Billionaire's Replaced Bride

Chapter 19: For her

Ivanna

"Finish the whole thing," Christian groans, looking at the plate. I am hungry indeed but it's hard for me to eat this entire lasagna alone when my head is still burning with warth.

"Don't spy on my food now. I know how much to eat,"

"No, you don't. You have shrunk so much in a month," he says looking down at me. "You were much chubbier on the wedding day"

I widened my eyes at him. Does he literally measure my body with his shameless eyes? I regret not adding another clause in the contract. Don't stare at me. Huh! But will he abide by it?

"I thank myself for not getting bulkier," I shrug.
"It's been a month since I haven't visited the gym. It's a nightmare for a gym-goer to gain weight"
"So? Why didn't you go? Did I stop you?" He blurts out.

"No, but you have definitely made it impossible for me to step out in a public place. I don't like people to stare at me as if I'm an alien. I want a damn peaceful simple life. That's why I want to leave," I bring up the topic again and find him halting while eating.

His cold eyes come on me again as I twitch.
"You said we can talk about it here," I say in a nervous voice.

"We're not talking about it. Because, Eventually We will be arguing," he says, stuffing his mouth with food again.

"Yes, arguing," I sigh and roll the fork on my plate, trying to figure out what to say.

I badly want to go away from this City and him. The fear I sensed that night is still raw and fresh in my mind. The more I stay with Christian, the more I'll get closer to him, which will mean my nightmare will become true.

I got my first love in Texas and I want to go back there to stick to his memories the way I used to do a month back. Christian was never in my sanity. However, nowadays he keeps roaming inside my head and I can't help thinking about him. It's hatred! I scream inside my head. It's hatred.

"Please let me go," I sense my voice is breaking.

I don't meet his eyes because I know he must be glaring at me with his anger filled eyes. It hurts.

"I'm capable of giving you the world, Iv. But not this one." He says in a tough tone and leaves his chair as my devastated eyes look up at him.

He grabs his coat and phone again to leave.

"I don't need the entire world, Christian. But you're so wrong to think that you can flatter me with the entire world. I hate it. I hate you," I don't know why I keep repeating this.

"I know you hate me," his eyes come on me as he turns. "But at least, you feel something for me,"

I gawk at him, anger and frustration burning inside me.

"And don't force me to do what I don't want. Otherwise, you are yet to see the actual devil in me."

He walks away, leaving me dumbfounded.

Tears of anger prick my eyes as I furiously shove my chair and walk towards the room.

I have more questions than anger inside me. Why is he doing all this? This marriage happened only to save his reputation. There was no other reason. Then why can't he just let me go and live my life? His reputation is saved and I have told him that I'll pay the debt. There should be nothing between us more than that. Why do I need to stay here as if everything is fine and normal between us?

I glare at the bed and grab my pillow and walk towards the couch.

Christian

I made it late today since I don't want to sleep after arguing with her again. She must have slept until now and I prefer to sleep while staring at her beautiful face

As I open the door with my tired hands, my eyes are closing shut. Only to be surprised, I look over inside and find Ivanna sleeping on the couch.
I sigh.

There's a limit for stubbornness but she's the queen of tantrums. What else can I expect from her? I walk inside, towards her near the couch. I can hear her snoring lightly, still managing to settle her body properly.

I shake my head at her.

She can't stay hungry, but she'll starve to show her anger at me .

She needs a big space to sleep, but she'll end up on the couch to remind me that she's still angry.
No matter how annoying these things are to me, I can't deny that her tantrums make me smile and craziness makes me weak on my knees. It's kind of a turn on.

She hated me. She shows her anger only to me.
In the end, she definitely feels something, anger or hatred.

Kneeling near the couch, I gently try to pull the blanket but she grabs it tightly.

"It's cold," she murmurs, squirming on the couch.

I smile at her and wrap the blanket around her. Sliding my hands under her, I carefully try to lift her in my arms so she doesn't wake up
It disturbs her as I feel her moving too much when I'm still lifting her.

"Mmmm... who's that? --you alien, let me sleep. It's my side. Don't come near me," she says in her sleep

I chuckle and lift her in my arms as she sleeps back

Carefully laying her in bed, I notice her moving comfortably. I smile at her and went to freshen up and change. As I come back to find her roll aside, facing me and asleep.

I get on bed laying next to her bend over, balancing on my elbow as my fingers tuck her hairs back behind her ears, I gently rub back of my hand on her cheeks.

"I know why you want to leave Dallas. It's not because you want to a simple life. You want to leave because you're trying to run away from me," my voice comes out as a whisper. "I can't let you do that, nor can I turn you down like this. Your wish will be fulfilled but not in the way you want it,"I say

while laying back and slipping my hand inside the blanket and finding my way to her. I spiral my hand over the waist, dragging myself closer to her as she reaches closer and burying herself in my chest, I sigh holding her and drifting to sleep.