SIA’S POV “Sia!” I heard Nicholas' voice behind me as I stalked out of the house, fuming. I stomped my feet as I walked towards the gate, and wasn’t willing to answer him. “Sia!” He called out to me again as I passed by the gates. I was already at the car when I turned abruptly to him.“What is it!” I snapped at him. “You brought me here just so your mother could speak demeaning words to me?”"Look who we have here!" A voyce squealed excitement. Nicholas and I swung around to see a young lady in a tight fitting red dress and heavy make-up. She walked towards us, laughing. "My love!" She giggled as she closed up the distance between her and Nicholas. Love? What the hell was going on here? She threw her head backwards and cast a shielded glance at me. A sneer crept on her face as she eyed me. Then, she turned to Nicholas's, placed a hand on his chest and trailed her finger on the fabric of his chest. “Baby, I’m so happy I found you here.” She swooned. I rolled my eyes. Why wa
SIA’S POV“Pfft!” I scoffed and rolled my eyes at the answer he gave me.There was no way on earth that his answer was believable.Lily meant nothing to him? Lies! That was a pathetic lie!!“Oh, come on. Do we need to introduce lies to this newly found relationship? Elise, my best friend, told me that Lily is a crazy woman.” I said, eying him as I waited for a response from him regarding that.Suddenly, his calm expression turned into a displeased one. His brows curved downward, and he maintained a cold look.“You know what? I’m not in any way, comfortable with you keeping Elise as a friend, talk more of a best friend since she really doesn’t know how to mind her business.”“And how should that be something for me to consider? Remember, our contract marriage doesn’t include you getting to choose my friends.” I shot at him, raising my brows.Was that all he could do? Attacking my friend?I scoffed, moving inches away from him on the seat. All I asked was one simple question, and he ha
NICHOLAS' POVI paced around with my phone leaned close to my ear, listening to the now annoying dial tone.It was becoming frustrating that Greg hadn't answered his call ever since he left earlier with Sia.The fact that he hadn't answered his call only made me a little worried because his phone was definitely in the car with him.The only thing I wasn't aware of was if it was on silent mode.Well, at least, I ought to know of their current whereabouts and if she is fine, but curiosity was beginning to eat me out.If I still couldn't get through to them after calling and calling, I would have to get to the hotel to find out myself; hopefully that Sia would have checked in safely.I ended the dial tone and switched to calling Sia, but hers was worse; it was switched off.“Shit!” I cursed under my breath and resumed calling Greg one more time.“Just one last time and I'll get the hell out of here.” I said to myself in a low tone.I continued pacing around while the dial tone rang, and
SIA’S POVThe sound of my ringing phone jolted me out of my sleep, and I lazily turned to the other side of the bed and stretched out my arm to grab my phone which laid on the bedside table. “Ugh!.” I muttered. My eyes opened slowly as I stared at my phone. It was Nicholas calling.I swiped the green button to the right and placed the phone against my ear.“Hello.”“Come downstairs to the lobby. I'm waiting for you.” He informed me, and I gave a tired sigh as the call disconnected.I sat up and dragged my butt down to the edge of the bed, then rose to my feet, stretched and yawned.I pulled off my night gown and walked into the bathroom to have my bath.After having my bath, I put on something simple and just while I was staring at the mirror, a knock came on the door.“Who is it?” I inquired as I gazed at the door.The only person I was expecting was Nicholas and he was at the lobby, expecting me.“Room service, ma'am. I have something for you.” A male voice spoke from outside.My
Chapter 18NICHOLAS' POV“I'm only trying to protect us. It's in our best interests.” I defended myself, not wanting to give her the chance to believe her assumptions.Sia scoffed and folded her arms on her chest, looking straight ahead. My lawyer who sat in the front seat remained silent. He had earbuds plugged in and I wondered whether he could hear me. This was getting embarrassing!Why exactly were we arguing over this? It was irrelevant. Did she think I'd allow her the liberty of being in the bed of just any man now that she was about to be my contract wife? I has no plans of ever sharing a bed with her again, especially not after what had happened to the two of us the last time we woke up on the same bed. My thoughts ran wild for some minutes as I watched her without a word, wondering what next to do. I was slowly beginning to understand one major fact about Sia. She was too much like me.Stubborn. Hotheaded, and always wanting to be right. I hated that. She always liked t
Chapter 19SIA'S POV I froze, holding my breath as Nicholas withdrew slightly from me. From the twinkle in his eyes, one would swear that he was happy to get married to me. My heart pounded against my chest and for a split second, I was worried that Nicholas could hear how loud it was. "How much longer do we have to do this?" I muttered, loud enough for him to hear me. He looked directly at the priest who was now reading from a large book. "Until we get those rings on our fingers." Nicholas' reply was low. I tried to steady my breathing as I forced myself to stop thinking about everything that was going on around me. Time passed and soon, the exchanging of vows began. The trees in the garden swayed gently as the morning breeze caressed my face. I was almost shivering. Damn it! I had no idea whether I was cold or whether I was only nervous. “Do you, Nicholas Winthrop take Sia Stanton to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day onward, for better or for worse, for
Chapter 20SIA's POVMy mouth dropped open as the young lady left my side. My head reeled as I took in a long, sharp breath. What was she talking about? I snapped my head over my neck, scanning the crowd for Nicholas. He was now talking to a young lady, smiling as she gestured with her hands. Unease crept through me as I looked away. Another wave of nostalgia swept through me as I took small steps down the aisle. A car arrived at the garden, and the car door opened. I stopped in my tracks, stating at it.To my greatest surprise, Elise got down from a car, her lips were curved up in a wide grin as she approached me.“Mrs Winthrop.” She called out my name and gave me a tight hug. "Mrs Winthrop?" I repeated with a chuckle. She pulled away from me and ran her eyes over me. "You look ravishing!" She squealed. "I'm surprised you showed up, Elise" I said, still smiling. She leaned in close to my ear, “Nicholas actually sent me a message through one of his men last night. He wante
Chapter 20Nicholas' PovMy eyes widened with shock.Damn it! I never expected that she would ask that question. When grandfather had asked about it, I had dismissed it and forgotten about it just after that.I eyed her, my hands balling into a fist. She cocked an eyebrow, still staring at me. "Hello?""Isn't it too early for us to worry about birthing children? We got married barely an hour ago!" I groaned as I leaned on the back of the car seat. "Your grandfather needs a child from us." She repeated. I rolled my eyes, already tired of where this was headed. I shifted uncomfortably, avoiding her gaze. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."My jaw clenched at the mention of his name. "We were business rivals. He thought he was above me, always trying to one-up me."She folded her arms on her chest. "Alright. I have one more question."I sighed, "Okay?"I shifted uncomfortably, avoiding her gaze. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."Her eyes narrowed. "And what about Na
CHAPTER 49 NICHOLAS POV As I took brisk steps down the sterile, white hallway, my heart pounded in my chest. I needed air, I needed space, and most importantly, I needed to get away from this hospital. To take Sia with me, but the thought of the man waiting for me made my skin crawl. My jaw tightened.Why was Ethan here? I couldn't think of any reason why he would be looking for me in the hospital where Sia had been admitted. Or...had he been following me?That loser! I fumed underneath my breath. I shoved my hands into my pockets as I approached the lobby. Ethan stood there, lounging against the wall as if he owned the place. His hands were casually stuffed in his pockets, and there was a smug look on his face. The same face I had come to hate over the last few weeks. His eyes found mine the second I stepped out of drew close to him, and if it was even possible, his grin widened.“What the hell are you doing here?” I snapped, my voice low and hard. Just the sight of him made m
CHAPTER 49 NICHOLAS POV As I took brisk steps down the sterile, white hallway, my heart pounded in my chest. I needed air, I needed space, and most importantly, I needed to get away from this hospital. To take Sia with me, but the thought of the man waiting for me made my skin crawl. My jaw tightened.Why was Ethan here? I couldn't think of any reason why he would be looking for me in the hospital where Sia had been admitted. Or...had he been following me?That loser! I fumed underneath my breath. I shoved my hands into my pockets as I approached the lobby. Ethan stood there, lounging against the wall as if he owned the place. His hands were casually stuffed in his pockets, and there was a smug look on his face. The same face I had come to hate over the last few weeks. His eyes found mine the second I stepped out of drew close to him, and if it was even possible, his grin widened.“What the hell are you doing here?” I snapped, my voice low and hard. Just the sight of him made m
Chapter 48Nicholas POV I sat at my desk, trying to concentrate on the documents in front of me, but every word blurred. My thoughts drifted back to Sia, and the argument we’d had two days ago. I gritted my teeth. She could do whatever she wanted; it wasn’t my business, not anymore. But despite myself, I felt a pang of guilt, an unwelcome reminder that she was still my wife—contract or not.Just as I was about to bury myself back into my work, my phone rang. Gregory’s name flashed on the screen.I answered, a bit more curtly than usual. “What is it?”“Nicholas, you need to come to the hospital. Sia’s been admitted.” His voice was serious, almost grim.“What happened?” I demanded, already rising from my chair.“I think it’s best if you just come. She’s stable for now, but you should be here.”My pulse quickened. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”The drive to the hospital felt longer than usual. As I drove, my mind raced with thoughts of Sia lying alone in a sterile room, hurt and poss
CHAPTER 47SIA POVI didn't need to ask twice before knowing that Nicholas was not going to tell me who he had been speaking with on the phone. I knew that he had been talking to Lily. It was surprising, especially after she had behaved on the day of the press conference. Were they back together now?What was going on?Nicholas stared at me, his eyes narrowed. "I don't know what you're talking about."His phone stopped ringing and I shrugged. "I don't care what you do with your ex-girlfriend," I said, turning away. Then, I walked out of the room, leaving him behind.As soon as I got downstairs, one of the security of the suite approached me. There was a worried look on his face. I frowned. "Any issues?"He nodded, drawing close on me. "There's someone at the big gates, asking to be let in.""Okay?""She fits the description of the person whom boss had warned us to not let into the property, Ma'am."An alarm rang in my head. Elise! That had to be Elise my bestfriend. I rushed out
Chapter 46Nicholas POV In the split of a second, I watched how Sia went from being shocked to being disappointed to being sad. Something broke inside me. Her eyes widened, shock etched on her face. She opened her mouth, then closed it, struggling to find words."What's wrong?" she finally managed.I rolled my eyes. Did she have to ask me such a stupid question?"Last night...it was a mistake," I repeated, tearing my gaze away from hers.Her face crumpled, and she edged backward, tears rolling down her cheeks. She hastily wiped them off."What did you expect?" I asked, trying to sound detached. "That we'd suddenly become romantic partners just because we shared one night of intimacy?"Sia's voice trembled. "No, I didn't expect that. What I did expect was that you'd be nice enough to stop pretending about what you want.""I'm not pretending," I said, my voice was cold.Sia's eyes flashed. "So, what you mean is that what we shared that night meant nothing to you?""Yes," I replied, as
CHAPTER 45 - Nicholas POVAs Lily began to kiss me, I almost pushed her away. Yet, I kissed her back. The best way to take down a cunning person like Lily was to be one step ahead of her, and that was exactly what I was ready to do. I planed my next move as I tugged softly on her lips. When I slowly pulled away, breaking the kids, she was looking at me with a smile on her lips. "I guess I have all morning to do this with you, Lily" I said with a hoarse voice, smirking.Her cheeks flushed as she twirled strange of her hair with a finger, seductively biting her lower lip. "Sure. How do you suggest we spend it before we get on the sheets?"Perfect!She asked the right question. Excitement almost burst through my chest as I pointed at the glass of champagne which she had left on the table. "Let's share a drink, first." I said, still smiling. Then, I gestured to the bottle of champagne which chilled in the ice bucket. "Allow me to pour out my drink myself." She jerked her head backwar
CHAPTER 44Nicholas POV I blinked rapidly, trying to shake off the haze.Where was I? My bed. I was in my bed. But...what happened last night? Sia laid next to me on the bed, one of her hands remained crossed on my chest and she snores lightly. Her head was on my other arm, and her hair was in my face. I held my breath. This wasn't true. Or...was it? Sia and I in bed together? I shut my eyes, forcing myself to snap out of this dream.I had to be dreaming! How did I spend almost a month, proving to Sia that I hated her in private, only to end up getting intimate with her in one night.Then, it happened. All of a sudden, the memories flooded my mind like a tidal wave.Sia, naked and trembling as I went beneath her. The shower. Her screams of pleasure.My fingers, my tongue...Fuck it!Did I sleep with her? No, we didn't...we didn't have sex. Relief washed over me. I gently extricated myself from the bed, careful not to disturb Sia .My nakedness hit me like a slap. What had I been
Chapter 43SIA POV How long could it take before a human heart could explode as a result of pumping too much blood?I needed to know, because with the rate at which my heart was pounding against my chest, I was so damn sure that it could explode. Nicholas sensed my uneasiness as he got into the bathroom. He placed a kiss on my forehead before lowering me to the floor. We got into the shower and he proceeded to bathe me, as though I was a child. He was gentle with me, making me to winder whether he was the same man whose life purpose was to be cold and rude towards me. I forced myself to stop thinking about our past. My past with him. And, I focused on the sensation of his hands rubbing soap all over my body. He was naked too. His cock was erect, and pulsing. It was hard not to look at it, so I focused on his face. When he turned on the shower, he pressed my body against his in hug as we stood underneath the showerhead. Water trickled down our hair and our body. My nipples we
CHAPTER 42SIA POV I had no idea what I was doing, but I was so sure I wanted it. I wanted this. I wanted to be seen, at least, for once by the very man who triggered something in me. I wanted to know that he wasn't just putting up a facade of non-chalance for me, while trying to shownthe world that i meant something to him. That was our plan, wasn't it?But now, I was willing to be stupid enough to admit that I wanted more. I wanted to see something that I shouldn't even desire to see.To see that, deep down, a part of him was begining to crave me as much I was begining to want him. Fuck it!I wanted him to be inside me again. Afterall, wasn't that the begining of my misery with him? Making him to get inside me, huh? I didn't care anymore. Nothing else mattered, except the raw lust that burned in his eyes as he stared down at me from the foot of the bed."I'm trying my best to keep my senses intact, Sia." He said with a low growl, stepping away from the bed. I sat up immediatel