Elena's POV
I stared down at the piece of paper in my hands.
‘Certificate of Marriage’
It felt surreal, seeing my name on it.
Dimitri Nikolic & Elena Ivanova
“Here, this is yours.”
I looked up from my brand new marriage certificate into the eyes of my new husband.
A man I’d met exactly twice.
I blankly accepted the card he passed to me.
“The password is 24122017. Spend as you wish.”
Then he dropped me off at home to direct the movers to pack my stuff and move in with him.
A week ago, I lost a bet and had to go on yet another blind date set up by my best friend, Masha Petrova. After the collapse of my personal life 3 years ago and tons of mediocre to downright horrible blind dates since then, I didn’t have much hope for my date with Dimitri.
Surprisingly, I had a pleasant time. Dimitri was polite and attentive. He arrived right on time, dressed formally in a suit and tie.
“Hello, Ms. Ivanova. My name is Dimitri Nikolic.”
That deep magnetic voice coupled with his exceedingly good looks rang all my alarm bells and I subconsciously readied myself to bolt if he made any inappropriate moves.
Because no one on earth would believe that this guy was single and had to go on blind dates to find a girl.
But he acted like a perfect gentleman and while the conversation was somewhat stilted and superficial, I didn’t feel uncomfortable. We exchanged numbers and he called me the next day to ask me out for another date.
After dinner, while waiting for dessert, he dropped the bomb on my head.
“Ms. Ivanova, would you like to get married?”
I blinked at him in stupefaction.
Did he just propose to me in the same way a server asks if you would like some coffee?
“What?”
“I think we’re very compatible in temperament. A marriage between us would be mutually satisfying.”
Compatible? Mutually satisfying?
I gaped at the man, studying his clear blue eyes and the serious set of his mouth.
He wasn’t joking.
“I’ll be honest, Ms. Ivanova. I don’t believe in love. There’s more to a marriage than emotion. We may have just met, but I believe you share the same view.”
“I do but… this is still a bit of a shock. Marriage is not a trivial thing. I barely know you, if it doesn’t work out between us, what then?”
“Then we’ll decide on what to do if or when the time comes. For now, you need to decide on what you want in a marriage.”
What did I want?
I wanted a good husband, children, and the stability of a family. I wasn’t looking for love. I had burned that bridge long ago. Above all else, I needed honesty in a relationship.
“If I agree… I will not tolerate a third person in our marriage.”
Dimitri nodded and said, “Likewise.”
“Okay. Let’s get married.”
I came back to the present and directed the movers then spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking my boxes. Dimitri texted saying that he had an emergency at work and would be home late so I went to bed without waiting up.
I fell asleep the moment my head touched the pillow.
The next morning, Dimitri had left by the time I woke up. If not for the indent in the pillow next to me, I would’ve thought he didn’t come home.
There was a note next to my phone.
‘There’s breakfast on the table. Eat before you go to work.’
“Hey, Elena! What are you thinking about? Now’s not the time to daydream. Our new boss is arriving soon.”
Ava Morkov, Design Director at Vibrant Media, scolded me out of my thoughts. I wiped the smile off my face and looked at her.
“Ahem. Just thinking about the day’s schedule.”
“Just don’t screw this up!” She harrumphed and walked away.
About a month ago, it was announced that the company was underperforming and many higher-ups were fired. The whole company went through a thorough cleaning. Ava and I were fortunate that we managed to keep our jobs.
I straightened my dress and looked into the horizon.
Suddenly, I heard the rumble of car engines get louder. A flurry of activity occurred as the resort employees hurried to their assigned places. Everyone’s eyes shone with excitement.
My assistant, Inessa Volkov, nudged me.
“Ms. Ivanova, do you think our new boss is single? I heard people say that he is really handsome.”
Ava snorted, “Someone was daydreaming about it a moment ago. Who knows what she’ll do to our new boss. Hey Elena, you’d better behave and not create a scandal here.”
The other employees exchanged frowns but I pretended not to hear her. I spoke to Inessa instead.
“Focus on work. They’re here.”
As I finished speaking, three cars rolled to a stop in front of the hotel. Men in black suits descended from the front and walked to the back to open the door for their passengers.
A tall, well-built man stepped out of the car. His dark brown hair gleamed under the sunlight, His dark grey suit brought out the blue tint of his eyes. Without saying a word, he exuded power and dominance.
“Dimitri?”
I didn’t realize that I spoke out loud until his gaze snapped to mine. However, before I could formulate anything else, the man looked away indifferently.
What the hell?