The Billionaire's Pretend Wife (Isabella)
Chapter 24 Twenty Four

Isabelle picked up the form and ran her fingers around the edges nervously. "Even if there are side effects, they said that they will compensate me.”

Jacob gave her a look that suggested he thought that was ridiculous. "And you believed them?"

"It's in the registration form."

His brow furrowed. "Let's say they are not lying, what if the drug has serious side effects on your health? Are you okay with that just because they'll compensate you? What if you suffer permanent effects?" "Many people have done this before," she said, trying to calm him down. She couldn't understand why he was so angry about it. "You're overthinking, I'll be fine."

"Overthinking?" he scoffed. "Don't you care about your health at all?"

"I need the money, okay?" she told him finally, dropping her gaze to the floor. "I need money urgently and this was the best option I could replace."

"What?" he asked, his voice full of disbelief. "You're putting yourself in danger because of money?"

Isabelle clenched her teeth together, feeling her frustration from earlier arise. What else was she supposed to do? It was not like she had a lot of options laid out to her on how to get money. Many people earned money by taking part in drug trials. Why was he making it sound like she was being needlessly reckless?

Jacob got to his feet, and she had to take a step back as he suddenly crowded her. "If you need money that badly, why didn't you ask me? I'm your husband!"

Her husband? He always pulled that card at the most ridiculous instances, didn't he? They were just a couple on paper and had agreed to stay clear of each other's personal issues. How then could he expect her to go running to him with her problems? As far as their arrangement went, it was none of his business.

She blinked as tears welled her eyes. If her situation wasn't so dire, it would have been comical. On one hand, she was stuck in an arranged marriage that didn't benefit her in any way. On the other, she had parents who abandoned her after said marriage occurred.

"We are just a nominal couple, remember?" she asked him in a small voice. "You also made it clear that we shouldn't interfere in each other's personal affairs." Gathering bits of courage, she looked up and me his eyes. "So you have no right to blame me for not telling you about my problems."

As Jacob looked into Isabelle's eyes, he felt his anger abate. First because of the tears in her eyes, and second because she was right. He was the one who had insisted that they keep their personal business private. And since he was her fake husband, it made sense that she couldn't just come to him with her problems.

Even knowing that, he still felt bothered. He wished she had never gone to such an extent to look for money, and he wished he hadn't made that stupid rule about not interfering in each other's lives. Because as long as things were that way, it would be hard to take care of her when she needed it.

"You're right," he said eventually, calmly. "I'm sorry." Taking a deep breath, he raked his fingers through his hair. He needed to think. And they both needed to calm down. "I need to step outside for a while. I'll have dinner later, you can start without me."

She only nodded, and he stepped past her and went into the living room. After grabbing a coat, he pulled it on and left the apartment. There was a garden at the front of the building, and he went there to pass the time.

Alone, he admitted to himself that he had crossed the line. Only a real husband should get mad at his wife doing something like that-not a pretend one. Maybe he should have asked more about what she was going through instead of going all angry from the get-go.

And that-him getting angry-was a sign of something he wasn't sure he wanted to deal with yet. He could no longer hide the fact that he cared for her. And he couldn't even tell when he had become so involved with her.

The idea of her getting hurt because of some botched drug trial pissed him off. And not just that, but he also found himself wanting to fix whatever needed fixing in her life. He wanted to know about her day at work, wanted to spend time with her when he got home from work, and his attraction to her was growing.

It was as if suddenly, this wasn't just an unwanted arrangement to him.

He exhaled deeply and buried his face in his hands. He needed to get a hold of his emotions. But he couldn't think about that right now. He needed to figure a way to get her to abandon the stupid trial.

***

With Jacob gone, Isabelle sat down to have dinner. She no longer had any appetite, but she ate anyway.

Most of it was angry-eating. Now that he was no longer in her presence intimidating her with his anger and making her feel stupid and reckless, her anger got an opportunity to grow.

She was sick and tired of people telling her what to do. Neither her parents nor Jacob cared about her feelings. The former thought it was okay to trick her into a marriage with a stranger, while the latter though it was okay to tell her what to do as if she owed him anything.

By the time she finished eating, he wasn't back, and she was more than fine with that. It would be just fine if she didn't see his face again until the next day. She gathered the utensils she had used and carried them to the sink, meaning to wash them before she went to bed.

At that moment, she heard the front door open, and then a few seconds later, footsteps heading towards the kitchen. She looked up as he walked in, and she couldn't help the retort that rolled off her tongue. "Why are you back?" She had assumed he wouldn't be back any time soon after telling her to have dinner without him.

"I didn't want you to be alone," he replied, and if he caught the sting in her retort, he didn't show it.

She frowned at his answer, but didn't pay him more attention as she got ready to start washing the dishes. What did he care whether she was alone or not? She was perfectly okay being alone.

She was about to turn on the tap when he suddenly appeared beside her and reached up to touch her face. She recoiled instantly and stepped back, giving him a shocked look. She could no longer keep up with this man and whatever was going on in his head.

Jacob sighed. "Just stop with the drug trial, okay? You have a job now, you'll earn the money you need soon."

Isabelle pressed her lips into a thin line and crossed her arms across her chest. "And if I don't? It's none of your business."

As Isabelle faced him and stubbornly refused to take his advice, Jacob felt his irritation rise again. It looked like he had been wrong to assume that the time spent apart had helped her calm down. Or think twice.

But he was determined to make sure that she didn't do something that she could regret in the future.

"If you don't do what I say," he said, taking a step towards her. Her eyes widened at his advance, but she didn't step back. He was impressed at her resolve to hold her ground. But he had a feeling that wouldn' last long. "I'll have sex with you," he finished.

Her mouth fell open, and then she clasped her hand over her lips. "What?" she asked, her eyes shooting daggers at him.

"You're my wife after all," he said, taking another step closer. This time, she stepped away. "And if we have to behave like a true couple for you to listen to me, we might as well get started." Then he moved his hand to the top of his shirt and undid the top-most button.

Her eyes lowered to his shirt, and then lifted to his face. "You're...you're crazy," she choked.

"Am I?" he popped the second button, his upper chest now showing.

"Stop!" she ordered, holding a palm out. "We...that's not what we agreed." Her eyes went back to his hand on his shirt, as if her gaze alone could freeze his actions. This man was truly crazy. Who even came up with such an idea? Did he think he could swing from acting like a pretend couple to a true one whenever he felt like it? At this rate, he was going to drive her insane.

He took another step and she stepped back, only to feel her back press up against a surface. Just great, she had backed herself into the counter. And the only escape route was going past him. "After we have sex," he said, releasing his third button, "you'll listen to me and accept my help, right?"

At that point, she could see his chest hair. She swallowed hard and pressed her hands to the surface behind her. She couldn't let this go on. If he really got rid of his shirt... She wrenched her eyes from his chest and to his face. The heated look he was giving her flustered her even more than his half-exposed chest.

"I...I..." Dammit, where had her ability to talk disappeared to?

He dropped his hand and reached for her dress. "Should I help you undress?"

She slid against the counter, moving away from his hand. "No!"

"No? Come on, Isabelle. Don't be shy. Let's get this out of the way."