All Chapters of One Year With Mr.Kingland: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The morning light was soft and forgiving. Selena came downstairs in an oversized cream sweater and soft leggings, her curly hair still messy from sleep. She hadn't bothered with makeup or the careful performance. She was exhausted in a way sleep couldn't fix—emotionally, physically, in ways that required more than eight hours and a shower to repair. The dining room was quiet. Golden light spilled through the massive windows, casting reflections across marble that gleamed like water. Matthew sat at the head of the table in a crisp dark shirt with the sleeves rolled to his forearms. A newspaper lay open beside untouched coffee. He looked like he'd slept as badly as she had—shadows under his eyes suggesting he'd spent the night doing something other than sleeping. For a moment, his usual cold mask slipped. His eyes lingered on her. The messy curls. The way the sweater slipped off one shoulder. Her sleepy, unguarded expression. He noticed everything—the vulnerability she usually kept

Selena came home with light in her eyes. She'd spent the afternoon with Alexander at a private architecture networking event—three hours walking through a new luxury development, discussing spatial flow, emotional design, how lighting could change an entire mood. For three hours, she wasn't a contract wife. She was the version of herself that existed before survival consumed her entire personality. They'd walked through models and talked about concepts. Alexander had listened without interrupting. Challenged her ideas without dismissing them. Made her laugh when he teased her about her obsession with natural light. "Luxury spaces fail when they only look expensive," she'd explained, studying one of the architectural models. "People remember how a place makes them feel first. Comfort matters more than marble." Alexander had watched her with genuine interest. "You think emotionally when you design," he'd observed. "Isn't that how it's supposed to be?" she'd replied. And he'

Selena woke slowly to the pale morning light slipping through the curtains. Her body still felt weak, but the fever had finally broken. For a few quiet seconds, she simply lay there listening to the soft sound of rain tapping against the windows.Then her eyes shifted toward the armchair beside the bed. Matthew was still there.A strange warmth spread slowly through her chest.He had fallen asleep sometime during the night, still dressed in yesterday’s clothes. His tie hung loose around his neck, the top buttons of his shirt undone, sleeves rolled carelessly to his forearms. The laptop on the side table remained open beside an untouched cup of cold coffee. One hand rested against the armrest while the other stayed curled loosely in his lap, like exhaustion had finally forced him to stop pretending he wasn’t human.For the first time since she met him, Matthew Kingland looked tired.Selena found herself staring longer than she should have. Morning light softened the sharpness of his fe

Selena woke up in Matthew’s bed.The room was quiet except for the soft sound of his breathing behind her and the distant rain still tapping lightly against the windows from the storm the night before. Warmth surrounded her completely. His arm was wrapped possessively around her waist, holding her against his chest like he was afraid she might disappear in the night. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over their tangled bodies. Marks from last night still lingered on her skin — faint fingerprints on her hips, gentle bruises on her neck. His fingers resting lazily against her stomach like they belonged there.Memories from last nighht crept in. The way Matthew had said her name. Kissed her and hold her like she was everything that matters and wanted. Selena should have felt regret. Instead, all she felt was a terrifying warmth.Matthew stirred behind her. His lips brushed the back of her shoulder in a sleepy kiss before he even fully woke up. When he realized

The morning after their night together, Selena woke up reaching for warmth that was no longer there. Matthew’s side of the bed was cold. He had already left for work without a word. No note. No morning touch. Nothing. Selena stayed there for several long seconds, staring at the empty space beside her while the events of the past few weeks replayed painfully in her head. The kisses, late-night conversations, and the way he touched her like she mattered. Only for him to disappear the moment things became real. A tight ache settled heavily in her chest. Selena came downstairs later that morning expecting awkwardness, what she didn’t expect was distance. Matthew barely looked at her while scrolling through emails on his tablet. The intimacy from the night before had vanished so completely that it almost made Selena question whether she imagined any of it at all. “Good morning,” she said quietly. Matthew nodded once. “Morning.” That was it. No lingering glance, no so