Billionaire Jaden Green needs a wife to secure his inheritance, and Brianna Scott needs money to save her sick brother. What starts as a cold, calculated contract marriage quickly turns into a heated battle of wills and hearts. Jaden, betrayed by everyone he trusted, vows never to let his guard down. Brianna, burdened by secrets and her sister's plea, risks everything to play the role. As enemies turn to lovers, deception threatens to destroy their fragile bond. Will Jaden forgive the lies and embrace the love he's found, or will Brianna's hidden identity shatter their chance at happiness forever?
Chapter 1 Betrayal.
JADEN
"They are joking right?" I asked in obvious annoyance and I watched as my assistant squirmed before me.
I don't know what annoys me more, the news I just got or the pussy I employed as a personal assistant.
"That was what I was told to relay, sir" At least he wasn't stammering like the mindless buffoon I had previously employed.
"Cancel all of the appointments I have left for today and go home. Be back here early tomorrow morning, earlier than usual. There's going to be a lot to do" I stood up and closed down my computer, before walking out of my office.
I could hear him speaking to someone on the phone, someone who sounded extremely pissed but that's none of my business. Everyone knows I operate on my own terms and if they don't want to reschedule, it's their loss.
As the driver navigated traffic which was lighter than usual since I left about three hours earlier than I usually do, I thought about the news I had just received.
For nearly four years, I had been after one thing the most, an inheritance left by my grandfather that had a clause. I was to get married before the age of thirty five and stay in the marriage for at least three years. At thirty, I learnt about this clause and in less than a year after that, I got married.
Although, it was merely a marriage of convenience, I had hoped it would be enough to satiate my grandfather's lawyers but that seems to not be the case.
Apparently, even though my "wife" and I have been staying together for nearly two years, they figured out the truth and now I have to proof that I married her for love and not for the inheritance.
To be honest, she's quite something to look at but our marriage was purely business and I don't want to have to pretend with someone I don't like. She's not much of an actress which means she would be found out in less than an half hour if she were to be interrogated.
There's only one thing to be done. Thankfully, no one knows what she looked like because I forbade her from leaving the house. I have too many enemies for someone I don't love to be used as bait to bring me down or something.
I've almost always kept my personal life from my work life, allowing the media to know only what I want them to know and if she's known, it would pose quite a lot of issues for me.
I ran through a list of people I might know who would be incredible actresses that can take her place for the duration of the probe. It wouldn't take more than a few months for them to get whatever it is they want and the earlier I find someone who can act, the better.
If the inheritance hadn't been a considerably larger some of money that is to be used to fund a personal, project, I wouldn't have given it the light of the day as I have more money than the devil but this is really important and if I decide to use my personal money or the company's money, I'd go bankrupt even before the project kicks off.
As we approached the house, it felt like something was off and my gut is never wrong about things like this. I instructed the driver to stop the car a few meters before the gate and bring the car back later in the evening. He was only too happy to oblige since this means he'd be having the car to himself for a few hours.
I quietly opened the doors and headed straight to my bedroom. Strangely, the door wasn't open and the reason for my unease was staring at me right in the face.
On my bed, with her back turned to me, was my wife, having sex with the only man I could consider a friend.
Neither of them saw me and I moved as quietly as I could to a chair and sat down. They were so lost in their passion that they didn't notice they were not alone in the room anymore.
Once I noticed they were about to reach their climax, I cleared my throat and it was almost comical watching them spring apart like bunnies in a fire.
"Jaden" Hearing my name from the woman I married triggered an anger I didn't want to feel in the first place and I stood up and approached the bed where they scrambled to cover their shame.
Without sparing her as much as a glance, I looked at Daniel, my supposed friend, who was looking at me with a mixture of fear and arrogance. I guess even when he's caught, he still has a bit of his pride left.
"Leave" I said to him and he nearly fell over trying to get out of the room. He knows he's done something almost abominable and he's going to pay for that but for now I'm going to focus my anger somewhere else or on someone else.
"Get dressed" I said and strolled out of the room, my anger reducing as I thought of the perfect punishment for what she had done.
She tried to say something that fell on deaf ears until she realized she was wasting her time and complied instead.
I watched as she walked towards where I sat waiting for her, shivering as if it was cold. Despite us living together for nearly two years, she's never seen me angry. For most part, I've left her alone to do whatever she wanted. She had the best stylists and dressers and she was free to go for any parties she wanted to provided she left in a way that wouldn't trace her to me.
I motioned that she followed me and I led her to the garage. We got in one of the cars that I almost never drove. I have several of it Incase I want to leave the house without anyone knowing who I am.
I had only one destination in mind and as I drove the car into what seems like a desolate place, I could feel her apprehension increase.