บททั้งหมดของ The Contract Bride He Never Wanted: บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 20

Chapter 11: Secrets and ShadowsThe penthouse was unusually quiet that evening.No city noise crept through the glass walls, no distant hum of traffic or late-night sirens. It was the kind of silence that pressed in on you, forcing thoughts to surface—the ones you tried hardest to ignore.Adrian hadn’t come home yet.I sat on the couch, the watch still wrapped around my wrist, its weight a constant reminder of the compromise we’d made earlier. I found myself glancing at the door more than once, annoyed at my own anticipation.This is a contract, I reminded myself. Nothing more.The door finally opened close to midnight.Adrian stepped inside, his suit jacket slung over his arm, his tie loosened. He looked… tired. Not the controlled, unshakable man the world saw, but someone worn down by invisible weight.“You’re still awake,” he said, surprised.“I couldn’t sleep,” I replied honestly.He nodded, setting his jacket aside. For a moment, he just stood there, staring out at the city light

Chapter 13: When Jealousy SpeaksJealousy didn’t arrive loudly.It slipped in quietly, disguising itself as irritation, as curiosity, as something I told myself didn’t matter.I first noticed it the next afternoon.Adrian was on the phone when I entered the living area, his voice low, his tone… different. Not colder. Softer. Controlled, but familiar in a way I hadn’t heard before.“Yes,” he said. “I’ll see you then.”He ended the call and turned toward me, expression instantly neutral.“Who was that?” The question escaped before I could stop it.His eyes sharpened just a fraction. “Business.”I nodded, though my chest tightened. “Of course.”I told myself it didn’t matter. We weren’t real. We were an arrangement built on signatures and appearances. I had no right to care who he spoke to or what tone he used.And yet.That evening, while getting ready for bed, I heard him laugh from down the hall.Laugh.The sound was rare—soft, unguarded. It stopped me in my tracks.I didn’t realize I

Chapter 15: The Consequences of AlmostMorning came too quickly.Sunlight crept through the curtains like it didn’t belong, warm and innocent in a space that felt anything but. I lay awake long before my alarm, staring at the ceiling, my body heavy with exhaustion and thoughts that refused to settle.If I touch you, this contract becomes irrelevant.The words echoed relentlessly.I finally forced myself out of bed, moving slowly, carefully—like any sudden motion might bring the night crashing back in. When I stepped into the kitchen, the space was empty.No Adrian.No coffee waiting.The absence stung more than I expected.I spent the morning wandering the penthouse, pretending to be productive while avoiding the places that still felt charged—the window, the hallway, the space where we’d stood too close. Every room held the echo of what almost happened.By afternoon, I was restless.The sound of the door opening startled me.Adrian entered quietly, already in a suit, his expression c

Chapter 17: When the Past KnocksThe knock came just after sunset.Not the polite kind. Not tentative. It was firm, deliberate—like whoever stood on the other side already knew they belonged here.I froze in the living room, the sound echoing through the penthouse. Adrian wasn’t home yet. He’d said he would be late.The knock came again.Against my better judgment, I walked to the door and opened it.Claire Laurent stood there.Up close, she was even more striking—composed, confident, her expression carefully neutral. But her eyes sharpened the moment she saw me.“You must be Amara,” she said smoothly.“Yes.”“I was hoping we could talk.”Every instinct told me to close the door. Instead, I stepped aside.She took in the penthouse with a knowing glance before turning back to me. “I won’t take much of your time.”We sat across from each other, tension threading the air.“You and Adrian are… unexpected,” she said lightly.“So I’ve been told.”She smiled. “He’s not the type to marry with

Chapter 19: The Night He Almost Let Her GoThe city lights blurred past the car window, but Aaliyah barely noticed them. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap, fingers twisting together as if holding herself in place. The silence between her and Ethan was heavy—thick with unspoken words, regret, and something dangerously close to longing.Ethan drove with one hand on the steering wheel, the other clenched into a fist. His jaw was tight, eyes fixed on the road, but his mind was anywhere but there.He had almost lost her tonight.The image replayed again and again in his head—Aaliyah standing in the rain outside the gala, her dress soaked, her eyes shining with hurt she tried so desperately to hide.“I’m just the woman you married on paper, remember?” she had said.Those words had sliced deeper than he expected.The car finally stopped in front of the mansion. The gates opened slowly, as if mocking the tension inside the vehicle. Ethan parked, turned off the engine—but neither of th