Alexander's POV When Millie disappeared behind closed doors, my head was buzzing. What the hell was I thinking? She called me her husband, and I played along. I even kissed that girl. What was she feeling right now? I had to fix it as soon as possible. I turned my attention back to the person responsible for this whole mess. Carmen. " I told you once that we were done. How dare you to show up at my place wearing this," I hissed, pointing out to her ridiculous outfit. " I thought we could work on our relationship," Carmen replied, fixing her coat, but I only rolled my eyes. " There was no relationship. We had an agreement. It was fun and nothing else," I offered her a dry response. " It is because of her?" Carmen raised her voice. " It has nothing to do with her. You crossed the boundary," I answered immediately. I should go and check on Millie, but instead, I was wasting my time here. " Then she is not important to you, is she? We can go back to how it was. Just fun
Millie's POV I still could not believe how Alexander convinced me to take his card. After the initial agreement, I changed my mind and tried to return it to him, but he rejected it and called me a deal breaker. He said I could use it to buy my clothes, and it was not a big deal, but I saw it differently. It was too much, way too much. Alexander allowed me to stay at his place and eat his food. I should not use his money. But I was desperate. I could not show myself in any interview, wearing the only clothes I had that were good for a grocery run but not the work hunt. I arrived at the biggest mall in our town. It had various shops that offered a wide range of prices and brands, from designer brands to some more affordable items. In the past, I would probably visit some of my favorite shops, but today, I had to think of a budget since I was not spending my own money. I chose one of the shops on the ground floor that looked promising. Through the windows, I noticed a nice
Alexander's POV I was enjoying my late breakfast when John entered my office without knocking. I would scold him for that, but my mouth was full of scrambled eggs, which I did not prefer to spit all over my desk. Instead, I gave him a look filled with disapproval. " Sorry to bother but I have a manager of one of your shops on the line. He says it is something urgent, " John smiled at me. It did not look like he was sorry at all. " Can't you deal with that? Is it not what I pay you for?" I spoke as soon as I managed to swallow my food. " He only wants to talk to you," John replied, shrugging his arms. " Fine, put him on the line," I hesitantly agreed. God help this guy if that was something trivial. John nodded and left. Seconds later, my phone rang. " Yes," I answered on a speaker since John was already back in my office. I gave him a sign to sit. " Good morning, Mr Foster. It is Ben Clark, store manager from Dress to Impress." I heard on the other line. It was
Millie's POV My anxiety hit the roof when the store manager disappeared behind the door. The girl behind the counter was eyeing me, and her look was very judgmental. Do they really think I stole this card? Unless it was Alex who stole it, and now he pushed me under the bus. I quickly dismissed that thought. Why would he do it after helping me so much? Every passing minute felt like a year. Customers filled the shop, and I felt like they already knew about my crime. What crime? Pull yourself together, girl. After what felt like an eternity, the manager came back, but his expression had changed. He looked apologetic, scared even. Yep, the card was stolen, and I was the main suspect. " I am terribly sorry for keeping you waiting," he finally spoke, taking me by surprise. " It is not a big deal," I managed to answer, instantly cursing my stupidity. No big deal. It was a huge deal. " Thank you for your understanding. I hope you understand I had to make sure ev
Alexander's POV I watched Millie, who was now blinking uncontrolled, stunned by my words. I know I acted too fast, but I did not have much choice, not after the earlier conversation. " I am really disappointed with you, son," my father's tone was cold as ice. " What are you talking about?" I asked, frantically thinking about what could be the reason for his phone call. " I thought we were close as a family, and we could trust each other, but I guess I was wrong," he spoke again without giving me a hint of what could make him so upset. My father's words were true. We were close indeed, as we kept no secrets from each other. Of course, in the past, as a stupid teenager, I tried to be rebellious, but this faze was long gone. Now, I had no doubts, my family would always have my back as I had theirs. " Dad, I really need some clarification here if I am going to deal with your accusations, " I said, slightly offended by his words. I could not think of anything that could
Millie's POV I noticed that Alex was watching me with growing interest. His eyes were sparkling, and I was grateful he could not hear my thoughts. Did I just agree to be his wife? That was insane, but it was done. I do not take my words back. " Well?" Alex asked, and my mind went blank. Well, what? " Sorry?" I asked suprised. " Your conditions," he reminded me politely while I wondered what Gabrielle would say right now. He would scold me for my stupidity, for sure. " Ah, yes, conditions," I mumbled, thinking about any I could come out with. " I would like to keep my last name." Yes, this one was good. If this marriage was going to be a facade, then it was better to do it in case of unavoidable divorce. I glanced at Alex. He looked like he was considering my proposition. " Fine, we can discuss it further if you decide to change your mind," he said slowly. " We will split the living costs evenly. I will find work and contribute to the household, " I said, enc
Alexander's POV I entered my parent's home, expecting the worst, and the atmosphere inside did not disappoint me. They were waiting for me in their spacious salon. My father was standing next to the fireplace. My mother was sitting in a chair, sipping the wine. One glance at her told me more than I needed. She was disappointed. Very disappointed, and I was the reason for this. My father gave me a reassuring nod while I approached the most important woman in my life. " Good evening, Mum," I said, kissing her cheeks. " Sit, Alexander," she replied, and I froze. Gloria Foster was a loving and caring mother who always had time for me whenever I came to her with my problems, no matter how big or small they were. She probably knew me better than I did and always had my back. My mother was like a rock in the sea of problems. But now, she was pissed! I could tell since she used my full name. " Mum, before you say something, it is all misunderstanding," I spoke, taking
I looked at my father utterly shocked by his reaction. What was wrong with him? He was usually very composed, and now all his self-control was gone. " Dad, what is going on here?" I asked, while my mother watched him with an expression similar to mine." How could you do this? Out of all women, you had to choose her?" He looked at me, and to say I was shocked is like to say nothing. " I am trying to understand the reason for this outburst, but I really can't," I replied, running my hand through my hair. This conversation was getting nowhere, but now I had to know why my father acted like this. My mother stood up, and approached her husband, putting her hand on his arm. " Honey, calm down and tell us what is wrong with this girl. You can see that we are both clueless." My father remained silent for a while, and let out a deep breath. " I am sorry," he mumbled sitting back on his chair. My mother left us for a moment and returned with two glasses of whiskey in her hands. She pas
Millie's POV It was painful to see Gabi like that. She looked like a complete mess. I did the only thing I could do at the moment like that. I sat next to her and hugged her tightly. " Are you sure about that? It is quite a serious suspicion," I said, stroking Gabi's hair while she was sobbing. I was never a huge fan of Michael. This man was, in my opinion, controlling and incredibly possessive. We never clicked, not that I tried too much. He seemed the complete opposite of what I would imagine Gabrielle would like dating. But as long as my friend was happy, I had no other choice but to suck it up. I moved my hand and lifted Gabi's face. " Talk to me. I can not help you if you won't tell me what is going on," I told her softly. Gabrielle took a calming breath, and I handed her a tissue. This woman was always a perfect picture of independence. I could not stand seeing her so broken because of a man. " I don't know, but he is different. Cold, distant." Gabrielle
Millie's POV The following two weeks passed in the blink of an eye. Since Brian's team started work, the whole construction site has changed. After the first week, they managed to build a complete base of the warehouse. They were professional and organised; I could say they were better than the workers from my father's company. Brian was friendly and easygoing. Working with him was a pleasure. He often joked around, but at the same time, he treated his job very seriously. I could finally relax, knowing my project was in good hands. With Brian's help, I could finish this task way before the deadline. After the first troubles, everything was going smoothly. And all of that was possible because of Alex. This man was like my guardian angel, sent by the heavens at the worst time of my life. I only doubted that any angel would be so good in bed. Every day, he asked me about my progress, and I had to remind myself not to overload him with stories, as he probably was asking out
Third POV Sandra sat on the sofa and crossed her legs. Mark sat next to her, placing his hand on her tummy. " How is the baby? How was a check-up?" Sandra lowered her gaze to hide a smirk forming on her lips. She left their apartment early under the pretext of having an appointment with a midwife. Instead of going to the hospital, she spent time with her friend, who gave her old ultrasound photos of her daughter. Maxine knew Sandra's plan and agreed to participate, as she had never liked Millicent. If there was anything that could harm Sandra's step-sister, Maxine was full on board. Now, Sandra handed the photos to Mark, watching his face lit up. " Our baby is magnificent. And so is you. The pregnancy has no impact on you. Your body is still perfect. " Sandra chuckled. " I am not one of those pregnant women who eats everything than can, pretending it is for a baby. " She said with an innocent tone. It was obvious that her body remained the same since she was not pre
Alexander's POV. It took me over an hour to discuss the final arrangements with Michael. He tried to talk me out of my idea, suggesting that my employees would try to use the new privileges. Again, I had to remind him that he worked as MY lawyer and my decision was final. We have parted both in sour moods. Nevertheless, I could not care less about his opinion. I was exhausted, but I had a few more meetings that required my presence. Luckily, the rest of the day was relatively uneventful, and I waited for the end of the day with anticipation. I was curious about Millie's day. Did the supplier keep his word and deliver the new material? If not, I was going to keep my end of the bargain. When I arrived home, Millie was already setting up the table. She did not talk much unless asked, and when we sat down to eat, I could see she was more pushing the food around her plate than actually eating. " Not the best day?" I asked, placing my plate in the dishwasher. " It was bittersweet, I
Millie's POV I woke up to the gentle sound of my phone vibrating. I looked at the screen, wishing I could ignore it, when I saw Dave's name pop out. I had enough disasters for now, and I did not need another. Whatever he had to say, it couldn't be good if he called me at this ungodly hour. " What is it?" I finally picked up since he was calling over and over again. " Sorry, boss, but I really need you here," Dave said, and I felt like deja vu. What the hell was happening right now? Did the construction site be caught on fire? Well, I would not be surprised. " Boss, the new material arrived," Dave added, and I abruptly sat straight on the bed. I cursed myself as Alex groaned in his sleep. " I will be there soon," I said and moved out of bed. After a quick shower, I was ready, but then it hit me that I should at least make some breakfast for my husband. I made an omelette and poured him juice. One last glance at the table, and I was out. I could not sit calmly in the ta
Alexander's POV When we were done with our small exercises, I carried Millie back to our bed, still gently kissing her neck. She was exhausted, and so was I, but in the most satisfying way. I lay her on the bed and tucked in the sheets, taking space behind her back. Millie mumbled something under her breath, but a moment later, she was asleep. I watched her sleeping, and when I made sure she would not wake up, I left the bedroom. What Mark Green did was still making my blood boil, and no amount of s*x could make me calm. The options of how to make his life miserable were spinning in my head, one more vicious than previous, but I knew I could not let my emotions take over me. This matter had to be solved slowly and methodically. Like every crime, you need proof to make someone pay for their fault. I had the feeling that Millie's family would provide me with enough to make them squeal. I doubted that this moron Green worked alone. He was not the brightest bulb in the box. Someone ha
Millie's POV *** Warning*** Sex scene I was in our bed alone, and only darkness was surrounding me. Alex was still in the living room. Why was he still there? Why did he not come to bed? I am almost sure I heard him talking to someone on the phone. His voice was too quiet to understand what he said, but his tone was sharp. Alex was angry, and my chest tightened at the thought. Was he angry with me? Maybe he complained to the person on the phone about my incompetence. Does he think I am a failure? Well, at least I could not be angry about that. It was exactly what I thought right now. Alex tried to cheer me up during the dinner, and I was grateful. But how could I explain to him the whole situation? And it looked tragic. If I fail on this project, my family will sue me. I had no doubts about that. Without the materials, we could not start work. I had no funds to buy more, and I would not ask my father for a loan. He would help me, but then I would not see any penny of pro
Alexander's POV. When Millie entered the bathroom, I waited momentarily until I heard the water running under the shower. Then I grabbed the phone, knowing I would not have much time. For my luck, John picked up almost immediately. " I need you to check something for me," I said after exchanging greetings. There was no time for a small talk. " What is it?" John asked, sensing the seriousness of the situation. " The material delivered to the construction site is damaged and rusty." " It looks like a supplier fuc*ked up the order. It happens." John replied slowly. " After what I heard from Millie, this could not be messed up this much. Besides, I saw the list of her orders. It was top-quality stock. No one in their right mind could make such a mistake." I told him dryly. Of course, the order could be messed up, but not to this extent. " What are you going to do about that?" John asked, and I could sense he was smiling. " It depends on who is responsible for this
Millie's POV I was scared that the next day after our wedding would be awkward, but Alex was nothing but sweet and charming as always. I was the one acting odd, but with time, I relaxed around him. For the next few days, we spent time talking, watching movies, and fooling around. To my surprise, Alex asked me about sharing his bedroom with him. He said that that was the only right thing to do since we were married. His proposition took me aback, as I understood we were not a regular marriage, but I agreed, and we spent a day rearranging our stuff. My bedroom became a place where we could work when necessary. The first days of this new arrangement made me uneasy, but soon, I could not wait to sleep next to Alex. His presence made me calm. We also had two other "wedding nights" since we shared the bedroom. I could not lie; Alex was a great lover, making my toes curl whenever we made love. Somewhere in my mind, I compared this new life with my previous relationship with Mark. It