The room was cloaked in an eerie silence, broken only by the soft ticking of the clock. Moonlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting dancing shadows on the walls. Arthur was perched on the edge of the bed, his posture rigid, his eyes fixed on the window. I knew he hadn't slept a wink. I stirred, the soft mattress cushioning my movements. His head snapped in my direction, his eyes wide with alarm. "You're awake," he breathed, his voice hoarse with sleep deprivation. "Can't sleep?" I asked, my voice soft. He shook his head, his jaw clenched. "Can't afford to," he replied, his voice low. I reached out and placed my hand on his arm. "You need to rest, Arthur. You can't function like this." He squeezed my hand, a silent plea for understanding. "I can't let my guard down, Morgan. Not when they're out there, waiting for the right moment." I sighed. "You're not invincible, you know. You need to take care of yourself too." A flicker of irritation crossed his face. "I'm fine,
I woke up to the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. The bed was empty, a chill settling in the space where Arthur had been. A pang of worry shot through me as I swung my legs over the side of the bed and padded to the balcony.There he was, leaning against the railing, his gaze fixed on the city skyline. The morning sun cast long shadows on his face, highlighting the lines of fatigue etched into his skin."Morning," I said softly, stepping onto the balcony.He turned to face me, his eyes filled with a mix of exhaustion and determination. "Morning," he replied, his voice barely a whisper.I reached out and took his hand. "What's wrong?"He sighed, his grip tightening around mine. "There was an incident at the office," he said, his voice low.A wave of dread washed over me. "What happened?" I asked, my voice trembling."Gunmen," he said, his jaw clenched. "They stormed the building, but security managed to repel them."My heart pounded in my chest. "Is everyone okay?"He
My head throbbed like a drumbeat, and it felt like a ton of bricks was pressing down on my chest. A cacophony of shouts and screams filled my ears, but they sounded muffled, like I was underwater. I tried to open my eyes, but they felt heavy, like lead.I didn’t know how long I lay there, but the next thing I knew, strong arms were scooping me up. I could feel myself being carried, the rough concrete beneath me jarring my already pounding head. A face hovered above me, blurry and indistinct. But I could make out the shape of Arthur’s panicked expression, his eyes wide with fear. Then, darkness enveloped me once again.When I came to, I was bathed in the sterile white glow of a hospital room. The beeping of machines filled the air, a constant reminder of my predicament. My head still throbbed, but the pain was bearable now.I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through my shoulder, making me wince. I looked down and saw a bandage covering my shoulder.“Easy,” a voice said softly. I
The day started off like any other. Arthur and I had traveled to Portugal, he had a penthouse there and a office at the back. I was in the middle of my morning coffee now, scrolling through emails, when my phone buzzed with an alert. I didn’t think much of it until the second one came. Then a third. Before I knew it, my phone was blowing up with notifications.Confused, I opened one of the messages from Brielle. The subject line alone made my heart stop."Did you see this?!"My hands shook as I clicked on the link she sent. The page loaded, and there it was—a headline plastered across the top of one of those gossip sites that you’d swear only existed to ruin people’s lives:"Arthur Stone’s Marriage: A Business Deal?!"My breath caught in my throat. My eyes skimmed over the article, but I could barely make sense of the words. "Arranged marriage," "contract," "scandal"—these words jumped out at me, each one hitting harder than the last. My stomach twisted in knots as I read the speculat
I was sitting by the window, watching the rain drizzle down the glass, lost in my thoughts. Arthur was still at the penthouse’s office, caught up in yet another meeting with his team, and I was alone with too much time on my hands. The past few days had been a whirlwind—what with the media circus and all—but things had finally started to calm down. Or at least, that’s what I kept telling myself.I sighed, leaning back in the chair, and let my eyes wander around the room. It was so quiet, too quiet. The kind of quiet that made you start thinking about all the things you’d rather not think about. Like the way Arthur had been more distant lately, how he’d throw himself into work every chance he got, like he was trying to escape something. Or someone.I shook my head, trying to push those thoughts away. Arthur was just stressed. That’s all it was. After everything that had happened with the press, who wouldn’t be?But then there was Vladimir.Even thinking about his name made my skin craw
I was sitting by the window, watching the rain drizzle down the glass, lost in my thoughts. Arthur was still at the penthouse’s office, caught up in yet another meeting with his team, and I was alone with too much time on my hands. The past few days had been a whirlwind—what with the media circus and all—but things had finally started to calm down. Or at least, that’s what I kept telling myself.I sighed, leaning back in the chair, and let my eyes wander around the room. It was so quiet, too quiet. The kind of quiet that made you start thinking about all the things you’d rather not think about. Like the way Arthur had been more distant lately, how he’d throw himself into work every chance he got, like he was trying to escape something. Or someone.I shook my head, trying to push those thoughts away. Arthur was just stressed. That’s all it was. After everything that had happened with the press, who wouldn’t be?But then there was Vladimir.Even thinking about his name made my skin craw
The night was dark and quiet, a stillness that usually brought me comfort. But tonight, that stillness felt different—heavier, almost suffocating. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong, something lurking just beyond the shadows. Arthur had been on edge all day, more so than usual. Even though he tried to hide it, I could see the worry in his eyes, the way his jaw clenched whenever his phone buzzed. He hadn’t told me much—only that we needed to be extra careful, that Vladimir was likely planning something. But I could tell there was more he wasn’t saying, more he was trying to protect me from. I was sitting in the living room, pretending to read a book, but my mind was racing. Arthur was in his office, probably working late again, but I couldn’t focus on anything. My eyes kept drifting to the clock on the wall, counting down the minutes, waiting for something to happen. Then, suddenly, there was a noise—a soft, almost imperceptible sound coming from outside. My hea
I always knew the media loved a good story, but I never imagined I’d be at the center of one. The last few days had been a whirlwind—rumors swirling about our marriage, reporters hounding us at every turn, and whispers that Arthur and I were just another power couple forced together by convenience, not love. I tried not to let it get to me. After all, I knew the truth, and that should have been enough. But still, the constant headlines and the harsh scrutiny wore me down. Everywhere I looked, there was some new article or news segment dissecting our relationship, making wild guesses about why we were together.I didn’t care much about what people thought of me, but I couldn’t stand the idea of them dragging Arthur’s name through the mud. He was a good man, and he didn’t deserve this. Yet, no matter how many times I tried to tell myself that the opinions of strangers didn’t matter, it still stung. Today was supposed to be a simple press conference—Arthur was announcing a new project