--Lucian POV--
"Legally, there's not much I can do. But illegally, I can pull a few strings if you insist,"
"If I wanted things done illegally, I could very well have done them myself. And gotten away with it too," I grumbled, sitting up on the large, empty bed with my back pressed against the headboard as I spoke to Reid on the phone.
"I know that, it was just a suggestion," He mumbled from the other end.
"I don't want suggestions, I want answers. You know it doesn't make sense,"
"No, it doesn't. But he's a Moretti, and prior to marrying him, she didn't exactly come from a powerful or influential family, did she?" I groaned yet again, rubbing my temples.
"I'm aware of that. That's why this whole contract was put into place," I took a moment to look at the time which read it was half ten in the morning, but the side of the bed that was supposed to be my wife's was cold, meaning it's been empty for some time.
Now I can only wonder where she has meandered off to.
"No one exactly knows the depth of which their influence goes, but we can assume that they have connections in law. How else would Donovan Moretti have been able to get away with everything he's taken from her?"
"Right," I sighed, flabbergasted.
"To keep everything, and refuse to give anything to her as alimony is one thing, but to steal a company that was created under her name with no prior connection to himself is on a whole other level, it doesn't make sense for a man like Donovan who needs nothing from a woman who has much less than him,"
We could keep talking about how none of this is fair to Angelina for the next few years, but then nothing would get done, and I had a time limit.
"Okay, so what can I do to help?" I asked.
"It's a bit of a tricky situation to be in, seeing as he's using illegal methods to get what he wants. Worst case scenario, you might have to do the same. But for now, your best bet is to find the rats working for him. There's no way he would have bought out the whole police force," He had a point there.
"And the best way to find a rat would be to plant one of my own," I muttered under my breath as I started thinking.
But it was cut short thanks to this jerk that I tolerated.
"If we're done for now, can I ask why you're talking to me right now instead of being with your wife on your honeymoon?"
"I thought you knew it was a contract marriage?" I raised a confused brow.
"Oh no, I am well aware of that, I don't think you are though," What the hell is he on about now?
"Why do you say that?" My brow raised itself higher.
"Because I've never seen a man put so much effort into a marriage that isn't even real. I thought I was dreaming when I saw that I got a call from you, usually, it's the other way around, and furthermore, you weren't even calling for your own sake, but for the sake of a woman whom you barely know..." I scoffed.
"What about it? Contract or not, she is my wife by law now. You should know that better than anyone else," I glared at my phone screen.
"Whatever you say," He sang.
"You annoying li-"
"Well, would you look at the time? I best be going, best of luck to you and your bride, I'll talk to you later," And he hung up without another word. What a jerk.
But, as always, I moved passed it without a single added thought.
Now, talking about my bride... Where the heck is she?
Climbing out of bed, I groggily got ready for the day, getting dressed into a simple black shirt and slacks before I slid into my slippers, leaving the room as I wandered down to the first floor of the villa where the few designated workers I had for this place were getting on with their day in keeping the place clean.
"Have you seen Angelina?" I asked one of the ladies.
"Ah, yes. She's in the dining room," Thanking her with a little nod, I turned to go to the room, pausing by the door as I caught sight of the woman I'd been looking for sitting in one of the chairs, a bunch of papers sprawled out in front of her with a few plates of food placed conveniently in the empty spots of the table that wasn't covered by papers.
"What's all this? First day as husband and wife and I can't even wake up to see you by my side," I jokingly pouted, going to sit beside her as she spared me a short glance, lips curving up into an amused smile that I found myself looking forward to seeing quite a lot.
"You failed to mention that you were a clingy man, what have I gotten myself into?" She sighed, playing along with me, and my chest thrummed at that as I placed my elbow on the table, leaning my cheek on my knuckles while gazing at her.
"Angel, consider us both surprised. I've found out that I'm a clingy man today, thanks to you," She chuckled, shaking her head as she paused to take a sip of tea from her teacup. "And I can't believe you've eaten breakfast without me. This marriage is not off to a good start," I added, catching sight of the half-eaten pain au chocolat that was placed to her side.
"I apologise for that, I'm not used to sleeping in,"
"Ah, right. A workaholic," I pointed out.
"I doubt that has anything to do with this conversation. I woke up at a reasonable time, you are the one that's wasted most of your day, it's half eleven, and you're still sitting here with bed hair," I glared at that, patting my hair down at her words.
"I was born into wealth with amazingly good looks, I would have been deemed perfect if I didn't at least have stubborn bed hair, okay? God is fair." I defended as she raised her arms in surrender. "And besides, I have two weeks off from work while my secretary holds down the fort of the family business, I'm just taking advantage of it,"
"Of course you are, and I want you to know that I'm happy for you," She nodded along.
"Now, will someone please get me some breakfast, I'm starved," I got comfortable in my chair, taking the napkin that was buried under Angelina's papers before placing it on my lap.
As my wife and I were left alone, I took a few moments to look through the many papers that were messing up the dining room while waiting for my food.
"What's all this for anyways?"
"Strategies," She promptly answered.
"For..." I pushed.
"Whether I should act as a malevolent woman who is loved by society to get society to turn against the Moretti family, or whether I should become a merciless villain who doesn't care about society's opinions in an attempt to make them quiver in fear,"
"It's like a storybook," I read through one of the papers where the story is shown to have been well thought out by this said woman.
"That would be understandable. How many people have you met that have been as unlucky as me? People like Donovan and Nevaeh aren't supposed to exist, but I guess they do,"
"I didn't think this was necessary to put into the contract until now. But, Angel, you're not planning on staining your hands with blood, are you?" I cautiously asked.
Angelina was silent for a few seconds before she turned to look at me.
"I don't plan on it, no. I don't think I could even if I were ever put in that kind of situation," She sighed, sounding almost disappointed. "Sometimes I fear I'm too soft. A man like Donovan deserves to die, so why is it that I can never imagine him dying? Both him, and his mistress, who might I mention, is no longer his mistress, but rather, fiancé,"
"What?" I coughed, not having expected to hear that. Those two adulterers are already getting married, they really didn't waste any time, did they? But I can't say I'm one to talk, not when I married a woman I barely know.
"Honestly, I can't say I'm surprised. If anything, I expected it to happen sooner, maybe a week or two tops after they stole everything from me, but it's nearly been a month, and I beat him in getting remarried first," She moved to take another sip of her tea.
"How did you know? About them getting married?" I asked.
"Clyde. The head butler of the Moretti Estate, he was a close friend of mine while I was still the Duchess, one of the many people that helped me grow accustomed to the expectations of being a Duchess,"
"Does he know about..." I drifted off, wondering how to phrase it.
"No, he doesn't know about the contract, I would have told you if he did. But no one working for the Moretti's will ever find out the truth of the contract," She confidently said.
"And why's that?" I asked.
"Because while Clyde does like me, his true loyalty lies with the Moretti bloodline. If he were to find out that I plan to take that family down... Well, we wouldn't be friends anymore, to put it simply," She spoke without a thought.
And I was left to wonder exactly what is so special about that family that would blind so many people. But there are certain questions that will never be answered.
But I wasn't afraid. I had no need to be.
Not when I was a Vandenburg myself, a family that comes from a much older ancestry than the Moretti's. Because while the Moretti's may have been Duke's and Duchesses' at some point, the Vandenburg's were royalty, and everyone knows a King comes before a Duke.
"So, what's the first step of this plan?" I changed the topic.
On cue, she pulled out a gold envelope from one of the stacks of papers, sliding it over the table until it sat in front of me, and picking it up in my hands, I read over the fancy words.
"The Winter Ball held by the Garcia's?"
"The annual party that's held by the Garcia's every year at some point in December. Your mother gave this to me, she said it would be the perfect event for us to tell the world about our marriage, and by the world, I mean-"
"-The top 1% of basically every country," I finished for her.
"And that would include the new Moretti couple that will be looking to stand in the spotlight. It's the perfect stage. While those two soak in the attention of the spotlight, we'll make our entrance, and steal it for ourselves, an entertaining reunion, wouldn't you say?" She smirked.
Turning back to look at the letter, I read over the contents, feeling my heart already starting to beat in anticipation.
She really did think it all out.
This is going to be the most perfect, dramatic start to a play, and I can't wait.
"This... is going to be so fun,"
...