(Not) The Billionaire’s Replacement Bride

Ariana raised an eyebrow and then lifted the corner of her mouth. “I know you’re the playboy type, but I didn’t realize you were shameless like this,” she said mockingly.

Gerald seemed to tense up. “What do you mean?” he asked.

Ariana shrugged indifferently. “I don’t mean anything,” she replied flatly. “Who made all of this?” she asked, trying to divert the conversation to the food in front of her and choosing to ignore Gerald. She lifted her spoon and started eating broccoli.

“I did,” Gerald answered, now sitting in his normal posture. His response made Ariana choke on her food. Gerald quickly brought a glass of water to her mouth. Ariana drank it slowly. Afterward, she stared at Gerald in disbelief. “I cooked it. All of this,” he pointed to the food on the table. “Except for that,” he said, referring to the fried chicken Ariana had bought earlier.

Ariana chuckled and shook her head. “It wouldn’t hurt to be honest, Gerald. Just say if you had one of your house assistants come here and set all this up while I was asleep,” she said. She scooped up another bite of her food.

Gerald shrugged again and began spooning food for himself. “If you don’t want to believe me, I can say whatever,” he replied flatly. “But you should know, I can cook too. Although maybe not as well as you,” he added.

Ariana turned to look at him again. She tried to observe his expression, but all she saw was a flat, expressionless face. “I thought rich people like you could only show off,” she said. It wasn’t a tone of disdain, but Ariana was saying what was on her mind.

Gerald shrugged his shoulders again and continued eating his food. “I’m not that rich, Ariana. Everything I have now belonged to my late father,” he replied in a flat tone.

“Which now belongs to you, and maybe to Axel,” Ariana continued.

Gerald smiled slightly. “Maybe,” he replied shortly. “You might think I enjoy all of this. But no. I prefer my old self,” he continued.

Ariana now focused her attention on Gerald. What did he mean by his old self? And somehow, she blurted out her question unintentionally, as Gerald seemed to look at her while smiling mockingly.

“Are you starting to get curious about me?” he asked teasingly.

Ariana sighed. “I’m not that curious,” she replied shortly. “But if you want to tell, I’m a good listener,” she added, trying to make her tone sound casual.

“Hmmm… a good listener,” he said, nodding his head. Ariana suspected he was mocking her again. “Alright then. As a couple, shouldn’t we get to know each other? Because honestly, I already know about you from the profiles my employees provided.”

Ariana now stared at him with wide eyes. “What do you mean?” she asked, not understanding.

Gerald just shrugged his shoulders. “How about we formally introduce ourselves, as if we’re meeting for the first time?” He put his spoon down on his plate. Ariana noticed he had finished his meal and his body was now entirely facing her. Then slowly, he extended his hand toward Ariana. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Gerald Aarzu Zeroun.”

Ariana furrowed her brow. “Aarzu?” she asked. Because as far as she knew, the man’s name was only Gerald Zeroun. She had never seen the letter A in his name, at least that’s what she read from Axel’s adoption documents.

Gerald smiled and nodded. “Not many people know about that, indeed. It’s a name given to me by my mother specifically for me. You can ask my grandmother about it,” he suggested.

Ariana continued to frown. “Why isn’t that name on your identity card?” she asked again. Gerald just shrugged his shoulders.

“Because that name I only tell to special people,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. He glanced at his outstretched hand, which Ariana didn’t respond to. “I’m Gerald Aarzu Zeroun. Gerald, which in German means spear, Aarzu means hope, aspiration, and also love in Arabic. And Zeroun is my father’s name. So, you can deduce the meaning of my name from those three elements.” Ariana blinked her eyes in disbelief. Was this man in front of her really this detailed?

She waited for Ariana’s hand to be extended. Gerald finally pulled her hand forcibly. “And now I am the husband of a woman named Ariana Leonidas,” he said, his words making Ariana retract her hand instantly.

“Sorry, until now I couldn’t accept that reality,” she refused. She reached for her spoon again and resumed her long-delayed dinner.

Gerald chuckled. “I’m sure you’ll come around eventually.”

Ariana shrugged nonchalantly. “So, what do you do for a living, Mr. Aarzu?” Ariana tried to act indifferent. She chose to play along with the man’s game. Besides, she had to admit that she needed to know who the man sitting next to her really was. He couldn’t be a complete stranger to her, even before becoming enemies, those who fought were individuals who knew each other.

“I’m a salesman,” the man replied casually. Ariana choked again and looked at him cynically. “That’s right, my wife. Your husband’s job is sales. I sell services to people and some products too,” he replied. Ariana didn’t want to delve into that topic. “I’m very skilled in many things. I’m a great charmer too,” he continued.

“Of course. He wouldn’t be a playboy if he couldn’t charm,” Ariana sneered again. Her words made Gerald chuckle again. “Certainly, a merchant must be good at charming. If you can’t charm, how can you succeed in selling your goods?” he continued. Ariana just nodded her head. “I’m a man who already has a child, and now I have a wife,” he said. Ariana glanced at him, still with her sharp gaze. “Even though she looks stern and fierce, she’s actually a friendly and kind girl. And honestly, her kicks always hurt. But I like it. Even from the first sight,” he continued. Ariana could only snort. She chose to get up from her seat and picked up their dirty plates.

“Useless introductions, Mr. Aarzu. I’m not interested in your flattery,” she said as she walked away towards the kitchen.

Gerald laughed, but he followed the girl who now stood in front of the sink, preparing to wash the dirty dishes. “I know,” he said, his voice trailing behind Ariana.