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Chapter 122
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Rafael had always imagined death to start with some blinding light where all the best moments of his life would flash by him and then follow with an abyss of darkness. At least that's what he heard people say it would be like. The gunshots were still ringing in his ears long after the darkness, but the blinding light never came. The pain and the hopelessness sure felt like death.
Among the many regrets he had, he regretted not being able to say a proper goodbye. Ruhi had never believed how unconditionally he loved her. He knew he did a poor job showing his feelings to her, except that he could prove that he would die for her, willing to do so over and over.
He wanted to hear Ruhi's voice one last time before falling unconscious. His body was going numb, but a shooting pain unfurled in the deepest pit of his stomach when he thought about the image of Ruhi lying on the floor.
Was she conscious? He couldn't remember. Everything happened too quic
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SEVEN YEARS LATER It was a quiet Sunday afternoon with some cooling summer showers pouringdown outside the window whileRafael spent a good amount of time in his study. He was lagging behind quite a bit because he spent all day at the water park yesterday and left work early even on Friday afternoon to attend his daughter's ballet performance. He got up from his seat and stretched before stepping out to see what Ruhi and his little Snookums were up to. Even though he wanted to finish all the piled up stuff, he had gone two hours without seeing them and it felt like too much on a Sunday. He walked down to the kitchen to see what all the excitement was about. Ruhi was watching something very seriously on her daughter'spink laptop while the little girl was busy whisking butter and molten chocolate. She got chocolate mousse on both her chubby cheeks while Ruhi got a good amount on her nose. "Papa! You were not supposed to come out until w
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Greece Rafael strode into his secluded beachfront villa after a day packed with meetings. This was his fourteenth time in Greece, and yet its impossibly blue waters and rugged islands never failed to leave him breathless. This time, he had brought Alisha, his stunning girlfriend, to the sleepy island of Chios. Here, time seemed to slow, the air thick with the scent of olive groves and sun-warmed fig trees. Alisha lay sprawled on the plush king-sized bed, waiting for him. Her heavy breasts were straining against the soft, crimson lingerie. When she saw his eyes roam on her barely covered sexy body, she leaned in towards him, giving him a clear view of her perfect, inviting duo. She ran her hands down her front and looked at him with those bewitching eyes. He was bone-tired from meetings and needed a massage, but she had ignited a fire within him that could only be quenched when he sucked on those breasts until they were sore to the touch of his tongue. He removed his jacket and pu
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A few days earlier in a small college town in Florida The fiery red Mini Cooper roared to a stop, a vibrant contrast to the beige monotony of Lisa's suburban street. Ruhi hopped out to show off her car to her friend and grab breakfast from their favorite restaurant. Her day was busy and full of plans. She had to head out to Atlanta soon after breakfast to meet her long-distance boyfriend, Dhruv, for the winter break. "Ta-da!" She exclaimed, gesturing to the car. Isn't she a beauty? 300 horsepower, fully loaded, all-wheel drive." Lisa emerged from her house, a statuesque redhead with emerald eyes that widened at the sight of the car. "Wow, Ruhi, that's amazing! Totally suits your fiery personality." Ruhi grinned. "Right? I only went in for a test drive, but then they had this one in this incredible metallic red. I couldn't resist." Her gaze lingered on the car. "Two days later, and I'm still head over heels. Ready to roll?" "Yep, gimme a second. I'll give some dry treats to Romeo
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Dhruvkept Ruhibusy on the call when she stopped forbreaks and to fill up gas in the car. Usually, when flying to meet him, she couldn't get out of the airport fast enough to run tohim. But as she drove to the parking lot of his condo,she gave in to the temptation of looking Rafael up before walking to themain door. It was chilly in Atlanta at 55F. She went back into the car and spelled Rafael'slong name in the search bar. Her heart jumped out of her chest when she saw his picture. The same hazelbrown eyes, shrewd and sparkling with the sort of gaze that can make people forget to breathe and a lot more. Memories of her trip to his dad's summer home thirteen years ago flooded her. She was twelve, and he was sixteen. Rafael's dad owned a place in Coonoor, a beautiful Indian town high up in the mountains called the Nilgiris or the Blue Mountains. Ruhi's family visited Coonoor when her dad wanted to complete a
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December 31st AM | Sausalito, California "Ahh! This tiny town is like magic..." Ruhi jumpedin excitement as they got off the ferry from San Francisco to Sausalito. "Look at how the homes are clinging to the steep hillside! The skyline, the waterfront, wow!" She turned around in a full circle in awe. "I'm in love with California!!" She hugged Dhruv. "Correction: Northern California," Dhruv said, "I hate LA and anything SoCal." Ruhi had no idea what he meant. She visited a few places in the US but lived only in one place all four years. She did her MBA and stayed in the same town for work. "Thank you for getting a job here. Now I'm convinced I should also applyfor something and move." "Ask your soon-to-be fake husband to hire you in one of his companies. Your current boss will throw you out for missing work for so many days anyway." Ruhi suddenly got nervous when Dhruv brought u
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"Ruhi! Hold on, what's the matter with you?" Dhruv caught Ruhi by the elbow just as she got into the elevator to go down the building."Nothing, we had plans to leave after dinner.""Yeah, but that was because we didn't expect him to ask us to stay back. Getting into that place for NYE needs reservations made months ahead. And the table we sat at, with the bay views and complimentary champagne, they charge over a hundred dollars to reserve that.""So what, Dhruv? I'm not interested in the bay views or champagne. I want to get out of here." She stepped out of the elevator and exited through the main door."Why are you yelling at me? And why are you so bothered by what that asshole said?""I think we should break up.""What? Ruhi, you didn't sip a drop of alcohol and are still talking nonsense.""I'm being serious. I can't do this anymore.""Is it because I stared at Alisha? I'm really sorry, Ruhi. It was only for a second, and i
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Rafael stepped out of his car and so did five armedbodyguards from the two black cars that were following him."Ruhi, enough with your tantrums! I haven't complained even one bit about this morning." He followed her as she click-clacked her heels extra hard against the concrete floor when she heard the word 'tantrum'. She spun around when he caught up to her."I wish you complained. Instead of saying one or two classic jerk lines and be done with it, you are acting passive aggressive ever since the phone call. Is it my fault if you can't use those big eyes of yours with extra-long eyelashes to find me at the mall entrance? I was starving and was about to eat lunch when you called, but you talk like only your time is precious. I got time off from work after one year of slogging and guess how I'm spending it?""Don't blame me for your problems since you were born, Ruhi. We could have reached the lawyer's office by now if you didn't enjoy listening to yoursel
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"Miss Ruhi Bakul, I believe this is a forced marriage on top of being a secret contract one?" Eddy Emhoff smirked at Ruhi."Yes??" She raised her eyebrow at him. Rafael's lawyer friend appeared pretty sarcastic and mean to her."Why would it matter if the wedding happens in San Francisco or Siberia? It's fake.""It's still a wedding, and my first one. I even know the color of the saree I want to wear. In my mind, I have planned it many, many years ago. Also, there is this sacred banyan tree in my hometown thatevery newly married couple visits for blessings. I have to take my husband there too, fake or real. I made a promise.""You made a promise to the tree?" Eddy mocked her and looked at Rafael with a 'She's a nutcase' expression."Yes, I did. Don't make fun of the tree."Rafael couldn't believe his ears. He took the paperweight from the loosely stacked contract papers,aimed it at her head, and did a mock throwwhen she was
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The CEO's Pretend Wife Chapter 123
SEVEN YEARS LATER It was a quiet Sunday afternoon with some cooling summer showers pouringdown outside the window whileRafael spent a good amount of time in his study. He was lagging behind quite a bit because he spent all day at the water park yesterday and left work early even on Friday afternoon to attend his daughter's ballet performance. He got up from his seat and stretched before stepping out to see what Ruhi and his little Snookums were up to. Even though he wanted to finish all the piled up stuff, he had gone two hours without seeing them and it felt like too much on a Sunday. He walked down to the kitchen to see what all the excitement was about. Ruhi was watching something very seriously on her daughter'spink laptop while the little girl was busy whisking butter and molten chocolate. She got chocolate mousse on both her chubby cheeks while Ruhi got a good amount on her nose. "Papa! You were not supposed to come out until w
The CEO's Pretend Wife Chapter 122
Rafael had always imagined death to start with some blinding light where all the best moments of his life wouldflash by him and then follow with an abyss of darkness. At least that's what he heard people say it would be like.The gunshots were still ringing in his ears long after the darkness, but the blinding light never came. The pain and the hopelessness sure felt like death.Among the many regrets he had, he regretted not being able to say a proper goodbye. Ruhi had never believed how unconditionally he loved her. He knew he did a poor job showing his feelings toher, except that he could prove that he would die for her, willing to do so over and over.He wanted to hear Ruhi's voice one last time before falling unconscious. His body was going numb, but a shooting painunfurled in the deepest pit of his stomach when he thought about the image of Ruhi lying on the floor.Was she conscious? He couldn't remember. Everything happened too quic
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"Oh, I seriously loved what you fed me. I don't know what this is.""Well, let me fix something light so that you don't go hungry. The doctor will be on his way if you throw up again." His voice trailed off as he walked back into the kitchen.Pushing the stray locks of her hair out of her sweaty forehead, she looked at the time on her phone and groaned, her head still slightly spinning. She slept for almost ten hours last night after getting rid of her dinner and felt exhausted at barely ninein the morning.Rafael stepped into the bedroom with a bowl full of chicken soup forty minutes later, and she was in for another surprise. She wished she knew how to cook a soup withthat perfect consistency and flavor he achieved seemingly effortlessly. Watching the heavy raindrops hit the window panes persistently, she stared out at the dark sky while sipping on the warm liquid."Huh, so no sightseeing today?" She asked Rafael, who was looking at her with
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No matter how much Rafael hated to move to a different room, Ruhi was super adamant, and hehad no other option but to leave the room. He hoped the next morning to be better and planned a day full of fun things to do. He missed the good old times where all she wanted was to eat a good meal with him at a restaurant and make him watch some kids' movies.She answered his call after deliberately missing it the first two times. He assumed she was sleeping. Sleep was the last thing on her mind. Without him by her side, she tossed and turned until the stormy predawn sky gave way to some daylight outside the huge glass windows."Wake up, sleepyhead. We have reservations for breakfast at a lakeside cafe here.""What makes you think I'm still in my bed. I ate breakfast already."Rafael's face fell when he heard that. It was barely 9 AM and Ruhi was still in bed on weekends, so he didn't expect her to be out already when on vacation."Where are you
The CEO's Pretend Wife Chapter 119
"Do I really want to talk to her? I don't think so." Ruhi crumpled the paper with Adira's number on it."Well, we can't trust anything she says, but I think we should hear her out. Also, I need to track her location. So just talk to her for a few minutes and---""I don't want to help you kill her, Rafael."Rafael entered the number into Ruhi's phone and made the call before turning the speaker on."Ruhi... I-I'm sorry. Please, please, help me. There are some half a dozen men with guns chasing me. I feel scared. Ruhi? Are you there?""How could you lie to Gus about something like that? Don't you know he still hasn't moved on?" Ruhi asked reluctantly,confused about how she felt when talking to her sister. She never wanted to talk to her again after finding outshe wanted Gus to kill her."It was... Um, it was Alisha's idea. I just told her Raina had a sister. She came up with this idea to make a deal with him
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It took a lot of courage for Ruhi to utter those four words, knowing full well Rafael wasn't going to let her go that easily. If he was a person to reason with and walk away with mutual understanding, she would have never tried so hard to run away from him. As she expected, his eyes flared, smoldering with what seemed to be fury, and his body grew rigidabove her, taut with tension."What?"He rolled onto his side and forced her to meet his gaze."You heardme. I can't live like this anymore. I want out, and I mean it."He flinched slightly at the steely resolution in her eyes. His gaze was feverishly raking her up and down, with disbelief clearly written all over his face. She was equally baffled that he hadn't seen this coming. She wondered if he was being deliberately dense."Ruhi, I know you didn't deserve the treatment you got from me." He stroked her cheek back and forth with hislong thumb. "It's not fair that I make a mistake
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"A honeymoon..."Ruhi quietly pushed Rafael's hand away and put her seatbelt on. He expected her to put up a fight orrun out of the car and was shocked to see her stare out of the window in resignation.Zack approached the car but was blocked by Harry. He handed Ruhi's cellphone, laptop, and money back to Harry. Rafael told him to hold on to them as he believed Ruhi wouldn't run without those things. He also wanted to make sure she didn't call her sister and ask her to run instead."Drive!" She told him in an impatient voice when he stalled inside the car, checking his work emails quickly."Ruhi, I don't mean to force you into---""What part of my intentions isnot clear to you? Doyou really think I'd run away from you to show you I want to go on a honeymoon? What kind of logic is that?"Rafael opened his mouth to defend himself but closed it when he saw the look on her face. She was royally pissed, unlike all those ot
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"Are you serious?" Ruhi couldn't believe her ears.He ignored her and focused on his phone when Zack texted and then called him."No, no weapons and none of his men. He can go back if he doesn't agree."She waited for him to finish talking on the phone while peeking into the coffee mug he left on the table."Was that dark rum or black coffee? Didyou really mean it when you said I can go?""Pack your stuff before I change my mind."She darted upthe stairs but stopped when she heard Zack enter the house with a pissed off face and announce something to Gus. When did he ever look happy? She wondered and turned back to the room but stopped dead in her tracks when she thought she heard Rafael's name.Climbing back down the spiral staircase, she walked towards the door to listen to their conversation."Just one then. Check thoroughly.""Check who?" She asked Gus, who ignored her again and went to grab some stu
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"Gus, she's gone." Ruhi held her breath when she heard Zack's infuriated voice. She was surprised to hear him address his boss by his name.Gus closed the bathroom door and walked over to the bed. Unlike Zack who wanted to kill Ruhi if he saw her again, Gus was relatively calm as he picked his cellphone up from the bed. Checking his messages on the locked screen and dismissing them, he opened the 'Tracker'."I'll get Nash to check the surveillance camera. She may still be on the premises if---""She's right here." Gus cut him off whileRuhi's heartbeat skyrocketed. "You can get back to work. I'll take care of this."Leaning down a bit, he grabbed Ruhi's wrist firmly and pulled her out from under the bed. She didn't dare to meet hiseyesand stared at the door Zack exited from.Gus moved a strand of her hair from her cheek while she froze.'Crap, crap, crap! He's probably twenty years older than me and wants to either kill me k
