All Chapters of His Bride By Contract: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Mia’s POVThe morning light felt foreign. I blinked against it, staring at the ceiling of Xander’s penthouse. For a second, I forgot where I was. Then it all came back, the pleading in his voice, the way my walls cracked, the way I walked out of Sophie’s apartment with him.My chest tightened. What have I done?The sheets shifted as I sat up. I hadn’t even changed out of yesterday’s clothes. My head felt heavy, not from sleep but from the weight of regret pressing down on me. I rubbed my temples, willing myself to believe it was just a dream, but the cold reality clung to me like the scent of his cologne still lingering on my skin.Sophie’s face flashed in my mind. The disappointment in her eyes if she knew. The way she always told me I deserved better, that I was stronger than this pull he had on me. And yet, here I was, betraying her faith in me, betraying myself.I pulled my knees to my chest, staring blankly at the skyline beyond the glass walls. It felt like the city was watching

Xander’s POV Mia’s tears still clung to the edges of my mind long after she fell asleep. She had curled against the pillow, fragile and exhausted, her lashes damp, her breathing uneven. She didn’t even stir when I pulled the blanket higher over her shoulders. She didn’t know. Couldn’t know. That while she was crumbling inside these walls, outside, her name was being dragged across every tabloid headline like meat thrown to wolves. I sat in the study, the only light coming from the desk lamp. The silence pressed hard, but my phone buzzed with fresh alerts, every one of them an insult wearing the mask of journalism. I answered the call on speaker, my voice sharp. “Pull up every media outlet that ran those headlines.” There was a pause. Amanda, my head of PR, hesitated. “All of them? That’s nearly…”

Mia’s POVThe notification hit like a fist. I was sitting at the kitchen counter, coffee gone cold, when my phone lit up with a headline that made my stomach drop."Mia Evans Linked to Tragic Incident Years Ago…New Evidence Emerges."I read it twice because my hands were shaking. I didn't click. I shouldn't have clicked, but of course I did. The article wasn't subtle. It was curated poison: a staged photograph of me at the gala years ago, a blurred caption, and then the insinuation, a question mark placed where facts should be."She was present during the blackout that killed Jacob Blake. Could new testimony tie her to the sabotage?" the subheader read.My mouth went dry. Jacob. I hadn't thought about him in years.My phone buzzed again. Sophie. I let it go to voicemail. My pulse ratcheted in my throat.Someone knocked on the penthouse door. Xander's voice called out, clipped. "Mia, are you up?"I swallowed and hit the screen to open the article. Comments cascaded like shards."She di

Liam’s POV The headlines blared across the glowing screen, each one more poisonous than the last. “Mia Evans’ Bloody Past, Dark Secret at the Gala Exposed?” “Was Jacob Blake’s Death Really an Accident?” “Sources Suggest Mia Was Involved.” I leaned back in the chair, the taste of victory sharp on my tongue. A laugh escaped, low and uncontrollable. “Perfect. Absolutely perfect.” Clarissa’s gasp cut through the silence. “You can’t be serious.” I turned, smirking. “Why wouldn’t I be? Look at it. Every outlet is running with it. She’s done before she even starts to defend herself.” Her eyes narrowed. “You’re celebrating the ruin of a woman’s life.” I

Xander’s POV Eric stood stiffly in front of me, tablet clutched like a shield. His eyes flickered, sharp but hesitant. He knew better than to waste time. “Say it,” I ordered. He swallowed. “Liam’s team wired payments to two major tabloids. Both are running extended features on Mia, painting her as the center of Jacob’s death.” My jaw tightened. “Proof?” “Wire transfers. Direct. The digital trail isn’t even subtle. He was sloppy.” A cold smirk tugged at my lips. “Sloppy is good. Sloppy people get fired.” Eric nodded, tapping the screen. “I have screenshots, timestamps, even the accounts. They’re untraceable to Liam himself, but his fixer handled everything. And that fixer isn’t careful.” “N