Bought by the Villainess, Trapped by the Heir

Rhys needed cash. I needed a baby. So, I dropped a cool million to buy a year of his life.

After the surprise positive pregnancy test, I actually entertained the insane idea of making things official. Then I saw the floating text. Rhys was the male lead. And me?

I was just the vicious, disposable villainess. [ The villainess is going to lose everything and end up homeless soon. ] [ Doesn't she love using cash to humiliate people?

Wait until her family goes bankrupt. The thugs in those dark alleys will show her what real humiliation is.

They'll shove that money right up her… ] A cold sweat broke out across my spine. My pulse hammered a deafening, frantic beat against my eardrums.

I slid a fresh check across the desk toward Rhys, my fingers trembling as I pulled back.

I just needed him to let me go. "I'm getting married." I swallowed hard, keeping my eyes glued to the polished wood. "I swear I won't bother you ever again.

I'm done." Rhys stared at the slip of paper.

His jaw tight, his voice carrying the chilling stillness of a graveyard. "You can marry whoever you want." His gaze flicked up, pinning me to my seat. "Right after you abort my kid." Chapter 1 Rhys.

Highly educated. Dropdead gorgeous. Broad shoulders tapering down to a narrow waist. An eightpack and a sharply cut Adonis belt. A goddamn masterpiece of a man.

I had spent a massive amount of time and energy vetting him as the ultimate premium donor to make my baby.

And after a sixmonth trial run, his babymaking skills proved to be absolutely toptier. He had the stamina of a tireless beast, his muscles carved out of marble.

For the past six months, I had been submerged in this ultimate sensory game. My original plan was to play until I got bored, secure the baby, and ditch the father.

But reality had a funny way of messing with my schedule. I was pregnant. Half a year earlier than planned.

I slumped onto the couch, letting out a long, heavy exhale after returning from the clinic. Mom stared at me, clearly baffled. "Sweetie, haven't you always wanted a baby?

Why the long face?" I buried my face in my hands, groaning. "You don't get it." Her expression tightened instantly. "Is the father trying to leech off you?" "Uh, no." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I'm the one trying to leech off him." Rhys was just too damn delicious.

I couldn't bear to let him go. Sure, he was broke, but I had enough cash to keep him! Mom flashed a knowing smile, perfectly predicting my change of heart.

She deliberately mimicked the arrogant tone I'd used months ago. "Didn't you say a man's only purpose is to provide premium genetics for a cute baby?

Didn't you swear you'd forever champion the single, filthyrich mom lifestyle?" I let out an awkward laugh. "Mom, honestly, I'm thinking… a kid deserves a complete family.

It'd be so pitiful without a dad, don't you think?" "Right, right.

Whatever my daughter says." Mom nodded, her tone turning dead serious. "But tying a man down takes more than just a fat check." What does it take?

I chewed on the thought for a second, and then it hit me. A rock the size of a pigeon's egg! An ironclad, legally binding marriage certificate! I was going to marry Rhys!

I fully admit I took advantage of him when he was at rock bottom. Word on the street was Rhys was desperate for cash, so I dropped a flat million to buy out a year of his life.

I paid him to be my boyfriend for a year. He agreed without a fight. For the last six months, he had been incredibly gentle, attentive, and compliant.

He even took the initiative, proving his devotion and whispering sweet nothings every single day. I genuinely thought he had fallen for me. I mean, look at me.

I'm gorgeous, loaded, welleducated, and my voice isn't half bad either. Falling in love with me should be as effortless as breathing. Today was his birthday.

I had a massive surprise proposal ready to drop on him. But suddenly, a dense wall of glowing text materialized in the air right in front of me.

Like comments scrolling across a livestream. [ Thinking about the villainess using a baby to blackmail the male lead into marriage makes me sick! ] [ One more week until the male lead's biological dad dies in a freak accident, leaving him a hundredbilliondollar empire.

Then he can finally ditch the villainess and give our beautiful, kindhearted Ivy the massive wedding she deserves! ] [ The villainess is going to get her karma soon.

Her family goes bankrupt, her parents die, and she loses the baby. ] [ Our sweet Ivy might not have cash to bail him out, but she's been his absolute rock.

She takes care of his grandma and helped him survive these dark days. ] My pulse kicked into a frantic, erratic rhythm.

Through the scrolling text, I started piecing the plot together. I was the vicious, disposable villainess. Rhys was the male lead. And the female lead… Ivy? I didn't even know her.

Rhys had a side piece? How the hell did I miss that? Wait, no. My brain scrambled, physically shaking off the distraction to focus on the real threat.

The text said Rhys had a biological father controlling a hundredbilliondollar empire? And I was going to suffer brutal karma and lose absolutely everything? Real or fake?

Chapter 2 I stared in disbelief at Rhys as he strolled out of the bathroom. A white towel hung dangerously low on his hips, showing off that absurdly perfect body of his.

But right now, my mind was entirely somewhere else. Rhys toweldried his dripping hair, his dark lashes lifting. "Babe, I'm heading to the hospital to check on Grandma.

I'll be back by seven to make dinner." "Oh." I muttered a chaotic response.

I kept my eyes pinned to the floor, missing the sudden stiffness in his posture and the subtle way his gaze dropped to his own chest.

By the time I snapped out of it, Rhys had already blowdried his hair and pulled a shirt on.

He was packing up the organic meals he'd prepped for his grandmother into Tupperware. "Leighton, what's on your mind?" I forced my eyes to focus on his face. "Nothing." "Liar.

Something's up." Rhys crossed the room and dropped to one knee in front of the sofa, tilting his head up to look at me. "What's going on with you?

You've been acting weird ever since we got back from your family's estate a few days ago." I looked down into his eyes. My mouth opened, but the words bottlenecked in my throat.

I didn't even know how to ask. "Are you… are you miserable being with me?" "Never.

I'm happy with you, Leighton." Rhys squeezed my fingers, his sigh a mix of exasperation and endless patience. "Did you have another nightmare about me doing something awful?

Dreams aren't real. I'd never hurt you.

I love you." I used to have these recurring nightmares—Rhys stabbing me in the back, draining my trust fund, and laughing at me in my own kingsized bed with some other woman.

Every time I woke up in a cold sweat, I'd pick a fight. I'd grill him, accusing him of using my money to play sugar daddy to some college girls.

After a while, Rhys learned to anticipate the explosions, defusing the bomb before I even lit the fuse. Just like now.

He gently hooked his pinky around mine and lowered his head to press a kiss to the back of my hand.

He looked like a devout believer worshiping at an altar. "Babe, I installed a tracker on my phone.

You can check my location whenever you want…" Rhys picked up my phone, guiding my fingers across the screen to show me exactly how to stalk his every move.

The more he explained, the more my brain shortcircuited. Was all this devotion just an act? Could he really fake being this good to me?

The floating text sneered: [ Absolute psycho behavior. 24/7 surveillance? He's basically in prison. The male lead has it so rough. ] [ The villainess is a total control freak.

Rhys hates being controlled more than anything.

That's exactly why he told his biodad to screw himself when the old man demanded he come back, marry for power, and inherit the empire. ] [ Lmao.

The crazier she acts now, the harder she's gonna fall later. ] Rhys walked over to the kitchen, grabbed his thermos, and came back to me. "I'll FaceTime you the second I step out the door, okay?

Will that make you feel better?" What? Video surveillance now? If I actually did that, how brutal would my karma be down the line? I sat there frozen.

My mind spiraled into a chaotic reel of every gruesome, agonizing death imaginable. My palms started to sweat. "You are so damn cute, Leighton.

I'm so crazy about you." Rhys chuckled, misreading my paralyzing terror as adorable cluelessness. The corner of his mouth tipped up, and he leaned in to kiss me.

I shoved him hard in the chest.

My hands shook as I grabbed my phone, frantically deleting the tracking app he had just installed. "No, no," I babbled, my voice tight. "I don't care where you go. Honestly.

You do you. It's your freedom." Rhys slowly straightened up. The smile wiped clean off his face, his jaw locking into a hard, rigid line. The air in the room went dead.

Chapter 3 I thought of the floating text and instinctively shrank back into the corner of the sofa. A cold prickle of fear crawled up my spine. Rhys caught the movement.

He tilted his head slightly, his stunning amber eyes reflecting my pale, deerintheheadlights expression. "Leighton, did I do something wrong?" His voice was impossibly soft.

I shook my head, my voice barely a whisper. "No." He took a slow step closer, trying to coax it out of me. "You seem upset. Talk to me.

What's going on?" I just kept shaking my head. I didn't dare say a word. The text was tearing me apart. Calling me a bitch.

Saying my weird behavior meant I was plotting something toxic. They claimed that the gentler Rhys acted on the outside, the more he despised me on the inside. And honestly?

I believed them. The way his face had gone completely dead a minute ago… It was terrifying. I held my breath, terrified to even make a sound. Thank God, his phone buzzed.

It was the hospital caregiver, urging him to hurry over. Right before he walked out the door, he dropped his usual checkin. "I'm heading out, babe.

Text me what you want for dinner." 6:00 PM. The sky went pitch black, looking like the literal end of the world.

Lightning cracked across the horizon, followed by a torrential downpour.

The floating text was losing its collective mind: [ This Category 5 hurricane warning couldn't have timed it better. The male lead is definitely stranded on the road. ] [ Finally!

Our leads get some alone time. ] [ Please, for the love of God, don't let the villainess throw a tantrum and force him to drive his sports car back through a literal hurricane. ] I didn't even get to finish reading the comments before my phone rang.

It was Rhys. His voice was a little raspy. "Babe, I'll be heading back soon. What are you craving? I'll pick it up." I shot that down instantly. "No, don't. I already ate.

The storm is insane out there. Don't come back tonight.

Just stay safe and take care of yourself." Rhys repeated it, his voice dropping a fraction. "Don't come back?" I nodded enthusiastically, even though he couldn't see me. "Yep." Dead silence hung on the line for a beat.

Then, he let out a low chuckle. "Alright." I exhaled a massive breath. But underneath the relief, a tiny, annoying knot of disappointment twisted in my gut.

From what the comments said, the female lead was the caregiver Rhys hired for his grandmother. Her name was Ivy.

I had gone to the hospital with Rhys a few times, but I had never actually seen her. Wait, no. Not just a caregiver. The female lead. And I was the disposable villainess. Ugh.

Was I really that awful to Rhys? Not really… I mean, sure, I made him massage my legs and rub my back all the time.

And yeah, maybe I intentionally tossed a stack of cash at him in front of his friends, raking a condescending glare over his faded, cheap Tshirts, just to make him drop to one knee and put my shoes on like my own personal manservant.

And he cooked for me every day. And threw tiny tantrums when PMS hit.

And sometimes, when things got a little too intense in the bedroom, I scratched up his back… But other than that, I hadn't really done anything to him!

Oh, wait, I remembered something else. He always had to carry me to the shower afterward. Was that really considered vicious?

I dumped all this confusion on my childhood best friend, Carter.

I just repackaged it a bit, swapping out "I have a problem" for the classic "my friend has a problem." Carter kept chopping vegetables at the kitchen island, shooting me a sideways glance. "Depends," he said casually. "Does this guy actually like your friend?" "If he doesn't, would he absolutely hate her?" "No shit." Carter stared at me like I was missing half my brain cells. "Think about it.

Imagine you're at absolute rock bottom, and some random dude you don't even know hands you a stack of cash to basically own you for a year. Are you gonna be grateful?

Are you gonna fall in love with him?" I chewed on my bottom lip. "No." "Right.

And then you have to put up with his temper every single day, rub his back, massage his legs, and cook all his meals. And the absolute worst part?

You have to sleep with him and make sure he gets off. Honestly, just think about it. Doesn't that make you want to puke?" Chapter 4 I played the scenario out in my head.

A fullbody shudder racked my spine, goosebumps erupting across my arms. "That's repulsive." "Exactly." Carter leaned against the kitchen island, giving me that irritatingly knowing look. "So what you—I mean, what your friend did is completely messed up.

If you like someone, you chase them the right way. If you don't, you don't…" My ringtone shattered the conversation. Rhys's name flashed on the screen.

I swiped to answer, drifting toward the living room. "Where are you?" His breathing came through the speaker, slightly ragged, like he'd been running. "I'm at a friend's place." I glanced out the window.

The hurricane was still tearing the city apart, the wind rattling the glass panes in their frames. Carter poked his head out from the kitchen. "What kind of juice do you want?

Apple or orange?" The line went silent before Rhys's voice dropped an octave. "Which friend?

And it's a guy?" My stomach did a weird, uncomfortable flip, like I had just been caught cheating. I held up two fingers at Carter. Orange.

I pressed the phone closer. "Did I never mention him? He's my childhood best friend. He just flew back into the country today, so I'm hanging out at his place." "No.

You didn't." Rhys's tone was completely flat, a sheet of black ice. "Where is he? What time are you done? I'm coming to get you." "No, it's fine.

I'll just crash here tonight." The words left my mouth, and I immediately tasted the regret.

Right on cue, the glowing text exploded across my vision: [ The male lead literally rushed home through a Category 5 hurricane, and the villainess is having a sleepover at another guy's house? ] [ Why did he even go back?

Ivy begged him to stay at the hospital, but he wouldn't listen to her. ] [ Because the villainess is a total nightmare.

You think she actually meant it when she told him not to come back? Remember last time he was an hour late because of the rain?

She gave him the silent treatment for three days straight. ] I ground my teeth. Why was it always my fault? That last time, Rhys didn't answer his phone or reply to my texts.

I genuinely thought he was dead in a ditch somewhere. I had been pacing the floors, sick with worry. If I didn't punish him a little, how would he learn? Wait.

A chill crept down my neck. Why hadn't Rhys said anything? I pulled the phone away from my ear, staring at the screen. The call was still connected.

I brought it back. "Hello?" Nothing. Just the faint sound of his breathing. "Rhys? Why aren't you saying anything?" A long, agonizing pause stretched out.

Then, a low, humorless chuckle vibrated through the speaker. "What exactly do you want me to say?" "I…" My throat locked up.

In my peripheral vision, the text kept rolling. [ Does the villainess actually think he's going to beg her to come home?

He's probably thrilled she's gone. ] I squeezed my eyes shut, blocking it out. It was too damn annoying.

My grip tightened on the plastic case. "If you're not going to talk, I'm hanging up!" I slammed my thumb onto the red button.

I sat there, staring blankly as the glowing text enthusiastically debated a hundred different ways I was going to die.

I dropped the phone on the cushion, pressing the heels of my hands into my eyes. Ugh. I let my temper snap again.

After dinner, I slumped on Carter's sofa, my chin propped in my hands, letting out one heavy sigh after another. Carter finally snapped. "Go home.

Your sighing is aggressively loud." "No." I crossed my arms, fuming. Every other time I threw a fit and hung up, Rhys would blow up my phone until I answered. But tonight? Nothing.

I glared at the black screen of my phone. It was completely useless. I let out another long, miserable sigh. I had done some digging.

That supposed billionaire biological father of his? He was critically ill. Like, deathbed ill. Rhys was just one of his many illegitimate mistakes.

But out of all the kids, Rhys was the only one who inherited his exact ruthlessness. The comments said the American lawyers had just made contact with Rhys today.

Soon, he was going to walk out that door, and then he was going to crush me. But still, wasn't this a little too coldblooded?

Just this morning, he was kissing my hands and calling me babe. Now? Complete radio silence.

Chapter 5 Carter finally hit his limit and kicked my shin under the table. "If you miss your boyfriend, just go home. Stop sighing like a deflating tire.

He doesn't have super hearing." "I don't miss him." Carter scoffed. "Stubborn." I huffed, pulling the throw blanket up to my chin. "I'm done talking to you.

I'm going to sleep." Nine o'clock. Ten. Eleven. Three hours crawled by. Sleep was an absolute myth. My brain just wouldn't shut off. It was Rhys's birthday.

I should probably go back and celebrate with him. If I did that, maybe he wouldn't hate me quite as much. Maybe he'd let me off the hook when he inevitably came into power. Right.

That was it. I wasn't going back because I missed him. I was going back on a strategic mission to kiss his ass so he wouldn't ruin my life later.

Plus, the custom cake I ordered was still sitting in the fridge. It would be a total waste if he didn't even see it. Yeah, I had to go back.

I threw off the covers and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. Instantly, the glowing text hijacked my vision again. [ The male lead has a fever and he called Ivy!

Ahhh! ] [ So sweet! He feels sick and the very first person he calls is the female lead. I'm dying, I ship them so hard. ] [ Holy shit, the villainess is getting up.

What is she doing? Do not ruin our main couple's romantic moment, you toxic witch!! ] I froze, slowly pulling my foot back from the floor.

Without making a sound, I crawled back under the blankets and pulled them completely over my head. My chest tightened until it physically ached.

He was living in my house, and he was calling another woman over to my bed. Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. I was practically moved to tears by their epic romance.

The next morning, my eyes were swollen to the size of golf balls. And a fresh piece of terrible news was waiting for me. Rhys texted to say he had to leave town for two days.

The floating text helpfully informed me he was flying to the States.

Right before takeoff, my phone buzzed with his message: [ Did you know it was my birthday yesterday? ] I pictured the untouched cake sitting in the dark fridge.

My thumbs hammered the screen aggressively: [ No. ] A voice memo popped up seconds later. I tapped it. "Just wish me a happy birthday, babe." Babe. Sure.

The second you inherit your massive empire, I'll be bleeding out in an alley. But I couldn't throw a tantrum. I had to play nice. I had to survive. Ugh. "Yeah.

Happy birthday." I typed back dryly. When I finally dragged myself back to my apartment later that morning, the blister pack of fever meds was still sitting on my nightstand.

A wave of pure, physical nausea hit the back of my throat just thinking about that 'female lead' standing in my bedroom last night. This was my room. It was contaminated.

I didn't want to live here anymore. Two days later. Rhys came back.

And he somehow tracked down my new address. "Why did you move?" He stood in the doorway, his tall frame taking up all the space, his dark gaze pinning me to the floor.

He somehow looked even hotter. Holy shit. He looked so good. I wanted to drag him inside by his collar.

I jerked my gaze away, swallowing hard against the sudden dryness in my throat. Hold it together. Do not kiss him. If I fell for this again, my ending was going to be gruesome!

Rhys caught the microscopic swallow.

The corner of his mouth ticked up. "Did you miss me?" He stepped closer, his voice dropping into that low, magnetic register. "I missed you." "Is that right, man?

Because our Leighton didn't miss you one bit." Carter materialized out of nowhere, slinging a heavy, possessive arm over my shoulders and pulling me flush against his side.

Rhys's eyes locked onto my shoulder. Specifically, onto Carter's hand resting there. Even more specifically, onto the heavy, blindingly bright ring glinting on Carter's ring finger.

I shoved Carter's arm off me, shooting him a lethal glare. Carter just popped an eyebrow. "Didn't you say that yourself?

I'm just acting as the messenger." I mouthed an aggressive shut up at him. "The ring on your finger." Rhys's voice cut through the air, sudden and unnervingly calm. "It's a designer brand.

They only do oneofakind custom pieces." He was speaking directly to Carter. Carter flashed a brilliant, obnoxiously cocky grin. "Yeah, so?

Leighton bought it for me." Chapter 6 Sure, I was the one who gave it to him. But the way it rolled off his tongue made it sound completely twisted.

I had originally bought that pair of rings to propose to Rhys. I never got the chance. Carter had caught me trying to throw them in the trash and swiped them for himself.

Rhys lowered his lashes. His gaze swept over my bare hands. Empty. The heavy, suffocating darkness in his amber eyes fractured, just a fraction.

But the air in the room remained completely dead. The glowing text exploded across my vision, hurling a fresh wave of curses at me.

I shot Carter a desperate look, silently begging him to get the hell out. Rhys brushed past me, stepping into the apartment.

Before I could even pivot on my heel, a hard arm clamped around my waist, dragging me backward. The heavy front door slammed shut. The lock clicked.

I was shoved flat against the solid wood. Rhys stepped into my space, his massive frame blocking out all the light. He lowered his head.

The corner of his mouth ticked up into a smile that didn't reach the absolute ice in his eyes. "Would my sweet girlfriend care to explain why the wedding band from her nightstand drawer is currently sitting on that man's finger?" "I…" "Is that why you've been icing me out for days?

Because of him?" Rhys crowded me further, trapping me against the door. His breath dusted hot across my cheek, a jarring contrast to his freezing tone. "I…" My brain flatlined.

The words bottlenecked in my throat. I couldn't comprehend why he was still putting on this elaborate, jealous act.

In a matter of days, he was going to take the reins of a hundredbilliondollar empire. My family's little business would be nothing but an ant beneath his boot.

Logic dictated that I should be kissing his ass right now. But I had no idea how. He hated being touched by me; he hated everything about me.

I thought if I just faded into the background and made myself invisible, maybe he would forget about me. Maybe he would let me live. The back of my throat burned.

Hot moisture spilled over my lashes, sliding down my cheeks before I even realized I was crying.

I didn't even know why my chest was aching; the walls just felt like they were closing in on me. A heavy, ragged sigh brushed against my ear.

Then, a soft, damp heat pressed against my cheekbone. Rhys was kissing away the tears.

He pulled back a fraction, his thumb tracing my jaw before he murmured against my ear. "Salty, babe." A raw sob ripped from my throat.

Rhys kept pressing soft kisses to my wet skin, his voice laced with pure exhaustion. "Why are you the one falling apart?" "You're bullying me." My chest heaved, struggling to drag air into my lungs. "You… you don't even like me." For once, Rhys didn't immediately start coaxing me.

He just stopped, his amber eyes locking onto mine. "If I don't like you, why does it break your heart this much?" I stared at him, completely mute. I didn't have an answer.

Later, the storm passed. Rhys mentioned his grandmother's condition had stabilized, and she had been asking for me. He wanted to know if I'd go with him to the hospital.

This was a golden opportunity to get on his good side. I literally couldn't afford to say no. We arrived at the hospital. That was where I finally saw Ivy. The official female lead.

She was undeniably pretty. Her personality was perfect—softspoken, patient, radiating gentle warmth. A heavy, unrecognizable weight dropped into the pit of my stomach.

His grandmother chatted with us for a while before drifting off into an afternoon nap. I watched Ivy holding the steaming cup of coffee—the one that I was supposed to hand to him.

Without a word, I took a step back, melting into the corridor to give the male and female leads their private space.

When I returned a few minutes later, I stopped dead outside the cracked door. Ivy was reaching out. Her fingers brushing against Rhys's cheek.

My heels scraped against the linoleum as I threw myself backward into the blind spot. Good. I hadn't interrupted them. That was good.

But a violent, physical burn shot up the bridge of my nose. My eyes stung like I'd walked into a cloud of smoke. I just wanted to go home.

I wanted to crawl into bed and shut the world off. Something brushed lightly against my skin. I jolted awake.

Rhys's flawless face was hovering mere inches from mine, completely filling my vision.

Chapter 7 It took me a long, blank moment to process that after coming home, I had cried myself to sleep. "Were you crying again?" Rhys cupped my face in his large hands, tilting my chin to inspect my puffy eyes. "You look like a little stray cat." He sounded so damn gentle.

A sharp ache hit me, and I wanted to bury my face in his chest and bawl my eyes out. But then my brain screamed the reminder: It's all an act.

I jerked away from his touch, scrambling into a sitting position against the headboard. "You really don't have to do this anymore," I stammered, my chest tight. "I… I won't force you to do anything.

You can just leave." Rhys's hands froze in the air. "What's that supposed to mean?" "It means…" I swallowed hard, scraping together my courage. "I don't need you to be my boyfriend anymore.

You're free. I was wrong to do what I did before, and I…" I babbled through a massive, desperate apology. I meant every word.

But Rhys just stared at me like I was speaking a dead language. Without a word, he pushed me flat against the mattress, pulling the duvet up to my chin.

He pressed a warm kiss to my forehead. "Go back to sleep, sweet girl. You're just overtired." I stared at the ceiling, completely speechless.

Over the next two days, anytime I dropped the words "break up," "freedom," or "sorry," Rhys would literally act like he was deaf, turning his back and doing something else.

I couldn't read him at all. The glowing text couldn't read him either. [ Didn't the male lead already inherit the empire? Why is he still acting for the villainess? ] [ Right?

His relationship with Ivy hasn't even progressed. Weird. ] [ Are you guys idiots? The male lead hasn't secured his power base yet. He can't just flip the table immediately.

The villainess's family might not be toptier, but they aren't exactly a total pushover to bankrupt overnight! ] Oh. So that was it. The timing just wasn't right yet.

I had tried dropping hints, asking if my family's company was running into any trouble. Mom always smiled and brushed it off. But the physical signs were everywhere.

Dad was drowning in work, constantly stressed out, his shoulders pulled tight until the second he saw me—then he'd force a huge, plastic smile onto his face. This was all my fault.

Rhys was already tightening the noose around my family. My stomach twisted into brutal, sickening knots. I had no idea how to pacify him. The man didn't seem to care about anything.

Every time I tried to pry and ask what he liked, he always gave the exact same answer. "You." He claimed he liked me. Liar.

With a face like that and his Oscarworthy acting skills, he could've made millions in Hollywood without destroying my life.

I lay flat on my back in the dark, biting down on my thumbnail as I pictured his flawlessly deceptive face. The bedroom door clicked open. Rhys stepped into the shadows.

I scrambled backward, yanking the covers up to my chin. "It's the middle of the night.

What are you doing?" "Babe, your period is coming up, isn't it?" His voice was a soft, vibrating hum. My blood turned to ice. What did that mean? Did he find out I was pregnant?

Rhys's dark eyes locked onto my flushed cheeks.

He stepped up to the edge of the mattress, his voice dropping an octave, scratching against the quiet room. "Don't you want me, babe?" Before my cycle hit, my sex drive usually spiked.

Rhys was just following his trained routine, trying to take care of me. But right now? How the hell could I ask him for that? Was my family not going bankrupt fast enough?

I fired off a rapid, panicked rejection: "No. Not in the mood. Don't need it." Rhys leaned over the bed, planting his hands on either side of my hips.

The movement was deliberately slow and patient. "Did I do something wrong?" I violently shook my head. "You're perfect." He nodded, his gaze dropping to my lips. "Oh.

So you're just bored of my body, then." "No, no, I'm not bored of it." Panic loosened my tongue, and the unfiltered truth slipped right out. "I'm literally starving for it." The dark tension in Rhys's face snapped.

A slow, wicked heat flooded his amber eyes, the corners of his mouth curving into a devastating smirk.

His gaze drifted down. "Babe, have you noticed you've gotten a little fuller lately?" Chapter 8