Tricked Him to Free My Husband

During an hurricane, I rescued Adrian Whitaker, the golden heir to one of the capital's most powerful families, from the ocean after he'd fallen into the water and lost his memory. While we were living in a cramped place in Seabrook, a small coastal town, I worked three jobs to pay for his treatment. I shielded him from a bottle when some thugs attacked him, and when he got sick during a torrential downpour, I carried him into town to see a doctor. Everyone said I was deeply in love with Adrian, that I cared about him so much I was willing to risk my life for him. Even Adrian himself thought so. So when his memory returned, and he was about to go back and take over his family's company, he asked me what I wanted. When I told him I only wanted him to grant me one wish, his face turned cold. "I can make sure you live in comfort for the rest of your life, but don't even think about becoming Mrs. Whitaker. Charis is the only woman in my heart." I didn't argue. I simply waited. On the day he officially took over the company, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Mr. Whitaker, please give me a letter of non-prosecution." Surprise flashed across his face. Then, for some reason, his expression darkened. "Do you really have to play hard to get at a time like this just to upset Charis?" I froze. Wait. How did asking for a letter of non-prosecution turn into playing hard to get? I was still waiting to get my poor, unlucky husband out of detention so I could bring him home for the holidays. Chapter 1 Maybel's POV "What do you need the letter of non-prosecution for?" Adrian Whitaker sat behind the desk in the CEO's office on the top floor of the Whitaker Group, dressed in a custom-tailored suit as he looked down at me. Yet just a few months ago, he'd been the man in an old tank top who followed me everywhere I went. The air-conditioning in the executive office was cranked so high that goose bumps rose across my skin. All I could think about was my husband sitting in detention, so I answered honestly, "I have a relative who worked for your company. He was made the scapegoat for someone else and got arrested. "I don't want money or a life of luxury. I just want this letter confirming the company won't press charges so he can get out." When Adrian heard I was trying to save a relative, some of the tension in his expression eased. But Charis Lambert, standing beside him, felt her eyes well up with tears and said sarcastically, "Adrian, Maybel Dawson saved your life and took care of you for so long. Even if she asked you to marry her in return, no one could really blame her. "But now she's pretending she doesn't want anything and making up this ridiculous excuse. Obviously, she's upset because I'm here. "I feel so guilty, but why should I? You and I were the ones in love before you lost your memory! And now somehow I'm the one who looks like I don't belong." With that, she burst into tears. Adrian immediately pulled her into his arms. When he turned back to me, his gaze was cold again. "Maybel, remember your place. Charis is generous enough not to hold this against you, but I've already told you that she is the only woman who will ever be Mrs. Whitaker." I kept my head down. There was still only one thing I cared about. "Okay. Then, Mr. Whitaker, can I still have the letter of non-prosecution?" Come on. Hurry up. A place like the county jail could wear a person down more with every day they spent inside. My husband, Nico Reynolds, already had a terrible stomach condition. A few more days in there would be awful for him. And his case was about to be handed over to the district attorney for prosecution. We were running out of time. My response seemed to catch Adrian off guard, and his expression darkened further. He gave a cold scoff. "Fine. You're an ordinary woman who took care of me for so long in that coastal town. I've always believed in repaying what I owe. I'll sign the letter." Caleb Foster, his assistant, presented the official document to me with both hands. I took it just as carefully, as though I'd been handed a treasure. "Thank you, Mr. Whitaker!" I bowed, turned, and rushed for the door. I was moving so fast that I even stumbled in front of the glass doors. I left too quickly to see Adrian instinctively reach out as if to steady me, only for his hand to freeze halfway. However, I did hear his cold scoff behind me. "Running away that fast because she doesn't even dare let me see her cry. So much for pretending she doesn't care." Charis turned and nestled against Adrian's chest, giving him a light, petulant tap. "Adrian, look at her. She got what she wanted and couldn't even bother to say anything nice." Adrian slipped an arm around her waist and patted the back of her hand reassuringly. "Don't be upset. She comes from a humble background. It's only natural that she doesn't know how to behave properly." Adrian stared toward the office doors, a complicated emotion flashing through his eyes—part satisfaction, part absolute certainty. "She took a bottle meant for my head when those thugs came after me. Then, during that torrential downpour, she carried me to get medical help even though she had a high fever herself. She's hopelessly devoted to me. She was willing to risk her life for me." "Now I've taken over the company, and she has to watch me holding your hand. She must be devastated. That's why she's deliberately acting so indifferent. She wants my attention." Charis bit her lip, jealousy flashing in her eyes. "Then what are you going to do with her?" Adrian gave a quiet laugh. "She saved my life. If I simply let her walk away, what would everyone in our circle say about me?" He turned to Caleb and lowered his voice. "Draw up an employment contract. Maybel Dawson will be my personal housekeeper. Have her move into the hillside estate. After Charis and I are married, we'll decide what to do with her." Caleb froze for a moment before quickly agreeing. Charis's face instantly went pale. She grabbed Adrian's sleeve. "Adrian! You said..." "Charis, be good." Adrian cut her off, his voice gentle but carrying an authority that left no room for argument. "You're the one who's going to be Mrs. Whitaker. No one can take that away from you. "But Maybel is deeply in love with me. Keeping her around as a housekeeper will at least give her a small piece of what she wants. As long as she behaves herself at the estate from now on and stops trying to compete with you, what's the harm in supporting her for the rest of her life?" Chapter 2 I clutched the letter confirming the company wouldn't press charges and ran the entire way, charging straight into the Ashbourne detention center. After completing all the paperwork, I made my way to the visitation room at the very back of the facility and finally saw my poor, unlucky husband, Nico. Nico was wearing a jail uniform. Before he'd been arrested as someone else's scapegoat, he'd been set up and attacked, leaving bruises all over his body and a split at the corner of his mouth. His normally tall, broad frame looked battered and disheveled as he sat in the metal chair. At the sound of the door opening, he struggled to raise his head. Messy hair hung over his eyes, but the moment he saw me clearly, his cracked lips moved. "Honey... what are you doing here?" My eyes stung. I hurried over, cupped his face in both hands, and turned it from side to side to inspect him. Thank God. His face wasn't ruined. His features were still as handsome and rugged as ever. "Enough talking. I'm taking you home." Supporting him as I went, I half pulled, half dragged him out of the detention center. Then I found a budget hotel and got him settled in. "Honey, what are we doing here? Why aren't we going home?" Nico sucked in a breath from the pain, but that didn't stop him from asking questions. "Shut up. Take off your clothes." I switched on the hotel's dim overhead light and expertly pulled out the antiseptic, pain-relief cream, and gauze I'd just bought at the drugstore. Nico's face reddened, and he shifted awkwardly. "Uh... I mean, I just got out, and we're already getting a hotel room. Isn't that a little..." I smacked his uninjured shoulder. "What are you thinking? I'm treating your injuries! If we don't take care of this now, you could lose the use of that arm!" I quickly unbuttoned his shirt and cleaned and treated his injuries. Nico's entire body trembled from the pain, but he gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound. The next morning, however, just as we were about to walk out of the hotel, a row of bodyguards in black suits blocked our way. They completely sealed off the entrance. Caleb emerged from behind them with a folder in his hand and a broad smile on his face. "Ms. Dawson, where are you headed?" His smile didn't reach his eyes as his gaze swept over Nico beside me. My heart skipped a beat, but I didn't let it show. I kept a steady arm around Nico. "Mr. Whitaker signed the letter, and I've already gotten my brother out. The roads are bad because of the hurricane. We're getting ready to go back to our hometown in the country so he can recover." "Oh, what unfortunate timing." Caleb sighed, though the smile on his face didn't fade in the slightest. "Mr. Whitaker just gave us his instructions. He said there's no way he could ever fully repay you for saving his life, and since he still hasn't recovered, he simply can't do without your attentive care. "He's hired you as the private housekeeper at his hillside estate. You are not permitted to leave without Mr. Whitaker's permission." Chapter 3 I frowned. "Then I still need to take my brother home first..." "Don't worry, Ms. Dawson," Caleb cut me off. With a wave of his hand, two burly bodyguards stepped forward and grabbed Nico, one on each side. "Your brother is so badly injured. How could he possibly handle a long trip? "Mr. Whitaker has been kind enough to arrange for him to stay at a top private hospital outside the city, where he'll be under close supervision. He'll have the best medical team available, and we'll make sure your brother is very well taken care of." I looked at the stone-faced bodyguards surrounding us, then at Nico, who was weak from his injuries and understood immediately. Adrian had never intended to let me leave. Nico struggled and glared at Caleb. "Let her go! If you want something, come after me!" I put my hand over Nico's and shook my head. People like us knew better than to pick a fight we couldn't win. I turned to Caleb, my face breaking into an overwhelmingly grateful smile. "I'm incredibly grateful for Mr. Whitaker's generosity. In that case, I'll have to trouble you to take good care of my brother for me, Mr. Foster." Caleb nodded in satisfaction. "You're a smart woman, Ms. Dawson. This way, please." That night, I was placed in a luxurious guest room at the hillside estate. The staff brought me custom designer clothes, and the table was covered with a dinner prepared by a Michelin-starred chef. But I didn't touch a single bite. Late that night, when everything was quiet, the door opened. Adrian walked in wearing silk pajamas, one hand tucked into his pocket. When he saw me sitting at the table, he assumed I'd been waiting for him. A trace of smug satisfaction flashed in his eyes. "What? Don't like the food? I've already taken care of your brother. A specialist examined him. He's not going to die." I lowered my head obediently. "Thank you, Mr. Whitaker." Adrian seemed pleased by my submissive attitude. He reached out, lifted my chin, and forced me to look him in the eyes. "Maybel, I know you feel wronged. Charis has been by my side for many years. I can't let her down. But I remember everything you've done for me. "From now on, stay here at the estate and be my housekeeper. I'll give you the best life money can buy, except for the title of my wife." "Yes, Mr. Whitaker." I lowered my eyes, hiding the mockery in them. "I'll know my place and make sure I never cause you any trouble." Satisfied, Adrian released me and turned to leave. "Get some rest. Don't come out until after Charis and I have had our engagement ceremony. It'll save us from any unnecessary trouble." I was kept inside the hillside estate for three whole days. During those three days, I tried climbing over the wall, bribing the security guards, and pretending to be sick. Nothing worked. Just as I was getting desperate enough to consider digging a tunnel, Charis strutted in with her personal assistant, Jenna Hollowell. Charis was wearing a bespoke designer gown, and the enormous diamond ring on her finger gleamed as she moved. She had obviously come to gloat. Her gaze immediately landed on the canvas bag I'd left on the table, and her eyes instantly filled with resentment. "Maybel, so you really are playing hard to get." Charis gave a cold laugh. "You think packing your things and putting on this pitiful act like you're ready to leave at any moment will make Adrian feel sorry for you and give you the title of Mrs. Whitaker?" I rolled my eyes, exhausted. "Ms. Lambert, you're seriously overthinking this. I packed my bag because I genuinely want to leave. "Could you please do me a favor and tell Mr. Whitaker to let me go? Your position as Mrs. Whitaker is completely secure. I absolutely won't fight you for it." But Charis took my words as mockery. She walked up to me, lowered her voice, and said through gritted teeth, "Stop pretending you're above all this! You think you can use the fact that you saved him to get a letter of non-prosecution and then have nothing left to worry about? "I'm telling you, Adrian only loves me! Even if you took a hundred bottles to the head for him, you'd still be nothing but a lowly country bumpkin!" I nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes, you're the important one. So can you let me leave?" My dismissive response seemed to infuriate her completely. Charis stared at me. Then, without warning, she picked up the cup of tea I'd just poured and took a sip. The next second, her expression changed drastically. The cup fell from her hand and hit the floor with a crash. Her entire body toppled backward, her breathing turning rapid as red welts quickly spread across her skin. "Ah!" She clutched her throat in agony and collapsed to the floor. "Ms. Lambert! Ms. Lambert, what's wrong?" Jenna immediately screamed, her voice shattering the silence of the estate. "Someone help! Maybel poisoned Ms. Lambert!" Chapter 4 I stood there, staring at Charis as she convulsed on the floor at my feet, completely stunned. It wasn't long before the guest room door burst open. Adrian rushed in with the family doctor and several security guards. He shoved me aside and scooped Charis off the floor, his voice trembling. "Charis! Charis, what's wrong?" Charis leaned weakly against him and pointed at me, barely managing to speak. "Adrian... Maybel said... if I died, she'd get to be Mrs. Whitaker. I feel awful..." With that, her head lolled to the side, and she passed out. The doctor hurried forward and gave her an antihistamine injection. Adrian whipped around, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at me. The look on his face made it seem like he wanted to tear me apart. "Maybel!" he roared through gritted teeth. "Because you saved my life, I've given you chance after chance. I even let you stay at my estate and enjoy a life of luxury! And you're vicious enough to poison Charis?" He strode toward me and struck me hard across the face. Smack! The force snapped my head to the side, and I tasted blood at the corner of my mouth. "You've disappointed me beyond belief!" Adrian shouted, his face filled with hurt and fury. I covered my numb cheek and watched him rage while my mind raced. Trying to kill his fiancee was a serious offence. If he called the police, I'd be looking at months behind bars at the very least. But Adrian wouldn't call them. He'd want to keep the scandal quiet. Sure enough, Adrian's body went rigid. "You think I wouldn't dare kill you?! You think saving my life gives you the right to do whatever you want!" He spoke through clenched teeth, but in the end, he still didn't do anything more severe. "Guards! Maybel is dangerous. Lock her in the basement! No one is allowed to see her without my permission!" The security guards grabbed me. I couldn't fight them off, and they dragged me out of the guest room. The basement was cold and damp, and the air smelled of mildew and dust. After shoving me inside, the guards locked the metal door and left. In the middle of the night, I reached into my pocket with practiced ease. Adrian must have been so furious that he'd forgotten one thing. The position he'd given me was "personal housekeeper." On my first day on the job, the estate manager had handed me a ring of spare keys to every room in the house so I could clean them. Talk about a stroke of luck! I pulled out the keys and quietly unlocked the basement door. Avoiding the security cameras, I climbed over the back wall of the estate and struggled my way out of the wealthy neighborhood. The moment I breathed in the free air outside, I almost threw my head back and laughed. Screw Adrian and his controlling billionaire act. Screw that scheming Charis, too. I was done playing their stupid games! I rushed to the private hospital outside Ashbourne that same night. Nico hadn't slept. He was sitting beside the hospital bed, staring out the window. At the knock on the door, he immediately got to his feet, alert. It wasn't until he heard my voice that he yanked the door open. The moment he saw me covered in dust with my hair a mess, his eyes turned red. He pulled me tightly into his arms, shielding me against his chest. "Honey... you've been through hell." His voice trembled as he held me close. That night, we hired a private car and headed straight for Seabrook. We were finally free to go wherever we wanted. Meanwhile, dawn was just beginning to break over the hillside estate. With dark circles under his eyes, Adrian had spent the entire night sitting in his study. Charis's allergic reaction had subsided long ago, and he'd already finished dealing with the endless company emails. He looked at the agreement lying on his desk, already drawn up to keep Maybel as his generously compensated mistress, and a confident smile curved his lips. Adrian toyed with the custom pen in his hand and leisurely asked Caleb, who stood beside him, "How are things in the basement? Has Maybel realized what she did wrong? Did she spend the whole night crying and demanding to see me?" Caleb bent slightly at the waist, desperately trying to figure out how to answer. Adrian waved him off with a quiet scoff, smug satisfaction flashing in his eyes. "Forget it. A little suffering will do her good. Maybe next time she won't use the fact that she saved my life as an excuse to get jealous and cause trouble for Charis." He stood, picked up the agreement, and headed for the basement with Caleb, full of anticipation. "Maybel, I know you only lost your head for a moment..." But when the bodyguard pushed open the heavy metal door, the smile froze on Adrian's face. Nothing answered him but silence. The room was empty. Adrian's heart plummeted. For the first time in his life, a wave of panic seized his heart.