All Chapters of A contract Wife : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Sophia Kingston stepped out of the jewelry store with a smile she couldn't hide. “Miss, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting,” the receptionist had said moments earlier as she handed Sophia a small velvet case containing the silver wristwatch she had reserved months ago. Sophia held the case carefully against her chest. Inside it was more than a watch. It represented every takeout meal she had skipped, every late night she had spent freelancing, and every little luxury she had denied herself just so she could afford something special for Damian. She ran her thumb over the ribbon tied around the velvet case, her stomach fluttering with excitement. In less than two hours, she would be Damien's fiancée. At least, that was what she believed. He had promised to propose to her. A month earlier, she had accidentally discovered something that made her heart race. She had been in Damien's bedroom searching for her favorite hair clip when she bumped into his bedside table. A framed photo

Sophia stood in the doorway for several seconds after Damien's warning. His words form a dagger in her chest. She tightened her grip on the door handle but refused to turn around. Three years. Three years of loving him. Three years of believing that she knew the man standing behind her. And yet, in a single evening, Damien had shown her that she had never truly known him at all. Humiliation burned through her, followed by a sharp ache in her chest. She had been nothing more than a replacement. Someone to fill an empty space until the woman he actually wanted came back into his life. Sophia slowly turned around. “Your fiancée?” Her voice was surprisingly calm. She took an unsteady step toward him. “So that's what I was?” she said, staring at his face. Damien's expression remained cold. “A temporary substitute while you waited for the real woman?” He didn't answer. His silence hurt more than any words could have. Sophia gave a bitter smile. “I see.” She wi

Sophia couldn't speak. For several seconds, she simply held the phone against her ear, wondering if she had heard Nathan correctly. “Excuse me?” Nathan remained calm. “Mr. Cole wants you to marry him.” Sophia let out a short, disbelieving laugh. “You must be joking.” “I assure you, I'm not.” “After what happened tonight?” “I understand why you're surprised.” “Surprised?” Sophia's voice rose. “Nathan, I just caught Damien in bed with another woman. He told me our entire relationship was a bet. He humiliated me in front of his fiancée, and now you're calling me to tell me he wants to marry me?” “I know how it sounds.” “It sounds insane.” Nathan sighed quietly. “I agree that the timing is difficult.” “Difficult?” Sophia laughed bitterly. “That's the nicest way anyone has ever described a disaster.” Nathan didn't argue. Sophia paced across her room, gripping her phone tightly. “Tell him no.” “I can't do that.” “Then tell him to call me himself.” “He will explain everything

Sophia barely slept that night. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the photographs Damien had shown her.Her apartment, Her sister at the hospital and Her jewelry workshop.Someone had been watching them but that wasn't the only thing keeping her awake.The contract was sitting on her bedside table. Sophia stared at it from across the room.One year.One year of pretending to be Damien Cole's wife.One year of living under the same roof as the man who had broken her heart.One year of smiling beside him in public while knowing their marriage was nothing more than a business arrangement.She rubbed her forehead. “This is crazy.”Her phone buzzed and She looked at the screen. It was a message from the hospital.Your sister's surgery has been scheduled for Monday. Sophia's heart jumped.Monday.That was only three days away.She immediately called the hospital.“Hello, I'm Sophia Reed. I received a message about my sister's surgery.”The nurse confirmed the details.“Yes, everything

Damien drove through the gates of the Cole mansion with his hands firmly gripping the steering wheel. His grandfather's last words kept repeating in his head.She's in more danger than you realize.He had heard his grandfather speak about enemies, business rivals and threats countless times, but there had been something different in his voice tonight.Fear.Damien stepped out of the car and walked into the mansion without waiting for anyone to greet him. His grandfather was already in the study, standing beside the large desk with an old brown envelope in his hand.“You came alone?” his grandfather asked.“Yes.”“Where is Sophia?”“At my apartment.”His grandfather's expression changed. “You left her alone?”“She has security.” Damien replied.“That isn't what I asked.” the old man said, squeezing his brows. Damien frowned. “What is going on?”His grandfather held out the envelope. “Close the door.”Damien did as he was told, then turned back toward him. “What did you find?”His gran