The CEO's Contractual Wife

Chapter 3

Olivia

My fist throbbed from connecting with the guy’s head, but it hadn’t done enough. Emilia whimpered as he yanked her hair harder, forcing her head back at an unnatural angle.

“Let her go, you piece of shit!” I hissed, fear and fury colliding in my chest.

“Or what?” He laughed, his breath reeking of whiskey. “You gonna hit me with your little purse again?”

The other men from the car were climbing out now, their movements predatory as they circled around us. The driver, with his gold tooth catching the dim streetlight, stepped toward me.

“C’mon baby, we just wanna have some fun.” His eyes never left my chest. “You’re dressed like you want attention. We’re just giving you what you want.”

“I want you to let my friend go and fuck off back to whatever sewer you crawled out of,” I spat, backing away until I felt a tree behind me.

“Ooh, she’s got a mouth on her too,” said another shorter but broad-shouldered guy wearing a baseball cap. “I like that. Makes it more fun when they fight a little.”

The driver reached for me, his fingers grazing my arm. I slapped his hand away.

“Don’t touch me!”

“Playing hard to get?” He moved closer, pinning me against the tree. “That’s cute.”

Emilia was still struggling against Tribal Tattoo’s grip. “Liv, run! Just run!”

“I’m not leaving you,” I said, looking desperately around for anything I could use as a weapon.

The driver pressed his body against mine; one hand braced on the tree beside my head. “Your friend’s not going any- where, and neither are you.” His other hand reached for my breast. “Let’s see if these feel as good as they look.”

I brought my knee up hard, aiming for his groin, but he twisted away at the last second. My knee glanced off his thigh.

“Feisty bitch!” He grabbed my wrist, squeezing until I gasped in pain.

Headlights suddenly illuminated the scene as another car screeched to a halt beside us. The engine cut off, and the driver’s door opened.

a problem here?” A

from the shadows into the spill of a distant streetlight. Broad-shouldered and imposing

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expensive suit, he moved with

Tooth snarled, but I noticed he’d loosened

closer, and I caught my breath. Even in the dim light, I recognized him immediately. Alexan- der Carter. My boss’s boss’s boss. The CEO of Carter Enterprises, where I’d been

telling you to leave them alone,” he said, his

are you gonna do about it? There’s four of

way: I’m sure they’d be in- terested to know about four drunk men assaulting two women on a

Emilia’s hair, shoving her forward. “Whatever, man. These bitches ain’t worth

I caught her, pulling

“You okay?” I whispered.

scalp. “Bastard nearly

a step toward Carter, puffing out his chest. “You think you’re some kind of hero?

who doesn’t want to see two women harassed by drunken

punch. Instead, he spat on the ground

go,” he muttered to his friends. “These

their convertible, engine roaring to life. Gold

turned to us. “Are

even more intimidating than he was at company events. Tall, with sharp features and piercing gray eyes, he had the kind of face that belonged in business magazines, where it often appeared. Despite the late hour, his dark hair was neatly styled, not a strand out of

I managed, suddenly conscious of my appearance: disheveled hair, makeup probably smeared from crying earlier,

“Do you

briefly dropping to my chest before snapping back to

canceled,” Emilia said, still rubbing her scalp. “And my boyfriend’s not

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Chapter 3

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gestured to his car, a sleek black car. “I’m happy to drive you