*****************CHAPTER 106~Kaia’s POV~I crossed my arms, leveling Blaze with a glare.“My matrimonial bed?” I repeated, arching a brow. “I don’t recall signing up for this little sleepover.”Blaze’s smirk widened as he leaned against the doorframe, looking completely unbothered, as always.“You promised Grandma.”Damn him, he heard it all. Was he plotting this with his grandma, or was he innocent? And if Blaze Black was innocent, how much of what he heard did he hear? From the start, where we spoke on Isla or just the matrimonial bed?I didn't know what to believe at this pint and just jumped on the latter since he wasn’t getting angry about his secret stash of childhood love.“Kaia? You promised grandma.”I rolled my eyes at him. I had promised. And now here he was, standing there all smug and insufferable, knowing damn well I couldn’t back out without proving his grandmother right—that I was, in fact, avoiding him.I huffed, turning back toward my desk. “Fine. But don’t expect
*****************CHAPTER 107~Kaia’s POV~I should have known it was coming. I mean, I did know, but still, seeing it happen was totally different.The second David and I decided to play along, to let Crystal and her people think we were on board, I should have expected them to strike first. But this? This was a whole new level of ruthless.It started with a text.A simple message from an unknown number."Your husband isn’t as devoted as you think. He’s already doubting you. See for yourself."I stared at the screen, heart pounding only to see an image attached. I tapped it open, and the air rushed from my lungs.It was David and me. But not just the parking lot picture from earlier that was sent to me. This was far worse.The setting was a dimly lit hotel hallway. I was standing outside a suite, David close behind me, his hand at my waist, his lips near my ear. The way the picture was taken… looked bad—really bad.The next photo was even worse.David was stepping inside the suite, an
*****************CHAPTER 108~Blaze’s POV~I sat at the bar, swirling my whiskey, watching the ice melt into the amber liquid. My jaw was tight, my mind replaying those damn photos over and over again. The way she looked at him. The way his hand was on her waist. The way it felt like my whole world had just caved in.Sam Allen slid onto the stool beside me, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips."You look like you want to punch something," he mused, signaling for a drink."Not something," I muttered. "Someone."Sam’s smirk widened. "Let me guess. A certain wife of yours?"I clenched my jaw but didn’t reply.He let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "Blaze, you’re playing a dangerous game."I scoffed, downing the rest of my drink. "What the hell are you talking about?""You’re jealous."I laughed, but it was hollow. "Jealous? Of what?"Sam just raised a brow. "You tell me."Frustration burned in my chest as I ran a hand through my hair. I didn’t want to talk about this. Didn’t want t
**************CHAPTER 1My head throbbed, each beat matching the slow, pulsing ache behind my eyes as I squinted against the morning light pouring into the hotel room. I reached for my phone, hoping to check the time, but froze at the sight of an unread message. Blinking, I rubbed my temples, half afraid of what awaited me."Congratulations on your marriage. Here's your wedding picture. Happy married life!"My heart skipped, and I bolted upright, instantly regretting the movement as nausea washed over me. With trembling fingers, I opened the attachment. There it was—a photo of me and a tall man, his face shadowed, holding a marriage certificate. I was laughing, eyes slightly glazed, looking deliriously happy, even if I could barely recognize myself."This has to be a mistake."Panic rushed through me as the events of last night trickled back—the music, the drinks, the stranger who seemed to understand my every unspoken word, the wild thrill of something forbidden, something I sho
**************CHAPTER 2I swear I did not understand him. What did he feel like? We were both doing this for our selfish gain. Why did it seem like I had just dug my grave?I shook my head, tossing the thought to the back of my mind as I drove home. My eyes flickered to the card on my dashboard before focusing on the road. I arrived at my parents' house, ready to tell them the news, when my father's cold voice made me stop. "She did what? Kaia broke the marriage?"I inhaled. I should have expected this. Shawn would make a fuss trying to use my parents to control me. Stepping into the living room, I met my parents, both dressed for the occasion. My dad had his phone pressed to his ear, clearly in a conversation with that cheat."Dad." He froze, ending the call and turning to look at me. My eyes glanced around, taking in the sight of my mother seated opposite him, watching with a worried expression on her face, "Mum, I can't marry a jerk. I know he is well to do, but he is a cheat."
**************CHAPTER 3While my mind played around my new surname, Blaze's estate came into view. It was breathtaking. Every inch of it was grand and meticulously designed. A butler led me through the vast, silent halls until I found myself in a lustrous living room, and there he was, standing with his usual stoic expression. My heart skipped, but I forced myself to act calm. He did not say anything more than a welcome after I greeted him before leading me into a private study.I sank into the leather chair across from him, feeling the pressure in the air. He slid a thick stack of papers across the desk. "This is the contract," he explained calmly. "The essentials are straightforward. For now, we'll present ourselves as a couple to our immediate families and a few close friends. No one else needs to know."I frowned, staring at the words in front of me. "Then why even bother with the marriage? Wasn't the whole point to keep people off our backs in the first place?"I know I sounde
**************CHAPTER 4~Kaia's Pov~For a second, I couldn't believe it. Termination? I opened the email and read the brief, cold message from HR. Effective immediately, my employment was terminated.Shock, confusion, and then anger hit all at once. It didn't take three guesses to know who was behind this. Shawn. His revenge for me left him, a way to punish me for not playing along. I could practically hear Shawn's smug laughter behind it, but instead of feeling defeated, I just felt… angry. So typically stupid.But I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of watching me fall. Setting the phone down, I took a deep breath. I'd wanted to leave that job anyway; all he'd done was speed up the process. My mind raced with possibilities. I knew exactly what my next move was going to be.I set my jaw and fetched my laptop from my bag, the only belongings I picked from my parents' house. Thankfully, I had spent a night there before my bachelorette to tend to some pressing work and left it the
**************CHAPTER 5~Kaia’s POV~By the following day, I had nearly forgotten about Shawn’s antics. Since we planned the wedding for Sunday, normal life began shortly after.Until now, I have not bothered to switch on my phone and have allowed myself some well-deserved rest while my brain has been replaying Shawn's betrayal. One might have found this stupid, seeing as I was straining my brain with pain and hurt but the truth was, I needed to remind myself why men were scum.I switched on my phone as an influx of messages came through but I ignored them, placing my phone on the table. I knew I owed people like my two best friends an explanation but now was not the time. I had lost a job and needed a new one ASAP. Six months may be long but it would be over quickly. I needed to secure a prosperous future for myself.I was still waiting to hear back from the companies I’d applied to when my phone buzzed with an email notification. Skimming the message, my eyes widened. It was an
*****************CHAPTER 108~Blaze’s POV~I sat at the bar, swirling my whiskey, watching the ice melt into the amber liquid. My jaw was tight, my mind replaying those damn photos over and over again. The way she looked at him. The way his hand was on her waist. The way it felt like my whole world had just caved in.Sam Allen slid onto the stool beside me, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips."You look like you want to punch something," he mused, signaling for a drink."Not something," I muttered. "Someone."Sam’s smirk widened. "Let me guess. A certain wife of yours?"I clenched my jaw but didn’t reply.He let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "Blaze, you’re playing a dangerous game."I scoffed, downing the rest of my drink. "What the hell are you talking about?""You’re jealous."I laughed, but it was hollow. "Jealous? Of what?"Sam just raised a brow. "You tell me."Frustration burned in my chest as I ran a hand through my hair. I didn’t want to talk about this. Didn’t want t
*****************CHAPTER 107~Kaia’s POV~I should have known it was coming. I mean, I did know, but still, seeing it happen was totally different.The second David and I decided to play along, to let Crystal and her people think we were on board, I should have expected them to strike first. But this? This was a whole new level of ruthless.It started with a text.A simple message from an unknown number."Your husband isn’t as devoted as you think. He’s already doubting you. See for yourself."I stared at the screen, heart pounding only to see an image attached. I tapped it open, and the air rushed from my lungs.It was David and me. But not just the parking lot picture from earlier that was sent to me. This was far worse.The setting was a dimly lit hotel hallway. I was standing outside a suite, David close behind me, his hand at my waist, his lips near my ear. The way the picture was taken… looked bad—really bad.The next photo was even worse.David was stepping inside the suite, an
*****************CHAPTER 106~Kaia’s POV~I crossed my arms, leveling Blaze with a glare.“My matrimonial bed?” I repeated, arching a brow. “I don’t recall signing up for this little sleepover.”Blaze’s smirk widened as he leaned against the doorframe, looking completely unbothered, as always.“You promised Grandma.”Damn him, he heard it all. Was he plotting this with his grandma, or was he innocent? And if Blaze Black was innocent, how much of what he heard did he hear? From the start, where we spoke on Isla or just the matrimonial bed?I didn't know what to believe at this pint and just jumped on the latter since he wasn’t getting angry about his secret stash of childhood love.“Kaia? You promised grandma.”I rolled my eyes at him. I had promised. And now here he was, standing there all smug and insufferable, knowing damn well I couldn’t back out without proving his grandmother right—that I was, in fact, avoiding him.I huffed, turning back toward my desk. “Fine. But don’t expect
*****************CHAPTER 105~David’s POV~The dim lighting of the VIP lounge cast long shadows across the polished bar, and the low hum of music vibrated through the walls. I leaned back against the plush leather booth, absently swirling the whiskey in my glass. The ice clinked softly as I exhaled, and my mind ran over the conversation I’d just had with Crystal.She had no idea I’d recorded the whole damn thing, which was good. If I were to play the good cop, I needed to be a secret agent.Pulling out my phone, I tapped the screen. The recording was still running. I smirked. With one swipe, I stopped it, saved the file, and immediately forwarded it to Kaia.David: We need to meet, Kaia. Because we need a plan, and we must go through with their plan.As soon as the message was sent, a slow satisfaction settled in my chest.I wasn’t a hero—never claimed to be. But if I wanted a real shot with Kaia, I had to prove I was more than just another guy orbiting her life. I needed to show her
*****************CHAPTER 104~David’s POV~The clock ticked closer to 3 PM, and I leaned back in my office chair, rolling my shoulders to loosen the tension that had been building all damn day. My mind was still partially stuck on the mess from yesterday—Kaia, Blaze Black, my own goddamn jealousy—but I pushed those thoughts aside as I pulled up my laptop for the video meeting.A sharp chime signaled the incoming call. I clicked to accept, and within seconds, Kelvin’s face appeared on the screen, followed by Acer’s.Acer grinned. "Look at these two bastards. Still ugly as ever."Kelvin scoffed, adjusting his glasses. "Speak for yourself. The last time we saw you, you were practically balding from stress."Acer chuckled, running a hand through his dark, slightly disheveled hair. "Yeah, well, I’m back now. And this time, I’m staying for a while."I frowned. "Wait, what?"Kelvin’s brows lifted in surprise. "You’re coming back to the city?"Acer leaned back in his chair, smirking. "Damn
*****************CHAPTER 103~David’s POV~“So tempting,” I muttered, glancing at the window where morning sunlight streamed through the glass, casting golden streaks across the marble floor. The breathtaking city I had conquered lay before me, yet today, it brought me no satisfaction.I leaned back in my leather chair, legs propped up on my desk, my fingers absentmindedly tapping against my stomach as my mind drifted far away.Kaia Gold.I sighed, shutting my eyes for a moment. I should have stopped thinking about her. But after yesterday—after the way she had looked at me, wary yet intrigued, after the way Blaze had claimed her so damn possessively—I couldn’t get her out of my head.And yet when Crystal proposed me a deal… I had not jumped at the offer.I had never been the type to chase a woman who belonged to someone else. But the opportunity presented to me was tempting.A way to break them apart and still get what I wanted. Just a little scandal nd nothing more but I knew Kaia.
*****************CHAPTER 102~Shyne’s POV ~I tapped my nails against the wine glass, watching as Crystal leaned in with a wicked glint in her eyes. After our last intervention, I expected to have heard the news from Blaze’s parents concerning my marriage to him and his divorce from Zara but no, they did not say anything which could only mean, Sherry’s plan and mine failed.“What if,” she whispered, “we make Blaze think Kaia is actually cheating?”I smirked, swirling my drink. “Go on.” I was always a sucker for good plans, especially one that put my enemies beneath me.Crystal’s lips curled in amusement. “Blaze is already jealous. He’s already questioning everything. All we need to do is push him over the edge.”I tilted my head, intrigued. “And how do you suggest we do that?”Crystal leaned closer. “We stage it. A moment—one he can’t ignore. One that makes him doubt everything.”I exhaled, considering. “And who’s the lucky guy?”She grinned. “David Mercer.”I let out a small laugh.
*****************CHAPTER 101~Kaia’s POV~Blaze’s grip on my waist was firm—possessive. His body radiated heat, but more than that, it radiated danger.David stood in front of us, hands in his pockets, looking entirely too amused. He knew exactly what he was doing, and he enjoyed watching Blaze’s reaction.I needed to defuse this situation—fast.I forced my sweetest smile and leaned into Blaze’s side like a loving wife would. "Oh, darling, I didn’t want to bother you at work," I said, my voice dripping with affection. "But I’m so glad you’re here now."Blaze’s jaw ticked, but his lips curved into a slow, dark smirk. "Hmm. You should’ve known better than to leave without me, wifey. I take care of you, don’t I?"Oh, he was playing along."Of course you do, sweetheart," I purred, deliberately placing my hand on his chest. "Now, shall we go? I still have a few things I want to try on, and I’d love your… input."Blaze’s smirk widened, but his grip on my waist tightened. He didn’t even spar
*****************CHAPTER 100~Blaze’s POV~I knew this breakfast was a setup the moment Grandma called for us to eat together.She had that look—that knowing, mischievous sparkle in her eyes, the one she got when she thought she was pulling some strings from the shadows.Kaia sat across from me, her posture stiff, her focus entirely on her plate as she cut through her toast with unnecessary precision. She had barely looked at me since she sat down.Not that I blamed her.Last night—after the argument and the kiss—we were both trying to figure out what the hell was happening between us.But Grandma? She had other plans.“So,” she said, delicately sipping her tea before setting it down with an elegant clink. “I assume, by now, Kaia’s cycle has ended?”Kaia choked on her food. I coughed into my fist, fighting back a groan. “Grandma.”Kaia reached for her water, her face turning a light shade of pink as she swallowed hard. “Excuse me?” she sputtered.Grandma smiled, completely unfazed. “W