Hidden Wife Of The Cold CEO

"Get ready to pick up your sister's corpse the next time you come to the hospital!"

The voice from the other end of the line barked at Ruby, causing a cold shiver to run down her back.

"Wha-what?" Ruby muttered. "What do you mean by corpse?"

""I'm afraid your sister's treatment has been put on hold due to unpaid bills, Miss Ruby." The nurse replied with a much sharper tone now.

Ruby sighed, tears welling up in her eyes. "Please, I'm begging. Don't take her off treatment, you know she needs it, Ma'am"

"If you think I'd keep giving her drugs and injections when you are yet to pay the money you owe the hospital, and risk losing my job, then you need to have a rethink, Miss Ruby!"

"I'll try to pay up, just don't abandon her in that state, please"

"My hands are tied. You need to pay before anything else can be done. Do you want to see her dead?"

"No!" Ruby cried out.

"Then, pay your debt so we can resume treatment on her!"

With that, the call ended..

Tears streamed freely out of Ruby's eyes, messing up the light make-up she had on in preparation for work.

Her mind raced with numbers and deadlines, but thinking about everything only made her feel more helpless. After almost three weeks of not paying the hospital bills for her sister, she was sure that she had incurred a large amount of debt.

How could she possibly come up with the money?

Her sister's life hung in the balance, and Ruby felt like she was watching her life flash by with speed. She went back to the mirror in her small, cramped apartment and redid her makeup again. This time, she paid no much attention to it as thoughts about her sister filled her mind.

With shaky hands, she slipped into her work outfit and hurried to the restaurant where she worked. The cool morning air did little to calm her anxiety. As soon as she arrived at the restaurant, she forced a smile on her face and shuffled to the back of the serving counter.

The words of the rude nurse in charge of her sister, echoed in her head, "Pay up your debt or lose your sister"

For the first time, the reality of losing her sister hit her. The nurse had sounded determined to carry on with her threat. And, if that happened, it meant only one thing: her sister's condition might get worse.

Ruby caught herself before her imagination got worse and she shook her head.

"I'll make sure I save you, Kimberley" She swore under her breath.

The question remained; how did she plan on pulling that off?

She had barely 24 hours left to make sure she raised enough money to offset the debt she was in, so that her sister's treatment could continue.

How was she going to do that? She wondered again, her frustration mounting.

Ruby blinked back tears as she approached a couple that sat at a table. She quietly placed their orders on the table before she turned away on her heels to go over to another table and get their order.

"My sister" She muttered, worry clawing through her, "I have to find a way!"

She went behind the counter to pick up the fresh orders. An hour later, Ruby was sent by the restaurant manager on an errand. She took off her work apron, hung it on the rack and headed for the exit of the restaurant.

She was too caught up with her thoughts to notice that a tall, imposing figure was making his way into the restaurant.

It was in that moment that she misstepped and crashed into him. The bump was so sudden that she tripped and fell with an embarrassing thud to the floor.

The already seated customers in the restaurant craned their necks and watched her in amusement.

Her face flushed she tried to pick up herself.

The man whom she had bumped into, let out a long hiss, glaring at her.

"You have a pair of eyes! Why don't you make use of them?" He barked.

She shuddered, raising up her chin to glance at him. His blue eyes were narrowed down on her.

"I am so-sorry" She stammered. Tears welled up in her eyes again.

"Keep that to yourself!" He snapped, "You are too lucky that you didn't stain my suit with your body" He scrunched up his nose and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe off his blue suit.

Ruby picked up herself from the floor, fully aware of the eyes that were on her.

She adjusted her shirt, "Sorry, Sir. I just didn't see you coming." She said, but she didn't know whether he had heard her because he abruptly turned to walk away from her without any response.

She watched him, stunned.

Today wasn't a great day for her, she reasoned.

She quickly rushed out of the restaurant in a bid to avoid any other. When Ruby returned to the restaurant, she was distracted by a loud masculine voice from one corner of the restaurant.

She stopped in her tracks.

"You have to be kidding me!" The voice boomed, "You have to find her for me!"

Ruby quickly met with the restaurant manager, delivered the message she had for him before edging close to the booth where the loud voice had come from earlier.

"The wedding must go on. I need a bride. Find that damn woman for me!" The angry customer yelled again, this time, louder.

She could only see the customer's blonde hair from where she stood. She shoved her hands into her apron's pockets and walked towards the direction of the yelling voice.

As she got closer, she realized that the customer was on a heated phone conversation, his voice rising in anger. "I don't care what it takes, just get her here... the wedding can't be delayed..."

Ruby couldn't control her curiosity as she wondered what kind of man would yell about a wedding like it was a business deal gone wrong. She rounded the corner and stood by the customer's table just as he was saying, "Damon, If you don't find me that woman before noon, I'll make sure death will feel better than what I shall do to you."

Ruby's eyes almost popped as she recognized the man who was yelling on his phone, distracting other customers. It was the same handsome stranger she had bumped into earlier.

He shot her a cold glare and slammed his phone on the table before him. It startled her, causing her to stagger backwards, and just before she slipped, her hands flayed and grabbed a nearby seat for support.

"I see that you have a love story with the floor. You are always falling for it." He snarled, eying her.

She cleared her throat noisily, as she looker at him squarely.

"Excuse me, Sir," she said with a voice that was almost inaudible, "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. I have a proposal for you."

The customer raised an eyebrow, "What kind of proposal?"

Ruby's heart skipped a beat. "I'll marry you," she said.The words tumbled out before she could reconsider. "You will have to pay me, Sir. I need the money to pay my sister's hospital bills and I'll do anything to save her."

The customer's expression changed from anger to surprise, and for a moment, Ruby could swear that a small smile formed on his lips, "Marry me?" he repeated, "You're either very brave or very desperate, Miss...?"

"Ruby," she replied, "Ruby Walcott"

Jaxon leaned back in his chair, watching her closely, "Tell me, Ruby, what makes you think I'm the kind of man who would marry a stranger for convenience?"

Her breath hitched.

Damn it! She cursed under her breath. She had only thought about how to milk his desperation for a wife, without thinking whether he would agree.

She obviously wasn't in his league.

She looked away as a flush crept up her cheeks, "It is okay if you find my proposal too offensive. I apologize." She muttered and wanted to leave.

Her legs felt too heavy to carry her as she tried to get away from the rude customer.

"I am down for it, Ruby" A familiar male voice said behind her, "I'll give you what you want. You only need to sign the documents!"

Chapter 2

"Tell me, Ruby!" The male voice behind her said, "Are you selectively deaf? I'm certain you heard me quite well."

Slowly, she swung around to face the man. There was an obvious look of disdain on his face. He raised a finger and flicked it at her, urging her to edge close to him.

Ruby was stunned, barely able to believe what was happening. Did he just agree to make her his wife in exchange for any money she requests for? She was at a loss at whether to cry or smile, rather she remained numb, staring down at the man.

"If we will pull this off, you need to stop acting like an aged donkey!" The man snapped.

She nodded.

"I asked earlier, what gave you the courage to approach me?"

"You look like a man in need of a wife," Ruby stated bluntly

The man frowned. He cast a glance at his wristwatch, and let out a long hiss.

She was right. He needed a wife. The woman he had agreed with to sign the documents with him had stood him up, even after he explained how important it was.

"I am sorry, Damon!" She had texted his assistant, "I can't do this anymore"

Jaxon had no idea that she was ready to keep to her word until he got a call from his assistant that she had fled her apartment and was nowhere to be found.

He barely had time now, he realized.

He eyed the waitress who stood In front of him, she looked nothing like the woman who caught his attention, and a pile of disgust formed in his throat, but he pushed it down, cleared his throat, and said, "Follow me"

Ruby jerked backward as he stood up abruptly from his seat, making way for him. He took long strides out of the busy restaurant, without turning to check if she was behind him.

There was something about the stranger that irritated Ruby-it made her feel like throwing up. It was only after she trailed behind him as they stepped out of the restaurant and into the streets that she finally figured it out.

He was rude! He had a tongue that only seemed to say hurtful things to her. Was this the kind of man she was?was agreeing to get into a contract marriage with? She asked herself. But, she needed the money for her sister's treatment. She was ready to do anything she could to help her sister.

Ruby was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice where the strange customer had gone.

Her eyes darted through the crowded parking lot. Cars lined up, filling almost every spot.

An alarm rang through her mind..

"Where is he?" She muttered, confused about how he had walked so fast he disappeared right under her nose.

"Ruby!" A familiar voice called out gruffly.

She looked in the direction of the voice and her eyes fell on the stranger who stood beside a sleek black car with tinted windows.

She half ran towards him, surprised that he had gotten that far before she even realized it.

His frown deepened as she approached him.

"I am fast becoming tired of having to give you simple instructions and struggle to pull through! All I said was to follow me, and you lost sight of me so quickly?" He said, rolling his eyes.

Ruby coughed, "I am so-"

"Get in the car!" He cut in, as he opened the car door and slipped into the backseat.

She jogged around to the other side of the car and got in..

A scream almost escaped her mouth when she realized that there were two other gruff-looking men in the car.

They wore identical suits as the stranger from the restaurant and they had dark shades on their faces. One sat in the driver's seat, whilst the order was in the passenger seat in front.

She whipped her head to look at the man who had lured her into the car.

"You didn't tell me you had people with you!" She said in a slightly raised voice.

"I am not under any obligation to tell you that." He snarled.

Her hands felt clammy as she turned to open the car door, "I want to leave. Now!" She cried out.

The man turned to look at her, "Why are you so unsure of yourself? One minute, you are ready to sign a marriage contract with me, the next minute you want to leave. Why?"

She broke down in tears. This is what her desperation had caused her! She had foolishly walked into the trap of kidnappers, all because she needed money.

The man in the driver's seat said, "Mr Jaxon, the registrar?"

"Yes." The man beside her replied, not taking his eyes away from her face.

Mr Jaxon? So, that was the name of this rude stranger?

Soon, her sobs quieted down into sniffles, and she fell silent. She was doing this for her sister, just her sister.

After a short drive, the car pulled up outside a large building.

"Step out" Mr Jaxon ordered.

The doors unlocked and she jumped out. He walked towards the entrance of the building and she scurried after her, desperate to get this over with.

She noticed one of the men from the car behind her, but she paid him no attention.

Ruby trailed behind Mr Jaxon as he led her up a fleet of stairs and down a well-lit hallway to a small, unassuming office.

The room was sparsely furnished, with a single desk and two chairs. The door opened and another man walked into the office, some files in his hands. "Mr Jaxon," He said, casting a wary glance at Ruby.

Mr Jaxon nodded and sat, gesturing for Ruby to do the same.

"I'll give you a contract," he began, "You'll act as my wife, marry me on paper, and in return, I'll pay you a substantial sum."

Ruby nodded. Her eyes were fixed on the contract as Jaxon handed it to her. As she scanned the terms, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"It's for 100 days," Jaxon explained, "After that, the contract is null and void and the terms are simple. Your services as my wife will be needed when the need arises.." he deadpanned in a stern voice.

Ruby nodded again, "I agree."

With a flourish, Jaxon signed the contract, followed by Ruby's hesitant signature.

As they exited the office and walked down towards the elevator, Jaxon handed her a briefcase filled with cash. She unlocked it slightly and her breath hitched.

"Finally! I'll save Kimberly" She let out a sob, tears streaming down her face.

Jaxon was irritated. "Control yourself," he ordered.

Ruby's tears continued to fall, but she nodded, "I'm sorry. It's just...this is a lot to take in."

"I don't want you to draw any attention to us," He said with a clenched jaw. " This contract isn't just about pretending to be my wife, Ruby,"

He paused, more irritated by the sound of the words, "My wife."

She nodded again, waiting for him to continue speaking.

He exhaled and said, "It's about discretion. You need to understand that our marriage must remain a secret. No one can know."

Ruby wiped her eyes. "I understand. I won't breathe a word."

Jaxon's gaze narrowed. "If you so much as hint at our marriage to anyone, the deal is off, and I will make you pay dearly for it. Do you understand?"

"Ye-Yes. I think so."

"Good. I don't pay you to think, I pay you to follow orders. Now, let's get out of here."

Ruby followed him out of the office with a heavy heart, firmly holding onto the briefcase of money.

As soon as they stepped out of the building, Jaxon's phone rang, and he answered, "Yes, I've taken care of it. The contract is signed, and she's been paid. The marriage will be kept quiet."

Ruby's mind reeled.

Chapter 3

"Don't give me that look!" Jaxon said sharply as he shoved his phone into his pocket. "You look like you've just seen a ghost!"

Ruby swallowed hard.

"Don't you want to leave? Get into the car, let's drop you off at the restaurant"

"Oh yeah," She muttered and went in.

After the driver drove for some minutes, Jaxon broke the silence in the car.

"Have this!" He said, handing his phone to her.

Her right eyebrow shot up, "Why?"

"Take this!" He said with impatience, "Ruby, one rule you must obey as long as we interact is to do whatever I say. Now, get this phone!" His voice was firmer

With shaky hands, she collected the phone, eying him.

The other men in the car were silent and a soft music played on the car radio.

"Now, input your phone number in there." He said.

She nodded and started to punch her number in, eager to please him. He had such a controlling aura that left her with no choice but to do whatever he wanted. He snatched the phone from her and saved her number.

"What's your home address?" He asked, opening the note app on his phone.

"578th Brooklyn Avenue," She said, watching as his fingers swiftly typed away on his phone. He demanded her phone and she gave it to him, biting her lower lips in fear.

He handed it over to her after some minutes. "One more thing, on no account should you be without your phone." He said in a low voice, "I'll be in touch if your services are needed," he said.

"My services?" She blinked in confusion.

"Your services as my secret contracted wife!"

Ruby nodded. Her mind raced with questions, but before she could ask anything, the car came to a halt.

"If you ever breathe a word of this to anyone, I'll find you and snuff life out of you" Jaxon's cold voice filled the car. It was low and husky, yet the threat in it caused Ruby to gasp.

"Now, get out." He added.

She froze, confused and stunned.

"I am done with you! Leave." He barked at her.

She shuddered and pushed the door open, panting. As soon as her feet touched the ground, the car door was slammed shut and the car sped away into the highway.

For a second, Ruby forgot that she was now multiple times richer than she was in the morning. She looked down at the briefcase in her hand and felt grateful that the stranger, Mr Jaxon, had kept to his words.

She stood in front of the restaurant, unsure of whether to go in and continue her shift for the day or just quit her job.

She made up her mind, walked into the restaurant, and took a permit to leave work for the day. She had more important things to attend to.

Her sister, Kimberly.

She had to visit her at the hospital and clear up her bills.

Ruby took a cab back home, stuffed some of the wads of cash in her handbag, and hid the briefcase, before leaving her apartment again.

Just then, her phone rang.

It was her best friend, Ophelia.

"Hey, I've lost him," Ophelia wailed from the other end of the line.

Ruby's brows furrowed, "Who's gone missing?" she asked.

"It's Hugh, my crush," Ophelia replied. "He is finally out of limits, and I don't know what to do."

Ruby grew confused, she asked, "What do you mean?"

Her friend broke into tears and Ruby tried to convince her to come over to her apartment so they could leave for the hospital together.

Within minutes, Ophelia arrived, running to hug Ruby and she sobbed on her neck.

"Ruby! He's gone. My crush is gone for good"

"Tell me, did he die?" Ruby asked as they flagged down a cab and got in.

"No!"

On their way to the hospital, Ophelia filled her in on the news. "The rich CEO, Mr Vaughn, just announced his marriage to some unknown woman. Can you believe it?"

"An unknown lady?" Ruby asked.

Ophelia shrugged. "No one knows who she is. He just announced it out of the blue, and now everyone's talking about it."

"Girl, don't you think it's time to stop dreaming about these men who are way out of your reach?"

"Yeah! I was going to stop, but I've had my eyes on Hugh for a while, and I refuse to believe that I've lost him"

"You didn't have him before now, did you?"

"In my imagination, Yes, I did" She snapped in feigned annoyance.

Then, both women broke into laughter, throwing their heads backward.

"How's Kimberly?" Ophelia asked as they stepped out of the cab and strolled into the hospital's premises.

"I've not seen her in more than a week now" Ruby's eyes become glassy with tears. Guilt choked her as she realized how much of a terrible sister she was. As they walked into the hallway, the doctor in charge of her sister's ward stepped out of an office and was surprised to see Ruby.

He walked back in, beckoning on Ruby to go in, while Ophelia hovered in the background.

"Ruby! I feared you wouldn't come any soon. Your sister's condition is critical. We're doing everything we can, but..." Dr. Thompson's voice trailed off.

Ruby's eyes welled up with tears. "Please, doctor, you have to save her. I'll do anything."

She rummaged through her handbag pulled out a stack of cash and slid it across the table to the doctor.. "Take this. Please, make sure nothing happens to her."

Dr. Thompson's eyes widened, but he took the money. "I'll do my best, Ruby. I promise."

Ophelia's eyes were fixed on the cash, her mouth agape. "Ruby, where did you get all that money?" she asked.

Ruby smiled at the doctor and pulled Ophelia out of the office.

"We need to see my sister, now"

"I know, but tell me, how did you wind up with so much money?" Ophelia asked with shock.

Ruby hesitated, "I...I won a small lottery prize. Yeah, that's it."

"Ruby, come on. You can't just win that much money overnight. Tell me the truth."

Ruby's eyes darted as they walk down the hospital's hallway.

She couldn't tell Ophelia the truth - Jaxon's warning was still fresh in her mind. She trusted her friend, but she was not ready to risk her life. Jaxon didn't seem to joke when he threatened to deal with her if she ever told anyone else what had happened between them.

Ruby realized how silly it would sound to Ophelia if she ever mentioned that she walked up to a total stranger that morning, offer to be his wife, only to end up signing a marriage contract with him and getting a briefcase of money. No one would even believe her anyways, she realized.

Ruby sighed, "I'm telling you, Ophelia, it was a lottery prize. Let's just focus on Kimberly's recovery, okay?"

"Ruby, I know you're hiding something. You're not a good liar." Ophelia's eyes narrowed.

"Ophelia, trust me, it's just a lottery prize."

At that moment, both women walked into Kimberly's ward. Kimberly was wide awake, her face seemed pale, and she called out in surprise, "Ruby? You came! The nurse threatened to move me out of the paid hospital room." She broke into tears.

Ruby held on to her sister's palm, sobbing, "I swore to myself that I wasn't going to let anything happen to you. I'm keeping my promise, Sis."

"You got paid?" Kimberly asked with a frail voice.

Ruby nodded, "Yeah, a bit more than that. It's a miracle."

Ophelia's phone rang out, and she apologized, "I have to take this. I'll be right back."

When she returned, there was a large grin on her face.

"Ruby! I just found out from a trusted source that Mr Vaughn , my crush, will be attending a private event soon." She squealed, "That's not all! He'll be coming along with his mysterious wife. I really can't wait to see the woman who stole him from me.."

Ruby smiled, wondering why her friend was still obsessed with a man who had made his marriage known

An unknown wife too?

It sounded cunning to her, but her smile slipped when she remembered that she was also someone's secret wife-someone whom she barely knew.