The CEO’s Pretend Bride

⸻ Chapter One: My Biggest Mistake I thought I knew what betrayal felt like. A lie. A missed call. A late reply. But nothing prepared me for the sight of my boyfriend in our bed—with someone else. The sound of her laughter was the first thing I heard when I walked into the apartment. It was soft, breathy, almost like mine. But it wasn’t me. Then I saw her. Tangled in the sheets I’d washed just two days ago. Her bare leg thrown across his. And him—Liú Zékǎi. The man I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with. Looking up at me, eyes wide, mouth open, like he couldn’t believe I existed. I stood frozen. My purse slipped from my shoulder and hit the floor with a soft thud, followed by the two concert tickets I’d bought for us. Front row. His favorite band. Our anniversary. “Qīngxī,” he said, scrambling out of bed, the sheet barely covering him. “I—this isn’t—” “Don’t,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “Just don’t.” The girl in the bed smirked. She didn’t even try to hide. “You’re home early,” she said like I was the one intruding. My hands were trembling, but I clenched them into fists. “How long?” Zékǎi looked down. “It just happened. I—” “How long?” I repeated, sharper this time. “Six months,” the girl answered for him. “Give or take.” I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream. I just walked out, numb. ⸻ I didn’t remember walking into the bar. Only the heat in my chest, the blur of lights, the tightness in my throat. The weight of betrayal sitting heavy in my gut like a stone. “One whiskey. Neat,” I told the bartender, sliding into a high stool. My heart hurt. Not in the poetic way people describe heartbreak—but in the real, physical way. Like someone had reached in and twisted it until it bruised. I didn’t want to talk. I didn’t want to think. I just wanted to feel nothing. That’s when I heard his voice. “Whiskey. The heartbreak drink.” I turned, and there he was. Dark suit. Crisp white shirt. Broad shoulders. Jawline sharp enough to cut through every wall I’d spent the last few hours building. He looked expensive. Powerful. The kind of man who didn’t ask for permission—only obedience. I should’ve ignored him. “I guess it shows,” I said quietly. He gave a slow nod. “The look in your eyes. The drink. The silence. You’ve been betrayed.” I laughed bitterly. “Wow. A mind reader.” “No. Just someone who’s been there.” I looked at him again. His face gave nothing away. But his voice—calm, deep, cool like the sea before a storm—had a strange kind of comfort in it. We didn’t exchange names. We just talked. And drank. And talked some more. He didn’t ask for details, but I gave them anyway. Told him how I gave my everything to someone who didn’t think I was enough. How I walked in on him with another woman on our anniversary. How pathetic I felt. He didn’t flinch. Didn’t offer pity. Just listened. And when I started crying, he passed me his handkerchief and said, “He’s an idiot.” That’s when I kissed him. It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t smart. It was messy, impulsive, stupid—and the most honest thing I’d done all night. He kissed me back. And somewhere between drink two and his hotel penthouse, I stopped thinking altogether. ⸻ The next morning, I woke up with a pounding headache and a pit in my stomach. Silk sheets. Cold air. City view. And no sign of him. Only a single note on the pillow: Sleep well. – Z. I stared at it like it held answers. Then I ran. ⸻ Monday morning came too fast. I threw on a blazer, brushed away the tired circles under my eyes, and walked into WúTech’s lobby like nothing had happened. Just another day. Another meeting. Another file to submit. “Emergency company meeting in Conference Room A,” someone said as I swiped my badge. I walked in with my notepad in hand—and stopped cold. There he was. Standing at the head of the table, looking every bit the ruthless CEO I’d only read about in internal press releases. The man I’d slept with. The stranger from the bar. The note-writer with the velvet voice. He met my eyes for a fraction of a second—then looked away like he didn’t know me at all. “Good morning,” he said to the room, voice as calm and steady as it was the night before. “I’m Wú Zǐhán. Effective today, I’ll be taking over as CEO.” My legs nearly gave out. ⸻ I avoided him like the plague for the rest of the day. Buried myself in data entry, updates, reports—anything to forget how humiliating this was. He probably thought I was just some heartbroken girl who threw herself at him. A mistake. A one-night stand. And honestly, maybe I was. Until his voice found me again. “Miss Zhōu. My office. Now.” My heart stopped. ⸻ The door clicked shut behind me as I stepped into the sleek, high-rise office that reeked of money and control. He stood near the window, hands in his pockets, facing the skyline. I kept my voice professional. “Sir, I assure you what happened—” He turned, cutting me off with a single look. “I’m not here to reprimand you.” I blinked. “Then why—?” “You didn’t know who I was,” he said. “That night.” “No. I didn’t.” He studied me. “Good. That’s why I didn’t stop you.” Silence stretched between us like wire. Thin. Sharp. Ready to snap. “I can ask for a transfer,” I said. “Or resign, if that’s what you want.” He frowned. “You’d resign over one mistake?” “Wouldn’t you?” His lips twitched. Almost a smile. “Depends on the mistake.” I stared at him. “Do you regret it?” “No,” he said without missing a beat. “Do you?” I hesitated. “No,” I whispered. ⸻ As I left his office, my head was spinning. I came here to start over. To build a career, a future. Not to end up entangled with a man like him. A powerful, cold CEO who somehow saw right through me. Who touched me like he owned me. Who I couldn’t stop thinking about. And somehow, I knew… This wasn’t the end of the story. It was just the beginning. Of the lie. Of the deal. Of the fake marriage that would change everything.