ADLEY I kept having to pinch myself to make sure I was not dreaming. After the brief wedding ceremony, we rode in the getaway car, and I didn’t know exactly where we were going. I kept my mouth shut. I felt a shiver coursing through me, thinking of the abrupt yet too intimate kiss we had shared earlier. I could still feel his lips against mine. It shouldn’t bother me because I’d kissed men, yet it didn’t leave me breathless or speechless the way I had with Mykel. It wasn’t awkward either. Maybe what I saw in his eyes gave this stupid tingles and image in my head. I squeezed my eyes shut with a groan. “You okay?” I cracked my eyes open to see the familiar airstrip. “Not again.” “Baby, you survived our trip. You can do better than that.” “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one who felt like vomiting the gut out every time I see aircraft,” I dryly remarked. “Would you rather travel through the land to New York? I’m fine with it.” My gaze stayed hard at him for a moment, consid
ADLEY “You’re overthinking. I could literally hear your brain reeling.” “Elise told me how you helped her. It’s in your nature to help people. I shouldn’t have wondered why you did agree to help.” “To be honest, I agreed because I like you.” I snorted and rolled my eyes. “You like everyone has a female part.” “Ouch. I’m wounded. I do have tastes, baby. I might have ten wives and divorced ten times if I was willing to marry anyone who came to me.” “Are you sure I am your first wife?” “Hopefully, the last.” I let that last words go. “Where are Blaze and Elise, Mykel?” “They will fly commercial first class in a few hours. Don’t worry. They’ll be home in the morning. You can call Blaze once we land.” We shared our first meal as a husband and wife then I dozed off. Mykel was on his laptop when I got up from my nap. “You need your energy, Adley. Get some sleep.” His words were soft as if we were in a real relationship. I inwardly shook my head as I tried to pull myself together.
MYKEL Waking in this position with a woman in bed should terrify me. Not this time. I found my wife’s arm on my abdomen, her leg over my thigh, and she sprawled out over my chest. I wondered how she would react to seeing herself in this position—she lay entangled with me. I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when I told her. I was still trying to wrap around my head the fact that I was a married man. Not so long ago, I swore not to get in a relationship as I was already married to my work. I realized I wasn’t scared about the idea of being with someone. I admitted I had abandonment issues and inflated my ego so much that what mattered to me was living life to the fullest. It wasn’t such a bad idea to be with somebody like the woman beside me right now. Or I just met the right one who taught me how to throw those doubts and fears out of the window. I looked down at her peacefully sleeping, her hair in disarray. Yet, she was the most beautiful woman who walked to earth, dest
ADLEY Madelyn was sweet. I really admired her. She was the type of woman who could be your best friend, mother, and enemy. But if she liked you, she treated you like her own. I couldn’t even imagine how she raised Mykel to be a good person when they had nothing. “Do you enjoy your work?” We just had our spa, and I felt so much better. I felt rejuvenated. I should not have taken for granted the stress and exhaustion I had before the flight—they all vanished into thin air. “My grandpa hates my job, but I love and enjoy what I do. That’s how I met your son again.” “He told me. He asked Sax to call the cab company and ask the address of the last person the driver sent.” “Really?” I was surprised. “He asked Sax to lie that you left something in his apartment.” I giggled. “I don’t know what to say.” “Mykel loves challenges and is very committed.” “I think he got that from you.” “You have a big heart, Adley. Does his past bother you?” “Which one?” I smiled. “He came from a low-
MYKEL I was losing control even if I tried hard to ignore that I was with my wife in a yellow two-piece suit. She was the epitome of a living goddess. And fuck me, she knew when to tease—when I was vulnerable and at her mercy. She was attracted to me, and I felt she didn’t try hard to hide it. If we reached that part, I didn’t want her to regret it after. No matter how much I wanted to take her to bed, she was not ready for that. I would throw away those conditions she lay on the table, and I wasn’t sure she would take it lightly. We got back to the mainland after dinner. Unfortunately, our time was limited, and she’d already mentioned her job. We had to fly back home early in the morning. I went to bed. Adley was already sleeping. This time she was wearing a light pink skimpy satin sleepwear. And this tension, and I knew this would go for a long haul and would blow even in my sleep. I woke up to her nudging me in the middle of the night. “Mykel, wake up.” I rubbed my eyes and s
ADLEY“I’ve already told them this company is not for sale.” I clenched my teeth in anger. I pushed my chair back from my desk and stood as I glared at them sitting in front of me.“I think you should consider our offer,” Atty. Tim emphasized the word offer.“Our new offer,” his companion seconded.“You’re wasting your time. I’m not and won’t change my mind. Tell Grandpa not to bother again. He can buy everything surrounding this building but leave my company alone.”“Just hear us out first.” Gary surprised me as he joined in.“Well, good to see you again, Gary. So your true color has finally been revealed. What made you think that whatever you say will change my mind?”“Forget about this company. Our only intention is for you to work in the Kross Corp before your grandfather retires.”“How does it concern me?”“You’re one of the majority shareholders. Unfortunately, my father can’t take the position. If you don’t want to appoint anyone, the board of directors will vote on who will be
MYKELShe was right. I was way over my head—I let my cock rule over my brain. I let this fucking feelings cloud the purpose of this marriage. I tried to talk her out, but who would I be fooled when what I said was the complete opposite of what I did?We barely spoke as we bumped in the kitchen. Adley grabbed a bottle of water, and I grabbed the fucking milk. She paused as she noticed what was in my hand, then she turned her heels and walked to the spare room. Fuck. Fuck this feeling. Fuck everything.I had gone to bed an hour ago and was still up. I closed my eyes again, but my mind kept revisiting our last conversation. I went to my office instead and watched the football match replay on the tv screen.I checked my email—I found one from Dash and another from Cenric. I opened Dash’s email first with an attached file—a starting up medical equipment manufacturer he wanted me to check out. Then I read Cenric’s email. It was an update of their decentralized finance or Defi CENTH’s d
ADLEY“So, how’s your married life going?”“How are you and Elise? Don’t you have plans to elope?” I countered back.Blaze looked happy, and it looked like he and Elise had spent a lot of time together. “Looks like your billionaire husband is taking care of you, and he’s making a lot of buzz on his Instagram.”“It’s his idea.”“And pretty protective of you. He blocked that woman maybe he has slept with.”I sipped my coffee in silence.“You also updated your bio,” he pressed.“He snatched my phone and edited it. Why are you upset about it?” I reacted out of thought, only to realize that I was defending my relationship with Mykel.“Are you two sleeping together?” His eyes flashed with anger.“I don’t think it’s any of your business, Blaze if I sleep with my husband. But to answer your question, no. We haven’t slept together.” I narrowed my eyes at him. He wasn’t this intrusive, but something was going on in his head.“You know your agreement has an expiry date. If you fall for him, you