Sentenced to Marriage

Chapter 64

Becoming Mrs. Lan We walked upstairs and stopped at my bedroom door. Aren held my hand in his, his thumbs rubbing my palm teasingly. “Good night, Cora,” he said, reluctantly.

His hand was slipping away as he turned toward his door. Somehow, I felt a wave of anxiety.

“Wait,” I muttered. “Don’t go…” My fingers curled on his tips, unwilling to let him leave. “Beautiful, we shouldn’t.” He smiled and kissed my forehead.

“I don’t want to be alone. Just… stay with me.” I stared at him with pleading eyes, watching his resistance melt away. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

He didn’t say a word as I led him inside. We lay in my bed in an embrace, caressing each other and leaving trails of soft kisses until we fell asleep. I woke up nuzzling his chest while he lay on his side with one hand on my neck and the other wrapped around my waist. I tried not to wake him up, but I failed as I tried to straighten up a bit. “Good morning, sunshine,” he mumbled with his sexy, sleepy voice. “Good morning, handsome.” I climbed a bit to kiss the tip of his nose.

“We’ve got work to do today,” he said. I sighed, my lips twisting in a wry grimace. “What kind of work?” “I contacted a famous jewelry artist. We have to pick a design for your fifty-million-dollar necklace,” he smirked.

I gasped. I was hesitant about wearing something like that before, but it was all different now. I wanted to wear that necklace with pride, proving to those bastards out there that I wasn’t afraid.

I lifted my head, supporting it on my bent elbow, and grinned. “When are we going?” He chuckled. “Right after breakfast.” I took a shower, careful not to soak the wound on my head, and then tied my hair in a bun. It was frustrating that I couldn’t wear my hair the way I wanted for now, but I kept telling myself that it was only temporary. It was a small price to pay for surviving and escaping from the vicious trap I had been locked in. I picked an elegant Giorgio Armani cream, knee-length, fitted dress with a shallow

neckline. I decided that I should look presentable, standing beside my incredible husband and talking about the millions-worth necklace. “You look amazing, wife.” Aren grinned, his eyes taking me in as I walked downstairs, carrying his mother’s jewelry box with Tian Kong inside the secret pocket. His compliments meant a lot to me. After all, I was completely inexperienced in choosing high -end fashion clothing. Luckily, my intuition hadn’t failed me yet. With a jacket hung on my shoulders, I started to feel like a light version of Audrey Hepburn, and I had to admit that I sincerely enjoyed the way I looked. Aren seemed to appreciate it as well since his eyes were

locked on me the entire way to the jeweler.

My husband used every precaution; there were at least two other cars following us, securing our way to the shop. As we arrived at the back door, those cars blocked the way. We got out of the car surrounded by six bodyguards who led us inside even though there were only a few steps from the door. As soon as the door opened, the entire staff of the shop greeted us as if we were royals. The shop’s manager bowed down and swiftly led us to the artists’ workshop. “Master Gerard Auclair,” he said as he introduced us to the short, grey-haired man with an elegantly curled mustache.

“How do you do, Master Auclair?” I said, greeting him with a smile.

Aren, who stood right behind me, gave a man a brief but polite nod. The artisan responded the same way to both of us and then gestured at us to follow him to his workplace.

“Can I see the diamond, Mrs. Lan?” he asked, sitting by his desk and taking an eyepiece in his hand.

I guessed that the word “diamond” must have been a keyword around there since as soon as Mr. Auclair said it, the entire workshop turned silent. I could feel everyone’s eyes were on me. Every single person in the room couldn’t wait to see the amazing gem.

“Of course.” I smiled, putting the box on his desk and opening the secret pocket.

Once I placed it on my palm for everyone to see, I heard a wave of gasps and the sounds of awe.

“May 1?” Master Auclair nervously warmed up his fingers by rubbing them against his thumb.

I handed the diamond over to his skillful hands, and I could see his eyes widen from the moment he touched it. The rest of the artisans in the room observed how he examined the

diamond with excited anticipation. I figured they had all their breath held, waiting to hear the results of their Master’s evaluation.

“Absolutely perfect!” Master Auclair exclaimed and grinned at Aren and me beamingly.

Aren chuckled, grabbing my hand before commenting on the artisan’s words. “Of course it is. This is Tian Kong, one of the most perfect gems ever found.”

“It sure is…” Master Auclair nodded before shifting his eyes to me. “What kind of a necklace would you like with this wonderful stone, Mrs. Lan?”

I glanced at Aren, my lips painting an awkward smile. Aren winked at me and gave my hand a little squeeze. “How about a shining sun?” he suggested. Master Auclair raised his eyebrows. “What exactly do you mean?”

Aren smirked and leaned toward the artisan. “Use Tian Kong as the heart of the necklace, the sun, and then use some other elements to build sunrays.”

Master Auclair grinned. “The blue sun… I like the idea!” As he grabbed a piece of paper from his desk, he hurriedly started sketching the round pendant with tiny gems surrounding the main diamond and white gold, forming little rays.

“Wow…” I breathed, imagining how beautiful it could look.

“Would you like to wear a necklace like this?” Aren asked, leaning over and placing a soft kiss on my forehead.

“I think it would be gorgeous,” I said, smiling at my husband.

Master Auclair chuckled. “It will be much more than that! I’m going to make the most stunning necklace in Manhattan for you!”

He surely sounded agitated. Aren accepted his suggestion of adding tiny natural diamonds and lighter blue diamonds to build the crown circling the sun. It looked like his mother’s gem would get an amazing and worthwhile setting.

We left the precious stone in Master Auclair’s hands and got back to the car. Aren seemed deep in thought, with only a faint smile betraying his bright mood. “I hope you don’t regret turning your mother’s heritage into a necklace,” I said timidly, leaning my head against his arm.

He put his hand on my thigh. “The diamond is yours, and I couldn’t be more glad that you are going to wear it. A perfect gem for my sunshine.”

My heart fluttered again. I couldn’t fight the warmth he kept giving me. Nonetheless, I was terrified of acknowledging that I was falling…

***

We had another important place to visit that day, and it was the FBI’s New York Office, where I was supposed to give my testimony. As we arrived at 26 Federal Plaza, Agent Collins was already waiting for us.

“Mr. and Mrs. Lan, please follow me,” he said, taking us to the interrogation room.

I must admit that it looked rather intimidating. The raw, dark-grey walls and the four seats set around the black table gave out a slightly unpleasant vibe, but the element that increased my restlessness was a wide two-way mirror, spreading through one of the walls. I looked cautiously at my surroundings, noticed several cameras installed near the ceiling, and instantly felt like a suspect.

“I apologize for bringing you here, Mrs. Lan, but it is for your safety. Besides, we need to record your testimony and this room provides the best conditions to do it,” Agent Collins explained.

I was left with him and another agent, as Aren stayed outside, although I assumed that he joined other agents that were about to listen to my testimony in the room hidden behind the mirror.

“Whenever you are ready, Mrs. Lan.” Agent Colling gestured at me and smiled. I took a deep breath and started to explain in detail what had happened from the moment of my abduction to the second I jumped down from the window of the warehouse. Agent Collins had his eyes on me the entire time while the other agent took notes, sparing me a glance only a few times during my testimony.

“So you were blindfolded and didn’t see anyone. Is that correct?” Agent Collins questioned.

“I saw only a few glimpses of the floor and the shoes… For example, the mercenaries all had heavy boots on while the main culprit had elegant, shiny, black leather shoes. When Callan Winton walked near me, I could see that he was wearing brown crocodile leather shoes,” I stated.

“Thank you, Mrs. Lan. You did a great job,” the agent said, turning off the cameras with the remote control and ending the testimony.

“That’s it?” I asked nervously, getting up from my seat.

“Yes,” he replied. “We will inform you when we-” His words were interrupted by another agent who slammed the door open. “I apologize for my intrusion, Sir,” he said agitatedly and bowed down. “We

caught him.” “You caught Callan Winton?” Collins asked. “Yes. Our team caught him, and they are taking him in as we speak.”