Chapter - 11

So, where's he taking you today?" Casey asked, her eyes catching Trinity's in the mirror who was busy munching on a bag of chips while Casey put on her usual winged eyeliner with painfully careful precision.

Trinity took her time chewing as she watched Casey put the eyeliner back in its place. It was only once she'd turned around to look at Trinity did she speak up. "He said that he was going to take me shopping for a few gowns." 

Casey raised a brow at her friend. "And you agreed without putting up a fight?" She asked, narrowing her eyes skeptically. If there was anything she knew about her friend, it was that Trinity would much rather dig herself a hole and spend the rest of her life in it before she let anyone spend money on her. 

"Well, not really." She muttered, frowning slightly as she recalled the argument they'd had over Dmitri buying her clothes, expensive designer clothes at that. 

"You'll have to get used to me buying stuff for you since you're going to be my wife, milaya. Now is as good a time as any to get started." He'd told her with his usual care free grin.

"Just because I'm marrying you, doesn't mean I can't get things for myself. I've lived on my own so far and can do so in the future regardless of the fact who my husband is." She'd shot right back, titling her chin up at him.

He'd stared at her, looking exasperated before looking up at the roof of the car they were sitting inside. Turning his head towards her, he'd explained patiently, "Not that I'm bragging or anything, but you're going to be marrying a billionaire. Once we're out in the public as a couple, the media will scrutinize your every move starting from the way you act around others right down to the kind of shoes you wear and I don't want them, or anyone else for that matter, to have a reason to criticize you." 

She'd looked at him, realizing just how true his words were. Once they were out in the public as a couple, she'd be representing him and everything she said or did would effect his image either directly or indirectly. And she didn't want to ruin the image and respect he'd spent so much time and effort earning for himself and his company.

Looking at her best friend who was staring at her with a brow raised in amusement, waiting for her to elaborate, she explained the argument they'd had over it, how she thought how much Dmitri didn't want to risk the reputation he'd spent so much time earning and how she'd finally agreed upon realizing that.

Casey shook her head at her friend, making her pink hair whip around her. "You really think he said all that because it was his reputation he cared about?" Casey asked, looking almost as if she was torn between laughing at her friend or hitting her over the head with the nearest object she could find.

"Yes?" Trinity said, sounding so unsure of herself now that it came out more of a question than the firm yes she'd intended to speak.

"You're crazy if you think that." Casey told her, giving her an almost pitying look.

"What do you mean?" Trinity asked, frowning up at her friend, her bag of chips forgotten.

"Nothing." She replied. "Look at the time, will you? I'm gonna be so late if I don't leave now." She said, looking at her non- existent wrist watch, her silver bangles jingling as she did so. And she was out the door before Trinity could get another word out.

Trinity was left staring at the door in silence. 

Shaking her head, she got up, going to the small book shelf she had in her room and pulling out the contract Dmitri had given her from where she'd tucked it between two classics.

Dmitri had told her that while they had pretty much discussed all that was written inside the twenty page contract, he still wanted her to go through it properly before she signed. She'd read it at night before going to bed after being drilled by both Casey and Nigel with questions as to what all had taken place between the two of them ever since Dmitri had picked her. 

As promised, she'd gone over to Nigel's place with Casey in tow once she'd returned back home. Deciding that she wanted Nigel to know everything too, she'd told him everything right from the beginning. Suffice to say the guy was just about ready to bash Dmitri's face in. 

If Trinity was being completely honest, she had expected as much from Nigel. He'd always been protective of her and the absurdity of the situation wasn't lost on her. She knew what she was doing was completely insane and Nigel's reaction had just solidified that belief. He'd told her to call off the whole thing at once and in no uncertain terms at that. It had taken a lot of grovelling on her part and it was only once she'd given him permission to personally castrate him if he did anything to hurt her had he agreed to let her go through with this utterly ridiculous arrangement of theirs.

Shaking her head to herself with a wry smile as she recalled last night, she began flipping through the pages of the contract Dmitri had given her. And yes, while they'd discussed pretty much everything, it hadn't escaped her notice how Dmitri had skilfully avoided discussing the money he was going to pay her at the end of their one year pseudo marriage. 

Another thing which she'd noticed was that though it had been mentioned pretty clearly that Dmitri could have a relationship with anyone he wanted, provided that he kept it out of public eye, there was no clause mentioning the same for her. If he was entitled to keeping a secret relationship with Samantha, then why wasn't she? Of course, she didn't have a boyfriend as of now but what if she wanted to date someone she liked two months after their wedding? 

She'll just have to talk to Dmitri about it when he came to pick her up. There was one more thing she wanted to talk to him about and it was the money. She'd told him already that she didn't want any money but the guy was too stubborn not to give her any. He was already going to be spending so much money on her what with the clothes and wedding and everything, she didn't want him to spend any more money than he absolutely had to.

She'd just kept the file on the small table in the living room when the doorbell rang. She quickly got up and opened the door to find Dmitri standing there.

"Hello, milaya." He greeted, his dark eyes taking in her faded jeans and sequined black tank top before coming to settle on her face. The smile with which she greeted him made his own lips tug upwards at the corners.

"Come on in." She waved him in, moving into her living room and taking a seat at the couch.

Taking a seat next to her, he turned towards her, completely at ease with himself. Trinity picked up the contract he'd given her the day before and placed it on the space between them. 

"I've gone through it and there were a few changes I wanted in it. I've written them down." She told him.

He frowned at the folder wondering exactly what she'd changed. Picking it up, he flipped through the pages until he reached the one where she'd scribbled a few lines. What he read there, made his blood boil.

His head whipped up to look at her. "You're planning on having an extra marital affair?" He asked, his tone conveying every bit of the anger and indignation he felt. 

"Don't go on using that tone on me mister!" She told him, her own eyes lightning up like wild fire as she pointed a dainty finger at him. "If you are entitled to having an affair with Samantha as long as you keep it out of public eye, then so am I." 

Any argument he had died in his throat and he had the strangest urge to cut the clause mentioning that he could have an affair right off that contract just so Trinity wouldn't be able to have a relationship with anyone else. He also had half a mind to tell her that she couldn't date anyone once they were married and that was it. 

Schooling his features, he nodded stiffly instead, knowing it wouldn't bode well for either of them if he said or did any of what he was thinking.

"I'll have it added. Anything else?" 

"Yeah. There's one more thing." She began, her eyes dimming a little. She didn't know why, but the fact that Dmitri had agreed to her having a relationship so easily made her sad, even though he was doing exactly what she'd asked him to. Mentally shaking her head at herself, she continued, "The money." 

He'd just opened his mouth, probably to argue, when she held up a hand, "Hear me out first." 

He nodded at her to continue. "I want you to reduce the amount to three million. Five million is a little too much for me. To be honest, I don't want any of it for myself but since you're so insistent on me taking the money, three million is all I'm gonna take." 

She explained, leaving a few things out. What she didn't explain was that she'd thought long and hard about this, done some research and finally come to the conclusion that two million was all she needed to do all she had to. She was gonna invest the better part of this money in a few of the investment schemes she'd come across while searching the internet for the kids at the orphanage so they didn't have to give up on going to college because of lack of money like she had to. Then she was gonna give some of the money to Simon so he could open another restaurant like he'd always wanted to and the rest she was going to distribute equally between Casey, Nigel and Mrs Murphy. 

Dmitri stared at her for a long while. It was hard to understand this girl. If it were anyone else, they'd be jumping at the chance to get five million but here she was, telling him to reduce the money. He couldn't quite understand what to make of it. 

She is taking the money, isn't she?

A voice at the back of his mind whispered. Yes, she is. He agreed. 

That makes her the same as everyone else, doesn't it?

Yes, it does. He couldn't help but silently agree. She was taking the money after all, wasn't she? But he frowned as he recalled the argument they'd had over him buying her clothes. Come to think of it, it wasn't much of an argument. She had agreed to it pretty quickly. 

The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. Did she really not care about the money or was she putting up an act to make it seem as if she didn't when in reality she was the same as everyone else, greedy and power hungry? But then again, why would she put up an act? And if she really was greedy, then why would she reduce the amount to three million? Why not increase it instead? 

He couldn't for the life of him understand the girl sitting in front of him and waiting for him to respond. Mentally shaking his head to himself, he nodded at her. "If that's what you really want, then I'll have it changed."

"Alright." She smiled that smile of hers and Dmitri couldn't help but smile back. No matter how confusing the girl was, she had the prettiest smile in the world. One he couldn't help but return, one which reached her eyes and made them crinkle at the corners in a way that made her look all the more beautiful than she already was.

"Let's get going then." He said, taking the file and getting up.

"Yes, let's go." She agreed, getting up too.