Chapter 4 The Ruse

Alison had no choice but to brace herself. Before the car door could shut, she slipped inside with a swift, almost desperate motion. Her voice, soft yet trembling with urgency, called out, "Honey."

Fearing Damien might suspect something amiss, she instinctively pressed herself close to Nicholas, her arm sliding around his as if they were the picture of a devoted couple.

Nicholas hadn't expected Alison would suddenly materialize, let alone cling to him so tightly. His thin lips parted, and with an icy edge to his tone, he uttered, "Leave."

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Alison's heart raced. Desperation edged her voice as she pleaded through gritted teeth, "Help me out, and I promise I'll make it worth your while!"

Nicholas' gaze turned cold as ice. He lifted her chin with a firm hand, his voice a low, dangerous growl. "Are you going to get out on your own, or do I need to throw you out?"

The car window remained slightly ajar, and Damien hadn't left yet. Steeling herself, Alison made a bold move-she wrapped her arms around Nicholas' neck and climbed onto his lap, her lips finding his in a sudden, silencing kiss.

The driver, in all his years working for Nicholas, had never seen his boss in such a situation. Shocked beyond belief, he accidentally released the clutch, causing the car to lurch forward violently.

The driver quickly snapped out of his reverie and steadied the car. After they had traveled some distance, Alison finally pulled away from the kiss, but she soon realized that she couldn't budge.

She was still in Nicholas' firm grasp, his hands gripping her waist. His expression was as cold as a winter's night, and his eyes bore into her, freezing her in place.

"Sir, sorry about that. I can make it up to you next time," Alison apologized, the words spilling out in a rush.

Instead of releasing her, Nicholas' grip tightened, the heat from his touch burning through her like a brand.

With a sudden pull, he yanked her closer, their faces mere inches apart, his breath warm against her skin as he warned, "There won't be a next time."

Alison nodded, her body shaking like a leaf under his unyielding gaze.

Just when Alison thought she might be crushed by his vice-like grip, Nicholas abruptly released her and barked at the driver, "Stop the car and let her out!"

She scrambled out, watching the vehicle drive away as she exhaled a shaky breath, the fear still clutching at her chest.

Inside the car, Nicholas loosened his tie, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. A strange heat simmered within him, the memory of Alison's bold move lingering in his mind.

He could still feel the press of her legs around his waist from the night before, the way she'd seemed so vulnerable, so easy to control.

In that moment, a faint, unidentifiable emotion took root in his heart.

Weary from the day, Alison trudged through her front door and made a beeline for the bathroom.

But she stopped dead in her tracks when she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Several angry red marks marred her neck and chest, glaring reminders of last night.

Pissed off, she tried rubbing at the marks, but they stubbornly refused to fade, the memory of Nicholas' rough touch coloring her cheeks with shame.

She turned the shower knob, the sound of rushing water offering a brief solace.

As the warm stream cascaded over her bruised body, tears welled up in her eyes, and she began scrubbing furiously, struggling to erase both the marks and the lingering emotions that clung to her.

Her energy drained away, leaving her so spent that she didn't even realize when she drifted off to sleep in the bathtub. She jolted awake, gasping for air, her entire body aflame with fever, her head throbbing in sync with her heartbeat.

Realizing she was running a fever, she quickly downed some pills and stumbled back to bed, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Hours later, the incessant buzzing of her phone yanked her from the depths of unconsciousness.

She groaned, her muscles protesting as she reached for the device. The work group chat was exploding with notifications, the text too rapid to keep up with.

"Did you hear? That famous actress, Paige Higgins, is getting a divorce! Her husband, Braydon Higgins, is going to be represented by our rival, Brilliance Law Firm. Now, our firm is gunning to represent Paige."

Paige Higgins, the two-time Best Actress Award winner? Alison's brows furrowed. The gears in her mind slowly started turning as she set out to dig up more information.

Cases like this were golden-landing one meant prestige, a surge in clients, and an undeniable boost in reputation.

After graduating, Alison joined Apex Law Firm and fought tooth and nail to climb the ranks, eventually earning her place as a partner.

Every success, every accolade, had been the result of relentless determination, and she wasn't about to let a case like this slip through her grasp.

If she could win this, she might finally break free from Amy's grip and that cursed marriage that had haunted her for so long.

Just then, her phone buzzed with a message from her assistant, Archie Payne. "Alison, word on the street is that Paige Higgins and Nicholas Bowman are pretty close. She's in the middle of filming a movie right now, so she's entrusted her divorce to him."