공유

Chapter 5

작가: Universeleap
last update 최신 업데이트: 2025-04-07 11:39:05

Xeros's POV:

“And in today’s headlines, the highly anticipated artwork ‘BLOOMING’ has received widespread acclaim for its creative vision. Critics are hailing it as a success for Miss Charlotte Miller…”

The TV blared with gushing praise delivered in the sophisticated voice of the news telecaster. 

All this while, the screen was flashing with pictures of Charlotte; blonde hair fanning over her shoulders, lips curved into a perfectly professional smile, and eyes that sparkled with confidence. 

Jonas leaned casually against the doorframe of my office, arms crossed over his chest. 

“Miss Miller— isn’t that your fiancée! Damn, she really loves to be in the headlines, doesn’t she?” 

I didn't bother answering him.

The CEO’s office stretched before my eyes, its glass walls reflecting the view of the city skyline. 

The city was starting to wake up for the day– and from the 56th floor, all these people going about their business, looked no different than ants scurrying through the maze of the metropolitan city. 

Steel and polished black marble gleamed under the sunlight, and my reflection stared back at me like a dark silhouette: a sharp jaw that I had inherited from my father, and chocolate brown eyes of my mother, which were missing her usual warmth. 

My short black hair was brushed back, leaving not a single hair out of place.

The tailored black suit fit me perfectly, the smooth fabric hugging my broad shoulders. 

“No matter what you say, Xeros! Your fiancée certainly knows how to shine.”

Jonas pushed off the doorframe, strolling casually into my office with his hands inside his pockets. 

His reflection joined mine in the glass, standing slightly behind me, and the complete opposite of me in every manner. 

His tie was hanging loosely, with the top button left open. His sleeves were rolled up, and that godforsaken grin was still lingering on his lips, like nothing was ever serious enough to wipe it off his face. 

“Every time there is an important event, she is front and center! A crowd favorite. It doesn't matter what the occasion is, Miss. Miller seems like she has that star quality, huh?”

My fingers flexed slightly, but I didn’t turn. The streets were bustling people during the rush hour.

“And what exactly does she have? A pretty face, some rehearsed words… that's all? I don't know why everyone suddenly acts like she’s a genius or something.” 

My tone was dry, contempt slipping through despite my best efforts. 

He was egging me on for a response, and hopefully, he was going to stop gushing about my so-called fiancée now.

But the moment I thought about her, memories made their way to the forefront of my mind. 

Months ago, I had unexpectedly spotted my fiancée, who was supposed to be an ideal wife for any man… inside Zorothy’s. 

She was the centre of attention at the exclusive bar, draping herself over all the men swarming around her like flies. She was laughing freely, enjoying the attention– just a flirtatious touch here, a coy smile there, spreading her web like an expert seductress. 

Her lips, painted in the color of blood, were curved into an effortless smile, just like the one I could see on the television. 

The world might see her as perfect, like a goddess of beauty and grace. But I had taken a peek under her mask, and the view was anything but flattering. 

“I want an update on that other task I asked you about.”

I said, letting my eyes wander away from the skyline, and they fixed directly on the painting on the wall. 

It was an abstract art, titled ‘Chaos’. 

The bold and harsh strokes mirrored the internal chaos that was filled with pain, chaos, and desperation…

Jonas leaned back against the desk, leaving his usual careless arrogance aside as his face turned serious again. 

“Well, the orphanage was destroyed by a fire five years ago. The locals say it was a tragic accident, but nobody knows for sure. I'm still looking for the director of the orphanage, hopefully she will have some answers for us.”

A muscle ticked in my jaw as I studied the jagged lines of the painting. 

‘Five years ago…’

“Keep looking, and make sure that next time, I don't need to ask you for the updates.”

I ordered.

“Yeah, I’m not done digging yet. It’s a mess, but I’ll untangle it.”

Despite all his sarcasm, at least the man was loyal. 

He paused, eyes narrowing shrewdly. 

“So, how’s wedding planning going? Did you pick out the flowers yet…?”

A smirk pulled at the corner of my lips– cold and humorless. 

“How can I give any remarks about the wedding which I myself am not in favor of?”

Jonas let out a sigh. 

“Oh, come on, Xeros! I’m sure there must be something good about her that half the men in this city are ready to  sell their souls for a chance to date her. She’s the star of everyone’s eye! You could at least pretend to enjoy it, or least try and get to know—”

“I don’t care about the wedding, I'll get through it if I have to.”

I cut in, not bothering to excuse myself or explain my reasons. 

“The real event I’m waiting for is the auction, that's going to be held five days from now. The one planned by my father to celebrate the great achievement of finally washing his hands of me! The black sheep of the family!”

A bitter smile appeared on my lips. I was always a disgraceful blot on his name, and nothing I did could change that. 

“He’s even going to be selling Nova’s latest painting there… and that's what I'm actually looking forward to.”

“You're really hopeless…”

Jonas muttered under his breath as I narrowed my eyes and turned my attention towards the window again. 

His disappointed sighs reached my ears, and I didn't need to look at him to know that he must be shaking his head in annoyance. 

Along with that same look of frustration settled on his face, that showed he knew it was pointless to argue with me. 

But I knew he was going to keep trying to change my mind, anyway. 

Just like he hadn't stopped bothering me in the last ten years. 

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  • CINDERELLA'S FORCED MARRIAGE WITH SEXY BILLIONAIRE   Chapter 31 

    XEROS' POV"We found a staff from the orphanage. This person can have information on the person you are looking for." My assistant told me.The entire time I was still busy, but I couldn't stop thinking of Charlotte. However, I still wanted to meet the one that I've been looking for right from childhood."Bring her in," I told him. He went out to bring the woman who was the old staff of the orphanage. She looked quite frail and tired. "Good day, sir. I heard you are looking for a young girl. Can you show me her picture?"I took out the picture that I had kept for years with me and showed it to her. She collected it from me and checked. "Oh, I know her. I know where she is staying now. She was adopted a long time ago by a wealthy family called the Jones family and they live in this city also. I can tell you their address.""there's no need to do that. You can go. I will find out myself." I said I'm turned to my assistant, "Escort her out and do the needful. Then, I need information

  • CINDERELLA'S FORCED MARRIAGE WITH SEXY BILLIONAIRE   Chapter 30

    Emma's POV "Check the news Emma! You won't believe what I saw!" Tina said again and I had to check. I didn't understand what all the fuss was about, but it seemed like something important already happened, and it might involve me. So I quickly checked. Tina is not the one to ask me to check on news that are not important to me. And also, she sounded very anxious on the phone, like she's kind of worried or something. But the moment I checked, I almost fell down, and my phone almost slipped from my hands. I had to hold on to it because I didn't fully see the news yet, but the headline was more than enough to make me feel this way.BILLIONAIRE XEROS SEEN WITH ANOTHER WOMAN IN A HOTEL A BEAUTIFUL MODEL This headline was more than enough to stop me in my tracks. My chest felt tightened and I felt unable to breathe for a moment. Why do I feel this way when I literally feel like I don't have the right to? Maybe what we've gone through for the past few days has made me think that things

  • CINDERELLA'S FORCED MARRIAGE WITH SEXY BILLIONAIRE   CHAPTER 29

    Chapter 29Emma’s POVThe sound was sharp, sudden, cutting through the moment like a blade.He froze, eyes still locked on mine, but the warmth in them dimmed a little. Slowly, he straightened and stepped back. The space between us grew again, and I could breathe—but somehow, I didn’t want to.“Sorry,” he said quietly, pulling out his phone from his pocket. He checked the screen. “It’s my assistant.”I stayed still, watching him. His voice changed as he answered—less soft, more businesslike.“Yeah,” he said into the phone, walking a few steps toward the hallway. “I’ll take care of it. Forward the rest to my email.”He hung up and turned to me again, but his face was more serious now.“I need to handle something,” he said gently. “It won’t take long. Get some rest tonight, alright?”I nodded, even though part of me didn’t want him to go. I wanted to ask what it was—why his voice turned cold so quickly. But I stayed quiet.He walked toward the study, picking up the jacket he had thrown

  • CINDERELLA'S FORCED MARRIAGE WITH SEXY BILLIONAIRE   Chapter 28

    Emma’s POVThe soft morning light slipped through the thin curtains, brushing against my face like a quiet nudge. My fingers reached out lazily for my phone on the bedside table. One glance and I shot upright.“Oh no—I’m gonna be late!”I tossed the blanket off me and scrambled out of bed, heart racing. My hair was a mess, sticking to one side of my face, and I still felt a little groggy from sleeping too deeply. My mind flashed back to last night—the stars, the quiet drive, Xeros beside me… I had slept like a log after that.The scent of something warm drifted through the air. Eggs? Toast? I rushed out of the room, tugging at my wrinkled shirt, and found him in the kitchen, calm as ever.Xeros stood near the stove, sleeves rolled up, flipping eggs with one hand and holding a piece of toast with the other. The morning sunlight made his features look softer. Peaceful. Like he had all the time in the world.“Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?” I blurted out, half-panicked.He glanced at

  • CINDERELLA'S FORCED MARRIAGE WITH SEXY BILLIONAIRE   Chapter 27

    Emma's POV Back at the studio, I let out a soft sigh as I sank into my chair. The glow of the screen in front of me was the only light in the room. Everyone else had already left. It was quiet. Peaceful. And honestly, I needed this calm after everything that happened recently.I kept replaying the dinner in my head, Xeros’s words, his quiet encouragement, the steady way he’d looked at me. No one had ever spoken to me like that before. Not even Alex. Back then, everything with him had been rushed, loud, full of tension and pressure. With Xeros... it felt different. Gentler, even if he didn’t always show it. There was a comfort in the silence he brought with him.My phone buzzed.I glanced at the screen.Xeros: The sunset’s beautiful. Come down and see.My heart skipped a beat. I blinked at the message for a few seconds, not sure if I read it right. Then I stood up slowly and walked to the window.And there he was.Xeros.Leaning casually against the side of his car, dressed in his usu

  • CINDERELLA'S FORCED MARRIAGE WITH SEXY BILLIONAIRE   Chapter 26 

    Emma’s POV“It was just a spam call,” I said, hoping my voice sounded steady.Xeros stood a few feet away from me, his eyes unreadable. For a second, I thought he didn’t believe me. His gaze lingered on me for a moment longer than it should have, and I had to stop myself from fidgeting.“Alright,” he said at last. “You should get some rest.”Relief flooded my chest. I quickly ended the call with Charlotte and placed my phone facedown on the table, forcing a soft smile as he turned and walked out of the room.But my hands were still trembling.I knew I had just dodged a bullet… barely.He was getting closer to the truth. And when he found out—when he realized I wasn’t Charlotte, that I was the stand-in, the woman he’d grown used to wasn’t the one he thought she was… I had no idea how he’d react.The silence after he left was too loud. I sat on the bed, hugging my knees to my chest, just staring at the closed door.How long do I have before everything crumbles?I didn’t sleep well that

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