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Chapter 22
Last Updated:
2025-02-27 18:24:15
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Rival's Contract Marriage Chapter 23
Cameron POVThe bell above the door jingled when we stepped into the suit shop, the scent of polished wood and expensive cologne hitting me like a punch to the gut. I barely had time to breathe before I saw her.My stepmother. And Drake.What the hell are they doing here?My chest locked up, breath snagging like barbed wire. For half a second, I felt small and stupid and powerless.But I shoved it down. Fast.I straightened my shoulders, plastering on a sharp smile that didn’t touch my eyes.“Cameron! Brandon!”I turned, and I saw Mrs. Deville, glowing like actual sunlight. She wore a flowy blouse with a cardigan, her hair in loose waves. The second she spotted us, her face lit up like we were her favorite people in the world.“My boys!” she called, bustling over with her arms outstretched like she couldn’t wait to squeeze us.Brandon groaned, rubbing his hands down his face. “Mom, please don’t call us that in public.”She ignored him completely, wrapping him in a hug that lasted a fe
Last Updated : 2025-02-27Rival's Contract Marriage Chapter 24
Cameron’s POVThe door to the fitting room clicked shut, sealing me in a too-small box with my own reflection. My pulse still hammered, my throat tight like I’d swallowed barbed wire.I pressed my hands to the cold mirror, fingers splayed, and dropped my head, my forehead resting against the glass. My skin burned where my stepmother’s words had cut into me."Your mother would’ve hated seeing you like this."I squeezed my eyes shut, my chest aching like someone had cracked it open and reached inside.The worst part?She was probably right.My mom had been soft and gentle and kind — everything I wasn’t. She would've hated the version of me that existed now. The angry, hollow, jagged thing barely holding itself together.I sucked in a shaky breath, but it got stuck halfway, splintering into something sharp.Behind me, the door creaked open, and Brandon slid inside like he belonged there, kicking it shut with his foot.“Dude, you’ve been in here for, like, twenty seconds and you're alread
Last Updated : 2025-02-28Rival's Contract Marriage Chapter 25
Brandon’s POVThe store was way too quiet when I stepped out of the fitting room. The kind of quiet that made my skin itch. I leaned against a clothing rack, scrolling through my phone, pretending like I wasn’t listening for every small sound coming from Cameron’s dressing room.He’d been in there for a while. Longer than he should’ve been.I told myself he was fine. That he just needed a second to breathe. But my fingers twitched at my side, restless.The truth? I didn’t trust anyone around him.And right on cue, trouble slithered into view.Drake walked to me like he owned the place.Great, what the hell did he want from him?“Brandon,” he greeted, his voice all syrupy fake concern. “Mind if we talk?”I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “I kinda do, actually.”He ignored me, stepping closer like a shark scenting blood.“I just want to check in,” he said, his smile sharp enough to cut glass. “I know being around Cameron can be... exhausting.”My spine stiffened. “He’s not exhausting
Last Updated : 2025-02-28Rival's Contract Marriage Chapter 26
Brandon’s POVThe store lights were too bright — the kind of bright that made everything feel fake, like we were on a stage, and someone had cranked up the spotlight just to watch Cameron unravel.But he didn’t.He sat in a velvet chair near the fitting rooms, legs spread, hands clasped loosely together, head tilted down like he was staring through the floor. His new suit — the one Mom insisted we buy — was folded neatly beside him, the fabric crisp and perfect.But Cameron looked like a bomb waiting to go off.And his stepmother kept lighting matches."...and honestly, Cameron, I don’t know why you’d choose something so formal," she said, flipping through a rack of jackets with fake disinterest. "It’s not like you ever have anywhere important to be."I lingered by a clothing rack, pretending to scroll through my phone, but my eyes never left Cameron.He didn’t move. Didn’t even twitch.But I saw the way his knuckles whitened.She paced in front of him, her heels clicking against the
Last Updated : 2025-02-28Rival's Contract Marriage Chapter 27
Cameron’s POVI sat at the massive dining table, my fingers twitching against the edge of my plate. The chandelier above me cast a soft glow over the room, making everything feel too perfect — too unreal.Brandon’s house was ridiculous. Not in a bad way, just... huge. The kind of place with floor-to-ceiling windows and paintings that probably cost more than my rent. The dining room alone was bigger than my entire living room back home, and every corner smelled like cinnamon and something... warm.I wasn’t used to warm.“Eat, sweetheart,” Brandon’s mom said, placing another serving of lasagna on my plate even though I hadn't finished the first. She hovered like I might disappear if she blinked, her smile so gentle it made my chest ache. “You look like you need it.”I nodded, shoving a forkful of food into my mouth to avoid talking. The lasagna melted on my tongue — creamy and rich, with just enough garlic to sting my nose. It tasted like something out of a dream.I swallowed, my throat
Last Updated : 2025-03-03Rival's Contract Marriage Chapter 28
Brandon’s POVAfter mum had stuffed us with cookies and milk, I led Cameron to my room so he could relax a bit.I closed the door to my room, the soft click echoing louder than it should have. Cameron stood awkwardly by the window, fingers twitching at his sides like he wanted to bolt. His eyes darted around, taking in the posters, the books piled haphazardly on my desk, the rumpled hoodie on my bed.It was like he couldn’t understand how he ended up here — like he was trespassing on something he wasn’t supposed to touch.I flopped onto my bed, stretching out like I didn’t notice how stiff he was.“You can sit, you know,” I said, kicking at the edge of my mattress.Cameron hesitated, then perched on the very edge of my desk chair, hands clenched in his lap like he might crush his own fingers.I watched him for a second, then reached under my bed and dragged out the old photo album my mom insisted on updating every year. The thing was stuffed full of memories — vacations, birthday part
Last Updated : 2025-03-03Rival's Contract Marriage Chapter 29
Brandon POVI wasn’t about to let the night end with Cameron looking like he wanted to disappear into the carpet. Not after I’d finally cracked through his shell, even if just a little.He was sitting on my bed, cross-legged, picking at a loose thread on his sleeve like it personally offended him. His shoulders were curled in, tense like he was trying to make himself smaller. The room was quiet, save for the distant hum of the dishwasher downstairs and the occasional creak of the house settling. My bedside lamp cast a soft glow, barely enough to reach the corners of the room, like the light itself was hesitant to intrude.I flopped down next to him, hands behind my head, staring up at the glow-in-the-dark stars I’d stuck to my ceiling years ago. Some of them were peeling off, hanging on by sheer stubbornness."You wanna learn something cool?" I asked, glancing sideways at him.He lifted a brow without looking up. "That sounds suspicious."I smirked. "It should."Cameron didn’t say any
Last Updated : 2025-03-04Rival's Contract Marriage Chapter 30
Brandon’s POVThe room felt smaller somehow, like the walls were quietly pressing in. The hum of the overhead light buzzed faintly, filling the silence stretching between us like a taut rope ready to snap.His eyes flicked to mine, dark and careful. "Brandon, why did your parents hire a sign language teacher for you?"I froze, the question slicing through the easy rhythm we’d fallen into. My throat tightened, and for a second, I considered brushing it off — making some dumb joke or distracting him with another insult sign.But something in the way Cameron was looking at me stopped me. He wasn’t just curious. He wanted to know.And maybe... maybe I wanted him to know, too.I swallowed hard, fingers tugging at the hem of my hoodie. "It was because of something traumatic and scary," I said, my voice quieter than I meant. "Something I don’t wish on anyone."Cameron’s brows furrowed, but he didn’t say anything. He just waited, patient in a way he never was with anyone else.His patience ma
Last Updated : 2025-03-05
Latest chapter
Rival's Contract Marriage Chapter 44
POV: CameronI should’ve left.My fingers curled around the door handle, my heart thudding so loud I thought it might burst out of my chest. I needed to get out of there, away from the tension choking the air — away from him.But then Brandon grabbed my wrist, spun me around, and before I could even breathe, his lips were on mine.It wasn’t like the accidental kiss from earlier. This one was different. Deliberate. Desperate.I froze. My brain short-circuited. Every warning signal screamed at me to stop this before we ruined everything. But my body didn’t listen.I kissed him back.Hard.Brandon turned away me, and I raised a brow. “What? Is there something on my f—”His hand crashed against my mouth, covering it while the other shoved into my pants. My eyes widened as he stroked my hard, aching cock through my boxers. The soft fabric rubbing against my erection was almost too much to take. My body responded instantly, my hips jutting forward as he stroked me while gazing into my eyes.
Rival's Contract Marriage Chapter 43
POV: BrandonThe cab rattled over a pothole, and Cameron groaned, slumping further into the seat like he was trying to melt into the leather. His forehead pressed against the window, eyes shut tight, and his fingers curled in his lap like he was holding himself together by sheer force of will.I winced, glancing at the driver. “Hey, could you maybe drive a little more carefully?” I asked, trying to keep my voice polite. “He’s not feeling great.”The driver snorted, eyes flicking to me in the rearview mirror. “Maybe your drunk boyfriend shouldn’t have partied so hard,” he muttered, tapping the steering wheel impatiently as he sped up to beat a yellow light.My jaw clenched. I sat up straighter, leaning forward so he could see me better in the mirror. “First of all, he’s not my boyfriend — he’s my fiancé, so use the right term,” I snapped, heat prickling up my neck. “And second, you’re getting paid to drive, not to run your mouth. So how about you do your job without the commentary?”Th
Rival's Contract Marriage Chapter 42
POV: CameronThe street spun under my feet and the pavement tilted like a broken carnival ride. My head throbbed, and my pulse hammered so loudly I swore people could hear it. The muffled beat of music from the bar echoed behind me, but all I could focus on was the weight in my chest. It was heavy, ugly, suffocating. Everything reeked of stale beer, cigarette smoke, and my own pathetic jealousy.I could still see them, Brandon and Hilda were standing and their bodies were too close to each other, their heads tilted together, talking like the rest of the world didn’t exist. The way he stared at her intensely and the way she stared back at him made my heart race, It burned. It burned so badly I felt sick.“Cameron,” Brandon’s voice cut through the haze, low and careful, like he was talking to a wounded animal. “Oh fuck, what have you done to yourself? Come on, you’re wasted. Let’s get you home.”His hand on my arm was steady, warm, and I hated it. I hated how good it felt.I yanked m
Rival's Contract Marriage Chapter 41
POV: BrandonI shoved the bar door open, my heart hammering against my chest like it was trying to break free. The music thudded loudly behind me, but the cold air outside smacked me harder than any bass drop could. My hands were shaking, some was part from anger, part from the mess I’d just left behind.And there was Hilda, stomping down the sidewalk like she hadn’t just wrecked my entire life in one night.Seriously, she looked like a toddler throwing a tantrum.“Hilda, get your stupid ass here!” I yelled, my voice scraping my throat.She didn’t even flinch and I felt my face twitch in annoyance.I jogged to catch up, grabbing her arm and spinning her around so fast her hair whipped across her face. “What the fucking hell was that?” I hissed, my chest rising and falling like I’d just run a marathon.She yanked her arm back like I’d burned her. “Don’t fucking touch me,” she snapped, eyes blazing.“I wouldn’t have to if you stopped acting like a maniac,” I shot back. “Why were you a
Rival's Contract Marriage Chapter 40
POV: CameronThe moment the kiss ended, I panicked.My heart pounded like a freaking war drum, so loud it drowned out everything else. My lips still tingled, swollen from the kiss — from his kiss — and my skin buzzed like I’d been electrocuted.I couldn’t breathe.I ripped myself away from Brandon like he was on fire, chest heaving. His eyes were wide, like he wanted to say something, but I didn’t give him the chance.I shoved past people, ignoring the voices calling my name. The hallway blurred, the music thumped like it was inside my skull, and my hands shook so bad I could barely twist the bathroom doorknob. But I finally managed to push it open and slam it shut behind me.The lock clicked closed except I didn’t feel safe at all.I stumbled to the sink, cranking the faucet up as high as it would go. Ice-cold water splashed out, and I threw handfuls of it onto my face, gasping at the shock. My fingers trembled as I pressed them against my burning cheeks, but no matter how much I tri
Rival's Contract Marriage Chapter 39
POV: BrandonThe game was stupid.Or at least that’s what I kept telling myself as I watched Cameron and Hilda go back and forth like they didn’t even know I existed. I leaned against the wall, gripping my drink so tightly the condensation made my fingers slip.It shouldn’t bother me.I shouldn’t care.But every time Cameron laughed — every time Hilda leaned closer, flipping her hair and flashing her perfect smile — something in my chest burned.I took another sip, pretending to listen to whatever Matt was saying next to me, but the words blurred together.All I could focus on was them.Cameron biting his lip.The way his eyes crinkled when he smiled.How he kept fidgeting, rubbing his palms on his jeans like he wanted to disappear.I hated that I noticed all of it.Hated even more that I cared.“You’re fucking staring dude,” Matt said, elbowing me.I flinched, almost spilling my drink. “I’m not dipshit.”Matt snorted. “Dude, you’ve been watching him all night.”“No, I haven’t.”“You
Rival's Contract Marriage Chapter 38
POV: CameronAfter Brandon walked in, Hilda’s smile didn’t reach her eyes anymore.It was still there, stretched across her face like a mask, but something about it had sharpened — like a blade. She twirled her drink in her hand, the ice clinking against the glass, her gaze cutting through me like she could see all my messy, tangled thoughts.And I hated it.I hated how the energy between us had flipped, how the easy flow of conversation had shattered the second she brought up Brandon. I hated how I could feel the wall she’d put up, cold and impenetrable, like I was suddenly a stranger instead of the guy she’d been laughing with five minutes ago.I cleared my throat, rubbing my palms against my jeans.“So, uh... how’s your sister?” I asked, desperate to claw my way back to neutral ground.Hilda arched a brow, sipping her drink slowly before answering.“She’s fine and well.”Just that.Nothing else.Not even a crumb of extra information to keep the conversation alive.I forced a chuckl
Rival's Contract Marriage Chapter 37
POV: CameronThe bar was louder than I expected.The bass from the speakers thrummed through the floor, vibrating up my legs and rattling my chest like a second heartbeat. People packed into the space like sardines, shouting to be heard over the music, their voices a chaotic blur of laughter and conversation. The air smelled like spilled liquor and cheap cologne, the sticky-sweet combination almost enough to make me turn around and walk right back out the door.But I didn’t.Because I was already here.And because Hilda was here.I shoved my hands in my pockets and pushed through the crowd, keeping my head down as I wove past clusters of drunk college students and couples clinging to each other like lifeboats. Someone bumped into my shoulder, sloshing their drink onto my sleeve, but I barely flinched. I just kept moving, eyes locked on the hallway leading to the private room in the back.I needed to get away from the noise.From the eyes.People were already looking at me — a few girl
Rival's Contract Marriage Chapter 36
POV: CameronI stared at my phone like it was cursed. The screen glowed in the dim light of my room, Brandon’s text burning into my brain like it had been branded there.Brandon: Hey, the guys are throwing a party. It’s kind of our ‘engagement celebration.’ You should come.I read it three times, then dropped the phone on my desk like it had bitten me.He wanted me to come to a party. A celebration. Like we weren’t a complete disaster. Like we hadn’t kissed three weeks ago. Like that kiss wasn’t still wrecking my entire existence.I rubbed my face, trying to shove the memory out of my head, but it clung to me like static electricity. The way his hand had cradled the back of my neck. The way he’d whispered my name right before our lips touched. The way I’d melted into him like a complete idiot instead of stopping it.I should have stopped it.But I didn’t.Now, I couldn’t even look at him without my pulse skyrocketing and my stomach flipping inside out.I closed my eyes, my chest achin
