Agreement Behind Her Marriage [ENGLISH]

CHAPTER 5: Troublemaker

Victor's intense gaze caught Lily off guard, prompting her to contemplate a discreet exit from the restaurant. A tightness gripped her chest, and her hand, clutching the golden card, began to tremble.

Drew, noticing Victor's demeanor, inquired, "Is there an issue?"

"No, sir!" Victor quickly responded, adjusting his posture. "I'm the owner of this restaurant. I'm just checking in on our customers to ensure their satisfaction."

"We don't have a problem. She was just feeling a bit overwhelmed," Drew replied.

"Good to hear, sir."

"Please bring the bill. We'll take care of it."

"Of course! I hope you enjoyed your meal." Victor was about to leave when Drew stopped him with a remark.

"And please dispose of this for us," Drew handed him a used tissue that Lily had used to wipe her tears. "Dispose of it properly. I prefer to keep our surroundings clean."

Lily swallowed hard upon hearing Drew's request. Did he notice something?

"Wait a moment, sir! I'll promptly instruct one of my servers to clear your table."

"No," Drew shook his head. "I'm asking you kindly. You're the only one who isn't occupied." He glanced around and indeed, every server seemed to be engaged in various tasks.

Victor clenched his fist slightly but managed to force a smile. "Certainly, sir."

Displeased, he picked up the used tissue and disposed of it appropriately.

As Victor disappeared from Lily's view, her unsettled emotions began to subside. She wondered how Drew had managed to give him such a command. After a while, a female server returned to their table, presenting the bill. Lily settled it without any issues before Drew gestured for her to leave.

"Thank you, ma'am and sir! I hope you enjoyed your meal," the woman at the restaurant's entrance said.

Drew, seemingly intent on causing trouble, muttered, "Please convey to your boss that we won't be returning. The food is tasteless, too cheap for my taste."

Lily felt a sense of dread, thinking that Victor might follow her. Despite their silence, Drew continued to offer his arm as if he were ready to protect her. They headed to his car, concluding their evening. It was there that he confronted her.

"Lily," her husband whispered. She directed her attention towards Drew, who occupied the driver's seat. "Have you ever, even once in your life, caused trouble?"

She shook her head. No, she couldn't! If she did, it would only lead to slaps or beatings from a family like the Martins. She refrained from causing any trouble because she was too frightened of her father.

"I'm asking because you've married the worst troublemaker on this planet," he paused before continuing, "but being a troublemaker isn't the same as being the monster from your darkest nightmares. Considering how disruptive I can be, the monster might see me as Lucifer or his greatest demon. Do you understand?"

She shook her head in response because she didn't grasp the concept at all.

"To put it simply, I am the troublemaker, and Kenneth is the monster… I'll be the King Demon in their eyes!" he explained, narrowing his eyes.

Why couldn't she do the same? If only she had Drew's strength, she would have sought revenge on Kenneth a long time ago.

"I want to be the King Demon too," she whispered. She longed to confront Kenneth and be the one causing trouble. Tears continued to flow as she recalled the nightmares involving her stepbrother.

But deep down, she knew not to get too arrogant, telling herself, ‘Who are you kidding, Lily?’

"So, don't be afraid. Stand with confidence and look them in the eye if they cross your path."

Even though her stepbrother no longer lived with her, she had been thinking of him since yesterday. Lily desperately wanted to break free from Kenneth, but the overwhelming fear she felt for him still clung to her. It was something she desperately wanted to let go of.

Drew smiled with a meaningful gaze. "You have no reason to be afraid, Lily. You're not weak and just reciprocating for the wrongs they've committed against you. There's a distinction between weakness and kindness."

***

Just a few hours later, a truck arrived to deliver the appliances they had purchased for their home. They worked together to set up Lily's room, with Drew taking the lead in moving the items into her room. The task kept them busy until midnight.

"Hmmm," Drew mused as he surveyed the bedroom, and he complimented Lily, saying, "You did a great job, Lily. Everything looks nice and comfortable."

Blushing at the unexpected compliment, she was unaccustomed to such praise. While teachers had commended her previously, it consistently revolved around her intelligence, reinforcing the perception that her value solely relied on being smart.

Drew then asked, "Could you work on arranging the rest of the house as well, just in case?" as he thought carefully about their new home.

"T-this home?"

"Yeah! Why not? You can decorate this home," Drew suggested.

"But you might not like it..." she replied, expressing her worry.

"Nah! The living room downstairs is filled with gym equipment, as you noticed. Besides, it's your house too, so how you arrange this place is up to you."

She felt a small sense of joy. Drew had given her a task, indicating that she wasn't worthless in his view. "I can use your card to make payments, right?"

"Sure!" he answered with a chuckle. "If you need help, I'll have someone come. Let's get some rest. I have to get up early for some unfinished work at the office. I'll ask a friend to come here."

"A friend?"

"Yeah, you met Lauren, right? I don't understand why she keeps bothering me and asking if she can come, even though I've already assured her that we're all right."

Lily remembered Lauren, the woman who had discovered her secret. "T-thank you!"

Drew left the room to give her some space. Lily glanced around the bedroom. It was three times larger than her room at the Martin residence. This was her new home, hers!

Since meeting Drew, he guided her to confront and grasp the possibilities. Nonetheless, she hesitated to fully embrace her new life, plagued by thoughts of potential inability to adapt and fears of Drew reconsidering his decision.

***

When morning came, Lily descended the stairs to find Drew running on the treadmill. It was six o'clock in the morning. Sweat dripped from his neck and trickled down his lean body. She swallowed hard while looking at her husband.

He took good care of himself, which Lily found admirable.

Drew slowed down when he noticed her.

"Oh! You're already awake." He approached, making her feel even more embarrassed.

Did she mention he was half-naked?

"Change your clothes. Your training starts today," Drew stated.

"Huh? But I don't have any clothes." She no longer possessed additional clothes, and the attire she had worn since yesterday was supplied by Master Walton, Drew's grandfather. To avoid conflict with Drew, her father had asked her not to bring any of the clothing she typically wore at the Martin residence.

Drew realized she was right. "Oh, I see! I will tell Lauren to take you to Kori's shop. Make sure to get some activewear, because you'll start your workout tomorrow."

She couldn't seem to take her gaze away from her husband's body as she looked at him.

"Would you like to prepare our meal instead?" he asked, wiping his sweat with a towel.

"S-sure! You can continue to work out. I will prepare breakfast."

He smiled before returning to his workout. In the kitchen, Lily began to search for ingredients. She found fruits, eggs, and sausages inside his fridge.

Due to the absence of dividers between the living room and the kitchen, she repeatedly glanced at her husband. It wasn't the first time she had admired a man. She once experienced love, but that was a long time ago—before Kenneth had destroyed her character.

Drew is unreal. He's twice as big as she is, and despite her efforts to resist, her attraction to him remains irresistibly strong.

‘Lily, stop!’ That’s right!

In their story, Drew is a prince, and she is a frog.

***

Drew instructed his assistant upon entering his office, "Retrieve the contract from the Italian Club in our West Mall."

"Right away, boss!" Sarah promptly responded; she was well aware that questions were unnecessary.

In just 15 minutes, Drew had Victor Panganiban's contract, the owner of the Italian Club where he and Lily had dined the previous day. He swiftly entered the name into his laptop's search bar. It did not disappoint Drew, as numerous images from various social media sites filled his screen.

As expected, there was a photo of Kenneth Martin, along with four other men. Drew regarded them as his intended targets, but the specifics of what they had done to Lily remained a mystery to him.

She said they molested her. In what way?

‘Are you sure you wanted to know?’

He began by reviewing the contract before turning to Sarah. "What are your thoughts on this restaurant?"

"The Italian Club's business is expanding as they are quite profitable. Their food is excellent! They already have three locations within the Walton Group, and to my knowledge, they plan to participate in the bidding for the mall branch we'll be opening in the North."

"Are they adhering to the mall policy and kitchen rules?" Drew inquired.

The woman responded, "As of now, boss, there haven't been any issues."

"Oh, really?" Drew scoffed. If there are no issues in that restaurant, he'll soon find one. Even if Victor owned ten restaurants, it was clear he had merely rented a space within Walton's Mall.

‘How dare he use Lily's mall?’

"Also, boss, last weekend, Vivian visited. She inquired about when you would be stopping by Bar Vivi and expressed her disbelief that it was your wedding day," Sarah added.

"I'll give her a call later," Drew replied casually. He had once hired Vivian as an entertainer at Club Erotica, though that had been quite some time ago. Drew had also invested in the bar she had founded, Bar Vivi. It made sense to him; partying and s*x were two of his greatest passions.

He admired people like Vivian, who pursued their desires as it kept them away from prostitution. Despite her past attempts to seduce him, their relationship had developed into a business partnership.

Drew shifted his focus back to Victor Panganiban, his current priority.

***

CHAPTER 6: Weak

Lauren arrived at Drew's residence with her four-year-old child a few minutes after he had left for his office. Lily was the one who welcomed his friend.

"Hi!" said Lauren.

Lily found herself slightly taken aback as Lauren planted a kiss on her cheek before presenting the charming young kid. "He is Felix, my son. Baby, kiss your Aunt Lily."

The boy pouted his lips and moved closer to her. Lily had never experienced anything like this. Even though she had only known Lauren for 48 hours, she felt a sense of familiarity and friendship towards her.

"We are here to pick you up. How are you?" Lauren asked.

"I'm fine. Come in!" responded Lily. She was a little puzzled because she had never had a visitor before in her entire life. She had no friends. How could she keep Lauren entertained as the host of this home? How could she be sure Lauren wouldn't feel uncomfortable with her?

‘Lily, she visited you here to ensure you were fine,’ she told herself.

"Tsk! Are you sure you're okay here?" Lauren questioned as she winced and looked at the gym equipment that nearly filled the entire room. "That jerk!" she exclaimed, referring to her husband, "didn't even bother to fix the place before marrying you!"

Lily offered the kitchen area instead.

"I'm fine. D-do you want coffee or juice?" Lily asked. Since it was her first day living in the house, she was still a little uneasy. Despite Drew's reassurances and insistence that the house was already hers, her body remained resistant to fully embracing this new reality.

"Juice, please."

She smiled when she saw her son begin to play in the gym.

"Baby, behave, okay?" said Lauren.

"Yes, mommy!"

For her two visitors, she poured beverages while saying, "Sorry about the mess. Next time you come, I'll make sure the house is in order."

Lauren smiled. "I'm sorry if we inconvenienced you; I don't want to seem nosy or intrusive in your married life. I just want to ensure that you and Drew are doing okay because things didn't go well at your wedding, and you suddenly disappeared from the gathering."

Lily concluded that Lauren must have been concerned about her. "I should be the one to apologize. I really appreciate that you took the time to check on us, but there's no need to worry. Drew treated me well all day yesterday. We went out and bought some things for my bedroom."

"Your bedroom?" It surprised Lauren.

"Ah..." Lily scratched the crook of her neck. Lauren must have been confused as to why she was mentioning a room other than Drew's. "He gave me time to... you know..."

"That's great to hear! You won't like him unless you get to know him. Drew is arrogant and conceited, but he's a nice guy; just be patient with him."

She couldn't bring up that Drew was the one who was quite patient with her. It embarrassed her.

"You said before that he doesn't trust women," asked Lily. "Does Drew believe in you?"

Again, Lauren frowned. "I shouldn't have said that. It's not that he doesn't trust women; it's just that his last girlfriend cheated on him, and she accused Drew of sexually assaulting her to get money."

Lily's eyes grew wide. When she heard the words "s****l assault," she felt a little uneasy.

"It happened four years ago. There's no need to worry because nobody believed Drew would do it. He used the money to silence his ex-girlfriend to spare the Walton Family any embarrassment. The thing is, it's obvious that's what she was aiming for. As a result, there were common accusations about your husband getting a woman pregnant, experiencing s****l harassment at work, and so on. Because Drew had a bad reputation and was therefore an easy target, they were all aiming for him."

Lily felt a little sorry for her husband. Was that the main reason he preferred to hire a woman rather than be in a relationship?

***

At half-past five in the morning, Lily went downstairs, wearing jogging pants and a cotton shirt she and Lauren had purchased the other day. However, she didn't expect Drew to be ahead of her.

When he saw what she was wearing, he groaned. Perhaps it was because she seemed sluggish and skinnier in her attire. Lauren had consistently stressed the importance of obtaining an elegant workout ensemble from Kori's shop. But Lily felt self-conscious about her appearance and thought those expensive clothes wouldn't flatter her frail frame. Furthermore, she didn't want to reveal the horrific scar on her back to Drew.

Getting her attention, he muttered, "I will be strict with our training, and I want you to follow my rules, Lily."

Even though they hadn't started yet, it made Lily nervous.

"Get ready! We're going to run outside."

She nodded, and they left their home to begin their running workout. Shortly after they had dashed a few meters, she already seemed to be running out of breath.

"Faster!" Drew shouted.

Even though her knees were about to give out, she forced herself to keep going. Her legs started to feel numb after a short time, and she was sweating, struggling to catch her breath. After they finished the run and returned home, Drew organized additional exercises for her.

Her body screamed to give up, but she couldn't muster the will to voice her complaints.

"I'm doing this for your sake, Lily," she remembered him saying. Who was she to say no if he was doing this for her benefit? She didn't want to seem unimportant to her husband.

Drew offered to prepare their breakfast, and when it was ready, she received a large plate filled with various dishes. Despite feeling exhausted from their workout, and the food looking delicious, she managed to finish the meal.

***

A day between them turned into a week, and eventually a whole month. Monitoring her health was no joke. There were many times when she wanted to give up due to the demanding nature of Drew's requirements. However, she found greater motivation when she realized how patient Drew was, showing her that level of care. He expected nothing in return; all he wanted was for Lily to be healthy.

Over time, she grew accustomed to their morning routine.

"You can now get ready for school because your class starts in a month," Drew said with a smile.

"Thank you!" Lily's cheeks turned red as she responded. The only part of their home she hadn't finished fixing in a month was the living space. She succeeded in painting just a portion of the wall. At first, she felt worried, but Drew refrained from reprimanding her for it.

"By the way, I'm going on a business trip to Italy next week," Drew informed.

The spoon came to an abrupt halt in front of Lily's mouth.

"Do you want me to buy you something?" he added.

"Nothing. I just want you to be safe," she replied simply, before taking a bite of her food.

‘And then, come back soon, so I won't miss you too much...’

Her cheeks grew hot as his lips parted, not expecting her response.

"Is there a problem?" inquired Lily.

Drew grinned after shaking his head. "You are different, Lily."

Different in a good or bad way?

Even though she had completely conquered her nervousness and fear regarding her husband, she had still not yet grown accustomed to his attention.

"If I have the opportunity, I would like to take you with me, but your passport and visa are not ready. Please continue your workout training; I've only been gone for about a week. Don't worry; I'll call a friend to come here and watch over you."

"I'm fine. I will also be busy fixing this living room," she replied. She had painted the wall almost halfway through — they were colorful lilies.

Drew smiled as his gaze drifted in that direction. "Keep surprising me, Lily."

Her cheeks flushed once again. She wasn't going to disappoint Drew. Their conversation was interrupted by Drew's phone, which rang next to him.

"Sarah?" Drew inquired. "Huh? Okay, I'll check…" Her husband headed to the kitchen and turned on the wall-mounted television.

On the television, breaking news displayed a restaurant at a mall corner engulfed in flames. The Waltons owned that mall, which left Lily gasping.

The female television news anchor announced, "An explosion has occurred inside the building, causing a fire at the Italian Club restaurant branch in the south. The cause and origin of the incident are still under investigation."

Before he ended the call, she overheard Drew saying, "Get in touch with a lawyer and have them communicate with the owner of the Italian Club."

"Is everything okay?" Lily asked Drew.

"Everything is great! You don't have to worry," he replied. There's something odd about his behavior because, instead of appearing frightened, Drew's mood seems more enthusiastic. Isn't his mall on fire?

When Victor appeared on television for an interview, Lily's eyes widened. "We're thankful that none of our staff members were harmed and were present in the restaurant. We will investigate what transpired."

"H-he's the owner of the restaurant that's on fire?" Lily asked.

"Yes!"

Drew took a sip of his coffee. Lily turned her attention to Drew and then to the television. Despite her anxiety, she mustered the courage to ask him, "You... are you the one who did that?"

Her husband looked at her intently and simply replied, "Yes."

Lily felt uneasy about it. What if Drew got caught? What if he went to jail? What if Victor learned about it and came back for them? What if—

Drew asked, adopting a serious tone, "Aren't you happy?"

"Should I be happy?"

Drew remained silent. It was clear that what he had done wasn't something to laugh about. Soon, his expression turned sour.

"You're weak," he whispered.

"What?" she exclaimed. What she heard made her feel like her chest was about to explode. Who was he to declare her weak? He didn't know what she had been through!

"I said you're weak, Lily! I told you I'm a troublemaker! If this was only the beginning and you're acting that way, what about next time?"

Lily clenched her fist. She approached Drew and then punched him in the chest. She was stunned but also believed there was no going back. "I'm not weak!"

Annoyed, he exclaimed, "Tsk! You are! I didn't even feel your punch!"

"I said I'm not weak!" she cried, yelling, and continued to throw punches at him.

"Harder!" he growled.

She repeatedly struck him hard, her bones growing numb. "I hate you!"

Lily sobbed, and her punches slowed as what he said began to make sense. She felt pitiful, pathetic, and weak. She cried as if her strength had run out.

Drew tenderly cradled her against his chest before running his fingers through her hair. The pain she experienced gradually subsided, and she felt safe in his arms. Each stroke of his fingers through her hair gave her a sense of security.

"Shhh... I'm sorry."

"This should be my battle, but I'm too pathetic to fight. I'm afraid you might go to jail because of me, and I don't want that to happen. What if the investigation reveals your involvement in what happened?" Lily remembered that the people around her who were helping her often got hurt.

"I won't, Lily. And I didn't do it just to cause trouble; I did it because..."

She looked up and met his eyes. Her chest pounded because she was so close to him. She either had a message to convey, or her husband's intense gaze might have left her speechless.

"I don't know either," he mumbled before lowering his face to capture her lips.