Married a Secret Billionaire

Chapter 22

Josiah was actually befuddled.

The Bayers were quite influential in Jangasas, but not to the extent that they could dig through small companies. Besides, it would attract attention if he did so by using his status. If it turned out that he had pressured William Jenner and caused a certain someone to misunderstand him again…

Josiah coughed and chuckled awkwardly. “Z, there’s no problem, but let me make it clear now that if someone makes things up in the meantime and claims I’m having some kind of affair with your darling dearest and whatnot, you can’t buy it—Ow!” Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Fredric hit his head before he could finish.

…

Cordelia worked harder during her second month at work. She now had a basic understanding of some workforce survival rules and knew how to avoid Karine picking on her. She also knew how to protect herself from both Jesse’s direct and implicit harassment by avoiding interacting with him in the office.

Unfortunately, this drained her energy so much that she was exhausted every day.

When Cordelia threw herself on the couch after removing her heels at home, she would sometimes sleep until the middle of the night out of fatigue. When she woke up and discovered that she had a thin blanket over her, Marcus was sleeping by using his arm as a pillow on the floor next to her.

She might have occupied the couch that the man slept on, but he would not use her bed in the bedroom. Cordelia chuckled, feeling bad but also getting some sense of warmth.

Marcus had once told her, “You might as well quit if this job’s so hard.”

“No way,” Cordelia had replied, glancing at him. “Where will we get the money to feed ourselves and pay rent if I don’t work?”

“You actually care about petty money like this?”

“Petty money?” Cordelia had chuckled after her initial surprise. “Aren’t you rich? You don’t know how expensive groceries are because you don’t buy them. My salary is barely enough to sustain us… Sigh, if I don’t close more sales and get the bonus, bad days will be ahead of us soon!”

She had somehow begun to refer to them as “we” now when she talked.

Marcus chortled. It felt kind of special. This had never happened in his life before. He teased her, saying, “Weren’t you Ms. Jenner before you married me? Why do I keep feeling like you’re reluctant to spend money? And you have to work so hard now. Does your family not care that you’re suffering?”

Cordelia, who was cutting up some vegetables, nearly cut her own finger as her heart thumped.

“W-What are you saying?” She smiled unnaturally and tried to brush this off. “Even though I’m a rich heiress, I’m married now and I have my own family. I’m no longer with my family. Of course I have to plan ahead, so I can’t spend money at will.”

“Really?” Marcus’ smile grew deeper as he went closer to look at her. “The rich are still better off than regular people. Even though you got married and are no longer the Jenner bachelorette, your savings must still be more than regular people’s. Oh, and you must have gotten luxurious wedding gifts too since you come from a wealthy family? Why haven’t I seen them?”

Cordelia’s face was red as she swiveled around to look at him, her pretty eyes shiny and exasperated.

“W-Why are you asking me all this? Have—Have I starved you or mistreated you since we got married? Have I not treated you well? Are you suspecting that I’m hiding money? Is that why you’re asking this? You—”

The small woman was cute when she got edgy. As she spoke, she lost her confidence and looked down, her long lashes quivering. The sight of her made one want to coddle her.

Had she not treated him well? One of them was still sleeping on the couch, while the other slept on the bed—was this not mistreatment?

Marcus did his best to hold back his laughter and coughed.

“I’m just chatting casually. Why are you so worked up?”

Cordelia sucked in a breath and puffed up her chest. “Worked up? Am I? Hah, I’m just chatting casually! I’m not worked up at all!”

She turned around and continued her task after saying that, but she caught the man standing by the kitchen door out of the corner of her eye. She also felt his gaze on her, which was like pins and needles on her back.

She calmed herself down enough to keep cooking. She was usually smooth and fast when preparing their meals, but she nearly burned a simple dish that day…

Cordelia sighed weakly. In order to keep the fact that she was a substitute bride a secret, it seemed that she would have to keep playing the role of a rich Jenner!