All Chapters of The CEO's Contractual Wife: Chapter 331 - Chapter 340

AlexanderShe dove in after me, swimming hard. I backpedaled, keeping the remote out of reach. She was fast, but I had longer reach and more upper body strength. Her fingers grazed my wrist. I twisted away, swimming toward the deep end. She followed relentlessly, her frustration fueling her determination. "Give it up," she called, slightly breathless. "Come and take it." She lunged, wrapping her arms around me from behind. We went under together, a tangle of limbs and bubbles. I managed to keep the remote above water, my other arm circling her waist. We surfaced, both breathing hard. Her legs wrapped around my waist again, using her weight to drag me down. "Clever," I acknowledged, treading water with one arm while keeping the remote high. "But not clever enough." "We'll see." She tried to climb higher, reaching for the remote. I spun us around, using the momentum to break her grip. She yelped as she slipped off, splashing into the water. When she came up, her hair was plaste

OliviaMorning light filtered through the bedroom curtains as I pulled a cream blouse from the closet. The fabric was soft between my fingers, expensive in that way everything in this house seemed to be. I'd just fastened the last button when Alexander's arms slid around my waist from behind. "Plans tonight?" His breath was warm against my neck. I leaned back against his chest, enjoying the solid weight of him. "Haven't thought that far ahead. Why?" "Just wondering if we could do something. Dinner, maybe." His hands settled on my hips. "Been a while since we had a proper date." "Has it?" "Yes." He kissed the spot below my ear that always made me shiver. "So? You free?" I turned in his arms, studying his face. He looked genuinely hopeful, which was cute in a way that made my chest tight. "I might be busy after work." His eyebrows rose. "Might be?" "Yeah." "Care to elaborate on that extremely vague answer?" I smiled despite myself. "Not yet. Let me figure some things out first

Olivia We ate in companionable silence, both of us checking our phones between bites. My inbox had exploded overnight with emails from Dylan, updates from the Thompson team, and research on Cornerstone properties. "Busy day?" Alexander asked, finally setting down his phone. "Aren't they all?" I scrolled through Dylan's message, impressed by how much research he'd compiled. "Dylan sent me an analysis of five Cornerstone properties. At three AM." "That kid needs to sleep." "That kid is making my life significantly easier." I flagged several emails for later review. "What about you? Anything exciting?" "Conference call at eight. Merger negotiations at ten. The usual corporate nonsense." "Sounds thrilling." "It really is." His tone was completely flat. "I live for merger negotiations." I laughed despite my exhaustion. "Poor baby. Having to run a billion-dollar company." "The struggle is real." We finished breakfast quickly, both of us racing against the clock. "What time's yo

Alexander The plane touched down in Dubai with a gentle thud that jolted me from half-sleep. I'd spent most of the fourteen-hour flight reviewing acquisition documents and thinking about Olivia back in Los Angeles. My phone buzzed the moment we taxied to a stop. Messages flooded in, most of them work-related. I scrolled past them, looking for her name. Nothing yet. She was probably buried in Cornerstone Research. The private terminal at Dubai International Airport was all marble and brass, everything gleaming under soft lighting. A driver waited with my name on a placard. "Mr. Carter? Welcome to Dubai. Your car is ready." I followed him through the terminal and out into the humid night air that hit me like a wall. The Mercedes waited at the curb, black and sleek. "Burj Al Arab, sir?" "Yes." The drive took forty minutes through mostly empty highways. Dubai at night was all lights and glass, skyscrapers competing to touch the stars. I'd been here multiple times before for busi

Alexander"They are," I agreed. "Which is why I'd like to spend time understanding how Al-Rashid Holdings actually operates before we discuss specific terms. Tour your properties, meet your key employees, learn what makes your approach distinctive."Omar's eyes sharpened with interest. "You want to study our business.""I want to understand it. There's a difference." I pulled out my tablet and brought up the research I'd compiled. "Your occupancy rates are consistently twenty percent higher than competitors in the same markets. Your employee retention is exceptional. Guest satisfaction scores place you in the top tier across every property.""You've done your homework," Samir observed."Of course. But data only tells part of the story." I set down the tablet. "I want to understand the culture that produces those results. What decisions your father made thirty years ago that still influence operations today. How your family's values translate into business practices."Khalid's posture