Alvira POV.
I shift uncomfortably under Gianna's intense gaze, and I wonder if she could perhaps tell that I had slept with Kaldric.
"So tell me, how was it?"
My eyes widened. "What?"
Gianna frowns. "How was last night? What happened? Tell me everything."
Everything?
"We shared a bed together."
"What?"
"When we got to his penthouse, I asked to stay in another room, but he refused. He said we were married, and the least we should do is get to know each other."
"Did you sleep with him?" She asked, looking straight into my eyes, but I didn't avoid her gaze.
My eyes remained on hers as I said, "No. He did kiss me, but I lied to him that I was on my period and didn't feel comfortable being with him, so we only shared a bed together and barely even spoke throughout the night."
"Good. Ensure it stays that way."
"But I can't see my period forever, right? I mean, what excuse should I give if a month passes and you still haven't found your daughter?"
"Unless you are implying that Kaldric will force himself on you if you refuse him, then I don't see what the problem is."
I force a smile. "You are right; there is no problem."
A woman dressed in a maid uniform walked into the garden where we were seated with a tray carrying a glass of juice and coffee.
She set the juice before me and placed the cup of coffee in front of Gianna.
Gianna took a sip of her coffee and dismissed the maid.
"I called you here for two reasons. The first being you have to attend an event tonight with your grandfather."
"I have a grandfather?"
"My father-in-law. He is a man that does not tolerate any mistake, and that is why he doesn't know that Alvira ran away from home and you are her replacement. Unfortunately, he took a lot of interest in Alvira when she was young, causing her to spend a lot of time with him."
"Hold on a minute. You seem to be forgetting that the only reason this whole plan even worked with Kaldric is because he has never met Alvira before, but now, you are sending me to a one-on-one meeting with a man who practically raised your daughter?"
"I will teach you everything you need to know before the time of the event even approaches. As an added precaution, you and I will be on call the entire time of the event, but it must be discreet; no one must catch on."
"I don't know."
"That's why I'm paying you two hundred million dollars. You don't have to know; you just have to do as I say. Understand?" Gianna asked coldly.
I slowly nodded, still feeling nervous about the whole thing.
"The second thing you need to know is Emily Axton, my husband's bastard and Kaldric's personal assistant," she said and then typed something on her phone before giving it to me.
It was multiple pictures of Kaldric and a red-haired woman. Even though the pictures were taken at different events, one thing remained common. In each of the pictures, the lady who must be Emily was always standing beside Kaldric with a warm smile on her face.
"She is beautiful," I said, handing the phone back to her.
Gianna scoffed, "Unfortunately, her beauty has nothing to do with why Kaldric has kept her by his side. I do not know the side of Kaldric you saw last night, but the Kaldric Verlith I know never does anything without a reason, and that includes keeping Emily by his side and being her shield."
"Her shield?"
"In our world, bastards are no different from waste thrown in the garbage, and Emily's fate should have been like that, a nobody, and I don't know how she did it, but one minute, she was someone who wasn't even worthy of cleaning my shoes, and the next, she was standing by Kaldric's side. She became his personal assistant, and the last man who had publicly insulted her in his presence lost his tongue."
"He went that far for her? Why?"
Gianna shrugged. "It's either she is good at her job or she is good in bed. Either way, she is a problem you need to get rid of."
"Me?"
"Yes, Alvira. You. For the huge amount of money I am paying you, don't you think the least you can do for my daughter is to remove the thorn that would one day break her marriage? I know Emily. She has always been envious of my Alvira, and to think she even had the guts to suggest to Dane that she would like to get married to Kaldric instead."
"I won't fight your daughter's battle for her, Gianna." I replied.
"But this is also your fight. If this marriage breaks before my daughter returns, then our deal is canceled, and I won't be able to assure you of a peaceful life."
I frown. "Are you threatening me?"
"I am just reminding you of the consequences of not following through with our bargain." Gianna replied coldly and tried to intimidate me with her eyes, but my gaze remained fixed on her as I replied.
Ah, I see. These damn werewolves. So while her daughter is probably enjoying her life far away from here, she wants me to be Alvira's doormat until the rich brat is probably bored from wherever she is. Does she perhaps think my desperation for money means I'm stupid?
"You paid me to marry Kaldric on your daughter's behalf, and I have done so. My job is to remain as Kaldric's wife until you find your runaway daughter; it is not to start fighting the potential mistresses of her husband."
Gianna laughed. "You do realize that you are not in a position to refuse me, right?"
"If I'm not mistaken, you need me just like I need you, so I honestly don't think you are in a position to threaten me." I replied with a smile, which made hers falter.
I place my elbow on the table and rest my head on it while looking at her with a smile. "I'm not a pushover, Gianna."
"And yet your boyfriend, who had cheated on you, is currently planning his next phase of life with his mistress."
I chuckled. "Is he? Do you think a man can get married with so much debt on his head?"
"What do you mean?"
I sighed. "I have suspected for a while that Derek was cheating on me, and that is why the house that I bought in his name wasn't actually with my money. I took a loan from a very aggressive loan shark in his name and got the house. My plan was I would settle the loan quietly once we got married, but since that never happened...." I shrugged, leaving the rest unsaid. It was for this reason I never gave a damn about the house.
Gianna looked surprised at my confession, and while she remained speechless, I used that as an opportunity to make myself clear to her.
"If you want a tool to take down your bastard husband, then find someone else because I won't be manipulated to do your bidding."