The CEO's Secret Bride Goes Viral Again

Chapter 2: Looking for Another Woman

The cool summer breeze cut through the misty morning, adding a touch of mystique to the radiant sunrise.

The alarm on the nightstand shattered the stillness of the bedroom. Celia reached out to turn it off, but before her fingers could touch the cold object, a warm hand enveloped hers.

The man beside her wasn’t fully awake, his husky morning voice thick with a gravelly, seductive timbre. "Don’t move, just sleep a little longer."

Celia felt the arm around her waist tighten, holding her in place. She was immobilized.

She had just closed her eyes for a second when her mind snapped into full awareness.

Did she… sleep with him?

Did she go out drinking last night? Why couldn’t she remember anything? Was she in a hotel or at home? Great. After two years of a marriage in name only, she was about to lose everything and be labeled a "cheating divorcée." Could life get any worse?

But there was no avoiding it. She had to face reality. Struggling to sit up, she looked over at the man beside her. Seeing his face, she instantly relaxed, her tone becoming lighter. "Thank God, it’s you."

She still hadn’t fully adjusted to Jasper’s return to the country.

The man, who had been lying with his eyes closed, opened them immediately upon hearing her first words, his sleepy eyes holding a trace of danger. "If not me, then who?"

Celia awkwardly laughed, pretending not to understand.

Jasper's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he flipped over, pinning her beneath him. His warm, deep kisses began trailing down her neck.

"No," Celia grabbed a handful of his hair, pushing his head aside. Under his clearly impatient gaze, she mumbled, "I have a press conference to attend. I can't be late."

"I canceled it for you," Jasper replied, continuing his descent, drawn to the sweet, honey-rose scent of her skin. His voice grew even more hoarse. "No one dares say anything bad about Mrs. Lawrence."

Celia bit down on her lower lip, her lips as red as ripe cherries. "No, I’m still sore."

She vividly remembered Jasper’s intense behavior from last night. He had treated her like a puppet, turning her every which way, and then in the shower… She had been so breathless she had angrily asked, "Couldn't you have found another woman during those two years?"

His response had been to go even harder.

Hearing her now, Jasper finally stopped. Before heading into the bathroom, he gave her waist a playful pinch.

Celia lay in bed for a while, spacing out, before grabbing her phone to begin her daily prayers.

Kneeling in the center of the bed, she made a sincere wish: "Please, let me get rejected today."

Meanwhile, her friend Lily, who had just woken up, was finishing her own prayer: "Please let me become a billionaire, so I never have to draw another design again."

Online, the new film *Where Am I* was everywhere. The film had a stellar team, and even though Celia had a minor role as the third female lead, her styling was still impeccable.

Lily had saved a couple of stills of hers and sent them over, buzzing with excitement: *"Girl, it would’ve been enough for you to just be passably pretty! What are you trying to do, being this drop-dead gorgeous?"*

Celia grinned at her phone screen.

Lily's messages kept coming, and the last one read: *"So, is your husband’s kiss sweeter than mine?"*

Jasper came out of the bathroom just then, catching sight of Celia with her shoulder strap sliding down her chest, every inch of her skin marked by his love bites.

She was chatting with someone, her eyes sparkling.

He walked to the edge of the bed and softly said, "Today…"

Celia was startled by the sudden voice, her waist tensing, causing her phone to flip out of her hand and land on the bed.

She and Lily’s somewhat inappropriate conversation was now fully exposed.

Because of how quickly she moved, Jasper only caught a glimpse of the last message. He knelt on one knee on the bed, leaning forward with a mischievous smile. "Is my kiss sweet?"

Celia immediately covered her mouth, her eyes wide and sparkling with innocence.

Jasper chuckled, standing up and casually saying, "You didn’t brush your teeth. I’m not kissing you."

A pillow flew toward him instantly.

Celia, her chest tight with frustration, yelled, "I hate you the most!"

"Really?" Jasper bent down and picked up a human-shaped pillow from the floor, pointing to the face that looked exactly like his. He raised an eyebrow. "Then what’s this?"

Celia’s face flushed red as she stammered, "Don’t misunderstand! It’s from Lily… It’s just really comfortable to hug at night."

That was the only reason she hadn’t thrown it out. It absolutely had nothing to do with missing him!

Jasper nodded, "Hmm, don’t hug it anymore. Hug me instead."

Another pillow came flying at him.

Mrs. Lawrence's temper was getting sharper.

"Alright, get up. We’re going back to the family estate for dinner tonight."

Celia nearly tripped as she got out of bed.

She knew she couldn’t escape this. The Lawrence family was wealthy and powerful, and Jasper was their only legitimate son. After being away for over two years, it was a miracle they hadn’t thrown a hundred-table feast to celebrate his return.

But going back meant she wouldn’t be able to avoid the usual topic: when would they have a baby? It was driving her crazy.

Before, she could use the excuse that Jasper was abroad, and there was no way for her to have a baby alone. The family had even hinted, not so subtly, that she should quit acting and join Jasper overseas. But each time, she had managed to dodge the subject.

Now that he was back, if he agreed with the family, she had no idea what to do.

Celia moved sluggishly. After washing up and stepping out of the bathroom, she was surprised to see Jasper still sitting on the sofa. Picking up the outfit Lily had prepared for her yesterday, she hesitated for a moment and asked, "Jasper, what if your mom pressures us to have a baby today?"

Jasper looked up and asked in return, "Do you want to?"

"Huh?" Celia hadn’t expected him to ask her opinion. She licked her lips, uncertain. "My career is just taking off, and I’m not exactly at the ideal age for that…"

Jasper cut her off, asking directly, "Celia, just tell me whether you want to or not."

Celia closed her eyes briefly before blurting out, "I don’t."

"Then we won’t." Jasper replied swiftly, his voice gentle. "Just remember, no one can force you to change your mind."

Not even him.

Because he respected her completely.

It was getting late. There was a meeting at his company at 9:30, but Jasper didn’t rush her. Glancing at his watch, he asked in a low voice, "Do you want me to drop you off later?"

Remembering his fleet of cars, Celia quickly shook her head. After applying her lipstick, she replied, "No need. Lily’s picking me up soon."

Lily, who sometimes doubled as her stylist, also acted as her agent on occasion. After all, Celia was barely more than a low-tier celebrity and wasn’t given much attention by her agency.

Jasper nodded, walking over to her. He purposely smeared her lipstick slightly with his thumb before striding out. "Alright, I’ll pick you up later."

The villa was large, and both the architecture and interior design exuded elegance.

Its prime location made it a place where not even money could guarantee a purchase.

A sleek black Rolls-Royce was parked in the driveway, its black exterior blending in. But the flashy license plate was hard to ignore. Even in this city, no one dared stop that car.

As soon as Jasper got into the car, his assistant handed him several scripts, respectfully saying, "Mr. Lawrence, these are the ones you requested."

Jasper flipped through them and replied, "Hmm, find a way to get them to her without her noticing."

He knew Celia hated any help from family, including himself, in her career. But the entertainment industry was cutthroat. Making it without any backing was nearly impossible.

If it were up to him, he’d keep her at home, where only he could admire her beauty. But letting her face the world’s scrutiny? That was a hard pill to swallow.

So, his efforts were merely to ease her path, to ensure she suffered less.

Once this matter was handled, the assistant continued, "Mrs. Lawrence is attending the press conference for *Where Am I* today. Originally, she was cast as the second female lead, but a new backer pushed for Vivi Mills to take her role. During filming, Vivi also frequently annoyed Mrs. Lawrence."

"However, Mrs. Lawrence, being the graceful lady that she is, didn’t cause a scene and chose to endure it…" The assistant’s voice trailed off.

Jasper raised his eyelids, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "Really?"

He knew Celia too well. She might appear as meek as a little quail on the outside, but inside, she was bold to the core. Whenever she pulled a prank, it was always one to remember.

The assistant felt sweat gathering on his forehead. Celia had once caught their team spying on her and had scorned their "paparazzi-like surveillance." She had explicitly ordered them to never report her actions to Jasper in full detail.

Sometimes, she even bribed or threatened them into making her look better.

For instance, if she was caught gambling with dice in one hand and halfway through a bottle of Martell in the other, they were to report it as her "practicing mindfulness through tea and floral arrangements."

But today, he had no choice but to admit, "Mrs. Lawrence may have had a few people bag Vivi with a sack in the middle of the night as a small warning."

This incident had left Vivi traumatized, and now she refused to be alone without four or five bodyguards.

The scandal even hit the gossip sites, with netizens criticizing her for being "a diva with too much attitude."

After all, even top-tier actresses didn’t demand such excessive security.

Jasper chuckled. Exactly what he expected.

A classic move. Celia had once failed a math test and wanted to kidnap the teacher in retaliation. Back then, other kids had egged her on, and they had seriously planned to go through with it until Jasper intervened.

It seemed that in the two years he had been abroad, she had lost all fear.

As they neared the company, Jasper’s mother called. Her tone was still pleasant at first: "Jasper, don’t forget to bring Celia home for dinner tonight."

But when he brushed over the main topic, Mrs. Lawrence became irritated. "Celia may still be young, but you’re 27. Don’t you want to have a child? There were so many suitable girls back then, but you insisted on marrying her."

"We didn’t object then, but now that everyone around us has grandkids, we just want the same. Is that so hard?"

Jasper rubbed his temples and replied, "Mom, we’ll talk about it tonight."