All Chapters of His Bride By Contract: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Mia PovThe apartment felt unusually heavy the next morning, as if Xander’s voice from the night before had lingered in the walls. His question…“Where are you coming from?”...still rang in my ears. I had brushed it off with practiced ease, but I knew he wasn’t fully convinced.I stood at the kitchen counter, pouring coffee, when his footsteps entered the room. His presence filled the space in an instant.“You were up early,” he said, pulling out a chair. His tone was calm, controlled, but there was weight behind it.“I couldn’t sleep,” I admitted. “I thought coffee might help.”He studied me. I could feel his eyes tracing over my face, looking for cracks. “Or maybe you didn’t sleep because something’s troubling you.”I forced a light laugh. “Job Xander. It’s my job.”“Is it?” His voice carried a sharp edge, though his expression barely shifted. “You’ve been… distracted lately. You go out more. Come back later. Different.”I set the cup down harder than intended. “You’re reading too mu

Mia PovThe dinner was finally over, the polite smiles and carefully chosen words still echoing in my head. I shut my bedroom door and leaned against it, inhaling the silence. Peace was short-lived these days.I grabbed my phone and pressed Sophie’s number.“Sophie!” I called the moment the line connected.“Well, that was intense,” she muttered. I could almost see her loosening her hair from that impossibly tight bun.“How did you know?” My voice cracked.“You were live, baby girl!” she screamed in excitement.I winced. “I wasn’t in for that.”“You noticed too, right?” I curled into the armchair, clutching a cushion to my chest.“Of course I did. Xander doesn’t blink when he’s suspicious. He just listens… and waits.”I bit my lip hard. “He barely said anything, Sophie. Yet I felt like he saw through every word I spoke.”“That’s exactly my point.” She folded her arms, I could hear the gesture in her tone. “Mia, you have to be careful. He’s not the kind of man who asks questions without

MIA POVThe lights from the gala still flickered in my mind as we drove back, though the car was quiet. Too quiet. My chest felt heavy. I couldn’t tell if it was relief that the night was over, or the dread of what Xander would say next.He leaned back in his seat, fingers tapping lightly against his thigh. “You handled yourself well.”I blinked, unsure if I heard him right. “What?”“At the gala. You didn’t faint, you didn’t embarrass me. That’s progress.” His tone was dry, but I caught the faintest curl of his lips.“Progress?” I repeated, staring out the window. “I wasn’t aware I was being graded.”“You’re always being graded,” he replied flatly. “By me, by the press, by every single person with a camera.”I sighed, my fingers tightening against my clutch. “I didn’t ask for this.”“No,” he said smoothly, “but you agreed to it. There’s a difference.”My heart sank, and silence hung between us. I wanted to scream, to ask him why he insisted on putting me in these situations without wa

XANDER'S POV“Get me everything you can on Liam Carter,” I said flatly, not looking up from the papers on my desk.My assistant, Eric, paused by the doorway. “Liam Carter?”“Yes.” My tone sharpened. “CEO of Carter Holdings. You know exactly who I mean.”Eric nodded, stepping forward cautiously. “May I ask why?”I leaned back in my chair, steepling my fingers. “Because the man has been hovering around Mia like a vulture. And I don’t tolerate vultures.”Eric’s brows furrowed. “He’s also your direct competitor. The board’s been whispering about his recent expansions. And… he was Mia’s fiancé, wasn’t he?”My jaw tightened. “Was. Past tense.”Eric hesitated. “But isn’t he…”“He dumped her,” I cut in coldly. “For her sister. Publicly. And he thinks he can crawl back into her life now?” My eyes narrowed, steel-hard. “Not when I'm still her husband.”Eric scribbled notes in his pad. “Understood. Do you want surface-level intel, or something deeper?”“Both. His finances. His movements. Who he’

MIA POVI dialed Liam’s number with trembling fingers. My throat was dry, my mind replaying the weight of that court letter. It rang longer than I expected before he finally answered.“Hello?” His voice was calm, too calm.“Liam…” I breathed his name, almost choking. “We need to talk.”“I’m listening,” he replied smoothly, no warmth in his tone.“No, not like this,” I said quickly. “I need to see you. Please, let’s meet and settle this without all of this madness. Court, lawyers… it’s too much.”He gave a short laugh, sharp enough to cut. “Too much? You think you can insult me, humiliate me publicly, and then say it’s too much when I respond?”My heart sank. “I never insulted you, Liam. You know that’s not true.”“Defamation,” he cut me off. “That’s what it is. That’s what the court will hear.”I pressed my phone tighter against my ear, my voice shaking. “Liam, you were once someone I trusted with my whole life. We were supposed to marry. Why are you doing this?”There was silence for