(Not) The Billionaire’s Replacement Bride

Ariana sighed deeply. “I don’t have a choice, do I?” she asked, then shook her head. “You really didn’t give me a choice,” she said sharply. “All the decisions are in your hands. That’s the contract you’ve given me. I just need to act like I love and care for the child, and voila, the child becomes yours.” Ariana snorted. “I can do it, help you. And in return, don’t interfere with my personal life.” Ariana closed the folder and handed it back to Gerald.

“Where are you going?” he asked when he saw Ariana getting up.

“To fill my stomach. I don’t want to die of hunger and make you a widower anytime soon,” she said casually and left the room.

This was the first time Ariana had set foot outside the room. Yesterday, when she entered the house, she was unconscious. She wasn’t even aware that she had been undressed by her husband. Now Ariana was left wondering where to go.

She knew she was on the second floor. Her phone displayed a little past six o’clock. Ariana decided to go downstairs. She would ask anyone she saw first for directions to the kitchen. And it turned out that the first person she encountered was the senior lady of the house, or so Ariana referred to her.

“Good morning, Grandma,” the woman who emerged from a door across the hall from Ariana’s room greeted her warmly. Compared to yesterday when she was wearing formal attire and looked stiff, this morning the woman looked very comfortable in her house clothes. She wore a plain silver kaftan with brocade at the neckline.

“Good morning, Mrs. Rosaline,” Ariana greeted with a flat tone. She knew she had become a member of this household, but she had no intention of being overly friendly or getting close to its residents. She would maintain a polite but reserved demeanor.

“Just call me Grandma. Everyone in this house addresses me that way,” the woman replied, still in her friendly tone.

This was a stark contrast to her arrogant attitude yesterday.

The elderly woman extended her hand, as if asking Ariana to lean on her as they descended the wide marble-layered staircase. Everything about this house screamed “luxury” and “expensive.” “Have you met my great-grandson?” the woman asked again. Ariana assumed it was just small talk.

“Yes, not too long ago,” Ariana replied honestly.

“I apologize for the discomfort you and your family have experienced. But I have no regrets about Gerald forcing you into this marriage,” the elderly woman said again. “I just hope you can bring change to this family. Because in reality, this family just needs someone who can show them the right path,” she continued.

“If they need directions, why didn’t they marry Gerald to a compass? Or if they need different guidance, they could have married Gerald to a clairvoyant or maybe a girl with a sixth sense,” Ariana monologued in her mind.

They had arrived at the dining area, which was no less luxurious.

‘Are they in a historical film with a British royal theme?’ Again, Ariana monologued. The round table in front of her was filled with beautiful porcelain that Ariana estimated to be worth a fortune. Ariana could even see a clean kitchen with a kitchen set worth hundreds of millions. It’s a place for people who love cooking like she wants to be.

“Mommy…” Axel’s voice greeted them cheerfully. The boy threw himself at Ariana again. He was hugging Ariana’s exposed calf. “Axel has taken a shower. Axel smells good, too.” He roared, in a typical child’s tone. Ariana couldn’t help but smile, hypnotized by his cuteness. The boy who turned out to be an orphan now looked at her with a cheerful twinkle.

“Axel, come sit down. Let’s have breakfast.” her great-grandmother ordered. Axel nodded; the boy complied and sat in the chair beside his grandmother.

“Mommy, come here. Sit with me. Don’t be too far away.” the boy ordered and patted the empty chair beside him. Ariana just nodded. At the same time, Gerald appeared from the stairs along with his mother. The elegant woman who is now her mother-in-law is also wearing a home-made dress, which is definitely from a well-known and expensive boutique.

Ariana wasn’t really a fashion observer, so she didn’t know much about whether the clothes were foreign or local brands. What she did know was that the materials worn by her impromptu mother-in-law were undoubtedly expensive.

And on a morning like this, the woman had already done her makeup so perfectly. It was a distinctive style like that of a noblewoman. “What time did this woman wake up? And how long did she take to do her makeup?” Ariana wondered silently in her mind.

The round table seemed to be designed specifically for one family, as there were only five chairs surrounding it. Gerald sat to Ariana’s right, which meant she was now sandwiched between her husband and her impromptu stepson. Meanwhile, her mother-in-law sat to Gerald’s right, which placed her on the left side of Mrs. Rosaline, the senior lady of the house.

The servants prepared a meal that, in Ariana’s opinion, was quite simple: fried rice, fried chicken, omelette, salad, toast, and grilled bread. Considering they could have had steak or lobster for breakfast, or perhaps even croissants ordered directly from Paris, Ariana couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought.

“Egg or sausage?” Ariana asked again.

“Both, please?” Axel responded, waiting for her approval. Ariana placed both on his plate.

“Aa..” the boy smiled, revealing that the tendency to be demanding seemed to run in the family, from Oma, to Papa, and now to the son.

Ariana cut the meat with her spoon, scooped up some rice, and fed Axel, who eagerly opened his mouth. That’s how they had their breakfast, inadvertently sharing a single plate, and even with extra portions.

At 7 AM, Ariana was sitting on the sofa with Axel still clinging to her. She needed to leave for work, but it didn’t seem feasible to take Axel with her.

Not because she was afraid of questions from her employees, but she was also concerned that having the child at her workplace might be inconvenient. After all, Ariana’s job involved something dirty and hot, not a suitable environment for an active child like Axel to play.

“I have to go to the restaurant,” she said to Gerald, who was sitting casually with a tablet in his hand. Yes, it was Sunday, and like most people, it was her day off. Ariana noticed that the man didn’t seem to have any plans to go anywhere, as their honeymoon was not on his agenda in the first place, and if it were, Ariana would have firmly declined.

“Go ahead, just leave,” Gerald replied casually. Ariana rolled her eyes.

“If I could, I would have done it a while ago. But look,” Ariana glanced at Axel, who was now clinging to her leg like a koala on a bamboo tree. “Your child hasn’t let go of me all this time.”

Gerald smiled, then crouched down in front of his son. “Axel, Mommy has to go to work. You’ll stay at home with Auntie, okay?” Gerald requested gently.

Axel shook his head slowly. “It’s Sunday, Papa. You don’t work either. Why does Mommy have to work? Papa has lots of money, right? Can’t Papa give some money to Mommy?” The boy whined again. Ariana rolled her eyes.

“Your Papa has a lot of money, right? Mommy’s money is a little bit, so she still has to look for more,” Ariana replied casually. Gerald chuckled. It was a reasonable argument, he thought. Besides, even if your dad gives me some, I might not accept it, Ariana continued in her thoughts.

“Will I come with Mommy?” he asked playfully. Ariana glared at Gerald.

“Come on, let’s go with Mommy to work,” he said with a playful tone. Instead of persuading Axel, he casually agreed to the idea.

‘What the… ‘ Ariana tried to hold back her curse. She could only glare at Gerald. But Gerald completely ignored her glare.

“Besides, you didn’t bring your car. I’ll drop you off, and Axel can come back with me later,” he said again. Ariana thought for a moment. What the man said didn’t seem to be a bad idea. Well, she’d give in.

“Okay, let’s go. But Axel, don’t be naughty. Mommy’s workplace is dangerous for kids. After dropping off Mommy, you’ll go back home with Papa. Understand?” Axel simply nodded like a doll.

Ariana got up and followed Gerald as he led her to the garage.