Home / MM Romance / Rival's Contract Marriage / Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

All Chapters of Rival's Contract Marriage : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

225 Chapters

Chapter 21

Cameron’s POVThat night, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as shadows twisted across the room like restless ghosts. The streetlamp outside my window flickered every few seconds, casting dim streaks of light over my sheets. My fingers twisted the ring on my finger, the metal cool and unyielding against my skin. The knot in my chest tightened with every turn, a pressure I couldn’t escape.I hated how heavy the ring felt. How it kept reminding me of everything I was trying to forget.This was just a deal.An arrangement.Nothing more.I pressed the ring into my palm, hoping the sting would ground me, but all it did was make me more aware of the ache spreading through my chest.I should’ve been relieved. The arrangement gave me everything I needed: safety, stability, an escape from my father's critics and the constant weight of his control. I made it clear from the start — I didn't want anything real. I just needed someone to play a part, and he was convenient.So why did he defend me

Chapter 22

Cameron’s POVI barely made it out of class before my phone buzzed with a text from Brandon.B: Waiting outside. Don’t take forever.I shoved my notebook into my bag, not even bothering to reply. Typical Brandon. He acted like he was doing me a favor just by existing.I slung my backpack over my shoulder and pushed through the crowded hallway, ignoring the usual whispers trailing behind me. People either acted like I was invisible or talked about me like I couldn’t hear them. It had been that way for years. Today shouldn’t have been any different — except it was.The second I stepped outside, I spotted Brandon leaning against the car, arms crossed over his chest. His black shirt fit snugly, sleeves pushed up just enough to show the faint lines of muscle on his forearms. His jaw was tight, eyes distant, like he couldn’t care less about the attention he was getting.And people noticed.“Wait... is that Cameron’s fiancé?” someone whispered, not even trying to be discreet.“Fiancé?” a gir

Chapter 23

Cameron POVThe bell above the door jingled when we stepped into the suit shop, the scent of polished wood and expensive cologne hitting me like a punch to the gut. I barely had time to breathe before I saw her.My stepmother. And Drake.What the hell are they doing here?My chest locked up, breath snagging like barbed wire. For half a second, I felt small and stupid and powerless.But I shoved it down. Fast.I straightened my shoulders, plastering on a sharp smile that didn’t touch my eyes.“Cameron! Brandon!”I turned, and I saw Mrs. Deville, glowing like actual sunlight. She wore a flowy blouse with a cardigan, her hair in loose waves. The second she spotted us, her face lit up like we were her favorite people in the world.“My boys!” she called, bustling over with her arms outstretched like she couldn’t wait to squeeze us.Brandon groaned, rubbing his hands down his face. “Mom, please don’t call us that in public.”She ignored him completely, wrapping him in a hug that lasted a fe

Chapter 24

Cameron’s POVThe door to the fitting room clicked shut, sealing me in a too-small box with my own reflection. My pulse still hammered, my throat tight like I’d swallowed barbed wire.I pressed my hands to the cold mirror, fingers splayed, and dropped my head, my forehead resting against the glass. My skin burned where my stepmother’s words had cut into me."Your mother would’ve hated seeing you like this."I squeezed my eyes shut, my chest aching like someone had cracked it open and reached inside.The worst part?She was probably right.My mom had been soft and gentle and kind — everything I wasn’t. She would've hated the version of me that existed now. The angry, hollow, jagged thing barely holding itself together.I sucked in a shaky breath, but it got stuck halfway, splintering into something sharp.Behind me, the door creaked open, and Brandon slid inside like he belonged there, kicking it shut with his foot.“Dude, you’ve been in here for, like, twenty seconds and you're alread

Chapter 25

Brandon’s POVThe store was way too quiet when I stepped out of the fitting room. The kind of quiet that made my skin itch. I leaned against a clothing rack, scrolling through my phone, pretending like I wasn’t listening for every small sound coming from Cameron’s dressing room.He’d been in there for a while. Longer than he should’ve been.I told myself he was fine. That he just needed a second to breathe. But my fingers twitched at my side, restless.The truth? I didn’t trust anyone around him.And right on cue, trouble slithered into view.Drake walked to me like he owned the place.Great, what the hell did he want from him?“Brandon,” he greeted, his voice all syrupy fake concern. “Mind if we talk?”I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “I kinda do, actually.”He ignored me, stepping closer like a shark scenting blood.“I just want to check in,” he said, his smile sharp enough to cut glass. “I know being around Cameron can be... exhausting.”My spine stiffened. “He’s not exhausting

Chapter 26

Brandon’s POVThe store lights were too bright — the kind of bright that made everything feel fake, like we were on a stage, and someone had cranked up the spotlight just to watch Cameron unravel.But he didn’t.He sat in a velvet chair near the fitting rooms, legs spread, hands clasped loosely together, head tilted down like he was staring through the floor. His new suit — the one Mom insisted we buy — was folded neatly beside him, the fabric crisp and perfect.But Cameron looked like a bomb waiting to go off.And his stepmother kept lighting matches."...and honestly, Cameron, I don’t know why you’d choose something so formal," she said, flipping through a rack of jackets with fake disinterest. "It’s not like you ever have anywhere important to be."I lingered by a clothing rack, pretending to scroll through my phone, but my eyes never left Cameron.He didn’t move. Didn’t even twitch.But I saw the way his knuckles whitened.She paced in front of him, her heels clicking against the

Chapter 27

Cameron’s POVI sat at the massive dining table, my fingers twitching against the edge of my plate. The chandelier above me cast a soft glow over the room, making everything feel too perfect — too unreal.Brandon’s house was ridiculous. Not in a bad way, just... huge. The kind of place with floor-to-ceiling windows and paintings that probably cost more than my rent. The dining room alone was bigger than my entire living room back home, and every corner smelled like cinnamon and something... warm.I wasn’t used to warm.“Eat, sweetheart,” Brandon’s mom said, placing another serving of lasagna on my plate even though I hadn't finished the first. She hovered like I might disappear if she blinked, her smile so gentle it made my chest ache. “You look like you need it.”I nodded, shoving a forkful of food into my mouth to avoid talking. The lasagna melted on my tongue — creamy and rich, with just enough garlic to sting my nose. It tasted like something out of a dream.I swallowed, my throat

Chapter 28

Brandon’s POVAfter mum had stuffed us with cookies and milk, I led Cameron to my room so he could relax a bit.I closed the door to my room, the soft click echoing louder than it should have. Cameron stood awkwardly by the window, fingers twitching at his sides like he wanted to bolt. His eyes darted around, taking in the posters, the books piled haphazardly on my desk, the rumpled hoodie on my bed.It was like he couldn’t understand how he ended up here — like he was trespassing on something he wasn’t supposed to touch.I flopped onto my bed, stretching out like I didn’t notice how stiff he was.“You can sit, you know,” I said, kicking at the edge of my mattress.Cameron hesitated, then perched on the very edge of my desk chair, hands clenched in his lap like he might crush his own fingers.I watched him for a second, then reached under my bed and dragged out the old photo album my mom insisted on updating every year. The thing was stuffed full of memories — vacations, birthday part

Chapter 29

Brandon POVI wasn’t about to let the night end with Cameron looking like he wanted to disappear into the carpet. Not after I’d finally cracked through his shell, even if just a little.He was sitting on my bed, cross-legged, picking at a loose thread on his sleeve like it personally offended him. His shoulders were curled in, tense like he was trying to make himself smaller. The room was quiet, save for the distant hum of the dishwasher downstairs and the occasional creak of the house settling. My bedside lamp cast a soft glow, barely enough to reach the corners of the room, like the light itself was hesitant to intrude.I flopped down next to him, hands behind my head, staring up at the glow-in-the-dark stars I’d stuck to my ceiling years ago. Some of them were peeling off, hanging on by sheer stubbornness."You wanna learn something cool?" I asked, glancing sideways at him.He lifted a brow without looking up. "That sounds suspicious."I smirked. "It should."Cameron didn’t say any

Chapter 30

Brandon’s POVThe room felt smaller somehow, like the walls were quietly pressing in. The hum of the overhead light buzzed faintly, filling the silence stretching between us like a taut rope ready to snap.His eyes flicked to mine, dark and careful. "Brandon, why did your parents hire a sign language teacher for you?"I froze, the question slicing through the easy rhythm we’d fallen into. My throat tightened, and for a second, I considered brushing it off — making some dumb joke or distracting him with another insult sign.But something in the way Cameron was looking at me stopped me. He wasn’t just curious. He wanted to know.And maybe... maybe I wanted him to know, too.I swallowed hard, fingers tugging at the hem of my hoodie. "It was because of something traumatic and scary," I said, my voice quieter than I meant. "Something I don’t wish on anyone."Cameron’s brows furrowed, but he didn’t say anything. He just waited, patient in a way he never was with anyone else.His patience ma

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