The CEO Who Never Wanted His Plus-Size Wife

Late Arrivals

Lucien’s POV

The city lights outside my office window were a blur, and I tried to focus on the report detailing the security breach in our shipping database, but every time I looked at the numbers, I just thought about the way the stew tasted in the kitchen last night. My assistant, Marcus, knocked on the glass door and walked in with another stack of files, looking as exhausted as I felt, so I signaled for him to set them on the desk.

"Sir, the IT team is still working on the logs, but they are not finding any internal entry points, so it is possible this came from an external hack," Marcus said, keeping his voice low because he knew I was already on edge.

"I need more than a possibility, Marcus, because if our shipping routes are compromised, the entire contract with the international partners is at risk," I said, rubbing the back of my neck where a headache was starting to form.

"I understand, but everyone is doing their best, so maybe you should go home and get some rest since you have been here for fifteen hours straight," he suggested, but I didn't want to go home to an empty house that felt like a museum, or worse, a place where everyone was waiting to ask me for something.

"I will finish this section and then I am leaving, so go home and tell the others to stay on alert until I get an update in the morning," I said, and Marcus nodded before walking out of the room.

I worked for another hour until the words started swimming on the page, so I finally stood up, grabbed my jacket, and walked out of the building toward my car. The drive back to the mansion usually took me forty minutes, but tonight the streets were empty and I made it in half that time, so I pulled up to the front entrance and saw that the house was mostly dark except for a dim light in the main living room.

I walked inside and expected the house to be completely silent, but as I stepped into the foyer, I saw Celeste sitting on the sofa with a glass of scotch in her hand. She was wearing a thin silk robe that was far too revealing for a casual evening, and she stood up the moment she heard my footsteps.

"You are home late, Lucien," she said, walking toward me with a slow, deliberate step while the fabric of her robe shifted as she moved.

"What are you still doing up, Celeste?" I asked, keeping my tone strictly professional because I didn't want to engage in whatever she was planning.

"Victoria said I could stay in the guest wing to help her manage the estate, and since I didn't want to go to bed alone, I thought I would wait for you to come back," she replied, and she stopped just a few inches away from me.

"That doesn't explain why you are dressed like that, so I suggest you go upstairs to your room," I said, stepping around her because I didn't like the way she was looking at me.

"Don't act like we don't have a history, Lucien, because we both know that you aren't happy in this forced marriage, so why are you pretending that you have to be miserable?" she asked, reaching out to touch the lapel of my jacket.

I pulled away from her touch and headed toward the stairs, but she followed me, her voice getting louder.

"I saw that girl you married walking through the halls earlier, and she looks completely lost, so don't you think you would be better off with someone who actually understands the life you lead?" she said, but I didn't stop walking.

"Alina is my wife, Celeste, and I will not have you talking about her that way in this house," I said, finally turning back to face her with my jaw tight.

"You can call her your wife all you want, but we both know that you didn't marry her for love, so stop acting like you are protecting her when you are really just protecting your own ego," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I am going to sleep, and I expect you to be in your guest room when I come down for breakfast, so do not let this happen again," I said, and I turned my back on her before she could say another word.

I climbed the stairs and walked past the hallway leading to the east wing where Alina was staying, and I paused for a second wondering if she was awake, but the door was shut tight. I kept walking until I reached my own bedroom, but I could still hear Celeste moving around downstairs, so I walked into my room and slammed the door shut so I wouldn't have to listen to any more of her excuses.