“Are you ready?”

Instantly Ellena was surprised to hear Lucas’ question. However, that did not necessarily make her respond. She was still trying to decide what decision to make. Because, it takes careful thought for a marriage that she thinks is very serious.

“Please give me a chance to think.” Ellena hissed.

“How can you ask for a chance, when I don’t have much time?” Lucas replied.

“But what about my mother and lover?” asked Ellena who was clearly worried about her mother, as well as her lover in the village.

“It’s not my business!” said Lucas. “I just need to pay off the debt and pay for your family’s living expenses. That’s if you’re willing to marry me. The rest, you’ll take care of yourself!” he added, accentuating his tone of voice.

“But—”

“I don’t like waiting. If you are ready, say it now!” Lucas cut in not giving Ellena a chance to protest.

Ellena began to think again, it seems that marrying Lucas is not a bad thing, moreover their marriage is only a contract. Wouldn’t she have benefited greatly from this marriage? Besides her father’s debts will be paid off soon, her family’s life will be guaranteed and she no longer has to worry about her brother’s school fees.

Ellena didn’t have much time to think. The most important thing right now is that she can escape from the compensation money which is not small for her. She would also tell Keenan when the time was right, hoping Keenan would understand her current condition.

“Well, Mr. Lucas, I am ready.”

With a feeling of hesitation and forced Ellena to accept Lucas’ offer. Think of this as a sacrifice she made for her family, because this was the only thing she could do to save the lives of her mother and brother, when she couldn’t work and earn her own money to help them.

“Okay, now you have to come with me!” Lucas replied, then hurriedly got into the car. “Why are you still standing there? Come on in!” he ordered, seeing that Ellena was still unmoved in her place.

“B-but, how about this bike?” Ellena pointed at Filia’s motorbike which was still lying in a damaged condition.

“I’ll get someone to take care of the bike. Now hurry up and get in! I don’t like waiting!” he insisted.

Swiftly, Ellena got into a black luxury car, where Lucas would take her.

Ellena had already decided to accept the offer and she should have obeyed Lucas’ orders. Perhaps this would be the beginning of the suffering she would endure for the next six months, while being Lucas’s contract wife.

The car Lucas was driving seemed to stop at a well-known boutique in the South Jakarta area. Without saying much, Lucas immediately entered the boutique.

Ellena knew what she had to do. Just follow where Lucas’ feet go.

There were several boutique employees who greeted their arrival with a friendly smile.

“Take out all the wedding dresses you have, and give her the best dress!” Lucas said matter-of-factly.

All the boutique employees seemed to have understood Lucas’ orders, then immediately did what they were supposed to do. Meanwhile, Lucas focused on his cellphone while sitting leaning on the sofa that was deliberately designed in the waiting room.

Several employees were busy looking for the best wedding dresses that were available at the boutique, while one employee seemed to help Ellena change the fittings of the wedding dresses one by one.

“How, Mr. Lucas? What do you think about this dress?” asked an employee while showing Ellena who was already wearing one of the dresses they had chosen.

Lucas who was busy with his cell phone suddenly looked up. “Change!” he ordered, then returned to his focus with the phone in his hand.

I don’t know how many dresses Ellena tried on, but none of them matched Lucas’s choice.

“Is this the only dress you have?” A question that is enough to make the employees in the boutique shrink.

Lucas’ attitude this time made Merry—the boutique manager—seem to speak up. “Actually . . . we have yet another beautiful dress designed by our boutique designer, Mr. But—”

“Quickly take it out and give it to her!” cut Lucas without giving Merry a chance to explain further about the dress.

“But, the wedding dress is an order from a customer in our boutique, and she will wear it for her wedding,” Merry explained.

“I’ll pay five times the price you give your customers.” In fact, Lucas didn’t care how much money he had to spend on the dress.

Instantly Merry and her employees looked at each other when they heard Lucas’ words which was so surprising, Ellena was no exception. Yes, of course they were very surprised by the offer of a very fantastic dress price.

Merry decided to sell the dress at the price given by Lucas, because it would really give them a very large profit.

“You don’t know who I am?” Lucas seemed to roll his eyes.

Of course they all knew who Lucas was. The owner of the largest company in Indonesia which is engaged in various fields and already has branches in several countries. His face and name that often appear in the mass media, how could they not know everything about him.

Seeing Lucas’ gaze, Merry immediately took the wedding dress in question, then showed it directly to Lucas.

“How about it, Sir? This dress is very beautiful and elegant, it looks like it will suit this lady very well,” said Merry while holding a white mermaid dress with sequin accents on her curves, making it look more beautiful and luxurious, but still elegant. .

“Help her try on the dress!” Lucas asked again.

In just a short time, Ellena and one of the employees who helped her seemed to have stood before Lucas again.

Lucas began to pay attention to the bottom of the wedding dress Ellena was wearing, then his gaze continued up until he got up as if hypnotized by Ellena’s face that looked so beautiful in that wedding dress. However, just as Lucas was about to smile happily, his expression suddenly turned sinister.

Lucas seemed to be gnashing his jaw, when he found Ellena’s face which suddenly turned into the shadow of Selena, his ex-lover. Instantly he thought back to the dress that is now attached to Ellena’s body. After he looked back, it seemed that the dress was familiar to him.

Yes, that is the dress that Selena chose. A few days ago, Selena had sent a photo of the dress to Lucas, just asking for opinions and approval about the dress she chose. Lucas was sure that it was the same dress as the photo that Selena had sent.

So far, Lucas has given Selena complete confidence in their marriage. He asked Selena to arrange everything, from wedding clothes, invitation letters including the building and other necessities he handed over to Selena. In fact, even the clothes he will wear, he asked Selena to choose. Apart from being busy at the office, he also wants everything about his wedding to be according to Selena’s dream. He won’t argue with anything that Selena wants.

“Take off the dress!”