All Chapters of Her Return : The Billionaire's Contract Wife: Chapter 11 - Chapter 17

Martha appeared immediately with my usual order: black coffee and a bowl of the healthy stuff I forced myself to eat. I didn't even glance at Tanya as I started scrolling through the morning’s financial reports. I didn't need to talk to her; she knew the drill. She was just... there. Like furniture, but better looking.She spoke quietly again. "The papers are already talking about that Gala you cancelled. They're wild, trying to figure out why you pulled the plug."I didn't lift my head. "It was a global crisis, Tanya. Nothing for you to worry about.""I know, silly," she said gently, not pressing it. That was the thing about Tanya. She knew exactly when to back off. She understood me; yeah, I just saw her as family, and I treated her like a little sister I had to look after. Nothing more.Then Nova walked in.I heard the tap, tap, tap of her shoes on the floor. I didn't look up, but I felt the shift in the room, like someone had turned on a cold tap. I braced myself. Here it came. Th

TanyaThat old snake, Camille! That was where the real problem lay. She had really done it this time, dragging that plain, arrogant girl into his life. A contract wife! It was an insult. A fucking trick to stop me from getting what I deserved.And the nerve of her, locking Killian and Nova in that room at the villa all night! I knew what she was doing. She was trying to force a connection, trying to make Killian see Nova as something more than a glorified receipt.When Killian got home this morning, he'd looked tired, stressed, and even more shut off than usual. I knew it wasn't because of me; it was because of Nova. She was a piece of grit in the smooth machine of his life, and he didn't know how to spit her out.I love Killian. I've loved him since we were kids. He was my rock after the accident, my whole world when I had nothing left. He might only see me as a friend, a little sister he has to protect, but that's only because he's blind. He doesn't know what real love looks like. H

I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. I didn't think this was a planned attack from my staff. Martha wouldn't let that happen, and the others were too scared of me to even try. But if it wasn't an actual cooking mistake, then what was it? Cross-contamination? An accidental mix-up from some random cleaning product? Where the hell did it come from?"I DON'T CARE. DAMNIT, MARTHA! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS SAFE FOR HER," I yelled, my voice raw and hoarse. "I care that your one, basic job—the easiest job—was keeping her safe from nuts, and you blew it! Somebody in this room is either lying or completely incompetent! Find the source! Now! Check every single thing that touched that plate! The cleaner, the rag, and the air find the damn trace! If you can't prove she's safe here, then all of you are done! Fired!"I didn't wait for anyone to answer. I walked away fast; I needed to get out before I splintered the table with my bare hands. I had been an idiot to trus

He stared at me like I'd just said something in ancient Greek. "You nearly died right here. Someone screwed up. There's no way I'm just ignoring a threat like this, especially when it happened in my house. You're my responsibility to fix.""I know the drill, Killian: the contract, the reputation, all that rubbish." I cut him off, feeling a surge of that old stubbornness rise up. "But I don't need a bodyguard. I don't need high-maintenance food sent in every day. I just need you to go back to the way it was."I looked at him pleadingly, hating the weakness in my voice. "Go back to ignoring me. Go back to being the cold, distant guy who stays out of my way. I'm fine. This was a fluke, an accident, not a full-blown war."I hated this sudden shift. I hated the feeling of being cared for, because I knew it wasn't real; it was just his need for control mixed with shock. When he was cold, I was safe. When he showed this frightening level of focus, I felt like prey."I appreciate you moving f