His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 23

1 had never heard a silence that was so loud. It was weighing down on my shoulders when we settled on the long wooden table. Gabriel on one side along with Peter and a girl I didn’t recognise, and me, Alyssa and our boss on the other.

I half expected my husband to make a scene, to scream, shout of at least acknowledge me, but instead he say quietly on the other side, his eyes focused on just me, his gaze so sharp I was afraid to even look at him.

I kept my vision and all focus on the file in front of me while a conversation spun.

“This came as quite a surprise to us. It was Viktor, my boss, who was speaking. “We heard rumours about your expansion to Europe. I wasn’t too sure if the news is true, but I guess it is.”

“It is. Gabriel replied.

Look up. Look up. He didn’t ask you where you were working, so you didn’t tell. You didn’t make a mistake. You’re not guilty.

I looked up.

His eyes were still on me, eyes narrowed when I looked at him, making me regret looking up.

Wales was the biggest competitor of Whitlock. I wondered why I was on a table with the CEO of them both.

Gabriel finally looked at Viktor. “I fired Arthur Geller two weeks ago.”

I stiffened. My boss raised an eyebrow. “I heard a word or two about that. So it’s true?”

Gabriel nodded. “One of his companies”

Viktor cut him off. He has a packaging and distributing base in England. So do I. Let me guess, since you’ve fired Arthur, you want me to package for you.”

that for Crystal. I want you to do it exclusively for

England, I mean. Being direct

the packing and distributing of it. I

father.” Viktor’s voice was

was a smile on Gabriel’s lips that wasn’t genuine

not say

he did. You see, you wouldn’t know since he stopped talking to you when you blackmailed him out of his own company, leaving only it’s packaging part

is no offer. You’ve come here to

into hysterical coughs. It started out as an irritation in my throat, and as I coughed once, I couldn’t really stop. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it was irritation that

chest.

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held out a glass of water for me that I took from him while still coughing, and it was only when I’d had more than half of the

caught my breath, eyes filled with water. “I

but there was no request in his

saying, 1 looked up to Gabriel, as dill the rest of the table. He was standing. He stood

was softly behind my back. Barely touching.

take your hand off my wife.” He repeated, emphasising on each

Viktor raised an eyebrow and I immediately shrugged his

Ms. Baker, it’s Mrs.

along with his like this, and that too

jacket over his crisp white shirt, he walked

voice nothing more than

“As:

my wife is sick and your working hours are over. I’m sure you don’t mind me taking her home with me, do you?

my husband looked at Peter. “Collect all

He didn’t answer. He held my hand, firm, and he began walking