CONTRACTED

Chapter 16.

They stared at each other speechlessly, that staring contest no one wanted to back down from.

It lasted for a minute before Julie gave in. "I just conned the entire royal family of Madrid."

"What did you think I paid you for?"

"You think it's beautiful to lie without knowing why?"

"I paid you to get the job done. It's your contract. Why do you keep pestering me with your questions?"

"You know what? Nevermind. Just .. thank you for ruining my life." Julie turned back to the organ.

"I didn't even plan to meet you. You just bumped up one day on my schedule." Armando scoffed as he entered a room.

Julie heaved a huge sigh before getting up. "So much for getting married." She scoffed as she walked into the dressing room.

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  Diego couldn't help but notice the unusual "awkwardness" between Armando and Julie.

"Do you think they had a fight?" He whispered to Diella as they walked behind them. Julie and Armando hadn't said a word to each other since yesternight. Julie was walking with her eyes on her phone while Armando was looking straight ahead with his hands tucked in his pocket.

Diella's side eye made Diego zip his lips as they walked with the bodyguards.

"What are you doing?" Armando asked boringly without looking to Julie.

"Using a device." She replied flatly as she waved the device to his face before tucking it into the pocket of her coat.

"See, awkward tension."

"Did you have to come along?" Diella groaned with a tired stare.

Julie dipped her two hands in her coat as she turned to meet their stare before moving closer to Armando.

She wrapped her arm round his before staring to his eyes. This was the contract. To be a couple with him in front of anyone else.
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They lasted the whole day playing parts in public but... Ghosted each other during private times. Like how it should be.

Julie sat by the screen watching an old show she loved as a teenager.

Armando was busy with his devices creating a design. He had his headset on as he worked out the blue print on his tab.

After watching the program, Julie peeped at his tab.

"Must the bathroom style be that way. Put the tub close enough to the.."

"None of your business."

"Don't you think I should be paid for.."

"You talk too much."

"Fine" Julie stood up and headed for the room. She held the door knob.

"Also a full length mirror, like a wall will make sense."

"Why do you and  Elisa find it hard to properly use the door?"

"Because it has a problem I can't cope with. Why don't you use ai doors instead?" She scoffed as she walked in before shutting it.

Armando stared at the door in awe. No one had ever replied his roasting with a simple, naive and hurting reply.

Elisa was in the garden doing a youtube reel with her crew.

It was the first sunset this beautiful since she arrived and she had to take advantage of nature.

She adjusted her rings as the lighting and sound of her levaliar were corrected.

Her stylist added a bit more blush and lip gloss to her face as lex sat beside her. He adjusted his tie bar as he watched her adorably.

"We are live in 5,4,3,2.."

"Do you always skip the one? What is wrong in saying One?" Lex asked in disgust.

"Lex, we are live" Elisa whispered as she smiled to the camera.

"Hi everyone, meet my other half from the same privacy." She said nicely as she glanced at Lex who gave a half hearted smile.

"We are in madrid enjoying the sunset. But I decided to use this opportunity to play the game called five minutes of fame with an upcoming hairstylist. She is gonna style my hair and my brother's.

Please give it up for.."

Diego and Diella watched the shooting from the balcony of their lounge.

"Of all the gardens in the castle, she picks this one... I wonder why?"

Diella stared at him flatly before staring back to Elisa. She watched her silently ignoring Diego's words for few minutes.

"You don't mind your business. Always watching other people's drama." Diella sighed. Diego gave a wide smirk before continuing to watch. 

"So you don't have interest in people's drama..I always thought you were a kdrama fan."

"I prefer Japanese anime."

"Hmmmh, that's nice. I see you have been up close to the Sergio's wife and met Elisa once in a while."

"If this is about who I prefer..."

"Totally not. What is she like up close?"

"Human" she replied with a bored stare.

"Okay, then Miss julianna, what is she like?"

"Human."

"Why are you so interested in people?"she asked curiously as she walked to the glass door.

Just then Elisa's cute laugh was heard. Her one in a billion sweet laugh. "She's almost as equivalent to that french guy. It's like I have a rose pin made of my hair on my hair." She walked back to check her out before leaving Diego alone in the balcony.

"I can't say I love this hair cut. It makes me look different. Not the usual signature me." She chuckled as she stared at the camera.

"I thought the hairstylist guy was from Russia." Lex queried.

"I don't blame people who spent their whole life in business school." Elisa muttered. "French is known for fashion. It will be an error if he was russian."

"What if he was italian?"

"Then our head will be spaghetti.."

"Whatever." he cut her off before admiring his new style. "I look like a god of good hairs. I need to ask my bae how she feels about it before thinking of taking it out." He yawned as he walked out.

"And he just walked out." Elisa scoffed before the video ended.

She looked up to meet Diego's gaze. She flashed a nice smile before her maids assisted her to her feet after adjusting her dress and shoe.

Armando walked in just in time for her final shooting pics.

He glanced to the garden and then to Diego before looking down to meet Elisa's eyes.

He scanned through the scene to comprehend what was happening before lifting his eyes to Diego.

"I want you to check out some thing for me."

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