All Chapters of Contracted: Love In The Shadow: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

~~~~ Being rich has a way of changing the air around you. And Lucian Creed definitely knew how to spend money. The jet alone was enough to remind me that I was far out of my depth. Soft leather seats, dim lights, attendants everywhere. It didnt feel like I was travelling, rather it felt like I was on my way to heaven. By the time we landed in Australia, I had already put my mask back on. I walked like I had done this before. Like this was normal. Like stepping off a private jet into a foreign country was just another Tuesday. It was a lie. A good one. But still a lie. The moment we arrived at the penthouse, the mask broke off. My head started turning. Left. Right. Up. Everywhere. I forgot to act. The place was insane. Cameras in every corner. Guards posted like statues. Two fountains at the entrance like something out of a damn movie. The garden looked too perfect, like someone trimmed every leaf by hand. Inside was worse. Or better. Depends on how you look at it. The

~~~~ “I just heard from Kiya that the guest who came with Mr. Creed is actually his wife,” Alice, the silver-haired maid, said as she joined Rose and Tara. Tara’s eyes widened slightly. “I heard the same thing. Who would have thought he had a wife?” Rose, the redhead, frowned at both of them. “You are all talking like you actually know him. We have been working here for months and none of us have even seen him properly,” she said, frustrated. Tara shrugged. “Only Kiya has spoken to him. Being head maid has its advantages, I guess.” The three of them exchanged looks, the curious. Alice clicked her tongue. “Who even made her head maid in the first place?” she said bluntly. “Just because she arrived first does not make her better than all of us. She is even younger.” Rose exhaled. “She did come first. That is how it works here. But I still do not understand how she ended up as head maid.” Tara nodded quickly. “Exactly. The head maid should be someone responsible, someone mature.

~~~~"Pffffff!"Alice doubled over, unable to hold it in any longer. She practically dropped to the floor, laughing so hard that tears blurred her vision. "Oh my God, I love her. I absolutely love the new Mrs. Creed," she managed between gasps.Rose tried to stay professional, but a small smile still pulled at her lips. "That’s enough, Alice," she said gently. "Get back to work.""Why? Didn’t you find that hilarious?" Alice shot back, still laughing and completely ignoring her. "The look on Kiya’s face… it made my whole day."Tara stepped closer. "Seriously. Ever since I started here, I knew Kiya was arrogant and rude. But to talk to the boss’s wife like that… right in front of him?" She shook her head. "She really crossed a line.""I don’t even understand why she acts like that," Rose said. "I don’t mind her being head of the staff, as long as she treats us with basic respect."Alice let out a sarcastic snort. "Yeah, tell that to her ego. Remember when she kicked you out of the kitche

~~~~~ I didn’t really know what was going on with Lucian, but I loved the way his face changed when I climbed onto his lap. For a guy who usually looked like a stone wall, seeing him lose his cool was a trip. I had no clue I was poking a sleeping bear. **Lucian felt like the world was closing in. He looked toward the window to avoid Mira’s eyes, only to see that the two reporters he’d let in had turned into a mob. Ken and the guards were barely holding them back.** "Jeez, I didn't realize so many people were obsessed with my private life," Lucian muttered. I followed his gaze. Cameras were flashing everywhere. Usually, I’d be mortified, but right then? I felt like they weren't even there. I looked back at him. He was staring at the crowd, looking tense and annoyed. I took a second to actually look at him. I’d been stuck on Noah forever. I did everything for that guy. And yeah, we had our moments, but I never felt *this*. I never felt this weird, heavy ache in my chest just

~~~~Lucian hadn't a clue.Despite being exhausted, he spent two hours staring at the ceiling, completely unable to drift off.He couldn't tell if it was because of the woman tucked into his side or the fact that his body was still humming with a restless, stubborn energy that just wouldn't quit.Having actually felt the heat of her, Lucian was reeling. He glanced at her exposed thighs and let out a long, heavy sigh.He didn't want to wake her, but he couldn't shake the look on her face from earlier… that moment of pure, unadulterated terror when she thought he was going to go all the way.He’d been with plenty of women who played the "innocent" card or acted like they didn't know what they were doing. Usually, he had to spend half the night playing teacher until they dropped the act and started demanding more.But Mira? That wasn't an act. The fear in her eyes was the kind you see when someone’s staring down the barrel of a loaded gun. At first, he figured she was just intimidated by