Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent) novel Chapter 85

Alicia's eyes lit up with relief—tonight, she could finally relax, no need to… work for a baby.

"Tyrone, do you like kids?" she asked, lying in bed after her shower, hoping to make conversation.

Tyrone walked out of the bathroom, his hair still damp. He glanced at Alicia, who was tucked neatly under the covers, stiff with nerves, as if hiding from him.

"Not really," he replied honestly.

"Then… why do you even want a child?" Alicia pressed, genuinely curious. "Is it just to carry on the family name and put your grandfather's mind at ease?"

Tyrone didn't answer. Silence stretched between them.

Sensing she'd hit a nerve, Alicia didn't push further. She scooted to the very edge of the mattress, leaving more than enough room for Tyrone.

"Aren't you afraid you'll fall off?" he asked, settling at the opposite edge.

Alicia, too nervous to look at him, burrowed deeper into her blanket and inched back toward the middle of the bed.

Tyrone couldn't help but chuckle. He finished up some work on his phone, then turned off the light and got into bed.

It was the first time Alicia had ever shared a bed with a man she barely knew. Her heart beat a little faster. She'd been drowsy on the plane, but now she was wide awake.

Tyrone had said he wouldn't touch her, and he kept his word. The two of them lay there, side by side, without the slightest physical contact.

When Alicia woke the next morning, the space between them was still empty.

"We'll stop by the Lynch estate later, visit Grandpa," Tyrone said, sitting up and dressing at his usual unhurried pace.

Alicia lay there watching his back, lost in thought. Was this really her husband, even if only on paper?

"But what's the family dinner?" Alicia pressed.

Wasn't her whole role to make Grandpa happy?

"You could call it an obedience test for women marrying into the Lynch family," Tyrone said coldly, clear distaste in his voice.

These so-called traditions had never brought happiness to any woman in the Lynch family. The men treated it like an inspection, judging whether the new wife would submit completely.

"All the Lynches will be there. They'll go out of their way to make things difficult for you. If you put up with it and please them, you pass. That's what the dinner is," he explained, meeting Alicia's gaze.

He didn't want her to go through that humiliation. "You don't have to attend."

"But, Mr. Lynch—if Miss Shelton skips the dinner, the family won't recognize her as your wife," the driver interjected nervously.