Contract Marriage with My CEO Boss (Kylan and Katrina)

Katrina moved back and forth across the room, gathering clothes and placing them neatly in a suitcase. Clarence sat on the bed, clutching her red panda toy tightly and watching her mother with curious eyes. Katrina paused to ruffle her daughter's hair, smiling warmly.

"What are you thinking about, sweetie?"

Clarence tilted her head, her gaze flicking toward the suitcase. "Daddy... go bye-bye?"

Katrina nodded gently. "Daddy has to go on a business trip, but he doesn't want to."

Clarence frowned. "Why?"

Katrina crouched beside her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Because Daddy loves being here with us. But sometimes, he has to work far away so he can take care of everything we need."

Clarence's lower lip trembled, and she rubbed her eyes. "No Daddy."

Katrina pulled her into a hug, kissing her chubby cheeks repeatedly. "I know, sweetheart. I'm going to miss him too. But guess what? You can sleep next to me the whole time he's gone." She began tickling Clarence, eliciting squeals of laughter. "How does that sound?" "Fun, Mommy!" Clarence clapped her hands enthusiastically.

Katrina kissed her on the forehead. "We'll have so much fun playing games, singing, and snuggling up together."

Clarence cheered, and just then, Kylan entered the room with a smile. "What's going on here? Have you two been conspiring behind my back while I was at work?"

Katrina glanced at him and grinned. "We were packing your suitcase for your trip."

Kylan hummed thoughtfully and approached the bed. "Well, it looks like you forgot two important things."

Katrina tilted her head, amused. "What's that?"

"You and Clarence," he said with a smirk.

She laughed. "You can't pack us."

Kylan picked Clarence up and placed her in the small suitcase. "Sure I can. Look, she fits perfectly!"

Clarence giggled. "Yes, Daddy!"

Katrina shook her head, chuckling. "You're not taking her."

Clarence handed her toy to Kylan, who kissed her head. "Thank you, sweetheart. And who says I can't try?" He sighed, sitting on the bed with Clarence on his lap. "I hate these trips. I hate being away from you two." Katrina sat beside him, resting her hand on his arm. "You'll be okay. We'll call you, video chat. You'll see us all the time."

Kylan kissed Clarence's cheek and looked at her. "You're going to take care of Mommy for me, right?"

Clarence nodded earnestly. "Yes!"

"You'll keep her company at night too?"

Clarence giggled. "Hug Mommy!"

"Lots of hugs and kisses, okay?"

"Kisses!" Clarence shouted, throwing her arms around Katrina and peppering her cheeks with kisses.

Katrina laughed, returning the affection. "Oh, I feel so loved!" She turned to Kylan. "I think someone else deserves some love before he leaves tomorrow morning."

Clarence eagerly crawled into Kylan's lap, showering him with kisses while Katrina resumed packing. "How long will you be gone again?"

"All day tomorrow," Kylan replied, leaning back on the bed. "I should be home the following evening if things go smoothly. If not, the next morning."

Katrina nodded, zipping the suitcase shut. "Don't rush back for us, okay? Your safety is the most important thing."

He sighed. "I know. But being away from you two is the worst."

"Still, no racing home. Promise?"

"Promise," he murmured.

Later, the three of them lay together on the bed, Clarence clutching her toy while Kylan held Katrina's hand between them. "I love family nap time," he said softly.

"Me too," Katrina replied, her heart full as they all drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Katrina kissed Kylan goodbye and reassured him as he left for his trip. She spent the day keeping Clarence entertained with games and laughter, and they ended the evening with a bedtime story before settling down. As night fell, Katrina sat on her bed, phone in hand, waiting for Kylan's call.

When her phone finally rang, her heart leaped at the sight of his name. She quickly answered. "Kylan?"

At first, there was no reply. "Kylan?" she repeated, her brow furrowing. Then, she froze as she heard a woman's voice on the other end, light and playful.

"Have another drink, Kylan."

Katrina's stomach twisted as she heard his response. "I don't know... I've already had two, and we should get some rest."

"Rest, huh?" the woman teased.

"Yes. Come on, let's head to bed. Don't make me drag you."

The woman laughed softly. "Alright, alright. Today was a good day, though, wasn't it?"

"It was," Kylan agreed. "A great job. Thanks for everything."

"Always happy to please you, Kylan," she said, her voice dripping with implication. "Ready for tomorrow?"

"Yeah. The quicker we finish, the quicker we can get back to the hotel." "You're right," the woman replied, her tone shifting to something quieter.

Katrina heard movement, followed by Kylan's voice again. "Bed. Now."

Unable to bear it any longer, Katrina ended the call. She stared at the empty side of the bed, her chest tightening with pain and uncertainty. She prayed it was all a misunderstanding, clinging to the memory of Kylan's love and the life they had built together. Finally, she closed her eyes, tears slipping down her cheeks as her mind replayed his words, "I love you so much." But tonight, those words felt like a distant echo, fading into doubt.

~0~0~0~

The shrill tone of the phone echoed in the dimly lit bedroom as Kylan reached for it. He groaned, fumbling with the screen, but Isabella's hand darted out, snatching it before he could. "I've got it," Isabella said groggily, her voice heavy with exhaustion.

Kylan hesitated, caught off guard, but before he could protest, Isabella answered the call.

""Hello?" she said, her tone casual but hoarse.

Katrina's voice came sharp and clear through the line, her words weighted with unspoken tension. "Kylan? Why is your phone "

"I'm sorry, he couldn't come to the phone now," she interrupted, oblivious. "He's asleep."

A stunned silence hung in the air, thick with implication.

"What did you just say?" Katrina asked, her voice eerily calm, like the quiet before a storm.

"Uh... he put me to bed and he's now asleep," Isabella repeated, now sensing something amiss. "Wait, who is this?"

"It's Katrina," came the clipped reply, her tone dropping several degrees. "Tell Kylan not to bother calling back. He's done enough." The line went dead before Isabella could respond.

Kylan stormed into the room moments later after he had gone to the bathroom to wake himself up. His face went pale as he noticed Isabella's horrified expression.

"What did you say?" he demanded, snatching the phone from her hands.

"I didn't know it was Katrina!" she stammered, her voice rising in panic. "She just asked where you were, and I... I told her you were putting me to bed because you just helped me to the couch earlier. That's all! I didn't mean "

Kylan didn't wait to hear the rest. He was already dialing Katrina back, his pulse pounding in his ears. But each ring felt like an eternity, and when the voicemail clicked on, dread settled heavily in his chest.

Back in New York, Katrina sat on the edge of the bed in her and Kylan's room, her hands trembling as she dialed another number. Clarence stirred beside her, clutching her favorite stuffed toy. Katrina's eyes welled up as she saw it was the red panda that Kylan got for her during their vacation together.

"Okay, Mommy?" Clarence asked sleepily, sensing the tension in her mother's voice.

"Yes, baby," Katrina whispered, stroking her daughter's hair. "We're going to Grandpa's house for a while, okay?"

She picked up her phone and dialed her father's number. When her father answered on the other end, his voice steady and warm despite the late hour, Katrina's resolve hardened.

"Dad, can we stay with you for a bit? I need... I need to get away."

Although he didn't understand, Alois agreed and told her he would pick them up at the airport.

"Is everything okay, sweetheart?"

Katrina closed her eyes. She wanted to say yes but that would mean she would be lying and her father will be sad. She will also meet him soon so it doesn't make sense to lie to him. "No, Dad... but we will talk once we get to Portland, okay?" "Yes, of course, my love. You and Clarence stay safe, okay?"

Katrina put down her phone and started packing up their things. The phone buzzed incessantly on the nightstand, but Katrina ignored it. Finally, after nonstop ringing, she answered, her tone cold.

"What do you want, Kylan?"

"Katrina, it's not what you think-"

"Not what I think?" Her voice cracked as she fought to keep her composure. "Do you know how humiliating it is to call my husband and have another woman answer? And to hear she's been in your bed?"

"She wasn't in my bed!" Kylan snapped, his frustration spilling over. "She had too much to drink at the event. I was helping her because she couldn't get home on her own. That's all!"

"And I'm supposed to believe that?"

Katrina's laughter was bitter, laced with years of bottled-up suspicions. "You've been distant for months, Kylan. Always late, always with. some excuse. you seemed to forget I changed Isabella's scheduling so you won't have to work so much, but it seemed you guys found some way around it. I can't do this anymore."

"Katrina, you're overreacting!"

"No, Kylan. I'm done reacting." Her voice trembled, but there was a finality to her words that silenced him. "I'm leaving. Clarence and I are going to my father's. Don't try to find us." "Katrina, wait-"

The line went dead.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

Kylan stood in stunned silence, the phone slipping from his hand. He glanced back at Isabella, who sat frozen in place, her face pale.

"You just ruined my marriage," he muttered, his voice hollow.

Isabella's eyes widened, but there was no point in arguing. The damage was done.

And as Katrina packed the last of their bags, she felt the weight of betrayal lift, replaced by the heavy but resolute determination to start over... for herself and for Clarence. ~0~0~0~

The soft glow of the dimmed lights

ve

reflected off the glass in Isabella's hand as she swirled the crimson liquid lazily. She leaned back in he chair, the faint hum of jazz music in the background a perfect accompaniment to the smirk curling at her lips. The satisfaction of her triumph coursed through her veins like the wine she sipped.

She glanced at her phone screen, rereading the news she had delivered earlier. Katrina had left. Finally. The thought sent a thrill up her spine. Kylan had stormed out after their fight, likely chasing after his precious wife, but it didn't matter. The seed of doubt had been planted, and it was flourishing.

She raised her glass toward the empty room, the flickering candlelight reflecting in her eyes. "Here's to you, Katrina," she muttered, the mock toast dripping with derision. "May your righteous little heart ache for a long, long time."

She tilted her head, replaying the moment on the phone in her mind. Katrina's sharp intake of breath, the tension that had crackled through the line. Isabella had almost laughed out loud when she realized how Katrina would interpret her careless words.

"Putting me to bed." She chuckled softly, the memory of how easily it slipped past her lips almost intoxicating. "I mean, technically, it wasn't a lie. Poor Kylan, always too noble for his own good."

Her hand toyed with the stem of the glass as she imagined him now... frustrated, helpless, trying to explain himself to a woman who wouldn't believe a word he said. It wasn't enough to have Kylan near her. No, Isabella wanted more. She wanted him all to herself, without Katrina's shadow looming over them.

This is just the beginning, she thought, her smirk widening. Katrina may have been his wife, but Isabella knew how to play the long game.

Her obsession had started the first

time she saw Kylan, a man who seemed to carry the weight of the world with quiet strength, whose smile had been just rare enough to feel like a gift when it appeared. He was everything she had ever wanted. And if getting him meant burning down his picture-perfect life? So be it.

She stood, glass in hand, and walked toward the window overlooking the city skyline. The world below twinkled with possibilities, and Isabella reveled in the thought of what came next.

"I'll make you see, Kylan," she whispered to the night. "She was never enough for you. She never understood you as I do."

Her reflection in the glass stared back, wild-eyed and determined. And as she downed the rest of her wine, she resolved that the wedge she had driven between them would only grow deeper.

Isabella set the empty glass on the windowsill and reached for her phone. Her fingers hovered over the screen before typing a short, calculated text.

'I'm sorry about earlier, Kylan. I hope you're okay. I'm here if you need someone to talk to."

The message was bait, wrapped in false innocence. She smiled as she sent it, already envisioning the chaos to come.