Contract Marriage with My CEO Boss (Kylan and Katrina)
Chapter 53

Chapter 53

The wedding was orchestrated very diligently and efficiently by the team Ryan and Max personally picked out. It was extravagant and rightfully so for the sake of publicity. Both the wedding ceremony and reception were held in a five-star hotel with business partners, employees, a handful of reporters and journalists that were invited to cover their wedding, and Katrina's father attending

Katrina donned a white gown with a veil covering her face. It was tailored in such a way she could only dream of. Kylan was handsome in his

black tuxedo, no

But then, even with occasional touches and kisses to satisfy the crowd and the media, something lacked between the two of them. Rylan wouldn't look at her longer. She would only smile and talk to him when the camera or someone would look their While everyone was congratulating them. Katrina knew her heart's crack gets bigger.

-0-0-0-

ONE MONTH LATER

Her alarm was blaring at an uncomfortable volume, and she groaned, rolling over and shurting it off with a tired sigh. She glanced at her phone, her eves only half open. Monday, again.

Another day of working after yet another night of next to no sleep. She was exhausted, mostly running on fumes at this point.

Kylan had her working an ungodly amount in preparation for both the Nightfall launch and their upcoming trip to Ireland.... which becomes the venue of their "honeymoon

It was wearing on her, on top of everything else. But she wouldn't say anything. How could she? Why would she? It wasn't as if Kylan enjoyed talking to her lately.

On the contrary, he seemed to constantly go out of his way to not talk to her at all, if he could help it.

It had been that way since returning from Maine. More and more, he sent her things to do through email or text. Less and less, he called her into has office directly.

She dropped off his tea every morning and talked about the schedule that typically never involved her working side by side with him anymore. then they'd part ways and do her own thing.

and

They hadn't been on a date since coming home, but she never asked why. Even more when he brought her home to their "home" as a husband and wife, they never crossed paths together. The house was big enough to not even see each other when they were at home, and Kylan's room was far from her

Katrina never brought up the contract at all. Instead, she did her best to act like everything was fine on their social media, choosing to take the high road where she could and where it might matter.

She wasn't certain Kylan cared about keeping up pretenses anymore, but until he told her to stop, she assumed she should keep putting in the

effort

y invisible.

Even though he wasn't. Even though he was robotic around her. Even though he made her feel entirely and painfully

He made certain to never leave when she was, or to arrive at the same time as she did anywhere. As such, she hadn't held hands since he dropped her off after Portland.

She had almost forgotten what it felt like, to be close to Kylan. Holding his hand. Seeing a side of him she never thought possible.

He sent her money after Portland, and then every week subsequently, which fuelled her to think he did still want the contract to be viable

It made no sense to her if she were honest. Sure, she crossed a line. But he had initiated it. He had kissed her, had pulled her dress down, had held her close to him on that bed, in that hotel room, under the glow of that damn bedside lamp.

It felt like Katrina was being unfairly reprimanded for something she wasn't sure she was responsible for. All of it hurt her far more than it should and was undoubtedly the reason for her sleepless nights and her headaches.

She pulled herself out of bed and forced herself to take a shower. She was dressed in a thick sweater dress and fleece stockings. It is the second week of December meant that winter was in full swing, and the dreary, grey weather was all too fitting for the constant storm cloud brewing in her heart.

She was frustrated. Frustrated and still confused. Confused and hurt. And she was tired of allowing Kylan of all people to impact her to this extent. She had always been terrific at deflecting his poor attitude and insults. She prided herself on the fact that she could singlehandedly deal with the ever-insufferable Kylan Ross.

But now! Now Katrina didn't know how to talk to him. To approach him. To reach him when he intentionally made himself scarce.

She went through the motions of finishing and getting ready for work, her mind far away from her as she did. Finally, though, she looked fine enough and so she pulled on her winter coat, and a pair of ankle boots, and grabbed her briefcase from near the front door. 252 PM Chapter 33

Oscar was waiting for her on the street below, past as he always was. He and Aaron were her only constants right now, and she found herself turning to them more often than before. Sering Oscar standing near his famdiar SUV, a smile on his face and a small bag of candy waiting for her. It was everything, really. It kept her sane.

gave him a brief side hug before getting in the backseat, not wanting to stand out in

"You are wonderful. Oscar I hope I tell you that enough" She gav the frigid cold for too long

"Thank you. Kate Oscar entered the flow of traffic with practiced ease a minute later, and then he glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "I feel the need to warn you of something"

The sharp tone of his voice caught her off guard, and her hand

"Warn me of what?" she asked Oscar, her own voice flat and cautious. She was instantly on edge, the rough night of sleep catching up to her now

Oscar was frowning his hands gripping the steering wheel just a bit too tightly to be casual. "There's a woman in Kylan's office right now. She said she's from the Gazette to do an article on the Nightfall and to interview Kylan specifically."

d stilled halfway to her mouth, the sour lime perched between her fingers still

She squinted at Oscar. She knew about the interview, but she was under the impression the journalist would be a man, not a woman.

"What happened to Paul Chavez?" She knew he wouldn't know the answer, but she couldn't help but ask anyway

"I overheard the woman say that he canceled due to a family emergency." Oscar surprised her by answering-

"Oh, okay. Well... We'll just take her to tour the Elorde warehouse, drag Aaron or Harry along with us, and big deal." She waved him off, allowing herself to eat the sour lime now.

d then tre

treat her to a fancy-as-hell lunch. N

Oscar was still frowning, she realized. "Katrina, it's none of my business, it truly isn't. But I... Well, I need to tell you that Kylan has. Well, he has a history with this woman. From a year or so ago." He sounded uncomfortable telling her, almost like he felt he was betraying Kylan's trust by doing

She stopped chewing the candy in her mouth, her stomach churning and already rejecting it. "Kylan doesn't sleep with reporters," she breathed.

"He doesn't anymore, no. Not since her. I don't know the story, or how Kylan goes about replaceing the woman he takes home. But I do know that he indeed slept with her. I drove them to his penthouse myself, and she was quite... Handsy with him during the drive." Oscar stopped at a red light and turned around to look at her.

Katrina wasn't sure what her face looked like to him, but she did notice the frown lines around his eyes worsen. "Kate, can I ask what happened in Portland You haven't.. I've been worried about you, ever since then. It's almost as if your light was put out. Even during the wedding as fake as it was. It appears as if you're simply going through the motions, and it worries me. Kylan hasn't been himself, either. The pair of you. What happened? Oscar had never been this forward before, and she wasn't sure how to process any of what he was saying or asking of her.

The fact that Oscar had picked up on her weirdness, on her hollowness. It made her both sad and anxious. She wondered if Kylan had sensed a difference too, or if he cared at all. Which clearly, he didn't, or he would have talked to her by now. He would have cleared the air, even if only a

Katrina licked her lips which were now far too dry, and then she cleared her throat and made herself meet Oscar's questioning gaze. "Lines were crossed or confused. I don't understand any of it. But it's bine, Oscar. I'm fine. Okay? L. I'm not in over my head." Her lower lip trembled, and she blinked, looking out the window now.

"I told you to let me know if you were ever in over her head, Kate. Is now that moment?" Oscar didn't say it rudely, or accusingly. He was gentle and kind. So kind. He was always so kind.

"It's not. Thank you, Oscar. Thank you for warning me. I appreciate your candor," She watched as he pulled into the parking garage, practically flinging herself out of the car as soon as he parked.

She didn't look back as she walked into Ross Corp, her heart splintering again within her chest