Chapter 4 To His Mansion

CHAPTER FOUR

Layla’s POV

The wedding has ended, but it did not feel like my dream wedding, although people congratulated us, some smiled, some were angry, some clapped and some wished us a happy married life.

I stood beside Jake through all of it, and not once did he look at me the way a husband looked at his wife.

The ring was on my finger, it looks irritating .

It wasn’t a symbol of love, It was a reminder that I had become someone else’s replacement.

The drive to his mansion was painfully quiet.

Neither of us spoke. I rested my head against the window and watched the city lights disappear behind us one after another.

My body hurt, my eyes burned from holding back tears.

Within two days, I had lost everything.

My family had thrown me away.

The whole city believed I had kidnapped my own sister.

I had woken up in Jake’s bed with no memory of how I got there.

And now… I was his wife.

A wife he never wanted

The car slowed before enormous black gates.

They opened immediately.

As we drove inside, I stared through the window.

The mansion looked less like a home and more like a palace.

A fountain stood proudly in the middle of the driveway.

Flowers lined both sides of the path.

Every corner shone with quiet luxury.

I had never seen anything like it.

The car stopped, before I could reach for the door, the driver was already opening Jake’s side.

Jake stepped out without looking back.

I quickly followed.

More than ten servants stood at the entrance.

The moment they saw him, they bowed respectfully.

“Welcome home, Mr. Carter.”

Then every pair of eyes turned toward me.

Surprise, confused and curiousury

One maid even frowned before quickly lowering her head.

I knew exactly what they were thinking.

That wasn’t Aria. Then who was I?

Jake walked inside without waiting for me and I followed quietly.

The mansion was even larger from the inside, everything looked expensive.

I felt out of place.

Like a visitor who had entered a place she was never meant to see.

Jake stopped in the living room.

For the first time since we left the wedding hall, he turned to face me but his expression still remained cold, nothing in his eyes softened.

I stood there waiting.

Finally, he spoke. “You should understand something clearly.”

His voice was calm.

“This marriage is not real.”

I looked at him because wasn’t surprised, he had already told me and not even after everything that had happened. “I know,” I answered.

His gaze remained fixed on me. “You are only standing in Aria’s place until she returns.”

“No problem,” I replied.

His eyes narrowed slightly, Perhaps he expected an argument.

Perhaps he expected tears but I had none left.

He continued. “The moment she comes back, this arrangement ends.”

I nodded.“No problem.”

The room became quiet for a few seconds, then he took another step forward.“There will be no affection.”

His voice became even colder.“No husband and wife relationship.”

I said nothing and he continued, “There will be no emotional attachment.”

Still, I remained silent. “We will hardly speak to each other.”

His eyes stayed on mine. “You live your life. I live mine.”

I swallowed slowly because I knew such wouldn’t happen, “Fine.”

His jaw tightened, almost as if my agreement annoyed him.

But what exactly did he expect?

I was exhausted and I had no energy left to fight.

He had already made it clear that I was only a replacement and there was nothing to argue about.

For some second, we didn’t say anything, jus then I spoke.

“Are we done?”

His eyebrows moved slightly. “What?”

I rubbed my forehead, not knowing how to talk to him, without him getting angry. “ I… I am tired.”

But that was the truth. I could barely keep my eyes open, I just wanted sleep.

A few hours where nobody blamed me for anything.

A few hours where nobody looked at me like I was a criminal.

Jake stared at me for a moment.

Then he gave a short nod, I took that as permission to leave.

The mansion was large, but there was only one bedroom that looked like it belonged to the owner.

Naturally, I assumed it was ours or at least the room assigned to me.

We were married, even if the marriage was fake.

I walked upstairs. Eventually, I found the room.

The doors were already slightly open.

I walked inside, maybe I could finally rest.

I had just reached the bed when a voice came from behind me.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?”

I froze, Jak? I turned slowly.

He was standing at the doorway and his expression looked darker than before.

I blinked. “I was going to sleep.”

For a second, he simply stared at me.

Then he laughed, the sound tha you got to be scared of, It was a cold laugh.

The kind that made me instantly realize I had made a mistake.

“You thought this was your room?”

My face grew warm, I looked around.

Then back at him.

“Isn’t it?”

He laughed harder “You really do have confidence.”

His words landed heavily, I remained where I stood.

He folded his arms. “This is my bedroom with Aria .”

My stomach suddenly got ache “Oh.”

That was all I could say, he looked completely unimpressed.

“Tell the maid to go find a guest room for you “

I stared at him.

For a moment, I thought he was joking.

But his face remained serious.

“You can’t be serious.” I said, confused 

“I am.” He answered almost immediately.“Pick any guest room.”

I looked at the large bed again.

Then at him, then back at the bed, I suddenly felt stupid.

Of course he wasn’t going to share a room with me. Not after everything he had said downstairs. Jake moved aside and pointed toward the hallway.