The CEO's Contract Bride

CHAPTER 2: MOVING INTO THE DEVIL'S HOUSE

7:00 AM.

The black car was already waiting outside my tiny apartment.

A driver in a suit stood by the door. "Miss Chen? Mr. Voss sent me to help you move."

Move. Right. Into his penthouse.

I only had 2 bags. One with clothes. One with photos of Aira. That was my whole life.

The driver took both without asking. "The hospital bill has been paid," he said casually as he loaded the bags. "Mr. Voss also arranged for your sister's private room."

My chest tightened. "How did you know?"

"Mr. Voss knows everything, Miss."

Of course he did.

The ride to Voss Tower took 20 minutes. I spent all of it staring out the window, trying not to throw up. 2 million dollars. A fake marriage. What had I done?

The car stopped at a private entrance. Not the lobby from last night. This one had marble floors and zero people.

"Penthouse is on the 60th floor," the driver said. "Mr. Voss left instructions."

The elevator needed a fingerprint. Mine.

The doors opened and I forgot how to breathe.

It wasn't a house. It was a sky.

Floor to ceiling glass on every side. White sofas. A piano I couldn't play. A kitchen bigger than my apartment. And the view... Kuala Lumpur stretched below us like diamonds.

"Mrs. Voss," a female voice said behind me.

I turned. A woman in her 40s, wearing black and white, stood there with a tablet.

"I'm Mrs. Lim, the housekeeper. Mr. Voss said you would need this."

She handed me a black card.

"This is linked to your name. Use it for anything you need. Clothes. Food. For your sister. Mr. Voss said: don't worry about the price."

I stared at the card. It felt hot in my hand.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"In a meeting. He'll be back at 8 PM. Tonight there is a gala. You will attend with him."

A gala. Me. In this.

Mrs. Lim smiled kindly. "Don't worry. A stylist is coming at 3 PM. Your room is this way."

She led me down a hallway. We passed 5 doors before stopping at one.

"This is your room. Mr. Voss's room is at the end of the hall."

My room was huge. King size bed. Walk-in closet. Bathroom with a bathtub I could swim in. And on the bed was a box.

I opened it.

Inside was a dress. Gold. Silk. It probably cost more than 6 months of my salary. There was a note.

Wear this tonight.

- D

Just D. Like we were close.

My phone buzzed. Aira.

"Kak? The nurse said my bill is paid? And I got moved to a private room? With flowers?" Her voice was confused but happy. "Who did this?"

I sank onto the bed. The silk dress crinkled.

"I did," I whispered. "I did this for you."

"But how?"

"I... got a new job, Air. A really good one."

There was a pause. "Are you okay? You sound weird."

I looked around the penthouse. At the dress. At the black card.

"I'm fine," I lied. "Just tired."

After we hung up, I sat there for a long time.

At 3 PM sharp, 3 women came in with racks of clothes and makeup.

"Mrs. Voss," the lead stylist said. "We're here to prepare you for tonight."

For the next 4 hours they poked and prodded and painted me. When they were done, I didn't recognize myself.

The gold dress fit like it was made for me. My hair was curled. My makeup was perfect. I looked expensive.

At 7:55 PM, the door to the penthouse opened.

Damian Voss walked in.

He stopped when he saw me.

For the first time since I met him, his cold mask slipped. Just for a second. Surprise. Maybe approval.

Then it was gone.

He was in a black tuxedo. He looked like he owned the world. Maybe he did.

"You look acceptable," he said.

Acceptable. After 4 hours.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

He walked to me and held out his arm. "The car is waiting. Remember the rules, Mrs. Voss. Smile. Be polite. Don't talk about the contract. And don't wander off."

I slipped my hand through his arm. His suit was cold under my fingers.

The gala was at the Grand Ballroom. 300 people. Cameras. Flashing lights.

The moment we walked in, everyone turned.

"That's Damian Voss," I heard someone whisper. "Who's that with him?"

"His wife," another voice said. "They got married in secret."

Damian's hand tightened on mine. He leaned down, his breath warm against my ear.

"Smile, Maya. You're my wife."

So I smiled.

For the next 3 hours I shook hands. I laughed at jokes I didn't understand. I pretended to be in love with a man I barely knew.

And Damian... he played his part perfectly. His arm around my waist. His eyes soft when he looked at me. Like I was the only person in the room.

It was all a lie. But God, it felt real.

At midnight, we left.

In the car, the silence was heavy.

"You did well," Damian said finally, staring out the window.

"Thank you."

"Tomorrow the press will announce our marriage. There will be questions. Interviews. Can you handle it?"

I nodded, even though I had no idea.

Damian turned to me. His grey eyes studied me in the dark.

"Why did you really sign, Maya?"

The question caught me off guard.

"For my sister," I said honestly.

"That's it?"

"That's everything."

He was quiet for a long time. Then he nodded once.

When we got back to the penthouse, he walked me to my room.

"Goodnight, Mrs. Voss."

"Goodnight, Mr. Voss."

He paused at his door. "And Maya?"

"Yes?"

"Don't open my office. Ever."

The door closed.

I stood in my gold dress, in a house that wasn't mine, married to a man I didn't know.

100 days.

But as I lay in bed that night, I couldn't stop thinking about the way he looked at me during the gala.

Like I was real.

The game had only just started.

Morning came too fast.

At 6 AM my phone was already buzzing. Not calls. News alerts.

VOSS CEO ANNOUNCES SECRET MARRIAGE

WHO IS MAYA CHEN?

THE ICE KING FINALLY MELTS

I dropped my phone.

My face was everywhere. Me in my grey cleaner uniform from 2 weeks ago. Me leaving the hospital. Even my old college photo.

How did they find all this so fast?

Mrs. Lim knocked. "Mrs. Voss, Mr. Voss wants you in the dining room. Now."

I rushed to get ready. Simple dress. No makeup. I looked nothing like the woman from last night's gala.

Damian was already at the table. Reading a tablet. Coffee in one hand.

He didn't look up when I sat down.

"Have you seen the news?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Good. Then you know what's happening." He finally looked at me. "From today, you are Maya Voss. My wife. That means paparazzi. Interviews. Events. Can you handle it?"

I nodded. My hands were shaking under the table.

"Don't lie to me," Damian said. "Can you handle it or not?"

"I... I'll try."

"Try isn't good enough." He pushed a folder to me. "This is your schedule for the next 2 weeks. Memorize it."

Inside was insane.

Monday: Charity Gala

Tuesday: Board Meeting with wives

Wednesday: Photoshoot for Voss Magazine

Thursday: Visit to Voss Hospital

I closed the folder. "I have to visit my sister."

"You can. Driver will take you. But only 30 minutes. And no telling her about the contract."

I bit my lip. "Okay."

Damian stood up. "One more thing."

"Yes?"

"Last night at the gala. You did well. But your smile looked fake."

Before I could answer, he walked out.

---

At 11 AM, the driver took me to the hospital.

Aira's new room was huge. With flowers. Balloons. And Aira herself, sitting up in bed, looking 10x better.

"KAK!" She hugged me so tight. "This room is crazy! And the doctor said my new treatment starts today!"

I smiled. For real this time. "That's good, Air."

"Who paid for this? Really?"

I hesitated. "My... new company. They have good benefits."

Aira narrowed her eyes. "You're lying."

"I'm not!"

"Then why do you look tired? And who is that man outside?"

I turned. Through the glass door stood the driver. In a suit. Watching.

"Just security," I said quickly. "Company policy."

We only got 30 minutes. When I left, Aira was still asking questions.

On the way back, my phone rang. Unknown number.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Voss?" A female voice. Sweet but fake. "This is Elise Hart. Damian's ex-fiancée. We need to talk. Coffee? 3 PM. Grand Café."

The line went dead.

My blood went cold.

Ex-fiancée.

---

I was 10 minutes early. She was already there.

Elise Hart. Blonde. Perfect dress. Perfect smile. The kind of woman that belonged on Damian's arm.

"You must be Maya," she said, sipping wine at 3 PM. "Please, sit."

I sat. "What do you want?"

"Straight to the point. I like that." She leaned forward. "Let me guess. He offered you money? A contract? 100 days?"

My heart stopped. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't." Elise laughed. "I know Damian. He did the same thing to me 2 years ago. Except mine was 200 days and 5 million."

I couldn't breathe.

"Here's the thing, Maya. Damian doesn't do love. He does business. And when he's done with you, he'll throw you away like he did me."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I liked you in the photos. You look kind." Her smile faded. "Run. While you still can."

She stood up and dropped a card on the table.

"If you need help getting out, call me."

I sat there long after she left, staring at the card.

Damian Voss. Ex-fiancée. Contract.

What had I gotten myself into?

When I got back to the penthouse at 6 PM, Damian was waiting in the living room.

"Where were you?" His voice was ice.

"I... I went to see Aira."

"For 4 hours?"

"I stopped for coffee."

Damian walked to me. He picked up my bag and dumped it on the table. My wallet fell out. And Elise's card.

He picked it up. His jaw tightened.

"Elise."

"She wanted to talk," I said fast. "About you."

Damian crumpled the card and threw it away. "And what did she say?"

"That you did this to her too."

The room went silent.

Damian stepped closer. So close I could smell his cologne.

"And do you believe her?"

I looked into his grey eyes. Cold. Empty. But was there something else there?

"I don't know," I whispered.

Damian stared at me for a long time. Then he turned away.

"Go to your room, Maya."

"What about dinner?"

"I lost my appetite."

I walked to my room, my legs shaking.

Behind me, I heard glass break.

The game had just gotten dangerous.

I didn't sleep that night.

The sound of breaking glass kept echoing in my head.

At 3 AM I heard footsteps in the hallway. Heavy. Angry. Then silence.

By morning, Mrs. Lim was acting weird. She wouldn't look me in the eye.

"Mrs. Voss, breakfast is served," she said quietly.

Damian wasn't at the table.

"Where is Mr. Voss?" I asked.

"He left early. For Singapore. Business trip. 3 days."

3 days. Alone with him gone.

I should've felt relieved. But my chest felt tight instead.

"Is he okay?" I asked.

Mrs. Lim hesitated. "Mr. Voss is always okay, Mrs. Voss."

---

Day 1 without him was hell.

My phone wouldn't stop ringing. Reporters. "How does it feel to be Mrs. Voss?" "Is the marriage real?"

I ignored them all.

At noon, I went to see Aira again. This time the driver waited in the car. No questions.

"Kak, you look awful," Aira said. "And why is there a bodyguard now?"

"He's not a bodyguard. He's a driver."

"Kak, what's going on?"

I almost told her. Almost. But the contract. The rules.

"Nothing. Just stress at work."

---

Day 2.

I was in the penthouse library trying to distract myself when I found it.

A locked drawer in Damian's desk.

I shouldn't have tried to open it. But the key was sitting right there. On top of the desk.

Inside were files.

File 1: Elise Hart. Photos. Messages. A broken engagement announcement.

File 2: Me. My bank records. My father's debt. Aira's medical history. Everything.

File 3: A little girl. 8 years old. Name: Lily Voss. Cause of death: Car accident. 10 years ago.

My hands started shaking.

Lily. The girl in the photo.

The door opened.

Damian stood there. Suitcase in hand. He'd come back early.

He saw the open drawer. Saw me. Saw the files.

For 3 seconds, nobody moved.

Then Damian dropped his suitcase and walked in slowly.

"Get out," he said. Voice low. Dangerous.

"I... I'm sorry. I wasn't--"

"GET OUT."

I ran.

I made it to my room and locked the door before I started crying. Not from fear. From guilt.

10 minutes later, there was a knock.

"Maya." Damian's voice. No anger. Just tired.

I didn't answer.

The door opened anyway. He had a key.

He looked wrecked. Tie gone. Eyes red. Like he hadn't slept in days.

"Did you read them?" he asked.

I nodded, hugging my knees.

"All of them?"

"Yes."

Damian sat on the floor, back against my door. Far from me.

"Lily was my sister," he said quietly. "She died because of me. I was driving. I was 18. Drunk."

My breath caught.

"My parents blamed me. The board blamed me. Elise left me because she couldn't handle the grief. So I built walls. I built Voss Holdings. I became the Ice King."

He laughed bitterly. "And now I'm here, making contracts with strangers to fix my image."

I wiped my tears. "Why me?"

"Because you're desperate. And desperate people don't ask questions." He paused. "And because when you looked at me last night at the gala, you didn't look scared. You looked sad. For me."

The room was quiet except for our breathing.

"I'm sorry about Lily," I whispered.

"I don't want your pity, Maya."

"Then what do you want?"

Damian looked up at me. For the first time, his mask was completely gone.

"I don't know anymore."

---

That night, something changed.

He didn't go to his room. He stayed on the couch in the living room.

I brought him a blanket. He didn't say thank you. But he didn't push it away either.

Day 3

The next morning, hell broke loose.

My phone exploded at 5 AM.

100+ messages. 50 missed calls.

Top headline: EXPOSED: THE CEO'S CONTRACT BRIDE IS A PAID ACTRESS

Below it: Photo of me in my cleaner uniform. Photo of me signing hospital papers. And a quote from "anonymous source":

"She's being paid 2 million to pretend to love him. It's all fake."

My blood turned to ice.

Elise.

It had to be her.

I ran to the living room. Damian was already there, watching TV. His face was stone.

On screen: Me. Leaving the hospital. Caption: GOLD DIGGER OR VICTIM?

"Mrs. Voss," Mrs. Lim said, voice shaking. "Reporters are outside the gate. 20 of them."

Damian didn't look at me. "Cancel all meetings today. No one leaves the penthouse."

"And what about me?" My voice cracked. "What do we do?"

He finally turned. Grey eyes cold. "We do what we agreed. We act."

"Act like what? Like I'm not being called a liar on national TV?"

"Exactly." He stood up and walked to me. "Maya, listen to me. Don't cry. Don't hide. Don't run. If you do, they win."

"I'm not--"

"Then prove it." He held out his hand. "Come with me."

---

1 hour later we were in Voss Tower. Live press conference.

Cameras. Lights. 50 reporters shouting questions.

"Is the marriage real?"

"How much did you pay her?"

"Mrs. Voss, do you love him?"

Damian walked in holding my hand. Tight. Like he meant it.

He stopped at the podium. Didn't let go of my hand.

"Good morning," he said. Voice calm. Deadly. "I'll make this quick."

The room went silent.

"Yes, Maya and I got married 3 days ago. Yes, it was fast. No, it was not for business."

He looked at me. Then back at them.

"My wife was taking care of her sick sister while working 2 jobs to pay the bills. I met her when she refused to take a tip from me because 'it wasn't charity.' That's the kind of woman she is."

A murmur went through the crowd.

"As for the money in her account. I paid her sister's medical bills. Because that's what husbands do. We take care of family."

He squeezed my hand.

"And yes, we love each other. Maybe not in the way you expect. Maybe not with flowers and poetry. But we chose each other. And that's all that matters."

He pulled me closer. Then, in front of 50 cameras, he kissed me.

Not soft. Not fake.

Real. Desperate. Like he was proving a point to the whole world.

When he pulled back, my lips were shaking.

"Any more questions?" Damian asked.

Nobody spoke.

"Good. Press conference over."

He led me out, ignoring all the shouting.

---

In the car, neither of us spoke for 10 minutes.

Finally, I whispered, "That wasn't in the contract."

"No," Damian said, staring out the window. "It wasn't."

"Why did you do it?"

He turned to me. "Because they were hurting you."

My heart stopped.

"And because I'm tired of pretending I don't care."

I looked down at our hands. He was still holding mine.

"Damian..."

"Don't," he cut me off. "Don't say anything. Not yet. We have 96 days left. Let's just... get through them."

I nodded. Tears fell anyway.

That night, back in the penthouse, everything was different.

We had dinner together. At the table. No phones.

"How's Aira?" he asked.

"She saw the news. She called me 10 times. She thinks I'm in danger."

"Tell her she's safe. Tell her... tell her I said so."

I smiled for the first time in days. "Okay."

After dinner, he went to the piano again.

This time I didn't ask. I just sat next to him.

He played. I listened.

When he finished, he didn't leave right away.

"Maya," he said quietly. "About Clause 12."

"Yes?"

"If I ask you to stay after 100 days. Not for money. Not for the contract. Just... stay. Would you?"

I looked at him. The Ice King. The broken man. The man who just defended me to the world.

"I don't know," I said truthfully. "But I want to find out."

Damian nodded. A small, real smile touched his lips.

"Then we have 96 days to figure it out."

He stood up and walked to his room.

I stayed by the piano, my heart racing.

Outside, the cameras were still flashing. The news was still talking.

But in here, in this moment, it was just us.

96 days.

The contract was still there.

But the game?

The game had become something neither of us expected.

And I was scared.

Because for the first time in my life...

I didn't want it to end.