I woke to the sound of voices.
Not loud—controlled, deliberate—but sharp enough to pull me out of sleep.
I sat up in bed, heart pounding.
The penthouse was supposed to be silent in the mornings.
I slipped out of bed and cracked my door open.
"…you had no right to bring her into this," a woman's voice said.
Vivian.
My stomach tightened.
"She is my wife," Alexander replied coolly. "That gives her every right."
"Your wife?" Vivian laughed softly. "You don't marry someone like her unless you're trying to prove something."
I leaned against the wall, my chest tight.
"This conversation is over," Alexander said.
"Is it?" Vivian pressed. "Because last night you looked exactly like you used to—protective, possessive. You don't fake that well, Alexander."
Silence.
Then footsteps.
I retreated quickly, my heart racing, just as my door opened.
Alexander stood there, his expression unreadable.
"You shouldn't be listening," he said.
"I shouldn't be hearing her in my house," I shot back.
"Our house," he corrected automatically.
Vivian appeared behind him, her gaze sweeping over me from head to toe.
"So this is her in the morning," she said lightly. "Less impressive."
I stiffened.
"Vivian," Alexander warned.
She smiled at him. "Relax. I just wanted to meet the woman who replaced me."
"I didn't replace you," I said quietly. "I didn't know you."
Her eyes flicked to mine. Sharp. Assessing. Then she laughed.
"Of course you didn't," she said. "That makes it easier."
"For whom?" I asked.
"For him," she replied, nodding toward Alexander. "He likes things uncomplicated."
Alexander stepped between us. "That's enough."
Vivian raised her hands mockingly. "Fine. I'll leave. But don't pretend this marriage isn't fragile."
She leaned closer to me, lowering her voice.
"When he's done using you, he'll discard you too."
My breath hitched.
Alexander's voice turned cold. "Get out."
Vivian straightened, her smile gone. "I'll see you soon," she said to him. "You always come back."
She walked out, heels clicking against the marble floor.
The door slammed.
Silence followed.
I exhaled shakily. "She hates me."
"She hates losing," Alexander replied.
"And you?" I asked. "Do you hate me too?"
His eyes flicked to mine. "No."
The word came faster than I expected.
"Then why does she think you're using me?"
He looked away.
"This marriage is convenient," he said carefully. "For both of us."
I nodded, though something in my chest twisted painfully.
"I didn't ask for feelings," I said. "But I won't be treated like disposable."
His gaze snapped back to mine.
"You're not," he said firmly. "As long as you're my wife, no one touches you."
Something in his tone made my pulse jump.
"That sounds possessive," I said.
"It's protective," he corrected.
"Same thing," I whispered.
He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "Don't let her get into your head."
"She already did."
His jaw tightened.
"She doesn't know you," he said. "And she doesn't own me."
I looked up at him, searching his face.
"Then tell her," I said softly.
He didn't answer.
Instead, his phone buzzed.
A message preview flashed on the screen.
**Vivian:** *You can't keep lying to yourself forever.*
Alexander's grip tightened around the phone.
I watched his expression harden.
And in that moment, I realized something terrifying.
Our marriage might be a contract to him—
But to Vivian, it was a challenge.