Contract Marriage The King’s Pretend Wife

Vanessa dragged the sack of onions from the storage into the kitchen of her father's restaurant where she worked as a chef.

Finally arriving at her station, after avoiding like a hundred other co-workers along the way, she poured them onto the counter and started selecting the good from the bad, silently humming to herself.

“Vanessa!” someone called out to her, it was her sister

“where have you been, dad has been looking all over for you… he seemed worried “ her younger sister Sarah said once she was within hearing distance.

She quickly rinsed her hands and wiped them against the apron she was wearing before heading for her dad's office at the back of the restaurant.

Once at the door, she entered without knocking first and caught her father wiping frantically at his face.

“Dad?” She called out, unsure of what was happening.

He looked up and gave her a small smile, his eyes bloodshot with traces of tears around them.

“Where you crying?” She asked

“No, no, not at all” he replied clearing his throat and wiping off the remaining traces of tears from his face.

“You were crying… what's wrong?” She asked rushing to his side.

“It's nothing, just your mother in the hospital coupled with the business… Its really stressing me out vanny!” He said still with a sad smile.

She looked over the papers scattered on his table.

Final warning

Eviction notice

Due notice

Notice of payment

Payment reminder

Failure to…

Her father Mr Davis quickly gathered the papers together and threw them into one of the desk drawers when he noticed where her attention was at.

“the debtors are back aren't they?” she asked after a moment of silence

Mr Davis replied with a nod and a sigh,

Just then loud commotion could be heard outside and her father's door flew open and his secretary walked in, eyes filled with worry

“ Sir?... It's the knight, Adrian Knight!” the secretary said as soon as he entered the office.

“Get the documents and follow me” was her father's response and he stood up immediately and left, the secretary hot on his heels.

Vanessa sat still for a while wondering what the noise was about.

Was it another debtor who came to ask for his money there by destroying the properties in the restaurant, like the last debtor had done.

She stood up and slowly made her way through the kitchen and into the restaurant.

Her father and his secretary were seated at a table together with another gentleman on suit who has his back to her.

Her father looked really worried and kept scratching his head at intervals while his secretary arranged papers before the man who she couldn't see his face.

The other customers had their phones out and where taking videos of the situation unfolding for a reason unknown to her.

She drew closer to understand what was actually going on.

“So what?... You do not have my money?” she heard a cold voice say.

She got closer and noticed seven other men on suit seated on different tables surrounding them.

They all looked like body guards, straight faced like statues.

“What are you doing?” Her sister asked popping out of nowhere, dragging her back by her arm.

“What's going on?”

“Dad's in trouble!” came her reply

“Who is he?” Vanessa asked but got a shrug as a reply from her sister.

She was only close enough to see his profile but couldn't quite make out his face.

“This is all that we have sir, everything… I promise to make it up as soon as possible, just give us a chance!” her father said pointing at a piece of paper before the man, visibly shaking in his seat.

“Do I look like I run a fucking charity organization?” The man roared, the whole restaurant going into complete silence.

“Or do you want me to raze your restaurants to the grounds before you fully understand the words coming out of my mouth”

“Not at all sir… this is all I have at the moment sir and i-”

“Do I look like I care?... I want my money!” The stranger said cutting her father short.