**Amaya's P.O.V**
I was guided downstairs by an elderly maid, it was clear that she held more authority than most maids in the house.
I was so deep in thought I hadn't realized that I was staring at her.
"If you have something to ask, please do, I feel like I'm back to my young self under your gaze" she said as I came back to reality.
I quickly averted my eyes from her, looked forward and realized that we weren't in the house anymore.
"Sorry but Kieran asked me to join him at the dining"
"Oh I'm aware, when we reach there he wasn't there and I couldn't let you wait alone whilst he takes his 2 hours bath, so I want to show you around"
"No no, why are you doing that?"
"Aren't you going to be staying?"
"No, he brought me here because of something that happened last night, I won't be staying"
"I'll still love to show you around, you know, it's the first time Kieran had brought a person home, Not even Eugene"
"Can I ask who Eugene is?"
"His PA, the second closest person in his life, even though he loves to deny it"
"Even with everything he has achieved, I guess money can't buy happiness, can it?"
My case was quite the opposite.
If my success was comparable to Kieran's, then maybe Aiden wouldn't have the guts to humiliate me each and every time, I wouldn't have been even forced into a marriage of convenience.
Rich tycoons like Kieran would never understand the power of money until they loose it.
"We have gone halfway around the house, I'm sure by the time we get back he'll have been waiting, so let's hurry up"
I nodded softly as my eyes subconsciously drifted off to the huge villa across the flower fence.
"Who lives across?"
She was silent, I guessed that my question had hit the jackpot, she didn't bother turning to know where i was talking about.
She already knew.
"I don't really know, when I came it had already been there, maybe to host business parties and accommodate business partners, I really wouldn't know"
We continued walking with me occasionally glancing back at villa.
"It'd be nice if you don't go around asking about the Villa, you said you wouldn't be staying right?, just don't go sniffing around people business"
I wanted to laugh and tell her to chill but the look on her face was grave, in the end I just muttered an hmm.
Her expression immediately vanished and her friendly demeanor was back to normal, smiling and acting as if our previous conversation never happened.
Something in my gut told me that something everyone is trying to use a smile to cover up happened here.
But either way, why would I care?
We were back at the front door in no time, and to be sincere the place was a masterpiece.
I had to find a way to take care of my sister and a way to teach that bastard I was married to for years lesson and here I was gawking at someone's accomplishments.
She left me at the entrance of the dining, as I quietly walked in hoping he would be in there so we can get this finished quickly.
I walked in to see a large dining room, it was as big as all the goddamn rooms in Dad's house combined.
Once again I got lost in thought whilst staring at the magnificent place i just walked into even forgetting a pair of sky blue eyes on me.
"Aren't you gonna sit for breakfast, or do you prefer standing to eat?"
"Mr..."
"Call me Kieran"
"Mr Deveraux, I came to refuse your offer for the last time not to dine with you"Immediately I said that my tummy made a large, embarrassimg growling sound.
He bust out laughing uncontrollably, and I felt so ashamed.
"Care to join me now?"
I didn't utter a word just sat and dug in to the enormous food left for me.
At the corner of my eye, once again I noticed him just starting at me.
"Mr Deveraux, if I'm that pretty all you have to do is say it, stop staring at me like I'm some beauty goddess"
"What if I said you are?"
What year is this so called billionaire from that he cannot even update his way of flirting.
Who the heck falls for obvious lies and flattery?
"Ha, Mr Deveraux, I'm flattered...."
The look on his face was enough to tell me he wasn't expecting me to act like a girl being courted by Mr bridgerton.
"Sorry, I thought it would have sounded funny if I replied that way"
Silence.
I picked up the last spoon of rice left in my plate and slowly minced it.
The silence between us was awkward because although I tried to focus on what I was mincing, I could still feel his unwavering gaze in me.
"If you would mind I don't feel comfortable with you staring so intently at me"
"I wanted to see how long you could eat that single spoon of rice"
"Hmmm"
"You know you can just ask for more, the remains will later be thrown out"
"Actually I'm full"
"So about my offer…."
"I already rejected it, I don't think there's anything else to discuss"
"Actually there is, if you accept you'll openly have to play the role of Mrs Deveraux and…."
"What?" I blurted out.
"This is one of the major reasons why I can't accept your proposal"
"You would only be Mrs Deveraux outdoors, indoors we are like strangers or should I say partners, nothing else"
"How can you even say this?, I just escaped the most suffocating and toxic arranged marriage I've had and you expect me to jump into another?" I ssid getting up slowly
"I'm a lot different from Aiden and this will be a marriage of convenience not love, we will live our separate lives away from each other"
"That's what Aiden once said to me and how am I supposed to know you both are different?, how am I supposed to trust you when I don't even know you?"
"Your emotions are running wild Amaya, I suggest you sit and think about this from the benefiting side, you'll get a house registered to your name and 50 million"
"Don't you dare tell me how to control my emotions, thinking about it, you don't seem to gain anything from this alliance, you just feel I'm a cheap bargain that you can purchase with money just because I'm in urgent need of it"
"I don't even buy the 'you need my skills shit, there's something else and I don't want to be involved with you and neither do I want your filthy money, you say you're different from Aiden but you both think I'm a thing that can be purchased at will, what next?, you'll threaten me with my sister?"
"Amaya….."
"We're done here, for the last time I refuse your offer, go fetch someone else"
"And Mr Deveraux, please forget about last night, I'll never wish to see you again"
With that I picked up my bag and left, I needed his money but I didn't have to sell myself twice, at least not to typhoons that think all women can be bought.