Chapter six

Zack looked at her in disbelief, no woman would dare say that to him for as much as they wanted to. But this one woman standing in front of him showed no hesitation. Her gaze was completely fixed on him, she even smiled. He sat down on his bed and took a good look at her before replying.

"You said what?"

"Let's get married," she repeated, and this time she made it clear she was serious.

"You want to marry a stranger, how desperate are you?" He said, giving her a profound look. His cold stare didn't faze her as she kept a serious face eager for a positive response, in hope he agrees to her proposition. Her attitude was frightening for her demeanor, and Zack took his time to consider her initial request and her current proposition, which he never expected her to come up with. She seemed hopeless, as she has been pleading with him to let her stay, and he refused before she took his earlier conversation she overheard to her advantage. After all, no one forced him to help her in the first place. She was almost raped before he saved her, to be precise he followed her upstairs because he was interested in finding out if she was really meant to entertain the shameless guy or if he was forcing himself on her.

"Why did you drink so much when you know you can't handle alcohol?"

"It's a long story," she responded, averting her gaze as she felt her eyes were teary.

"Heartbreak," he chuckled. "That's what you get for falling in love with a jerk." He saw through her and guessed why she was ready to marry him without thinking; after all, he was wealthy. How satisfying will it be to end up with a man like him to give her ex a slap in the face.

"How do you know?" She was surprised he knew without her explaining her reasons for her impulsiveness. Anyway, he made it easier for her. "So what do you say."

"A contract marriage," he finally gave a positive response, and it was better than she expected. Even if she decided to have a divorce, she wouldn't be left with nothing.

"I agree."

Getting married to the man she loves was what she wanted for a long time she was with Dave, but that wasn't important anymore. He broke her heart, and she decided to move on; she was a fool to think that love was everything; now she understood what is needed to be done to secure her future so she will never fall into despair ever again.

It didn't take long for them to get married; they both agreed that there was no need for an extravagant wedding so they opted to have a simple ceremony at the courthouse. The wedding procedures were processed quickly, Ivy held the marriage certificate in her hands; from now on, she was a married woman married to a stranger. But he wasn't just anyone; while they were in the courthouse, she learned his full name and she was stunned for a few seconds, she knew he was wealthy, his home was proof of that, but for him to be such a prominent figure didn't cross her mind. He was Zack Anderson, a successful business tycoon who had graced so many famous magazines. He owns so many businesses like real estate, an entertainment agency, and many hotels and restaurants across the country. He was every woman's dream, but unfortunately for them, Ivy, the once famous actress stole him without her even realizing until she got married to him. She smiled inwardly as she imagined the look on the betrayals' face when they finally found out. How satisfying would it be?

Getting into the car ready to go home with her newly-wedded husband, since they were now a married couple, Zack stated his requests.

"Now that we are married, I don't want you messing around with other men and also don't interfere with my personal life; it's only a marriage of convenience. Understood."

Ivy nodded in agreement before smiling.

"Well, since you said that I am not allowed to cheat, I hope you won't cheat too."

Zack widened his eyes in disbelief. Such audacity.

"You are quite daring to say that to me. What would you prefer, me cheating or you going back to the street?"

Ivy curled her lips, 'men'. She didn't reply, as she sat back in the passenger's seat. Back then, she was too blind to see the other side of men; this one was better in a way. It wasn't a romantic relationship, so she didn't expect him to cling onto her.

"We're here, Sir," the driver announced.

Because she was in deep thought, she didn't notice where they were heading to. The car was parked in front of a luxurious hotel.

"Why are we here?"

Zack ignored her question and unclasped her seat belt.

So many things were going on in Ivy's mind. 'Why did he bring me here? I'm not ready yet. I thought he wanted nothing to do with me.'

Zack intentionally stayed still, looking deep into her eyes, smirking inwardly. He could sense what she was thinking and he wanted to tease her a little. She had the audacity to tell him not to cheat; will she like him touching her? He just wanted to see her reaction.

"What are you doing? And why are we here... don't tell me..."

"Be rest assured, I won't touch a woman like you," he cut her off.

Ivy breathed a sigh of relief, she might have married a stranger, but she wasn't ready to deepen their marital affair.

"So why are we here?"

"We just got married; a honeymoon won't hurt, would it?" he responded as he motioned for the driver to open the door for Ivy.

"I thought..."

"What did you think, Mrs. Anderson," he said in a serious tone and Ivy pressed her lips tight to avoid blurting out what was on her mind.

"It's your honeymoon, and you'll be spending the next few days here. Alone," he emphasized the 'alone,' directly telling her he won't be with her during their honeymoon.

"It's better," she smiled before getting out of the car.

He was right, a honeymoon alone wouldn't hurt; she needed to move ahead, at least rest after her heartbreak.