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Chapter 21
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The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 22
CLAIRE When I opened my eyes, I realized that I had drifted into sleep. I wondered when. It must have been after dinner. It had been such a long day, and I was so exhausted. I scanned the surroundings of my room.It was dimly lit, and when I looked harder, I realized that I wasn't in a place that was familiar. This was Asher's bedroom. I wanted to say that I had no idea how I got here, but then I remembered. We had dinner with a little bit of wine, nothing too extreme, and we had gone into conversation, and I was... comfortable. Surprisingly, he was a good listener. Well, when he wanted to be.But I had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea when I had fallen asleep, and when I turned to the side, my heart hammered wildly against my ribcage as I spotted Asher lying on the bed. Shirtless. My throat ran dry almost immediately. This was ridiculous. The way my skin tingled with heat, the way my heart was beating relentlessly. Everything about what I was feeling was ridiculous. What the
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 23
CLAIREI blinked in surprise as he smiled down at me mischievously. I could feel the flour pouring from my face and sliding down to the shirt I had on. “You didn't” “I did,” he smirked. The silence lingered between the both of us before I lunged down a handful of flour and threw it at him. “So it's like that?” His eyes glimmered with amusement. I found myself laughing, the warmth erupting from the pit of my stomach. The butterflies were a stampede, but this time it didn't matter so much. I couldn't remember the last time I had a reason to laugh.But I didn't expect it would be because of this, because of him. Running around the kitchen like a child while he chased me around with a handful of flour. But I resented him. Except this time, I didn't exactly remember that I did. I felt strong arms wrapping around my waist, stopping my movement entirely. The giggles still escaped me. “You know. You're not exactly a very good runner. I could still catch you within the space of a second,
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 24
CLAIRE“You've got to be kidding me,” I groaned at the sight of piled files on the table. I felt the urge to mentally punch myself in the gut for being so distracted with my delusions. What the hell was I even thinking? I was back in the real world, and it was already looking like it couldn't wait to engulf me whole. I headed to my office table and placed my bag on the desk. I tried to drift my mind away from the fact that Asher never came in. Why I was anticipating his entrance was beyond me.I picked up the phone to ring my assistant and then remembered that Asher had fired her for entirely stupid reasons. I sent her a quick text demanding that she return to work as quickly as she could. The thought of Asher flashed through my mind—his wide, cocky smirk.The way his eyes glimmered with amusement. I inhaled deeply. This was absolutely the wrong time to be doing this. I didn't want to carry the burden of thinking about him at the most unexpected times. I decided that it would be a b
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 25
ASHER I kept thinking about the kiss. That was all I could think about. The taste of her lips had been perfect. The scent of her was something that I might have already mastered. If she didn't object, I might have wanted to keep going and go.“Sir?” My attention was quickly reverted as my gaze fell on my assistant. She looked confused and slightly scared. “You were saying?” I raised an eyebrow at her in question. It was pathetic, but I didn't like the fact that my thoughts were being interrupted. I just wanted to fantasize over Claire in peace. “I was wondering if we should approve the meeting. It's scheduled for six p.m." She repeated, and I frowned. Claire wasn't going to meet anything in her condo apartment when she returned. Her things had been moved over to mine. I wanted to be there early before she arrived to witness her reaction. She was going to detest me, but I would pick seeing her face every day over not seeing her at all. I knew fully well she didn't want to move i
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 26
CLAIRE Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable. That's exactly what Asher was.I honestly couldn't believe my eyes when I unlocked my apartment door. Everything was gone.Every single thing.Not a single thing that I owned was left in my condo; it was all gone.I didn't need to think too far to figure out that it was Asher that had arranged for that to happen.I had at least thought that he would have given me till the end of the month to at least prepare mentally to have my life uprooted even further by him. It wasn't fair; Asher was definitely making sure of that.I didn't waste time getting into my car and making my way to Asher's home, not without calling him every two or three minutes to give him a piece of my mind.He was definitely going to be getting that from me. He had no right to do that.I can't believe I was even dumb enough to let my guard down around the way I did this morning; it was obviously all just a plot to try to get me to be calm about this, and I absolutely wo
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 27
ASHER “I'm sorry.”Those were the exact words that had just come out of my mouth. I was more than shocked at this point, and the fact that I was holding a bouquet of flowers and a box of donuts in my arms shocked me even more. “I shouldn't have done that, and I'm sorry.”Claire seemed as shocked as I was, and I didn't blame her; if the same person who I was convinced was hell bent on making me miserable was coming to me with flowers and donuts, I'd be shocked as well.I was honestly in awe when she came to the door with an expression on her face that I didn't want to dare cross.If looks could kill, I would have been six feet under, possibly even deeper.All I could think of when she went off on me was how beautiful and passionate she looked, with her brown hair framing her face as her cheeks progressively became so flushed and red I thought she was about to pass out and her eyebrows that were furrowed together ever so slightly. I couldn't help but find her breathtaking, even if
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 28
CLAIRE I don't know why I kept pondering how Asher looked when he came out of the bathroom. You definitely know why.No matter how much I would try to focus on something else, my mind would still double back to Asher's body and how much he looked like Greek god with the towel tied dangerously low, practically hanging for dear life around his waist, the water dripping off of his dark hair and his chiseled, perfectlu tan torso, and how I kept imagining if he had actually dropped the towel like he had said. Stop it, Claire.“You haven't changed out of your clothes yet.” I didn't even notice him coming back into the room. I felt my cheeks flush as I thought about all the things I was thinking about before he came in.Obviously, he wasn't aware of that, but still.“I'll go take a shower and get changed right now.” “Alright,” he said, “since it's still way too early to go to bed, you can meet me downstairs when you're done, for dinner.”I nodded without a sound as I watched Asher put on
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 29
CLAIRE I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him away. Though I was not strong enough to budge him, I was really sure that he got the message. His eyes were dark with desire as he stared at me, and I could feel every inch of my skin igniting in heat. I felt alive and overwhelmed at the same time. Every part of me was dying to remind myself what his lips tasted like. I wanted to divulge my desires, and I was almost close. I wasn't going to divulge into whatever was happening. One year and all of this would be over, and if I invested myself in this, my heart wouldn't be able to take it when it was over, and I only had myself to blame. I was emotionally ready to stomach any more hurt.And what if things didn't end up so bad and it got serious? How the hell was I going to break it to him that I couldn't give him children? That I was a half-dead woman. I felt a sharp tug in my chest at the realization.I couldn't believe that I was so deluded into thinking that I could have a happy e
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The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 72
CLAIREThe drive to Asher’s father’s house felt way too short, like the universe was speeding things up just to mess with us. The closer we got, the heavier the air seemed to get. I glanced over at Asher. His grip on the steering wheel was tight, his knuckles pale, and every so often, I could see his jaw tighten and then relax, like he was trying—and failing woefully—to keep it together.Neither of us had said much since we got in the car, and the silence was almost worse than any awkward small talk we could’ve tried. The tension between us wasn’t the kind you could ignore. It just sat there, heavy and obvious, like a third passenger we couldn’t throw out of the car.Outside, the scenery blurred past, but I barely noticed. My stomach was in knots, and my hands were clenched in my lap, fiddling with the edge of my sleeve just to give myself something to do.“You okay over there?” I asked cautiously, though I already knew the answer.“Absolutely not,” he muttered. “Going to see my dad i
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 71
CLAIREAsher had this way of making me feel like the only person in the world. It was the little things—the way his hand hovered near mine like he was ready to catch me at any second or the way he smiled like he knew a secret no one else did. It was comforting, almost addictive, and I found myself wanting it more and more.When we left the coffee shop, the city seemed alive in a way I hadn’t noticed before. Maybe it was the buzz of morning activities—people moving around, talking, going about their days. Or maybe it was Asher walking next to me, his hand brushing against mine every so often, sending little sparks of electricity through my skin.“Where to first?” I asked, glancing up at him.“You’ll see,” he said with a sly grin.Of course, he didn’t tell me. Asher loved a good surprise, and while it usually annoyed me, today I decided to let him take the lead.We ended up at a small flower market tucked into a corner of the city that I had never explored. Stalls lined the cobblestone s
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 70
CLAIRERegal was becoming a thorn in the flesh. I couldn't think of any way to get him to stop bothering Asher and I. The more that I tried to get him to stay away. The more he would keep coming back to prove a point and I was getting extremely tired of entertaining his antics. How could I not see that he has been such a pain when I married him. I closed my eyes and sighed.I shivered when Asher ran a finger over my bare arm tenderly. My gaze met his. Somehow, he had been awake and I didn't even know it. He had a way of taking his time to observe me before I became aware.“Whatever is bothering you. It's best you tell me so that I can take care of it,” he said softly. But then I still couldn't find the courage to bring up Asher. Bringing him up is going to ruin the mood completely and I wasn't so sure that I could have that. Regal had already caused so much tension between us. I wasn't going to let him ruin the morning too. “Nothing. Just thinking about the pile of work that I had
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 69
CLAIREI toweled off quickly, feeling the residual heat from the bath clinging to my skin. Asher's gaze lingered on me with a mixture of affection and intensity, which had me fighting a blush that I knew was already creeping up my neck. He wrapped his towel around his waist, his eyes never leaving mine. Back in the bedroom, I watched as Asher moved with ease, the muscles in his back flexing as he reached for clothes. For a moment, I just stood there, taking him in—the effortless confidence in his movements, the way the faint light caught on his skin. I found myself unable to look away."You're staring," he said without turning, but there was a hint of a smile in his voice, as if he had been watching me and not the other way around."You're too smug for your own good," I shot back, rolling my eyes to hide the flush creeping up my neck. "Maybe put on a shirt before your ego inflates."He turned around, one eyebrow raised. "So you admit you were enjoying the view?""Maybe I was just adm
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 68
CLAIRE“So what's in it for her?” Asher asked after a few seconds of silence.“That's the thing,” I told him, “I have no idea, and I can't seem to figure it out.” “That's very strange...and suspicious. Liah wanting to help someone for no reason? That's practically impossible, to be honest. The Liah I know wouldn't be caught dead doing someone a favor without getting a single thing in return.” He went back to massaging my scalp. It was more of him running his fingers absentmindedly through my hair while he spoke than it was a massage. "Well, I don't think it's for no reason. She kind of said she might be doing this for you when I asked what she would get out of it.” “Oh, that definitely sounds more believable. So what exactly did she ask for?”My body tensed up a little bit as I thought of answering his question, and he seemed to notice. “Anything wrong? You seen tense. What did Liah tell you?” He placed a hand on my shoulder gently, and I started to feel slightly relaxed. Then I r
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 67
CLAIREThe proximity between us evaporated as he clutched my face tenderly in his hands. My breathing heightened. I was still trying to recover from the heat of his kiss. I was drowning in the heat that threatened to consume me. My hands were on fire as soon as I realized they were still placed across his torso. It was impossible to concentrate. “I've been waiting for you all day. I thought you were going to take forever to get back home. Get back home to me,” his voice drifted into a whisper as he placed his head against mine.I closed my eyes. My heart was threatening to give way from my body. I couldn't breathe, but it was a good kind of discomfort. “I've been thinking about you all day too. I-” I paused as my eyes watered with tears. I was terrified that Asher was going to see me in a more vulnerable state than he has ever seen me in his life. I wondered if it was the right time to be vulnerable with him. I closed my eyes. I needed to breathe. I need to pause every negative thou
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 65
CLAIREIt was a good thing that I had a very firm practice of keeping my temper on a leash. The sight of Liah seated comfortably on the chair from across made me want to lung out in frustration. I was exhausted from feeling so many intense emotions in a day. Everything about her irritated me, right from the sight of her perfect legs to the cold, sassy smile on her face. My headache intensified and I inhaled deeply to at least regain composure because my anger was already beginning to rise to the surface. “I'm not sure I'm going to need your forgiveness for anything. I'm also certain that you're imposing on my private time. So if you're done spewing your BS. You can as well leave my office,” I said. I gave myself a mental pat on the back for sounding unbothered.I could have almost sworn that I saw irritation flash through her eyes, and when I looked again, the same smug smile still remained on her face.When she remained on the chair, making no attempt to move, I raised an eyebrow a
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 65
CLAIREI couldn't stop thinking about the look in Asher's eyes. Every inch of my body awakened each time my mind went to it. It was impossible to do anything else. Every inch of my body awakened each time I thought about how he confessed that he couldn't keep his hands off me. I knew that the both of us were on a tough path, but at least it was another sign to stay hopeful.I closed my eye and got out of the car almost immediately. I needed to stop thinking about Asher for the time being. I wasn't going to be able to attend to all that I had to today if I kept on thinking about his bare torso.As I headed closer to my office, dread engulfed me. This was certainly not the day where I had the mental capacity to tolerate Asher. I closed my eyes and sighed, and I breathed with relief when I spotted no one waiting for me by the door. I closed my eyes and sighed. It was indeed a great relief. “Good morning, miss. I've been expecting you,” Ella smiled at me. I wasn't really in the best of
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 64
CLAIREMy eyes fluttered open as I sensed Asher's warmth. I wanted to believe that JH was a figment of imagination, and it could easily be my mind conjuring up things since I craved his presence so much. I closed my eyes, sighed, and turned to face Asher’s empty bedside. His scent became stronger. My eyes flew open, and my lips parted open in surprise as my eyes caught his. I don't know how long he's been awake. My cheeks flushed with color as I thought about how long he might have been watching me. He was here, and somehow I wanted to believe that it was a figment of my imagination. After what happened yesterday, I was convinced that it would only be a matter of time before he let me know that he wanted nothing to do with me. “Hi,” he said quietly.I closed my eyes. Somehow the words were stuck on the tip of my tongue. Somehow I couldn't even come up with the right thing to say. My heart was soaring wildly within the confines of my chest. Hope. I felt it a lot of times to recogni
