LOGINElena's world crumbles when she finds out her husband, Alex, has been cheating on her. After confronting him, he doesn't show regret; rather he demands for a divorce and she walks away for good, giving up her marriage and the career she carefully built. To move on, she strikes an unexpected deal: a contract marriage with Max, who turns out to be Alex's past rival. But just as Elena begins to rebuild her life, Alex realizes what he lost—and wants her back. But Elena isn't the same woman he once knew and she is not alone anymore.
View More~ELENA'S POV~
“I mean, we were together in bed last night, so where has Alex gone this morning, without telling me?” I muttered as I walked into the living room. I noticed Nora was trying to put the flower vase back in its position after cleaning it. “Nora, have you seen my husband this morning?” I inquired immediately as I walked into the living room. “Yes, ma, I saw him leave with John, his assistant,” she replied as she turned to my direction, with her gaze towards the floor. “And where did he say he was going to?” I asked, as I raised my eyebrows with curiosity written all over my face. Then I realized I was talking to Nora. Nora is just a maid hired to keep the house clean. So, how was she to know Alex's whereabouts? She was in no place to provide me with such information’ I silently said to myself. “I don't know, he didn't say ma'am” I turned and left the living room. I got into my bedroom and reached out for my phone in the drawer beside the bed. ‘I need to call and know where he is,’ I thought to myself. After so many trials of reaching out to him through calls and text messages. He seems to have ignored everything without a single response to any of my text messages. So I reached out to John, Alex's assistant, the line rang, and he picked up. “Good morning, Mrs Fox, how was your night, ma'am?” He asked. I ignored his question and went straight to the reason why I called him, “Where is my husband? I have been trying to reach him all morning, but he is not picking up his phone or responding to my text message”. “Mr Fox is in a business meeting right now, that's why he has not been able to answer your calls or respond to your text messages,” I mused. “Okay, John, thank you and have a nice day,” I went off the phone immediately. I was lost in deep thought as to why he went to work today, on all days. Yes, today is our 5th anniversary, and we were supposed to spend the whole day together. “Mrs Fox, breakfast is ready. Do I serve it here in your room or at the dining table, ma'am?” I shuddered and suddenly noticed Nora, the housekeeper, standing in the corner. I was too deep in thought that I didn't notice when Nora walked in. “I think the dining would be okay,” I said, “go on, I'll be downstairs shortly”. Shortly after, I walked down the stairs to the living room with so many thoughts running through my head. Did he forget today was our wedding anniversary?. What has come over Alex? He's been acting distant these past months, I wondered. I had lost my appetite the minute I sat down to eat at the dining table; food was the least of my problems at the moment. So I took a bottle of wine instead. I didn't know what to do. My husband's stoic demeanor was getting to me, and it made me wonder, Why has life chosen to be unfair with me in such a manner?. Is there something I'm not getting right in this marriage? I needed an answer to these questions as I continuously sipped from the glass of wine in front of me. I subconsciously stopped myself as I raised my hands, almost sipping on the wine. Then I remembered I was not pregnant. Alex and I have been married for five years with no kids of our own, and it's quite depressing. So I brought the glass to my mouth and sipped it on the bottom. “Ah,” I let out a satisfactory sound as I raised one hand to my chest. I stood up and looked down through the window. I hoped to see my husband. It was mid-afternoon, and it would be a miracle to see him come home this time of the day, but it was our anniversary today, and I hope he comes home early to spend this day with me, like we used to, in the past four years. I worked for Alex at Ellex Brewery and Apparel Co. He is the CEO, and I am the managing director. So, I understand how busy it can get. I took leave from work yesterday so we could spend quality time together on a day like this. I have always dreamt of being a jewelry designer, thanks to Alex, that dream has come to reality. Today, we work as Co-partners in our jewelry business. “Mrs Fox, do you need anything else?” Nora walked towards me to clear the glass and bottle of wine. “I see you didn't touch the food I served you for breakfast”. “I lost my appetite, but it is fine anyway. I'll let you know as soon as I'm hungry,” Nora turned to leave, then I asked, “What about the flowers, has it been delivered?”. “Yes, ma, the flowers arrived earlier,” Nora divulged, “what do I do with them, ma'am?”. “Okay, take it upstairs,” I declared before asking her, “Has my husband called?”. She shook her head and replied, “No ma”. I became so anxious about making tonight a perfect one, then I remembered he loves Champagne, so I ordered Nora to take care of it. “Yes, before I forget, make sure you take a bottle of champagne and two glasses upstairs along with the flowers”. If a baby was going to change his mind and attitude towards me, then there was no time to waste, as I was eager to make him happy. I would do anything to make sure I fall pregnant. It's a good thing today, being our anniversary would be a better opportunity for me to redeem our relationship. My eyes wandered to the clock; two hours left before he came back from work. I needed to look perfect for him tonight; anything to turn him on, ‘my sweet Alex’. So, I quickly ran upstairs and got into the shower. I started by shaving my legs, although he never cared much about that, but I needed to look irresistible. I curled my hair down; he loved to see my hair curly. I wore lingerie and a sexy nightgown. “Okay, everything is perfect,” I assured myself. Then, I reached out to my phone on the table beside my bed and checked the time. It was ten minutes left for him to come home. I sighed in relief, then I rushed to fix the bottle of champagne and glasses on the table. I turned to the bed and sat down. “Elena, you got this,” I took a deep breath. I tried my angles on bed, I needed to pose in an angle where he would see me sexy. So, I spent the last ten minutes figuring out the right angles on the bed when my alarm rang, and I knew it was time for my sweet Alex to come home. *** A few hours later*** It's been hours, and Alex is not yet back from work. I sat in the dining room, wondering to myself, Where has he gone? It's past eight o'clock; I'm sick and worried about him. I tried calling his phone and even sent him text messages but he wouldn't respond, so I resolved to call John, his assistant, to find out his whereabouts. “Mrs Fox,” he picked up the first ring. “Sorry for bothering you this late, is my husband still at the office?” I asked “No, Mrs Fox, Mr Fox left the office immediately after his meeting earlier today. He said he had an urgent matter to attend to at home,” he explained. I regret bothering him, so I thanked him and ended the call. ‘If he left the office earlier today, then where has he gone? because, obviously, he didn't come home.’ I muttered to myself while pacing around in short spans, then a beep from my phone got my attention. It was a message from an unknown email address. I wondered why such an email address would send a message to me. I got intrigued and eager to know the content of the mail, so I opened it. “What!” I exclaimed. My heart skipped a beat as I widened my brows at what I saw in the mail. I saw pictures and videos of my husband with an unknown lady checking into a hotel. His hands were wrapped around her waist. I paused the video and zoomed in to see if I could identify the unknown lady. Unfortunately, I couldn't identify who she was from the angle of vision in the videos and pictures. “Has Alex been cheating on me?” I asked myself.~ELENA’S POV~Just as David Dickson promised, we were going to visit my mother at the hospital later that afternoon.When we got to the hospital, I walked slowly beside Max, my fingers curled into the sleeve of his suit jacket as he held his cane with his other hand.On the other side was David Dickson. He moved with measured steps, his cane tapping softly against the polished floor, his presence commanding yet calm.Despite the quiet around us, my heart beat loudly in my chest.I had visited my mother countless times since the accident, but today felt different. Today, I wasn't walking into that room alone. Instead, I was bringing the two men who now held the most weight in my life—one bound to me by blood and love, the other by fate, commitment, and something I was still learning to name.David glanced at me as we walked. “You're tense, my dear,”I managed a small smile. “I suppose I am.”“That's natural,” he said gently. “A mother's illness unsettles even the strongest heart.”Max
~RYDER’S POV~The study was thick with tension, the type that clung to the walls long after raised voices fell silent. Heavy drapes muted the morning light, casting the room into a somber glow that did nothing to soothe the unease curling in my stepfather's and mother's chests.Charles Dickson, my stepfather, stood by the mahogany desk, fingers pressed flat against its surface, while Mom paced slowly behind him, heels clicking softly like a ticking clock counting down to something inevitable.I sat slouched on the leather sofa, one ankle propped on my knee, my jaw tight, and my eyes flickering with restless irritation. The incident of last night kept replaying in my mind as I was filled with so much resentment mixed with fear—fear of the unknown, to be precise.“This is a disaster,” Mom snapped, breaking the silence. “An absolute disaster. The board will not swallow this without questions.”Charles exhaled sharply. “Lower your voice. The staff doesn't need to hear every word.”Mom sco
~ELENA’S POV~The morning light filtered through the tall glass windows of the villa, painting long golden streaks along the marble floor. I descended the staircase slowly, one hand trailing along the polished banister. I walked quietly. I hadn't slept deeply—not after everything that happened last night. I wore a simple cream blouse and fitted trousers, my hair loosely tied back. I want everything normal and calm this morning. Space to think.As I reached the last step, I heard faint voices from the dining area.Max's voice came first—low, controlled, respectful in a way I had already grown familiar with.“Grandpa, a lot has happened in the past,” he was saying, “But Elena isn't part of any scheme. She didn't ask for this life. I brought her into it.”My breath caught. I instinctively stepped back into the shadows of the corridor, as my heart began to race. At first I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but now that I heard my name, I decided to stay back and listen.David Dickson replied, hi
~ELENA’S POV~I slipped into Max's shirt, the fabric soft and warm, carrying his scent—by the way, it smelled so nice. When I turned around, Max was already there, towel slung low around his waist, droplets of water still clinging to his skin. Our gaze met.There was silence for a moment.My lips parted, I gasped for air as I was stunned and astonished— drawn into the world of sexual fantasies at the sight of Max. It was my first time seeing him without clothes. His physic was hot and could make a lady vulnerable in seconds.“Elena,” Max called. I immediately flinched, returning to reality, I cleared my throat and said, “Yeah,– I-I think it's my cue to shower now.”“Ok… you'll find a fresh towel in the bathroom.” He said as I walked past him.A few moments later, I was out of the bathroom. I dried my hair with the towel as I had already put on Max's shirt before alighting the bathroom.“Are you sure you are comfortable with sharing the same bed with me?” He asked.“How about I use th






Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.