His Contractual Wife Wants A Divorce

After a few drinks, Emilee Bates felt a searing sensation in her stomach.

Her body began to heat up, and her clarity of mind started to cloud.

Desperate to keep her balance, she pinched the palm of her hand fiercely and staggered forward.

Today was supposed to be a festive occasion, celebrating the company's recent acquisition and the inauguration of the new CEO. She had been coaxed into drinking several glasses of wine, never suspecting they were spiked.

Once Emilee sensed something was amiss, she mustered all her strength and dashed out.

But as the drug's effects intensified, the inner heat nearly overwhelmed her.

Soon, her wavering consciousness could no longer sustain her, and her body weakened, causing her to collapse forward.

Surprisingly, the expected impact never came.

Instead, she found herself in a broad, warm embrace.

The man who caught her carried a subtle mix of alcohol and a crisp, cold fragrance. As Emilee rested in his arms, the scent struck her as strangely familiar.

"Sir... please help me..." she murmured.

Feeling him attempting to detach, she instinctively tightened her grip around his neck.

Emilee's head swam, feeling as though she clutched a block of ice.

Unbeknownst to her, when she held him tightly, his body stiffened abruptly.

Through her dizziness, she saw him clearly.

He had taken off his suit jacket, and his white shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, exposing a glimpse of his chest. A silver chain dangled from his clavicle, disappearing beneath the fabric of his shirt.

His face retained its handsome, stern features, yet there was a shift from youthful charm to a more seasoned maturity.

At that moment, his deep-set, inscrutable eyes fixed on her without blinking, assessing her like a predator sizing up its prey, hinting at a hidden, ominous threat.

Jonny Owens...

Why was he here?

He was supposed to be the man of the hour at today's gathering.

As the scion of the formidable Owens family, he had just returned to the country and orchestrated a major takeover of her company. Following the acquisition, a lavish celebration was expected.

Yet, why had he left his own celebration?

Before Emilee could gather her thoughts, the room seemed to whirl around her, and suddenly, Jonny's arms scooped her up.

It wasn't until she was tossed onto the plush, spacious bed in the hotel room that her mind began to clear a bit.

But then Jonny was there, hovering above her, his large, muscular frame imposing a crushing weight.

His breath warmed her cheek, and he stared down at her with piercing intensity, his voice rough and deep.

"Do you know who I am?"

Emilee gazed at him, spellbound, and spoke automatically, her tone tender and melodious.

"You are Jonny Owens..."

Her words were abruptly cut off by his impassioned kiss. His large, firm hands clasped her waist, effectively trapping his prey.

But Emilee harbored no thoughts of escape.

If she were to be with a man, why not one who was attractive, affluent, and flawless?

Besides, given Jonny's esteemed status, he was unlikely to notice a mere secretary at a newly acquired subsidiary-much like he hadn't noticed a plain high school classmate named Emilee Bates.

After tonight, he would continue as the influential heir of the Owens family, returning to Piland to assume command of Owens Group amid much grandeur.

And she would return to her routine life as an ordinary secretary in this modest company.

Their paths would not cross again.

Just this once...

Emilee mused silently.

Summoning her bravery, she arched her neck and pressed her lips against his lower lip.

At that, Jonny's grip around her waist tightened, securing her firmly beneath him.

In the dim light, the air crackled with passion.

What ensued spiraled beyond control. Emilee succumbed to the overwhelming sensations and lost consciousness...

The following morning, brilliant sunlight flooded through the window. Emilee lifted her aching hand with a groan of discomfort.

As she opened her eyes, the face of the man from her dreams lay on the pillow beside her.

Memories of the previous night's awkward incidents surged back, jolting Emilee awake.

Could it really be Jonny?

Had she and Jonny actually had sex?

Jonny was still asleep next to her. Emilee's heart skipped a beat, and she lifted the blanket quietly, rolled out of bed, and tiptoed away, cautious not to wake him.

Her memories from the night before were hazy, but she vividly recalled throwing herself into Jonny's arms.

She was at a loss how to explain last night's events to him.

If Jonny decided to confront her, she, a mere secretary, would be out of her depth to handle it.

With this worry gnawing at her, Emilee quickly dressed and slipped out of the room.

Unbeknownst to her, as she closed the door behind her, Jonny's eyes flickered open.

Rushing from the room, Emilee found herself on the hotel's top floor. She frantically jabbed the elevator button.

After a night she wished to forget, escaping was her only thought.

The elevator doors slid open.

Just as Emilee was about to step inside, a large hand clamped around her arm, yanking her back.

"I finally caught you. You're quite the escape artist, Emilee!" A sinister voice chilled the air. "Now, tell me, where did you vanish to last night?"

When Emilee caught sight of the man's hideous face, panic flickered in her heart, quickly followed by a wave of disgust.

The man was Fabian Warren, her company's project director, a married man who didn't hesitate to exploit his position to harass her.

It was Fabian who had insisted Emilee drink the previous evening.

There had to be something off about that wine.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have...

With this thought, Emilee jerked her hand away, desperate to break free from Fabian's grasp and flee.

However, Fabian was ready for this; before she could make her escape, he grabbed her hair fiercely.

"Bitch! How many times do you think you can get away from me?"

Emilee clenched her teeth, suppressing her fear, her voice quivering. "Let me go!"

She inhaled sharply and warned, "Or I'll call the police. You know what you slipped into my drink!"

"Call the police?" Fabian scoffed. "Do you really think they'll take your word over mine?"

"What are you saying?" Emilee hadn't expected him to be so blatantly unafraid of the authorities.

"There are lots of women like you who try to sleep their way to the top. I'm married and I'm a key figure here. If I just denied everything, they'd think you were just a slut trying to claw your way up. They'd believe you tried to seduce me and then accused me when you failed."

Fabian's hand crept down to her waist, caressing it in a suggestive motion.

His bulky frame pressed against her back.

"Why don't you just give in now? It would be better for both of us."

Emilee recoiled from the stench of his breath.

"Don't touch me!" She struggled violently, screaming for help.

In the fray, her shirt collar ripped, revealing her neck and chest.

Her smooth skin displayed suggestive red marks.

Fabian initially recoiled at the sight.

His anger surged when he grasped the situation.

"Nice, playing the innocent, huh? Ran off to another man's bed last night, did you? Been with someone else and still acting pure with me!"

He hissed, seizing Emilee with intent to rip her clothing right there.

In desperation, Emilee blurted out, "I was with Jonny Owens last night! You better not lay a finger on me!"

Fabian scoffed in disbelief. "Mr. Owens? As if he'd stoop to someone like you. You're trying to play me for a fool? Quit your struggling. Let's have a little fun!"

He sneered, pinning her against the wall and reaching for her.

Emilee cried out, "No!"

Just then, a large hand grabbed Fabian's wrist, twisting it and flinging him aside.

Before she knew it, Emilee found herself in a safe, warm embrace.

Looking up, she saw the man's stern, handsome profile and stood frozen, astonished.

It was Jonny.

Thrown against the wall, Fabian groaned in pain as he hit it.

"Who the hell..." Fabian began, his anger rising, but he halted abruptly when he saw Jonny. Frozen in place, he realized who had ejected him.

Quickly straightening up, Fabian bowed slightly, addressing him in a placating tone, "Mr. Owens, I had no idea you were still in the hotel. I sincerely apologize if I've caused any offense. I'm truly sorry."

His eyes then drifted to Jonny's hand, which was firmly wrapped around Emilee's waist, their bodies nearly merging.

They seemed exceptionally close.

A troubling thought crossed his mind.

Could Emilee's claims about her night with Jonny be true?

The idea sent a chill through Fabian.

To have invaded Jonny's woman was unthinkable.

The prospect of merely losing his job paled in comparison to other, more dire possibilities. If Jonny harbored genuine affection for Emilee, Fabian feared he might not survive to see another day.

With this terrifying possibility hanging over him, Fabian stole a cautious glance at Jonny and ventured a question.

"Mr. Owens, are you acquainted with Emilee?"

Jonny's response was a chilling stare that silenced any further inquiry, his presence alone imposing enough to intimidate Fabian.

Desperate to explain, Fabian stammered, "Mr. Owens, I... I merely encountered Emilee here and we exchanged a few pleasantries."

Jonny's sneer cut through the tension, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Just pleasantries?"

"Um... We had a slight disagreement, but really, it was nothing serious," Fabian replied, trying to downplay the incident. "If you need to speak with her, I'll excuse myself."

No sooner had he finished speaking than he hurried away.

The thought of confronting the formidable presence looming behind him was more than he could bear.

Once he was out of sight, Emilee released a lengthy sigh, the residue of fear still clinging to her breath.

Turning to look at Jonny, Emilee found herself at a loss for words and her heart skipped a beat.

In a moment of panic earlier, she had blurted out to Fabian that she was with Jonny last night. Could Jonny have overheard?

The notion that Jonny might discover she was the woman of the previous night filled her with dread.

Emilee shuddered at the thought.

Memories of the previous night's wild escapades invaded her mind, and instinctively, Emilee pulled her collar closer, covering the marks that lingered on her skin.

"What's happening here?" Jonny's voice, deep and resonant, broke the silence.

His expression remained unreadable, giving nothing away. Emilee surmised he hadn't caught a word.

She mustered a smile, striving to appear casual as she responded, "Mr. Owens, we're employees of Xastin Company, which you recently acquired. I'm Emilee Bates from the secretarial department, and the gentleman who just departed is Fabian Warren, the director of our project department."

Desperate to keep her secret, Emilee quickly concocted a story. "We were just discussing some work-related matters when, as you saw, things got a bit heated."

Emilee eyed Jonny apprehensively.

Her explanation could have sounded a bit far-fetched.

Under his penetrating gaze, Emilee felt as though he could see right through her.

Yet, all Jonny did was furrow his brow slightly before nodding. "Alright."

Hearing this, Emilee breathed a sigh of relief. However, her anxiety quickly returned.

"As you are employed by Xastin Company, could you compile the business transactions from the past five years and a basic financial report for me?" he asked, checking the time on his watch. "I need it in the CEO's office by tomorrow."

Emilee was taken aback.

Xastin Company, in comparison to the massive Owens Group, was relatively small.

She wondered why Jonny, the head of Owens Group, would take a personal interest in acquiring such a minor company.

The reasons behind it eluded Emilee.

Although her role at Xastin Company was that of a secretary, her responsibilities were limited to clerical tasks and miscellaneous duties.

Preparing detailed company documents for the new CEO was certainly not within her usual scope of work.

Yet, faced with Jonny's request, Emilee could not bring herself to object and merely nodded in agreement. "Yes, Mr. Owens."

At that moment, a man in a sharp suit and glasses approached; it appeared he was Jonny's assistant. "Mr. Owens."

Jonny released his hold on her waist.

Only then did Emilee realize the closeness of their interaction.

She stole a quick glance at Jonny, noted his unchanged expression, and hurried into the elevator.

As the doors were closing, Jonny's commanding voice filled the air.

"Find out who was in my suite last night."

Emilee's heart raced once again.