After work, Henry left for a bar to clear his head. He really needs to find a contracted wife before the month ends if not, his mom won't take it easy with him, and moreover, she might bring some gold digger to his house as a wife if he fails to find one for himself.

Reece drove him to the nearest bar which was also his favourite bar and left immediately because he was so tired from the day's activities. He walked in and went straight to the counter and sat down.

" Get me a glass of whiskey" his cold and husky voice made Dera who is the bartender to flinch a little.

She has never heard such a voice in her life and it wasn't right for a girl of her age to be a bartender but what was she supposed to do? Her mother is lying still on the hospital bed fighting desperately for her life and she needed money badly to pay for her mom's surgery, that was why she ended up a bartender.

Dera gave Henry a glass of whiskey which he asked for and he immediately drank from the glass and in no time, the glass was empty.

She kept staring at the Greek god in front of her with different thoughts flooding her mind.

" How could a man be this handsome?" She wondered lost in her world of thoughts. She never knew he was talking to her not until he raised his voice a bit higher and she jotted out of her thoughts.

" Get me another glass of whiskey" he ordered and she did as she was ordered and within two seconds the glass was empty and it made her wonder what was wrong with a handsome guy like him to be drinking this much at the late hours of the day.

Henry handed her the cup asking for another glass of whiskey. Dera was hesitant at first, but later gave in to his request. Not as if she was the one paying for his drinks.

' it's none of your business, Dera, just do as you're told' she scolded herself inwardly, gave him the glass filled with whiskey and watched as he drank the whole content without remaining a single drop.

As a blabbermouth that she was, she was so tempted to ask what was wrong with him, but she managed to hold herself to avoid any form of troubles.

Henry drank almost an entire bottle of whiskey and he became really drunk which made Dera worried as she stared at the drunken angel in front of her.

The bar was about to reach its closing hour and the Greek god in front of her couldn't even remember his name when she asked him while trying to help him.

Dera tried getting one or two informations about him so she would be able to take him home since the bar would be closing anytime soon, but Henry didn't say a word even when she asked him, he kept staring at her like some sort of interesting show.

" How do I get him home now?" Dera thought to herself thinking really hard, but she ran out of ideas, because she didn't know what to think anymore. She don't know who the handsome stranger is, or where he was coming from.

Dera moved closer to him and began to search him. She shoved her hands inside his tuxedo suit and and brought out his phone, then she became relieved that at least she would call maybe his friends or his mom or anyone related to him.

She tried unlocking the phone but all her effort was fruith less because his phone has a password which she couldn't guess since she knew absolutely nothing about him.

" How on Earth am I going to get him to his house this night for Christ sake!" She muttered as she look at Henry who was sleeping peacefully on the counter.

" Most annoying part is my darned conscience, I just can't ignore him and go my way." She sighed as she began to search him again for anything that would help her take him to his house. Luckily, she found a complimentary card in his shit and she exhaled loudly.

Dera took a glance at the car and a gasp escaped her lips when she saw the name written on the card. ' HENRY ROYALS' was bodly written on the card, and she continued blinking her eyes in disbelief.

She had always wished to meet him even if it was just for once, since her best friend, Luciana always talks about him almost everyday, but now, she was privileged to see him one on one. Her happiness knew no bound.

Dera shoved the complimentary card back into his shit and moved closer to help him get on his feet. His home address was written at the back of the card so she was planning on taking him to the address on the card. At first, it was really hard because they both fell down because of how heavy Henry was, but she managed to stand up and helped him out of the bar.

She was lucky to see a taxi who helped her put Henry inside the car and drove off to the address she told him.

Within ten minutes, the car came to a halt in front of a gigantic mansion and Dera mouth opened in awe as she looked at the most beautiful mansion she has ever come across in her whole. Twenty four years of living.

" Sir, can you please assist me in taking him inside?" Dera pleased with the driver who nodded and helped her take Henry into the house.

On getting to the entrance door, they couldn't open it, so she brought out the car in his pocket and placed it on the door and it opened immediately.

Dera didn't know when a 'wow' left her mouth as she stared at the classy and luxurious sitting room.

" Thanks for your help sir I really appreciate" Dera said with a little bow and the man smiled.

" Please take him to his room, I will wait downstairs to give you a free ride home" the driver offered and Dera's eyes beamed with excitement.

The reason why she was happy was not because she would be getting a free ride but because she could save the transport fare along with her savings for her mom's surgery.

" I will leave him here" she said and placed him on the long sofa in the sitting room. She helped him take off his shoes and also loosened his tie before walking out of the house with the driver.

" Thanks once again sir" she said as they both walked out of the mansion

The driver gave her a free ride home and when she tried giving him money, he bluntly refused.

On getting into her apartment, she met Luciana watching a TV series while eating chips and drinking from a can beer.

" Hi baby girl!" Dera gushed excitedly immediately she entered into the sitting room.

" What's up? You look super excited" Luciana said and Dera nodded.

" Yeah, and you won't believe who I met today?" She said taking off her sneakers before wearing her flip flops and then she jumped on the sofa on which Luciana was sitting on.

" So who did you see?" she asked focusing her attention on Dera.

" I met your crush" Dera smiled

" Which of my crushed did you meet?" She asked and Dera frowned and bite her lips.

" Oh! I almost forgot that you crush on every cute guy you see" she muttered and Luciana pushed Dera's forehead playfully.

" Hey! That's not true, I only cursh on extremely cute guys, so which of them did you meet?" Luciana asked really eagered to know who Dera met that made her this excited.

Because Luciana crushes on idols like BTS, Sraykids, wealthy guys like Henry Royals and actors like Lee Min Ho.

" Henry Royals!" Dera shouted throwing her hands up in the air like a baby.

" You must be joking right? How can you see Henry Royals? Wait! Did you drink at the bar? Or are you running a high temperature to be spitting out gibberish from your mouth" she touched Dera's forehead and Dera yanked Luciana's hand from forehead.

" I am damn serious. I saw him today, he came to the bar where I work and got really drunk, so I managed to take him home that was why I came home late" Dera said and Luciana mouth hanged wide open.

" Tell me it's a lie" Luciana said with a smile on her lips.

" No I am telling the truth" Dera rolled her eyes.

" Congratulations baby girl! You're really lucky to touch him and even go to his house. Do you know how ladies die to touch him and myself isn't exempted " Luciana giggled and Dera rolled her eyes.

" What is the big deal of touching a billionaire? He is also a human like us too" she muttered and stood up heading to her room.

" Hey Lucania! What did you prepare for dinner?" Dera shouted from upstairs.

" Spaghetti and meatballs" Luciana replied and focused her gaze back on the TV series she was watching before Dera came.

The sun's rays pierced through the window, causing Henry to instinctively open and then shut his eyes in response to the harsh brightness. As he blinked back the disorienting, he sat upright and was immediately hit by a sharp headache, prompting a low groan to escape his lips.

Looking around, he realized he was in his bedroom, he was surprised as to how he made it home from the bar where he remembered falling asleep the previous night.

" How on Earth did I get home? I distinctly remember dozing off at the bar. Did my mother bring me home?" He held his head, trying to piece together the missing parts of his memory.

With a glimmer of hope, he began to search for his phone and dialled his mother's number and anxiously wait for her to pick up.

" Mum, did you bring me home last night?" he asked, desperately hoping for a different answer.

" No, I didn't. Wait! Did you go to a bar again?" his mother's voice tinged with concern.

" Not now, Mom," he groaned, quickly ending the call. Frustration welled up within him as he wondered who could have possibly brought him home. The bartender? No, she doesn't even know him or where he lived.

He promised to find the answer. " I really need to find out who brought me home."

With a sigh, he made his way downstairs to soothe his hangover with a comforting bowl of hangover soup. Afterward, he returned to his room, taking a refreshing shower and dressing for the day ahead.

Heading to work, he brushed off all the staff members, and headed to his office.

Whispers floated through the office, as one of the employee, Dianne, began to murmur to another colleague.

"I wonder why he's so cold."

" He's like a cold-blooded monster. I bet he meets the devil every night," one of the staffs responded with a hushed whispers, just as Reece approached. The sudden presence of Reece caused them to fall silent, and they immediately faced their work, pretending to be engrossed in it.

Reece, who happens to overhead their conversation wondered if they were truly tired of working under Henry's strict demeanor. Shaking off the thought, he made his way to Henry's office.

" Reece, go to the bar I usually drink at and find out who brought me home yesterday. Check the CCTV footage if possible," Henry said, his gaze fixed on his laptop. Reece raised his brows in confusion.

" You fell asleep in the bar last night?" Inquired Reece and Henry paused his activities on his laptop and turned his full attention to Reece, locking him in a cold stare.

"Are you truly tired of working as a manager at Dolphins Group of Companies?" he smirked, his words filled with danger and Reece immediately shook his head in denial.

" Then will you do as I requested, or should I find someone else to carry out the task?" Henry's piercing blue eyes bored into Reece's.

" Alright, sir. I will get going," Reece said, avoiding eye contact with Henry and without waiting for a reply, he rushed out of the office.

Panting heavily, he disregarded the curious gazes from the other staff members, their expressions seeming to suggest that he had encountered the devil himself. But Reece had little concern for their reactions. Right now, his priority was getting to the bar as quickly as possible, for he had no intention of getting on the bad side of the devil incarnate.

He drove recklessly, as if pursued by a demon, until he arrived at the bar. Disembarking from his car, he breathed heavily, his rapid breaths betraying his sense of urgency as he made his way to the counter.

"Good morning, sir. What drink would you like?" Dera's sweet voice greeted him.

"Good morning, dear. Actually, I'm not here to drink. It's too early," Reece muttered, his brows furrowing with concern.

Catching the crease in his brow, Dera inquired, "So, what are you here for?"

"Did you, by any chance, see a man who got extremely drunk yesterday?" Reece asked, an air of tension in his voice.

Dera chuckled. "Sir, we both know that this is a bar, and many people get drunk every day. So, which particular person are you referring to?"

"Oh, don't worry. I have a picture of him," Reece replied, pulling out his phone and showing her a photo of Henry. Dera gasped, instinctively covering her mouth.

"Do you know him?" Reece asked, his voice filled with curiosity.

"Yes! Yes, he was the man who was extremely drunk yesterday. I took him home with the help of a taxi driver," Dera revealed, leaving Reece exhaling with relief, causing Dera to be confused.

"Are you okay, sir?" She asked, concern evident in her voice.

Reece nodded, grasping some dollars from his wallet and attempting to hand them to her as a token of appreciation.

"Thanks, sir, but I don't need it," Dera declined politely.

"You really helped me, so I need to show my gratitude," Reece insisted, but she maintained her smile, refusing to accept the money.

"I didn't do anything for you, sir," she said sincerely, her smile reflecting genuine warmth. Reece returned the smile, acknowledging her kind gesture, before exiting the bar.

Upon reaching his car, Reece rested his head against the driver's seat, his frustration evident in his clenched teeth.

"I am a manager, but that cold-blooded boss of mine has turned me into a detective. Gosh! I feel like strangling him," Reece muttered, his voice filled with discontent.

Reece arrived back at the office, having gathered every single detail about Dera Harold. Placing a soft but firm knock on Hillary's office door, he braced himself for the interaction to come.

"Come in if you wish," Henry's husky and cold voice echoed from within the room.

"He is still as arrogant as ever," Reece muttered under his breath, mimicking Hillary's voice, before mustering the courage to open the door and walk inside.

Once inside, Reece observed that Henry's eyes remained glued to the laptop, the object of his unwavering attention.

"What on Earth is in that laptop that always captivates his gaze?" Reece pondered briefly, his curiosity piqued.

Interrupting his own train of thought, Reece refocused on the conversation at hand. "I'm here," he responded, catching Hillary's attention momentarily.

Offering an update, Reece continued, "Her name is Dera Harold, a 22-year-old young lady. Her parents reside in Italy, while she came to Georgia to raise money for her mother's surgery." As Reece delivered the information, he noticed Henry was lost in deep contemplation, his thoughts seemingly distant.

"Are you hearing me?" Reece's voice jolted Henry out of his trance like state.

"Yes, I'm listening," Henry replied, his response causing Reece to briefly question the depth of his boss's absorption in his laptop.

With the conversation now resumed, Reece concluded, "She lives with her best friend, Luciana Donald."

FLASHBACK

"Come here, Dera," her dad gestured for her to come, and she walked closer to him. She sat beside him on the sofa.

"Dad, why did you call me here? I really have work to do, you know," she pouted cutely, and her dad ruffled her hair.

"Do not enter any marriage without knowing everything about your spouse," he paused and looked at her. "You know you're the only child I have ever, so no matter what happens, do not enter any type of marriage, because marriage is sacred," he said, and she nodded and hugged him.

"I love you, Dad," she said, unlocking from the hug. "I love you too, my princess, so now go do your assignment," he said and stood up.

END OF FLASH BACK

"Dera, brace yourself; you're doing this because of Mom, not because of anything," she slapped her cheeks lightly on the road, and people turned to look at her like a mentally deranged person.

She walked home and found Luciana still watching a movie. She pulled off her sneakers and placed them neatly in one corner of the sitting room where shoes are kept before slipping into her flip-flops. She sat beside Luciana and stared at how concentrated Luciana was on the Korean drama she was watching, named "Penthouse: The War of Life."

"I don't even know where to start telling Luciana about my ordeal," Cherry thought.

"Jun Dan-tae is the most wicked man ever. Imagine how he can be so cruel to kill his own wife," Luciana hissed in anger as she threw a chip into her mouth, her eyes glued to the TV.

"I really pity this innocent girl called Bae Ro-na and her mother. They have suffered greatly from Jun Dan-tae and Seo-jin's hands," she blinked repeatedly, not minding if Dera was there or not.

Dera bit her lips as she stared at Luciana, contemplating whether to tell her or not.

"It won't be nice if she eventually finds out herself or if someone eventually tells her," she said inwardly.

She faced Luciana again, taking a deep breath in and out before starting.

"Luciana," she called slowly, and Luciana turned to her.

"Hey, what's the matter with you? You don't sound okay. What's the problem?" She asked, concentrating fully on Dera.

"I have something to tell you."

"What is it, Dera? You're scaring me. Just say it already," Luciana said, and Dera took a deep breath and shut her eyes before opening them and starting.

"I'm getting married tomorrow," she dropped the bombshell, her voice filled with hesitation.

"What!! You must be joking, right?" Luciana laughed like a manic who just escaped an asylum.

"Wait, let me finish," Dera cut her off. "I'm getting into a contracted marriage with Henry Royals."

"Henry Royals! Are you high? Dera? or are you on drugs?" Luciana asked, not ready to believe what Dera said.

"He offered me a contract to be his wife for six months, just so his mom will let him be. After the six months, we both will get divorced and go our separate ways," she bit her lower lip hard while Luciana burst into another fit of laughter.

"I think you're high, Dera, because how on Earth is what you said possible? Henry Royals of all people? That dude hates everyone, and ladies are included, so how then is he getting married to you?" Luciana asked, furrowing her brows, still not believing what Dera said.

"That's none of my business. If he hates everyone or not, it's not my problem. After all, I will be able to pay for Mom's surgery," she muttered, and Luciana sighed making Dera looked at her. "Hey, what's wrong with you?" she asked.

"I bet you won't be able to leave after those six months. I have watched movies and read books about contracted marriages. The female lead and male lead are going to fall in love with each other and then get married legally," she scoffed, and Dera shook her head.

"Then stop reading such books and stop having such a mentality because it's not happening with me, okay? So be rest assured. Moreover, you know his phobia for people, right? He isn't going to fall for a middle-class lady like me," Dera said, and Luciana sighed.

"So how much is he paying you?"

"Twenty million dollars," she whispered into Luciana's ear.

"Wow!! That's a really huge amount," Luciana eyes widened, and her mouth hung open.

"So, my baby is going to become a millionaire soon," she gushed, and Dera smiled.

"That reminds me, Luciana, how's Redmond? Is he talking to you?" Dera asked, and she sighed.

"How I wish I could control my heart, Dera. I would be the happiest person on Earth. I fell for a cold-blooded monster who doesn't talk to people, let alone be friends with them," she paused and looked at her friend

"I'm so fed up, Dera. I wish I could just get rid of the feelings I have for him, but I can't because my heart keeps beating whenever I see him. And you know the funniest part? I would take almost one hour to dress up and put on makeup just for him to look at me, but that monster wouldn't spare me a single glance," Luciana said, fighting back the tears threatening to fall.

"Hey, it's okay. He's going to love you, okay? Stop going the extra mile; just be yourself and don't waste your time making up," Dera pulled Luciana into a comforting hug.

After hugging for a few seconds, they both disengaged, and Dera spoke first to lighten the mood.

"Dad called this morning; Mom has only one week to live if she doesn't undergo the surgery as fast as possible. That's the reason I accepted the contract."

"I clearly rejected the offer yesterday when he came to the bar, but when Dad called this morning, I had to run to his house to tell him I agree already," Dera explained as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Don't cry, okay? You were the one consoling me just a few minutes ago, and now you're crying," Luciana said, patting her head.

"Thanks for coming into my life, Luciana," she hiccuped.

"It's fine. What are friends for?"

"You're not just my friend; you're my crazy elder sister," Dera said, and they both burst into laughter.

"Hey, stop laughing like that; it's really scary. I don't want to be having weird and scary dreams, okay?" She said, and Luciana smiled before returning her gaze back to the TV.

After watching "The Penthouse" for some minutes, Dera got really tired and yawned loudly.

"Are you okay?" Luciana asked, her eyes glued to the TV screen.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just tired," she said and stood up, heading to her room. She didn't have a good night's sleep because she was thinking about the marriage contract Henry had offered her. She dropped her bag and phone on the bed before walking to the bathroom to take a cool shower.

After bathing for ten minutes, she came out and wore a pair of shorts and a big white hoodie before lying on her bed to rest. She couldn't rest because she was thinking about how to cope as a wife, something she wasn't expecting or prepared for. Everything just filled her head so much that she couldn't even close her eyes for a few seconds.

"How on Earth am I supposed to cope as a wife, for Christ's sake? This is not what I planned for myself. I planned to have a bright future, be the CEO of my own company, have a lovely husband, and cute kids," she muttered, turning from one end of the bed to another.

"And to make matters worse, a billionaire for crying out loud, the top richest man in all of Georgia," she said, ruffling her hair, making her look like a witch. Her hair was scattered all over the bed as she kept rolling from one end of the bed to another, like a child throwing a tantrum over a candy.

"Why did my life end up like this?" she muttered, biting her lower lip. The fact that she was getting into a contracted marriage the next day was driving her crazy-marrying someone she didn't know, a complete stranger.

"God! I might go crazy any moment from now," she said, throwing her legs in the air.

"After signing the contract tomorrow, I'll have to start living as his wife and behaving like his wife during occasions. But when we're at home, we'll be strangers," she ruffled her hair for the umpteenth time.

"How am I supposed to cope as a contracted wife? I won't be able to work anymore. I'll be stuck in the house from morning till night. My goodness! I might go mad or lose my mind before the six months are over," she sighed and used the pillow to cover her face.

"What if, in the process of being his wife, I fall in love with him and he doesn't feel the same way about me? Then I'll be the one with unrequited love! Oh my gosh!"

"Dera, you can't and you won't fall in love with Mr. Henry, okay? He's above your level, and moreover, we're worlds apart, from different socioeconomic statuses. So brace yourself and never mention the word 'love,' not to talk of falling in love," she shrugged, breathed out, and stared at the ceiling.

NEXT DAY

Dera groaned as her phone kept ringing. She was about to ignore it when she mistakenly saw the caller's ID; it was Henry. She sprang up immediately and picked up the call.

"Good morning, Mr. Henry," she greeted, bowing as if he was there with her.

"Enough of the greeting. Come straight to my house, and then we will proceed to the court to get the paperwork done," he hung up as soon as he finished, without even waiting to hear from her.

"That cold man," she gritted her teeth and grumpily walked to the bathroom to take a shower.

After thirty more minutes, she was done dressing and doing her morning routine. She carried a small handbag and her phone, then walked downstairs. She met Luciana setting the dining table.

"Good morning, Luciana," Dera greeted.

"Good morning, Dera. How was your night?"

"Not good at all. I was just thinking of how to cope with being a housewife to a cold billionaire. Luciana, I will just die of boredom," Dera pouted, and Luciana smiled.

"Come here," she gestured, and Dera walked up to her. Luciana hugged her while patting her hair.

Luciana was more like a sister than a friend to Dera because she had done practically everything for her. Though Luciana was three years older than Dera, she saw her as an elder sister she didn't have.

"Stop being sad and just have breakfast, okay?" Luciana disengaged from the hug and pulled out a chair for her. Dera sat down, and they started eating immediately. Dera hadn't had a proper dinner last night because she lost her appetite due to the marriage issue.

After a few minutes, she finished her breakfast, stood up, wiped her lips, and gave Dera a peck on her cheeks before walking out of the house. Dera boarded a taxi straight to Henry's house and arrived in less than ten minutes.

The gate man already knew she was coming, so he immediately opened the gate for her, and she walked into the house. Henry was seated on one of the sofas in the living room, with his legs crossed on the other. He looked breathtaking in sweatpants and a hoodie.

She walked in but was lost in thought. She never expected Henry to be in the living room, so let's just say he caught her off guard, and she almost jumped out of fear. She held her chest and was breathing really hard, her heart racing as if she had run all the way to his house.

He looked up from the book he was reading and saw her holding her chest, trying to catch her breath.

"Did I startle you that much for you to be breathing so hard?" his husky voice echoed in the living room.

She didn't say anything; she just walked to one of the sofa facing him and sat down quietly.

"We're leaving by 10:00 am, so get ready," he said, and she nodded. She knew she was lying; she wasn't prepared at all. She felt like the ground should open and swallow her rather than entering into a contracted marriage. But she was left with no option other than to accept the fact that she was going to live under a man's roof and become his legal wife for six months.

"Calm down, Dera. It's just for six months, okay? Get yourself together," she said inwardly, trying to calm herself.