The $1,100 Bargain: My Gorgeous Millionaire Husband

I worked as a freelance interior designer in Kingshaven, and I had just emptied years of savings to buy an old apartment in Raven Harbor that was only halfway through renovations. The day after I moved in, I went downstairs to collect a package and crossed paths with a ridiculously handsome man. He stood around 6'3", wearing a crisp black overcoat, gold-rimmed glasses, and had tanned skin. He checked every box for my ideal type. My gaze lingered on his long legs, and I was already feeling my heart race when Mary, the elderly building manager on the first floor, leaned close and whispered, "Chloe, quit staring. He lives upstairs in 7A." When she noticed I was still watching him walk away, Mary lowered her voice again. "He's the most expensive divorce lawyer in Kingshaven. I heard he bills over $1,000 an hour and only takes wealthy clients. He made his first million before he was 30. But don't waste your time. A beautiful client pulled up in a sports car a few days ago to deliver some paperwork. She tried to stand beside him, but he backed away three whole steps. He's aloof." My eyes widened. "So he doesn't get close to women? Is he single?" Mary waved me off. "Don't be silly. He lives here with his wife." I quietly gave up on the idea of introducing myself. So much for that. On the third night after I moved in, I came down with a 102°F fever. I lay under two heavy blankets, dizzy and burning up, feeling like I might black out at any moment. Then a rhythmic series of muffled thumps echoed through the ceiling. Thump. Thump. Thump. The old building's soundproofing was awful. Mixed with the sound of a bed slamming against the floor came a woman's soft, breathy moans, every bit of it carrying straight into my room. I yanked the blanket tighter around myself in frustration. I had spent the day crushing on the gorgeous guy upstairs, and by night I was stuck listening to this? It was already the third round that night. I grabbed my phone and opened the w******p group. After scrolling through the resident list, I found the emergency contact for Apartment 7A upstairs. His name was Noah Bennett. I tapped his profile picture and sent him a message. Chloe: Mr. Bennett, could you please keep the noise down? I have a high fever and really need some sleep. The reply came almost instantly. Noah: I'm working late in Nova District. I stared at the screen. My fever haze disappeared in an instant. He was still at work? Then who was upstairs having s*x? I shot upright, my instincts screaming that something huge was going on. Before I could send another message, a payment of $1,100 popped up on my phone. Another message arrived right after. Noah: Block the door for me. Don't let anyone inside get away. I accepted immediately. I had just made $1,100. Sleep could wait. I kicked off the blankets, hopped out of bed, headed for my workbench, snatched a thick marker from the pen cup, then yanked a roll of wide packing tape from the drawer. Still wearing my slippers, I hurried upstairs. The sounds leaking through the c***k beneath the door of 7A were still loud and intense. They were certainly passionate. I clicked my tongue, ripped off a length of tape, wound one end tightly around the doorknob, then fastened the other end to the solid fire railing outside the apartment. After looping it around seven or eight times, I jammed the thick marker into the space beside the doorknob to pin the tape in place as a temporary brace. The second someone inside tried to yank the door open, the tape would cinch tight. Done! I clapped the dust off my hands and stepped back a couple of feet, thrilled to have the perfect VIP spot to watch an affair get exposed. A quiet ding echoed from the elevator at the end of the hallway. The elevator doors slid apart, and the stunning man I had met earlier that day stepped out. He was still dressed in the black overcoat. His broad shoulders, long legs, and 6'3" height made the narrow old hallway feel even more cramped. The overhead light brushed across his flawless skin. His gold-rimmed glasses sat neatly on his high, straight nose, and his jawline was strikingly sharp. Every button on his coat was done up to perfection, yet he carried an irresistible tension that drew people in. His eyes traveled down the hallway and settled on the roll of tape I was still holding. I stared at him. A man this incredible was actually cheated on? I gripped the tape tighter as adrenaline flooded through me. I had earned $1,100, and I was about to watch this ridiculously handsome man catch his cheating spouse from the best seat in the house. I was so pumped that my fever didn't even bother me anymore.