The Paranoid Billionaire's Trap

Noreen Wheeler stared at the ceiling as she lay on the bed, her sweat seeping through the mattress.

From time to time, she would steal a glimpse of the handsome man beside her.

All she could think about was how she let a strange man take her virginity.

Well, that wasn't completely accurate. He wasn't exactly a strange man. After all, they had gotten their marriage certificate not long ago.

Legally, he was her husband.

His name was Henrik Sanchez, and he was a car mechanic.

Getting married to him out of impulse was one of the two most outrageous things she had done in her pathetic life.

The other one was running away from the wedding.

For their family's interests, her foster parents asked her to replace their biological daughter, Melany Wheeler, and marry the disfigured, abnormal, and disabled man of the Sanchez family.

Of course, she didn't want to marry him. She ran away, and in the process, she was saved by Henrik. She was in dire need to escape from that wedding and avoid marrying that man at all costs. Feeling that Henrik was a good man, she asked him if he was willing to marry her. It was such a preposterous proposal that she didn't expect him to agree. But he did.

In the morning, she ran away from the wedding. In the afternoon, she was already married with Henrik and had sex with him at the same night. To say it was an eventful day was a complete understatement.

"Let me carry you to take a shower," Henrik offered as he sat up. His voice was hoarse and magnetic.

As he did, the blanket slipped from his body, revealing his muscular torso and tight abdominal muscles. Noreen took a furtive glance at his body before quickly looking away.

Flashes of their sexual encounter flooded her mind at this moment. The thought of it made her cheeks burn and her mouth dry. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she clutched the blanket and covered her body with it. Then, she stood up and said, "No. I'll go by myself."

With the blanket acting like a makeshift gown, she ran straight to the bathroom.

As Henrik watched her disappear into the bathroom, a cold look flashed in his eyes.

In the bathroom, Noreen stared at the mirror, reflecting the numerous hickeys littered across her body. She couldn't get the images of what had just happened off her head.

For some reason, she wasn't acting as she would normally do. Was it because of the alcohol? Or was it because she just wanted to vent her anger?

She turned on the shower head and let the water run through her body. As the sound of trickling water calmed her down, her mind began to wander. It was fortunate that she had foresight. After Melany was taken back, Noreen bought herself a small apartment. If she hadn't done this, she wouldn't even have a place to live now.

Once she was done taking a shower, she walked out of the bathroom with only a bathrobe covering her body. Her face was still red, and her eyes were downcast as though she couldn't bear to make eye contact with anyone.

When Henrik saw her like this, he sneered inwardly.

When they were having sex, she was as wild as an animal. But now, she was pretending to be pure.

"I'm done. You can go and take a shower," Noreen said with a cough as she sat on the bed.

As soon as she did, she felt a sharp pain between her legs that made her wince.

It hurt!

It felt so great, but at the same time, it was also painful.

"Here, take this. Let me help you apply it."

Henrik noticed her pained expression and grabbed the ointment on the table.

"No, I'm good. I can do it myself." Noreen refused hurriedly, her face turning even redder.

If he helped her apply it...

Her cheeks felt so hot she thought they were on fire.

"Okay." Henrik placed the ointment on her palm and went to the bathroom.

Noreen glanced at his strong, naked body through the corner of her eye but immediately lowered her head.

Once the bathroom door was closed, she squeezed out the ointment and applied it on her private parts. It felt cool against her skin and alleviated the burning pain.

She didn't expect her husband to be so considerate.

She put on her pajamas and changed the bed sheet. Then, she felt the accumulated weariness settle in her body all at once, and shortly after that, she fell asleep.

After taking a shower, Henrik walked out of the bathroom while drying his hair.

When he got out, his eyes landed on Noreen's beautiful face.

It turned out that the most beautiful woman in Bladiff was just a frivolous woman who would marry the first man she saw in the street.

Since Noreen was his future bride, he had her investigated.

She loved another man. Since she despised her husband-to-be for his disability, she decided to run away from their wedding. But in the end, the man she loved abandoned her and she then married Henrik without knowing he was the one she was supposed to marry.

The reason why he agreed to marry her was that he wanted to take revenge on her.

Since she didn't want to marry him, Henrik must marry her.

He would make her fall in love with him, and once she did, he would divorce her. When that time arrived, he would savor the expression on her face.

How dare she run away from their wedding?

Henrik stared at her red lips for a long time.

He couldn't deny that he did enjoy having sex with Noreen.

His hair had not yet completely dried. After he lay down beside Noreen for a while, she moved closer into his arms.

When their bodies touched, Henrik couldn't stop the lust from stirring inside his body.

With a frown, Henrik took a deep breath and restrained himself. After a while, he fell asleep.

The next day, Noreen woke up with a pained expression as she rubbed her aching waist.

Her husband had such a gentle face, and she didn't expect him to be so animalistic when they had sex.

She grabbed her phone on the bedside table, and when she unlocked it, she was greeted by a slew of messages and missed calls.

One message was from Melany, which read, "Bitch! Come back and marry that disabled man! After all, a bitch like you and a man like him are a perfect match!"

The next message came from her foster mother, Connie Wheeler. "We have raised you for more than twenty years. All that effort to raise you was for nothing. I'm very disappointed."

Gerardo Wheeler, her foster father, also sent her a message. "Noreen! If you don't want to die, come back home as soon as possible!"

Noreen pursed her lips as she fought back the tears welling on her eyes. She stared at the ceiling and took a deep breath. Then, she went to the bathroom to wash up.

Once she was done, the smell of delicious food wafted up her nose. It seemed to be coming from the kitchen. When she got there, her eyes widened in surprise.

There, Henrik was wearing an apron and skillfully frying a steak.

His bodily movements looked so elegant and noble that for a second, Noreen forgot that he was a car mechanic.

Noticing her arrival, Henrik turned around and flashed her a smile. "Go out and wait. It'll be ready soon."

With a blank look, Noreen nodded and sat at the dining table.

She was used to cooking for others, but she never had someone cook for her.

After a while, the breakfast was served.

They sat opposite each other and ate in silence. The only sound between them was the clink of the utensils against the plate.

Still, the breakfast that he had prepared tasted good.

All of a sudden, Henrik's phone rang. He stood up from the table and headed to the balcony to answer the call.

As he did, Noreen noticed that the screen on his phone was cracked. She thought that maybe he was having such a hard time earning money that he couldn't afford to replace his phone or have it fixed. So, when he came back, she transferred five thousand dollars to him.

As soon as Henrik sat down, he saw the bank notification pop on his phone. The moment he saw it, a stunned expression crept on his face. "What's this?"

"Change your phone. Your phone screen is already cracked," she said.

"Okay." Henrik smiled and didn't refuse.

"Don't think too much about it. We're a couple now. It's only normal for us to help each other," Noreen explained, worried that he might feel uncomfortable about it.

"Okay, thank you. For a second, I thought you would despise me." Henrik lowered his eyes and forced a smile.

"No, I won't." Looking at his face, Noreen felt a surge of pity swell in her heart. So, she put her hand atop his.

Her hand felt warm and delicate, and when Henrik looked at it, he found her fingers to be long and slender.

Slowly, Henrik looked up and stared at her sincere and beautiful face. As he did, he gave her hand a tight squeeze while flashing a soft smile.

In an instant, Noreen's face turned pink. She withdrew her hand and took a sip of her milk.

After breakfast, Henrik went out to work.

Once Noreen was done cleaning up, she turned on her computer to apply for a job.

She used to be a jewelry designer in the Wheeler family's company. However, in order to repay her foster parents for raising her, she had to release her own design works and put them under Melany's name.

Now that she knew their true colors, she wouldn't allow them to continue using her like that.

Although she had some savings, she had to find a job as soon as possible.

In the evening, Henrik was about to get off work. Noreen stood up and went to the kitchen to cook dinner.

While cooking, she took out her phone and chatted with her best friend, Lynne Bilson.

"Why did you marry a car mechanic?" Lynne's shrill voice greeted her. "You're the most beautiful woman in Bladiff. If you wanted to get married, many rich young men would be happy to marry you!"

"I was in a rush at the time," Noreen replied, slightly embarrassed. "He's a good man. Besides, what's wrong with being a car mechanic?"

"Humph! He must look hideous."

"Actually, he doesn't look bad."

"Really? Let me have a look!"

Noreen took a photo of their marriage certificate and sent it to Lynne.

After a while, Lynne replied excitedly, "Oh my God! He's even more handsome than a star! He must be very good in bed, right?"

Noreen blushed, and she couldn't stop her lips from grinning. "Yes, he's very good in bed."

"Really?" Henrik's deep and playful voice came from behind unexpectedly.

Noreen was so startled by Henrik's voice that her phone jumped out of her hand and almost fell to the floor.

When she caught it, she exhaled in relief and turned around. There, Henrik was looking at her with a meaningful expression.

"When did you come back?" She sank her head to hide the pink flush on her cheeks.

It turned out that Henrik had heard what she just said.

It was so humiliating!

"Just now." Henrik saw her red cheeks and recalled what she said. "I didn't expect you to be so satisfied with me."

He moved a step closer to her. They were so close to each other that Noreen could feel that warmth of his body against her skin. Her heart was racing.

Noreen wanted to take a step back, but he placed his big hand behind her slender waist. "The pot's behind you," he said.

Noreen found the perfect excuse to get rid of him. "I'm cooking. You can go out now."

Henrik licked his lips as he stared at this lovely yet bashful-looking woman. He leaned closer to her ear and whispered, "I'll try harder tonight."

The warmth of his breath tickled her ear and turned it red.

At night, Noreen took a shower before laying on the bed. The entire time, her eyes were wide open as her heart felt like exploding inside her chest. Henrik was right beside her, and the pleasant smell of bath cream on him wafted up her nose.

She wanted to say something, but before she could, she felt his hand grab her slender waist. The next second, he was on top of her, with his lips pressed against hers.

And just like that, they ended up having a passionate night together.

-

In the morning, Noreen came out of the bedroom, still looking drowsy. Just like yesterday, Henrik had already prepared breakfast.

Standing beside the table, he poured some milk as the sunlight fell on his handsome face.

Sensing her gaze, Henrik looked up. As soon as their eyes met, Noreen quickly withdrew her gaze and went straight into the bathroom.

Then, they shared a silent and awkward breakfast together. After eating, Henrik was about to go to work.

Noreen was cleaning up the table when she saw a wound on the back of his hand. She grabbed his arm and stopped him from leaving. "Wait a minute."

Henrik looked back with a puzzled look.

She quickly grabbed the medicine box and took out a Band-Aid from it. Then, she walked up to him and asked, "Didn't you know that you have a wound on your hand?"

"It's not a big deal," Henrik replied nonchalantly, simply glancing at the wound and dismissing it.

"But what if it gets infected?" As Noreen spoke, she raised his big hand and disinfected it before covering the wound with Band-Aid.

She kept blinking as a look of concern flashed in her eyes.

The sight of her made Henrik feel moved.

Ever since he was a child, he had always been prone to injuries. Although there were many people around who would treat his wounds, he knew that none of them really cared about him.

After Henrik left, Noreen went out with her bag.

She had received several interview invitations.

However, as soon as she left the apartment complex, she was dragged into a car by two strong men.

After a short while, the car stopped in front of the villa of the Wheeler family.

The same two men held Noreen and carelessly dragged her out of the car.

"Don't treat my sister like that. Let her go," Melany ordered, her voice dripping with hypocrisy.

Noreen snorted and shot her a cold look.

As soon as Melany opened the door, she ran to Noreen and pinched her arm hard.

It hurt so much that Noreen cried in pain and pushed her away.

As Melany lost her balance, she screamed and fell into Gerardo's arms.

Seeing this, Gerardo was furious. He raised his hand and gave Noreen a hard slap. "Melany just interceded for you, and yet, you dare to push her. You're so heartless!"

Noreen's face stung as a buzzing noise rang in her ear. When she looked around, she saw her foster mother, Connie.

Although there was an apologetic look on Connie's face, she did not say a single word.

This made Noreen sneer.

Gerardo, who was still fuming from a while ago, scolded, "Do you know how much loss your escape has brought to the Wheeler family? You have to marry that man!" He then ordered the bodyguards, "Lock her in the basement!"