Surprise Marriage to a Billionaire
Chapter 59: Friend Zone

Chapter 59: Friend Zone

Rain sat on the floor of her cozy apartment, surrounded by Sanya and Clifford. The three of them had gathered for an impromptu drinking session, with cans of beer and wine bottles scattered around. Sanya had brought out some snacks, but the conversation was light.

Rain took a sip of her beer after sharing the current situation with her Aunt Melanie. "I need to get Aunt Melanie out of my father’s control. She’s not safe there."

Sanya sighed deeply, nibbling on a cracker. "But you can’t just waltz in and take her," she pointed out.

Rain knew Sanya was right. The legal route was tough, but it wasn’t impossible. She needed to prove that her father was unfit to be Aunt Melanie’s guardian, which meant gathering evidence of his mistreatment and neglect. Rain had some evidence, but the real challenge lay elsewhere.

"Aunt Melanie... she’s too scared to testify against him," Rain said, frustration evident in her voice. "I can’t start anything without her cooperation."

Clifford, who had been listening intently, leaned forward. "We need to find a way to help her feel safe enough to speak up. Maybe we can get her out of the house temporarily, just long enough to give her the space to think clearly."

Sanya nodded in agreement. "If we could get her away from him, even for a little while, she might realize that she doesn’t have to live under his thumb."

Rain took a deep breath. She knew this would require careful planning, and she had to weigh the pros and cons. "I’ll discuss it with Brandon as soon as I wrap up my part in his current operation tomorrow," she said, her voice steady despite the uncertainty.

Clifford frowned, his concern bubbling over. "Why do you keep taking on these dangerous cases?" he exclaimed, unable to hide his frustration.

Sanya rolled her eyes and shot him a pointed look. "Clifford, stop nagging. We both know Rain isn’t going to stop helping Brandon, no matter what you say. Besides, you were the same way before," she said, her tone bold and unyielding.

Rain gulped, sensing the tension rising between her friends. She shrugged, not wanting to get caught in the middle of another one of their spats. "I’ll rest now," she said quickly, getting up from the floor. "I need to report early for my new job tomorrow. Goodnight, you two."

Without waiting for a response, she retreated to her bedroom. She cleaned up and prepared herself for bed, but sleep was elusive. There were too many thoughts swirling in her head.

She grabbed her mobile phone and tried dialing her aunt Melanie again, but still no response. Her father had been adamant about not allowing her to communicate with her aunt unless she brought her husband to him.

Rain sighed heavily. "It’s not like I can just drag Alexander around whenever I want," she muttered. Their contract was clear: they had to keep their marriage a secret from others and not interfere in each other’s personal affairs.

"If I ask him for another favor, like showing up as my husband... he might bargain again and shorten the time frame of our contract," Rain continued mumbling to herself.

Her heart pounded at the thought of living with Alexander. She knew she shouldn’t read too much into it; their marriage was purely a business arrangement. "He’s just being petty, demanding I do wifely duties," she muttered, her face scrunching up in frustration.

Her thoughts then drifted to Carla Cartier. Rain wasn’t sure why she felt the urge to type the name into her phone and search for the woman. She gasped when she saw that Carla was an international celebrity. "Not bad," she commented, a bitter taste lingering on her lips.

Annoyed with herself, she grabbed a pillow and buried her face in it. "I should just go to sleep," she said to herself. Tomorrow would be another busy day.

******

Meanwhile, Sanya glared at Clifford and hissed, "You do realize you’re being too obvious, right? Or is this your way of confessing your feelings to Rain—by being so nosy about her personal life?!"

Clifford cursed under his breath and took a swig of his beer. "What are you talking about?" he hissed back.

Sanya shook her head and reiterated, "You can’t fool me, Clifford. Since you entered Rain’s life, it’s clear how you feel about her. She’s obviously your first love."

"Shhh, stop spouting nonsense and keep your voice down!" Clifford hissed.

Sanya chuckled, finding his reaction both amusing and pitiful. "You’re hopeless," she said with a smirk.

Clifford glared at her, frustration evident in his eyes. "And what if I am? What does it matter to you?"

Sanya’s expression softened slightly, but her tone remained firm. "It matters because if you’re not careful, you might end up making things worse for yourself. Rain doesn’t need any more complications right now, and neither do you."

Clifford’s face hardened as he took another gulp of his beer. "I’m not trying to complicate anything. I just... I just want to be near her."

Sanya sighed. "Well, if you really care about her, you should think about how your actions might affect her. Being too nosybody in her personal life could push her away."

Clifford stared into his beer, contemplating her words. "Maybe you’re right. But it’s hard to stay away when all I want to do is be there for her."

Sanya looked at him with a mix of sympathy and exasperation. "Oh, you poor guy," she said, clicking her tongue. "I can’t believe you still can’t accept the fact that you’re in the friend zone."

"Oh, shut up Sanya. Why are you always rude to me?!" Clifford complained.

"I’m not being rude, just stating the facts so you won’t get hurt as much. Anyway, how about going on some blind dates? I can set you up with some nice women!" Sanya offered, feeling a pang of sympathy as she watched Clifford struggle with his unrequited love.

"Stop it already, Sanya. I have no energy for this nonsense," Clifford complained.

"Fine, maybe it would be best if you just confessed your feelings to Rain. That way you’ll get some closure and can move on once she rejects you," Sanya said nonchalantly.

"Seriously, Sanya?"

Sanya chuckled and ruffled Clifford’s hair affectionately. "Welcome back, you nerdy!"

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