All Chapters of Rival's Contract Marriage : Chapter 161 - Chapter 170

Cameron POVFlashback at the BarThe music in the bar was loud enough that I could feel the bass in my chest. Neon lights flickered against the walls, painting everything in this dizzying glow of purple and blue. Erica had dragged me here, insisting I “needed to loosen up” because apparently, I looked like I’d been living in a graveyard the past week. Hilda was already here when we arrived, sipping something bright red through a straw like she owned the place.“Sit, sit,” Erica said, shoving me into the booth like I was five. “You’re drinking tonight, Cam. Non-negotiable.”I rolled my eyes, trying to act like I wasn’t two seconds from passing out already. “Yeah, because alcohol is definitely gonna fix all my problems.”“Exactly,” Hilda chimed in, smirking. “Think of it as liquid therapy.”“More like liquid disaster,” I muttered, but they didn’t listen. Erica already had the bartender waving at her like they were best friends, and two minutes later, she was sliding a glass toward me.“

Cameron POVI woke up with a headache so bad it felt like my brain was trying to claw its way out of my skull. My eyes cracked open, and the first thing I noticed was that the ceiling above me wasn’t mine. The paint wasn’t peeling at the edges like in my apartment. The sheets didn’t smell like my detergent. And the bed was way too soft.For a second, I didn’t move. I just lay there, staring at the ceiling like it was going to explain everything. Then it hit me.Brandon.I sat up way too fast, regretting it immediately when the room tilted. My hand shot to my forehead, and I groaned. Everything from last night came rushing back in broken, blurry fragments—the bar, Hilda’s face trying to calm me down, Erica shoving water into my hand, my own stupid mouth running nonstop, shouting about Brandon being a liar, about how much I hated him. Then… Brandon showing up. His arm around me, his voice in my ear. Him dragging me out of the bar before I did something worse.And now—yeah. This was his

The room was too quiet after the kiss. My lips still stung, my chest still felt like it had been cracked open, and I hated that part of me wanted more.Brandon had whispered something about showering, then disappeared into the bathroom. The sound of running water filled the silence, but my head was louder—too loud. I sat there in his sheets, heart racing, replaying the fire and glass of that kiss like it was stuck on loop.That’s when my phone lit up.Drake.I groaned and grabbed it, thumb swiping before my brain even caught up.“Where are you?” he demanded immediately, no hello, no pause. His voice was sharp, like he’d been pacing for hours.I pinched my nose. “Don’t start, Drake.”“You didn’t come back last night. You didn’t answer. You think that doesn’t matter? You think I don’t notice?”“I told you not to worry about me,” I muttered, leaning back against the headboard. “You’re the older brother, remember? Maybe pay less attention for once.”There was a pause, his breath hitting t

Cameron POVThe car ride was… suffocating. Drake sat behind the wheel like a volcano waiting to erupt, hands gripping the steering wheel so hard I could see his knuckles go white. I slouched in the passenger seat, staring out the window, wishing I could make myself disappear. Brandon’s face kept flicking in my mind—last night, this morning—everything bleeding together until it felt like I was drowning in it.Then, of course, Drake broke the silence. “You know, I don’t mind sending more videos to him.” His voice was sharp, calculated, like a blade dragging over ice.I didn’t even look at him. “Great. That’ll solve everything.” My voice was flat, but inside, my stomach churned.Drake huffed, frustrated that I wasn’t panicking. “You’re kidding yourself if you think you can just ignore this. He’ll want answers, Cameron. And you can’t keep pretending nothing happened.”I pressed my fingers against my temples. I didn’t need to think about Brandon right now. Or Drake. Or my stupid engagement

Drake POVI pushed the study door open slowly, the soft creak of the hinges barely audible over the hum of the computer. Cameron was sprawled on the sofa, his jacket half off, hair sticking to his forehead from whatever restless sleep he was having. He looked… fragile. Like someone had taken a perfectly carved statue and chipped away at it piece by piece until it was almost unrecognizable.A smirk tugged at my lips. Perfect. Vulnerable.I stepped closer, silent as a shadow, and crouched down just enough to hover over his phone, which was lying on the desk beside the sofa. His thumb twitched now and then, maybe in a dream, maybe just a habit—but I knew he’d locked it. Typical Cameron, even asleep, guarding his world like a king over a crumbling castle.I reached out and picked up the phone carefully. The weight of it was light, but in my hands, it felt like holding the key to chaos.“Let’s see what secrets you’re hiding,” I murmured, almost like a joke—but there was no humor in it. Not