The Ceo's Contract Wife

Chapter Four: Alex Shock

Alex

My head throbbed as I loosened my tie in the back of the car. Another day of endless meetings, another round of fake smiles and firm handshakes. The Johnson merger had dragged on for hours, with old men arguing over decimal points while I fought to keep my mind from wandering.

But it kept drifting back to her.

Evelyn Lawson.

The girl from yesterday. The one who'd agreed to my insane proposal. The one who looked at me with a mix of defiance and desperation that stirred something inside me I thought I'd buried long ago.

I frowned, staring out at the city streets rushing past. The setting sun painted everything golden, a stark contrast to my darkening mood. Why couldn't I shake this feeling? Something about her tugged at memories I'd locked away years ago.

"Damn it," I muttered, running a hand through my hair and noticing Charles, my driver, glancing at me in the rearview mirror.

"Everything alright, sir?" he asked, his eyes quickly returning to the road.

"Fine," I said curtly. "Just thinking."

I never lost focus like this. Never. Not since her-

No. I wouldn't go there. That chapter of my life was closed and locked for good reason.

The car stopped at a red light, and I watched a couple cross the street, hands linked, laughing at some private joke. A lifetime ago, I might have envied them. Now I just felt impatient for the light to change.

I grabbed my phone and texted Johnson, my head of HR.

Send me Evelyn Lawson's complete file. Now.

I tapped my fingers against the leather seat, counting the seconds. Johnson knew better than to keep me waiting. Sure enough, less than three minutes later, my phone pinged. I opened the file and started scrolling, my eyebrows rising with each new detail.

"You've got to be kidding me," I whispered.

Law degree from Columbia. Not just any degree—top of her class. Multiple offers from prestigious firms according to her references. Glowing recommendations from professors. Yet somehow she'd ended up as a receptionist at my company two years ago?

I zoomed in on her graduation photo. She looked younger, more carefree. Her smile reached her eyes in a way I hadn't seen yesterday. What had happened between then and now?

"What the hell?" I said under my breath.

This didn't make any sense. Someone with her qualifications should be arguing cases in court or drafting contracts for million-dollar deals, not answering phones and scheduling meetings.

"Sir?" Charles called from the front seat. "Did you say something?"

"No," I answered, still staring at the file. "Just keep driving."

I kept reading, searching for the missing piece. There had to be something, some explanation for why a Columbia Law graduate was working the front desk. A scandal maybe? A disbarment? But the file gave no clues.

I drummed my fingers against my thigh, mind racing. This could actually work in my favor. A wife with actual legal skills would raise fewer eyebrows in my circles than a receptionist. Grandfather might even approve.

"Well played, Miss Lawson," I murmured, lips curving into a smile despite myself. "You're full of surprises."

I texted my PA, Raya.

Effective immediately, promote Evelyn Lawson to a junior legal council. Triple her salary and move her office to the executive floor. Have the paperwork ready by morning.

My finger hovered over the send button for a moment. This was more than I'd initially planned to offer. But something about Evelyn Lawson's hidden talents made me feel... generous. I pressed send.

Raya's response was immediate: Consider it done, sir. Anything else?

No. That's all.

I put the phone away and gazed out the window again. The city had given way to winding roads lined with ancient oak trees. We were getting close to home.

The car turned onto the tree-lined drive leading to the Blackwell estate. My family had lived here for three generations, though I preferred my penthouse in the city. But Grandfather insisted on these weekly dinners, a tradition I couldn't escape.

Satisfaction settled over me like a comfortable coat as I thought about my arrangement with Miss Lawson. This was working out better than expected. With a promotion like that, she'd have even more reason to agree to my terms. And I'd have a legally trained wife who could navigate our contract with the precision it required.

Then a thought hit me like a bucket of cold water.

"s**t," I hissed, sitting up straighter.

"Sir?" Charles glanced back again.

"The meeting with Miss Lawson," I explained, checking my watch. "It was scheduled for today, but I forgot to call ahead. Security won't let her through the gates without clearance."

I reached for my phone again, but stopped as the car slowed to approach the massive iron gates that protected the estate. Up ahead, I could see someone arguing with the guards at the front gate. A woman in a simple blue dress, her hands moving animatedly as she spoke. Even from this distance, I could see the security guard's uncomfortable expression as he shook his head.

"That must be her," I muttered. "Stop here, Charles."

My driver pulled over a few yards from the gate, and I lowered my window, ready to call out to the guards. But as the woman turned toward the sound of our car, time seemed to freeze.

The last rays of sunlight caught her profile, illuminating features I knew better than my own reflection. Those eyes, wide and intelligent. That nose, slightly upturned at the end. The way she pushed her hair behind her ear with that familiar gesture.

My breath caught painfully in my chest as memories crashed over me. The birthday party in Paris. The ring hidden in champagne. The diagnosis. The pain.

It couldn't be. It wasn't possible.

The world narrowed to a pinpoint, blood rushing in my ears as my heart hammered against my ribs.

"Erica?" I whispered, my voice cracking on a name I hadn't spoken in three years.