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Lunch with Clara
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
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How it all began: Billionaire's forced wife Things are not what they seem to be
Kieran “Hey, Kieran.” Simon Bailey used every chance to flash his perfect whites. “Hey, Simon.” I motioned to the chair across the table, wondering how such an outstanding lawyer could be so vain. The world did not know a man more obsessed with his outer appearance than him. He called me an hour ago, insisting we meet as soon as possible, and indeed, he was punctual. But no matter where he went, he couldn’t help himself but look for a witness to his Apollo-like body, even if that was only a mirror. However, he was the best in his field of operation. “What do you have for me?” I cut straight to the case, knowing how we both appreciated the essence of time. “Well, you were right. Things are never as they seem to be.” The waiter brought drinks I ordered a moment before Simon arrived, and he sipped on his whiskey immediately. “More precisely, that place your wife worked before? The Saunders? Yeah. I remember the owner, old sleaze; he’s been adamant we take him as a client for years
How it all began: Billionaire's forced wife Persona non grata
Sophia Two weeks passed, and nothing in my newly established routine changed. I’d get up in the morning and have breakfast with Kieran, during which we would usually stay quiet. He would drive us to work, where he would give me some silly task that would take most of my day. Lunches with Clara became a regular thing, and I enjoyed spending time with her. Even though she was almost double my age, I felt comfortable around her. She was easy to talk to, so much that I had to be careful not to say something I wasn’t supposed to. Which wasn’t the case with Kieran. Although we lived and worked together, and he expressed no more aggression towards me, nor did I ever notice any disgust or anything like that in his eyes, our relationship was never worse. I wasn’t sure what I was hoping for or what I expected, but as time passed, it was getting harder and harder for me to live like that. I did my best to adapt, I swear. Coexisting with the man I was married to worked in the beginning. But no
How it all began: Billionaire's forced wife Distractions
Sophia “Are you all right?” I heard him ask, but I couldn’t answer. Instead, I shook my head in negation. I wasn’t all right. In fact, I was as far away from being all right as possible. Everything I tried to suppress came back to me at once. Everything I faced in the last seven years, everything I pushed in some deep corner of my mind, broke through at the same time and weighted on me so intensely my knees collapsed. And if it weren’t for Kieran, who reacted promptly, I would have ended up on the ground. My heart was beating fast, and I had trouble catching breath; no matter how much I fought to get enough air in my lungs, I failed to the point where dark spots started clouding my peripheral vision. I was having a full-blown panic attack in the middle of the parking lot! I hadn’t had them for years, and they were an everyday occurrence after my parents died. And I knew what was to come. I was about to faint and create an even bigger scene and embarrass Kieran. Then, suddenly, s
How it all began: Billionaire's forced wife I want to do it again
Sophia After I was left alone in the house, with nothing but the loud silence around me, I decided to listen to Kieran’s words and do exactly what he told me to do - rest for the day. But it wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Thoughts of what happened earlier flooded my mind, causing me to drown in the unfamiliar feelings they woke in me. Kieran. The man I hated, the man who hated me back. Bully, prick, jerk... a man that forced me into marrying him, a man that was violent, a man that scared me... That same man acted like I never expected him to, not in my wildest dreams. He protected me. He was there for me. As if I couldn’t be any more confused about him, he had to add one more burden to the riddle called Kieran King. How was I supposed to solve the puzzle that he represented? I never knew I was having nightmares. Not once had I woken during the night, or I simply never remembered. But Kieran did. And he figured out a way to help me deal with it. Maybe getting me to see a shrink wou
How it all began: Billionaire's forced wife You have no right
Sophia Clara’s knock on the door broke our kiss and made Kieran pull back. If she hadn’t, we wouldn’t be able to stop for sure. I scurried out as fast as I could, but I didn’t fail to notice Clara’s satisfied smirk. Was she glad she caught us kissing? The smile she tried to hide told me she knew exactly what we were doing, and that embarrassed me to no end. I returned to my post, collected papers spread over the desk, and took them back to the storage. All along, I moved around like a hypnotized, or better yet, like a zombie. What he did to me was like an anesthetic that made my feet not touch the ground I was walking on. I was weightless and floating on air. And my heart? It threatened to explode! My mind? It was one big jumbled-up mess! On the way back, I stopped at the restroom, needing to be alone for a few moments to collect myself from the amazing pieces Kieran had broken me into. The girl staring at me from the mirror was completely unfamiliar. Yes, she looked like me. We ha
How it all began: Billionaire's forced wife The date
Sophia “I really don’t understand what we’re doing here,” I said as I took a seat on the chair that Kieran pulled out for me. “I told you. We’re celebrating.” Kieran found a place for himself across from me at the table for two. We were in one of the most exclusive restaurants in the city after Kieran wouldn’t take no for an answer. He insisted on going out so much that he got into my room and chose the dress for me. Seeing him in a mood I had never witnessed before, I decided to take a chance on him, hoping that maybe the night wouldn’t be a complete disaster. “I don’t want to play this game with you anymore when I don’t even know the rules, Kieran. I am always the one to surrender in this relationship, whatever you want to call it. I am always the one that gives everything and gets nothing in return. I don’t know how you imagined a marriage works, but this is not it. So, if you don’t meet me halfway, as you once said, we will get nowhere.” I was adamant to stand my ground until
How it all began: Billionaire's forced wife Redhead
Sophia After the disastrous dinner date with Kieran, I genuinely believed that life would get back to the routine we had already established: we would share breakfast in the morning and ride to Kieran’s company, where we’d both be busy with our own work until it was time to go home. Actually, I was hoping for it as it would give me a chance to cool down my ebullient senses. But I was wrong. After that night, Kieran was never the same again. And I couldn’t figure out whether I’d prefer the old Kieran back. Because the new one was driving me crazy even more. He seemed to take every opportunity to touch me, being that just a brush of his hand in passing by or moving an escaped strand of my hair. It made me aware of him and his every move, which only added to the feeling of pleasant uneasiness that had me on edge constantly. But he didn’t even try to kiss me again, and I had to admit to myself that I wanted him to. I craved to feel his lips against mine, and even thinking about it w
How it all began: Billionaire's forced wife Double trouble
Kieran Words: ‘Back from CA. Need to see you ASAP.’ flashed on the screen. Fuck it! Simon was really a master at picking the right time. The fact that what I had been yearning for was almost within reach brought all my pent-up expectations to a boil, and they exploded at the worst possible moment. But dealing with the consequences could wait, as a far more important matter was demanding my attention. I needed no explanation; I had a pretty good guess of what Simon was talking about. And judging by the urgency, I wouldn’t like what he had for me. ~ ~ ~ “I have to admit I was not expecting things to be this serious when I flew down to Sacramento.” Simon was the first to break the silence that enveloped his office after he served me with his findings. “I knew it would be far from what we initially gathered, but this…” A thousand different thoughts came rushing through my head, shaking the ground I was standing on. I was about to crush under the weight of the knowledge I had come to
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How it all began: Billionaire's forced wife How it all ended
This is how it all began It all began when a person I trusted betrayed me in the worst possible way, resulting in me losing my job. It all began when I got home early and stopped my sister from making the biggest mistake of her life. It all began with a slap. It all began with a hand wrapped around my neck. It all began one day in March when I met him. It all began when I met Kieran King. The man that changed my life completely. It all began with the hate I held for the man that blackmailed me into marriage. It all began with hate that slowly, without me noticing, turned into love… unconditional and undying love for the man that stormed into my life, turning it upside down. It all began with a past that caught on to me. It all began with the past that caught on to him. It all began with greed. It all began with obsession. This is how it all ended It all ended in danger. It all ended in fear. It all ended in justice. It all ended in chance. It all ended in love. It a
How it all began: Billionaire's forced wife As a matter of fact, you have
KieranTo say that the past three years of living with Sophia were not a bumpy ride would be a lie.To say that those three years were not the best years of my life would also be a lie. No, scratch that. It would be blasphemy. That was why I had no intention of uttering such atrocity.Sophia turned out to be a real angel in disguise, just as my instincts were telling me she would be from the moment we met. Though turning into a little devil was not unfamiliar to her, I came to love that naughty side of her. To say that we didn’t have the best start would be an understatement. And that was nobody’s fault but mine. At first, driven by the pure desire to prove Sophia was not what she seemed, I did the unimaginable; I hurt her both physically and mentally on more than one occasion. It was a borderline miracle that she found it in her heart to forgive my sins and never speak of them in any ill manner. Pretty soon, all my attempts to portray Sophia as the bad guy in our story flopped beca
How it all began: Billionaire's forced wife Have I ever told you how much I love you?
Sophia 4 months later To say that my life in the past couple of months was anything less than a fairytale would be a complete and notorious lie. That’s why I had no intention of uttering such blasphemy. Because it was exactly that – a life I never dared to imagine. Kieran was the most wonderful husband a woman could wish for; he was caring and gentle, loving and thoughtful, and he was all mine, unconditionally. Just as I was his. To say that I didn’t enjoy the pampering and all the attention Kieran showered me with would also be a lie. I absolutely loved it! I loved every cuddle and every kiss. I loved every breakfast in bed and every late-night snack hunt he went on for me. I loved how he knew my every thought as if he was reading my mind, and I loved how there were no more ominous storms in those beloved grey skies trapped in his eyes. To say that Kieran was a totally different man would be a lie, too. Yes, he was open with me, and I was sure he didn’t lie or hide things from
How it all began: Billionaire's forced wife Home
SophiaMuch to my dismay, I spent an entire week in the hospital, even though I felt better after a few days. I suspected Kieran had something to do with it since doctors were ready to release me to recover at home. But I didn’t mind it, as I perfectly understood why he did it. There wasn’t anything but pure worry about my well-being in his actions; he only wanted to be sure I was all right.After all the walls between us came tumbling down like they were made of sand, Kieran and I formed a connection on an entirely new level. There were no more secrets and half-truths, no more lies.My husband never left my side during the seven days I was bedridden. He hovered over my every breath and flinched at every sigh I failed to hide. Some other me, me before him, would’ve probably gone mad from all the fuss he was making, but I? I loved it! I enjoyed every second of it, and I didn’t want it to end.Was I ever scared that he would change back to the man he was when I met him? Cold and demandi
How it all began: Billionaire's forced wife Confession
SophiaWhen I woke up fairly rested, in pain and still not remembering how I ended up in the hospital, pregnant nonetheless, I demanded the answers Kieran owed me, but a more important thing came up. Doctors needed to check on the baby as soon as I was awake, and I had nothing against it. What’s more, I wanted to make sure she was OK.Yes, some inner voice whispered into my ear that it was a girl, and I believed it, while Kieran strongly protested, claiming he was sure it was a boy, though I could see a smile in his eyes that he tried to hide.Nurses rolled in the ultrasound machine, and a doctor I hadn’t seen before came in too. After a few quick questions I answered to the best of my knowledge, the nurse helped move the hospital gown up to reveal my belly. The gel they applied on my skin was unpleasantly cold, but Kieran’s hand that took hold of mine made my nervousness disappear as if it was never there, and all that was left was anticipation to see what the ultrasound would show.
How it all began: Billionaire's forced wife On the same page
Sophia“Kieran?”As I laid in bed, unable to get up properly, a thousand thoughts ran through my mind. What the hell was he thinking, standing there, watching me like a hawk? I hated that unreadable facial expression of his, the one he mastered to annoy me when I couldn’t figure out what was going on in that damn head of his.“Did you know about this?” My voice was a mere whisper, but the twitch of Kieran’s eye meant he understood me perfectly.Finally, he moved and came to sit beside me. “The doctors informed me earlier.”Then it hit me.Kieran couldn’t have kids! I could recall the day when he told me the truth to the last detail; every word spoken, every emotion they awoke. I knew how Kieran felt about his condition, how haunted he was, and how much strength it took him to talk with me about the option for us to start a family. And now this?How was this possible? How was I pregnant? Were we this blessed to have a baby conceived the natural way?Was this why Kieran was so grim and
How it all began: Billionaire's forced wife Impossible
SophiaBam! Bam! Bam!What the hell was that noise?Beep! Beep! Beep!Swoosh… tap, tap, tap.Four different sounds were distinguishable even though they were simultaneous, but I couldn’t make out the murmurs in the background, no matter how hard I focused. They stayed far away and unreachable, taunting me, frustrating me.Why was it dark?What happened to the light?I tried opening my eyes, but it seemed like the hardest task in the world; my lids were too heavy to lift.A storm of confusion raided my mind and the noises! Oh, they drove me crazy!Where was I?Another loud bang resonated around me, this time much louder; my ears were hurting from its potency, but every reaction failed me, and I started to panic. What was happening to me?The beeping sound picked up its pace, pushing my panic into overdrive. I wanted to move, to run away from it, but my legs wouldn’t listen to me.That’s when I became aware of the pain.It hurt... My arms, chest... back, feet, even my damn hair hurt!I
How it all began: Billionaire's forced wife Growing pains
KieranFree of the desperation that broke my body and mind, I ran through the hospital, aiming for the rooftop. Security stopped me from entering the elevator, so I tried the stairs, but they caught me on the second floor, delivering a message from my brother to stop acting crazy.Though Philip was right, I’d reconsider the new CT scan donation I promised to the director.Two guards led me to the waiting area, and moments later, a nurse exited a room and came straight to me.“Mister King, our best team of doctors is with your wife. They’re doing everything necessary to make sure there are no hidden threats to her health.”Barely comprehending what the brunette was saying, I headed to the room, but she stopped me, blocking my way.I pulled my hands into fists, directing the fury for the woman into them. Should I kill her right now?As if she could read my mind, she cast her eyes down to the floor, trying to hide from my murderous intentions. but still didn’t move.“Sir, I can’t let you
How it all began: Billionaire's forced wife What matters the most
Kieran“Simon,” I said as soon as I laid my eyes on Philip.“Already called him. He’s on his way.” He was on the phone. “And I have the captain on the line.”Good. With how much money I donated to the Police Department just this year, the President of the fucking country should be on the line!The only thing that kept me from succumbing to the despair that lurked around me in the shadows of my rationality was Sophia.She needed me sane now more than ever, and I couldn’t afford to fall apart.“Yes!” Philip nodded as if his interlocutor could see him. “All right, Captain. Keep me updated.” With that, he cut the call and focused solely on me.“The highway is blocked, and the pursuit has visual.”We were standing in the hospital parking lot where he rushed to meet me, assuming he didn’t want me anywhere near his wife, who had just given birth and witnessed her sister being abducted.And he was right.If I looked half of how I felt, I for sure didn’t appear as anything less than a monster.
