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Chapter 10: Check and Mate
Last Updated:
2025-03-28 02:24:27
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His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 11: The Knife In the Smile
“Ugh God!” half-sleepy, with a half-repetitive beeping from her phone stirring her awake the next morning.With a sluggish roll of her hands, she picked up the phone and sat up slowly before finally lifting it to see a train of new notifications waiting on her screen.She blinked, letting her vision adjust to the light before swiping further."Isla Carter’s Success: Talent or Just Another Rich Man’s Wife?"That was the title of the main headline people were tagging her to. Her pictures with both Nate and Damien were placed side by side,, and under the main post, over a hundred thousand people had commented in less than three hours.A cold feeling ran down her spine, as her face started to get dark with foreboding. She swallowed, forcing herself to scroll further down.The main post she found beneath the pictures was worse;It painted her as nothing more than a former secretary who had merely married her way into success, someone whose achievements were not the result of talent but of
Last Updated : 2025-03-28His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 12: The Turn Of The Tide
Vanessa woke up feeling victorious. She stretched and yawned luxuriously. Today was yet another day to watch Isla Carter getting dragged through the filth of public scorn. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed wearing a smirk. And guess the best part of it all? Vanessa hadn’t even lifted a finger; it was someone else from the sky who had taken it upon himself to do the dirty work. With some effort, she pushed herself up and wanted to rearrange a pillow when a glow from her phone caught her attention. She paused with brows lifted. “More news, perhaps?” Another wave of disgrace for Isla? Well, she certainly wasn’t complaining. Vanessa picked up the phone with a quick flick of her wrist, bringing it closer, prepared to relish every detail. But the moment the words on the screen greeted her face her smirk died an instant death. It was like a dagger straight to the throat. She blinked, then blinked again, as a sudden fever began to descend on her, The headlines weren't ab
Last Updated : 2025-03-28His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 13: The Blackwood Feast
“We’re expected at the Blackwood estate for dinner,” This was the cold, impassive tone that Damien had used to suddenly inform Isla that they would be visiting his family by the evening of the same day. Isla blinked, momentarily stunned. The same Damien who never spoke of his family? He wants “her,” his fake contract wife, to go see them tonight. What could have happened?She studied him carefully, searching his face for any indication of what this meant to him. But his face remained as it usually was… carved in stone. Then as if sensing the silent question in her eyes, he made a dismissive gesture to add, “It’s just a formality. Nothing else.” But Isla was far from believing that. ~~~ The evening of the dinner arrived, and Isla found herself marveling with glowing eyes as their car approached the grand structure. Old money, prestige class, history; It all loomed in the twilight. Yet, despite the awe-inspiring sight a growing anxiety was disturbing her gut. Soon she will be f
Last Updated : 2025-03-30His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 14: Shadows and Storms
It was a Wednesday morning, and Isla was busy flipping through the latest sales reports in her boutique. All her focus was on the paper in her hand as she murmured something to herself, noting some patterns in the data, while also pausing to take a sip from the coffee beside her.“Ding!”That was the next sound she heard coming from the front door,“Very usual” A new customer, she reasoned with her face still on the paper “Welcome to….” She mouthed halfway and immediately stopped again.“Something was off”Something about the silence that followed after the chime. No new voice, no cheerful greeting, neither was there any of the typical footfalls of an uncertain shopper.Instead, what came next was the sound of heels against the floor, followed by the slow, exaggerated clearing of somebody's throat. The sound was smug, wrapped with a pretentious politeness.Isla hurriedly lifted her gaze. The sight of her ex-friend, Vanessa, made Isla stiffen in her seat.The moment their eyes met
Last Updated : 2025-03-31His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 15: Unanswered Questions
The drive back to Damien’s penthouse felt longer than usual. Isla had left for home immediately after the encounter with Vanessa as well as the surprising entry and defense of Clarissa.Her talk about the Blackwood defending their own had not left her the same.The moment Vanessa was gone, Isla left the boutique. Her focus was shattered. She needed to see Damien.Isla barely noticed buildings or the other cars by the roadside on her car drive back; her eyes were distant, and her mind was somewhere else. The thoughts that had started to disturb her since her second outing with Damien were rising to the surface again.She had gained too much from this marriage. The luxury, the protection, the status everything had fallen into place for her. But what about Damien?That question had remained even after his vague explanation about possessing what Nate can't take back. Now after what just happened at the boutique, the questions wouldn’t let go.It had sunk deeper, creating ringlets in he
Last Updated : 2025-04-01His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 16: The Contract Exposed
Isla stopped by the Hazel Brew Coffee shop after work on the evening of Friday.Just as she settled in waiting for her order, she suddenly noticed the squinting eyes of an elderly man a few tables away. His white narrowed brows and parted lips hinted that he recognized her.Isla could not help but squint back, then, realization struck them both at the same time."Mr…Mason?" she murmured in disbelief."Isla!" he echoed with a surprised grin breaking across his face.Isla could not help but let out a short, incredulous laugh.Mason Hart was her former boss from the Crimson Lounge, the name of the bar she had served years ago before graduate school. “Never thought I would see you in the headlines, kid. You always kept to yourself back then.”The old man jokes. Isla forced a smile, suppressing the discomfort that always came with mentions of her public status. “Guess life has a twisted sense of humor.”Coffee soon arrived, and by then Mason’s initial amusement faded slightly, replaced
Last Updated : 2025-04-02His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 17: When The Devil's Knock
The morning after the marriage contract got leaked, Damien's mansion was swallowed by an eerie silence. Even the air and walls seemed to know something fragile had shattered beyond repair.Isla was standing by one of the windows, arms folded, eyes vacant, staring at nothing. Across from her was Damien, who was sitting on one of the couches with a cup of coffee in his hand. Once in a while, he would take a sip. As always, his expression was blank as a slate.After a few minutes had passed and without the slightest warning, Damien suddenly rose to his feet.The abrupt movement sent Isla’s head flinging toward him in startlement.“We’re going out,” He announced calmly but with a tone that bore finality.Isla frowned, her lips parting slightly in confusion. Going out? A pause stretched between them before she found the voice to ask,“To where?”Damien didn’t answer. He turned away from her, one hand slipping into his pocket as he started to stride toward the exit. Then, from the top of
Last Updated : 2025-04-03His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 18: The Last Minutes Coup
“Gosh, it was less than 7 minutes already!”Nate murmured gingerly with his eyes fixed on the Television on his office wall, sitting on the edge of his executive chair.He had arrived so much earlier today, earlier than even the janitors and cleaners, meeting only the security men at the gate on his arrival. Even Vanessa back home had appeared quite surprised that he had woken up before her.Though, unlike his former wife, Vanessa was actually lazier than a sloth; however, waking up early was at least one of the very few things in the world she was good at. But today, he also beat her to it.There was just something about this ritual of watching his effort being celebrated by the world while sitting here in this small but expensive room where his journey started.A satisfied smile played on his lips as he leaned back in his chair. The award ceremony had started a few minutes ago, and soon that moment will come.The moment when the presenter would announce the recipient of the multi-
Last Updated : 2025-04-04
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His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 35: A Healthy Dose of Nostalgia
It has been two weeks now since Caden returned to the city. And with Isla having him around, it was like reliving the good old days over again.Caden appeared to have brought with him that part of her life that had not been touched by the mess and the chaos that now defined the rhythms of her new life.It gave her the life before Damien, before Vanessa, before Nate. Before all of them.She found herself remembering the times when Caden used to yank her out of her overfilled schedule with a cup of coffee and a smirk, telling her she was way too brilliant to be this boring.How he would make her laugh no matter how bad her day was going or was.They had been close. Too close, maybe.There was even a point when she once dared to hope that the flutter in her chest whenever he was around her meant something more.But funny enough, it was Caden himself who had insisted that they remained just friends. And somehow, it felt like those old, meaningful, fun years had been folded into seconds.
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 34: The Woman Who waited
The guest wing of the Damien's mansion was exceptionally quiet on this morning. Damien himself had since left for work and as for Isla, she was still up-stairs locked up as was usual with her nowadays, particularly with exchange that had happened yesterday between herself and Damien.However, somewhere in corner of the same room, sitted perfectly on the edge of a chaise with her back straight and one leg elegantly crossed was Isabella.Her phone was held gently to her ear as he seemed to talking to someone via call.But the tone she was speaking with was suspiciously low, edged with something like dark motive.“Yes,” She whispered first and then stopped to pause.Her eyes glancing around the room briefly, and expertly as if to be sure she was alone.And indeed there was no one else around.This realization made her shoulders drop more relaxedly.When she spoke again, her tone sounded a little firmer and yet a little quicker,“He’s starting to crack trust me… much easier than I thou
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 33: No One Win
Nate didn't say a word the moment he and Vanessa got home from the gala later that night, and on entry, he just held the door open.Vanessa followed right after, her face tightly composed in a way that only made the storm behind her eyes more obvious. Her spine was stiff and her arms both crossed.The door shut with a dull thud behind them.Vanessa exhaled sharply and began pacing the expansive living room. Nate had stopped just a few steps from the door. His hands were deep in his pockets, his posture rigid but calm too calm. A few seconds after this, Vanessa suddenly lost whatever cool she had been trying to keep, she spun around abruptly, her voice ringing out like thunder,"What the hell was that back there, Nate?"She asked with her arms flying out wildly, "I mean... Did you begin by messaging her a few days back? Now you're trying to get her attention right where I was? Or wait a second…”She paused with a finger touching her temple.“Do you still love her? Is that it? Or
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 32: The Breaking Point
The silence between them became tighter, Damien’s dark eyes continued to narrow slightly as the tension between them doubled in heat.Neither of them looked away. Their gazes clashed, as the seconds dragged by to the point that even the extra large sitting room appeared to be getting smaller around them.Finally, Damien’s voice brought an end to the silence, the tone of it, low and accusing."Are you playing with me?"He said and moved closer, one deliberate step at a time, "You told me you had a meeting,” Damien continued.“Was this meeting of yours Caden Blake?”At the mention of the name, Isla blinked once, her lashes brushing her cheek, and then she let out a short, bitter scoff. Her arms looked like they were going stiff at her sides.“Wait. Did you just say meeting?” She asked with raised brows.“That’s your problem? A meeting? The same one I wasn’t even properly informed about?”She hadn’t even finished when Damien’s voice snapped with impatience, cutting her off with a shar
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 31: What the Hell Happened Tonight?
Caden’s lips twitched after Damien bounced his handshake, holding the other man’s gaze steady, his eyes quiet but alert. The heated moment was soon interrupted when the Damien's step sister, the ever cheerful Clarissa who was also in the event breezed completely unaware of the faceoff. “Oh! There you two are!” she exclaimed light heartedly, her attention flitting between the tense men. “Hi Damien!” she added with a quick hug to her stepbrother who barely hugged her back before her eyes brightened further at the sight of Isla. “You’re looking gorgeous issy!” she gushed, looping an arm through Isla’s own without hesitation. “Come, I want to introduce you to someone, he’s crazy about fashion and French cheese.” Isla blinked, a little thrown off but allowed herself to be led, casting a last glance over her shoulder as Clarissa chattered away. Damien waited only for about two seconds before his face returned to Caden. The sharpness in his eyes remained, but his voice was
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 30: The Gala Gambit
Isabella was literally glued to Damien's side as they arrived at the venue of the Blake Group’s much-anticipated gala later that night.Damien's attention seemed to be elsewhere, despite being right beside her. His eyes were vague and distant.And when they finally got into the main hall, his eyes swept the entirety of the large room the moment they were past the door.He looked searching, he looked calculating.It was obvious he wasn’t here just to sip wine or listen to some bland, repetitive music. Neither was he here to schmooze or pose for staged photos. Not really.As far as Damien was concerned, this was his definition of strategy.The organizers of this event, ”The Blake Group,” were no ordinary conglomerate. It was a machine of influence. Philanthropy was only a scratch on the surface of what they were actually about. Beneath it ran an even deeper stream of power: talking about quiet funding for political campaigns, backdoor partnerships with foreign stakeholders, and now,
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 29: Brand New, Familiar Fire
A week had passed now since Damien and Isla's heated exchange and in the days that came by, neither of them had brought it up.Not once. But that did not mean that things had remained the same between them. The exact opposite had happened.Like before, when they had once crossed lines and silently stepped back this time, the retreat wasn’t colored with the tension of attraction but the quiet hostility of emotional distance. It was Isla, especially, who started to draw this line.The leisurely meals she used to cook once in a while had immediately stopped.The waiting up she once did for him whenever he was delayed at work was gone, too. Now, the kitchen belonged fully to the maids again, just the way Damien supposedly preferred it. A contract of convenience right? Nothing more.And Isla stuck to this role with a new stony discipline. Her movements were triangular now; wake. Dress. Work. Return. Sleep. Repeat. No glances nor greetings.At first, Damien acted like he didn’t notice
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 28: The Necessary Reminder
Later that afternoon, Damien was back in the office. His posture was relaxed but not completely. His eyes, though focused on the document before him, hadn’t truly read a single word in the last half hour. They were as distant as that of a man present in a room but miles away in thought.He ground his teeth.For the last few minutes since his return, he had been thinking about his last parting words to Isla at her boutique after the slightly heated exchange between them.“Don’t forget this is just a contract. No personal feelings.”The words echoed in his head again, like something someone else had said. He dragged a hand across his face. What was he even thinking when he said that? Isla’s face when he uttered those words was still very much clear in his head, her silence, her distant eyes. He remembered it all too well now. And it stung more than he expected. He hummed and said nothing else.His thoughts now went farther back to earlier that same morning, back at the mansion. Damie
His Enemy, My Husband Chapter 27: The Breaking Point
It was 11:43 PM and the entire estate was now swallowed by silence.Yet back in her room, Isla was still awake sitting upright at the edge of the bed, with her back arched forward. The duvet remained untouched behind her.And her right hand was holding up her phone at eye level as the screen reflected in her tired weary eyes. She was staring at the message box specifically, the space where Nate’s strange text earlier that evening had once been.The single message that bore just his name.Just “Nate.”Of course, she had since deleted it, but the memory of it still disturbed her head like a stubborn echo.But why?She had not stopped asking herself that question since she came back from work hours ago. No typo, no follow-up text. No missed calls. “Nothing”Just that one name. Sent deliberately. As though meant to say something without saying anything at all.What was his motive now? What was Nathaniel planning?She didn’t know what to make of it, but she knew that bitch that was l
