All Chapters of The Billionaire's Hired Bride : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Asher wants to sleep in my room tonight?For what?!“No”, I shake my head. “ That's not going to happen”.“ Why?”, he chuckles. “ You're my wife. If I don't sleep here, everyone will suspect that something is wrong. We have to sleep together”.We.Sleep together.Tonight .The thought of these words joining together make my heart jump in mixed feelings of fright and curiosity. What will happen if he stays with me tonight? Me and him in the same bed!“ Wh—Wh…”, I try to speak but no words come out.He stands from the couch, slow and smooth, like a shadow slipping across the room. His jacket is off, sleeves rolled up, the first few buttons of his shirt undone on purpose, I’m sure. His movements scream danger, and yet, he walks toward me with a calm smile that makes my spine tighten.I take a step back.He doesn’t stop.“Asher,” I murmured, warning in my voice. But it sounds too soft and breathy.He tilts his head slightly, smirking. “Why do you always say my name like that, Mrs. Lancast

My chest tightens. My hand trembles that the phone nearly slips from my fingers as a cold wave rushes through me. I can feel eyes. Everyone's eyes are on me. Even Asher's.Around me is silence.And in that second, I know—I’ve been set up.I stand abruptly, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. No one says anything, but the silence screams louder than words. I turned and left the dining room in a half run, up the stairs, my heels clacking with each terrified step.By the time I shut my door, my hands are shaking too badly to even lock it.I opened Instagram.The post is everywhere.That same photo. The angle deliberately chosen to make it look like I was doing something sinister. And the caption below it:"This is who you all call Mrs. Lancaster? Drugging maids now?"Thousands of comments flood in:“She doesn’t deserve that family.”“Asher should’ve married Elise, not some gold-digger from the streets.”“This is the kind of woman they want to represent the Lancasters?”“Where’s

Asher's words hit me like ice and fire. The last person I expected to believe me is Asher. I don’t know if that was meant to be comforting or a challenge. He believes I didn't do it !He leans on the edge of the patio railing, eyes roaming over the morning sun warming the vast, elegant garden below.“When I was a boy,” he says, his voice lower and more thoughtful than I’m used to, “I wanted a garden of my own. Not something luxurious like this… just a small, rough patch where I could plant things and watch them grow.”I glanced at him, surprised. “Really? You, with dirt under your nails?”He chuckles lightly. “Yeah. I used to sneak into the old greenhouse. Plant little things like seeds, stems, whatever I could find. It was the only place that ever felt peaceful.”He pauses, and I sense he’s not just reminiscing. He’s showing me something real.“But my father didn’t think a Lancaster boy should be wasting time on things like that. He thinks it's not proper for a Lancaster” He shrugs. “

“Ignore the noise,” Mrs Lancaster whispers as she leans in for a cheek kiss. “Tonight is about Asher’s success, not the tabloids.”I manage a nod, swallowing the lump in my throat.Even Zara, who I expect to roll her eyes or walk past me, stops. She doesn’t smile, not genuinely, but she nods towards me once before leaving.I hear whispers in the crowd.“Maybe the rumors weren’t true…”“They’re backing her?”And still, I can't tell if this is real or just a well-played PR move. But I play along, smiling politely and holding Asher’s hand tightly as we enter the mansion.Inside, the gala has just begun.But my heart skips.Because behind every smile tonight, I know, someone is watching and waiting for me to fall.There are violinists playing perfectly in the room, and waiters gliding between guests with champagne and hors d'oeuvres. Business moguls, celebrities, and elite socialites offer congratulations to Mr. Lancaster and Asher for the company’s recent success. Things are all going we

“Yes,” I say clearly, lifting my chin. “Elise was living at the mansion.”Gasps scatter across the room like sparks.“But she wasn’t living there,” I added quickly. “She was working with me on something last week. It was brief and it’s already over. She has no business with the mansion now .”The silence that follows is deafening.I can feel Asher’s eyes on me from the crowd. I can almost hear his voice in my head: Did you just cover for me?Because I had to.Because even when I’m breaking inside, I still won’t let them win like this.I swallow the lump in my throat and step back slightly, praying no one sees the war going on inside me.I don’t wait for the applause to end. I don’t wait for Asher’s gaze or the fake smiles from the crowd. I just turn around and whisper to one of the assistants, “Tell the chauffeur to get the car ready. Now.”I don’t care how it looks. Let them wonder why the so-called Future Lady Lancaster is running away from her own spotlight. I’m done playing the fo