Sienna pushed open the door of the restaurant where she was supposed to meet Hunter Levisay for breakfast.
Last evening, she didn't even bother to ask Ruby about her meeting with Tom. She was simply not interested.
At the far corner of the hall, she found Hunter Levisay seated near the glass wall, busy on his laptop. Sienna wondered what he must be doing with the laptop when he never earned a dime in her previous life.
There had been rumors that he was the illegitimate son of the Levisay family, who owned several billion-dollar companies across the world.
It must not be true because in her previous life, Sienna always found Ruby whining about her poverty. She chose Hunter because she was sure Sienna had a crush on him. Also, she was sure that Hunter was a secret billionaire.
Later, she regretted her decision because she never had enough money to spend, while Sienna used to flaunt her rich lifestyle on her face.
Tom might have more wealth; however, Hunter was way ahead in good looks. Girls used to come to him like hungry moths.
Seeing Hunter as her soon-to-be husband was an odd feeling for Sienna. Just yesterday, in her previous life, he was her brother-in-law.
"Hello," When she reached near his table, his face snapped up. As always, his eyes were hidden behind those dark shades that he never took off. Sienna never knew what the actual color of his eyes was.
Before she married Tom, she always admired Hunter's handsome face, his physique, and the way he carried himself.
Right now, he was wearing black pants paired with a white shirt that was well fitted across his chest. The sleeves were rolled to his forearms casually.
He slowly closed his laptop with a soft click and leaned back, studying her through the dark lenses, "Hello, Sienna."
Sienna nodded at him and took the seat opposite him.
If this were her previous life, she would be feeling the giddiness in the pit of her stomach. But nobody in this life knew what she went through in her last four years.
It was a miracle that she got her life back, and this time, everyone needed to pay the price. This time, she wasn't planning to lean on a man.
This time, she was enough for herself.
"I've got an offer for you," Sienna rested her elbows on the table and looked directly at the man seated across her.
If Hunter was taken aback, he didn't let it show on his face. He leaned forward as the corner of his mouth curled up into a smile, "An offer? I thought it was supposed to be a marriage meet-up."
Odd. She just realized that she had never seen Hunter smiling in her previous life. The only positive thing about him was that he never bitched about Ruby when they were married.
"It is a marriage, Hunter," She chewed her lower lip and then tried to smile, "But I want it to be a contract marriage."
The smile on his face vanished. He wasn't expecting that.
"I know you might want to settle down, Hunter, and I will understand if you back off. But this is what it is…" She shrugged and took a sip of her coffee that was served by the waiter, "Just stay married to me for one or two years, show the world that you are crazy about me, and then we go our separate ways."
Hunter had deep lines on his forehead, and Sienna didn't know what she would tell her family if he wouldn't agree to this arrangement.
However, she had made up her mind. This time, she didn't want to destroy her life for a mere man. She needed financial independence so that she could take down Tom Blackwell.
As Tom's ex-wife, she knew about his secrets, his future plans, and his business goals. She wanted to use all that information for her own advantage. A marriage was just a nuisance at this stage.
"So, when do you want this marriage?" He asked her, pushing away his coffee cup, "If it's a contract marriage, you might want a lavish one with…"
Lavish one? Ha-ha.
In her previous life, Ruby's wedding was too simple, while Sienna had a grand wedding that was the talk of the social circles.
She was aware that Hunter didn't have money.
"No. I want a simple one," She sighed, "Maybe we… just go to the council office and get the marriage certificate."
He cocked up a brow, "That simple? And why a contract marriage to begin with?"
What to tell him? That my parents are forcing me to settle soon?
"Umm," she thought hard for a moment and then shrugged, "Actually," Her voice dropped to a whisper, "It's about preferences… I'm into girls …" She gave him a tight-lipped smile, "I don't like… men…"
Hunter's mouth formed a small O.
Sienna nodded and then pulled out a few hundred-dollar bills, "Here," She placed them on the table, "You might need them. Just buy yourself a good suit. Bring a bouquet for me when you pay me a visit. I'll give you more so that you can buy a gold bracelet for my mother."
Hunter didn't touch the money and stayed quiet.
Even if it was a contract marriage, Sienna didn't want anyone to think lowly of him.
"Meet me at noon at the council office," She got on her feet, "See you soon!" She stretched her hand for a handshake.
Hunter, who was sitting there like a statue, straightened and held her hand, "Sure."
His eyes followed her till she was out of the door. When his phone rang, he cursed under his breath and received the call.
"What!" He snapped at the person on the other side.
"How was your meeting, boss?" His secretary, Logan, asked him with interest, "I'm sure the lady must have thrown a fit when you offered her the contract marriage. Anyways… I'm calling to remind you about the online meeting with Brisa Corporation."
Hunter, at last, took off his shades and placed them on the table. He was still speechless, trying to process what had just happened.
"Boss?" Logan had concern in his voice when he didn't get a response.
"I didn't get a chance to offer her the contract, Logan," Hunter muttered more to himself, "She already offered me one…" His icy gaze then turned to the bills spread on the table, "She even paid me…" He trailed off.
"She did what?" When Logan's raised voice reached his ears, Hunter had to move his phone away from his ear, "Boss. She paid you! How much?"
When Hunter Levisay counted the amount, amusement flickered in his usually ice-cold eyes, "Wow!" He whispered with a chuckle, "Thousand…She paid me one thousand dollars, Logan."