Married to my suspect

"Thank you so much, dear. I really enjoyed the meal." Linda said, holding Eleni's hands. Eleni smiled. "You're welcome."

She hugged Danielle and whispered something in her ears, making her slap her arm. "Don't say that. Goodnight Mom."

"Goodnight Angel." She responded and released Danielle, making me the next in line. The way we were standing was actually laughable if seen from someone else's perspective. We were in a line, like those group of people that stay at the entrance when a President or Governor arrives to welcome him. Except in our case, we were saying Goodnight.

"Goodnight ma'am." I greeted Linda and she nodded.

"Goodnight. We should meet again and talk more. I would like to know you better." She responded and I nodded. "Same here." I responded, half of me lying and the other half wishing it could be a reality. It was obvious now where my wife had gotten her character and traits. Her mother carried herself with a grace and elegance that most people associated with people with old money, but I knew she'd had nothing of that. She was also good at hiding her emotions, as compared with my adoptive parents.

She nodded and entered Danielle's old room, closing the door, and I saw Danielle's almost relaxed shoulders tense at that action.

Eleni grabbed her hand, and they headed to the living room, I followed behind them after a shake of my head to remove the cobwebs that were seemingly resident there. I'd taken another ibuprofen immediately we'd gotten home, courtesy of Danielle, and though thankfully the headache had reduced, it felt like my head was getting heavier every thirty minutes that passed.

"I like your mom." I heard Eleni say as they went down the stairs. "She reminds me of you but more…" Eleni sighed. "I don't know the word for it."

"Gentler? Kinder?" Danielle preferred, and Eleni frowned at her. "Of course not. Even if it's true, I've known you longer, so I cannot know that." I nodded, even though neither of them were paying me any attention. I'd also frowned at Danielle's suggestion.

"Friendlier?"

"Fragile?"

We both spoke at the same time. While Danielle frowned at me, Eleni looked at me as if she had forgotten I was there. "Yes. That's the one. It feels like we should protect her. Is that the same way I look to you?"

I nodded and realized that was the wrong answer when Danielle shrugged in response and Eleni was now frowning at me. She stood up, muttering about how she didn't like being fragile and how strong she really was, in Greek. I waited until she had gotten to the stairs before calling her name. She turned to me, a ready rebuke on her lips.

"Thanks for the meal. It tasted than most of the food I had in Greek." I complimented and saw Danielle bobbing her head in the affirmative beside me.

"I've only been there once, but yours tasted even more delicious than I remember the food to be." Danielle clapped. "How about you start a restaurant or teach people to cook Greek food?" She suggested to a wide-eyed Eleni.

"Really?" Eleni asked in a small voice, and Danielle nodded. "Just think about it. Rather than cooking for us here, it will be better if you can use your skills to do something better for yourself."

Eleni nodded with a pleased smile. "I'll think about it. Thank you."

"Goodnight." Danielle and I both called out at the same time, and we glanced sharply at each other. "Jinx." I said, and Danielle turned away from me.

"Goodnight." Eleni called back, her voice sounding distracted, and I watched as she reached the top of the stairs and turned towards her room.

"Can we talk?" I asked as Danielle got up and she froze. "About what?" She swallowed.

"Do I even have to say?" I said gently and she sat back down.

"Tonight? You still don't feel too well. I don't think we should talk now." She said and while I felt for her as well as for me, I needed rest, I didn't think the conversation we were about to have could wait. At the very least, the extra time given would prevent her from cooking up another lie. I was determined to get everything out in the open tonight.

"You're right. I probably need rest." I could see her face begin to light up. "But I believe rest can wait. Nothing could be more important than you explaining what happened tonight. I listened in on your conversation with your mother in the car." I watched her face and saw she hadn't been fooled by the AirPods. "But you already knew that, right? I know how honest and sincere you can be, as well as how easy it is for you to lie when the situation demands it, and I will really appreciate your honesty tonight."

Danielle took a deep breath and let it out shakily. "Alright. What do you want to know?"

I smiled gently. "Everything. Every single thing you've lied to me about. Apparently, the very first thing you told me was a lie, and I doubt you lied because you wanted to be with me for superficial reasons. I could tell how nervous you were both before and after our wedding, and the prenup you insisted I draw will bear you witness that wasn't the reason. I have no doubt you thought long and hard about it before coming to that conclusion. I would like to know that reason."

Danielle took her seat beside me and I could see her hands shaking. "I had my reasons, you will never understand."

I shook my head. "I don't have to understand, but as a victim in this, I would really love to know why. As your husband for the past seven months, I promise not to react rashly." I swore when her breath started coming faster. I got up and grabbed her hands, lifting her up and pulling her closer to me, and I could feel the shaking in her body more now.

"I know you need to find answers, but unless you open up, Danielle, I won't be able to help you." She stared at me, and I looked at her intensely. "The first time I travelled, I watched you search my room for something, and I'm sure that reason was why you proposed marriage in the first place. You came into this wanting something from me."

Danielle froze, and her eyes started blazing. "I didn't propose marriage to you. You came up with it and I agreed after thinking about it." She replied, and I shook my head, frustration beginning to fill me.

"Shall we go back to the beginning, then? I heard your phone call when you mentioned you were at risk of losing your mother. That was the reason I proposed marriage to you. I just wanted to help you." I explained.

She removed her body from mine. "If I'm going to be laying my secrets down. It's only right you do the same, don't you think? I'm sure you've heard many more ridiculous phone calls like that, and I know how serious and focused you were and still are, do you think it makes sense that you willingly offered to marry me? Just like that? A woman you barely knew, your secretary at that." She threw out, rage oozing out her very being.

I sat back down, furious as well but still in control of my emotions. "So, what do you want? For us to go on pretending we don't know we're both sneaking around each other? What help will that do? By the time twelve months is over, do you think you'll find what you started this for without my help? I don't think so." I said harshly. I knew, well enough, how much influence I had and the fact that she hadn't stopped her search since the very first month was sufficient proof for me that as close as she was to finding whatever truth she sought, she needed me to get to the final destination.