The Ceo’s Contract Lover

After the call was hung up, the air inside the study turned somber.

Nina slumped back in the chair as Madison’s mocking voice echoed in her ears.

“You are just a mere replacement.”

“LJ has been waiting patiently for her all these years.”

“Bet you might not even know who your biological father is.”

“He married you so that he could fill in the void left behind by Emma.”

All the pieces of the puzzle suddenly began to fall into place.

So, all along, she had been living in the shadow of a life that had never truly belonged to her. She was a substitute, a pathetic replacement of his true love he couldn’t let go of.

As the truth settled in, the world seemed to close in around Nina.

Suddenly, an unexpected downpour of tears fell onto the iPad screen one after another. The wetness on her cheeks startled her, and Nina instinctively reached out to wipe them away.

She didn’t want to cry.

Crying was for the vulnerable. Crying meant that it affected her. And she wasn’t weak.

Taking a deep breath, she attempted to steady her chaotic thoughts. She reminded herself that it was another one of Madison’s attempts to sow discord between the couple.

There were always two sides to every story, and she needed to hear Jayden’s perspective before making any conclusions.

She couldn’t let Madison’s words cloud her judgment. She needed to trust her husband!

Time passed, but Nina found herself unable to focus on her designs. No matter how much she brainwashed herself, it was impossible for her not to be affected.

A searing pain shot through her head as she paced back and forth in the room, desperate for answers.

She clenched her temples and squeezed her eyes shut as if that could ease the turmoil within her mind. But no matter how much she walked or how many deep breaths she took, her anxiety refused to dissipate.

Desperate to quell her unease, she made her way outside.

As she waited for Jayden, her fingers hovered over her phone’s screen, tracing the names on her contact list. Finally, her fingers stopped at a particular name. Hesitating for a moment, she opened the chat box.

“What’s the relationship between Jayden and Emilia?” Nina typed the message before clicking on the send button.

The content of the message was short and to the point.

It took a while before the recipient finally saw her message.

The person on the other end seemed to be carefully selecting his words, as the word, ‘typing…’ appeared on her screen for some time.

At last, Stefan’s response arrived.

“Since you already know about them, I think it’s best if you ask Jayden about it. Because anything you hear from others won’t do him justice.”

After all, it was Jayden’s story to tell.

Nina was disappointed as she read Stefan’s words. She sent a quick reply to Stefan, thanking him for his advice, before slipping her phone into her pocket.

The clock on the wall ticked away the minutes, and soon fatigue began to catch up with her. Her eyelids grew heavy, and, unknowingly, she drifted into slumber.

In the quiet of the night, Nina stirred in her sleep. She instinctively reached out her hand to hug Jayden. But unlike in the past, what greeted her this time was the cool, soft mattress, devoid of any human warmth.

Nina sat with a start as panic gripped her.

Why wasn’t he home yet?

Could it be… he was accompanying that woman?

Nina’s mind buzzed with anxiety as she considered the possibility. She couldn’t bear to stay in bed any longer. Slipping out of the bed, she walked barefoot out of the room.

As she reached the top of the stairs, she noticed a faint light coming through Jayden’s study. Her hand reached for the doorknob, and she pushed it open gently.

The door swung inward, and her eyes fell upon Jayden’s figure seated behind his desk.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she quietly closed the door behind her.

“When did you arrive?” she asked before walking towards him.

“I’ve been home for a while,” Without looking up, Jayden replied, his voice tinged with exhaustion. “Had some work to catch up on.”

Upon hearing his words, Nina noticed the fatigue across his face, as well as the dark rings under his eyes.

“When will you be done?”

“Just a few more minutes,”

As he returned to his work, Nina was unsure about how to proceed.

“Is there something you want?” Jayden asked, glancing briefly in her direction.

Nina hesitated for a moment before shaking her head, “Let’s talk after you’re done,”

“Just tell me already,” Jayden insisted.

The lump in Nina’s throat grew heavier. She didn’t want to add to his burdens, but the uncertainty gnawed at her, and she couldn’t wait any longer.

She inhaled a deep breath before finally asking. “What’s your relationship with Emilia?” As soon as the words left her mouth, Nina’s heart pounded.

Jayden finally looked up in surprise.

Nina’s gaze remained fixed on Jayden, searching his face for any guilt, remorse, or hurt. But as usual, his emotions were concealed beneath his cold face.

His dark eyes met Nina’s, and then, with a resigned sigh, he leaned back in his chair.

He did not expect her to raise this question, but on second thought, it was inevitable.

Jayden did not immediately respond to her as he needed a moment to gather his thoughts and find the right words.

The silence in the room grew thick with anticipation as Nina anxiously waited for him.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Jayden’s voice resounded in the room.

“A couple of years before we married, Emma and I met at a business banquet,” Jayden began, “We hit it off pretty well, and soon we began dating. Our families saw the potential in our relationship and hoped that we would get married in a few years.”

Given Nina’s sensitive nature, Jayden purposely did not mention how his family, especially his stepmother, was fond of Emma and wanted them to be together.

The Luxton and Moore families came from similar backgrounds and were considered at the top of the chain, making Emilia their ideal choice for Mrs. Luxton.

“However,” Jayden continued. “Emma wanted to focus on her career and wasn’t ready to settle down. As time went on, our differences became more apparent, and we eventually decided to part ways.”

“After our breakup, Emma and her family moved abroad.”

The room was once again enveloped in stillness as Jayden’s confession hung in the air.

After a while, Nina broke the silence, “So you used me as a replacement for Emilia. A substitute?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Jayden frowned, disagreeing with her choice of words.

While it might seem that way, that wasn’t how he saw their relationship.

He won’t deny that when he first saw Nina, he was indeed attracted to her overly beautiful face.

That night was still deeply engraved in his heart.

Dressed in a bright red dress, she was under the influence of the aphrodisiac. With her face flushed, doe eyes, and sexy figure, she seemed like a temptress out to seduce people.

Anyone who laid eyes on her would have been mesmerized by her charm. And that’s exactly what happened with him. Especially when she threw herself at him and pressed her soft body against him.

Lust had clouded his mind, and at that time, there was only one thing in his mind.

To f**k her right there!

Because of his character, after that one-night stand, he wanted to take responsibility for her, and what followed was simply heaven’s will.

Initially, it was a contract marriage. But as they lived together under the same roof, he realized that she was exactly the type of wife he wanted.

A strong, independent woman who knew her place. Who was obedient and didn’t cause unnecessary trouble for him. Other than her little tantrums, he could not point out any of her shortcomings.

It was just that he did not know how to voice out his thoughts.

However, Nina took his silence as his consent. Her body quivered as she took a step back. uncertainty clouding her gaze.

Jayden noticed her actions and knew she was overthinking again.

The misunderstanding between them seemed to take root, threatening to shroud their relationship in doubt.

“Does it matter?” he asked, as though it wasn’t a big deal. “Aren’t we living fine right now?”

“Of course, it doesn’t matter to you.” Nina suddenly raised her voice. “But Jayden, even if it’s on paper, I’m still your wife. Am I not even entitled to know the truth?”

It wasn’t that she harped on about his affairs. Rather, it was the pain of feeling like a fool, a mere stand-in for someone else, that gnawed at her soul.Copyright by Nôv/elDrama.Org.

“Emma and I are a thing of the past. There’s nothing between us now and probably won’t in the future. So stop letting your imaginations run wild.” Jayden asserted.

‘Probably’ That’s what he said, a voice in her head repeated.

It was as though no matter how he explained, she could not wrap her head around it.

Her lips quivered, her amber eyes glistening with unshed tears, looking as though she might cry any moment.

Jayden took in all the changes in her expression and finally rose from his chair. Closing the distance between them, he pinched her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

“Why are you so affected by it, my love?” he asked. With a small pause, he narrowed his eyes and added, “Have you fallen in love with me?”