The Billionaire Playboy's Hidden Twins

Jade "You're... divorcing me?" My whisper cracked, pathetic even to my own ears. I'd only been his wife for eighteen hours. A fake wife. A secret fake wife. I knew this going in. I knew it was nothing but a contract, something I'd chosen to help him with, but walking down that aisle, seeing him up there, looking dashing and genuinely happy, I'd thought— Thought what, Jade? That he might love you? Give up all those sexy women that panted after him. Give up his wicked ways and stick with you? A small town girl who'd always secretly wanted the charm of falling in love and making a home. Did you expect him to give up women like her? Tears stung my eyes at the sight of a long manicured hand stroking his jaw, lips finding any part of his exposed skin and I felt bile come up my throat. At first, the shock of it all, finding Asher with some girl in our suite had failed to register in my sleep-fogged brain. Everything had simply short circuited. But now... I didn't want to think about what they'd been up to, how he could let her cling to him like that, but the thoughts came anyway. Because that had been me just weeks ago. Damn it, hours ago. When I'd thought Asher Frost was everything, and I meant... something. "I already signed. Just add yours." I flinched at the cold bite in his voice, sharp enough to cut skin. Then the Frost in his eyes, wiping out every trace of warmth I'd drowned in last night when Asher more than held me. And then... that. My stomach hollowed out at the sight of the neatly stacked papers. I shouldn't have looked down. I shouldn't have left the safety of Asher's bed. I fisted my hands in his fluffy gown that suddenly lost all its warmth. When had he even had them drawn up? While he made love to me? While he confessed that no one had ever made him feel that alive? "Look, Jade, I miscalculated," he finally sighed, like I was the biggest burden in the universe. "This arrangement—" Arrangement... The damned word stabbed my chest. Miscalculated? I wasn't some mathematical problem to be solved. I solved my own problems, damn it! Well, except, my current one. My hand flew to my chest without thinking. It had never hurt this much before. I had never let it. Not in years. Asher had taken away that choice from me when he'd crashed into my life, and weaved his way straight into my heart. When with one kiss he'd ripped a hole right through it. And now, standing here, I had zero of my usual wits about me. My mind kept coming up blank, words drying up before I could think them. I was drowning. "This was always going to be the outcome," he said. I just stared. Always. No word had ever felt so final. He wasn't even willing to try. To love... me. The thought pinched down low in my chest, but somehow my lips managed to move. "Of course." I said steadily. It was supposed to be my moment, me displaying my badass side. Showing him I didn't care either, but my fingers trembled as I reached for the pen that felt like a sword, tipping the cup of coffee next to it and soaking the papers. And oh, I'd never wanted to believe in fate then. Take this as a sign when Asher's voice hit me. Colder. "Another copy will be sent." I froze, the truth I'd been refusing to accept hitting me. It had been an illusion. All of it. This... was the real Asher Frost. Cold. Calculated. Devastating. Frost. How ironic. "Sure," I managed, placing the pen back down and turning away. Another moment to show him that I was fine, but my legs wobbled. My hands fisted at my sides trembled. They shook while I took Asher's gown off. "So stupid," I muttered. I'd put on the damned thing with a smile, thinking of the sexiest way I'd be saying good morning to my fake husband I was in love with. Apparently, I wasn't what he'd woken up wanting. The thought pierced my chest. God, this was exactly what I'd always sworn I'd never get caught up in. I didn't know when I'd stopped being careful. "That must be the fastest divorce in the history of the universe. I thought you were smarter, Jade Turner." A smug voice spoke behind me. I froze, hand tightening on the fabric in my grip. "It turns out you are just as dumb as all of them." "Why don't you get back to him?" I snapped, the question falling out of my mouth before I could stop it. "Oh, he's left," she smiled triumphantly. He left? Just like that? I didn't know why that hurt more than having this witch in my face. Something must have shown on my face because the witch grinned. "A little advice sweetheart—" I scoffed. "From you? I don't think so. And I'm not your sweetheart." Undeterred, she opened her mouth anyway. "See Jade, a man like Asher can never be tamed. Unless by me, of course." She said proudly. "And don't beat yourself up about it. You were simply not enough. Just like the whole lot of them." I glared at her. I wasn't like them. I may have been stupid and fallen for him, become another meaningless conquest under his belt, but I was still Jade. I straightened, arms folded, and arched a brow, even though what I really wanted was out of here, out of Asher's orbit, his world. "Funny that you think that makes you powerful. I mean, I definitely don't want a man who can easily marry someone else, while I sit in the stupid apartment he purchased for me, waiting for him to come and relieve himself." That struck a nerve, surprisingly, as blazing eyes fell on my ring finger. Wait. Had she been waiting for him while he married me? While I shattered in his arms? "He didn't. You are lying," she growled, staring at the ring that had captured my heart pretty much the same way Asher had. With one glance. "Yeah, good luck being enough for him." I said. Even as the words left my mouth, it hurt like hell that I hadn't been enough. That he'd had her waiting all along. But she didn't need to know that. Just like she didn't know how much everything was breaking inside as I stepped out the door, head held high. I'd barely stepped out of the hotel when the worst flash of heat and the strongest urge to vomit washed over me, knocking the little strength I had left out of me. I fell. Right into strong arms. "Damn it Jade, are you okay?" I froze at the sound of Daniel's voice, Asher's best friend. Of all the people I could have run into. The concern in his eyes threatened the tears I'd been holding at bay to spill. It was so him. God, I'd already started seeing him as a real friend. Me, Asher's wife. Him, Asher's best friend, We'd hit it off right from the start. Which, embarrassingly, had only been eighteen hours ago. Despite the secrecy, Asher had wanted his best friend there. It had only added to my stupidity, making me think it was more than what it was. And now I was losing him too. And Elaine... My best friend. My world spun. God, I hadn't even thought of that. Asher was her family now. The brother she never had. I'd seen them together. How she lit up when he was around. I stole glances at him during those moments, falling in love with him a little more when he made her laugh. I couldn't ask her to choose. And I couldn't stay... "I'm okay. Didn't see you there." I detangled myself, the gravity of the fallout hitting me. I'd be alone again. "Are you sure—" "Definitely. See you." I stepped away quickly, thankful that that wave had passed. Because if Daniel thought I was sick, there was no way he'd let me walk away without letting Asher know. And if Asher refused to care, that would simply break me. Hailing a cab and slipping inside the moment it stopped, I breathed a sigh of relief just for a bloody second before I hurled everything from my stomach. And now I wasn't only dealing with a broken heart, but embarrassment too. "I'm sorry... I'll pay extra for that," I whispered, as the tears finally broke free. Damn it. I'd promised myself I'd never fall like this again.