The Ceo's contract wife

Chapter 30: "Not the Right Time?"

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"Annual gala?" Li blinked. "You want me to go… with you?"

Ethan looked up from his tablet, leaning back into his leather office chair. "We're married, remember?"

She narrowed her eyes. "You mean 'contractually obligated.'"

A smirk tugged at his lips. "Exactly. What kind of CEO shows up alone when he has a perfectly presentable wife on paper?"

Li rolled her eyes, but her heart beat just a little faster.

The dress arrived later that evening—a stunning, off-shoulder navy blue gown, tailored to perfection. She stared at the silk fabric, unsure whether to feel touched or tricked.

"Do I look like your trophy wife now?" she asked as she stepped out of the dressing room.

Ethan, standing by the car, froze when he saw her.

His gaze traveled slowly—intently—from her bare shoulders down to her heels. "No," he said after a moment. "You look like someone who could make me forget this is all fake."

She didn't respond. She couldn't.

—

The gala was glittering and loud, a sea of suits and champagne.

They played their roles well—his hand resting lightly on her back, her smile poised. But beneath the practiced routine, every glance they shared felt like a question neither dared to ask.

"Your wife is stunning, Ethan," one of the board members said, raising a glass.

"She always is," he replied smoothly, his eyes on her instead of the man.

Li's fingers tightened slightly around her champagne glass. That wasn't in the script.

Later, in the parking lot under the soft glow of the street lamps, silence settled between them.

"You did well tonight," he said, opening the car door for her.

"So did you," she murmured, slipping inside.

But just before he closed the door, he leaned in—too close.

His voice was quiet, low. "Do you ever forget… that this is just a contract?"

Li looked up, heart skipping. Their faces were inches apart. His breath brushed her cheek.

"I try not to," she whispered.

His eyes searched hers.

Then slowly—almost hesitantly—he began to lean in.

Li's breath hitched, but just as his lips nearly met hers, she turned her head away.

A pause.

A long, aching pause.

Ethan pulled back, jaw tense. His voice barely above a whisper.

"Not the right time… right?"

She didn't answer.

Because she wasn't sure what the right time was anymore.