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.”

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

I do that? Help you expand to England, I mean. Being direct competitors and all, I have no interest in adding to

distributing of it. I also happen to know that your company’s packaging sector

met my father.”

by me.” There was a smile on Gabriel’s lips that wasn’t genuine at all, ‘He

did not

he did. You see, you wouldn’t know since he stopped talking to you when you blackmailed him out of his

no offer. You’ve

my boss said because I broke 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

chest.

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out a glass of water for me that I took from him while still

finally caught my breath,

said please, but there

saying, 1 looked up to Gabriel, as dill the rest of the table. He was standing. He stood up. I’ hadn’t seen that. Why

I looked to my side where my boss was, and noticed his hand was softly behind my back. Barely touching. Just grazing. But it was

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

an eyebrow and I immediately shrugged

It isn’t Ms. Baker, it’s Mrs. Whitlock

ever heard my name being said along with his like

walked

up, voice nothing more than a

“As:

over. I’m sure you don’t mind me taking her

my husband looked at Peter. “Collect all her stuff and

called, a little louder. He didn’t answer. He held my hand, firm, and he began walking out, leaving me no choice but to trail