All Chapters of Publicly Mine, Legally Hers: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Paige's POV"Ms. Sanders, Ms. Wallace has requested that your long-term access be removed from the system. If you're still living here, you'll need to reregister as a temporary resident."The property manager stood outside the security door, his tone careful.I stared at the screen on the lock where it read "Fingerprint Not Recognized," my hand still hovering in front of it."Temporary resident?" I asked."Yes."He turned his tablet toward me. "The registered owner of this unit is Ms. Wallace. Under the regulations, anyone who isn't the owner's spouse or an immediate family member can only be listed as a temporary occupant."The light from the screen made my eyes ache.Owner: Stella Wallace.Spouse: Mason Hamilton.The system entry was clear enough that there was nothing left to question.I lowered my hand. "I understand. Thank you."He gave me a brief, sympathetic look before stepping into the elevator.When the doors closed, the hallway fell quiet again, the motion sen

Chapter 2

Mason's and my names were printed on the certificate, but it didn't bear the county clerk's official seal.It wasn't a legal marriage certificate. Just a commemorative keepsake.I slid the certificate out of its leather holder. A photograph tucked into the sleeve behind it slipped loose and landed at my feet.In the photo, Mason wore a white shirt, his smile warm and composed. Stella rested her head against his shoulder, her eyes curved with an easy, happy smile.I looked at it for a long moment before slipping it back into the holder and putting everything away.Then I went to the closet, pulled out my suitcase, and packed a few changes of clothes. I had just zipped it shut when the doorbell rang.I walked to the entryway and opened the door.Stella stood there in a trench coat, a man in a suit and two uniformed workers behind her."So you're really here."She smiled, her eyes already moving past me into the apartment."What do you want?" I stayed where I was, blocking the d

Chapter 3

Three days later, the Hamilton Corporation charity gala arrived.I hadn't planned on going, but Mason's assistant showed up at my hotel four hours early and waited by the entrance with a stylist and a custom evening gown. "Ms. Sanders, tonight means a great deal to Mr. Hamilton," he said politely, though his tone left no room for argument. "He hopes you'll consider the bigger picture."I looked at the dress and remembered the fitting before Valentine's Day, when Mason had stood beside me and said, "Paige, this one's made for you. You don't need to envy anyone." I put it on anyway and took the car to the venue.By the time we pulled up, cameras lined both sides of the red carpet. Mason was waiting at the end in a black suit, looking as handsome as ever. The moment I stepped out, he crossed to me and slipped an arm around my waist."You look beautiful tonight," he said before leaning closer. "Just get through this with me. As long as you're beside me, you're Mrs. Hamilton."I

Chapter 4

I looked at Mason, the slight furrow still etched between his brows as he told me to stand my ground. As the room silently condemned me as the other woman, I realized all his promises amounted to nothing. He wasn't doing anything at all.The ballroom was cool from the air conditioning, but the cold seemed to settle deeper than that, spreading through my body. Right then, my phone vibrated in my bag.I didn't need to check it to know the story had already gone live. Then I saw the headline, and my blood ran cold.I brushed his hand off my waist and stepped back.I met his eyes. My voice wasn't loud, but it carried in the quiet that had settled over the room."Mason, just say one thing. Right here, in front of everyone. Tell them I'm not the other woman, and I'll believe you one last time."The reporters stilled, their recorders edging closer.Mason's expression shifted. When he spoke, his voice was low, a trace of impatience slipping through. "Calm down. We'll sort this out

Chapter 5

Mason shoved Stella aside and rushed toward me. He dropped to his knees on the broken glass as he tried to pull me into his arms, his hands shaking badly.I looked at his face, twisted with panic, and felt my vision start to blur."Mason…" I said, my voice barely a whisper. "It hurts so much…"By the time I came to, the lights in the ER hallway were too bright to look at directly.I lay on the hospital bed, staring up at the fluorescent panel, while the monitors kept a steady rhythm beside me. The anesthesia hadn't fully worn off, leaving my body light and distant. Yet the cold, hollow ache in my lower abdomen was sharp enough to cut through everything else.The door opened, and the doctor walked in with Mason close behind him. His suit was streaked with dust, his hands still marked with dried blood."She's awake," the doctor said, flipping through the chart. His expression hardened as he looked at Mason."Didn't you know she was about eight weeks pregnant? By the time she

Chapter 6

After leaving the hospital room, Mason shut himself inside the smoking lounge. The feeling that everything was slipping beyond his control closed in on him. He smoked through an entire pack, chasing the rising panic with nicotine. His assistant called, his voice tight. "Mr. Hamilton, we've managed to contain the fallout from the gala, but it's caused serious damage. And Ms. Wallace has been crying. She says she's scared and wants to see you."Mason's fingers tightened around the cigarette."Keep her at the apartment. She's not going anywhere." He crushed the cigarette into the tray, his voice turning cold. "Pull the ballroom surveillance. I want every angle from that corner."Half an hour later, the footage came through.The image was clear. It looked like Stella simply lost her grip when she fell, but in reality, she gave Paige's arm one last hard pull before letting go.Mason stared at the screen as something cold worked its way up his spine.He had always thought Stella

Chapter 7

Mason didn't take the document.Rain ran down his hair and into his eyes, stinging, but he didn't move. He just stared at the lawyer in the car and said, his voice rough from repeating it too many times, "I'm her husband. That's not up for debate."The lawyer met his gaze without expression and set the papers on the guardhouse windowsill. "The law sees things differently. This filing asks the court to officially declare that no legal marriage exists between you and Ms. Sanders. We'll also be taking legal action over the false representations surrounding the wedding ceremony and the reputational and physical harm caused to Ms. Sanders."Mason went still.The words, "the law sees things differently," landed harder than anything else, stripping away the last piece of certainty he had been holding on to. He had always brushed off Paige's insistence on legal status as nothing more than paperwork. Now, that same piece of paper stood between them, something he couldn't get around.

Chapter 8

Third-Person POVMason didn't stay at the hospital.He drove straight to the office, headed down to the archives, and began searching through files from five years earlier, the darkest period the company had ever endured. At the back of a locked filing cabinet, he finally found what he had been looking for.The investment agreement had arrived anonymously. The paper had yellowed with age.He turned to the last page and froze. In the bottom right corner was a handwritten note.[Risk level acceptable. Approval recommended.]The handwriting was neat and deliberate, with a stubborn slant he recognized instantly.It was Paige's.Mason's hands began to tremble as he pulled out a copy of the hospital payment receipt from the same period. The signature was little more than a hastily written initial, but the way each stroke began and ended was unmistakable.It was hers.The memories crashed over him.Five years ago, when every option had run out and the company was on the brink of

Chapter 9

Paige's POVThe Sanders estate was brightly lit.Mason stood in the middle of the living room, drenched from head to toe. Water dripped from his clothes, leaving dark puddles on the hardwood floor despite the rug beneath his feet.John sat in an armchair at the head of the room, a cup of coffee in his hand. He didn't even bother to look up.Mason's voice was raw. He pulled a stack of signed documents from inside his coat and placed them on the coffee table."I'll give up 30% of Hamilton Corporation, and I'll transfer the ownership of the house to Paige."I'll hold a press conference and publicly clear her name. I'll make it known she was never the other woman."I'll divorce Stella immediately. As soon as the divorce is finalized, I'll marry Paige."He looked at John, the desperation in his eyes impossible to hide."Mr. Sanders... If Paige is willing to give me one more chance, I'll give up everything I have."John set his cup down and looked at Mason, his eyes filled with not

Chapter 10

Before I knew it, summer had arrived.The wind in Dover had taken on a humid vibe. I sat at my desk, reading the email on my screen from a top college. It was an offer for their graduate program, with a full scholarship.I clicked "Accept."After I closed the laptop, I drew in a slow breath. The air felt clearer somehow, like something heavy had finally lifted.Two weeks later, I went back to the city that had once trapped me to finish my visa paperwork. As we drove through the downtown square, the driver eased off the gas."Ms. Sanders, you might want to look."I turned toward the window. The giant screen in the square was lit up. Six months earlier, on Valentine's Day, Mason had filled that same space with my name and made a promise he never intended to keep. This time, there was no proposal, no declaration. Just a single line of white text on a black background.[Paige was never the other woman. I'm the one who failed her. Mason]People had gathered, some taking photos,

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