Nobela ni Lena Monroe

I couldn't sleep that night. Fear sinks its claws into me.The gun sat on my nightstand like a dark augury. Its cold presence made everything real. No more pretending. No more detachment. Brenton was close, close enough to photograph me through a window.And Alexander… he handed me a weapon like it was nothing. Like it was normal.Like this was my life now.I kept on thinking while I stared at the ceiling until dawn, then dressed in silence and made my way downstairs. Alexander was already up, dressed in a pristine black suit, typing away on his phone as if there was nothing going on.“You need to be at the charity hospital by ten,” he said without looking up. “They’re expecting Mrs. Pierce to smile and pretend she gives a damn about sick kids.”“Maybe I actually do,” I muttered.He looked up. His expression was unreadable. “This isn’t the time to start caring.” He said coldly.“I’m not like you,” I said, acting all bold.He stood, buttoned his jacket, and majestically walked pas

Morning came like a slap.I didn’t sleep. I couldn’t. My body was exhausted, but my mind ran wild images of Brenton's face in the crowd, Alexander's coldness on the balcony, and the bitter taste of disappointment still sharp on my tongue.I dragged myself out of bed and into the en-suite bathroom. The mirror didn’t lie dark circles, pale skin, eyes too wide with unrest.This wasn’t the woman I used to be. I didn’t recognize the reflection anymore.I took a long, cold shower. Dressed in silence. And by the time I stepped into the hallway, Alexander was already seated at the dining table, reading the financial section of the paper like nothing happened.Like I hadn’t nearly broken down the night before.“Coffee’s on the left,” he said without looking up.That was it. No ‘Good morning.’ No ‘Are you okay?’ Just instructions. Like I was staff.I ignored the coffee and stood by the windows, arms crossed.“We need to talk,” I said.“You always say that when you want something,” he replied c

I suddenly heard the car door slammed behind me. I sank into the leather seat, the city lights bleeding past the tinted windows. Alexander slid in beside me, silent. The driver pulled off without a word.I kept my arms wrapped around myself, still shaken. My ex was alive. Free. Watching me. And Alexander Alexander had seen the panic written all over my face.Now he sat there like a stone. Cold. Sharp. Distant.Back to normal.“Eleanor,” he said without looking at me, “next time, don’t freeze like that in public. You made us look unstable.”My head jerked toward him. “Are you serious?”“You saw someone who triggered you. Fine. But you need to remember your role. I pay you to act like my wife, not fall apart in public.”My mouth went dry. Any softness he showed on the balcony was gone now, replaced with the man I knew behind closed doors—calculated, controlled, and ruthless.“You pretended to care in there,” I said quietly. “Held me. Protected me.”“It was necessary,” he replied coolly

The cheers faded into a thick, humming silence.I instantly saw faces around me gradually blurred, nothing but a swirl of noise and color. At this point I wasn’t hearing the music anymore, or the laughter. Only the pounding rush of blood in my ears, drowning everything else out.Brenton.He was here.He was currently Standing comfortably and half-hidden among the crowd, leaning casually against a pillar like he belonged there. I was still staring at him when his head tilted slightly, the corner of his mouth curled in a familiar, bone-chilling smirk. Like he hadn’t tried to murder me the last time we stood this close, not just about the attempted murder he also planned to destroy me using every little opportunity he got.I was feeling so tensed as panic clawed up my throat. I stumbled forcefully and took a step back, to gain my balance but almost missed my step, my fingers fumbling for balance. I could barely breathe, couldn’t think. The polished floor started to feel like it was stagg

I blinked. “You mean besides the eight hundred thousand dollars?”His expression remained unreadable. “Yes.”I hesitated, fingers tracing the marble countertop. Why had I agreed?Because my father needed medical treatment. Because I had no other options. Because, deep down, I wanted to prove I could handle this.Instead, I shrugged. “Why did you ask me to go into a contract marriage with you ?”Alexander exhaled, swirling the water in his glass. “You fit the image. You were the least complicated choice.”Ouch. I felt the harshness in that.“Glad to know I’m your best ‘least complicated’ option,” I muttered.He didn’t apologize, because, of course, he wouldn’t.Instead, he just said, “Get some rest. We have a public appearance tomorrow.”And just like that, he left again unannounced, disappearing down the hall.I let out a slow breath, staring at the spot where he had stood.This arrangement was simple on paper, but being in Alexander Pierce's world it was going to be anything but easy

I had no response. Instead, I slid the ring onto my. It felt foreign, like wearing a piece of someone else’s life.His gaze flickered to my hand before he straightened. “The press will hear about our engagement soon. Expect attention.”“Great,” I mumbled. “Just what I wanted.”“That's all I guess,” he said, checking his watch, “we are done for today.”I took in an unhurried breath “So, that’s it? I just go home and wait to be your wife?”Alexander met my gaze. “You can go home now, and make all necessary preparations but know for a fact that your life is about to change.”A chill went down my spine.I had signed a contract. I had agreed to this.So why did it feel like I had just signed away something bigger than I realized?As I stood to leave, the weight of the ring on my finger felt heavier than it should. This was just a deal, just a temporary arrangement. So why did it already feel permanent?Like a chain, I couldn’t take off? I asked myself.I eventually arrived at Alexander's