The CEO's Second-hand Bride

In a dimly lit hotel room, two figures lay entwined, their heavy breaths and soft moans filling the space.

Nadine Wheeler, utterly exhausted, quickly succumbed to sleep.

She stirred to the sound of two phones ringing.

As she fumbled for her phone, her hand brushed someone's warm skin. Startled, she opened her eyes and found herself gazing into a handsome, stern face.

Who was this man?

Her eyes narrowed, noticing the scattered clothes beside the bed.

Memories of the tumultuous journey from the elevator to this room flooded back.

Quickly, Nadine got dressed.

The phone rang again. Warren Harper, irritated, opened his eyes. When he saw a woman frantically getting dressed, a dangerous spark flashed in his eyes.

"Stop!" he commanded coldly.

Nadine, now fully clothed, grabbed her phone, intending to leave swiftly. The man's voice halted her.

Warren, donning a robe quickly, demanded, "Who sent you here?"

Confused, Nadine almost claimed she came here with her husband, Caden Gordon, but caught herself.

Sensing the man's unstable mood, she thought it best to escape. But as she opened the door, a surprising scene unfolded.

A barrage of camera flashes met her, clicking and flashing. With that, came the clamor of journalists that greeted her.

"Miss, what's your relation to Mr. Harper?"

"Mr. Harper is engaged to Rylee Brooks. Are you trying to be the other woman?"

"Do you intend to disrupt their relationship for wealth?"

Overwhelmed by the journalists' relentless questions, Nadine stood, dazed and speechless.

Journalists clutched at Nadine's clothes, trying to stop her from leaving. They even pulled her hand from her face, eager to capture her face on camera.

Just then, Warren emerged, fully dressed, drawing the journalists' attention.

Nadine used this distraction to slip away unnoticed.

Once she was alone and the journalists stopped chasing her, Nadine finally lowered her hands from her face.

During her escape, she remembered the man's name.

His name was Warren Harper, recently returned to Rocshire from abroad.

He was the centerpiece of last night's grand event, an annual gathering of business magnates, also celebrating Warren's return.

Nadine typically avoided such events, and Caden knew it. But this time, under Caden's insistent urging, she had reluctantly attended.

Caden had led her to greet the influential guests before disappearing.

Alone, Nadine sought refuge in a corner, nursing her drink.

Her tolerance for alcohol was low, and she unknowingly drank too much. Searching for Caden, she stumbled and collided with a sturdy figure at the elevator.

Through her hazy vision, she thought Caden had called her name. The man's breath against her ear sent a thrill through her.

Mistaking him for Caden, she pleaded in a whisper, "Caden, I want it... Please..."

He responded with a passionate embrace, kissing her neck and guiding her into the elevator.

Now, reflecting on the previous night's events, Nadine felt a wave of headache.

In her drunken state, she had confused Warren for Caden. But what about Warren? He couldn't be drunk either, could he?

After some thought, Nadine decided to contact the police. But before she could dial, her phone vibrated with an incoming call.

It was Caden, his third call that morning. He must be worried, having woken up to find her not at home.

She answered, and Caden's voice came through. "Nadine, I drank too much last night. A friend took me to a hotel, but I forgot you were still at the party. Are you at home now?"

Nadine, focusing on the initial part of his explanation, responded, "I'm okay. You should have some hangover tea to sober you up."

"Alright. Ouch, stop it..."

A peculiar noise followed from Caden's end, causing Nadine to frown.

She asked in confusion, "Stop what? Anyway, which hotel are you in? Do you need me to come pick you up?"

After a pause, Caden replied, "I'm at last night's party hotel. You go to work. Don't worry about me."

The realization that they were in the same hotel sent Nadine into a flurry of panic.

She hadn't yet figured out how to explain last night's incident with Warren to Caden. If someone else revealed it first, she'd be at a loss for words.

Nadine's thoughts whirled, searching for the right words to soften the situation for Caden.

Her attention was then diverted by a couple rounding the corner.

They were hand in hand, the woman radiant with joy, the man still on his phone, interacting with the woman beside him.

Caught off guard and forgetting she was still on the phone with Caden, Nadine blurted out, "Who is she?"

"What? Who?" Caden's confused voice came through the phone. He looked up instinctively, and his eyes met Nadine's.

He visibly tensed, quickly releasing the woman's hand and approaching Nadine. "Nadine, what are you doing here?"

Nadine gazed at the woman who tried clinging to Caden.

As Nadine remained silent, Caden quickly explained, "Nadine, this is Milly Hayes. She's the friend I told you about on the phone. We ran into each other last night. Both of us had a bit too much to drink, so we stayed at the hotel."

Nadine sensed something more complex in Caden's relationship with Milly.

Caden had revealed his impotence on their wedding day, suggesting a marriage of convenience.

Despite her disappointment, Nadine had accepted the situation, knowing that their marriage was merely an alliance of their families.

She had treated Caden with compassion since they got married. Caden had always seemed appreciative and kind, but now, his actions felt like a betrayal.

"Ran into each other? Quite a coincidence," Nadine observed, studying Milly, who calmly stood close to Caden, not even considering how inappropriate it was that she had held the hand of a married man earlier.

Caden quickly added, "Nadine, believe me. We're just friends, like buddies."

Nadine scoffed softly, "Buddies?"

Unperturbed, Milly chimed in, "Yes, we're good friends. What else would we be?"

Nadine was not naive. Their intimate hand-holding suggested more than a friendship.

Milly's brazen attitude only heightened Nadine's discomfort, leading her to ask herself. When did this start? Had Caden been lying to her ever since?

As Nadine pondered their past, finding no signs of deceit, Milly's sly grin deepened. "You're Nadine, aren't you? Caden's mentioned you. I think I saw you at the hotel's rooftop elevator last night."

Upon hearing Milly's remark, Nadine felt her heart flutter with unease.

She recalled the moment before entering the elevator, hearing Caden call out.

Was it her name or... Milly's he called with such passion?

"You were at the hotel last night? What were you doing there?"

Caden's tone sharpened as he grasped Nadine's hand, his demeanor defensive and confrontational.

Nadine worried about his reaction. Would he resort to violence if he knew she was with another man?

She urged, "Caden, let's discuss this at home."

She didn't want to disclose last night's events in front of Milly.

Caden hesitated, but Milly interjected, "Caden, why don't you bring the car around? I should leave now."

He complied, leaving Nadine and Milly alone.

Milly gazed at Nadine, a knowing smile on her lips. "How's Mr. Harper's physique?"

Nadine felt a jolt of shock but kept her composure. "I don't know what you mean," she replied.

Milly's chuckle hinted at insinuation. "No need to be shy. With Caden's... situation, it's natural you'd seek out another man."

Was Milly trying to provoke her?

Nadine's unease deepened.

Milly didn't stop there. "I saw everything. You and Mr. Harper were quite intimate, kissing and embracing passionately. He seemed pleased with you. Maybe you two... are a good match."

Nadine pondered why Milly hadn't told Caden directly. Was Milly unsure if the woman she saw was her, or was this an attempt to trap her in a lie?

Nadine's tension eased slightly at this realization. Without solid evidence, she could firmly deny any accusations. She would have time to explain to Caden later.

With this in mind, her response to Milly was cool and direct. "Miss Hayes, one should be careful with their words."

Milly, seemingly expecting this, leaned in and whispered provocatively, "You did it, yet fear the gossip?"

Unwavering, Nadine met Milly's challenge. "Unless you were hiding under my bed, you can't know what happened or didn't."

Before Milly could retort, Caden's car pulled up. Milly quickly switched to a flirtatious demeanor, playfully chiding, "What took you so long?"

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Caden apologized and opened the car door for her.

Milly slid into the front seat, forcing Nadine into the back.

As the two in front conversed, Nadine disengaged, pulling out her phone.

A news alert caught her eye. "Rocshire's New Elite Warren Harper's Engagement to Rylee Brooks Threatened by Another Woman?"

The news had spread quickly.

Opening the article, Nadine saw a prominent photo of Warren, followed by her own.

Nadine examined Warren's photo closely, zooming in repeatedly. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had seen him before, yet she couldn't recall where.

The comments under this article were filled with harsh insults toward her, labeling her as a homewrecker.

She browsed major news sites, relieved to find no clear photos of herself. But if anyone she knew saw this news, they would undoubtedly suspect her. This especially worried her about the Wheeler family.

Soon enough, her phone rang. It was her father, Domenic Wheeler.

Nadine answered and was greeted by her father's furious voice. "Nadine, you better get your ass back at the villa right now! If you don't, I'll make you regret it!"

In his office, Warren sat brooding, staring at a tablet showing a picture of a woman hiding her face.

His assistant, Blaine Marsh, laid some papers in front of him, but Warren signaled for a verbal report instead.

Blaine began, "Mr. Harper, the woman in your bed is Nadine Wheeler, Domenic Wheeler's daughter out of wedlock. Domenic is the Wheeler Group's CEO. Nadine rejoined the family a year ago and soon married Caden of the Gordon Group. She was meant to be at the banquet with Caden last night, but he left halfway, leaving her alone. It looks like they were plotting against you."

Warren's expression changed as he thoughtfully interrupted, "I doubt it. She seemed quite drunk then."

Nadine had indeed toasted to him during the banquet.

While she was toasting, Caden, next to her, subtly signaled her to move closer to Warren, seemingly urging his wife toward him.

Warren had suspected Nadine might have intentionally approached him, but during their heated moment at the elevator, she called out for Caden.

Warren realized that Nadine's self-respect wouldn't let her willingly go to another man for her husband's sake. She must have mistaken him for Caden.

Blaine was surprised. His boss seldom defended others, making his words all the more surprising. Could there be more to it?

He cast a covert glance at Warren's face and ventured a guess, saying, "Maybe Nadine didn't know about all this, but Caden's intentions seem suspicious. He's eyeing our Galaxy Group's first domestic project and has a reputation for underhanded tactics. He might even stoop to using his wife as a bargaining chip."

Warren gave no clear response to his assistant's speculation.

Yet, Blaine seemed to have pieced together the situation, voicing his disapproval. "To think Caden would offer his own wife for a deal. He has no morals. And Nadine, such a promising young woman, is caught in his schemes."

"Caden lacks the skill for such a move," Warren stated bluntly.

Blaine caught on quickly. "Right. He might control Nadine, but he's no match for you."

It seemed possible that a faction within the Harper family had engineered this incident, aiming to trap Warren.

"Should we get the news taken down?" asked Blaine.

Warren studied the photo on his tablet, deep in thought.

Finally, he answered softly, "No, let it stay."

"Okay, Mr. Harper." Blaine nodded in agreement and turned to leave.

A thought struck Warren, prompting him to call the assistant back. "Take care of the hotel's surveillance footage."

When he heard Warren's request, Blaine's eyes sparkled. "Do you want me to retrieve the original surveillance footage for you?"

Warren forcefully pushed the tablet on Blaine's arm, his demeanor turning intimidating.

"Find out who tampered with my drink."

Faced with Warren's intense look, Blaine gave a sheepish smile. "Understood. I'll figure out who's behind it."

Soon after, he returned with a hint of gossip in his tone. "Mr. Harper, Rylee's in the city hospital. Shall we pay her a visit?"

Warren curtly responded, "Leave!"

Blaine nodded, "As you wish, sir. I'll be leaving!"

Warren, freshly back in the country, hadn't anticipated being drugged and ensnared in a scheme.

His attention then returned to the papers his assistant had left, his expression growing serious once more.

Meanwhile, Nadine left Caden's car midway due to the remote location of Milly's house.

On arriving at the Wheeler family villa by taxi, she was met with Tricia Wheeler's harsh criticism.

As Nadine stepped inside, a cup hurled toward her and shattered on the floor.

"So you've finally returned! Look at the mess you've made!" Tricia, who had always disapproved of Nadine, was now seething.

"You disgraceful woman! You're tarnishing our family name. If word gets out in the city, how will Stacey ever marry? Are you that much of a slut? Is Caden not enough for you? Why cheat? You're no different from your mother!"