THE ENEMY’S BRIDE

Chapter 10

Katherine’s POV

I was so shocked by his words. What does he mean he needs me? What is wrong with this dude?

Before I could even process it, he pulled me into him, crashing his lips against mine. The kiss was harsh, yet somehow calm—like he was trying to pour all the stress of the day into that one moment.

He bit down gently on my bottom lip, pulling a groan from me as my mouth parted slightly. His tongue slipped inside, exploring every corner like he was desperate to memorize me.

“Kiss me,” he begged into the kiss, voice strained and low. I groaned, shaking my head.

“Please, Katherine… I need you,” he said again, and something inside me cracked.

Despite how hard I tried to resist, I couldn’t hold back anymore. I kissed him back. Our lips moved in sync, molding perfectly together like they were always meant to.

For a second, my ex-husband’s face flashed through my mind—how he used to touch me, the way he made love to me. But I quickly shoved that memory away. He was a selfish, evil man. One I needed to destroy.

And Andrew… Andrew was going to help me do just that.

The kiss was getting too heated, and Andrew’s hands began trailing along my waist, his touch sending shivers through me. Just when I was starting to melt into him, my stomach betrayed me—growling loudly.

I pulled away instantly, causing his lips to smack softly back against his face.

“Uhm…” I stuttered, cheeks burning with embarrassment.

He looked at me with a straight face, but then his lips curved into a smile.

“Come with me. I made dinner,” he said, gently grabbing my hand.

I followed him downstairs, still too flustered to speak. His messy hair, the way it framed his face—it only made him look hotter.

“Stop staring, darling,” he chuckled, catching me in the act.

As we reached the bottom of the stairs, I froze in place. The dining table was covered in food. Different dishes, all set out neatly, waiting for me.

“What’s all this, Andrew?” I asked, unable to hide the big smile forming on my face as I walked toward the table.

“Well,” he began with a soft grin, “since those people ruined your dinner, I decided to make up for their mistakes.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, moved by the gesture. Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly.

It took me a second to realize what I was doing—but by then, I didn’t want to let go.

I immediately pulled away, coughing a little as I tried to hide how flustered I felt.

“I know we’re in a fake marriage,” he said, giving me a small smirk, “but we don’t have to be serious about it all the time.”

His voice was casual, almost teasing—but something about the way he said it made me squirm a little inside. I didn’t know if he was joking or testing the waters.

Feeling awkward, I quickly sat down and dug into the food, using it as a distraction. I didn’t want to think too hard about whatever that moment was—or what it might mean.

At least the food was amazing.

We were both eating quietly when I realized something—I knew absolutely nothing about Andrew.

“Uhm,” I started, glancing up at him. His eyes met mine, and I almost forgot what I wanted to say. They were so damn beautiful.

He raised an eyebrow, waiting.

“Well… we didn’t really introduce ourselves properly,” I said, trying not to sound awkward. He chuckled lightly at that.

“I see little Mrs. Montell is suddenly interested in knowing her husband,” he teased, making me pause.

“Montell?” I repeated, tilting my head.

He sneered a little, amused. “Montell is my surname. Andrew Montell.”

I nodded slowly, processing it—and then the blush hit me the moment I realized he had just called me by his last name. Mrs. Montell. My cheeks were definitely red now.

Calm down, Katherine. This is just a contract. A fake marriage. Pretend, remember?

“So,” he said, leaning back in his chair with a lazy grin, “what do you want to know about me?”

I looked at him, hesitant for a second. But the question had been bugging me for a while.

“Oh, uhm… why didn’t you just marry the girl your parents wanted you to marry?” I asked quietly. “Why me?”

I was genuinely curious. Out of all the women in the world… why choose me?

“Technically, we aren’t married,” he reminded me, dragging me back to the bitter truth—I was living a fake life. I nodded slowly.

“Well, it’s because I hate them and don’t give a s**t what they want,” he added casually, making me wonder what kind of family dynamic he really had.

“Why?” I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.

“I think you’re pushing it a bit too far now,” he snapped, his tone turning slightly irritated.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered, quickly falling silent, even though I wanted to ask more. So many questions burned in my head—especially why he was driving so fast that day he hit me with his bike.

Suddenly, a loud noise echoed through the house, making Andrew immediately tense up. He stood from his chair so fast it scraped the floor.

“What was that?” I asked, already feeling my heart speed up.

Then, another sound—louder this time. It sounded like a gunshot.

“What’s going on?” I asked again, my voice shaking.

“Go upstairs. Now.” Andrew’s voice was sharp, commanding.

Without another word, I turned and bolted upstairs, rushing into my room and locking the door behind me. My hands were trembling as I leaned against the door, listening closely for any more sounds from below.

What was going on? I walked towards my window peeking from it as I could see the outside of the house, but it was dark and I couldn't see anything well. I walked towards my bed and started feeling dizzy a little before I could process what was happening I fell to the bed everywhere turned dark.