Chapter 10
ANNA‘ S POV
I was caught off guard, my eyes widening in surprise. But before I could react, the woman with perfect red hair stormed over.
“What the hell, Nate?” She cried, her gaze. flicking between us.
Nate pulled away from the kiss, his expression sheepish. “Oh, Sophie? I didn’t see you there, honestly. What are you doing at my house so late?”
Sophie shot him a glare, her eyes narrowing. “What am I doing here? I’ve been trying to reach you all day. I came to spend the night with you, and this is what I find? What the hell was that with this
bimbo?”
Nate positioned himself in front of me, shielding me from Sophie’s death stare. “Don’t you dare call her a bimbo. It’s been a long day, and I’m not in the mood for your
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games. You should just go home.”
“This isn’t over, Nate,” she huffed, her eyes cutting to me one last time before she stormed off.
“What the hell was that?” I asked, slightly irritated. “How dare you kiss me without my consent?”
He raised his left brow upward casualty. “As if you didn’t enjoy it.”
I felt my cheeks flush, and I scowled at him. “That’s not the point. I’m not your plaything, and I don’t appreciate you using me to get rid of your girlfriend.”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “She’s not my girlfriend. Well, not really. Our families have been pushing us to get together, but I’ve never been interested in her that way. She’s not the kind of woman I want to marry and have kids with like they want.”
I blinked. “Wait, wasn’t that Sophie Marino from high school? The Sophie
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Marino? Haven’t you guys been dating since high school?”
Nate nodded, a wry smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah, that’s the one. We were the ‘power couple‘ in high school, or so everyone thought. But I never really looked forward to something long–term. And we broke up since like the last day of high school.”
“That must suck because she looks like she’s still smitten by you.”
He gestured towards the grand mansion, trying to change the subject. “Welcome to my humble abode, by the way. Come on, let’s get you inside.”
I glanced around, my eyes wide with wonder. “Humble?
Nate, this place is… it’s incredible.”
Nate chuckled, shaking his head. “Yeah, well, it’s a bit much, I admit. But it’s home, and…well, I’d like you to make it yours, too. At least for a little while.” He paused, as if a
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light bulb appeared in his head, and he turned to me. “Hey, I got a crazy idea. How about we get married instead?”
“Ridiculous much? Are you serious right now?” I exclaimed, staring at him like he had grown a second head.
“I know, I know, it sounds crazy. But hear
me out.”
I shook my head. “Nate, I’m pregnant. And I still have a husband, in case you’ve forgotten. How could you possibly think this is a good idea?”
He moved closer, his eyes earnest. “I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out. I’m not asking you to marry me for real–well, not entirely. It would be more of a… fake dating and marriage arrangement, at least for a little while till I get Sophie and my family off my back.”
I stared at him, my heart suddenly beating faster in my chest. “This is insane. I can’t just marry you, even if it is fake. It’s too
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much, too fast.”
He nodded. “I am not asking for an answer right now. Just… think about it, okay? Sleep on it, and we can talk more about it later.”
He led me toward a breathtaking bedroom, saying it was my new room, and told me to get settled in.
He started walking away when I pulled his arm and stopped him in his tracks.
“Even though you‘ re annoying as hell, you came at the right time, and I really appreciate you.”
Nate gave a lopsided grin. “Anytime, Anna. Goodnight.”
The next morning, I woke up feeling quite rested. As I stretched, my mind
immediately went to Caden. I needed to confront him, to figure out a way to get back my life.
As I grabbed my phone to check the time, I was surprised to see a slew of notifications.
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-all related to a product launch that was happening that very day.
“Weston Beauty Launches New Line Lumina: Unexpected Product Release Shakes Up the Industry”
I stared at the screen, my heart pounding in my chest. This was my product, the one I had been developing for months, the one that wasn’t supposed to hit the market until
next week.
How the hell were they launching it
without my consent?
I crazily scrolled through the article, my fingers shaky as I tried to make sense of what was happening. Apparently, Caden had swooped in and taken over the company, using his position as my husband. to push my product into the market without my knowledge or approval. No wonder he wanted me to step down from being Vice President.
The rage inside me took over, and without
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a second thought, I was out of bed getting ready and dashing out the door.
As I rushed down the stairs, I nearly collided with Nate.
“Whoa there. Where’s the fire?” he asked, reaching out to steady me.
I held up my phone, the screen still displaying the Lumina article. “Caden has stolen my product and is launching it without my consent. I have to get to the office and put a stop to this.”
Nate studied me for a moment, in a thoughtful expression. “Alright, then I’m coming with you. No way I’m letting you go up against that asshole alone.”
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