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Chapter 40
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The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 41
CLAIRE As I hurried towards the board room where Asher's assistant directed me to. My heart pounded frantically within my chest. Everything was happening. As I stepped outside. People's gazes lingered on me for a little longer than necessary. The attention I received made me want to crawl in my skin. It took every atom of composure to ignore it.I closed my eyes and sighed. I could already feel the pounding in my head. As I opened the door, I froze by the doorway as I took in the sight of Asher and another woman standing closer than usual. Asher pulled away almost immediately as his eyes met mine. I could feel my heart shattering to a million pieces. Breathe. And yet it was impossible. I was barely functioning. I could feel the air in my lungs beginning to constrict in my throat. “I was about to make my way over to your office,” he said. I remained silent. The words were stuck on the tip of my tongue, and I didn't exactly know what to say. My gaze traveled from him to the woman th
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 42
CLAIRE I spent the rest of the night tossing and turning. I had no one to blame for my turmoil apart from myself. I closed my eyes, and I tried to will the sleep to come, but I was unsuccessful. I should have said something. Maybe I shouldn't have made my jealousy such a big deal, but now I've acted on it, and I was beyond terrified that it was too late to take everything back. Something between us had been destroyed, and I couldn't shake off the nibbling guilt that I had been the one to destroy it. I stared at the ceiling in agony. The room was still dark, and I was certain that it was only the wee hours of the early morning. This was the first time that I was sleeping here without him. My heart crashed at the fact that I wouldn't be waking up next to him anymore. I wouldn't get to see him smile. I wouldn't have the opportunity to have breakfast with him once more. The lingering possibility of the both of us drifting apart terrified the hell out of me. I sprang up into a sitting p
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 43
ASHER “I don't want to be far from you anymore; it's torture.” That's what I wanted to say to Claire, word for word, as she quietly took little bites out of the French toast served in front of her on the table.Instead, I said nothing.Not a word.I just looked at her as she ate.Claire had no idea what she was doing to me, and quite honestly, I didn't either.I had barely slept the night before. I mean, how could I? It was complete torture knowing that Claire definitely thought otherwise because of what she had seen from my interaction with Liah. She kept hammering on the fact that she didn't care, but she wasn't fooling me. I could clearly see it on her face.I had hurt her.And no amount of explanation would be able to explain what Claire would have seen. From her perspective, whether or not Liah was coming on to me or vice versa, we were both in an extremely comprising position. I wondered how obvious it was that I didn't sleep a bit last before. I felt tired, and I could bare
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 44
CLAIRE I got back from the office. I got off earlier than I usually did. I haven't exactly been taking work seriously as I used to before. Who would have thought that I would close from work early before the supposed time? Maybe because it was the weekend and I was looking forward to spending the free time with my husband. My heart tingled as I lingered on the word like it was foreign. The thought of coming home to spend time with'my husband’ made my stomach roll with excitement. My heart tugged a bit in disappointment when I found out that he wasn't yet back from the office. With time, maybe I could convince him to move back in with me. His absence from the room was so achingly taunting that I was almost scared to spend one more night in this room alone. Today was a Friday, meaning I got to take him out to discover a new hobby. I decided that there was no point waiting for him to get home. I would use the time to prepare.I decided that this was the perfect time to run myself a b
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 45
ASHER I knew I was done for the moment I saw her standing there, framed by the light from the hallway. The dress I had chosen was doing things to me I couldn't put into words. It hugged every curve, every line of her body, and the crimson fabric only intensified how delicate yet powerful she looked. My fingers twitched at the thought of pulling it off her, but I forced myself to stay calm. “You look…” I began, my voice low as I pulled her closer to me, the words trailing off as they didn't seem enough. It was taking an incredible amount of restraint not to take her into my arms and pull it right off of her, right there and right then. Obviously I didn't, but as she walked closer to me, it made it a lot harder not to. Her eyes softened, a little bashful, as she adjusted the straps of her dress, her cheeks matching the color of it. "I'm glad you like it," she said quietly, with a hint of mischief behind her smile. "Like it?" I stepped closer, leaning in just enough that I could br
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 46
CLAIRE The ride home was quieter than before. Not the awkward kind of quiet, but more like that peaceful silence where neither of us needed to say anything. I could still feel the warmth of Asher’s hand lingering on mine from when he helped me into the car. I turned my head slightly to look at him, stealing a glance while he kept his eyes on the road. His jaw was clenched in concentration, but there was this softness in his expression, a calmness that I wasn’t used to seeing in him. I wondered if he felt the same way I did—like something between us had shifted tonight, like we were getting closer to whatever this was between us. And it was scaring me just a little.My gaze fell back to my lap, and I fiddled with the hem of my dress, replaying the night in my head. He’d been... different. Not that he wasn’t always sweet, but tonight, it felt like he was going out of his way to show me how much he cared. Or maybe I was just finally starting to believe it. That thought made my stomach
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 47
CLAIREThe yellow flowery sundress I had on made my skin pop. I smiled at my reflection in the mirror as I tried to fasten the zip. “Hey, let me help you with that.” That deep baritone voice stirred something in me, my heart picking up its pace. “Hi,” I murmured back, a small smile touching my lips. He stood behind me, our gazes licking as we stared at each other from the mirror. I could feel my cheek heat up, burning up my ears. I averted my gaze from his. His hand grazed my bare back softly, his touch lingering there for a few seconds, before he proceeded to fasten my zip. “Uhm...thank you.” I said, stepping away from him before I gave into the urge to lean into his warmth. “You look beautiful, Mrs Gray.” He said with a smile that reached his eyes, tucking his hands into his pockets. For the first time since he entered the room, I took in his appearance. He had his blazer hung on his left arm, the sleeves of his crisp white shirts rolled up to his elbows, revealing his very ex
The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 48
CLAIREI don't know how long I stretched; I only knew that I had no desire to go to work today or leave this bed. I turned to the other side of the bed and blinked in surprise as I stared at Asher's sleeping state. His chest rose up and down in slow motion, and he looked so peaceful that I didn't have the heart to wake him up. I was surprised to see him here. I hadn't audibly voiced out my need for him to stay here last night, but somehow it seems like he knew what I needed before I even asked. I stretched out my hand and then paused as I battled with the need to stroke the side of his face tenderly. With every moment that passed. I felt this insane hunger to touch him. My body instantly came alive with heat at the thought, and my cheeks flushed with color instantly. It was ridiculous that this was the first thing that I would be thinking about in the morning. No shame at all. My subconscious deemed it the perfect moment to mock me. I tried to ignore it. The room was shrouded in co
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The Trillionaire's Contractual Bride Chapter 73
CLAIREThe room was shrouded in silence for a brief second, and I couldn't stop myself from wondering if it was because of me or because of the tension that traveled through the air. I didn't regret my outburst.I guess this would count as the first time that I had the luxury of putting Annabelle in her place without thinking of consequences. I took my time chewing into the chicken tenders. They were juicy and delicious. The only privilege of being in Gregory's company was that at least we had access to delicious food. That was the only thing that I was going to give him credit for. I was still trying to wrap my head and my mind around it. Asher and Regal were family. It dawned on me that there was a high possibility that I was going to be seeing more of Regal. Just when I hoped that I was done with him. “So tell us, Regal. Simply for curiosity sake. How did you two separate considering the fact that the both of you were once married?" Liah asked. I could see her lips curled up in
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
