Claire knew she should be happy. She should be glad that someone could take her place as Alex's wife online, and she could live an easy life after their contract without being tied to him in any way. But the picture she was staring at, with Alex’s hand on Charlotte's waist, made her heart rate increase. Her fingers trembled as she stared at the screen, a knot forming in her stomach.“Why are you on your phone and not eating your food?” His voice broke her from her trance. She quickly looked up at him, trying to hide her unease. Claire hesitated for a moment before setting the phone down, pretending to focus on her food.“You should eat well and take your medicine,” he added.Claire nodded quietly, her gaze flickering back to the meal in front of her, though her mind was still on the photo.“I saw your company’s stock has been on the rise since yesterday after proving your innocence.” Claire quickly added in.“Yes I saw”"I guess you’ve seen this too," she continued, raising her phone
Claire had just settled down on the couch in the living room after managing to finish her food and take her medicine. She picked up her phone and began scrolling through the comments on the article that was posted. The comments were mostly about how good she and Alex looked together and why it had taken so long for them to get married. Each comment seemed to chip away at her, and it hurt her heart to know that no matter what, she’d never measure up to the ideal that everyone seemed to have. The fact that Alexander didn’t seem to mind the whole situation just made it hurt even more. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and she quickly got up, hoping it was Mrs. Hamptons coming to check on her. But when she opened the door, her expectations were dashed—it was Charles. He strode in with a smug smirk on his face, clearly enjoying the sight of her surprise.“Well, well,” he said, his voice dripping with amusement. “Looks like someone’s already seen the news.”"What are you doing here?" Claire as
Claire scoffed, unable to hide her disbelief. The audacity of his words made her shake her head, wondering how far he would go just to make sure he win against his own brother. His desperation was all too clear, and she decided there was no point in continuing this conversation."Please, kindly take your leave now," she said firmly, crossing her arms.Charles frowned, stepping forward as if to challenge her stance. “You don’t believe I have feelings for you?”She looked him straight in the eyes and declared in a steady tone. "I don’t care if it’s true or not. The fact remains that I’m your brother’s wife, and I love your brother.”“But—" he charged forward, grabbing her wrist. Claire whipped his hand off, her sudden movement causing her to stagger backward. Mrs. Hamptons, who had just entered, saw the scene unfold. She dropped everything she was holding and quickly rushed over, catching Claire before she could fall."What do you think you’re doing, Mr. Steele?!" Mrs. Hamptons yelled a
Charlotte made sure to find Claire’s mom’s number and reached out to her, inviting her out for a cup of tea. She asked her not to tell Claire about it, mentioning that she had something important to discuss.Claire’s mom got dressed and went to the location Charlotte had specified. She arrived right on time, but nearly thirty minutes passed before Charlotte finally showed up. When she did, she simply said, “Sorry,” with a casual shrug.“I“It’s fine, things like that happen,” Mrs. Smith replied, trying to ease the tension and prevent the situation from becoming awkward.Charlotte took a seat, her tone turning more serious. “I’ll go straight to the point as to why I invited you here today. It’s about your daughter.”Mrs. Smith’s eyes widened. “My daughter?”“Yes. First off, did you know she’s married?”“What do you mean, married? She’s single.”“Ah, I see. You didn’t know. Then, where has she been all this time? Has she told you she’s working overtime?”“Yes,” Mrs. Smith answered, still
Claire sighed, shaking her head as she tried to push the thoughts aside. She stared at the TV screen but wasn’t really watching. The constant buzzing of the news about Alex and Charlotte made her head spin. It was strange to feel so conflicted about something that wasn’t even real. They weren’t a real couple, yet the thought of them together bothered her more than she’d like to admit.She could feel her heart tighten as she thought about how calm Alex was about it all. Why wasn’t he reacting? Why wasn’t he defending their relationship? Or was it all just a game to him? The sound of the kitchen door opening brought her back to the present. Mrs. Hamptons entered, holding a tray of food. “I made you some soup, dear,” she said gently, setting it down in front of Claire.“Thanks,” Claire replied quietly, giving her a small smile but her mind was elsewhere. She picked up the spoon and stirred the soup but couldn’t bring herself to eat.“Something on your mind?” Mrs. Hamptons asked, notici
Claire didn’t expect him to be back from work so early, so she was shocked when she heard his voice behind them. Her mum immediately sized him up and down, and Claire could see the silent sigh of relief escape her as she noted that, at least, he wasn’t ugly. Now, she could dismiss the idea that her daughter had married solely for money.“I see you’re the rude husband who didn’t deem it fit to ask for my blessing before marrying my daughter,” her mum said firmly, crossing her arms.Claire quickly stepped forward and placed a hand on her mum’s arm, whispering, “Mum, c’mon, stop.”But her mum didn’t listen. She was determined to make sure this man wasn’t looking down on her daughter, and that was why he hadn’t bothered to ask for her blessing. She wasn’t going to let it slide so easily.Claire, knowing the kind of man she had married, could already anticipate how his reply would throw everyone off in the room. Her hands became sweaty, and her heart began to race. Her mum would probably f
Claire glanced at Alex, noticing the faint smile playing at the corner of his lips. She wanted him to play along, but not to this extent. What was she supposed to tell her mum when the ceremony didn’t actually happen? The idea of the whole world knowing about their marriage wasn’t part of the contract, and now, it seemed like she had no way out. She was worried it would count as a breach of contract, but she didn’t even know how her mum had found out about her marriage in the first place. Did it really count as a breach if she wasn’t the one who revealed it? As the conversation between Alex and her mum continued, they shared hearty laughter and stories, getting to know each other better. Claire watched, surprised by how easily they connected. She had never imagined Alex could be so open, especially with her mum, who had shown up at the house unannounced. It was like a completely different side of him, and for the first time, Claire began to question just how well she really knew her
Claire woke up quite late the next day. It was finally the day she would take off her bandage. She walked around the house in her nightgown since she couldn’t feel anyone’s presence. She went to the fridge to get a bottle of water to drink and start her day. On her way back to her room, she noticed that Alex's room door was slightly open. She had always wanted to check his room to see what it was like, so she took this as a chance to have a peek.Claire slowly stepped into Alex's room, the door barely ajar, and took a quiet breath. The room was sleek and minimalist, with dark wood floors and a few carefully selected pieces of furniture. A large bed dominated the center of the room, its sleek gray linens neatly tucked in. The walls were painted in deep shades of blue, giving the space a calming and sophisticated feel. A floor-to-ceiling window on one side allowed natural light to spill in, but the blinds were drawn, keeping the room dim.She walked across the room, her eyes scanning
It was already late when Alex returned home. He slipped off his jacket and flung it over the sofa before sinking into it with a deep sigh. His body ached with exhaustion, and he assumed Claire had already gone to bed until he heard faint sounds coming from the kitchen. A frown creased through his brows seeing It was too late for Mrs. Hamptons to still be around.Alex got up and took careful steps towards the kitchen quietly. The sight that greeted him was Claire wearing a short red nightgown that clung to her figure. Her hair was slightly tousled, and her lips glistened as she drank from a glass of water.She noticed him and smiled. "Hey, you're back."For a moment, Alex couldn't speak. He just stood there, staring, his lips parted as though he'd forgotten how to breathe.She looked so effortlessly stunning it was almost painful."Alex?" Her voice snapped him out of his daze."Uh, yeah. I just got back," he said, trying to sound casual but failing miserably."I was worried, so I staye
The news spread quickly on social media: Charlotte Briggs was not Alexander Steele’s real wife. As expected, her father’s company, which was finally getting back on track, took a huge hit. Charlotte was furious as she scrolled through post after post mocking her. People accused her of trying to take what wasn’t hers, calling her a liar for pretending to be Alexander’s wife. Some even said she deserved everything that was happening for staying quiet when the rumors started. Her anger boiled over when she read one comment: “The great Charlotte Briggs lost to a nobody. How embarrassing!”“Ugh!” she screamed, grabbing her phone and throwing it against the wall. It shattered with a loud crash. At that moment, her father stormed into the room. Charlotte jumped to her feet, quickly fixing her short dress and trying to compose herself. “Dad… I…” she began, forcing a nervous laugh, but her father’s furious glare stopped her in her tracks. He cut her off with a sharp slap across her fa
When they entered Alex’s office, Charlotte was already there with her phone clutched tightly in her hand as she tapped her heel impatiently on the polished floor.The moment Alex stepped inside, she sprang to her feet and marched toward him, shoving her phone in his face. "Have you seen this? I told you she’s not worth all the time and effort you’re wasting on her! Just divorce her already!"Alex glanced at the image on her phone, “Where did you get those pictures?” He asked in a low tone and a dismissive expression on his face.“Does it matter?” Charlotte snapped. “What matters is that she’s not faithful to you. Look at this! Another man is kissing her it’s right here, plain as day!”Claire entered the room just then. She tilted her head slightly “Judging from the urgency in your voice, Charlotte, I’m guessing you didn’t know the full story behind this.”Charlotte’s face twisted in anger. “How dare you still act all coy and sly after this?! You’ve been caught red-handed!”Claire cros
The room went silent as the weight of Alex words sank in. Loud gasps soon filled everywhere at the realization of what was happening. It was as if everyone processed their thoughts at the same time. The manager paled, taking a step back. "Sir, I—I didn’t know—" “You didn’t know?” Alex interrupted, his voice cold now. “So you thought it was okay to assault a colleague? Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?” “Sir, I—” “Save it. I don’t want to hear another word from you.” Alex turned to his secretary. “Call HR. I want this man out of this building immediately.” “Yes, sir,” the secretary replied, already pulling out her phone. Alex turned back to Claire, gently taking her hand away from her cheek to assess the damage. "Are you okay?" he asked softly. She nodded, though her eyes brimmed with tears. “I’m fine,” she whispered, her voice breaking slightly. “You won’t have to deal with him again. I’ll make sure of it,” Alex said firmly. He placed a comforting hand
The next morning, Alex checked Claire’s room and found it empty, which immediately set off alarm bells in his mind. Worried, he picked up his phone and called her. A familiar ringtone sounded from downstairs, and he rushed down to find her already dressed for work and sipping a cup of milk at the kitchen counter. "Why are you calling me?" she asked, glancing at him over her cup. "You weren’t in your room," Alex replied, still slightly out of breath. "I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to get ready for work early," she replied with a tired smile. Alex walked over to her, with concern across his face. "Are you sure you want to go to work today? You don’t have to push yourself." "Thanks for the concern, but I’m fine," Claire assured him, though the bags under her eyes told a different story. "I promise." Alex wasn’t convinced in the slightest. "Claire, after everything that happened yesterday, maybe you should take the day off. Rest. You know, process things." She shook her hea
Claire couldn’t stop replaying what happened earlier in her mind during the ride home with Alex. She sighed occasionally, which set the tension in the car and it made Alex curious about what might be going on. Alex cleared his throat noisily to ease the tension that settled between them “I see you’ve got a new intern on your team,” Alex said, attempting to break the silence. “What’s he like?” “Oh, yeah, he’s... cool, I guess,” Claire replied dryly in a short and distant tone. Alex frowned at her dry response. “Any problems with him so far? You can tell me.” He pushed even further. “No problem,” she said quickly, brushing off the question. Alex’s grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly. “You don’t talk to me about your day. Why is that? Do you feel uncomfortable with me?” Claire turned to look at him with a mix of frustration and exhaustion on her face. “It’s not that I feel uncomfortable,” she said after a pause. “It’s just that everything I say would probably soun
The rest of the week went by in a blur, with Claire and Alex continuing their routine of going to work and returning together without raising any suspicions at the office. Claire's manager didn't make her work life any easier with his constant snarky remarks, often delivered with a smirk that made her blood boil. His passive-aggressive comments about her work ethic and position in the company ate away at her patience daily, but she held her tongue. She didn't want to cause any issues for herself or Alex. The last thing she needed was for him to feel obligated to intervene on her behalf, which could only stir up more drama.It was during one of these tense workdays that the announcement of a new intern was made. Claire was in the middle of proofreading a report when her manager strolled in, barely glancing up from his clipboard."Smith," he said with an indifferent tone."You'll be supervising the new intern. His desk is being set up next to yours."Claire looked up, caught off guard.
Tess was on her way home when her phone buzzed with a call from an unknown number. She hesitated, then answered and she was surprised to hear an older woman’s voice on the other end, asking her to meet at a nearby cafe. The woman claimed she had some information about Claire that Tess "would want to know." Tess wanted to ignore but her curiosity piqued, so she agreed to meet her and made her way over.When she arrived at the cafe, she immediately spotted Mrs. Steele sitting by the window. Tess recognized her instantly, having seen her around the company for years. She walked over cautiously, and Mrs. Steele looked up, her expression cold and direct.“You’re” Mrs Steele said and flashed a smile. She gestured to the seat in front of her “Please have a seat”Tess was totally confused as to what was happening but she took her away slowly with the visible confusion on her face.“Judging from your face, you definitely wasn’t expecting to see me here”“Yes ma’am. I thought I’ve heard the voi
Claire gave a polite bow to Alex. “We’ll continue our conversation later, sir,” she murmured, before quickly stepping out of the elevator.“Why are you on this floor?” Alex asked, turning to Tess, who looked startled.“Uh, yes, I just had some files to drop off for you,” Tess stammered.“You can leave them with my secretary and get back to work,” Alex said curtly.“Yes, sir,” Tess replied, hurrying over to the secretary’s desk to drop the files before scurrying away. Claire turned to follow, but Alex’s voice stopped her in her tracks.“Miss Smith, we’re not done with our conversation.”Claire bit her lip, a hint of irritation crossing her face as she turned to meet his gaze. Alex’s expression was unreadable as he stepped into his office, leaving her no choice but to follow him closely.“What were you thinking?” Claire demanded as she closed the door behind her. “She clearly saw you holding my wrist. And we were together in an elevator only you have access to. Then you went and made it