All Chapters of CEO's Contract Wife: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Izzy had begun to think she knew the rhythms of her new life with Liam. The tightly choreographed appearances, the carefully curated smiles, the unspoken rules of high society—they were becoming familiar, even if they still felt like borrowed clothes that didn’t quite fit. But despite her growing familiarity with the public side of Liam Stone, the private side remained a mystery. She knew him as the unflinching CEO, the man who could face down his uncle without batting an eye and glide through a crowd of power players with perfect ease. And yet, behind those impenetrable gray eyes, she sensed something more.It was subtle at first—small things that she might not have noticed had she not been paying such close attention. The way his hand tightened slightly when they posed for photos, as if steadying himself. The way his eyes sometimes darted away during conversations, as if he were momentarily lost in a thought he didn’t want to share. Or the way he would retreat to his study late at n

For the first time in weeks, Izzy felt like her old self. She was sitting in a bustling downtown pub, surrounded by laughter, music, and the familiar energy of Chicago’s nightlife. Across from her, her best friend Lily was grinning, holding up her glass for a toast.“To new beginnings,” Lily said, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “Or, at least, to survival in the world of high society.”Izzy laughed, clinking her glass with Lily’s. “I’ll drink to that.”She took a long sip of her cocktail, the sweet, fizzy taste a refreshing change from the usual champagne and wine that seemed to flow endlessly at every event she’d attended with Liam. For a few hours, she felt free—free from the expectations, from the constant scrutiny, and from the unspoken tension simmering between her and her new husband.“So,” Lily leaned in, a smirk on her face. “How’s life as Mrs. Stone? Are you getting used to the glitz and glamour yet?”Izzy rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t help but smile. “It’s… complicat

It was a rare sunny afternoon in Chicago when Izzy received the invitation. A sleek black envelope, delivered directly to her desk at Stone Enterprises, bearing her name in elegant, looping script. Inside was a beautifully embossed card inviting Mrs. Isabella Stone to a charity luncheon hosted by the West Foundation—a name Izzy knew all too well from her occasional gossip tabloid readings. Sabrina West was a prominent socialite, the kind who seemed to exist only in the pages of high-society magazines and whispered stories of scandal and intrigue.Izzy knew Sabrina was part of Liam's past, a woman who had once stood beside him at countless events, always elegantly draped on his arm. The media had fawned over their relationship, and there had been endless speculation about their future together. Sabrina West was Liam’s longest and most serious relationship—until it ended abruptly. Izzy didn’t know the details, and she hadn’t asked, but she had sensed that whatever had happened between t

It was early in the morning, and Izzy was nursing a cup of coffee in the penthouse kitchen when Liam walked in, already dressed in a sharp gray suit and looking like he was ready to conquer the day. He moved with the same calm confidence he always did, yet today, there was an edge of urgency in his eyes.“Izzy,” he said, breaking her morning reverie. She looked up, meeting his gaze, trying to hide her surprise. Mornings weren’t usually a time for conversation between them; they kept to their own routines and left each other in peace. So his direct, focused attention now caught her off guard.“Yes?” she replied, setting her mug down and giving him her full attention.“I need you to accompany me out of the city for a conference,” he said, leaning against the kitchen counter, his gaze unwavering. “It’s a two-day event, and it would look better if we attended as a couple.”Izzy’s eyebrows shot up, both surprised and hesitant. “A conference? Do you really need me there? I thought… you usua

Returning to Chicago from the conference felt like coming down from a dream. The sunny coastal air and the charged intimacy of the resort had been replaced by the gray, towering buildings and chilly winds of the city. But more than the scenery, it was the shift in Liam’s behavior that made Izzy feel like something important had been left behind on that beach.Liam had barely spoken to her on the flight home. He’d buried himself in his laptop, responding to emails and drafting plans for upcoming projects, his focus entirely elsewhere. Any attempt she’d made to start a conversation had been met with curt, polite responses that quickly fizzled into silence. He seemed wrapped in a protective shell, one she hadn’t seen in him before, and it left her feeling strangely abandoned, like a part of their connection had been severed.When they finally returned to the penthouse, he mumbled something about heading to the office and disappeared almost immediately, leaving her standing alone in the g