《He's The One™ã€‹


 Chapter 1: The Proposal!

    Kaia Crestfall was the youngest, as well as one of the most influential people in the entertainment industry--at least in the UK. She recently ascended to the position of CEO after graduating with a 4.0 GPA from a top graduate school university with a Masters in Business Administration at the age of twenty-three. She stood at a height of 5''6¡± with long wavy brown hair and chocolate brown eyes to match. Her figure was slender and she filled out in all the right places. Many insisted that she should¡¯ve been a model or an actor, but she didn''t want to. She wanted to rule the industry, and so far, she did.


    Even so, she didn''t expect to be in this situation...


    Crestfall Industries, currently led by Kaia Crestfall, had always been a leading business in the entertainment world. That was until a few years ago, when two families, the Crestfall¡¯s, and the Sabor¡¯s butted heads. After that, the Sabor¡¯s made it a goal to crush the Crestfall¡¯s and dominate the industry. Though they were close many times, Crestfall Industries remained on top with Sabor Sights just grazing the line with their sales and popularity. Kaia loved her company, so there was no way she''d let Sabor Sights rise above.


    Sabor Sights was now run by the youngest in the main branch of the Sabor family, Alexander Sabor, who was known for being cold and ruthless. If you got in his way he would make you disappear--at least that''s what the rumors say. He had indeed shut down a few businesses in the past because they started drama with his company. However, what most people didn¡¯t know was that it was merely a facade for work. Kaia knew based on their relationship in high school that he wasn¡¯t like what the rumors portrayed him as.


    Kaia sat at her desk fumbling through her papers. Her company, Crestfall Industries, was so successful and well-respected that models from the company were on high demand, thus Kaia decided to sign on and train three new models. She smiled as she signed a document before writing a note to hold an audition to find prospective new models.


    Hearing a knock, Kaia looked up from her desk. As soon as she saw who it was, her face grew sour.


    ¡°What are you doing here Caine?¡±


    With a smug look, Caine lazily leaned against the door frame. ¡°Obviously I came to see my darling little fiancee.¡±


    Kaia swiftly stood up from her desk, grabbing a few papers and stuffing them into a folder. ¡°You gave that up when you cheated. I don''t have time to deal with you, so please show yourself out,¡± she said curtly. She tried to stay calm, even though every nerve in her body was screaming to get as far away from him as possible. She didn''t even want to be in the same room as him, much less breathe the same air as him.


    On multiple occasions, she was struck--if not beaten--by this man. He always made sure to leave bruises in places that would be covered up. He came into the picture about two years ago and no matter how much she tried to resist, he always came back. She thought about seeking help many times but didn''t want to worry those who truly cared about her.


    Kaia slightly clenched the folder in her hands as she walked towards the door. But before she was able to walk past him, Caine slammed the door shut as he was angered by her words. He grabbed her arm roughly and shoved her against the wall. The papers that were in the folder now fluttered in a heap onto the floor.


    No, not again!


    She couldn''t take it anymore. Kaia pressed her back against the wall of her office unwillingly. She hated this man with every fiber of her being. He was the man her parents forced her to marry for business purposes. She didn''t like the idea of arranged marriages, but it was common among the upper class to marry just for connections, and Caine, of course, was the son of a well-known fashion company. He stood roughly six feet tall, with medium red hair that framed his face.


    Caine shifted his eyes level to hers, as his face inched closer and closer with that creepy smirk and triumphant gaze that showed how proud he was at claiming his prey.


    Kaia sucked in a breath as she felt his body press against hers. She wriggled her arms, which were trapped and held firmly above her head. She shot him a piercing death glare. She couldn''t move her arms. What should I do? She glanced around, unmoving, before her attention went back to him. She wouldn''t let him get any closer. Swiftly, she kicked him hard in the shin, making him double over, grabbing his leg in pain. Seeing an opportunity, she dashed for the door.


    After fleeing her office, she walked out front. Her wrists had started to bruise and she tried her best to hide it under her sleeves. Her secretary and best friend, Naomi, worriedly stood up from her desk upon seeing Kaia so distraught. Naomi had heard the slam of the door and was also somewhat aware of how violent Caine was towards Kaia. She wanted to help somehow but Kaia made sure she didn¡¯t say anything to anyone. She had pleaded with Naomi, practically through tears.


    Stolen novel; please report.Kaia walked over to her, looking around before leaning in. ¡°Naomi, get rid of him, please!¡± she pleaded, nervously glancing back towards her office. Naomi followed her gaze then looked back at Kaia. Seeing how disheveled she was, Naomi frowned slightly. ¡°What did he do this time?! You want me to kick his ass?!¡± she asked angrily,holding her fist in the air. Kaia was startled for a second before letting out a small laugh. ¡°As much as I would like to see that, how about we just kick him out today.¡±


    Kaia knew she would get a scolding for it later, but she couldn''t deal with this anymore. Today would be the day Kaia was going to turn down her parents¡¯ ¡°request¡± and call off the engagement. She didn''t care anymore. Most people referred to Kaia as the baby of the industry. Despite managing to keep Crestfall Industries at the top, some saw her as incapable due to her youth and gender. They even attributed her success to her parents because she was ¡°handed¡± her position as CEO. To add insult to injury, there were even some that thought that males should be the ones leading the top companies of the industry.


    ----


    After being thrown out again, Caine just smirked and pulled out his phone. He dialed a number and after a few moments, a woman picked up the phone. ¡°Hello?¡±


    Caine¡¯s smirk deepened as he walked to his parked car. ¡°I have some free time, let¡¯s meet up, k?¡± he asked in a seductive tone that could only indicate one thing. The woman on the other end didn''t hesitate to reply with a yes. After Caine hung up, he sped out of the parking lot.


    ---


    Seeing him finally gone, Kaia let out a sigh of relief and straightened her back, then went back to her office. Why do I have to be forced to be with someone like him? She thought, pressing her lips together tightly. She had to figure something out--and soon. Quickly, she grabbed her coat from the back of her office chair, slipping it on. She wore a custom fit female tuxedo with a slight skirt-like feature that accented her jacket, making it a bit more feminine.


    Going out into the city, she decided to walk this time instead of taking a car. She sighed, taking out her phone and scrolling through her notifications. Two calls from her mother, three messages from her older sister and two from Naomi. With a sigh, Kaia typed in her mother¡¯s number. Hearing her mother pick up, she sighed. Kaia knew it. Her mother didn''t even say hi and instead went straight to nagging at her. Kaia took a deep breath. ¡°Mom, Caine is a sleazeball. I refuse to marry him! Find someone else. This engagement is off,¡± she stated assertively. Her mother didn''t hesitate to continue complaining and nagging. Kaia started to feel faint as she stepped out onto the road without thinking. She slightly stumbled as she tried to steady herself.


    Hearing the honking of a car horn, she looked up and saw the oncoming car. Her eyes widened, and her body just froze. She knew she should move, so why didn''t she? Feeling a sudden tug around her waist, a pair of solid arms pulled her back onto the sidewalk as she dropped her phone, which was crushed under the wheels of the car. Taken aback, Kaia grabbed her chest. Her heart was beating rapidly. She gulped and turned her head to take a look at her savior. ¡°You should watch where you¡¯re going¡­¡± The male''s voice rang in her ears as she tried to grasp the situation. Finally coming to her senses, Kaia stood straight, fixing her jacket before brushing a piece of her chocolate brown hair behind her right ear and turning to look at him. ¡°Th--thanks¡­¡± she muttered, before tilting her head and gazing at the familiar features of the man standing before her. ¡°What''s so terrible that you just had to walk into the middle of the road when it''s a red light to end your suffering?¡± the man asked in a joking manner. Kaia blinked, shaking her head. ¡°I wasn''t trying to kill myself!¡± she exclaimed, but then stopped in her tracks.


    The man was tall, about 6''3¡± with blonde hair that bordered on white. On one side, his hair was tied up uniquely, while the other side of his hair hugged his chiseled face. The layers brought out the hairstyle fairly well. He was slender, yet built. And he wore jogging pants and a grey t-shirt that hugged his form. He was very handsome. Finally realizing who this gorgeous face belonged to, Kaia froze.


    It was her high school fling and long-term business rival, Alexander Sabor. Alex grinned and pulled her to the side near a building. ¡°I heard your conversation and I have a solution!¡± He grinned, bringing his hand up to place his index finger on her nose with a little boop. ¡°Marry me¡­¡±


    Kaia blinked. She couldn''t believe what she was hearing. Yes, they had a history, but he was her rival! She narrowed her eyes and looked at him. ¡°What do you take me for?¡± she spat out with a glare. This only made him laugh. ¡°You''re trapped in an engagement you don''t want to be in and my family is pressuring me for marriage as well. Think of it as a contract to nullify your engagement and to keep my parents off my back,¡± he stated while crossing his arms and looking at her. He was waiting for her reply.


    Kaia grabbed her head lightly before moving her hand down to rest on her chin. The whole plan was crazy, but right now it seemed like a great opportunity. Kaia looked up at Alex. ¡°Alright...but! I have some conditions¡­¡± she replied sternly, her eyes meeting his.

 Chapter 2: The Rules and The Marriage

    Alex nodded and waited for her to state her terms. Kaia looked at him and said, ¡°For starters, this will be a contract type marriage. We¡¯re just using each other, so we don''t have to marry the person our parents want us to marry.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°Rule one, no touching without the other¡¯s permission. Rule two, we might stay in the same house and share the same bed, but that doesn''t mean that we will have any sexual interactions,¡± she paused, scratching the back of her head.


    Alex nodded in approval. ¡°Alright, I agree to your terms. Meet me at the courthouse tomorrow at noon and we¡¯ll get everything settled,¡± he confirmed, before turning around and walking away. Kaia blinked. ¡°Hey, wait!¡± she called after him. Alex turned to look back at her with a questioning look. ¡°Why would you--?¡± She was going to question his proposal. In response he smirked and merely replied, ¡°You''re cute, and it¡¯ll be a good toss in their face,¡± before walking away.


    Kaia stood there in shock for a moment before she shook it off and looked for her phone. She saw it lying demolished on the road. She made sure it was a white light before she walked out onto the road. She picked it up carefully before turning and walking back to her office.


    That night, Kaia called her lawyer and got him to set up a marriage contract, paying extra for quick services. She carefully looked over the printed contract and let out a small sigh before going home to sleep.


    The next day, she went to work like usual, looking over some papers for a while until Naomi notified her of the time. Kaia nodded and stood up, closing the contract in a folder and taking it in her arms as she walked out of her office. ¡°Naomi cancel my appointments for today, I have something to do...I¡¯ll explain later,¡± she added at the end, seeing her friend¡¯s worried face.


    Leaving the building, Kaia borrowed Naomi''s car and drove to the courthouse. She was used to taking the company car and was always accompanied by a driver, but this time she didn''t since she wanted to keep what she was doing a secret.


    When Kaia got to the courthouse, Alex was already outside the main entrance of the courthouse in a tux. She studied him carefully. He grew up to be even more handsome. She took a deep breath before stepping out of the car and walking up to him. ¡°I''ve prepared everything we need, marriage license and all. All you have to do is sign it,¡± she said as she handed him the folder that she held in her hands. ¡°Also, I had a contract drawn up so you have to sign that too,¡± she added.


    Alex looked at her with a bemused expression as he nodded. ¡°Alright then, let''s go.¡± He held his arm out, letting her entangle hers with his before walking into the courthouse. He also had everything prepared. He was pleasantly surprised that she went through the trouble of preparing everything herself.


    After an hour of waiting, it was finally their turn. Going into the judge¡¯s office, they both stood in front of the desk. Alex handed him the documents needed before looking at Kaia.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The judge looked them over, then nodded. ¡°Alright, let''s make this quick and easy. Kaia Crestfall, do you take this man, Alexander Sabor, to be your lawfully wedded husband?¡± Kaia blinked, looking up at Alex. ¡°Ehhhh, Y...yes I...I mean, I do.¡± The judge looked at her with a questioning gaze before looking at Alex. ¡°And you Alexander Sabor, do you take Kaia Crestfall to be your lawfully wedded wife?¡± Alex grinned, glancing at Kaia, then at the judge, before nodding.  ¡°I do.¡± The judge nodded. ¡°Alright, do you have rings?¡± he asked, looking at them. Before Kaia could say no, Alex pulled out a glass box containing a set of two rings. ¡°Yes, right here.¡± He reached over and took Kaia''s hand before slipping a gorgeous princess cut diamond ring accented with mini purple diamonds on the fourth finger of her left hand.


    Kaia stared at him in surprise. He came even more prepared for this than she did. It took her a moment to recover from the initial surprise before she grabbed the other ring in the glass box and slipped it on his finger. The judge smiled. ¡°I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Sabor, you may kiss the bride,¡± the judge stated, as he stamped their documents with the seal of approval. Kaia took a deep breath before looking up at Alex who was giving her a look that seemed to ask if he could. She slowly nodded and he leaned in, gently pressing his lips against hers. His lips were soft and warm. Something in her stirred and she couldn''t help but blush. Just a kiss from him was somewhat nostalgic. When he pulled away, he grinned seeing her reaction. ¡°Mrs. Sabor, is that a blush I''m seeing?¡± His smile widened as he leaned closer to her.


    Taking a breath, Kaia pulled away from him and turned her head, embarrassed that he had noticed. She walked out of the room. Alex couldn''t help but deepen his smile as he grabbed the papers saying, ¡°Thank you,¡± before following her.


    Once they were outside of the courthouse, he gently grabbed her arm and said, ¡°Hey! Wait up!¡± Kaia flinched slightly at his touch. She quickly turned her head to see that it was Alex before letting out a sigh of relief. Her reaction made Alex falter, his smile fading. She seemed to be...afraid of him? He looked her over before letting go of her arm. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for your stuff to come to my place,¡± he said softly. Kaia slowly came back to her senses. Remembering something, she looked up at him before narrowing her eyes. ¡°Sabor!¡± She walked up and poked him in the chest aggressively. ¡°You know I''m your competition yet you went through with it, what are you planning?¡±


    Alex waved his hands around with a small laugh. ¡°Hey! Woah! Calm down!¡± His face softened. ¡°I''m not planning anything and I told you my reasons. If you were so suspicious of me, why did you agree?¡± he asked with a small shrug.


    Kaia looked at him once more before letting out a sigh. It didn''t seem like he was lying, so she decided to just let it go. She looked around before looking back at him. ¡°There''s another condition now. No one is to know! It could create trouble if it were to spread that I married the rival company''s CEO¡­¡± she looked down before shifting her gaze back up at him. He nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright, but I have a condition as well¡­¡± Kaia tilted her head. ¡°W--what condition?¡± she asked a bit nervously. He was a guy after all, and usually, men only seemed to want one thing. Alex hesitated slightly before saying, ¡°Well, we are married after all and might be for a while. When we¡¯re at home or alone, I want you to rely on me like a real wife. Even if you don''t want that type of relationship work is work and home is home¡­¡±


    Kaia blinked at his words. She didn''t see that one coming. She recovered quickly and nodded. ¡°Ok...I''ll work on it,¡± she said with glance around the area. ¡°I need to get back to the office and also get a new phone¡­¡± She sighed remembering the incident. Alex chuckled and handed her his card with his private number written on the back. ¡°When you get your new phone, message me, and I''ll send you the address to our home.¡± He smiled and leaned in swiftly to kiss her forehead before walking off. Before Kaia could protest, he was gone. She blushed lightly with a scowl. ¡°I told him not to touch me so freely,¡± she mumbled to herself before reaching up to touch her forehead. But she didn''t mind his gentleness, it was a good quality that Caine never had. She smiled to herself as she looked down at her ring. Remembering her phone, she let out a sigh. She got in her car and headed to the nearest phone store.

 Chapter 3: Wedding Night

    It was night time when Kaia walked out of her office building. She pulled out her phone and looked at the address that Alex sent her. She couldn''t fully trust her driver since he worked for her family and not just her. She didn''t want her family to learn about her marriage to Alex, which she had done behind their backs. At least, for now.


    While Kaia was deep in thought, a Silver GT4 Porsche pulled up in front of the building. The window on her side rolled down, revealing Alex''s gorgeous face. Kaia looked at him, startled. ¡°Mr. Sabor, why are you all the way over here? Isn''t your office on the other side of town?¡± she asked, leaning down to rest her arms on the window. Alex grinned looking at her. ¡°C''mon, I just thought I''d pick up my lovely wife.¡± He looked around, then motioned for her to sit in the passenger seat. ¡°Hurry, while no one¡¯s watching¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Kaia jumped lightly and hit her head on the top of the car window with a wince. She stood up, rubbing the back of her head as she walked around and opened the passenger door. She slid into the seat and gently pulled the belt across her body. Sitting quietly in the passenger seat, she stared out of the window at the night sky. While she thought Alex wasn''t watching, she sneaked a peek at him. This man was her husband. Any woman would be elated if such a man stole their heart and yet, she still had a tad bit of uncertainty in her. Especially since their falling out during high school.


    Alex could feel her eyes on him as he drove. He glanced over at her from the corner of his eyes and smirked. ¡°If you keep looking at me like that I''ll kiss you again,¡± Alex teased, as he turned onto a road with a massive gated area up ahead. Kaia blinked and turned her head around quickly, looking back out the window as he pressed a button that was on the sun visor. The massive gilded gate slowly opened.


    Alex lived in a small villa near the ocean. The villa was two stories high with a box-shaped feel. The color scheme was tannish with an accent of white. Some Christmas lights were hanging from the side of the roof, showing where he looked like he tried. On the backside of the villa was a pool that blended with the color of the sea. The colors matched perfectly. The view was also incredible. The villa was a little ways up a hill so even if the sea rose, it wouldn''t bother them.


    Kaia looked at him once more. ¡°You have a nice place,¡± she commented, while looking over the house. With a grin, Alex parked the car and stepped out. He chuckled. ¡°No, we have a nice place.¡±


    Kaia stepped out of the car, closing the door. She walked up to the front of the car before stopping. She looked up at Alex with a bit of uncertainty, before saying, ¡°I have another rule¡­¡± She hesitated before continuing, ¡°Although this might be a contract type marriage, please don''t cheat on me.¡± She slowly glanced at him, wondering what his reaction would be. Alex walked around to meet her in front of the car. He gently placed his index finger under her chin, making her look up at him. ¡°From the moment we signed those papers, I became exclusive to only you,¡± he said gently and with heartfelt sincerity. Kaia blushed as she moved away from him and gave a slight nod. ¡°O--okay.¡± She would trust him for now. She didn''t know why but just hearing his words made her happy.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    They ate dinner and sat in the living room together, talking about random things. Kaia pulled her legs up and curled into a ball on the couch. Alex was also doing the same thing. They had a blanket sprawled out over both of them, sharing each other''s warmth as they chatted. Kaia looked at Alex and asked, ¡°So what''s the story with the Christmas lights?¡± She laid back into the soft cushion of the couch. Alex smiled as he leaned his chin onto the palm of his hand. ¡°Well, I have a five-year-old nephew and a three-year-old niece. I was going to decorate the whole house for when they visit in two weeks for Christmas, but that was as far as I got before work called me in...and I guess I just never finished,¡± he said with a gentle smile. Kaia smiled seeing how caring he still was. The warmth from their shared blanket started to make the both of them feel drowsy.


    Alex looked at her and smiled softly. ¡°You know, you look especially lovely when you smile. You should try it more.¡± He stood up and swooped her into his arms carefully. Kaia wanted to protest but her arm instinctively wrapped around his neck as he carried her upstairs. Once they were inside Alex¡¯s bedroom, Alex sat her down on the bed and tucked her into bed. Seeing her look up at him from that spot like a helpless kid, he blushed. Her actions were just too cute! He might end up falling for this woman all over again! Again... His breathing faltered and smiled wistfully. It was a good thing he married her then.


    Kaia looked up at him and patted the other side of the bed. ¡°Come share your body heat,¡± she murmured. He blinked, startled. Just this morning, this woman told him not to touch her and now she wanted him to ¡°share his body heat¡± with her. He shrugged helplessly at the thought and walked over to the other side of the bed and climbed in as well. They were married after all. He respectfully stayed on his side of the bed. On the other hand, Kaia turned towards him and scooted closer, entangling her body with his, her head resting on his arm with her eyes closed.


    Alex let out a small sigh of content while gazing at her delicate features. A gentle smile formed on his lips as he leaned in to kiss her forehead. ¡°Goodnight Mrs. Sabor,¡± he whispered before closing his eyes. He couldn''t believe the turn of events. He felt like he had died and went to heaven.


    Kaia didn''t understand this feeling of wanting him close. She thought she had gotten rid of these feelings years ago. She couldn''t help but think back to their first kiss. It was after school hours when she stayed behind to clear the blackboard for the teacher. Being smart, Kaia skipped three grades, which landed her in the same grade as Alex. During his school days, he was distant, especially in the beginning after he just returned from studying abroad. Kaia remembered that she had been singing a song while cleaning the blackboard. Out of nowhere, Alex appeared behind her and frightened her. She smiled to herself, remembering how embarrassed she had felt. Growing up, Kaia always knew they would end up being rivals just because of their family¡¯s feud with each other. But, Alex didn''t care. No one ever made her heart beat like he did. Maybe that''s why it was so easy for her to agree to marrying him...

 Chapter 4: My husband is My Rival

    Kaia sniffed the air with a soft groan as she pulled her head up from the pillow. Something smells good, she thought. Her brown hair was tousled and messy. She blinked and looked around. Not seeing Alex in the room, she threw the covers off and stood up. She stretched with a yawn as she walked into the living room. Her things had been delivered early that morning, so her boxes were piled up by the doorway.


    Turning her head towards the open view kitchen, she saw Alex holding a frying pan with a spatula. He flipped the contents of the pan upside down before noticing Kaia. He glanced at her messy hair, then at her black tight fitting tank top and baggy pajama pants and chuckled. ¡°Are you the CEO I married yesterday?¡± Kaia blinked, looking down at her clothes then back at him. ¡°Yes, so what? Did you marry me for my status?¡± she retorted, while walking into the kitchen. Alex grinned, setting the pan down and turning the stove off before turning to her. ¡°No, what I meant is that you¡¯re even more beautiful without the whole Demon CEO mask on.¡± He chuckled lightly. Kaia glared at him before breaking into an awkward smile and smacking his arm. ¡°Shut up. So...what are you making?¡± she asked eagerly, while looking into the frying pan.


    Pancakes! Blueberry pancakes at that! Her favorite!


    Kaia blinked, taken back by this man once again. But then she remembered something and glared up at him. ¡°How did you know I liked blueberry pancakes?¡± she asked suspiciously, while crossing her arms. Once again, Alex chuckled as he moved to stand in front of her. ¡°Well, I was sleeping so well until someone started mumbling a whole bunch of things about blueberry pancakes in her sleep. I even had to wipe the drool from my arm!¡± He laughed, grabbing a plate from the cabinet. He swiftly shifted the pancakes onto it before handing it to her. ¡°Sadly, I can''t stay to eat. I have an early meeting at 12,¡± he explained, before walking towards the living room. ¡°Oh yea, the house is yours as well so don''t hesitate to look around and explore. Oh, and don''t be late for work.¡± He grinned, grabbing his suit jacket and slipping it on. He tied his hair back on one side again. He really did look like model material.


    She nodded and took a bite of her pancakes while watching him leave. ¡°MMMMM....!!!¡± She stared at the pancakes as if she could cry. They were delicious and fluffy. They didn''t even need syrup to eat. She inhaled the heavenly scent and smiled happily. It was an impulse to get married to him, but she had a feeling she wouldn''t regret it, or at least that was the way she felt at the moment.


    After finishing her pancakes, she went back upstairs to take a shower and get ready for work. Today, she wore a brown suit paired with a purple button-on top with ruffles that went from big to small down the front of the shirt. The shirt was simple and covered everything but still accented her chest area. She did a simple look for her makeup, then pulled her hair to the side, pinning the back so it wouldn''t move before adding some curls. Once she was done, she checked that everything was neat and perfect in the mirror before leaving.


    She opened the door and walked a few meters before hearing someone call out, ¡°Mrs. Sabor!¡± Kaia was startled and out of reflex, she swung her hand back and smacked the person dead in the center of his face. The man cleared his throat before fixing his glasses. ¡°I''m Zac, Mr. Sabor¡¯s driver. He told me to take you to work today¡­¡± he said hastily. Zac held up his hand showing her a key. ¡°He also instructed me to give you a key to the house.¡± Kaia froze, covering her mouth with a guilty expression. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! And uhm...thank you,¡± she said sheepishly, before following him into the car that was prepared.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    She sat in the back crossing her legs as she pulled out her phone. She pressed on Alex''s name and began to type him a message. Hey! I got the key...and you could have told me about Zac! He scared me half to death! I might''ve...hit him¡­ She pressed send, then set her phone down on her lap and looked out the window at the scenery.


    A few moments later Alex, who was in a meeting, looked down at his phone when he saw it light up. He opened the message that Kaia sent and as he read the contents a smile appeared on his face. He replied, I''m dying of laughter!!! Hahaha! I wish I could''ve been there to see it XD before looking back up and seeing the whole conference room staring at him in bewilderment. All the workers present knew that he never looked at his phone during a meeting, much less smiling after reading the contents of a message. Everyone in the room got a bit worried. What did he see that made him smile like that? They had never seen him like this and wanted to know what the secret was to making him smile so they could stay on his good side.


    Today was a busy day for Kaia. Her company signed not only three new models but also a singing group. She sat at her desk looking over some papers before hearing a knock on her door. She looked up and saw Naomi walking in with flowers and a bag filled with take-out. Kaia tilted her head slightly and asked, ¡°Naomi what is all this?¡± Naomi grinned and placed it on her desk. ¡°The delivery person said they were addressed to you saying to eat up and have a great day. Love, your hubby.¡± Naomi looked her over and her expression stiffened after seeing Kaia smile. ¡°I thought you didn''t like Caine. Now you''re getting all ooey gooey with him¡­¡± she said in a slightly disgusted manner. Kaia looked up quickly when she heard Caine¡¯s name and shook her head vigorously. ¡°No! It¡¯s not like that all!¡± She laughed. ¡°Naomi, my dear friend, remember when I canceled my appointments yesterday?¡± she asked, as she placed the flowers in a vase and set them on top of the window sill.


    Naomi looked at her with curiosity as she nodded her head slowly. ¡°Yesss¡­¡± she said while stretching out the words to show her confusion. Kaia looked at her friend who was confused, with a smile. ¡°Well, I got married...but not to Caine!¡± she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye as she pulled out her phone. Naomi stood there frozen, the words she was looking for were completely stuck in her throat. ¡°What?!?¡± she suddenly exclaimed. Kaia nodded. ¡°Yep, you heard me. The person I got married to wasn''t Caine...it¡¯s Alexander Sabor,¡± she casually said. Hearing Alex¡¯s name made Naomi freeze up even more. She blinked before walking around the room a few times as if to process her thoughts.


    After a few minutes, she stopped and looked at Kaia. ¡°Girl! You know he''s your rival, right?! Not to mention in high school he had you half naked before telling you he had a fiancee!¡± Naomi said indignantly. Kaia blinked somewhat startled by her friend¡¯s bluntness and slowly nodded. ¡°Yes, that is true but we agreed that work stays at work, and home stays at home. Also we¡¯re keeping it a secret, so don''t tell anyone. Now that you mention it, I wonder what happened to his old fiancee,¡± she said before returning her gaze to her phone and messaging thanks to Alex.


    After her message was sent, she pulled out the lunch and looked at Naomi. ¡°Come and eat with me, Naomi.¡± She smiled as she handed her the top of the box and placed some of the food on it for her. Naomi stared at her quizzically before letting out a small sigh and sitting down in front of the desk. She took a fork and the top of the box that held the food before looking back a Kaia. ¡°If he hurts you this time, I won''t hesitate to castrate,¡± Naomi said in a serious time, while taking a bite of the food. Naomi was always defensive towards Kaia. Kaia let out a small laugh. ¡°Alright then. He does seem pretty different from back then so don''t fret too much.¡±


    Meanwhile, Alex sat at his desk. Hearing a knock and seeing Zac in the doorway, he placed his papers down while looking at Zac. ¡°I''m sorry about your face, Zac¡± Alex said apologetically towards him. ¡°Also, find me whatever you can on Kaia''s ex-fiance.¡± His gaze slowly darkened upon mentioning Kaia¡¯s ex fiance. I''ll make him pay for thinking of putting his dirty hands on her, he thought to himself. He had overheard the conversation Kaia had with her mother over the phone yesterday before he saved her. He also remembered the reaction Kaia had the other day, and wouldn''t let it go unnoticed. Zac nodded. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± That was all that was needed to be said between the two of them.

 Chapter 5: The Gala

    The day went by quickly with the regular loads of paperwork. Sitting at her desk, Kaia let out a sigh as she massaged her forehead. The last two days had been quite hectic. Harassment, marriage, then the signings. Not to mention the art gala held by her older sister, who she was extremely close with and trusted a lot. Kaia had previously promised her older sister, Annie, that she would attend because the art galas were important to Annie.


    Everyone loved Annie''s art galas. Each and every one of her works was enthralling and captivating. Her paintings were unique with an intense definition of emotions crafted into each of them. When you looked at her works, you could feel what the painting was trying to convey or what the scenery meant to Annie. One could easily get sucked in by the raw emotions expressed by the different colors and brush strokes. The gala was prepared to raise money for Annie but twenty percent of it would be donated to charity in support of a meaningful cause.


    Since her sister, Annie, had decided to major in art instead of business, Kaia was able to fight for a chance to become CEO of Crestfall Industries. If Annie had been a business major, she would have become CEO, since she was the oldest. Even though Annie wasn''t an obstacle for Kaia anymore, Kaia still had to fight her way to the top and beat out Annie''s husband, who also wanted the position of CEO. Thankfully, it had mostly been a friendly competition between the two due to Kaia¡¯s close relationship with Annie.


    Devin had started out as a lawyer before taking a competitive business course right after getting together with Annie and realized he had potential. Since it was almost a norm for companies to choose males to run them, Kaia had to work extra hard in order to compete with Devin, as well as others who vied for the prestigious position of CEO of Crestfall Industries.


    After Kaia finished looking over her final papers for the day, she stood up, grabbing her jacket. Kaia messaged Alex, telling him that she would be home late and not to wait up. After doing so, she called her general dress store and asked them to prepare a special evening gown.


    Alex sat at his desk looking over the papers Zac brought him. ¡°Hmmm...Caine Martsching. He was the top student in The Crestfall business program of 20xx...has quite a bit of ¡®history¡¯ with many models and other women¡­¡± Alex skimmed through the pages with a hardening expression. Zac glanced at his boss before asking, ¡°Did something happen to your wife?¡± Alex looked up at Zac and briefly nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not sure myself, but Kaia gave a strange reaction when I touched her¡­¡± Zac¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°What kind of reaction?¡± he asked. Alex shook his head as his eyes went back to the papers. His eyes darkened as he noticed something. ¡°He was married once before. After receiving the family inheritance, he got a divorce.¡± Alex paused a bit before saying, ¡°Looks like he''s trying to do it again. Too bad it won''t work this time.¡± He smirked, a murderous intent flashed in his eyes as he stood up from his desk and grabbed his jacket.


    Little did Kaia know, that the reason Alex had also left early was because he was also attending Annie¡¯s art gala. Alex had taken a year of law with Devin, which was why he had also been invited.


    When Alex arrived at the gala, there were a few reporters outside taking pictures of the guests. A few A-list actors and actresses, as well as popular stars could be spotted coming to view Annie''s art. When Alex stepped out of his car, the media went crazy with pictures and questions. Instead of answering, he walked straight past them and into the building. One of the cameramen was glancing at their photos to see how they turned out but stopped at one picture. He zoomed in on the picture of Alex and a huge smile crept across his face. A wedding ring!


    The gala hall was set up with a few of Annie¡¯s paintings around the walls of the ballroom. A few extra stand up walls were set up for pictures as well. There was a huge curtain that separated the hall. On the other side of the curtain was a little stage set up with a few rows of chairs in front of it for the guests to sit.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Going around, Alex greeted a few people before going up to Devin and Annie with a warm smile. ¡°Annie, your work is gorgeous as always, and Devin you''re getting old! Is that gray hair, I see?¡± he joked with a grin. Devin chuckled. ¡°We¡¯re the same age! If I''m old, then what are you?¡± he retorted good humoredly. He grabbed a wine glass and handed it to Alex. ¡°Please enjoy the gala. The art auction will be held towards the end.¡± Alex nodded before walking around and looking at the exquisite masterpieces.


    About half an hour after Alex had arrived, there was an uproar near the entrance of the gala, which caused all the guests to turn their heads and look in that direction. Kaia slowly walked into the gala and swiftly removed her sunglasses before handing them to Naomi who was beside her.


    Kaia wore a strapless, wine red dress of semi-embroidered fabric that accentuated her thin waist. The skirt of the dress flared out a bit. A V-line slit on the side of the skirt revealed a plain material that hugged her hips and stopped at her thighs. The entire dress was covered by a sheer and chiffon material that cascaded to the floor. Her dress not only accentuated her perfect body, but also her long and slender legs. Kaia had worn the perfect matching red high heels to accompany the gorgeous dress. She also wore a simple but elegant silver necklace with a pearl that dangled down in the center along with matching pearl earrings. Her hair was tied back into a stylish bun and decorated with some sparkling jewels.


    Seeing Kaia, Alex¡¯s heart almost stopped. This woman was his wife. Just the thought of it made him grin. Noticing Annie, Kaia walked straight over to hug her. ¡°Annie! I missed you!¡± she exclaimed with a warm smile. Annie hugged her sister back with joy. ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you here! You look stunning in that dress!¡± she exclaimed in an excited and envious tone as she lightly caressed some of the fabric and admired the dress. Kaia giggled noticing how much her sister seemed to like the dress. ¡°You seem to really like this dress. I''ll wash it and gift it to you if you don''t mind the fact that I''ve worn it already.¡± Hearing this, Annie''s eyes lit up. ¡°I don''t mind at all! Thank you, Kaia!¡±


    Soon after, Kaia''s parents arrived with Caine in tow. They were so hooked on the idea of Kaia marrying Caine that they didn''t even take her words from the other day into consideration.


    Kaia walked around and admired the paintings on the wall, pretending not to notice the eyes of the man she thought would be waiting at home for her. At the same time, Caine strolled over and leisurely slid his arm around her waist. ¡°You look ravishing tonight. But I bet you look even better under that dress,¡± he whispered in a sultry tone as he glided his free hand up her bare arm. The feel of his touch made her flinch as she felt a chill  that made her shiver ever so slightly. Every nerve in her body screamed danger. But she kept herself composed despite how nasty he was. At the moment, Kaia really wanted to expose her marriage so he would leave her alone but after carefully thinking it through, she decided to keep it under wraps for a while longer. All she could do for now was to swiftly move away from him.


    Alex watched this man make a move on his wife. Knowing she wanted to keep their marriage a secret though, he clenched his fists and walked over to Kaia. Keeping his eyes locked on Caine, Alex gave Kaia a casual smile before holding out his arm. ¡°There is a wonderful art piece over this way. Come have a look,¡± he said while giving Caine a meaningful glance. Knowing Caine''s ill intentions towards Kaia, he didn''t want Caine to be near her for a second longer. Caine just sneered and shot a cursory glance at Kaia. ¡°Come with me to greet your parents,¡± he said grabbing her arm forcefully. Alex glared, wanting nothing more than to cut his hand off for grabbing his wife so roughly.


    Meanwhile, Kaia also directed a glare at Caine and snatched her arm away before taking Alex''s hand and walking away with him. Caine watched the both of them walk off, a raging fire boiling inside of him. Who the hell did this guy think he was? Turning his attention back to Kaia¡¯s parents, Caine walked over to stand near them.


    Kaia let out an audible sigh of relief as she went to the back of the gala with Alex. Looking up at him before looking around the room she asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Her eyes focused on the painting of a flock of birds mid flight. Alex glanced at her then looked at the painting. ¡°Well, I went to law school with Devin, so he invited me. I knew you would be here as well so I¡­¡± he trailed off with a secretive smile. ¡°I just thought of something. Isn¡¯t this our first outing together as husband and wife?¡± he asked, only to get elbowed in his side. ¡°Shh!!! Don''t say that out loud¡­!¡± she whispered, her face flushed red with embarrassment. This was all so new to her and there was something about him that just made her drop all her walls. The ones she¡¯d set up to prevent herself from being hurt again. Yet, for some reason, she couldn''t hide anything from this man. To her, this was a very bad thing.


    Soundlessly, a reporter crept up behind them wearing a special press release pass. ¡°Mr. Sabor and Mrs. Crestfall, would you mind if I snap a picture of you two?¡±

 Chapter 6: Secrets Told

    Taken aback, they both turned around to face the reporter quickly. They both had an uneasy expression on their faces. The reporter shrugged it off thinking the uneasiness was due to their rivalry with each other.


    Both Kaia and Alex nodded begrudgingly and took a deep breath before smiling and posing for the camera. The reporter smiled happily, lifting the camera to her face before looking through the camera lens at them. ¡°Step in a bit closer, please.¡± Alex looked down at Kaia, then at the reporter before stepping a bit closer and placing his hand on her upper back. ¡°This is as far as I can go. Otherwise, I think my wife would give me a beating when I get home,¡± he said out loud with a grin. Kaia took a deep breath, clenching her jaw tightly. She hid it well behind her smile as the reporter took the picture. The reporter smiled letting the camera rest against her torso as she pulled out her notebook. ¡°I didn''t know you were married, Mr. Sabor.¡± The reporter looked intrigued.


    Alex grinned and moved away from Kaia, placing his index finger against his lips. ¡°My wife doesn''t wish to be recognized by the media, so I can''t reveal a name.¡± With that said, he excused himself before walking away. Kaia slowly breathed out the breath of air that she had unconsciously held in as she watched him go. The reporter refocused her attention onto Kaia, hoping to score another scoop. ¡°Ms. Crestfall, would you happen to know?¡± Kaia blinked then stood up straight and put on her usual scowl as she shook her head. ¡°Why would I know?¡± she replied, before walking away and leaving the reporter standing there almost dumbstruck. Those two had seemed close when she saw them from behind before. She shrugged it off and smiled proudly while looking at the picture she just took of the two rivals. ¡°So Alexander Sabor is married. The most eligible bachelor is married! This will make headlines!¡± she grinned and moved on to take more pictures.


    Kaia went to greet her parents, even though she didn''t like the fact that they had brought Caine along.


    After the auction, Kaia stayed behind with Annie to help her clean up. Her parents left with Caine, even though he was unwilling to go. Alex ended up staying behind to chat with Devin or at least that was his excuse.


    ¡°Annie, you made a lot of money tonight! Congrats!¡± Kaia exclaimed. Annie grinned as she folded up some of the chairs. ¡°Well, don''t tell mom and dad yet...but I''m pregnant!¡± Kaia blinked for a moment before her jaw dropped. ¡°What?!?! Oh my goddddddd! Seriously?!? Congrats!!!¡± she congratulated and wrapped her arms around her sister''s neck in a hug. ¡°I''m so excited for you!¡± Annie smiled warmly and looked over at Devin with a soft sigh. ¡°But the thing is...Devin is nervous¡­¡± she said softly while setting the chairs onto the chair rack.


    Looking in that direction Kaia''s gaze fell onto Alex. She bit her lip lightly before turning her head to Annie. ¡°Annie I also have a secret...you can''t tell anyone yet.¡± Annie stopped after hearing this. She walked over and sat down on a chair pulling Kaia down to sit with her. Her older sibling senses were tingling. ¡°You¡¯re not pregnant as well, are you?¡± she asked, her facial expression was riddled with worry lines. Kaia blanked out for a second before she quickly shook her head rigorously. ¡°WHAT?! No! NO!!¡± she exclaimed, waving her hands in front of her. ¡°Nothing that extreme¡­¡± she said, scratching her temple before taking a deep breath. ¡°Do you promise you won''t say anything?¡± she asked, looking at her sister seriously. Annie paused for a moment to think about it before slowly nodding. ¡°I promise, but it better not be something bad,¡± she warned. Kaia reached into her small wallet before pulling out her wedding ring. ¡°I''m actually...married!¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Annie was speechless as she stared at her little sister. ¡°Wait! Mother and father just said that Caine guy was your fiance, not your husband,¡± she said confused at the turn of events. Kaia smirked. ¡°Not to that thing. I actually got married to someone else in secret. I will announce it at the right time,¡± she said as she slipped on her wedding ring. Annie was still confused but smiled as she grabbed her sister''s hand. ¡°Well?¡± she questioned with growing anticipation. Kaia blinked for a second and without thinking looked behind her at Alex. ¡°To him.¡± Annie looked over at where Kaia was looking and seeing Alex, she quickly looked back at Kaia. ¡°TO ALEXANDER?!¡± she exclaimed loudly. The guys turned their heads to look at them. Kaia laughed and nodded before turning her gaze to meet Alex''s. Kaia held up her hand, showing him her ring, indicating she had told Annie. Alex smiled knowingly and nodded before turning his head to explain things to Devin.


    Alex left first. But he was secretly sitting in a private corner waiting for Kaia. When Kaia walked out while chatting away with Annie and Devin, she spotted the familiar company car from the corner of her eye. She hugged Annie and said goodbye, before walking over to the car and opening the door to get in.


    Sitting in the car, Alex was watching her with a grin. Kaia closed the door before looking at him. ¡°What?¡± she asked, reaching up to take her hair down. Alex told Zac to start driving before looking at Kaia once more. ¡°One family member down,¡± Alex stated, making Kaia smirk as she placed the bobby pins she pulled out of her hair into her lap. She nodded. ¡°Yes, I know. Annie is trustworthy, so don''t worry about anyone finding out.¡± Alex nodded and looked at her figure before letting out a sigh. ¡°You truly are breathtaking¡­¡± Hearing this, Kaia stopped and looked over at him. Her curly brown hair was cascading down to her shoulders. ¡°Th--than--¡± Just as she was about to thank him, they turned a sharp corner making her tumble over onto Alex. Her left hand landed on his legs while her face landed on his chest. She should have worn her seat belt.


    Kaia blinked slowly before lifting her head to see Alex''s gaze on her. Their face was mere inches apart. Alex had his arms around her to keep her from falling any further. He shifted his arm, sliding it more around her waist and pulling her a bit closer. A blush was forming on her face. Feeling his touch and breath, Kaia couldn''t move away. It was like she was in a trance. The closeness to this man reminded her so much of high school.


    Leaning his head closer, Alex gently captured Kaia''s lips with his own. Kaia let out a small breath just as their lips touched. Tasting the wine from his lips, it drew her deeper into the trancelike state she was in. They were married so it wasn''t wrong, right? And it wasn''t like she was giving him her heart. Kaia blushed as she leaned in, deepening the kiss. Her right arm moved from the back of the seat and went behind his head burying her fingers in his soft hair.


    Feeling her deepening the kiss, it excited Alex. He kissed her back more, closing the already non existent gap between them as he gently and swiftly picked her up to straddle his lap. Once placed on his lap, Kaia leaned in, both of her hands trailing up his neck to the sides of his face as she nibbled on his lip. Alex, on the other hand, trailed his hands up her legs brushing her dress up slowly. His hands were teasing her thighs. Thankfully, the windows were tinted. Kaia pressed her body against his, her hands trailing back down his upper torso, tugging his tuxedo jacket off and throwing it to the side with his help, of course. Their kiss never broke as they did so. Soon her hands went down to the buttons of his undershirt. They only went halfway before they heard Zac clearing his throat. ¡°U--Um, we''ve arrived at your residence, if you wish to continue I will get out of the car¡­¡± he said looking straight ahead, not daring to look in the rearview mirror.


    Kaia pulled back with a deep blush. She quickly moved away from Alex''s lap, stepping out of the car. Alex let out a sigh, resting his head on the back seat before looking up at Zac. ¡°You could''ve just gone out without asking¡­¡± he muttered, as he buttoned his shirt.

 Chapter 7: The First Time

    When Alex walked through the door, Kaia was sitting on the couch, curled up in a blanket. She glanced up, looking at him. A blush returned to her face as she thought about what they were about to do before they were interrupted. He had sparked something in her that she didn''t even know was there.


    Alex wanted to speak, but before he could, Kaia spoke. ¡°I''m not against it,¡± she said, looking at the coffee table in front of her. Alex blinked, he wasn¡¯t expecting her to be so open to it. After all, it was her that made the rule that they wouldn''t be having any sexual interactions with each other. A grin spread on his face, as he walked over, sitting on the couch beside her. He scooted closer, pulling the blanket over him as he stared at her. Alex knew what she meant, but he wouldn''t pressure her. ¡°It''s ok. We can wait until you¡¯re ready,¡± he said softly, his hand reaching over to fix a piece of her hair, putting it back into place. Kaia turned her head to look at him. She studied his tender expression carefully before nodding and replying, ¡°O--ok¡­¡± Kaia made a split second decision in her head before she scooted closer to him. She maneuvered swiftly to straddle his lap. Adjusting the blankets to wrap around them still, she looked down at him. ¡°I have no regrets¡­¡± she whispered softly before leaning in gently to place a kiss on his soft lips. Hearing this, Alex didn''t hesitate to kiss back, pressing his lips closer, wanting to devour her whole. Kaia had been engaged to a scoundrel like Caine for two whole years yet Caine never showed her this kind of tenderness and patience. Truth be told, it was addicting.


    Before she could kiss him any deeper, Alex swiftly stood up, one arm under her legs while the other arm was used to support her back as he princess carried her to his room.


    Even though he almost tripped over her long and elegant dress, he was able to securely make it to the bedroom, placing her carefully on the bed. Propping herself up with her elbows, Kaia watched him unbutton his shirt a bit before slowly climbing over her. One of his legs rested between hers and his arms were on either side of her body. He looked at her once more. ¡°Are you sure? Because after this, you¡¯re really truly mine,¡± he whispered, trying not to show how much he wanted it. Kaia gazed at him, her eyes meeting his. She bit her lip and hesitated before slowly nodding. With that, Alex pressed his lips onto hers, his hands working swiftly to slip her dress off. With a bit of help, her wine red dress was over her head and abandoned on the floor. His body pressed down onto hers as she fiddled with his shirt to get the buttons undone.


    Finally, with both of their clothes thrown onto the floor, they closed the gap between them. Of course, making sure to wear protection. However, just as Alex was about to enter her, he felt an obstruction. Kaia cried out in pain at the strange and unfamiliar sensation within her. Alex froze, not moving even a centimeter further, his eyes widened as he stared at Kaia, stunned. Kaia tried to endure the pain in her lower body. Noticing that Alex had stopped, she frowned slightly. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± she managed to gasp out. Alex looked down at her.¡±You''re still a virgin?¡± he asked in awe, surprised that a beautiful and desirable lady, such as Kaia hadn''t already been taken. Kaia blushed, averting her gaze. ¡°Y--yea. Why? Am I not good enough?¡± she questioned, panic rising within her. Should she have done it with him once she was experienced? Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Alex smiled tenderly, looking at how cute Kaia was when she was anxious. ¡°You should¡¯ve told me before so I would know to be more gentle,¡± he whispered, caressing her face. Kaia gently tilted her head up to look at him.¡±You''re supposed to be a ruthless CEO. Besides, why would anyone announce something like that?¡± He gently brought his hand up to stroke his fingers through her hair. ¡°To everyone else I am, but you¡¯re my wife. Only you will see this side of me,¡± he whispered,leaning in to kiss her forehead softly. ¡°Since I know now, I¡¯ll be gentle¡­¡± he whispered, before leaning down and slowly thrusting in.


    The two spent quite a while wrapped around each other.


    Later that night, they laid cuddled on the bed. Kaia was fast asleep while Alex was awake  looking up at the ceiling. At first, he thought it was all going to work out fine. But now...this pure woman gave him more than what he had bargained for. Although it was his fault for hurting her in high school, it shouldn''t have stopped her from being in a relationship with other guys. Even though she probably hated men, she still gave her first to him of all people. He sighed, gently detangling himself from Kaia¡¯s slender body before quietly getting out of bed. When he was out of the room, he went to the second-floor study. He reached into a hidden compartment after fiddling with a few mechanisms and pulled out a hidden binder. His eyes scanned the papers carefully, even though he had practically memorized the contents of the binder like the back of his hand. His heart slowly sank at the thought of what Kaia would do if she found out.


    The next morning, Kaia woke up alone again. She felt a sore in her lower body which caused her to remember what they had both done last night. Something about last night stirred up some unwanted feelings. Some good and some bad. She sniffed the air, trying to catch a whiff of her beloved blueberry pancakes. But there wasn¡¯t a hint of the aromatic fragrance in the air. She blinked, trying to wake up as she sat up. The blankets shifted, revealing some of her slender and nude figure. She listened but didn''t hear anything. She blinked again before she carefully rolled out of bed, wrapping herself in the soft and warm blanket. She waddled outside and down the stairs, the blankets trailing behind her. She walked through the living room and into the kitchen in search of Alex¡¯s tall figure. Kaia looked around, but there was no trace of him. She turned to walk back into the living room but stopped when she noticed a piece of cream colored notebook paper taped on the fridge. The paper read: Had to run into the office early, text me if you need anything. See you later tonight. - Alex Pulling the note off the fridge door, she read it before placing it on the counter.  She went back upstairs to take a shower and get ready for work.


    Today, she wore a black long sleeve dress that had buttons up the front. The dress resembled a coat but of thinner material. Under the dress, she wore a pair of grey leggings along with high heeled suede boots that went up to her ankle. She left her hair down and added in a few curls.


    Once she made it to her office, she looked at Naomi. ¡°Naomi get me everything you can find on Alex. But keep it on the down low¡­¡± she said with a meaningful glance as she sat down at her desk. Yes she had succumbed to her body¡¯s desires yesterday night, but that didn''t mean she had given her heart back to the very man who had broken it. Her sixth sense was telling her that something was up and she wasn''t going to stop until she found out what it was. She also needed to know where Alex stood in all this. Would he betray her again?

 Chapter 8: Dont Wait Up

    The day went from signing and reviewing contracts and other documents to making a trip to an important venue to review the setup for a music festival. Three of the artists under Crestfall Industries were booked and scheduled to perform at the festival, so she wanted everything to go seamlessly. She personally checked in with the technicians to fix some of the lighting and special effects. While standing on the stage, she used her hand to protect against the harsh lighting as she looked out into the empty venue. If everything went as planned, those who were carefully eyeing her position as CEO wouldn''t be able to hold her capabilities against her. She might still be considered the baby of the industry but after this, maybe they would keep their nose out of her business. After all, the music festival was one of the biggest events of the year, similar to Coachella or Sydney Festival. Getting one artist booked would be hard enough already, but Kaia managed to use her connections with various people, including some of the event holders themselves, to get three top talents in her company to perform. She also sponsored part of the festival as well, which was a good investment on her part.


    Once she was finished, she checked the mics before going to the piano, sitting down on the bench. She loved the piano, even took lessons when she was young. She took it as her personal job to check and make sure everything was perfect. A small smile appeared on her face as her fingers grazed the keys softly. It was as if just the thought of it alone brought the music back into her fingers as she started to play a soft tune. Everything seemed to be in tune so she was happy. Satisfied, she stopped and stood up from the bench, checking it off her checklist.


    Hearing the side door creak open, Kaia looked over and saw Naomi walk in. Kaia walked over to her, holding out her hand. "What did you find out?" she asked, taking the documents Naomi passed to her. Naomi looked at her. "Turns out, Alex has been in contact with your parents numerous times in the past three years," she replied with a tinge of disgust. "Also, even though he''s a very private man, I managed to find out that he had hired a few private investigators after the first few calls from your parents." She flipped through a few pages pointing at certain places. ¡°It doesn''t mention what it was for, but I can only guess one thing. I''m pretty sure he''s  spying on Crestfall Industries."


    Kaia looked over the documents as her expression darkened. "He''s either spying on the company...or he''s spying on me..." she murmured her thoughts aloud as she clenched her jaw and closed the binder. "I wonder if it was merely just a coincidence that he had conveniently been close by that day. Or if he already knew I would be there and was lying in wait.¡± Her eyes turned somewhat glassy as she got lost in thought. But then, she snapped out of it and turned to look at Naomi. "Thanks, Naomi. One more thing. Continue digging further and gather whatever dirt you can find in relation to Sabor Sites. Just in case I might need to take some extreme measures,¡± she said, before walking out the door with Naomi at her side.


    Naomi had been carefully taking notes as she nodded. Hearing Kaia''s word, she started to get a bad feeling. What exactly happened? She didn''t dare to question it though. She figured Kaia would tell her when she was ready. Naomi looked at Kaia."Alright, you take care and I''ll do what I can.¡± She hesitated, before continuing, ¡°Also rest a bit you look feverish." Naomi gave Kaia a concerned look, patting Kaia¡¯s back gently before getting into her car. Kaia nodded before walking to her company car and climbing inside. What was Alex up to? Was he also the same as everyone else? Did he also think she was incapable of keeping her position as CEO? She couldn''t believe how stupid she had been to let her guard down and give in the a momentary desire.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    First things first, she knew she didn''t want to go home. She didn''t want to see him as of right now. She took a deep breath, pulling out her phone. I have to work late. Probably won''t make it home. Don''t worry.  She hit send and went straight back to her office.


    Upon receiving her message, Alex wasn''t pleased. He placed his hand on his chin thinking to himself. Kaia had been evasive the whole day. He thought that after yesterday night, their relationship would¡¯ve returned to the way it had been years ago. A thought flashed through his head. No, she couldn''t have found out, Alex remembered using his connections to cover up his tracks. Except, he didn''t know that he had been careless at one point and Naomi managed to use her company¡¯s connections to fish for details. Shaking the thought from his head, he stood up from his desk. "Zac, you can leave. I''ll take my own car."


    With a nod, Zac left while Alex got into his car, driving to Crestfall Industries. He sat in a parking lot across the street watching the entrance. Why was she suddenly so busy? CEO''s didn''t usually work overtime, at least not in their offices until almost midnight. He sat there staking out the building all night. He even had Zac try to dig up some information for him.


    Letting out a deep yawn as he looked at his watch, he decided to get a coffee. Kaia didn''t come out all night. He wondered what she was doing. It was almost 4 a.m. in the morning when Alex decided to go to the corner coffee shop that was a few buildings down from her workplace. On the way back, he took a sip of his coffee, then stopped when he noticed Kaia¡¯s figure walking out from the building. He blinked, thinking that he was imagining things when he saw her stumble a bit. Was she drunk?


    Kaia tried to steady herself as she attempted to refocus her vision. She should''ve listened to Naomi. Everything was starting to blur. She stumbled again, her world starting to warp. She squeezed her eyes shut a few times, trying to get her vision to clear again.


    Groaning, her legs felt like they were going to buckle from under her. But before it could happen, she was scooped up. She was quick to fight it, not sure who grabbed her up. "Stop moving, or I''ll drop you!" She stopped, hearing the familiar husky voice. She wanted to get off but his chest was too warm and comfortable. "W--why are you here?" she asked, closing her eyes. She was planning on leaning her head against his chest for just a moment to regain her balance. She would get off as soon as she felt alright. Alex walked to his car, gently placing Kaia in before getting in himself. "I was worried that you would overwork yourself. Good thing I did come or else you would be laid out on the sidewalk,¡± he replied in a stern tone as he started to drive.


    Kaia rested her head against the headrest. "Where are we going?" she asked, a headache was starting to come on. Alex sighed. "To my office, I''ll call the doctor to come check you out there." Kaia didn''t have the strength to fight back, so she just relaxed in the seat and slept.

 Chapter 9: A Sick Kaia

    Once they made it to the parking lot of the main branch of Sabor Sites, Alex pulled out his phone to call Zac. ¡°Zac I need your help getting through the secret entrance,¡± Alex said before hanging up.  Alex knew that Zac would be in the building even during odd hours, so he didn''t need to worry about bothering Zac.


    Alex stepped out of the car and walked over to the passenger side, opening the door. Kaia was fast asleep. Alex looked at her with a small sigh seeing how defenseless she looked while sleeping. He lifted her up in his arms, kicking the door closed with his foot before walking towards the building.


    He waited for about three minutes before Zac opened the door. Zac almost froze when he saw Kaia in his arms but he quickly regained his composure and swiftly stepped to the side, holding the door open as Alex stepped in. Zac walked in ahead of him to put in the key for the elevator¡¯s top floor. When they arrived, he held the door open for Alex to walk through while carrying the still sleeping Kaia. ¡°What happened, boss?¡± he asked, as they made it inside Alex¡¯s office. Alex looked at him as he walked to the corner of his office setting Kaia down in a huge, almost recliner like chair. He looked at Zac. ¡°Call one of my family¡¯s private doctors and let them know that my wife needs a check-up pronto. Oh, and make sure it''s a female doctor.¡± Zac nodded without hesitation before taking his phone out of his pocket and walking outside to make the call.


    Alex slipped his jacket off his shoulders and placed it carefully over her Kaia, making sure to tuck her in. He stared at her flushed face and sighed. Initially, he had assumed she was drunk, but he didn¡¯t smell any alcohol on her. He knew that she must''ve overworked herself and the added stress on her body from the night before probably didn''t help. He leaned down, gently stroking her hair out of her face. When this whole thing started, he didn''t plan on getting attached again. He only thought about getting close to her again. He never knew he would go weak after spending just a few days with her.


    Standing straight, Alex walked over to his desk and continued looking through his paperwork as he waited for the doctor to arrive. But for some reason he couldn''t think at the moment. His eyes kept wandering over to Kaia''s sleeping form. Unconsciously, he also thought about the secret binder he kept at home and the copy in his desk. He couldn''t stop himself from wanting to look at it again despite knowing the contents by heart already, so he pulled out a set of keys and opened his desk drawer. He sifted through some folders and documents on top before reaching the bottom and pulling out the binder. Hearing a knock on the door, he looked up to see Zac with the doctor behind him. Alex quickly shoved the binder into the desk drawer and closed it, forgetting to re-lock the drawer as he shoved the set of keys back inside his pockets. He stood up and walked over to greet his family¡¯s private doctor. They both walked over to Kaia before the doctor began a careful examination.


    Taking a second glance towards Kaia¡¯s face the doctor pressed her lips together. This woman seemed really familiar. It wasn''t her job to be nosy, so the doctor immediately started by checking Kaia¡¯s blood pressure and lungs. Hmm...an irregular heartbeat, she thought. The doctor looked back at Alex. ¡°What are some of her daily habits?¡± she asked as she studied Kaia¡¯s skin carefully for signs of any abnormalities. Alex placed a hand on his chin thinking. ¡°Well, she eats breakfast and I make sure to send food to her office when she''s working¡­¡± He stopped for a moment. ¡°She does have a habit of chewing on ice now that I think about it,¡± Alex added. The doctor stopped for a second and looked back at him. ¡°Is she anemic?¡± she asked, her attention once again returning to Kaia. Alex blinked, his face looked troubled. ¡°Not that I know of. Why?¡± he asked, his brows furrowing deeper. The doctor studied his worried expression before saying, ¡°Based on my examination of her body and what you''ve said, I think she has anemia. But I can''t be sure without testing her blood and running some other tests,¡± she said. ¡°For now, just make sure she stays hydrated, just in case she is anemic. Also, she¡¯s running a slight fever so make sure she doesn''t overexert herself in the future. And--¡±


    There was a knock on the door. ¡°One moment please,¡± Alex excused himself and left the doctors side, going to the door to talk to one of the employees. The doctor continued to examine Kaia before looking at her face. Why does she look so familiar? Before she could clearly recall who Kaia was, Alex came back.Stolen novel; please report.


    Alex asked her to continue with the diagnosis. ¡°Make sure she stays at home and rests more these next few days until her fever is gone. And remember, she has to drink water and stay hydrated,¡± she said as she got up and put her things away. Alex handed her a check saying, "Thank you, doctor.¡± The doctor smiled and took the check. They shook hands before Zac led the way downstairs.


    Alex walked back to his desk and started preparing his papers for the early meeting he had. A few of his workers came in and out of his office leaving surprised by the fact that there was a woman sleeping in there. Alex wasn''t one who tolerated gossip, so every time any of his workers went in he gave them a cold stare. He was practically telling them not to talk about it with his gaze. After getting everything ready for the meeting he walked over to Kaia and tucked her into the throw blanket that he had exchanged for his jacket earlier again. She had been moaning about being cold despite her rising fever. She shifted over slightly with a groan, mumbling Annie''s name.


    Alex grabbed his phone, calling Devin and telling him to tell Annie about Kaia. At the mention of Kaia being sick Annie rushed out the door. Alex hung up the phone. He didn¡¯t expect Kaia to wake up for a while so he closed his office door as quietly as possible and dimmed the lights so she wouldn''t be scared if she did wake up.


    Sure enough, about half an hour later, Kaia woke up. She struggled into a sitting position. Her head was pounding and sweat was dripping from her temples. Oh god, why now? She knew her symptoms suggested that something was wrong. She had dealt with this quite a few times as a child. She thought it had finally went away and she was finally better. She even took some preventative measures by staying hydrated as much as she could and getting rest. But the signs that had slowly occurred since the past few months were proof that it had returned.


    She frowned as she surveyed the office she was in. Where am I? A rising panic started to form in her stomach. She stood up, somewhat disoriented and shaky as she walked over to the desk.She then recalled something that has happened earlier although everything was still fuzzy. This must be Alex''s office¡­ she thought. This would be a perfect time to dig around for some info.


    Kaia moved to the backside of the desk. Looking over the desk she found a little note next to a bottle of water telling her to stay hydrated. Kaia took the bottle and drank some water before pulling some of the drawers to see if they opened. She methodically sifted through unimportant documents in the first few drawers that she could open. When she got to the bottom drawer she noticed something different. It was one of the drawers with a keyhole on it. All the others had been locked tight but for some reason when she pulled on it, it slid open soundlessly. She immediately noticed a binder which seemed to have been shoved inside the drawer in a hurry. She pulled it out, crouching on the floor as she flipped it open. As soon as it opened, she froze, her eyes widened with shock. She couldn''t believe her eyes! The folder contained many different pictures of her over the years along with data about her. She turned over a few things, lifting a particularly fine cream colored paper in her hands. The paper was a contract for the take over of Crestfall Industries. She skimmed through the contract with disbelief. The contract seemed to give him full rights to most of Crestfall Industries subsidiaries, including a major part of the main branch. He was going to steal her business!


    She quickly stuffed the binder back the way she found it and slammed the drawer shut. She felt a rising anger within her but at the same time, she also felt a sharp pain in her heart. She didn''t know why but finding this out truly pained her. She stood up, wobbling slightly as she walked back to the sofa. She searched for her phone, about to make a call to Annie. Right as she was about to call Annie, the door flung open and her sister stood by the doorway. Letting out a breath of relief. ¡°Annie...get me out of here¡­¡± she said. She was beginning  to sway as she tried to stand upright, the pain continuing to stab her heart as she felt a lump in her throat. Annie walked over, grabbing Kaia¡¯s arm, helping her steady herself. Kaia turned off her phone, denying all contact, or a way to trace her.


    Annie insisted on taking her to the hospital since she also knew of the signs and symptoms. At the hospital, Kaia tried to relax in the hospital bed. She knew the examination and tests were going to take a while. It wasn''t just a cold or fever that she was having. It was actually Aplastic Anemia also called Bone Marrow Aplasia, which was a rare condition in which her body stopped producing enough new blood cells. Kaia was diagnosed when she was little. Her doctors thought they had thoroughly controlled her condition with the blood transfusions and other things that she couldn''t even remember going through. It had been years. One of her doctor''s did warn her that the Aplastic Anemia could reattack her body without warning so she needed to come see them as soon as any signs began to show. Since Kaia had been busy fighting for her position as CEO, she had forgotten all about it.

 Chapter 10: I Want Nothing To Do With You

    It was already midnight when Kaia left the hospital. She didn''t like hospitals, so she didn''t want to continue staying if she didn''t have to. Annie and Devin ended up driving her home.


    While in the car, Kaia looked at Annie. ¡°Thanks again, but please don''t tell Alex,¡± Kaia pleaded as she looked down before running a hand through her hair. Annie and Devin both looked confused. Kaia sighed softly. ¡°I''ll tell him when the time is right. The doctors said it didn''t seem too serious at the moment, remember?¡± Annie looked at her sister and sighed. ¡°He will know something is up with all the future doctor appointments you''ll be going to. Your doctor did say that she wanted you to come in often for blood tests and to monitor the progress of your condition,¡± Annie reminded her. She didn''t like the fact that Kaia wanted to keep something so big a secret. Especially when it was from Alex who seemed to deeply love and care about Kaia. But Kaia on the other hand didn''t want him to know anything more about her. He spied on her for so many years. He tried to take her company! If he found out she was sick and possibly dying he could use it as a reason to take over her company. She wasn''t going to let it happen no matter what!


    Kaia tried to cover up her thoughts with a weak smile. ¡°It''s ok Annie, I will tell him...just...just not now,¡± she said, softly clenching the phone that was in her hands tightly.


    When they pulled up in front of the house, Kaia hugged Annie before stepping out of the car. She waved back to the two of them before heading inside.


    When she opened the door, Alex was asleep on the couch with his phone in his hand. Kaia was slightly startled at the sight of him. Noticing that he was asleep, she gently closed the door behind her. She didn''t want to wake him up, let alone face him after what she had learned. She slowly tiptoed towards the stairs but stopped with a sigh as she couldn''t stop the nagging feeling in her heart. She turned around to face Alex and stared at his sleeping form. She noticed the smartphone that he held tightly to his chest. The smartphone! She blinked, suddenly remembering that she turned off her phone for the entire day. She took it out of her pocket and turned it on, making sure to click the silent button. She had numerous missed calls and text messages. Where are you? Are you ok? There were probably over a hundred missed calls and messages.


    Kaia slowly walked over to Alex and gently pried his phone out of his grip, placing it on the coffee table before grabbing the small throw blanket that was draped over the back of the couch and putting it over him. She reached up to move a few stray strands of his hair away from his face but stopped before her hands touched his skin. What was she doing? Why did she even care? She moved her hands away from him and walked upstairs. She took a shower and got changed into her night clothes, which was her usual baggy pants and a tank top. Coming out of the bathroom, she had a towel draped over her hair to dry it. She let out a sigh before a pair of strong arms wrapped around her and hugged her from behind. ¡°W--Hey!¡± she exclaimed, struggling out of Alex¡¯s hug. But Alex didn''t show any signs of letting go. In fact, he held on even tighter.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Kaia continued to struggle before she gave up and turned around to face him. She placed her arms on his chest to widen the narrow gap between them. ¡°Alex, let go!¡± She grunted, pushing him back. Alex finally moved back and stared down at her. ¡°Why didn''t you answer my calls or text? Where have you been?¡± he asked, practically shouting. He looked extremely upset. Kaia looked at him with a small sneer. ¡°I was with Annie, that''s all you need to know¡­¡± she said, walking right past him, continuing to dry her hair.


    Alex stared at her blankly. ¡°What''s wrong with you? I''m the one that should be angry! Do you know how worried I was when you almost passed out in front of your company?!¡± Now he was shouting.


    Turning to look back at him, Kaia draping the towel over her shoulders. ¡°You can stop pretending. I already know everything, so just stop.¡± She headed towards the bedroom door. Alex froze. He didn''t know what to do. Did she really find out? ¡°Let me explain,¡± Alex started.Kaia simply turned around and gave him a cursory glance. ¡°Don''t worry. We¡¯re still married in name. I¡¯ll still pretend to be your wife, but let me tell you this. If you so much as touch my company, or my people I will expose you and your company''s biggest secrets and destroy you! I worked hard to get to where I am now, whereas you were handed your position! You might not understand how much this means to me, but I sure as hell do!¡± She turned back around but stopped.  Again, she turned and stared into his eyes. ¡°I want nothing to do with you from now on, Alexander Sabor.¡± With that said, she walked out the door leaving him standing there. She never gave him a chance to explain or even say a word and before he could she was gone. Everything he had wanted to say stuck in his throat, unable to come out.


    Kaia across the hallway to a guest bedroom. Most of her belongings were already stored there. In fact, she was supposed to stay in the guest bedroom, but being the stupid person she realized she was, she had actually trusted Alex again and climbed into his bed of her own accord.


    Back in Alex¡¯s bedroom, Alex clenched his fist tightly. He was hoping she didn''t find out. He already had plans to either reject or alter the deal. He had already thought of leaving some subsidiaries for Kaia to manage. At first, it didn''t matter whether or not she had any part of the company but as he got to know her again, he didn''t want to hurt her. He let out a sigh before walking over to his side of the bed. His heart ached as he tried to think about what he should do. In the end, all he could think about was how stupid he was. He should have just told her about it and what he was planning to do. He looked at the empty side of the bed next to him where Kaia had slept so soundly two nights ago in his arms.

 Chapter 11: It Begins

    The next morning, Kaia woke up early. She planned on staying home, but she still needed to do work. Still wearing her pajamas, Kaia made her way downstairs. She stopped halfway down the stairs to check to see if Alex was around. Not seeing him, Kaia made her way into the kitchen. She didn''t spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so she had to search the cabinets for a coffee mug. When Kaia found the coffee mugs on the top shelf, she let out a groan. Standing on the tips of her toes, she reached up. Her fingers grazed the ceramic base of a coffee mug. To her dismay, as she reached forward more to feel for the handle of the mug, she ended up pushing it back further. She sighed, attempting to reach for it again before she felt a solid figure against her back. Kaia saw an arm reach out above her and she flinched, quickly turning to face Alex. Alex brought the mug down along with another before handing one to her. ¡°If you need me just call.¡± Kaia took the cup, shifting her gaze away from him, looking down.


    Without speaking, Kaia walked over to the coffee pot, pouring herself a cup before walking to the living room. Alex frowned as he watched her walk away. ¡°At least let me explain, it''s not exactly what it looks like,¡± he said with a raspiness in his voice.


    Kaia placed her cup on the coffee table right as the doorbell rang. ¡°No time,¡± was all she said as she opened the door, letting Naomi come in.


    Naomi was shocked as she entered. ¡°Wow! This place is amazing! The living room is bigger than my apartment!¡± she exclaimed, placing her suitcase down. Kaia smiled lightly. ¡°Did you bring what I asked you to?¡± she asked, going to sit on the couch. Naomi watched her sit, then her eyes went to the kitchen and she saw Alex. He was still wearing his normal clothes which were a t-shirt and sweatpants. He had the top portion of his hair tied back into a ponytail. Naomi had a light blush as she took in how handsome he was. ¡°Nice to meet you again Alex,¡± she said with a small wave as she grabbed her suitcase and rolled it over to where Kaia was sitting. She cautiously took a seat next to Kaia. Alex waved back. ¡°There is fresh coffee if you want any,¡± he said before walking back upstairs to his bedroom. He was a bit relieved that Kaia had a support system. He knew Naomi since she was also a classmate in high school.


    Naomi looked at Kaia. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± she asked, putting her hand on Kaia''s forehead. Kaia let out a small sigh. ¡°I''m okay, the fever went down a lot,¡± she said, reaching for the suitcase and pulling out a folder. Naomi studied her carefully before pulling out a few more folders and a binder. ¡°Two of our actors were offered contracts for a major blockbuster movie in the US,¡± she said, handing her the actors profiles and the details of the movie. Kaia looked over the documents, nodding slowly as Naomi filled her in. ¡°This will be good for the company. I also heard that one of our artists for the music festival dropped out. Check on the artist and see what''s going on,¡± she told Naomi, taking a sip of her coffee. Naomi wrote everything down, glancing at her now and then. ¡°We don''t have another artist to replace them, would you like to book a group?¡± she asked. Kaia shook her head. ¡°The only group that is suitable for the music festival is currently preparing for a tour in China. We need a different but capable artist who can perform on such short notice," she said, lightly tapping the papers against her chin as she tried to come up with a plan.


    Alex appeared behind them, looking over their shoulders. He was now in his work attire. His hair was pulled back to one side like usual. ¡°Use one of my company¡¯s artist''s artist¡¯s.¡± Kaia turned to look at him with a glare. ¡°Why would I do that?¡± She didn''t say more than what she needed to since Naomi didn''t know anything yet. Alex sighed, standing up straight while fixing his tie. ¡°It''s not just any music festival we''re talking about here. It''s a major event of the season and tickets sell out like hot cakes. You must''ve worked really hard to put 3 of your artists into the music festival. Since you don''t have an artist or group available to perform, it would reflect badly on you, especially at such a time. My company just so happens to have a pretty self-sufficient rookie group that has recently been building a large fanbase overseas. Their current music and style would suit the music festival¡¯s theme for this year and it would be good publicity and exposure for my artists. Plus, sponsoring such a major event with one of your rival¡¯s artists will bring in more attention and leave a positive image for the media to project to a wider audience.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Naomi listened to Alex¡¯s reasoning, somewhat surprised. He made some excellent points. Naomi looked at Kaia with a questioning glance. ¡°What do you think?¡± she asked, tilting her head slightly. Kaia let out a sigh, looking away from Alex. ¡°Fine, just send me their music video and other necessary information, which I will forward to you through email.¡± Alex nodded and threw his coat on, walking to the door. ¡°See you after work,¡± he said before leaving the house.


    Watching Alex leave, Naomi then turned her head towards Kaia. ¡°Something feels off. What happened? Do I need to castrate him?¡± She placed the papers in her hand onto her lap, leaning back on the couch.


    Kaia told Naomi everything she had found out yesterday. Naomi nodded slightly, leaning up to pull some more files out of her bag. ¡°Well, if anything, I uncovered some more scandals that occurred within Sabor Sights. We have a very capable hacker in our IT department who helped me dig around a bit. I was able to look into their records briefly and found out there was a small circle of board directors and other managers who laundered money a few times. But this happened before Alex took over.¡± Kaia took the papers that showed evidence of transaction dates and accounts linking to overseas accounts that traced back to some high level Sabor Sights employees. She scanned through the information, digesting what she was seeing before letting out a sigh and leaning back. She had a slight headache as she massaged her forehead, which was still burning from the fever she had.


    Naomi worriedly looked over at her.  ¡°Are you ok?¡± Kaia took a deep breath and let out a sigh. ¡°Naomi, I''m sick¡­¡± Naomi looked at her with sympathy. ¡°I know, that''s why we¡¯re discussing everything here and not at the company¡­¡± Kaia shook her head with a sigh. ¡°No, this is different. I¡¯m sick. When I was young, I was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia, which is a rare disease that prevents me from making new blood cells. I had a few transfusions back then, which seemed to help, so I didn''t have any problems with it. Until now...¡±


    Naomi frowned as she started to look more anxious. ¡°Does Alex know?¡± she asked. Kaia shook her head slightly. ¡°No, he doesn''t know. I don¡¯t plan on telling him. Don''t worry, the doctors said that it isn''t that bad at the moment. But they still want me to come in for regular checkups to make sure it doesn''t get worse.¡± Naomi¡¯s frown deepened as her expression became more concerned. ¡°What if it does get worse?¡± Kaia looked away from her friend with a sigh. ¡°The doctors said that a bone marrow transplant might cure me. Annie was a match, but she''s pregnant now so she wouldn''t be able to donate. But it shouldn''t be that much of an issue because I''m already on the list for a bone marrow, so if another donor matches up with me, we can immediately start preparations for a surgery. If there is no donor, I¡¯ll still figure something out.¡±


    Kaia stood up from the couch and stretched. ¡°Christmas is coming up soon. I need to go shopping.¡± She looked at Naomi. ¡°I''m sorry to put so much on you, but do you mind picking out a few things for Alex''s niece and nephew? Make sure to get something for your little girl. I would personally pick out the present for her but I''m not that good at picking out presents.¡± She smiled weakly. Naomi smiled back and nodded. ¡°Of course, don''t worry about any of it! Just give me any information that can help me in finding the perfect gift for them.¡± Kaia nodded. ¡°Ok, thanks.¡±


    Naomi left the house around noon, so she could run to the office and get some of the things ready for the music festival, then go shopping for Christmas presents.


    Kaia walked into the kitchen, placing her coffee cup into the sink. She sniffled, her hand reaching up to wipe her nose. She blinked and pulled her hand away to look at it. Her hand was covered in blood. Kaia frowned, grabbing a paper towel. Dang it, she thought to herself with a sigh.