The CEO's Contractual Wife - Chapter 68: Chapter 68

Olivia
"I need another drink," I announced, draining the last of my wine. The warmth of the alcohol was helping me forget my problems, at least temporarily.
"Coming right up," Emilia waved at the bartender. "Hey! Another round over here!"
Claire leaned forward, her words slightly slurred. "So what's the plan for this weekend? Any fancy dates with Mr. CEO?"
I groaned. "I thought we agreed not to talk about Alexander."
"No, you agreed," Ariana corrected with a smirk. "We just nodded politely."
"You guys are the worst friends ever," I laughed, reaching for my newly arrived wine glass.
"The best," Emilia corrected. "We're the best friends ever because we care enough to be nosy about your love life."
I was about to respond when a woman stumbled toward our table, drink sloshing in her hand. Before I could move, she crashed into me, her red cocktail splashing across my emerald top.
"Oh my god!" I gasped, jumping up as the cold liquid soaked through the silk.
"Oops," the woman said, her voice carrying no trace of actual remorse. She was maybe twenty-eight or thirty, expensively dressed with perfectly highlighted hair. "So sorry about that."
I grabbed a napkin and frantically dabbed at the growing stain. "It's fine," I said automatically, even as I watched the red liquid seep into the delicate fabric.
"Is it?" The woman's eyes narrowed as she looked me up and down. "That's a cute little top. Probably from what, H&M? Target?"
Emilia stood up beside me. "Excuse me, do we know you?"
The woman ignored her, focusing on me with an intensity that made my skin crawl. "You're Olivia Morgan, right? Alexander Carter's latest... acquisition."
My stomach dropped. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh please," she scoffed. "Your face has been all over social media. Alexander's mysterious new girlfriend." She made air quotes around the word "girlfriend."
"Liv," Emilia murmured, "do you know this woman?"
I shook my head, still trying to salvage my top. "No, I've never seen her before."
The woman's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Of course you haven't. Alexander doesn't exactly encourage his toys to mingle."
"Excuse me?" I stopped dabbing at my top.
"Oh, sweetie." She patted my arm condescendingly. "Don't take it personally. He does this with all of them. Wines and dines you, makes you feel special, then poof!" She snapped her fingers. "On to the next one."
Emilia stood up straighter. "Look, I don't know who you are, but you need to back off."
The woman ignored her, reaching into her designer purse and pulling out a crisp hundred-dollar bill. She tossed it onto the table in front of me.
"For the top. Though I doubt it cost even that much. Forever 21 clearance rack?" She tilted her head, examining me. "Maybe H&M if you splurged."
I stared at the money, heat rising to my face. "I don't want your money."
"Consider it Alexander's money," she shrugged. "God knows he's spent enough on me over the years."
Just then, another woman appeared beside her, equally polished with a sleek blonde bob and calculating eyes. She looked me up and down with undisguised contempt.
"So you're Alexander's latest toy," she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "How much is he paying you to act as his girlfriend? Must be a decent amount to put up with his... particular tastes."
Emilia moved to stand beside me. "Okay, that's enough. You two need to leave."
"We're dating," I said, finding my voice. "And who the hell are you?"
The blonde raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Dating?"
I snatched the hundred-dollar bill from the table and held it out. "I don't need your money. Take it and go."
The first woman made no move to take it, so I crumpled it and tossed it at her feet. "I said take it."
"You should watch your mouth," the blonde said, stepping closer. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."
"Enlighten me," I challenged.
She smirked. "Let's just say I was in your position not too long ago. The fancy dinners, the designer clothes, the overnight stays at his penthouse."
My stomach dropped. How did she know about the penthouse?
"He'll use you until he's bored," she continued. "Then he'll find a new toy. It's what he does."
The first woman nodded. "I was his girlfriend before you. Well, 'contract girlfriend' is more accurate."
I froze. Contract girlfriend? There's no way they could know about our arrangement unless...
"Maybe you're the new contract girlfriend," the blonde mused. "Or just a good actress. You're certainly all over social media these days."
Ariana stood up, joining Emilia. "I think you ladies have had enough to drink. Time to move along."
"We're just trying to help," the first woman said with mock sincerity. "Girl to girl. Alexander Carter is a master at making women feel special right before he discards them."
"Like clockwork," the blonde added. "Three months is usually his limit. How long has it been for you? A few weeks?"
I gripped the edge of the table, trying to steady myself. How could they know about the contract? Alexander had said only his lawyer knew.
"I don't need your help," I said, my voice stronger than I felt. "And I don't believe a word you're saying."
The blonde laughed, the sound sharp and humorless. "Believe what you want. Just don't say we didn't warn you when he moves on to the next pretty face that catches his eye."
"You should ask him about Paris," the first woman added. "About what happened with Natasha. See how he reacts."
"Or ask about his little collection," the blonde suggested. "The one he keeps in the hidden room behind his closet."
Claire stood up now, all four of us forming a wall against these women. "You need to leave. Now."
The entire bar seemed to freeze. Conversations halted mid-sentence as heads turned toward our table. The tension crackled like electricity, and I felt a flush creeping up my neck under the weight of so many stares.