Chapter 7: Chapter 7

<Azaria>

I glanced at the woman who had been eyeing Nick for a while, she seemed interested in him.

"Choose whatever you want. Grandpa called, and he wants us to go to the mansion," he lazily said to me.

We spent an hour choosing, and I couldn't decide on the color.

"What do you think? Pink or deep purple? This Sierra Blue looks nice too," I asked him.

"What do you think?" he replied.

I held the deep purple one again.

"Go for the pink," he suggested.

"But my old phone is already pink," I complained.

"If you don't mind, I'll just decide," he said.

I glanced at the woman who had been eyeing Nick. She took the iPhone that Nick was looking at, and my face darkened when she deliberately held Nick's hand.

Nick let her, and he didn't say anything.

"I want both the pink and deep purple," I said to Nick, feeling annoyed.

“I can’t choose between the two,”

“Buy the two; I’ll change my phone too,”

I was about to smile when I noticed that the woman was making advances towards Nick.

I glared at the woman, but she just smiled at me.

"Excuse me, I hope you won't mind if I ask. What's your perfume? I want to give it to my brother; I think he'll like your perfume," she said.

I clenched my fists.

I looked at Nick, waiting for his response.

He was about to answer when I walked away and went to the counter.

How flirtatious!

I lost my mood.

After that, I ignored him. I gave him a cold look, and I knew he was wondering about my behavior.

We bought a lot of things, and some of them couldn't fit in the car, so he called the driver to deliver our purchases to the house.

It was already late, and I was tired.

"We'll go to the mansion," he informed me.

"Are you tired?" he asked me, holding my hand.

I'm using my new phone, and we both have the same phone case. He chose pink, and I chose deep purple.

"Why do you look grumpy?" he asked, with a furrowed brow.

"Ask your girl from earlier!" I snapped at him, pulling my hand away from his grip.

"We don't have a woman," he replied cluelessly.

"Why are you mad? You've been giving me death stares since earlier. What did I do?"

His question irritated me even more. He's so insensitive.

"I don't know about you! Just remember, I will never love you! I only agreed to marry you because it was a condition for my grandfather's help!" I blurted out in my frustration.

I wanted to hurt him with my words because I was so annoyed with him.

"If I wasn't desperate, I wouldn't have agreed to marry you! It was a huge mistake to marry you! I hate you, Nikolai!"

He sped up the car and clenched his jaw. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

"I don't know that you fucking hate me! You don't need to shout it to my face!" he angrily retorted, his gaze focused on the road.

I wanted to cry, and I didn't know why.

I was irritated with him, which is why I said those things.

"I hate you! I don't know why my grandfather wanted me to marry you! You're just an adopted child!" I shouted at him.

He accelerated even more. I gripped the seatbelt tightly out of fear.

"Watch your mouth, Azaria," he said, his tone darkening.

"Why are you acting like that, huh? You've been giving me death stares since earlier, and suddenly you're saying those things?! I know that you fucking hate me! And I'm not hoping that you'll like me!" he shouted back.

I couldn't hold back my tears anymore.

"We'll talk about it in the house," he said firmly.

We arrived quickly at the mansion, and I got off first. I didn't wait for him and went inside.

I was angry at that man. I didn't like him. I wanted to vent my frustrations.

We were okay earlier, and then suddenly we fought. It's not my fault that I blurted those things out in anger.

Nick ruins the mood.

I wiped away my tears before entering the mansion.

"Grandfather, you're here," I greeted with a forced smile when I saw him.

I discreetly wiped away the tears that were about to fall.

"Bakit mo kami pinapunta dito?" I asked him.

"I just wanted to check on you, the married couple. You look blooming, Azaria," the old man flattered me.

"I had the food prepared. Let's eat," I walked ahead.

"Wait, where's Nick?" the old man asked when he noticed that I was alone.

"I'm here," I glanced at Nick.

The old man chuckled upon seeing his adopted child. Our eyes met, and I glared at him. I gave him a dirty look.

"Let's go to the kitchen. Your parents are here too, Azaria."

I ignored the old man's words. I saw my parents happily talking at the table as they waited for us.

"Azaria," my mother greeted me with joy.

I kissed my parents on their cheeks and gave Lucy a dirty look. That silly girl, she gave me one too.

"Mom, dad," Nick greeted my parents and also kissed their cheeks. He playfully messed up Lucy's hair.

"It's been a while since we were all together at one table," my mother said dramatically.

Nick sat beside me, and I could feel his gaze on me.

"Grandpa, look at my dress! Mama bought this for me," Lucy proudly showed off her outfit.

We started eating.

"Don't you have any plans for a honeymoon?" the old man asked.

I almost choked on the question. Did we really need that?

"After your wedding, Nick started working. Spend time with Azaria so you can become comfortable with each other," grandpa said.

I took a sip of the soup.

"I'm still busy with the company. I'm working on a project," Nick gave his excuse.

Thank goodness he caught my deadly glare.

"Azaria, you're married now. You should behave," mom advised me.

"Azaria should behave herself," Nick defended me.

"And she's doing great. She's also a good wife," Nick said with a smile to them.

"Well, she doesn't know how to cook!" Grandpa suddenly blurted out.

"She's trying her best in everything," Nick lied.

I knew he was lying.

I was taken aback when I heard those words from the household staff. It wasn't true what they were saying. I wasn't imprisoned, and I had nothing to hide from Don.

"Stop spreading your gossip!" I shouted at the staff, who were startled by my reaction.

I stood up and looked at Nick, who seemed confused.

"What's happening, Azaria?" Nick asked me.

I didn't know how to answer his question. I didn't know if I should tell him the truth or not. But in this situation, I couldn't hide things that weren't true.

"Nick, what they're saying isn't true. I wasn't imprisoned, and I have nothing to hide from Don," I explained to him calmly.

I saw hesitation in Nick's eyes. I didn't know if he would believe me or not.

"Why are they spreading such rumors?" Nick asked, almost to himself.

"They're gossiping household staff. They don't know how to speak the truth," I said with bitterness in my voice.

Nick took hold of my hand and smiled.

"Don't worry, Azaria. I believe you," he said with love.

My worries faded away when I heard those words from Nick. But I knew this wasn't the end of our problems.

"Yes, then she married sir. Hey, if I were you, I wouldn't marry that. She's not wife material, she doesn't know how to cook and do laundry. Life is all wisdom. Sir Nick is a great loss to him.”

So, I'm the topic?

"Yes, art is. His politeness is annoying. He should just go home to them. I don't want that girl here because there are so many orders."

I looked at them.

"Then the Don will give him 25% percent. Oh, he didn't deserve that. Maybe they will lose the company forever if he is given the right."

"If I were Sir Nick, I would find a woman who knows how to stay at home and is not artistic. Maybe sir's wealth will be depleted because of that girl," he laughed.

I continue to listen.

"Maybe he's just making money off sir!"

"True, if they suffer, we might also lose our jobs. He should not be trusted. Ma'am Camille is good and kind. I heard that Ma'am Camille is coming home."

The conversation turned to Camille.

I'm not wife material? I do not care.

I entered my room.

It turns out that the housemates here at home have plastic surgery on me. Whoever is old is the chismosa.

I only sold Hacienda, ah.

Nick is the right one in their eyes and so is Camille.

Does anyone really like me?

I was the one who held the Hacienda so I sold it.

Why do people not like me? Hailey is the only one who has put up with me, Hailey is the only one who doesn't give me money and understands me.

I wiped my tears.

That's why I don't want to be here in the mansion because I don't feel like I belong here.

"Azaria, why are you crying?"