The CEO's Contractual Wife (Olivia and Alexander) novel Chapter 233

Chapter 233

Chapter 233

Olivia

255 you here

“I know what I signed.” I took a long sip of coffee. “Doesn’t make it any less insulting that you felt the need to remind me.”

“You threatened to end the arrangement.”

“I was angry. People say things when they’re angry.”

He leaned forward. “And people also need to remember what they agreed to. Until you pay me back and we terminate this contract, you’re still my wife. That means living here, appearing in public with me, maintaining the image we’ve built.”

I laughed, the sound bitter. “So I’m contractually obligated to play the devoted wife even when you treat me like a liability?”

“That’s not what I said.”

“It’s exactly what you said.” I pushed my plate away. “You want me to smile for the cameras and act like everything’s perfect while you question every interaction I have.”

Alexander set down his fork carefully. “I wasn’t questioning every interaction. Just the ones with my competitor.”

“James was being nice. That’s it. But you’ve already decided there’s something suspicious about it.”

“The photos looked bad.”

“The photos looked like two people having coffee.” I stood up, unable to sit still anymore. “If you can’t trust me, then what’s the point of any of this?”

“I do trust you.”

“Do you?” I crossed my arms. “Because it sure didn’t feel like it last night.”

Alexander stood too, moving around the island. “Those photos were sent to me with a blackmail demand. Five hundred thousand dollars to make them disappear. Someone’s been following you. Taking pictures. Trying to use them against me.”

“And your first instinct was to interrogate me instead of warning me?”

“I needed to understand what was happening.”

“So you do think I did something wrong.” My voice rose. “You think I gave them something to blackmail you with.”

“That’s not what I think.”

2

Chapter 233

“Then what?” I spread my hands. “Help me understand, because it looks like you believe the worst about me.”

Alexander scrubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t think you did anything wrong. But the situation is complicated. James is showing up everywhere you are, the timing of those photos, and someone is trying to extort money. It all looks calculated.”

“So James is behind it?”

“Maybe. I don’t know.” He leaned against the counter. “All I know is someone’s watching you, and they’re using it to try to destroy what we’ve built.”

I processed this information, my anger cooling slightly. “You could have just told me that. Instead of making me feel like I was being accused of something.”

“You’re right.” Alexander met my eyes. “I handled it badly. I should have approached it differently.”

“Yeah, you should have.”

He moved closer, stopping just in front of me. “I’m sorry. For making you feel like I didn’t trust you. That wasn’t my intention.”

I wanted to stay angry. Wanted to hold onto my righteous indignation. But the exhaustion from last night was catching up with me.

“I told you I’d pay you back in two months,” I said quietly. “And I meant it.”

“Olivia-”

“I’ll have the money. Then we can end this, and you can find someone else to play wife.”

“Is that what you want?”

I looked away. “What I want doesn’t really matter, does it? This was always temporary. A business arrangement.”

“Things change.”

“Do they?” I met his eyes. “Because right now it feels like we’re just going through the motions. Playing our parts until the contract expires.”

“That’s not what this is.”

“Isn’t it?” I gestured between us. “You need a wife to secure your inheritance. I needed money for my dad. Everything else is just window dressing.”

Alexander caught my wrist gently. “You don’t actually believe that.”

I pulled away. “I don’t know what I believe anymore.”

“Then let me make it clear. Until you have that money, until the contract is terminated, you’re my wife. That means you live here. You appear at my side. You maintain the image we’ve built together. Not because of the

contract, but because that’s what we agreed to.”

“So I’m stuck here until I can pay you off.” The words tasted bitter.

“That’s not what I said.”

“But it’s what you meant.” I moved toward the door. “Fine. I’ll play my part. Show up when required, smile for the cameras, pretend everything’s perfect. But don’t expect me to pretend this is something it’s not.”

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