The Ceo’s Contract Lover

“You can inform Nina that you won’t be returning tonight.”

A frown appeared on Isaac’s face when he heard Emilia’s words.

Ever since Emilia and Jayden broke up, the latter had never visited their manor. Later, the Moores also went overseas, gradually losing touch with each other.

Isaac was a man of principles.

Though one of his biggest regrets in life would be not having Jayden as his son-in-law, since they’ve already moved on, there was no need to rekindle old feelings.

“Thanks, but I gotta go home,” Jayden declined.

He appreciated their help, but he couldn’t hang around any longer. After all, it was his wife, Nina’s birthday, and she was waiting for him at home.

Isaac breathed a sigh of relief on the inside, but Emilia didn’t seem thrilled with Jayden’s response.

“Don’t be so stubborn, Jayden,” Emilia argued. “You’ve lost a lot of blood, and you can’t even stand straight. Can you bear to let Nina see you in this condition?”

Her words made Jayden pause and reconsider his decision.

That’s right. Knowing Nina’s personality, she’d probably overthink if she saw him like this. And he did not want to make her worried or feel scared by the attacks. His mind raced with thoughts before settling on a conclusion.

“I’ll ask Stefan to pick me up,”

Since going home in this state was a no-go, he might as well head to his best friend’s place. Jayden turned to Isaac and asked. “Uncle, can you give Stefan a call?”

He might have done it himself, but then he realized his phone had gone MIA during the attack.

“Of course,” Isaac said, satisfied with his decision.

While Isaac wasn’t exactly a kind person, his affection was only limited to his wife and daughter.

And it was precisely because his daughter meant the world to him, seeing her grow close to her ex, especially one who was now married, did not sit right with him.

Emilia bit her lip as her face turned gloomy.

She opened and closed her mouth, appearing as though she wanted to say something, but hesitated.

If she pushed any further, it might seem like she was clinging to Jayden. But if she stayed silent, wouldn’t all her efforts be in vain? She had gone to great lengths to stage this attack to prevent Jayden from celebrating Nina’s birthday.

She had planned to make use of his injuries and spend the night with him, rekindling their old feelings. She was so close to success, but she never expected Jayden to be so stubborn. He would rather go to Stefan’s house than be with her.

Soon, Stefan arrived.

Emilia tried to convince Jayden, hoping to change his mind. But he remained firm. At last, she could only watch helplessly as Jayden bid them farewell before leaving with Stefan.

After his departure, everyone in the room dispersed. However, Emilia continued staring at his back, seemingly in a deep thought.

Fine. It was better as long as he did not return to Nina.

Before leaving, Alaina, who had been silent all this time, patted her shoulder. “Emmy, I understand what you’re going through, but don’t forget, he’s married now.” she reminded.

As a mother, she knew her daughter best and knew what was on her mind. But, regarding this matter, her principles were the same as her husband’s.

Emilia snapped back to her senses and rolled her eyes.

So what?

If they were married, they could also divorce. She was a competitive woman who never liked to lose, and his marriage didn’t deter her.

The more she couldn’t achieve it, the stronger was her desire to win. Especially since he had changed so much.

When they were still dating, Jayden had always been cold and unfeeling. It was as though everything was just a formality for him. A task that he wanted to complete.

But now…

Not only was he so possessive of Nina but also dotted on her dearly! Just the thought of being loved by this man made her more determined in her pursuit.

A smile appeared on her lips when she thought about it. His transformation intrigued her, and she was determined to win his heart.

—

Jayden did not return home and only sent Nina a message.

“I’m sorry. There was an emergency, and I had to leave the country urgently. I’ll be back soon and make up for everything.

Wait for me…”

Nina read his message expressionlessly before pressing the delete button.

Unfortunately, he could never make up for it. The damage had already been done and there was no going back.

With determination, she tossed the phone inside her bag and went inside the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Today was the 2nd of November, the day when she had entered a contract marriage with Jayden. He might have not remembered it, but the date was etched into her heart.

Three years had passed since they entered this arrangement. A union that was never meant to be forever. And though Nina’s heart ached terribly, she knew it was time to set them both free.

“May I help you?” the staff asked with a polite smile.

Nina took a deep breath, her voice steady, “I’d like to file for a divorce.”

The staff nodded. “Please show me your marriage certificate.”

At a loss, Nina hesitated for a moment before fabricating the truth. “I’m sorry, but I’ve lost the marriage certificate.”

In reality, she didn’t possess the marriage certificate. When they got married, Jayden handled the entire process. She had once asked him for a copy, but he had refused. And he would never agree if she were to ask him now.

The staff nodded understandingly. “That’s not a problem. We can proceed without it. Please fill in the details to the best of your knowledge.”

Nina filled in the information, her pen gliding over the paper. Her fingers trembled, and she almost had the urge to run away. She was torn inside and could not bring herself to take this step.

But then, reality gave her in.

From the very beginning, they weren’t destined to be together. Their union was bound by a contract, not love. They couldn’t continue down this path, not when the foundation of their relationship had always been fragile.

Nina’s vision blurred, and a drop of tear fell on the paper.

Steeling herself, she signed her name and submitted the document.

The staff entered the information into the database before clicking on the submit button. After the page refreshed, she was puzzled as she looked at the database. She double-checked the details, making sure that there was no mistake, before turning to Nina.

“Are you certain about the details?”

“Yes,”

The staff tried again, but the outcome remained the same. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but there seems to be no registration of your marriage in our database,” she informed.

Nina froze. It took her a while to fathom her words. Her fingers clenched the edge of the counter as her voice quivered. “Is there a mistake? Could you please check it again?”

For her assurance, the staff checked it once again, but the results stayed the same.

“I’m sorry, but there’s no entry of either Jayden Luxton or Nina Santiago in our database.”This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

The revelation landed like a heavy blow on Nina. Her body swayed lightly and the world seemed to spin around her. She could not accept it.

So her marriage with Jayden had been nothing but a sham?

She clutched her chest, and breathed heavily, as she grappled with the reality.

Everything had been a lie.

Her identity, his affection. Everything.

—

The sound of the roaring engine filled the air as Jayden returned to the manor, unable to stay away any longer. Fortunately, the wound on his arm had almost healed. With a tired sigh, he removed his coat and poured himself a glass of water.

The sound of footsteps rang behind him.

His eyes turned gentle, and he turned around to see his wife at the door.

But when he met the coldness in her eyes, his heart sank. He knew he had hurt her deeply. However, he never meant for it to happen. If not for the assassination attempt, he would have been celebrating with her.

Nina’s eyes flickered upon seeing the exhaustion on his face. But that did not dissuade her. “It’s good that you’re back. I want to talk to you about something,”

Before Jayden could utter a word, Nina handed him a document.

His fingers grasped it, but he did not open it. “What is it?” Jayden asked, his gaze locked onto Nina’s.

“Contract annulment,”

With her voice devoid of emotion, Nina continued. “The agreement stated that we would be in a marriage for three years. Now that the contract is up, we should go our separate ways.”

“No!” Jayden objected immediately. “Don’t even think about it.”

Nina’s face turned icy as she reminded him, “You don’t have a say in this alone, Mr. Luxton.”

“I had wanted to file for a divorce, but guess what I found…,” With a sardonic smile, she said bitterly. “There was no record of our marriage.”

Jayden shut his eyes and cursed himself.

F**k!

How could he have made such a mistake?

No matter how he explained it to Nina, she would not believe him if he told her that he had forgotten to register their marriage.

Even he could not believe that he had overlooked such an important thing.

When they entered into the contract, it was clearly stated that neither party would fall in love with the other. At that time it did not matter to him.

But the unexpected had happened.

Over time, their feelings grew stronger, and he inadvertently forgot about the formality.

“It’s just a certificate. It does not change anything,” he tried to reason. In any case, he had always considered her as his wife, and a mere paper couldn’t change it.

“It might not to you, but it does to me!” Nina raised her voice in anger. The emotions she had been suppressing for the past few days now poured out in a torrent. “Tell me, Jayden. Did it feel good to toy with me? To humiliate me?”

The one thing Nina loathed with her heart was the idea of being a mistress.

Her mother had been a mistress who had destroyed countless marriages. Growing up, she had promised herself she wouldn’t tread the same path as her mother.

Yet, unwittingly, she had become the same as her mother.

“You really proved the world right. I’m just a woman who warms up your bed. A f**k toy.”