All Chapters of His Bride By Contract: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Mia’s POVThe knock was too steady to be from a neighbor. When I opened the door, it was him.Alexander Blake.Billionaire. Heir. Untouchable. The kind of man who didn’t knock unless he already knew the answer. His black coat hung like armor, rain still clinging to the fabric. On one hand, a manila envelope. In his eyes, something colder than pity, heavier than judgment.He didn’t say hello. Didn’t ask if he could come in.“I have a proposition.”No easing into it. No testing the water. Just shoving me straight under. My fingers gripped the doorframe. “What kind of proposition?”He extended the envelope. “One that requires you to stop hiding and take back what’s yours.”The words slid under my skin before I could block them. I hadn’t asked for hope. I didn’t trust it. But his tone, quiet, sure, made me wonder if maybe I’d run out of reasons to keep saying no to life.I took the envelope, opened it. My eyes skimmed the first line.“A contract marriage?” The laugh that escaped me was br

MIA'S POVThat was fast,” I muttered.“You’re trending worldwide,” he said, completely unfazed.“Do they always come up with hashtags like it’s a game?” “They did the same when my ex left me.”My eyes snapped to him. “Who?”He didn’t answer.I took a slow breath. “This is what I signed up for, right? Scandal. Judgment. Strangers decide who I am before I can say a word.”“Yes,” he said. “And you’re handling it better than expected.”A compliment? Maybe.But coming from him, it sounded just as a performance review.As I got up to put my mug in the sink, I paused, then turned back toward him.“You can do this on your own, you know,” I said. “Pretend. Smile. Show up in tuxedos. You didn’t need me.”He stood, slowly, like a wolf rising from stillness.“I don’t smile,” he said. “You don’t trust anyone either.”“Exactly.”His gaze pinned me in place. “That’s why I chose you, Mia. Because you’ve already lost everything, and now you have nothing left to fake.”I wrapped my hands together, clen

MIA'S POV“Stop this nonsense immediately!” His voice cracked through the line, sharp, cold, leaving no room for hesitation.My fingers tightened around the phone. What was I even thinking answering this call?“Stop what, Liam? I don’t understand what you’re talking about.” My words rushed out, too fast, almost defensive.“Oh, really?” His tone dipped lower, darker, each word deliberate. “You want to play dumb now, right?”I swallowed hard, pulse racing. “What the hell are you talking about, Liam?”“You know exactly what I mean.” A pause, thick, dangerous. Then he snapped, “Leave Xander Blake immediately and return home!”I jerked upright, the command slamming against me like a blow. “Excuse me? You don’t get to order me around!”His breath hit the line, heavy, controlled, but barely. “I’m not asking. I’m telling you. End it. Now.”My chest burned, but I forced my voice steady. “You’ve lost your mind if you think I’m walking away just because you said so.”“Mind?” His bitter laugh scr

Liam's PovThe glass of whiskey trembled in my hand before I slammed it on the table.“Unbelievable,” I muttered, pacing across my office, my reflection in the tinted glass mocking me.And just then, the door opened as a familiar figure stepped in.“She thinks she can humiliate me like this?” I threw the question immediately at him.Victor, my right-hand man, leaned against the wall, arms crossed, confusion etched across his face. “Mia!”“Of course, who else!” I snapped.“You didn’t expect her to stay silent forever, Liam. She had to retaliate somehow.”“Retaliate?” I spun around, eyes narrowing. “Retaliate against me? No one does that.” My voice cracked with restrained fury.Victor smirked faintly. “Then what’s the plan? Because right now, she looks like the victim, and you…”“I look like the villain,” I finished for him, jaw tightening. “And you know what villains do, Victor? They rewrite the script.”He tilted his head. “Rewriting the script is one thing. Controlling the narrative

Xander's PovThe sound of the front door opening echoed faintly through the quiet house, sharp enough to pull my attention away from the glass of scotch resting on the table beside me. I leaned back in the leather chair, eyes narrowing at the clock. Past ten. Far too late for Mia to be just strolling in as though time had no weight.She stepped into the living room cautiously, like she was hoping to slip by unnoticed. But she should know better by now. I was always aware.“Where are you coming from?” My voice cut through the silence, low and even, leaving no room for avoidance.Her head lifted immediately, a flicker of guilt flashing in her eyes before she masked it with a strained smile. “I… I went to see Sophie. She just got back into the city, and we hadn’t seen each other in years. I didn’t want to miss the chance.”Sophie. The name rang a faint bell, but that didn’t erase the unease pressing at the edges of Mia’s expression. She avoided my gaze too quickly, shifting her bag from