Wife by Day, Boss by Night by Thalia Quillspeak

Chapter 56
“The contract is on the table. Sign it in the morning,” his voice, hot with a hint of urgency, whispered close enough for his breath
to graze her forehead.
Natalie tensed her body, snapping her eyes open.
He leaned in, his lips grazing the exposed collarbone peeking out from her pajama top.
Her shoulders and neck were places she dreaded his touch the most, betraying her with a shiver as his lips met her skin.
Instinctively, she bit down on her lower lip.
His hand found her ear, forcing her to turn and face him.
Clenching her teeth, Natalie braced herself against his advance. In the moment before their lips could touch, she found her
voice. “Brian, what do you think Davis and the rest would say if they knew?”
Brian paused, their eyes locked in a silent confrontation.
Natalie exhaled slowly, gathering the courage to continue. “I’ve said before that I’ll find a way to pay you back. But not like this.”
There were things she needed to make clear tonight. He had Madelyn, Gracia, and even a son. She didn’t know the full story
behind their relationship, but she was adamant about not getting dragged into their affairs. Her return was solely for Matthew’s
sake to fight the cancer that was robbing him of his breath.
“Audrey wrecked both our lives and decimated the Howard family, but we can’t let her mistakes dictate our future and continue
the destruction. Even if I ended up with a man less of a catch than Shawn, at least he’d offer me the dignity of a wife. At least

with him, I’d be in an equal. partnership.”
Equality was something she and Brian never had. After Audrey’s scandal, the chasm between them only grew wider.
The whole Howard family despised her. Though she bore no ill will towards them, guilt weighed heavy on her heart, especially
whenever she saw Nate, who reminded Natalie of her and Brian’s son, Zephyr.
“We’ve reached a point where being together is just mutual torture,” she whispered to him.
Before she could finish, Brian cut her off with a frosty retort, “Then let it be mutual torture. Natalie, I’ve told you before, you owe
me your life. You’ll never be able to repay that debt! And if I find out Gavin has been here again, I’ll ensure Global Entertainment
is wiped off the map of Streamville.”
The night he tracked the FireWing signal to this building, he discovered Gavin had been here. boldly stepping into her house
while Nate was present.
“You...” Natalie frowned, a hint of worry creasing her brow at the mention of Gavin.
11:25
Chapter 56
Fueled by his growing irritation at the thought, Brian abruptly let go of Natalie, grabbed the blanket from the bed, and strode into
the living room to crash on the couch.
She watched him leave. After a moment, she turned over and pulled Nate back into her embrace.
But sleep eluded her, her eyes shut against the darkness, mind racing.

In the hazy morning light, she listened as Brian took Nate to the bathroom to freshen up. Fighting the urge to stay in bed, she
rose, only to find Brian and Nate already gone.
She walked to the living room, where a plate of sandwiches sat next to two thin agreements.
Picking one up, she noted the clarity of the terms. According to the terms, she should stay by his side for a year and comply with
any demand. After that, all debts were forgiven, both free of
each other.
Brian’s bold signature was already etched at the bottom.
Staring at the “all debts forgiven,” Natalie mulled over it for what felt like forever. Finally, she picked up the pen from the table and
signed her name, sealing her fate.