Chapter 3 Liam froze . " Are you disgusted by me ? " [] " I have to go out later . I'm going to get changed . " ] ] I stated it flatly and turned back toward my room . ] Liam started to follow , but I shut the door in his face and locked it without a second thought . [ ] " Fine ! Claire , you'll regret this ! " ] Liam seemed genuinely furious this time . After his threat , he kicked the door hard and stormed out . [] When I came out later , the living room was empty . [] In the company group chat , Liam had posted a message : " Dinner's on me tonight , who's in ? " [ ] Crickets . Only Hannah replied , spamming three [ happy ] emojis . [ ] I knew Liam was doing it just to provoke me . [ ] It had happened so many times before . Same routine : everyone else would politely decline , and only Hannah would jump at the chance . ] ] In the past , I'd get jealous , tag along , and end up being the butt of their jokes . [ ] Now? I couldn't care less . [ ] I got changed , went to see the rental apartment , and after confirming it was fine , I paid the deposit on the spot . [ ] Then I called a realtor to list my current place . [ ] Even though I bought the place and personally oversaw every detail of the renovation , I had put Liam's name on the deed . [ ] Back then , between the two of us , we had almost nothing . To make him feel secure , I drained my entire savings to buy this house . Now that his company was successful , this apartment was probably nothing to him . [ ] The realtor told me that to sell , Liam would either have to be present at the closing or sign a power of attorney . [ ] So I had to text him . ] But when I hit send , a red exclamation point appeared . ] ] Chapter 3 He'd blocked me . ] It was his go to move . Whenever we had a major fight , he'd block me in a fit of anger . [ ] Worried about his safety , I'd sometimes have to borrow someone else's phone to meekly call him and ask to be unblocked . [ ] And he'd lord it over me , demanding to know if I'd learned my lesson . [ ] Looking back , the number of insincere things I said just to appease him was staggering . ] After a moment , I called him . [ ] " Come home tonight . We need to discuss something . " " What is it ? I'm busy . " Liam's voice was cold . [ ] I pressed my lips together . " We can talk when you get here . " [] Liam scoffed . " You shove me away , and now you order me to come back ? Claire , do I owe you something ? Is this your idea of an apology ? " " Have I been too nice to you lately ? Did you forget how to say you're sorry ? " | [ ] Hearing the sarcasm in his voice , I said softly , just like I always did , " I'm sorry . I was wrong . " ] I'd already made countless insincere apologies . What was one more ? ] ] Besides , this apology would get me the sale of a house . ] ] Even though the place was mine , if Liam wanted to be difficult and refused to sign , I couldn't sell it . [ ] Even with proof of purchase , it would mean a lawsuit . [ ] Liam could afford that fight . I couldn't . [ ] Sure enough , my apology instantly brightened his tone . He magnanimously granted his pardon . [ ] " Wait for me , then . " ] ] Then he hung up . My mind was calm . I listed the house online , dropping the price significantly to sell it fast . [ ] After that , I met Olivia and signed my employment contract . [ ] Olivia was ecstatic , kept asking if this was real , and even threw a small celebration dinner for me . [ ] I'd planned on going home early , but then I figured Liam wouldn't be back for hours anyway . There was no point waiting in an empty house , so I agreed to stay . [ ] After a few drinks , on my way to the restroom , I heard familiar voices from the private room next door . [ ] 138 Chapter 3 I instinctively paused . ] Through the crack in the door , I saw Hannah nestled in Liam's arms . I couldn't hear what she said , but it made the cold expression on his face melt into a smile . ] Seizing the moment , Hannah quickly tilted her head up and pecked him on the lips . [ ] ( 0 ) 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.