CHAPTER 60: MADE A BED SO I MUST LIE ON IT

Aiden’s POV

This marriage thing was getting more frustrating by the minute.

Not only did I have to babysit my silly, obnoxious wife, but I also had to play the role of the devoted husband in public. And let me tell you—it’s not as charming as the media makes it seem.

Alexia was a walking headache.

The kind that throbbed behind your eyes and made you want to slam your head against the nearest wall.

She was stubborn. Unruly. Impossible.

And worst of all? She wasn’t even trying.

At least if she was playing along, this would be easier. But no, she had to be difficult—rolling her eyes, whisper-yelling at me like I was some intruder in her life, like I wasn’t the reason she was even here in the first place.

As if she wasn’t standing next to me in designer clothes, holding a damn phone that I bought her.

And now? Now she had the audacity to glare at me like I was the problem.

Like I was the one making things hard for her.

I gritted my teeth, gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white.

Uncooperative.

That’s what she was.

And it was getting on my fucking nerves.

She didn’t get it, did she?

This wasn’t just about us.

This was about reputation. Business. Legacy.

This was about maintaining the illusion of control.

The world was watching, waiting for cracks to form. One wrong move, one slip, and they’d tear into me like vultures, picking apart everything I built.

And Alexia?

She wasn’t helping.

Not with her smart mouth. Not with her defiant attitude.

And definitely not with that look she was giving me right now.

"I thought I told you not to come to campus."

Her voice was sharp, laced with frustration.

I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to stay calm.

"And I thought I told you to keep up appearances."

She scoffed, shaking her head. "Oh, you mean that fairytale you spun for the press?"

I clenched my jaw.

There it was again. That reckless mouth of hers.

She was playing with fire, and she didn’t even realize it.

I turned my head, meeting her gaze with a cold, measured stare.

"Watch your tone."

Her eyes flashed.

And then she did something unbelievable.

She leaned in—close, too close—and whispered through gritted teeth...

"You watch your tone."

I blinked.

Did this girl just—?

My patience snapped.

I sucked in a slow, sharp breath, pinching the bridge of my nose.

This is fine, Aiden.

You’re not going to lose it.

You’re not going to tell her exactly how insufferable she is.

You’re going to handle this.

Because that’s what you do.

I exhaled sharply, my grip on the wheel loosening.

"Look," I said, my voice lower now, "I only did what was necessary. The press conference put us under a microscope. If I didn’t show up today, people would start digging. And the last thing we need is for them to find out the truth."

She didn’t reply.

But I could see the way her jaw tightened, the way she slumped against the window like a pouting child.

Typical.

Always throwing a fit when things don’t go her way.

Finally, after a long silence, she muttered, "Whatever. Just don’t do it again."

I let out a low, amused chuckle.

"No promises, sweetheart."

And just like that, I felt her entire body tense.

Good.

If she wanted to make this difficult, I’d make it hell.

She was supposed to have known that being my wife wasn’t going to be all easy-peasy before agreeing to this fucking deal.

I didn’t sign up for this nonsense.

She didn’t sign up for it either, but hell, she was stuck with it now. She knew exactly what she was getting into. I made sure of that.

This wasn’t some fairytale, some happily-ever-after bullsh*t.

This was business. A contract. A mutual agreement, not a romance. She needed to get that through her damn head.

It wasn’t supposed to be this hard.

But the way she kept pushing back against everything, acting like this was some kind of mistake... it was infuriating.

She was playing this tough little act, trying to make me feel like the villain, like I was the one who was messing things up.

She had no idea how difficult this was.

The press. The image. The expectations.

I had to juggle it all, keep everything running smoothly, while dealing with her damn stubbornness and uncooperativeness.

If she thought this was a joke, she was wrong.

But no.

No.

She needed to understand the stakes.

This wasn’t about a pretty dress and a cute smile.

It was about securing the future, playing my part, playing hers. It wasn’t just about us; it was about maintaining the empire I built, the name that mattered.

So if she didn’t want to play along, then fine.

She could either fall in line or face the consequences.

I had no time for pettiness, no patience for her throwing tantrums when things weren’t going her way.

She was my wife now, whether she liked it or not, and it was time for her to step the hell up.

And the more she fought it, the worse it was going to get.

I couldn’t let her ruin everything.

Not because of some childish stubbornness or naïve idea that things should be simple.

The real world didn’t work that way.

And she would learn that, whether she wanted to or not.

I wasn’t about to sit around and let her derail everything I had worked for.

So yeah, I’d be hard on her.

I’d make her understand.

She was going to have to adapt, or she’d regret it.

As I parked the car in the driveway of the villa, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of everything pressing down on me. My wife—if you could even call her that—was sitting beside me, her silence a constant reminder of how difficult she was going to make this whole thing.

I was already dreading the next few months, but there was no backing out now. Not after everything that had been set in motion.

I waited for her to get out of the car, and as soon as she slammed the door behind her, I made a sharp U-turn. Back to the grind. Back to my office.

Money didn’t come easy. Hell, people thought it did, but they had no clue what it took to maintain the empire I had built. Every day was a battle. Every decision, a chess move.

The moment I walked through the doors of my company, Tobias, my ever-efficient assistant, was there with a stack of folders in hand. He gave me a curt nod as he passed them over, his sharp eyes watching me closely.

"Here’s everything you need to focus on today, Mr. Timberlake," he said, his voice steady, always professional.

I took the folders without a word, flipping through them briefly as I walked into my office, but something caught my eye beneath the stack. A plain white envelope.

I opened it, my eyes narrowing as I pulled out a thick invitation card.

A business event.

Great. Just what I needed. I hated these stupid events. They were all about pretentious smiles and endless small talk with people who could barely remember your name five minutes after the conversation ended.

But as a prominent figure in the business world, I had no choice but to attend. Especially now that the world knew I was married. They’d expect me to bring my "wife" along.

I could already feel the tension building in my chest.

Did she even know how to act in public?

I wouldn’t put it past her to embarrass me with some childish outburst. I hoped she at least knew how to walk in heels. Heaven help me if I had to teach her how to properly play the role and wear heels.

I sighed and tossed the invitation onto my desk, rubbing my temples. The pressure never let up.

Tobias stepped back into the room after a moment, glancing at the card before looking at me with a raised brow.

"You’re expected at the event, sir," he said quietly, clearly sensing my mood.

"I know." I muttered, a little irritated. "I’ll go. Just... make sure everything is in order for the next meeting. And keep an eye on the media. I don’t want any slip-ups."

He nodded and left without another word.

I hated these events, but I hated being unprepared more.

This marriage, the image, the lies we had to maintain—it was all getting to me. Every damn day, it felt like a new challenge. And the worst part? I couldn’t even talk to anyone about it. Not with the way things were unfolding.

I had no idea how I was going to handle this. But for now, there was no choice but to keep up the charade.

And that meant making sure she didn’t ruin everything.