Substitute Wife for the Mafia King R18-Chapter 383: Irresistible Offer

By that time, I was already aware that all of the other reasons I had given him were merely excuses to shy away from telling him that I was worried about what Bradon would think and how he would react. After all, I was certain that Desmond was unaware of the developments in my relationship with Bradon. More than anything, I was still determined to keep my personal life separate from the mission I had in mind. Just like how I didn’t think that the deal I had with Desmond should play a role in my relationship with Bradon, I didn’t want my relationship with Bradon to jeopardize the plan I had.

"I just think that we should take time to consider this carefully. Right now, I still think our plan is very much on track," I replied, trying my best to carefully evade his question.

"Is the reason why you’re doing this because you’ve let someone into your heart?" Desmond took a guess before his lips curved into a knowing smile. I could tell by the way he was looking at me that he had seen through me and that there was no point in denying it because no matter what I said, Desmond wouldn’t let go of his conviction. I stared back at him in silence, and Desmond let out a scoff.

"I can always tell, Dahlia. I guess that’s because I was so used to seeing it," Desmond mumbled before looking away from me.

"Please reconsider our engagement," I pleaded with him.

"No, but instead, I’m going to make you an offer," he said as he turned his gaze back towards me. I could tell that he was even more serious than ever before and that whatever he was about to offer was going to be something hard for me to turn down.

"I don’t think I should change my mind about this," I told him preemptively.

"It doesn’t hurt to hear me out, now does it?" Desmond asked before smiling charmingly my way.

My chest clenched uncomfortably as my heart started to race. Desmond surely kept me hanging when he suddenly lapsed into silence, leaving me to wonder what exactly he was about to propose.

"I will disqualify your father from running for the election," Desmond announced with extreme confidence.

I was stunned into silence as I wondered if I had misheard him completely. If what he said was true and he intended to follow through with his proposal, then he was giving me exactly what I wanted, and much faster than I had anticipated. Our deal was for Desmond to diminish or completely remove my family’s power and influence. If my father was disqualified from running for the election, it would be a massive hit to my family’s standing. More than the fact that my father would not become the next prime minister of the country, it would be a clear symbolic sign that the new king no longer favored the Alnault family.

"Are you being serious?" I asked in a breathless whisper after I had regained my ability to speak.

"Do I look like I’m joking? Let’s announce our engagement in the morning, and I will make sure that your father is disqualified from running for prime minister before sunset the same day," Desmond promised.

I bit down hard on my lower lip when I realized that I was right to think that Desmond’s proposal would be extremely hard for me to turn down. It was like he was dangling a precious treasure that I had been searching for right in front of my face. If only I agreed to our engagement, I could reach out my hand and literally touch my goal.

"Do we have a deal, Dahlia?" Desmond asked after a moment of silence.

I didn’t know how I was supposed to tell Bradon about my engagement to Desmond, even if it was supposed to be a fabricated one for the sake of our plans. Bradon would undoubtedly fly into a fit of rage, and I had no idea how I would deal with that. However, it wasn’t like I could let this golden opportunity slip through my fingers either. Desmond must have taken my silence for agreement, or he knew that there was no way I could pass on this attractive opportunity that he had presented.

"Shall we seal our deal with a kiss?" Desmond asked teasingly as he leaned over towards me.

Although he was right in front of me, all I could think about was how I was going to handle Bradon when he found out about this, because sooner or later, everyone was bound to find out about this.

...

"Who would have thought that we could have a peaceful outing together like this? Your husband must have really gone soft on you," Diana said teasingly before letting out a little laugh.

"I’m not sure about that," I muttered darkly.

Spending time alone with my sister as we enjoyed afternoon tea together with the many cakes that Diana had always enjoyed truly brought back memories from the past. Before I had to leave the country and my sister behind, having afternoon tea and spending quality time together like this just to talk and enjoy each other’s company wasn’t at all rare. Now it felt like a blessing and a small miracle that I could spend time with Diana like this outside of Bradon’s mansion. More than anything, I supposed the fact that we both could be ourselves without putting up a front or acting based on people’s expectations made the moment even more precious.

"There’s something troubling you, isn’t there? I thought you two were getting along awesomely well with each other, so don’t tell me that you got into a fight already?" Diana asked, and I could tell that she had picked up on my feelings. It wasn’t like I was desperately trying to hide my stress and worries from her. However, Diana’s guess was off the mark because she couldn’t have guessed that the reason behind my worries was the fact that Desmond wanted us to get engaged.

–To be continued...