Page 10 of Secretly Married To My Monster Alien Boss
“But.” A corner of his lips ticked in a smirk. “There’s a clause. Abulletproof clause, as you refer to them.”
Alissia’s paralegal senses tingled. A clause Rynar couldn’t find a way to wiggle out of? “After we finish this, I’d really like to see it.”
“Of course. It is in old Deruzian, but I think you’d be pleased with the wording.” Rynar clenched his jaw. “However, I won’t get anything until I am married.”
“Oh.”Oooooh.
As reality dawned, a weird sort of restlessness settled in Alissia’s chest. It glided down her limbs and made her knees weak.
Rynar had asked her to marry him. For realreal. Breathing suddenly became a problem.
“We would stay married for one month. We would have to pretend to be a happy couple when in others’ company,” Rynar went on. He began to pace just as Alissia struggled not to hyperventilate. “And live together, of course.”
“Of course,” she mumbled.
“I asked you because I have complete faith in you to not reveal this secret. And nobody is going to question the sudden wedding, since we’ve been working together for a while. Now that Lily and Zaryn are together and Nazyn and Darcy have started dating, the ban on office relationships at Alien Inc. has been stricken down, so our employment is safe.”
All Alissia could do was nod. His pacing and her breathing increased in speed.
“What if I say no?” she whispered.
“Then I’ll be in an impossible situation. I need that seal as soon as possible.” He stopped, and rooted her on the spot with his intense gaze. “I understand this month might be an inconvenience to you and I’m not expecting you to do it for free. The estate and the seal are mine, but I will split my dynasty’s fortune with you. I only have a rough estimate, but it is quite sizeable. Enough to change your life.”
AndDamian’s.
Alissia had tried to come up with a way to pay for his college tuition, but she’d failed.
Selling her organs was out of the question. She was rather fond of them.
Damian insisted on doubling the hours at his part-time job, but even if he saved every penny, he wouldn’t even cover a month’s tuition.
He’d also suggested–half-heartedly, with a shaky voice–that he could wait a year or two before going off to college, untilthey got the money. He really wanted to go this year, wanted to become an architect, but…
Alissia had dropped her coffee when she’d heard that. Then she’d shot down the idea real fast. Damian had earned his spot at that college. No tutors, no fancy summer courses, no knowing someone on the admissions board.
He’d done it all by himself.
Alissia didn’t have time to help him with his homework or go to every single parent-teacher meeting. A part of her still felt guilty for that. The logical side of her said it was humanly impossible to finish law school, work, and parent him, but it still weighed on her mind and soul.
She wasn’t going to let her brother down now. His future was on the line and Alissia would do anything to make sure he got his chance.
She’d had to put her dreams on hold.
Damian wasn’t going to face that harsh reality.
Her eyes wandered over Rynar’s office. It was the most sumptuous space in all of their department. The dark wood floors were so shiny, the vintage furniture reflected on them, as light filtered in through the huge oval window behind his desk. The wall to the right was filled with shelves lined with books, both ancient and old, human and Deruzian. A golden clock hung next to it, partially covered by one of the two huge willowy plants that flanked his desk. Alissia had never known what they were, but they looked like ficuses on steroids, reaching toward the embossed ceiling.
When Rynar sat behind his desk, in his huge leather chair, the window casting a glow around him, he looked like the king of the jungle. The horns helped with the illusion, too. A lot.
Decorating this office must have cost a fortune. One Rynar apparently had–and Alissia could get access to.
She could pay for Damian’s tuition in full.
She could finally take the bar exam and become a lawyer, like she’d always dreamed.
She could move out of the shoebox apartment she shared with Damian.
So many issues could be solved with just one word–yes.
