His for a year. - Chapter 16: Chapter 16

I was surprised he let me use his driver and the car we came in. I thought he'd ask Ray to come drive me as per the contract. He's actually being kind, I liked it.
I pulled out my phone immediately I sat in the owner's corner and called Aliyah.
“Hey Olive.” She picked immediately, her voice happier than usual.
“Are you at home?” I asked.
“Which of the homes? The one your billionaire husband moved us into or the one your parents left us in?”
I chuckled. “Common now, where are you?”
“I'm at the billionaire house. Why?” She laughed.
“Nothing. Just wanted to check on you.” I said, trying not to give away my surprise visit.
“Okay then. Take care and tell me whenever anything goes wrong okay?"
“Yeah. I will “ I hung up, knowing very well that I won't do that.
We pulled up in front of the gate, the driver honked but got no response. I had turned down the offer to hire gatemen or housekeeping services. I wanted Aliyah to have a normal life as usual so she doesn't get used to it and it vanishes suddenly.
I stepped out and politely asked the driver to wait for me.
I typed in the password to the gate and entered. When I got to the front door, I rang the doorbell but no response either. I quickly typed in the pass code and opened the door, only to be greeted with loud music. It was amazing how great the soundproof system worked in here.
No wonder she couldn't hear me.
I dropped my purse on the sofa, still admiring the structure and design of the house, then I heard laughter in the kitchen.
I paused.
What's going on? Did she have friends over?
I tiptoed into the hallway. Peeking around the corner, I found Aliyah perched on the counter, a glass of lemonade in her hand, while Jake flipped pancakes in a pan like a pro.
My mouth fell open. "Jake’s cooking?"
Aliyah shrieked, nearly falling off the counter. "Olive! You scared me."
Jake laughed and caught her arm. "You were not supposed to see this until dinner." He grabbed the remote to the speakers and turned it off.
I stepped into the kitchen fully, my smile blooming. "Since when do you two hang out like this? Is this housewarming?"
Aliyah rolled her eyes playfully. "Since forever. You’re just always too distracted to notice."
Jake raised an eyebrow. "We’re trying the friends-to-lovers pipeline."
I gasped. "Shut up. Seriously?"
Aliyah blushed and nodded.
I looked at Jake with a piercing look, “How long now?”
He dropped the pan gently, noticing I was serious now. “It's been two weeks now.”
“What? And no one felt the need to let me know?”
“I'm sorry Olive, you just had so much on your plate recently, I did not know when or how to tell you. Plus, you also didn't tell me about your relationship with Zade.” She pouted.
She did have a point, I had been too distracted to notice anything else aside from Zade and how to protect her and mom.
“Well I'm sorry I'd been like that for a while. But don't hesitate to tell me anything no matter my mood, okay?”
I ran to her and wrapped her in a hug. "I am so happy for you. You guys look disgustingly cute."
“I wanted to tell you sooner, but you’ve been kind of… busy with your billionaire drama. I'm sorry.”
I laughed. “I’m so happy for you. Are you happy?”
“So happy.”
We talked a little longer—about Jake, about their plans for the week as he served the pancakes.
“Don’t freak out, I'll be the best boyfriend ever.” Jake said, his voice playful.
“You better treat her like a queen.”
“I’ve been treating her like one since the day we met.”
I smiled. “Awww, you pass.”
We all laughed, I realized I was smiling so hard my cheeks ached.
For the first time since this fake marriage arrangements began, something felt real. Good. Worth rooting for. I had always liked Jake for Aliyah.
“You guys should be careful though. Don't go overboard with dating” I pushed Aliyah playfully.
“Eww Olive, no” she screamed.
“Amanda's upstairs, she came not too long ago. She's taking a bath” she said as soon as she remembered.
“Oh, I'll see her before I leave. How's it with school?” I took a bite of a pancake.
She sighed, “it's fine. We're on break though.”
I nodded.
I watched them play together for a little while, pretending I was invisible. They were so sweet, so full of joy, it almost hurt to look at them.
After a few minutes, I quietly slipped away and headed upstairs to find Amanda.
As I reached the landing, she was already coming down from one of the rooms.
“Hey girl.” She rushed toward me with a smile. “or should I say, Mrs Zade Avner?”
We both chuckled.
“What’s it like living in the Avner fortress? You’re literally living the dream!” she squealed.
“It’s amazing,” I said, forcing a smile. “So many unexpected surprises... new clothes, shoes that hurt, that kind of stuff.”
I didn’t want her to know what had happened last night. I couldn’t let her worry.
“You look so good, though. I’m really happy for you,” she replied warmly.
“Olive! Your phone’s ringing!” Aliyah called from downstairs.
I turned quickly and rushed down the stairs—it was Zade.
Oh God. I’d forgotten to text him when I arrived.
I answered immediately the phone was in my hand. “Hello?”
“Why didn’t you text me, Olive?” His voice was low and even, the kind of calm that made my heart race.
“I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “I... I ran into some good news and got caught up in the moment.”
There was a pause.
“You have 20 more minutes," he said slowly. "My wife should be beside me at all times.” He hung up.
The calmness in his voice made my stomach churn.
“Uh, guys. I have to go now, something came up.” I said, picking up my purse.
“Hope it's nothing bad?” Jake asked.
“Not at all” I smiled, walked to Aliyah and gave her a hug. “I'm so happy for you” I whispered.
All three of them walked me out to where the car was parked, their voices light with teasing and laughter. I waved at them from the backseat as the car pulled away, their smiles lingering in the rearview mirror.
By the time I arrived at AvnerTech and stepped into Zade’s office, the atmosphere had shifted. How would he react?
Zade looked up as my heels clicked softly against the marble floor, his eyes following me as I walked in. I set my bag down and eased into the chair across from him.
He didn’t waste a second. “So,” he said, tone casual but curious, “what’s the good news?”
I blinked, then smiled. “Oh. Um… Aliyah and Jake. They’re in a relationship now.”
“They seemed good for each other.” He said without emotion. “Do you wish you had it real too?” He asked, his voice softer, his eyes glued to mine.
I choked. I started coughing, he stood immediately, walking to the dispenser beside him, grabbed a cup of water and brought it to me.
I took a sip and placed the cup gently on the table, trying to regain my breath—and my composure.
He didn’t return to his seat immediately. He stood there for a second, watching me like he was trying to read something beneath my skin.
“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” he said, voice lower now, almost careful.
“You didn’t,” I replied, though my pulse was still racing. “It just caught me off guard.”
He sat again, on one of the sofas next to me, but not in his usual commanding posture—more relaxed this time, one arm draped across the back of the leather chair. The sunlight caught the faint shimmer of his cufflink, but all I could focus on was the way he was looking at me.
“People say love is simple,” he murmured, his gaze dropping to his hands. “That when it’s real, it’s supposed to feel easy. I’ve never understood that.”
I tilted my head slightly. “You don’t believe in love?”
“I believe it exists,” he said. “Just not in the way most people think. Love fades. People get tired. Priorities shift. What’s real one day can turn into regret the next.”
“That’s… unusual.”
He gave a short, breathy laugh. “Realistic.”
“But Aliyah and Jake—”
“—are in the honeymoon phase,” he cut in, gently. “And I’m happy for them. I hope it lasts. I really do. But I’ve seen too much to trust the idea blindly.”
I folded my hands in my lap, unsure whether to push or let it be. But something about the softness in his tone made me ask, “Was there someone? Before me?”
His jaw tightened—not with anger, but memory. He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked out toward the skyline beyond the glass windows, as though the city might reveal the words he couldn't voice out.
“There were people,” he said finally. “But love? No. Not the kind you’re thinking of. Not the kind that makes you choose someone every day, even when it’s hard. I’ve never seen that kind survive for long. Not in my world.”
His world. The cold boardrooms, the headlines, the ruthless decisions. I couldn't blame him for thinking this way.
“But you got married,” I whispered.
“To protect you,” he replied. “And maybe… to see if it was possible to have something that felt close. Even if it’s not perfect or real. Even if it’s not forever.”
My heart fluttered at the confession—not a promise, not quite vulnerability, but it was the most open he’d been with me.
The silence stretched, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was thick with words neither of us had the courage to say.
“You surprise me sometimes,” I murmured, tracing the rim of the cup absently.
“How?”
“I thought you didn’t care,” I said honestly. “That this was just a contract. That I was just… someone filling space in your life.”
His brows drew slightly together. “Is that really what you think?”
“I don’t know what to think.” I looked up.
He leaned forward then, elbows resting on his knees, eyes fixed on mine. “You’re not just filling space, Olive.”
The way he said my name—it sounded like a truth he hadn’t meant to say aloud.
My chest tightened, but in a way I liked.
He reached for my hand, hesitating just before touching it. I didn’t pull away. When his fingers finally curled around mine, the gesture was warm, grounding.
Maybe this wasn’t love.
Not yet.
But it felt dangerously close.
His thumb brushed over mine, steady and warm. For a moment, I didn’t breathe. His touch wasn’t urgent or possessive—it was quiet. Thoughtful. Real.
Then suddenly, he pulled his hand back like he’d touched fire.
“Relax,” he said, leaning back in his chair, the sharpness in his voice catching me off guard. “I was just teasing.”
I blinked. “Teasing?” What a way to embarass me.
He gave a lazy shrug and picked up a pen from the desk, spinning it between his fingers like the moment hadn’t just changed everything. “You seemed flustered, and I wanted to see what you’d say. It’s good data.”
“Data,” I repeated flatly.
He smirked, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You really shouldn’t let your guard down like that, Olive. Not with me. Or anyone.”
I leaned back slowly, trying to process the sudden switch, the curtain he’d yanked down. “Right,” I said softly. “Noted.”
He said nothing.
But I caught it—just a flicker of something in his eyes before he turned away. Guilt? Regret? Longing?
He wasn’t just teasing.
He hadn’t meant to let his guard down either.
And now he was retreating—because maybe he was afraid of what it would mean if he didn’t.
I glanced at the cup of water still on the table between us, my reflection swimming faintly on its surface. The space between us had shifted again. It always did with Zade. One step closer, two steps back.
It seemed he didn’t want me to let my guard down because he already had, for a brief moment.
The silence thickened between us. He didn’t say another word, and neither did I.
I wasn’t sure what this was anymore—whatever we were doing. Pretending. Playing. Testing. But the line between real and fake was beginning to blur, and it was starting to scare me.
Just as I leaned forward, thinking I might actually ask him what he was so afraid of, the door opened.
Click.
Anna stepped inside without knocking, her heels sharp and unapologetic against the polished floor. Her eyes flicked from Zade to me and back again, immediately clocking the atmosphere. Whatever tension she sensed, she didn’t acknowledge it.
“There’s a situation,” she said briskly, holding out a tablet.
Zade glanced at her, already impatient. “Be specific.”
Anna didn’t look at me as she spoke. “It involves her.”
My heart dropped.
Zade's gaze shot to mine, unreadable again.
I sat frozen, unsure whether to ask or just leave.