Alexander's POV This woman will never stop to surprise me. I would be punching the walls if someone would try to pull such a stunt on me. Brown's family had no limits when it came to being heartless. Well, too bad for them. It looks like I have to squeeze them a bit more. " When are you going to sign the contract then?" I asked casually, playing with my cup. Millie shrugged her arms again. I have noticed it was her reaction when she had no control over the situation. " Tomorrow." " Make sure you read it properly," I said, standing up. Millie gave me a side-eye. My warning was not necessary. She knew what her family was capable of. " If you do not have plans for tomorrow evening, I would like to introduce you to my family," I added, washing the dishes, and Millie gasped. " Seriously? Already?" She whispered. " Well, I think it is about time if we are going to get married." I turned around and noticed how pale she got. " Are you okay?" " Yeah, sure. I
Third POV " How is it possible for her to crawl back again?" Sandra looked at her mother. A few hours ago, Deborah returned from a meeting with her husband and Millicent. She was still shaken by how her husband acted during this time. The rage was boiling in Deborah's veins and flashing in her eyes. " I know. He dared to raise his voice at me because of her, but I will make him pay for that." The older woman replied, pacing around the room. Sandra only nodded. Her mother would never accept any form of humiliation. " How much do we need to do to get rid of her for good? I took her man, her place and her work," Sandra slammed her hand on the desk, anger burning in her eyes. " Your father needs her. He does not want her here as much as I do. But there is a contract..." Deborah plopped into a chair, massaging her temple. " Fu*k the contract. Why is this so important? And please do not call this man my father." Sandra said, pacing around her room. " Enough!" Deborah repl
Millie's POV I was exhausted when I arrived at my father's home. I could not call it my family home for a while since the people living inside did not deserve that title. But signing the contract was not the only reason I could not sleep at night, twisting in my bed. Alex asked me to meet his parents. Today. It was as if this day was not stressful enough. I was torn between thinking about what my family prepared for me and wondering how to dress for tonight. Of course, I wished them to like me, for mine and Alex's sake. We have created enough mess already. I was the one to be mostly blamed for that, but sharing the quilt was a much better option. I could not stop thinking what I would say when they asked about the wedding. Did Alex tell them it was a marriage with an expiry date? I highly doubted this. I will worry about this later. The door to the mansion was wide open when I arrived. " What a gesture," I thought to myself. The inside was empty, but I did no
Alexander's POV When we entered the Ben's Burgers, Millie tensed even though she had tried to hide it. I took a deep breath, enjoying the smell already imprinted on my mind. This place smelled like childhood. I could not count the evenings we have spent here with my parents. On those occasions, they were nothing like business people the whole country knew. Here, no one cared about your status as long as you managed to behave at the table. I quickly scanned the room, and a smile curled on my lips. My parents were sitting in our usual spot, already enjoying their drinks. My smile widened when I noticed that both of them understood the assignment. My father wore a simple black shirt and jeans, while my mother chose a blue flower dress. " There they are," I said, taking Millie's hand. She offered me a shy smile while I navigated through the crowded restaurant. " Right on time." My father stood up from his seat as soon as he noticed us. He gave Millie a wink while my moth
Millie's POV I had wished for the earth to swallow me, watching my step-sister giving Alex's father a nasty look. Why, from all the places, do they have to choose this restaurant? As I remember, Sandra always liked to brag about a healthy lifestyle and despised junk food. " What are you two doing here?" I asked through my gritted teeth. " Is there a problem with us being here? Had you become an owner of this place?" Deborah mocked me, checking on her perfectly shaped nails. " Well, it is not the place you would normally visit," I replied, fighting the sharpness in my voice. " Baby's cravings," Sandra rubbed her belly, looking down at Alex's parents. " Oh, it must be depressing that your baby has such a bad taste then," I pointed out, and her smile dropped. " I will excuse myself, " Alex's father said, standing up. His wife gave him a puzzled look, but he only winked at her with a half-smile. " You are excused," Deborah giggled, and I grabbed Alex's hand, squeezing it as he loo
Alexander's POV We travelled back home in complete silence. I could feel that Millie was fuming, as from time to time, her brows furrowed as if has some inside conversation. She apologised for her step-family behaviour during the dinner, and we rebuilt the pleasant atmosphere. I would not be myself if I didn't ask my father how he got those two women escorted out. He winked at me and told me he was now the restaurant's owner. It looks like other companies pestered the original owner to sell the place since they had a better plan for it. When my father bought the place, no one dared to visit him. He was the place's owner, just on the paper, while the old one still cared for everything. Their only agreement was to keep our table empty whenever we wanted to visit. When I asked why he did it, he replied that the sentiment caused it. I had no reason to argue with his logic, so I dropped the subject. Now, I was more concerned about Millie. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts
Millie's POV " Are you serious?" I asked Dave while looking at the blueprint in front of me. " How on earth is this project worth five million?" Dave, my right hand from when I worked for my family, shrugged his arms. " You can check it yourself." I checked, not once or twice, but three times already, and something was not adding up. I was looking at the project of two warehouses, and there was no way anyone would pay five million for this job. Three million would be more than enough, even if I decide to add some gold to it. " It looks more than strange. Why are they willing to pay so much for it," I said more to myself than Dave, but he answered me anyway. " Should we really worry about that?" He gave me a confused glance. " I think we should be jumping in joy." Well, in normal circumstances, I probably would, but it looked too good to be true here. I shook my head slowly. Dave was right; I had to accept the reality, at least for now. " We have to make sure
Alexander's POV Filled with amazement, I listened to Millie explain every step of the project. With her cheeks flushed, she showed me materials that were supposed to be used in construction. I have never seen anyone so demoted to its work. This girl could talk about it for hours, and I listened to her with pleasure. It was pretty hard to pretend I was utterly ignorant, asking many questions about some particular parts of the project, but she was more than happy to answer every aspect. Thanks to that, I figured out that this woman had incredible knowledge. " I made a list of materials needed for this project. My coworker will order them tomorrow. I made sure to choose the best quality. Our customer agreed to a ridiculously high price for this project, and I am going to ensure they will receive the best product. " I almost chuckled upon hearing this comment, but I bit my tongue. Millie had no idea why this project was so expensive, and I was not going to tell her the truth. S
Third POV I could not believe my own eyes. I was standing hidden behind the tree, watching the construction site. My fists were balling; my nails left a painful mark on my skin. How was it even possible? The work was going at full speed and looked like it would be done any day now. Since I could not endure it anymore, I jumped into my car and drove off. The whole plan was falling into pieces. My entire plan that was supposed to be a masterpiece. I took all precautions to ensure Millicent would fail on this task. She was going to face an ultimate disaster. I made sure she would have no materials to start work. I have convinced her father to decline her request for workers. Millicent should be crawling back to ask, begging for help. Which we would gracefully offer her in exchange for her profit share. She would end up penniless and humiliated. And yet, there she was, handling it all perfectly. I could not imagine how she managed to get the material or the building crew. I
Alexander's POV Gabrielle left, and I was still standing outside with a goofy smile. Millie had feelings for me, at least, her friend was thinking that. She could not be wrong, could she? The warm feeling spread inside my chest, but my happiness was short-lived. My phone buzzed, and I saw a notification. It was a text message from Brian. What the hell could he want at this time of day? ' Call me.' Those two words flashed on the screen, and my stomach twisted. I dialled his number. Hopefully, he did not engage himself in another fight in some random bar. " What is it?" I almost barked when he answered his phone. It was really not a good time. Millie was waiting upstairs. We had a serious talk to make. " Sorry, Alex, I did not mean to bother you in the evening." Brian's tone was apologetic, and I felt like a pri*k. He was my friend and could need my help, and I was taking frustration out on him. " It is okay, Brian. Is everything fine?" " Yeah... Well, not exactly. One
Third-party POV I was so stunned I could barely breathe. There was no one else than Alexander Foster sitting casually before me, and my best friend was oblivious to whom she had married. " But how?" I managed to whisper, glancing at the door where Millie disappeared. " I spilt her coffee," the man replied, sipping his wine. " Spilling someone's coffee does not end at the wedding altar," I hissed, forgetting who I talked to. " Does she even know the truth?" Alex flashed me a pearly smile. " Not yet." That was not much of an explanation, but what else did I expect? Alexander Foster. How many times have I heard Michael mentioning his name? The ruthless billionaire who was ready to crush anyone who crossed their paths with him. Michael loved to talk about their businesses. I could not help but think he envied him as well. But who wouldn't? This man was basically sleeping on cash. His wealth was growing with every breath he took. No wonder he was the man every woman d
Alexander's POV " Can you start making pasta?" Millie asked me without stopping stirring the sauce. She was wearing my apron and looked very professional while cooking. " Are you sure that would be enough? I could always make some salad." I offered gently to spare myself a side-eye. Millie mentioned a fancy dinner, and now she settled with spaghetti. Well, I had a different idea of a fancy meal, but who am I to judge? " Are you suggesting that my food is not enough?" Millie raised her brow, and I suddenly felt cornered in our apartment's tiny kitchen. Why did I open my mouth? I could just happily make pasta and remain silent. Millie noticed my expression and burst into laughter, but I did not want to lower my guard. " We could survive on chips with ketchup and a can of soda. Trust me, Gabi will appreciate my cooking. " I have nodded to that statement. Why was I even bothered? Millie's spaghetti was delicious, after all. When the pasta was slowly getting ready, I
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