Chapter 10

Calliope curled her lips up slightly, a faint dimple surfacing on her cheek. "What a coincidence, Mr. Hilliard. I'm honestly not into men either. Especially... your type." "I've always been clear-headed when it comes to relationships," she added with a playful blink and an overly innocent smile. "Relax, I'm not gonna catch feelings. We're just keeping it professional, mutual benefits and all!" Conrad was speechless. Why did she sound so off? Her gaze felt... weird. He turned on his heel and headed toward the registration center, striding like someone on a mission. Calliope's ankle still wasn't fully healed. Standing too long was already making it ache again. She tried to keep up but his long legs made it impossible-she was practically dragging herself. Watching him almost disappear into the building, she had no choice but to raise her voice. "Conrad, wait up!" The man paused and looked back, visibly annoyed. "Why are you so slow?" He shot her a glance like she was some kind of human snail. Calliope opened her mouth to explain, but before she could say a word, Conrad strode back and reached her in a few steps. And then out of nowhere-he picked her up. Like, full-on bridal carry. "What?!" Calliope stared up at him, her heart suddenly pounding. His arms were steady and strong, like he was barely using any effort. Through her thin clothes, she could feel the heat of his chest and the tension of his biceps. "Oh my god!" "That's totally a princess carry! So romantic!" Gasps came from a few people nearby. Calliope's ears went completely red. Two lifetimes, and she'd never been carried like this in front of so many people. "Mr. Hilliard, seriously, put me down, I can walk," she muttered, feeling way too seen. He glanced down at her. That look he gave was straight-up judging-like he was saying, ‘You? Walk? Maybe in the next century.' "...Whatever." She gave up fighting it and just buried her face in his chest. If she couldn't see anyone, then no one could see her, right? His body tensed for a second, then he walked straight to the service counter and gently set her down in the chair. Even the lady at the counter couldn't hold back a giggle. Her gaze bounced between them with an amused twinkle. "You two are so adorable. Alright, form time!" Calliope froze. Please, someone dig her a hole to crawl into. Fortunately, the office staff worked fast. Forms, photos, vows-it all moved like a checklist. Each station took a bit of walking, and every time Calliope slowed down even slightly, those iron arms swooped in like clockwork and lifted her again. Being carried around the office by him, her mind couldn't stop looping back to how she got the ankle injury in the first place. That night two days ago, heading to a bar. Lucien was too busy checking his phone, didn't even notice the red light. A car was speeding their way, and she yanked him back just in time-only to twist her ankle in the process. His response? Just a frown and a cold, "Wow, you're clumsy." Then he had Angelina help her cross the street, not even offering a hand himself. Thinking about all that now-and looking at the man holding her like she weighed nothing-her supposedly-temporary husband didn't seem all that bad. A little grumpy, sure, and kind of rough around the edges, but... not the worst.