Caroline pov“Everyone… meet my wife. Caroline Johnson.”The words crashed into me.Hard.My heart stalled in my chest. Time froze for me.Wife?I blinked, refusing to let my shock show. My face remained frozen in that same small, polite smile I’d worn into the room. But inside, my world was shattering and rebuilding at the same time.What game was he playing?Because this… this wasn’t part of the plan.There was no marriage. No public announcement. No real conversation beyond the contract, the threats, the shared night, and the tension that could burn cities.But now…Now he had announced that I was his wife?I looked at Xavier again. He was staring at me like I was the only person in the room. His eyes burned through me, daring me to contradict him.But I didn’t. The words continued to repeat inside my head like a circus show, even minutes after Xavier announced it. the entire room was plunged into a deep silence. Their eyes turned with a new light towards my direction. They were
chapter 16: mistakeCaroline POVThe door slammed shut behind us.Hard.The sound echoed like a gunshot in the always quiet villa of Xavier.I didn’t flinch. Didn’t speak. I poised, facing him, waiting for him to say something but he didn’t. He continued to watch me liek we were in a staring contest.The air was thick with everything we didn’t say in that boardroom. Thing I couldn't say because of the web of lies that Xavier had painted around us.I could feel his gaze burning into my skin. My pulse racing. I didn't know if it was because I was angry loud in my ears, but I kept my breathing steady. He wouldn’t get to see me riled up.Not yet.Not when he’d use it against me.“Wife?” I said, finally, my voice like silk stretched over steel. “is that why you insisted that i must attend the meeting? So that you can flaunt your prized possession to the whole world.”Silence. And nothing.Notjing was on his face. He didn't say anything, nor showed any emotion to whatever I said. Just blank
chapter 17: Going for the partyCaroline povOne week laterThey say a week isn’t long enough for anything to change.But they don’t live in Xaviers villa.And they certainly aren’t married to the same Xavier.Every day since that night after the board meeting felt like walking through a fog, one made of silk sheets, awkward silences, stolen glances, and unspent tensions and questions that was suspended in the air around us. refusing to leave me alone.He hadn’t kissed me.He hadn’t touched me.And he hardly comes home, unless late at night, when I would feel the side of his bed ruffle. We hardly see each other in the morning, But each time we jam, he looks at me like he wants to say or do something, but he would never say it out aloud. And I hated itEach morning I woke to the sound of heels echoing through the empty house. my own, as I wandered through Xavier's polished world of control. I didn't know what was worse: the moments he was absent or the ones he was near.Because Xavi
Chapter 18: Jenna Caroline’s POV The applause that followed thundered through the room as the MC’s voice echoed again. "Let’s welcome the youngest CEO in town. The heir to Johnson's empire… Mr. and Mrs. Xavier Johnsons!" Flashbulbs popped, camera lens clicking drumed in my ears. I forced out a smile, chin raised, spine straight. But inside, my heart continued to pound against my ribcage like I was being led to the gallows. The entire room shifted toward us like we were royalty…or wolves entering a den of lions. But in all their happy and praising faces, I could see the hidden scorn and the fake smiles behind all the smiles. The attention was suffocating, and I almost tripped on my gown in my nervousness. Xavier kept a straight face, while his hand rested firmly on my lower back. None of the attention or the noise bothered him. I clutched his hand tightly, my body filled with nervousness. but if he noticed he didn't say anything. He guided me forward to a specially decora
Caroline pov“Jenna?” I breathed. Surprised to see her.Her smile was soft, and innocent but I know better than to trust her. Especially when I didn’t know if she was the enemy or not. I suddenly became on guard.“I thought you’d be here,” she said simply.My spine stiffened.“What are you doing here?” I asked, suddenly unsure if I was still breathing properly. “You weren’t invited to the party.”“Was I not?” she asked, taking a slow step forward while flaunting her gold invitation card like a trophy. “Funny. Because I got a personal invitation.”My fingers curled tighter against the sink. “Stay back, you are the enemy and I don't trust you for a second.”I could see her smile falter. “You think I am an enemy. After helping you escape the company…”“Why did you do it.” I finally asked what had always been in my mind. “pardon me but before I was arrested we have not been best of buddies. Why now…what have changed?”The air between us became tensed. too tense. Like a guitar string pulle
Caroline povThe party passed by like a breeze. I had managed to survive sitting at the same table as Emelda. Even though she did try to provoke me so many times. But so many things running in my mind saved me from having to deal with her troubles.Like what had happened in the restroom earlier on.The ghost of xaviers lips on mine.The feel of his body caging me against the wall. I felt suddenly hot as I remember the intoxicating feeling I had felt with him.The way I didn't fight him at first. I had let him again.I strengthened my stiff joints from sitting in the leather seats of the limousine. Ever since the restroom incident. Xavier had not looked at me, or talk to me. Only staring out the window without saying anything.I stared out the window, city lights flashing like ghosts across my vision, but all I could think about was that kiss. Not just the kiss itself, but the way it felt. Real. Raw. And that's the problem. Cause my heart came shattering down when he said it was a
Caroline’s POVI woke up to strings of sunlight that brightened the room. Bringing with it warmth and something else. Last night was a rollercoaster of emotions. Xavier had opened up about his mother and the real reason for our contract. Xavier’s quiet admission, the soft look in his eyes when he spoke about his mother, it had made me believe something had shifted. Maybe, just maybe, we were beginning to peel away the layers of tension and rivalry between us. Maybe he was seeing me as a real human being rather than a vessel to actualize his plans.I should have known better.Because a soft cough caught my attention, I turned my attention to see Xavier already up, but there was something about his expression. It was different from the man from last night.He stood at the edge of the bed wearing a crisp suit, with his expression carved like stone. Eyes unreadable. Lips pressed in a flat line.“Good…”“You’re going to see your mother today,” he cut short my greetings. Not a question. A
Caroline povThe Nightmare started with whispers of My name echoing through thick fog. Caroline… Caroline…Then, I found myself in the hospital. In the same room that my mother was in a few hours ago. But now there was a difference. The machines were blaring, and my mother’s bed was empty.Before I could ask around, a shadow loomed behind me. I turned.Xavier.He was standing behind me. But something was wrong. This version of him was all sharp edges and fury. His eyes glowed an unnatural gold. His face was twisted in contempt and scrutinization.“You let her die,” he whispered coldly. “You let your only mother die.”“What..what are you saying”I backed away, heart thundering at my ribcage, but my feet wouldn’t move. It was like I was glued to the floor.“You killed her, selfish daughter” he repeated, his face becoming uglier. “You didn't want the contract. Because of that, she died.”“Noo, leave me alone” I screamed in terror, turning back to run away.The floor cracked behind m
chapter 35: Dinner awaitsCaroline’s POVThe hallway was unusually quiet when we entered through the side door. Daphne immediately separated from me to go freshen up, leaving me to find my way to our room. I was sweaty, sore, and with way too many questions swirling in my head. My body still felt shaky from the morning run, and the unexpected conversation with Elijah had left a strange knot in my chest.I groaned, closing the door behind me while walking like a zombie to the bathtub. What I just needed was a hot bath.A few minutes later, I was coming out from my hot shower. Hot Steam curled around me , with a towel pressed against my damp hair. I had thought I would get rid of all the pressing thoughts that refused to leave my head, but no, they continued to linger. Elijah's suspicious questions, the strange stares from the maids, servants, and worst of all, the tension between me and Xavier. Especially about the new clause and the fight for the heirship. I don't know why, but I k
chapter 34: Garden encounterCaroline povWe had jogged for like 30 minutes, which felt like forever.My lungs burned. My legs screamed from. There is too much use.Beside me, Daphne laughed breathlessly, as if she was enjoying my suffering and pain. “Come on, Caroline. That’s the best you’ve got?” she said, wiping off sweats that had clogged around her forehead with the sleeve of her brown hoodie.I bent forward, palms on my knees, gulping in air like i couldn't get enough. “I swear…" this is not what I signed up for.”“Common Caroline, stop being dramatic, and let's continue, we are yet to reach half…”“Hell noo,” I invited, stomping my leg on the floor to emphasize my point. I refuse to be Daphne's second Xavier. Besides, she had barged in and broken the moment I and Xavier were having. ”I am done here”Seeing her smile getting wider and wider, every second made my anger boil from embarrassment. The thoughts of how she had barged into our room earlier made me want to strangle her
chapter 33: Talk to meCaroline’s POVThe morning sun filtered through the tall windows, casting golden streaks across the velvet curtains and polished wooden floor. I blinked slowly, Was it just me.or was there something almost special about the Johnsons estate. Like everything ranging from the air, the sunlights looked fresher.I sank deep into the warmth of the sheets, welcoming the silence of the room and the sound of a soft beating heart.Xaviers beating heart.I inhaled deeply, the scent of him, musky, spice, and something uniquely Xavier, wrapping around me like a second skin.He lay beside me, his breathing steady, his chest rising and falling softly with each breath.I propped up myself, watching. I know it was creepy, but I couldn't help myself.for the first time since I had known him, I saw him without his anger. Without his distant walls that were always around him. No furrowed brows, no clenched jaw. Just… Xavier. Real. Peaceful. And almost Human.My eyes trailed the
Chapter 32: Steamy night sexual explicit ‼️‼️‼️content ahead, you can skip this chapter, and ut will not affect the story flow. Caroline pov A strangled gasp escaped my lips, but he swallowed the sound, backing me into a nearby wall. I felt his hands sliding down to grip my hips like he couldn’t decide if he wanted to crush me or worship it. Heat exploded through me like fire. All the anger, all the fear, all the confusion, all the unspent tension from the dinner a few hours ago, was swallowed by his intense kiss, burned away from the intensity of his touch. I was burning, and even though there was no fire, I felt like I should quell the rising heat that had suddenly risen in my body. If not, I might actually burn from the inside out. And I did just that, following my instincts, I clutched at his shirt and pulled him closer. So close that I wished we were not close enough. I could have said no or chose to push him away. To resolve our grievances. But at this moment… I didn'
Chapter 31: The unsaid tension Caroline pov"You didn’t disappoint the masterpiece, Caroline," Elijah's words continue to repeat in my mind.Those words were the exact words in the note of the dress that I had worn to the party. Xavier had said it was not him but refused to tell me who it was. But now it all made sense.Why was he so angry?The reason he insisted I change the dress?Cause he knows it was from Elijah.A short gasp escaped from my mouth, I realised too late that Xavier had stopped abruptly and me not lookin had bumped at his back.I shivered, but not just from the chill. But from the chaos that was Xavier breathing down my neck. It looked like he had a lot to say but didn't know how to start.I looked down, wrapping my hands around myself. I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. Not after what had happened.Luckily, he said nothing, choosing to cross the driveway, his hand tightly holding mine. I'm a painful grip, but I made no noise.In the distance, I spotted a slee
Caroline povThe music pulsed through the room, a soft, smooth melody that flowed through the hall in a quite strong manner that made it easier for Elijah to twirl me around effortlessly.He moved with grace, like someone who has a lot of years of experience. He knew how to charm a room , and unfortunately, his charm was working a little too well on me."You dance better than I thought, for someone who had never danced before." Elijah said, his lips curling up into a playful smirk as he led me through a slow spin. I huffed, trying not to let his compliment affect me."Thanks... I guess beginner's luck?""No, really," he insisted, pulling me a little closer with a sly tug of my waist."For someone who's supposed to be a new 'Alien’ in our world, you're doing a damn good job keeping up with the tension."I stiffened slightly at the word 'new alien’, it was always a dagger people liked to throw in an insulting way.But Elijah's tone was teasing and, at the same time, not cruel. At lea
Caroline povI thought the flashes of the cameras and the shocked gasp of the surrounding people would make me chicken out of the kiss.But no, I suddenly felt powerful, it was a last minute feeling that came over me.I allowed Xavier to kiss me. even playing along by going on my toes, holding his head to connect our lips well. His hands had immediately gone towards my waist, pulling me flush against him, as he deepened our kiss. It almost felt real, for once I thought we were actually a real couple. Even after we pulled away from each other, I felt dizziness in my head for a while, my knees had turned to jelly and I could hardly stand up straight. And luckily like he noticed he held me even closer like I was a diamond.but I know better than that.This was just a political move.He was given the public a show.And hell it had worked, his mothers expression was glorious, the top personnel were dumbstruck at Xaviers brazen action. Well, the plan almost worked…Not until his brother
Xavier’s POV I barely tasted the food on my plate. All my attention was focused on the woman sitting at the head of the table, smiling like she had everything on her grasp. My Mother. I watched her every move, which was deliberate, elegant, and poisonous. Each polite laugh, each charming word to the guests around her, was a carefully sharpened blade thrown with a deadly expertise as she addresses people around her. And Caroline. She was sitting beside me, silent with her food barely eaten. I could tell from the constant shifting on her seat that she was uncomfortable, but regardless, she wore a proud look throughout. Her chin lifted, her eyes burning with a quiet, stubborn fire. It made something twist deep in my chest. Something primal. Protective. She wasn’t supposed to be here, not in this den of vipers and lions that are looking for who to devour. And certainly not at the mercy of my mother’s cruelty. I have gone through it first hand, and I won't advise that anyon
Caroline povI turned, expecting to see some smug, elderly guest with too much champagne and too little manners.But Instead, the woman who spoke was a middle-aged woman who had a presence that made the crowd instinctively part for her.She was stunning, not in the soft, sweet way, but in a sharp, commanding way. As if the whole world revolves around her.Her dress shined like black diamonds, perfectly made, with her hair that was pinned into a sleek, flawless style that I know probably took hours to perfect. Obviously from her attire, she was the most dressed of all the guests..Every movement she made was measured, elegant, and graceful.Cold eyes, perfect makeup, and a chilling gaze . It was obvious without needing any introduction.Xavier’s mother.A woman who owned this empire.A woman people probably begged just to breathe the same air as.The moment she appeared, the already dazzling party seemed to fade by her strong commanding presence.I froze. Simply shocked and speechless