The Contracted Ever After (Cordelia and Ronan) novel Chapter 9

Lumos Enterprises was a mile away from school. To make life easier, Cordelia shared a two-bedroom apartment near the company. Meanwhile, Adrian was living solo in their mom's house.

Saturday, 10 a.m.

Ronan picked up Cordelia from her place.

At Ronan's request, Cordelia was dressed to the nines - white t-shirt, red mini skirt, white sneakers, looking fresh and full of pep. Young people always looked good no matter how they dressed.

This time, Ronan didn't drive. He and Cordelia were sitting side by side in the back seat. When Cordelia got in the car, Ronan just glanced at her, not saying a word.

Once they hit the highway, Cordelia suddenly remembered an unresolved issue. Did their marriage of convenience include sex? She had hastily signed the agreement without asking and was totally thrown off by her financial straits.

Considering they were putting on a show for Barney and were heading to his place soon, they were bound to share a room for the night. Would he want to...you know? The thought sent Cordelia into a flurry of anxiety.

Not sure if the driver knew about her and Ronan's deal, she texted Ronan to avoid the driver overhearing. [Mr. Evans, does our agreement include that?]

Ronan leisurely picked up his phone when he heard the notification sound and checked the message.

Cordelia sat up straight. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ronan replying rather dismissively. She tightened her grip on her phone.

Soon, a "1 new message from 1 contact" appeared on her screen. She unlocked her phone to check her chat with John Doe.

[Which one?]

Cordelia's mind was about to explode. He was being so nonchalant about such an important question. Was he genuinely clueless or just playing dumb?

[That one.]