One reckless night. One stranger’s bed. One marriage certificate she never meant to sign. Tessa Hayes only wanted to forget her cheating ex for a few hours. Instead, she wakes up hungover, sore, and tied by law to Owen Carter — the cold, infuriatingly gorgeous billionaire CEO every woman wants but none can tame. Owen doesn’t want an annulment. He wants a wife. For one year, Tessa will play the role: smile for the cameras, survive his controlling family, and help him secure the biggest deal of his career. In return, he’ll give her more than she ever dreamed of. But fake kisses spark real flames. And when jealous exes, a ruthless rival, and a leaked marriage contract threaten to expose their secret, Tessa realizes she's in, deeper than she ever planned. Because falling for her accidental husband? That was never part of the deal.
View More"Girl, you have to let loose!" Sana yelled over the music as we sat at the club.
"I don't want to party," I mumbled even though I knew she couldn’t hear me so much.
I was uncomfortable in this place that was filled with drunk strangers dancing all over the place.
I literally just went through a breakup and all she wanted to do was get me drunk and high?
I did not need any of that. My heart was broken.
I wasn’t even much of a clubber in the first place so this was way out of my comfort zone. But the situation at hand led me here.
My boyfriend of three years just cheated on me with the person who had been my best friend for over ten years now. What could be more depressing?
It happened just hours before this.
I had just got home to the apartment I shared with Austin, my now ex boyfriend. I was away on a work trip and thankfully the trip had been cut short by a few days because my team was able to accomplish what we went for in a record number of days.
While the rest of the team wanted to stay back and have fun before returning to base, I insisted I wanted to rest at home with my man.
I decided it would be best to make it a surprise and that was how I stumbled on the shock of my life.
Austin was in my bed, pounding into Clarissa without mercy while she screamed and moaned.
I froze on the spot, not knowing what to do or say.
I wasn’t a confrontational person. They were too caught up in their ecstasy to notice I was there. So I just turned and left.
With tears blurring my vision, I grabbed my car keys and drove off to Sana’s place where I told her everything that happened.
She was empathetic but Sana was also the wildcard in our friend group so her instant solution was us being out here so I could unwind and solve my problems later.
She shook me out of my thoughts by whispering in my ear.
“There’s this hot dude staring at you,” she said, gesturing in the direction of the VIP section.
I looked up and when I saw him, I froze.
He looked like a dream. The way he stared into my eyes made me feel some type of way like he was boring into my soul.
I felt naked even though I was fully clothed.
He beckoned us over and I scoffed. He seemed arrogant.
“I’m not interested.” I told Sana.
Sana rolled her eyes. “Girl I’m not asking you to fall in love, just get laid and get that asshole off your mind for a bit.”
I hesitated for a second but this dude’s eyes were still on me.
Choosing to be a little bit reckless, I finally got on my feet and joined him.
“Hi,” I said, suddenly feeling a wave of shyness now that I could see him up close.
He looked like a Greek god with a sharp jawline that could cut through steel. His nose was pointed and his full lips looked fuller due to his neatly trimmed beards. His hazel green eyes contrasted with his short raven black hair that was styled to perfection. Even in his seated position, I could tell he was a tall man.
No wonder every woman around looked like they wanted to throw themselves at him.
“I’m Tessa.” I introduced myself.
“Nice to meet you Tessa.” He said, offering me a drink.
The drawl in his deep baritone floated into my ears and I was immediately entranced.
For safety reasons, I wasn’t supposed to just take stuff from strangers but something about him just made me lose every form of security consciousness.
From then on, it was one drink after the other. I lost count of how many margaritas and shots of vodka I had downed in a few hours.
I was drunk in no time. And so was he.
When we kissed, it was inevitable.
Maybe it was the alcohol, but for the first time, I felt sparks and butterflies when my lips joined with someone. It was an unusual feeling.
They started off as slow but eventually deepened.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said in my ears.
I giggled. I could barely see his face but I agreed anyways.
So many things happened as I followed him out of the club. There was fun, pleasure and chaos.
And somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I would probably regret it but I chose to let loose for once in my life. If only I knew what all that would lead to. Maybe I would have chosen a different path.
~
I woke up in a strange bed the next day.
My head was aching. I had the craziest hangover. It felt like my head was too heavy for my neck.
Squinting my eyes, I tried to get a glimpse of where I was. It was a hotel room.
I was wrapped in a blanket, butt naked underneath. I felt soreness between my legs.
“Shit,” I cussed under my breath, realizing I had a time the previous night.
Flashbacks of that stranger blowing my back out and me screaming profanities hit my mind just then and I hid my face in embarrassment. It was a good thing I’d never see him again. I had confessed way too much about my sex starved life to his hearing. A part of me hoped he wouldn’t remember it.
I searched for my phone on the bedside so I could at least know what the time was.
It was intact. But there was a card on top of a wad of hundred dollar bills.
I frowned, feeling insulted. Did he think I was a prostitute or something?
I didn’t take anything but my phone and purse as I dressed up and checked out of the hotel. The staff could do whatever they wanted with the money.
I instantly felt sick. The foundation of our trust had been cracked.A suspicion that I was secretly working against him despite our contract had just been planted by that drunk idiot."That's a lie Owen." I stated, my voice shaking. "I have not met with Clarissa. Not since the day at the café.""It doesn't matter what is true Tessa." Owen said, his voice flat as he led me through the crowd and into the elevator."What matters is what the media believes. You just managed to create a perfect nexus of betrayal with your jealous ex boyfriend and ex best friend. You are a liability.""And you are the controlling tyrant who doesn't trust anyone, least of all the woman you signed a contract with!" I shot back, my own exhaustion and frustration finally boiling over."If you think I am working with them, then what's the point? Lets end the contract now!"He stared at me, his eyes borrowing deep into mine."We don't end the contract because the merger depends on our stability. And until the in
The detail about the dress I was wearing was a big blow against my confidence.It confirmed that she wasn't just fighting for Owen, she wanted remove all evidence of my existence by proving I was merely a placeholder.And it worked. I felt very bad, like I didn't belong. But I wouldn't let her know that."He mentioned it, Juliette." I lied smoothly, pulling away from Owen's embrace. My smile was strained, but still intact."He said something about replacing a faded memory with a beautiful new one. He's really intentional."The deflection brought me a moment of silence, and I could see Juliette's expression sour.But before I could fully savour the small victory, my eyes followed Owens line of sight to land on a disturbing sight across the room. Things were going to get messy. Austin. He was here.He was leaning heavily on the bar, looking utterly out of place in a cheap suit, his brown eyes bleary with drink and focused entirely on me. Standing next to him was Clarissa, who looked eq
I watched Tessa's face drain of colour the moment she spotted Juliette.Good, let the fear sharpen her resolve. She needed to understand the ruthlessness of the world I was dragging her into.My internal monologue was a series of very sharp and continuing calculations. The merger was reaching a critical point and even a subtle sign of instability in my personal life could cause very serious damages. I made Tessa my shield, and she was performing her role perfectly so far. Defiant, yes, but publicly possessive. Everything was going according to plan.She suited the glamourous life. I had selected the midnight-blue gown she wore because it made her pale skin stand out even more. It hugged her curves perfectly.She looked beautiful standing there even in shock.Her chestnut brown hair was packed into a perfect bun by a stylist I picked myself too, her light brown orbs held a slight resentment, I wasn't sure if it was for me or my ex-fiancée that had positioned herself few inches away fr
I stared at the screen, the air around me suddenly feeling hot.My heart hammering fast and hard against my ribs.'I am the one you should fear. Get out of his life while you still can.' Written in bold capital letters across the screen.The text didn't seem angry or jealous, so it couldn't be random. It was cold, and oddly precise. From the information I had gathered about Owen and his past with Sana's help, I could immediately guess who it was."What is it?" Owen asked, his gaze sharpening as he noticed blood drain from my face.I hesitated, still deciding if I should show him, but the text was a direct threat to the contract.More importantly, it was a threat to my safety.Gulping down saliva, I gently thrust the phone into his slightly outstretched palm.He read the screen, his jaw hardening instantly."Juliette," he muttered, his voice tight with controlled fury.I thought as much."I thought she was in the past, Owen. This isn't the past, it is a direct threat. She sees me as
Despite her coldness, I couldn't stop starring at The Evelyn Carter.She was beautiful, the real personification of old money. Severe, impeccably dressed and her hazel green eyes possessed a gaze that could dissect diamond. It was obvious Owen got his looks from her."Owen darling, she greeted him, her voice cool and crisp. She offered him a cheek, then another, completely ignoring me until he lightly placed a hand on my shoulder."Mother, this is Tessa. Tessa, my mother, Evelyn."Owen introduced us, his voice firm, leaving no room for her to try to dismiss me.Evelyn finally turned her attention to me, her sharp eyes carefully scanning my dress, my hair, and landing critically on the diamond ring on my finger. "A pleasure, Ms Hayes. Though your entry into our family was pretty...rapid. Wouldn't you say?""Sometimes the best things in life happen fast, Mrs Carter," I replied, forcing what I thought to be a polite smile.Without a comeback, she led us into a formal dining room where
This new life Owen had given to me barely three weeks after our public proposal felt less like a dream and more like a gilded cage, and we hadn't even gotten married yet."The silk you're holding is Italian Tessa. You have to remove it immediately after dinner and have it cleaned overnight. And girl please, try not to stain it." Sana, my fairy godmother turned personal assistant instructed as she applied makeup to her face over the video call. I stared at the cloth in my hand, and then slowly to the rack of designer dresses, shoes and coats that cost way more than my annual salary, filling my spare closet."This isn't me girl. I'm a marketing manager, I have no idea on how to be a socialite." "You will be Mrs Carter soon, you've got to learn how to fit in," Sana corrected me sharply." Your image is critical to the merger, you have to embrace it."Tonight I would be meeting Evelyn Carter, Owen's mother who is apparently old money, stern, and very observing."I heard she analys
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