Mr. Chairman’s Devious Wife by Brey Mitchylle

A Marriage of Convenience

Sofia’s lips trembled before she clasped the pictures in her hand.

The menu before her seemed to blur, the words dancing on the paper like elusive shadows. The soft hum of conversation inside the hushed ambiance of the Japanese restaurant enveloped Sofia like a cocoon. For a few minutes, the room felt almost suffocating.

“Where did you get these?” she asked, her gaze landing once again on the images of her boyfriend and elder sister together on the balcony of a hotel, kissing each other. A part of her was certain these were photoshopped.

After all, her sister Charlotte Lockhart had been very good to her, supporting her in everything. Why would she betray her trust? Moreover, Sofia’s boyfriend Daniel Beaumont had been with her for four years. Why would he suddenly betray the trust she gave him? This didn’t make sense.

“You can check the dates, time, and location behind each photo,” the man across from her answered. She quickly turned the photos around, and just like he said, the information she was looking for was indeed scribbled behind each image.

“Mr. Beaumont, you must understand that this information is…” Her lips trembled as her gaze landed on Mr. Alexander Beaumont, Daniel’s older brother and the current CEO of Beaumont Empire. “Too much to handle.”

She felt a tightness in her throat and a drumming in her temples.

“Having doubts despite all the evidence is normal,” Alexander’s lips quirked up as he mused. “I would understand it if you have the photos checked for authenticity.” Amusement flashed in his dark brown eyes.

She nodded. Again, her eyes landed on the photos. Without saying another word, she placed the photos back in the brown envelope and carefully stowed them inside her bag.

“Then may I know what Mr. Beaumont wants?” Sofia said. This made her confused as she had actually only met Mr. Beaumont once, and that was during a Christmas dinner two years ago. Despite being Daniel’s older brother, Alexander Beaumont buried himself in work. This man had been a well-known workaholic who missed his younger brother’s birthday for four consecutive years. Yet, out of nowhere, he would suddenly meet her. Why? Was it simply because he wanted to tell her about the photos?

handed another folder to Sofia. She opened it without asking questions.

almost immediately, her expression changed. “M— Marriage of Convenience?” She almost could not believe what she was reading. Mr. Beaumont wanted to marry

“Read the rest…”

the entire document until she finally reached the last part that informed

she uttered as her heart raced against her chest. What was this

“Cheating brother,” he added.

still a high chance that Mr. Beaumont was lying and that the images

like a black card her way. She stared

“What is this?”

Mr. Beaumont arranged for you, Miss Lockhart, to confirm the matters with your own eyes. This is the flight that Mr. Beaumont arranged for Miss Lockhart, as well as the accommodation and transportation. You will be checking into the same hotel as Mr. Daniel and Miss Charlotte

was currently not in Springfield; he was at a conference in LA. Meanwhile, Charlotte should be somewhere in Texas, wrapping up her taping for

got up. “If you want to change a few things in the contract, please feel free to call my

placed another card on the table between them and then

his first step away. Mr. Beaumont could marry anyone. Literally, anyone. Yet, he would suddenly choose to propose a marriage of convenience to his younger brother’s

and without an iota of emotion on his face,

he turned around and left

not seem to think straight. The next thing Sofia knew, she

already the dead of night when she arrived at Long Beach Airport. With just her bag, she quickly boarded the transportation that Mr. Beaumont set up for her. At this point, Sofia did not even know what she was doing a thousand miles away from home. A part of her wanted to know the truth. She knew the truth would devastate