have suffocated to death in there enraged him.
She held his sleeve, looking up at him with unshed tears.
"Wh-why are you doing this to me? You know it was a mistake." In frustration, Valerie felt her throat clog. "He's all I have. I-I can't live without him."
He leaned forward, wiping her tears. This time she didn't push him away. Her eyes grew rounder in pity.
He didn't know why he was going this far either. He wasn't the first man to father an illegitimate child in their circle. There were a hundred ways to deal with this situation...
Was it the wide-eyed kid that will give him enough power to get out of his grandfather's thumb? Or was it this golden angel that was stirring his loins?
He smiled, cupping her face. "Then, sweetheart, you just have to marry me."
She pushed him away, pouting. "But I don't like you!"
Like this, she looked just like their four-year-old son.
Azreal didn't hold back his chuckle. "Since when do people marry for love in our circle?"
"O-Oh! Marriage of convenience?" She jumped up, pacing back and forth in thought.
She thought of Marco and pursed her lips. She had always wanted to marry a sweet guy like him, but the cold reality was marrying Azreal Hawthorne will solve most of her problems.
Little Roe will have a father's name and an easy future. As an orphan herself, she knew how cruel people's words and underhanded remarks can be.
If Little Roe has Azreal Hawthorne's backing, her son will not have to go through them. The scandal that has ruined her life both here and abroad will die down too.
She knew he was using her so she could use him too!
Decisively, she turned to him, "B-But if I marry you then you can't bring your... bad stuff in front of Roe and me. Also, you can't force me into anything. You know what I'm saying, right?
Did she mean drugs by 'bad stuff' and sex by 'force me into anything'?
He shrugged, taking another sip. "Sure, you can get that in writing."
Her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh...! Great, then I will write it down now!"
Taking out a small sketch book she always kept in her bag, she quickly went to the other corner so he wouldn't peek and jotted down her conditions.
In ten minutes she used all her knowledge from the dramas she had seen and handed him the conditions she prepared.
Azrael took in the messy pointers and several cut-off lines, stifling his laugh. It was quiet for a while as he hid his smirk.
When he read her conditions, his brows hiked up.
[The first condition was, Little Roe will be an irrevocable beneficiary to half his fortune.
In case of a divorce, Valerie will have custody, and he can never bring up the that night again in court.
They will neither share a room nor can he expect intimacy.
They will behave like a couple in public and he will divorce her whenever she asks after a year.]
He looked up, and her round green eyes were looking at him expectantly. This kitten looked naive but was surprisingly thorough in her conditions.
"You want us to be a show-window couple?"
"Yes..." She bit her lips nervously. "Isn't that what you agreed on?"
He said they didn't need love to make love.
He never said anything about not having intimacy. If he wasn't slobbering all over her like a starving wolf, why would he go as far as to marry her?
But there was no need to startle away this little kitten. Her clumsy conditions left plenty of room for loopholes.
His phone rang, sparing him the trouble of responding. "Let them in."
Valerie was staring at Azrael curiously before four fierce-looking older men strode in with Luka in tow.
Intuitively, she scooted closer to Azreal. "Who are they...?"
He pulled her in, throwing his arm on the sofa behind her. "They are here to assist us."
"In what...?"
"Sir." The men said their greetings, introducing themselves before he could reply. Azreal gave a nod, indicating they should sit.
Luka served them drinks. Mr. and Mrs. Hawthorne had a church wedding in Europe and would like to renew their vows for legal capacity."
Taken aback, she grabbed his arm. "Right now?"
"Yes, now." He raised a brow.
"B-But I'm not ready!" She looked startled trying to get away from him, but he quickly cupped her face to whisper in her ear.
"I don't have time after today for the next couple of months." He said impassively; he caressed her round cheeks. "Would you rather we meet in court?"
He disliked things that wasted his time; he was already being more patient with her than he had ever been in life.
She gaped like a fish before pushing him away with a glare.
Did she even have a choice here? Or has she played right into his hands?
He tore off the page from her diary and handed it to his assistant to draft the contract. He gave him a nod.
Understanding, he quickly nodded, giving a pitiful glance to the careless innocent lady who didn't know who she was dealing with.
The marriage happened so quickly it didn't even register in her till she was holding their contract and marriage certificates.
With everyone gone, she was surprised to see the date was of six years ago on their marriage certificate, a year before Little Roe was born.
He was going through the document she had just skimmed through before signing. He clicked his tongue in amusement; this little kitten was going to regret it.
He quickly signed before smirking up at her. "Does your manager take care of all your dealing?"
She quizzically tilted her head. "How would you know?"
His grin widened. "I guessed."
She narrowed her eyes, trying to understand what he meant before giving up.
Valerie still couldn't believe she had just gotten married. Belatedly, she felt sorry for marrying in a hotel room where who knows how many prostitutes he has slept with!
As the men left, she angrily turned to him, "Why would you do it here?"
"It's nostalgic, isn't it?" He leaned in chuckling. Grabbing her hand, he rubbed it softly doing things to her heart. "What do you say? Should we reminisce about the old times?"