CHAPTER 34: GOING OUT (II)

Aiden POV

Yes, this union is definitely not working for me. Alexia was supposed to frustrate my stepmom and siblings, not me. How the hell am I supposed to handle this? First off, who the hell sleeps until 10 and still has the audacity to want more sleep? It’s not like she was up all night doing anything important.

And let’s not even get started on her... fashion choices. She wears an old, wrinkled SpongeBob pajama set that looks like it’s been through multiple apocalypses. Honestly, I thought buying her the dress would be a step in the right direction. Well, technically, my assistant Tobias bought it, but it was under my orders, so the credit still counts.

When she came downstairs in the dress, I’ll admit it—I was surprised. She looked... wow. Beautiful, even. I didn’t think she could clean up that well, but apparently, she can. For a brief moment, I thought I’d done something right.

Then I saw the shoes.

You’ve got to be kidding me. Those things looked like relics from the previous century, and you could tell they’d been washed so many times they’d lost whatever original color they might have had—if they ever had one.

Great. So much for the dress. One step forward, two steps back.

This isn’t going to work. Nope, not at all.

And then, as if the shoes weren’t enough, she had the audacity to go barefoot after I pointed out how terrible they looked. Barefoot. She looked me dead in the eye, as if daring me to challenge her, and said, "You said I couldn’t wear the shoes. So, here’s your choice—barefoot or the shoes."

The nerve of this woman!

I pinched the bridge of my nose, counting to ten in my head to stop myself from snapping. It wasn’t even noon, and she was already testing every ounce of patience I had left. I should be at work right now, managing important deals and meetings, not trying to convince a grown woman to wear something appropriate on her feet.

"Fine," I finally muttered, my voice tight. "We’ll buy you shoes on the way. Just... stay out of my sight until we leave."

She smirked at me, grabbed her plate of pancakes, and went back to eating like nothing had happened. She even hummed to herself like she was enjoying the chaos she created.

This isn’t just a headache. She’s a full-blown migraine in human form.

And to think, in two days, I’ll be married to her. Fantastic.

The worst part? My own plan is backfiring. She was supposed to be a placeholder—a pawn to secure my inheritance and frustrate my family. Instead, she’s making me question my sanity. At this rate, I’ll need to start looking for loopholes in the marriage contract before I end up losing more than just my patience.

Marriage to Alexia... a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. And I’m the idiot who lit the fuse.

I had almost forgotten about the engagement ring. Damn it. If I didn’t give it to her now, it’d probably slip my mind altogether until the last minute, and that wasn’t something I wanted to deal with later. Heading back to my room, I grabbed the velvet box containing the ring and made my way back downstairs.

Alexia was ready—well, almost. She was still barefoot, of course. The sandals the butler had picked up from the home supplies store would have to do. They were medium-sized because, naturally, there were no smaller options available. Good enough, I thought, as I carried them and the ring back to the living area.

When I handed her the sandals, she smirked, sliding her feet into them. They were a bit too big, but at least she didn’t complain. A small victory.

Then came the ring.

"Here, wear this too," I said, handing her the box.

She looked puzzled at first, then gasped when she opened it. Her reaction was... unexpected. I had picked out the most expensive and elegant ring in the store, but I hadn’t expected her to gasp like it was the crown jewels. Then she giggled, of all things, and quickly slipped it on.

As I feared, the damn thing was too big. Of course, it was. I should’ve had Tobias do a better job with the sizing details, but here we were.

"Give it back so I can get it resized," I said with a resigned sigh.

"Nope," she replied, clutching her hand like I was about to steal it away from her. "I’ll be careful not to lose it. Promise."

I pinched the bridge of my nose again—a habit I was rapidly developing because of her. "Fine. Just don’t lose it. We’ll resize it later."

She nodded eagerly, too busy admiring the ring on her hand to listen to anything else I said.

"Let’s go," I said, exasperated.

She was still preoccupied with the damn ring, so I grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the house toward the waiting car.

This time, I didn’t take my prized luxury ride. I wasn’t about to risk a repeat of the last incident when she got drunk and puked all over it. No, thank you. I was taking a practical car today.

"First stop," I said as I helped her into the car, "the nearest shoe store."

She didn’t respond, still admiring her hand like she’d won the lottery.

God help me. This woman was going to be the death of me.

The drive to the shoe store was quiet, save for Alexia’s occasional murmurs as she admired the ring. I focused on the road, trying to shake off the irritation that seemed to cling to me whenever she was around. At least with proper shoes, she’d look somewhat presentable when we were out in public.

When we arrived at the store, I parked the car and got out, only to notice she was still sitting inside, distracted by her own hand.

"Are you coming, or do I need to carry you?" I snapped.

Her eyes shot up to meet mine, and with a sheepish smile, she unbuckled and stepped out. Together, we entered the store.

The moment we walked in, the staff sprang to attention, their eyes flicking between Alexia’s ill-fitting sandals and the expensive dress. I waved off their curious looks and gestured for someone to assist her.

As Alexia tried on a few pairs, I stepped away to take a call. Tobias was updating me on the company matters I’d left in his hands. My focus was split between the conversation and watching Alexia as she twirled in a new pair of shoes, clearly pleased with herself.