{"id":485,"date":"2026-01-21T15:34:54","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T15:34:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/?p=485"},"modified":"2026-01-21T15:34:54","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T15:34:54","slug":"paper-vows-novel-chapter-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/paper-vows-novel-chapter-9\/","title":{"rendered":"PAPER VOWS Novel Chapter 9"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
PAPER VOWS<\/div>\n
CHAPTER 9<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cJade,\u201d A voice calling me wakes me up. \u201cJade Marshal.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I open my eyes, rub them, trying to make sense of everything. I am one of those people who need a second to defrost after waking up. That\u2019s when I remember, I am in Dante\u2019s house, in his bed and in his arms. Last night I accepted his proposal and we had sex. Does this mean we are dating or he wants us to get married right away? I guess we will have to talk about it.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I feel Dante\u2019s hand on my chin. He lifts my head and says, \u201cGood morning.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cHey, you are here?\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cWhere would I be on a Saturday morning?\u201d he asks. I know to him it\u2019s not even a joke. I doubt humour exists in his world \u2013 I bet he is ever serious.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s a joke, Dante, meaning you didn\u2019t run away after having sex with me.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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He says, \u201cDo you think I would bring you to my house if I wanted to run away?\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s a joke, Dante. I just woke up, it\u2019s too early to be this serious,\u201d I sit up and quickly cover my nakedness.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cHow are you today? I hope you don\u2019t regret accepting my proposal last night. You were a little intoxicated.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I eye him. I am an adult, I know what I was doing and everything that happened, I wanted it. \u201cI don\u2019t regret anything, Dante Lyon.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cThat\u2019s my thing, Jade Marshal. I use your full name, not the other way around\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cSo if we get married, I become Jade Lyon?\u201d I ask him. That sounds really cool.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s all up to you if you want to change your second name, but I would love it if you changed your second name to Lyon.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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He sounds like a fictional character, making all this weird for me. I really hope he stays like this. The last thing I want is falling in love with all this, only to find out he is a different person. \u201cWhat now that I have accepted your proposal?\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cYou said you wanted me to court you, Jade Marshal. I guess we are still in that phase. I also need you to understand that I am a very busy man. I will not be home as much as you would want me to be, but one thing is for sure: I will sleep next to you every night.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cAs long as you communicate and don\u2019t make me wonder where you are and who you are with, I think we will be fine,\u201d I tell him.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cI can do that. What do you want for breakfast so I can tell the staff?\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I eat whatever is there. I really don\u2019t care what I eat as long as I eat something. I shrug my shoulders and say, \u201cI don\u2019t know, Dante.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cI don\u2019t know is not an answer.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cA fruit salad would be lovely,\u201d I finally say. He should take it easy on me. I am not used to all this.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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He gets out of bed, puts on his shorts and says, \u201cI\u2019m heading to the kitchen to tell them to make you a fruit salad, then we can shower. I will also tell Anne to get you something to wear.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cI will fix the bed in the meantime.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cSomeone will do that, don\u2019t worry. Before I forget, your phone was making noise, so I put it on silent. You should really put a password on that phone.\u201d With that, he leaves the room.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
My phone barely rings. I don\u2019t know what noise he is talking about. I look around the room. I didn\u2019t get to do that last night. His room is just as pretty as the other one. But I don\u2019t like that big, weird-looking portrait \u2013 never been a fan of those shapeless drawings that don\u2019t look like anything. My clothes with Dante\u2019s are still on the floor where we left them last night.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I reach for my phone. If there is anyone who calls like a madman, it\u2019s Giselle. I don\u2019t know why she would be calling me because she knows I am at Dante\u2019s. I am surprised by the calls and messages on my phone. Did something happen? Did Giselle maybe tell people that I am missing, because why do I have so many missed calls? It\u2019s like the whole of my contact list called me.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
An email from the company I used to work for catches my attention. I quickly open the email, it\u2019s from the front desk, they tried calling, and they are asking me to call as soon as I get the email. I hope it\u2019s nothing bad. I hope they don\u2019t want to accuse me of stealing something. I get comfortable on the bed and dial them.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Female: SP Fashions, how may I help you?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me: Hello, this is Jade Marshal. I received an email that you guys were trying to reach me.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Female: Yes, Miss Marshal, we did call. Mr Gomez wanted to speak to you. Can you hang on while I connect you to him?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me: Sure, no problem.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Mr Gomez is the man who fired me because I refused to sleep with him. I hope he is calling to apologise. What he did was wrong and very unfair.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Mr Gomez: Miss Marshal, hello!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I remove the phone from my ear. Am I hearing right? Gomez just called me Miss. This man mispronounces my name every chance he gets. Sometimes I am Julia, sometimes June.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me: Mrs Gomez, it\u2019s me, you wanted to talk to me.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Mr Gomez: Yes, I hope I didn\u2019t catch you at a bad time. I would like to apologise for what I did. It was wrong of me, I sincerely apologise.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me: Okay\u2026<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Mr Gomez: You have been with us for years; we shouldn\u2019t have dismissed you like that. If you still want to work with us, you are free to come in anytime. We can find a better position than the one you had.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me: I am confused right now, let me think about everything. Thank you for reaching out.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Mr Gomez: We will hear from you. Thank you, Miss Marshal.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Gomez called me Miss. My family needs to hear about this. I have so many missed calls and messages, I don\u2019t even know where to start.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u2018JADE MARSHAL ANSWER YOUR DAMN PHONE!\u2019 I text message from Giselle. What am I being yelled at for so early? I call her.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me: Why are you yelling at me? Capital letters and all.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Giselle: What the hell, Jade? I called you twenty times.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me: I was sleeping. What\u2019s up?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Giselle: Don\u2019t fucken what\u2019s up me. You are trending. You are all over social media.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me: Trending? For what? Hold on.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Giselle: Don\u2019t you dare hang up on me!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me: I said hold on, I am not hanging up.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I put the phone on speaker and go on Twitter. As if I would trend there, I leave Twitter. I realise Giselle sent me pictures on WhatsApp, ten of them. I open the pictures – every newspaper in GoldenRock wrote about Dante and me. Everyone has their own story, one that catches my attention reads: \u2018Billionaire Dante Lyon was spotted at Oday\u2019s with a woman. Rumour has it that it wasn\u2019t just a dinner. Those two were seen dancing and kissing. Is Jade Marshal our Mrs Lyon?\u2019<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
They attached a picture of Dante and me walking into Oday\u2019s. I look good, but I didn\u2019t see this coming. Is this why people are blowing up my phone? This explains why Gomez called; he was just kissing my ass – that bastard.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Giselle: Jade?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me: I am here.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Giselle: He is a billionaire?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me: I didn\u2019t know, I only know that he owns restaurants all over GoldenRock.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Giselle: Did you accept his proposal?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Me: I accepted his proposal. I didn\u2019t know he was a billionaire. I will call you back, Giselle.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
I get out of bed, pick up Dante\u2019s shirt from the floor and put it on since I slept naked. I head out and bump into Anne, who is outside the door. Was she just standing there all along?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\u201cGood morning, Miss Marshal,\u201d she greets. She is wearing the same black and white uniform from the other day.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cHey, where is Dante?\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cThis way, please,\u201d she asks me to follow her. I wonder if I will ever get used to how big this house is. She stops in front of a room and says, \u201cHe is in there.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cThanks, Anne.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
She opens the door for me, I go in, then she closes it. I can get the door for myself, geez. Dante is on the phone but says his goodbyes the moment I walk into the room.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\u201cDid I take too long?\u201d he asks. He is still wearing just his shorts.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cYou didn\u2019t think to tell me that you are a billionaire?\u201d I ask, folding my arms to my chest.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cI didn\u2019t think that mattered.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cI think you should have told me. Right now, I am trending just for being out with you. I am not used to this,\u201d I say to him.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
He walks closer and says, \u201cI understand that, but this will be your life as long as we are together. You should get used to it.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
(See you on Monday unless we get sponsors\"\ud83e\udef6\ud83c\udffb\"<\/span>)<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PAPER VOWS CHAPTER 9 \u201cJade,\u201d A voice calling me wakes me up. \u201cJade Marshal.\u201d I open my eyes, rub them, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-paper-vows-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=485"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/485\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":495,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/485\/revisions\/495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}