The Contracted Ever After (Cordelia and Ronan)

Chapter 28

Ronan found Cordelia in the study on the second floor. She was engrossed in an original German

novel.

"I need to talk to you about something." Ronan tapped on the study door.

Cordelia jumped, thinking Ronan was going to bring up the events of this morning. Ronan walked

towards his bedroom, with Cordelia nervously trailing behind.

When they entered the room and shut the door, Cordelia looked around at the size and grandeur of the

room. It was so extravagant that it wasn't an exaggeration to say it was like a separate luxury villa.

As Ronan casually changed clothes, his six-pack abs were on full display, which made Cordelia feel a

chill down her spine. She quickly looked away.

Ronan smirked mischievously, "What's wrong? Can't bear to look? Or are you just playing hard to get?

We've had sex before. You've touched every part of me. Are you pretending to be shy now? Was it all

an act of pretending to fancy me?"

"I didn't pretend to like you." Cordelia responded. Ronan's words made her blush, how could she not?

"So, it was all in my head then?" Ronan retorted sarcastically. He had put on a grey shirt and was

buttoning it up, "From now on, you're moving in with me."

"What?" Cordelia was surprised. Even though she had anticipated moving in, the news still took her by

surprise when it came from Ronan.

"What? In Barney’s eyes, you and I are a couple. It's inappropriate for you to be living elsewhere. You

make me feel like I've been cheated on. I wouldn't want Barney to worry that we are separating."

Ronan said.

Cordelia understood his point. After all, the price tag of five million wasn't small. But she thought of

Logan's wish, and the five million wasn't out of her reach now.

However, she wasn't even sure if she could come up with the money.

Determined, Cordelia licked her lips, "I want more money."

Ronan paused while buttoning up his shirt, "How much are you asking for? Ten thousand a night?"

Cordelia did the math. If a regular computer cost four thousand, she would need eighty thousand for

200.

So, Cordelia gathered her courage, "Ten thousand a night is too little. Pay me one million upfront. If you

do that, I'll move in tonight."

Ronan's shirt still had the top two buttons undone. He didn't bother fixing them, leaving his chest partly

exposed. He walked over to Cordelia, sizing her up. This intern was proving to be more difficult to

handle than he'd anticipated.

"So, you've learned to haggle?" he eyed Cordelia sharply.

"A person has to adapt to the circumstances." Cordelia stood straight, "Living together every day, I'll

need to pay attention to a lot of details. It's a mental strain."

"So, if I don't raise your pay, you'll quit?" Ronan asked coldly.

"Yes. After all, he's your grandfather. Morally speaking, he's just a stranger to me." Cordelia said

righteously.

Every word she said was well-placed during their chat last Thursday,. Now, she chose this moment to

make her high-stake demand, leaving Ronan no room to negotiate.

This was the first time Cordelia had haggled with him. One million for a single time, she was indeed

ruthless.

"Aren't you afraid I might divorce you?" Ronan scrutinized Cordelia's flushed face.

"Barney likes me a lot. If you divorce me, he'll definitely be upset with you." Cordelia said, a hint of

cunning flickered in her eyes.

"So you're sure to stick with me? Or do you think I'm an easy mark?" Ronan asked. Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

"No. I just think I'm worth that much." Cordelia said casually.

Ronan took a deep breath, his face darkening as he transferred one million to Cordelia. Then he said

quietly, "Stay here tonight. Move your stuff over tomorrow. Don't let Barney see."

Cordelia finally breathed a sigh of relief. She got the 200 computers!

During dinner, Cordelia and Barney had a wonderful chat. She was Barney's little ray of sunshine.

Barney even said, "With Cordelia here, I can live longer."

"I hope you live long and stay happy!" Cordelia said with a smile.

She glanced at Ronan, who was also watching her. He was probably thinking, “If Barney lived till 200,

wouldn't he be stuck in this marriage forever?”

The next day, during her lunch break, Cordelia went back to her dorm room to pack her things. When

she saw Logan's diary, she felt troubled. In the end, she locked the diary in her suitcase. She thought,

“Even if Ronan was interested in her stuff, he didn't know her suitcase's password, so he couldn't

snoop around.”

In the afternoon, she rode back home in Ronan's car. When Barney wasn't looking, she carried her

suitcase upstairs. After unpacking her clothes, she stowed the suitcase in a hidden corner of the

balcony.