Lahat ng Kabanata ng Arrange Marriage to a Heartless CEO: Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

CHARLOTTE'S POVThe voice was syrupy, deliberate. Cheryl.He stepped back instantly, his expression shuttered.I turned just as she appeared in the doorway, her uniform immaculate, hair tucked into a perfect bun. She clutched a silver tray like it was an extension of her arm, but the tilt of her head told me she wasn’t here for housekeeping.“Sorry to interrupt,” she said sweetly, eyes flicking over me before settling on him. “But I thought you should know your assistant brought in some documents.”“That could’ve waited,” Aiden replied flatly.Her lips curved, just a hint. “I didn’t want you to be… disappointed later or angry that you weren't informed”“Not now, Cheryl,” he said, a shade sharper.“But, sir...” “Get out, before I fire you.” His voice scared me, and I'm sure Cheryl was scared too, but she hid it well with a smile.She looked at me again, her gaze lingering just long enough to make the message clear: I see you, and I don’t think you belong here.“Of course, sir,” she mur

CHARLOTTE'S POV By late afternoon, we were on the road. The drive was long, but it didn’t feel it. We had music playing softly, and for once, the silence between us wasn’t tense, it was warm. Every so often, he’d glance at me like he couldn’t believe I was still there.The further we drove, the more the city faded behind us. Trees arched over the narrow road, their branches swaying gently in the wind.When we finally pulled into the gravel driveway of the secluded house, I felt like we’d stepped into another world. It was wooden, surrounded by towering pines, with smoke curling faintly from the chimney.Aiden got out first, coming around to open my door. “Welcome to my escape,” he said quietly.I smiled. “I like it already.”Inside, the place was warm and inviting rustic, but comfortable. A fireplace flickered in the corner. He set my bag down and turned to me.“I want this weekend to be about you,” he said. “No past. No… complications.”It was simple. But it was enough to make my he

AIDEN'S POVWe walked out of the cabin through the woods hand in hand. Her palms were so soft compared to mine. She asked questions about the cabin, when I bought it, and why I didn’t visit more often.“I haven’t been here in two years,” I admitted.She stopped walking. “Two years? Then how is it so clean?”“I ask someone to come by and keep it clean and ready for us,” I said.She narrowed her eyes, smiling slightly. “You mean you command someone.”“Nope, I asked,” I corrected, though the corner of my mouth betrayed me.When we got to the beach, the tide was low, the waves curling lazily against the shore. She walked ahead, her boots leaving small prints in the damp sand. The wind tugged at her hair, and she turned to face me, smiling in a way that made something inside me shift.“It’s beautiful,” she said.I looked past her to the water, but the truth was, I wasn’t really looking at the ocean.We wandered along the shoreline, talking about nothing and everything: her favorite childho

AIDEN'S POVThe sunlight leaked through the curtains, warm and unwelcome. I hated mornings like this, when the world dared to look calm while chaos festered underneath.I swung out of bed quietly, not wanting to wake Charlotte. She was curled up, still in yesterday’s dress, her hair messy, her breathing soft. For a moment, I almost let myself stay. Almost. But softness was a luxury I couldn’t afford.My phone buzzed on the nightstand. A single name lit up the screen.“Marcus.”I stepped into the hallway before answering.“Talk.”His voice was low, cautious. “The warehouse sweep turned up nothing. Whoever took those documents knew exactly what to grab and how to disappear. We’re thinking…”“Inside job.” I finished for him, my jaw tightening. “It has to be. No one outside knew the access codes.”“That’s what I was afraid of,” Marcus muttered. “I’ll recheck the security feeds.”“Don’t recheck. Tear them apart. And Marcus, if anyone on the inside even smells suspicious, I want them in fro

AIDEN'S POVI had been holding myself together all morning, but the moment Dylan’s smug face flashed across the news article, his company’s name climbing stock charts off the back of my merger, I knew I couldn’t sit behind my desk anymore. This wasn’t just business. This was personal. And if I didn’t face him now, the unease inside me would eat me alive.I told my driver to head straight to Dylan’s building. No appointments. No phone call warnings. I wanted to look him in the eye, to see what game he was really playing.The receptionist tried to stall me when I stormed in, but one look at my face and she picked up the phone with trembling hands.I didn’t wait for Dylan to finish his meeting before barging into his glass-walled office. The man sat there, leaning back in his chair, his trademark smirk already carved on his face like he’d been expecting me.“Aiden Kingston,” he uttered, not even rising. “Always dramatic. To what do I owe the honor?”I didn’t bother with pleasantries. “Cu