Chapter 8 I took an extended leave from work , told everyone I was flying out for another " business trip , " and left Peter and Rachel in their little world , pretending not to notice those loaded glances they kept throwing at each other . [ ] Hugging my stuffed puppy , I caught the first flight back to Harbor Cit The moment I got home , I sank into the hot bubbles of my villa's jacuzzi , grabbed my phone , and called my childhood best friend . ]] " Hey , I need a favor . " Her voice came through , lazy but amused . " Well , well , look who finally remembers she's got someone waiting for her back in Harbor City . " [ ] My heart skipped a heat . Something about the way she said it stirred something deep inside me . I played dumb . " This is serious . Business . " I gave her the cliff notes of the Peter - and - Rachel circus . The plan was simple : turn Rachel's little live - streaming hobby into a blaze so hot she couldn't resist dancing in it … and then cut the oxygen . Rachel was shallow as a puddle after summer rain . All it took was a little boost to her views - bought traffic , courtesy of my bestie's entertainment company - and she thought she'd found her golden ticket . She quit her job at the corner store and went full - time influencer . ] The day she live - streamed herself taking a bubble bath , her follower count shot from a few thousand to over twenty thousand . MOSI DES of them came for her cutesy " couple moments " with Peter . People online were convinced they were the real deal , shipping them hard , demanding more " sweet content . " ] She thought she'd cracked the algorithm , and when I left town , she doubled down - more couple videos , more flirty skits . [ ] And her follower count just kept growing . What she didn't know ? Almost all of that growth was fake . Bought . By me. I wanted her hooked on the high of easy fame . Then I wanted to rip it away . And it worked . ] When I stopped buying followers , her engagement tanked . [ ] She started snapping at Peter , complaining he had zero " camera presence " and couldn't make content that got clicks . Peter , with his inflated ego , didn't take that well . They fought . Hard . And then came the silent treatment . ] That's when I poured gasoline on the fire . [ ] I hired a swarm of trolls t to flood the comments on her new posts : " Another fake couple pumped out by some agency . All for views . Totally staged . Unfollowed . " Imade sure those comments got pinned to the top . At the same time , my fake fans unfollowed in droves . [ ] To Rachel , it looked like she was losing genuine followers left and right . [ ] she panicked . Teary - eyed , she clung to Peter . [ ] " Baby , I'm sorry . I won't fight with you anymore . Please forgive me . " Peter wasn't moved . In fact , being stuck with her 24/7 had only made him more aware of how , not worth it she The proof ? He started texting me again . Often . ] " Miss you , baby . When are you coming home ? Let's go somewhere fancy for dinner . " was . I saved every single one of his disgusting , saccharine messages - screenshots neatly filed away , my stomach churning as I thought about the day I'd use them to take both him and Rachel down . I was scrolling through them when suddenly my phone was yanked out of my hands . " If you hate it so much , stop looking . Let me handle it . " I looked up , right into Ethan's eyes . [ ] For a moment , neither of us spoke . [ His gaze was steady , intense , like he was reading my mind . I caved first , glancing away . [ ] He'd been … different lately . [ ] Watching me with this teasing , predatory edge that made my heart skip for reasons I didn't want to admit . [ ] Seeing I wasn't going to argue , he just grinned and ruffled my hair . " Good girl . At least you know when to come back to your big back to your big brother so he can handle things for you . " Chapter 1 He said it like I was some stray puppy he'd taken in . I didn't dare talk back . ] " I'm hot . I'm getting a Coke . " ] The icy can pressed against my skin , cooling the flush on my face . 0 But my head was spinning again - and this time , it had nothing to do with Peter and Rachel . ] In "CEO, That Intern is Actually Your Wife" by CrushReel, delve into a captivating romance where a billionaire CEO becomes contractually linked to an unexpected partner. When faced with the urgent need to fund her grandmother's critical surgery, our protagonist finds herself in a unique situation—entering a one-year contract marriage with a stranger. As the story unfolds, themes of love, sacrifice, and the complexities of modern relationships come to light. The novel offers a fresh take on the familiar billionaire romance genre by exploring the dynamics of office relationships and the intricacies of contract lovers. Discover this modern tale of unexpected connections and heartfelt emotions, available to read at CrushReel.