His Public Wife

A man and a woman sit close at the table, the man's face blank while his hand disappears under the tablecloth.

The table made a sound. Half a cough, half a laugh.

Barrett's face didn't move. But under the tablecloth his hand found my knee.

His Public Wife

Chapter 5 of 16

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Synopsis

Lacey Quinn trusted her fiancé with her recipes and her future. At his company's Founders' Table dinner, Gavin raises a glass and says, "You were just my practice wife, Lacey. Smile for the real one." Then he announces his engagement to the chairman's daughter. The room laughs. Lacey wants to disappear. Then Barrett Vaughn, the billionaire who owns the company, stands up and calls Lacey his wife. He offers her a deal: one year of marriage in public, a safe place to live, and the money to start her own business. She gets protection. He gets the wife his family trust demands. No feelings. No messy questions. But Barrett's care feels more dangerous than Gavin's cruelty ever did. He notices what she needs before she asks. He watches her across every room. Lacey starts to wonder if safety is just another word for control. The more Barrett protects her, the more she needs to prove she can stand alone—and the more she needs him to let her. Because a safe marriage might cost her more than a cruel one ever did.