Chapter 2

[For hell’s sake. The channel showed nothing but mosaic for a full day and night. I thought the system crashed.]

[Please. Ever since the heroine ran off crying, I stopped watching. You aren’t saying they actually did it… right?]

[No no no. My pure male lead is ruined.]

[Forget it. I give up. The chemistry is too good. My imagination is running wild.]

I sat up, baring my teeth in pain.

Someone had already changed me into clean pajamas.

Even so, they could not hide the glaring marks all across my neck.

I cursed Brian a thousand times in my head.

I turned my head. A sticky note was stuck to the lamp on the nightstand.

[Meeting. Back soon.]

Short and to the point, as always.

Exactly like when he signed our contract marriage. He had said only, “No marriage certificate. Fake marriage for three years. Everything else is up to you.”

My family was close to bankruptcy at the time, and his terms solved every concern I had.

He needed a wife to deal with family pressure.

The Lewis family needed the Jansons’ influence to get back on their feet.

I accepted the deal without hesitation.

But according to the comments, I was still going to end up bankrupt.

I would even die early.

Absolutely not.

Mess with my feelings if you want.

But ruin my money and my life? No, thank you.

After thinking for a moment, I called Brian.

“Darling, are you busy?”

There was a pause on the other end, followed by a heavier breath.

He probably never expected me to use that word.

After a moment, he answered in a calm voice. “Yes. What is it?”

There he was again, cold and distant.

“I want to move out.”

The contract stated we could not live separately for the full three years.

Which meant he had to move out with me.

“Fine.”

He agreed without a hint of hesitation.

“I’ll have my assistant sort things out tomorrow. We’ll move to Lakeview Bay.”

That was a villa development owned by the Janson family, with a private lakefront house chosen as our official residence when the contract was signed.

After I hung up, I let out a long breath.

Let’s see if the story can still follow the original plot once I stay far away from the heroine.

Conference Room.

Halfway through an important meeting, the CEO suddenly answered his phone.

Brian never showed emotion, yet he stared at the screen with the faintest curl at the corner of his lips.

Everyone exchanged confused looks.

The presenter assumed his proposal had finally impressed the CEO. He cleared his throat and continued, “I’ll spend the next hour explaining the details of this project…”

However.

“That’s all for today.”

Everyone froze for a second before scrambling to their feet.

Brian was already striding out as if something urgent had come up.

The presenter was left standing there in shock. “What…?”

By the time Brian rushed back home, Mrs. Janson was holding my hand and chatting away.

“Hannah, are you settling in alright? Tell me what you want to eat. I’ll have Marianne make it for you.”

“Her fertility soup is wonderful. It’s great for nourishing the body and helps with pregnancy…”

“Mom.” Brian cut her off. “We are not planning that yet.”

“Oh hush. Look at you, rushing home like that. Your wife isn’t going anywhere.

“You young newlyweds are always so sweet. The two of you are adorable together.”

At that moment, Quincy came down the spiral staircase.

She missed one of the last steps and fell straight to the ground with a loud thud.

[My poor heroine. What happened?]

[This wasn’t in the original story.]

[Please. In the novel they never even slept together. This big idiot is clearly thinking with what’s in his pants and making my sweet heroine cry. Just wait for his “begging her back” arc.]

[Hold on. Aren’t the villainess and the male lead the actual married couple now?]