Chapter 2

Instead of heading to the city hall, the car pulled up in front of a high-end couture boutique.

James said, "Get out of the car."

He unbuckled his seatbelt.

I stubbornly stayed put and said, "I'm not going. I want to go home."

James walked around the front of the car, opened the passenger door, and looked down at me from above.

He said, "Tonight, the Kingston family is hosting a charity gala. You're expected to attend as my fiancée."

"I'm not going." I turned my head away. "Someone like me, a petty thief with body odor, doesn't belong in a place like that."

James let out a low chuckle, then suddenly bent down and slipped his arms under my armpits and knees, scooping me up in a bridal carry.

As my body was lifted off the ground, I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck.

People passing by stopped to stare, and some even whipped out their phones to snap pictures.

I yelled, "James, put me down. Are you some kind of freak?"

I was flailing in his arms like a dying fish.

James tightened his hold around me, making me wince from the pressure.

"If you keep struggling, I'll kiss you right here in front of everyone," he said.

That did the trick.

I froze, slapped a hand over my mouth, and glared at him like I wanted to kill him.

As soon as we stepped inside, it was clear the staff had already been notified; rows of designer gowns were lined up, ready for us.

James placed me on the sofa and, with a nonchalant gesture, pointed to a red, deep V-neck evening dress.

"Try this one," he said.

I glanced at the dress; it barely had any fabric, the back was completely open, and the slit went all the way up to the thigh.

"I'm not wearing that. It's way too revealing, and with my body odor, I'll probably knock everyone out cold," I said.

I was not dropping my act.

James sat across from me, crossed his legs, and took a sip of coffee handed to him by a staff member.

"Don't worry, I've got a stuffy nose anyway," he said.

The staff was struggling to hold back their laughter, their shoulders shaking with the effort.

I, pissed off, grabbed the dress and marched straight into the fitting room.

Whatever, I would wear it.

Later at the gala, I would pull off a wild strip show; let's see how embarrassed James got.

But when I tried to zip it up, the zipper got stuck halfway.

I twisted my arm behind my back, fumbling with it for ages, sweating bullets in frustration.

Just then, the curtain of the fitting room was yanked open.

And James's punchable face stared back at me in the mirror.

"What the hell are you doing? Get out!" I shrieked, clutching my chest in panic.

He walked in, stone-faced, closed the door behind him, and the tiny fitting room suddenly felt even more claustrophobic.

"I've been listening to you grumbling in here for ages. What, you need a hand or something?" James said.

Who was grumbling?

Before I could curse him out, his cold fingers were already on my back.

A shiver ran down my spine.

James took his time zipping up the dress, his fingertips barely grazing my spine as he did.

"Olivia, you've lost weight," James said, his voice low and carrying an emotion I couldn't quite read.

I went completely rigid, not daring to move an inch.

"Like that's any of your business," I snapped.

He suddenly lowered his head, his lips pressed right against the shell of my ear. "With a waist this tiny, pregnancy's going to be tough on you."

The gala was all glitz and glam.

I hooked my arm through James's as we entered, feeling like a prisoner being marched to my doom.

James looked all polished and proper in his custom black suit, hair perfectly styled, and that icy, stoic face; every socialite in the room couldn't help sneaking glances at him.

But only I knew the real deal; this man was a beast in a suit.

As soon as we walked in, a bunch of spoiled heirs who usually clashed with James swarmed over.

At the front was Ryan Cole, the youngest son of the Cole family. He had been double-teamed by James and me plenty of times in the business world.

"Well, well, if it isn't Mr. Kingston. Heard you went matchmaking today. So, did you finally bag Ms. Sterling?" Ryan said.

Ryan's eyes raked over me, lingering on my chest with a sleazy grin.

"Ms. Sterling, you're looking smoking hot tonight. How come I never noticed you were packing so much heat before?" he said.

Before I could say a word, James shifted to block Ryan's gaze, stepping protectively in front of me.

He slipped off his suit jacket and gently draped it over my shoulders, so tender it was almost out of character.

Then James turned to Ryan, his gaze icy and unforgiving.

"Try staring again, and I'll rip your eyes out," he said.

James's vibe was so intense that it made Ryan flinch, but then his embarrassment quickly turned to anger.

"Drop the act. Everyone knows the Sterling family's about to go under. Olivia's a washed-up has-been now. What's the matter, Mr. Kingston—into rescuing strays these days?" Ryan jeered.

Some people around couldn't help snickering.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging painfully into my palms.

Yeah, the Sterling family really was a mess, but getting humiliated in front of everyone was a first.

I was about to throw my wine right in Ryan's face when James grabbed my hand.

He calmly straightened his cuff and said, "Ryan, whatever happens to the Sterling family is none of your business. As for Olivia..."

James suddenly wrapped his arm around my waist, pulled me into his embrace, and pressed a warm kiss to my forehead.

The touch was heated, brimming with an unmistakable possessiveness.

James said, "She's my fiancée, the future matriarch of the Kingston family. If you insult her, you're disrespecting me."

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Ryan's face darkened. He asked, "James, you're actually serious?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" James shot back.

He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"Leo, cut off all building material supplies for the Cole family's project on the south side. Why? Ryan's mouth is so foul, it's polluting the air," James said.

After hanging up, he shot Ryan a cold, merciless glare. "Get lost."

Ryan's face went ghostly pale, and he practically scrambled away in a panic.

I stared at James, totally dumbfounded.

This plot twist was all wrong.

Wasn't he supposed to use this chance to humiliate me?

Why was he suddenly playing the overbearing CEO protecting his wife?