Waking Up Married To The Cruel CEO

Hayden had lost her memory.

When she opened her eyes, she was horrified to find herself lying in her sister's fiancé's bed. Tomorrow was Kasper Avery's wedding to her half-sister, Charity West.

Clutching a few torn pieces of her lingerie, Hayden shrank into the corner of the bed, her entire body trembling.

The man beside her let out a low, satisfied exhale. He threw back the covers and rose, walking straight to the en-suite bathroom without sparing her a single glance.

Hayden's mind completely shattered. Kasper Avery, the most powerful man in their elite circles, was marrying Charity tomorrow. Why, on the very night before his wedding, did she end up rolling in the sheets with him?

The bedroom's decor was dark and heavy, illuminated only by a single warm yellow lamp on the nightstand that offered a meager square of light.

A sudden chill swept over her bare back, making her sneeze violently. Panic-stricken, she scrambled back under the covers, wrapping the duvet tightly around her entire body until only a sliver of light peeked through. Her brain was a tangled, chaotic mess; she couldn't recall a single thing from last night. Even though it was the middle of summer, an inexplicable coldness seeped through the room.

The sound of running water in the bathroom abruptly stopped. The door pushed open, spilling bright light into the bedroom.

Hayden couldn't help but secretly poke her head out a fraction.

Kasper stepped out wearing only a towel slung low around his hips. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, his muscles carved with sleek, flawless lines leading down to his sharp V-line. But it was his sculpted, relentlessly cold face that made Hayden's heart give a violent jolt.

Everyone knew Kasper Avery only had Charity in his heart. His eyes had never held an ounce of room for any other woman. Yet last night, they had been intimately entwined.

At the thought, Hayden's cheeks burned a furious crimson. As Kasper slowly made his way toward the bed, her heart hammered even faster. She had no idea what was going on. She had secretly harbored a crush on Kasper but never dared to let him know, so how did she end up in his bed, doing that with him?

In the dim light, her dazed, panic-stricken state fell directly into Kasper's gaze. His thick brows furrowed, his expression darkening.

When she remained completely frozen, the crease between his brows deepened imperceptibly. He paused for a few seconds before continuing toward the edge of the bed.

Seeing him approach as if to get back in, Hayden was terrified. She scrambled out of the bed, taking the entire bedsheet with her and wrapping herself up tight as a burrito.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't know how I ended up here. I'll leave right now."

Hayden looked incredibly cautious. At her words, Kasper's severe expression relaxed just a fraction.

Bending down, Hayden hastily snatched up her clothes that were scattered all over the floor, balling them in her hands as she made a mad dash for the door.

Behind her, Kasper casually dropped the towel from his waist and lay down on the bed-doing so with such natural ease, as if it were his normal routine.

Clutching the sheet around her, Hayden slowly turned back, her face a portrait of utter embarrassment as she looked at him.

"Brother-in-law-"

The man on the bed had just picked up an iPad and opened the news app, not yet having time to check the headlines. Hearing her choice of title, his lowered eyelids finally lifted.

His sharp, icy gaze swept across Hayden's face, his thin lips pressing into a hard line. His jaw locked tight, and his piercing, bone-chilling stare pinned her directly to the spot.

"What did you just call me?"

The suffocating pressure rolling off him hit her like a physical blow. Hayden didn't dare meet his eyes. "It's getting late... could you please drive me home?"

He was completely unfazed, while she was already practically dying of shame.

Kasper's fingers tightened abruptly around the tablet. A fleeting, unmistakable flash of mockery darted through his deep, dark eyes before vanishing instantly. He lowered his gaze back to the screen, completely ignoring her.

Hayden stood frozen in place, drowning in awkwardness and despair. After a long moment, she muttered in a low voice, "Then... I'll just call a cab myself."

She placed her hand on the doorknob, just about to push it open and flee, when Kasper's cold, clear voice suddenly rang out, landing with absolute precision in her ears.

"Your room is next door."

"???"

Hayden was even more bewildered. Kasper had a room prepared for her here? Then what about Charity? If Hayden was in Kasper's bedroom, where was the bride-to-be right now?

Treating it as though he had simply misunderstood her meaning, she turned around stiffly, still not daring to make eye contact with him.

"I think I should go back."

They were hardly familiar with each other. Back then, her boyfriend had been Ezekiel Simmons, Kasper's cousin. She would often see Kasper when she accompanied Ezekiel home for family dinners.

Hayden remembered that Kasper had never even spared her a glance.

In their circles, Kasper Avery was a legend. As the CEO of the Avery Group, a tech titan with a background in special ops and high-level government clearances, he was the ultimate prize for every socialite. A man who possessed every conceivable advantage-background, intellect, and raw power-should have been an unapologetic playboy. Yet, he was known to be single-mindedly devoted to only one woman: Charity West.

That alone had made Hayden curious about him.

To see Kasper Avery was to ruin yourself for anyone else. It wasn't until she laid eyes on him for the first time that Hayden realized the old saying was true. She had a boyfriend, yet she had accidentally fallen in love with him at first sight-just as Kasper was preparing to marry Charity.

Kasper's long, calloused finger lightly swiped across his tablet screen. His tone was flat, yet laced with the absolute, unyielding certainty of a commander.

"You merely bumped your head and suffered a mild concussion, Hayden. Stop pretending to have amnesia."

Hayden froze.

Bumped my head? Amnesia?

Kasper didn't spare her another look. He picked up the landline on the desk and dialed downstairs.

"Come up."

Hayden stood barefoot on the plush carpet. Kasper completely ignored her existence. The atmosphere in the room was heavy, suffocating under the weight of his sheer presence.

A moment later, the door was pushed open from the outside. Mrs. Hayes stood at the threshold, her demeanor strictly respectful.

"Miss Le, please come with me."

Her heart filled with bewilderment, Hayden obediently followed her.

Mrs. Hayes didn't lead her to the adjacent master suites. Instead, she walked her to a small bedroom tucked away in the southwest corner of the sprawling villa.

"Miss Lana was just crying for you," Mrs. Hayes said briskly. "Mr. Avery has to go to the company tomorrow. Don't let Miss Lana's noise disrupt his sleep."

Having delivered her instructions, Mrs. Hayes left Hayden standing at the door and walked away.

Hayden's mind was a complete blur.

Inside the room, a tiny, soft little girl was sitting on the bed, hugging her knees and sobbing softly. Hearing the commotion, she immediately dropped her stuffed animal and stumbled forward, throwing herself at Hayden's legs.

"Mommy! Lana doesn't want to sleep alone. I'm scared."

The sweet, sticky voice carried a faint, milky scent. The little girl's features were almost a carbon copy of her own. Hayden's brain short-circuited, nearly causing her to faint on the spot.

She had a daughter?

Forcing down the urge to scream, Hayden crouched down and gathered the little girl into a full embrace.

"Lana?"

The little girl smelled wonderful, soft and warm like a freshly steamed custard bun. It made a person want to take a bite. Her little body was incredibly fragile in Hayden's arms.

Holding Lana carefully, Hayden asked, her voice trembling uncontrollably, "Lana, tell me... who is your daddy?"

Lana reached out with a chubby little hand, gently blowing on the wound on Hayden's forehead. She offered sweet, childish comfort. "Mommy, no pain, no pain~ Did Mommy forget everything? Daddy's last name is Avery. He's Kasper Avery!"

Buzz-

Hayden felt her soul leave her body.

She woke up from a sleep to find that she had not only slept with Kasper Avery, but actually had a child with him?

The next day.

Hayden woke up early and began asking Mrs. Hayes questions.

"You were carried back here yesterday. You experienced a brief coma, but the doctor said it was nothing serious. The mister had someone give you a full-body checkup, and it was just a mild concussion. The doctor didn't mention anything about amnesia. Are you sure you don't remember anything at all?"

Mrs. Hayes looked at Hayden with suspicion in her eyes, not believing a word she said.

"When did I marry Mr. Avery?"

She sat on the sofa, feeling extremely on edge. In this house, she felt she had no presence at all, let alone being married to Kasper Avery and having a child with him.

Mrs. Hayes's suspicion deepened. "Miss Le married the mister five years ago, and Miss Lana is four years old this year."

Hayden frowned slightly. What kind of joke was this?

Today was supposed to be Kasper Avery and Charity West's big wedding day, yet she had been married to Kasper for five years?

Footsteps echoed from the staircase. Kasper came downstairs, looking elegantly distinguished in a crisp white shirt, with a black suit jacket draped over his arm.

Hayden studied Kasper intently. Only then did she realize that, compared to the man from the supposed five years ago, the Kasper standing before her did indeed exude a subtle aura of a married man.

Kasper walked right past Hayden, exactly as he always did in her memories. His gaze didn't linger on her for a second longer than necessary, despite the fact that her beauty had long been renowned throughout the entire high society of the capital.

"Brother-in-law-"

She called out. Kasper's steps faltered slightly. He turned his face a fraction toward Hayden, as if just noticing her.

Mrs. Hayes peeked at Mr. Avery and, sure enough, found his face had darkened considerably. Terrified, Mrs. Hayes didn't dare make a sound.

Kasper shifted his gaze forward again, preparing to head to the dining room.

"Husband?"

At Hayden's single word, Mrs. Hayes went from being frightened to highly amused. She let out a laugh, then hurriedly covered her mouth.

Kasper looked as if he had reached the absolute limit of his patience. The lines of his face drew taut to the extreme, and the furrow between his brows locked even tighter.

Hayden's expression was incredibly unnatural. She had merely been testing the waters. Calling him 'brother-in-law' displeased him, but calling him 'husband' seemed to make Kasper's expression look even worse.

The man gritted his teeth, the muscles in his cheeks sinking deep. His cold gaze bypassed Hayden and landed squarely on Mrs. Hayes.

Mrs. Hayes instantly stiffened, dropping her hands to her sides.

"Teach her the rules again."

Kasper changed his direction. Instead of going to the dining room, he headed straight for the door and left.

Hayden lightly bit her lower lip, not understanding what he meant by "rules."

Mrs. Hayes sighed. She went upstairs for a few minutes and then came back down. In her hand was a small box.

"Miss Le, this is effective for seventy-two hours. Take it."

Hayden took one look at it, her face flushing bright red. Yesterday, before she had gone to sleep with Lana, Kasper had pressed her fiercely against the bed like a wild beast, tossing and tormenting her for several hours. Her memories of him began with their night of passion.

Mrs. Hayes was handing her a morning-after pill.

Hayden had no idea what was really going on between her and Kasper, but she picked up the pill and swallowed it down with a glass of water without hesitation.

A flicker of surprise flashed through Mrs. Hayes's eyes. In the past, whenever she gave Hayden the contraceptive pill, she always looked pained. Today, however, she took it quite readily.

Mrs. Hayes checked the time and, noticing Hayden had no intention of leaving yet, reminded her. "Madam, you should take the little miss to school now."

Hayden still wasn't used to the fact that she already had a daughter. Lana came downstairs wearing a tiny backpack, walking obediently up to her and taking her hand.

Hayden lowered her gaze to look at the little girl in front of her. She smelled sweet, was so tiny, and incredibly adorable.

"Lana... Avery?"

She softly called out Lana's name. Lana paused for a moment, then shook her head.

"Mommy got it wrong. My name isn't Lana Avery, I'm Lana Le."

Hayden frowned. Why wouldn't the daughter she had with Kasper take his last name, but instead take her surname, Le?

It was getting late, leaving her no time to overthink it. The family driver had already brought the car to the front door.

Lana sat beside her in the back seat, the little girl seemingly in very high spirits.

"Bye, Mommy. Mwah-"

Once they arrived at the school, she blew Hayden a flying kiss and obediently followed the teacher inside.

Hayden was still in a daze when the driver simply drove the car away. By the time Hayden snapped out of it, she realized she had been left all alone.

Just as she was about to call the driver, another call automatically connected on her phone.

The screen flashed with the name: Manager Brian Reynolds.