All Chapters of Contract Marriage With My Billionaire-Ex: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Arabella"Why did you have to ask him to stay?" I sighed, turning away from the door where I watched Adrian speaking to Gabriel. He was giving the man some serious instructions while lounging comfortably on the couch."This is the least we can do to appreciate his help," Ruth murmured, twisting open a can of tomatoes. She was preparing her special recipe for pasta and meatball sauce. Simple, but always delicious."The help being what I'd earned," I emphasized the word earned. "The money I earned for being his fake wife, in case you've forgotten." Muttering under my breath, I reluctantly moved toward the boiling pot on the stove. Ruth paused for a moment, her lips curling into a lopsided smile."You weren't thinking this way when you were weeping in his arms," she teased, sighing dramatically. "Ah... I used to have strong arms for myself too, back in the day."A sharp gasp left my lips."What are you saying?" Heat burned my neck. For some reason, Adrian's scent — trapped in my memory —

ArabellaMy steps were unhurried as I walked through the hospital hallways. My movement was laid-back but my face was twisted into a frown.Mark had sent me more work through email, and he insisted I send the results to him early tomorrow.So much for a good night's rest tonight.The past week and a few days had been quite hefty both at home and at work.I didn't know how I managed to pull through the day at work today. Despite the flurry of meetings and the dull ache that settled in my spine, I was still poised — like I hadn't spent the previous night in a stiff hospital chair watching my mother for hours. She underwent a successful surgery last night.I was happy. Really.Finally, Ruth would stop worrying all the time and my mom would leave the hospital. She'd been admitted for almost five months.Even I could relax after so long. For the past year, all I did was worry about covering bills and paying debts. It felt good to be free.Family aside, Steph had been out of town for a week

ArabellaI straightened up, trying to look casual, but the heat still burned on my face. "I wasn't... eyefucking you," I shot back quickly, my voice a little sharper than I meant it to be.Adrian's gaze was still pinned on me, and that infuriating smirk was in place, reveling at the sight of the shame consuming me. I was probably redder than a tomato, and still my eyes couldn't stop wandering to places it had no business.Except, those places were right before me. Bare, glsiern, huge... and right there!His lips curled, and he tilted his head, a hint of amusement and something else I couldn't name dancing in his eyes."You're still doing it now, Ara. If you have a little bit of decency, please take your eyes away from my crotch." My entire face burst into flames, and I swear I felt my soul almost jump out of my body. If the ground could open and swallow me, I would've thanked it.My gaze met his, my body burning with embarrassment. "I'm not staring at your... crotch." My voice was ov

AdrianI leaned back in my chair, fingers steepled under my chin as I stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows. Lennon's voice droned in the background about a new franchise we were in talks to acquire, but despite that being something of interest, my mind was miles away.Ara's effortless display of clumsiness this morning kept looping in my head. I'd tried to shake off the image of her small frame colliding into me, the startled look on her face, the way her cheeks flushed pink. But the memory had rooted itself unyielding, circling back no matter how many times I tried to shove it aside.And each time it did, I caught myself smirking like a fool.She was cute — and at the moment, a damn distraction. An unshakable one. I wasn't the type to linger, especially not on someone as stubborn as her. Yet there she was, taking up space in my head effortlessly.I shut my eyes as I drew in a deep breath, trying to pay attention to what Lennon was saying. "We've completed the preliminary assessme

ArabellaThe sound of my blaring ringtone roused me from sleep the next morning. I tossed and turned till the call ended.It rang again before I could lull myself back to sleep."Who the hell is it?" I muttered, groggily sitting up. I rubbed my eyes as I reached for the device on the bedstand.My lips pursed when I saw the name flashing on the screen. It was Ruth.My fingers hovered over the screen for a moment, hesitating whether to take the call or not.The image of me storming out of the hospital with her running behind me, asking me to calm down, flashed in my mind.I hadn't stopped to even spare her a glance, and knowing Ruth, she might've been worried all night."Hey," I muttered after receiving the call."Are you still in bed?" Her voice was a little lively. That made me relax a bit. "It's almost 8 am, Bella."My eyes darted to the wall clock. She was right."It's a Sunday, Ruth. The first one that I'm not working for once," I threw my legs to the side of the bed, running a han