Contract Bride’s Rebellion: The CEO Can’t Resist Her

My brother is known in our circle for having a terminal case of lovesickness. To chase after the high and mighty princess of the Blackwood family, he practically ripped his own face off and stomped on it.

Im his sister, but my brain has only one mission: to absolutely, under no circumstances, let my brother be a simp.

To give him a taste of sweet revenge, I went undercover and got close to the Blackwood family's eldest son, figuring I'd try a flanking maneuverget to the source of the problem.

It backfired. Spectacularly.

In the end, that same princess tied us both up, trussed like holiday turkeys, and threw us in her living room.

"I'll marry your brother! You marry my brother! How about that? I'm begging you two, just stop tormenting me!"

Me: ?

When my brother, Connor, first started college, he fell for a girl in his year at first sight and completely lost his mind.

I later found out she was Julie Blackwood, the treasured jewel of the Blackwood family, famous for her beauty, talent, and proud demeanor.

I tried to talk some sense into him. "She's a goddess, and we're just mortals. It's not gonna happen."

My brother insisted I didn't know a thing, that she was his soulmate.

And so, the fool began a two-year-long, frantic pursuit.

Daily pick-ups and drop-offs, flowers, and gifts were the bare minimum, and he never even managed to snag the title of "official boyfriend." They went on dates and had meals together, but to any outsider, it was clear Julie had never said yes. My brother was just a veteran simp, at her beck and call.

I called him pathetic, a terminal case of lovesickness.

He'd yell back, his eyes red, that he was happy to do it, that you can't put a price on true devotion.

What could I do?

Our parents passed away early, so my brother and I grew up relying on each other. Connor might not have a head for business, but he gave me all his kindness and protection. When our parents first died, our relatives circled like vultures, eyeing our family company, ready to tear us apart. It was my brother who shouldered all the pressure, fighting tooth and nail at countless dinners, drinking until he coughed up blood and ended up in the hospital, just to protect our business and protect me.

In my heart, my brother is my only family.

For him to fall for someone this hard, even if she was a block of ice that would never melt, I had to swallow my disgust and help him strategize for the sake of his happiness.

Until Julie's junior year, when she suddenly took off to study abroad without a word.

By then, I had taken over the company. The universe, it seems, has a sense of balance; all the business acumen my brother lacked was given to me. I was tougher than him, sharper. After half a year of battling the old foxes on the board, I had finally secured my position.

But my brother completely fell apart.

When he heard Julie had left the country, he drank himself into a stupor and ended up in the emergency room.

I rushed to the hospital, fuming. I pushed open the door to find him trying to rip the IV drip out of his arm.

His face was ashen. "I don't want to live anymore. Julie doesn't want me. What's the point?"

My head was buzzing, my temples throbbing. Without a second thought, I marched over and slapped him. Hard.

"She went abroad, she didn't die! Are you out of money or do you not have a passport? Why don't you go after her?"

The slap seemed to knock some sense into him. He stared at me, stunned, before it finally clicked. "Oh, right Quick, give me my phone, I need to book a flight!"

I tossed him the phone. He eagerly scrolled through his chat history, but after a few swipes, his face fell like a wilted flower.

"A few days ago I saw a guy confessing his feelings to her, and I got so angry I blocked her"

I took a deep breath, fighting the urge to strangle him. "So you don't even know what country she's in or what school she's attending?"

My brother shook his head miserably.

I was beyond frustrated. "Alright, stop whining. I'll have someone look into it. You just stay put. Don't work yourself into an early grave before you even see your precious 'sister-in-law'."

Hearing the word "sister-in-law," the fool immediately stopped fussing and obediently lay down.

Outside the hospital room, I read the message from the private investigator and fell into deep thought.

"Ms. Reid, Ms. Blackwood's whereabouts have been deliberately hidden. The person responsible is her brother."

Julie's brother?

Xavier Blackwood?

The legendary business prodigy who hit the Forbes list by the age of thirty?

The Reid and Blackwood families didn't have any business dealings, and I had never met the man. If he was the one intentionally hiding her, this was going to be a problem. If I told my brother this, he'd just dissolve into another puddle of tears.

I rubbed my temples and decided to meet this Xavier Blackwood myself.

The next day, I sent my assistant to make contact. She came back pale as a ghost. "Ms. Reid, Mr. Blackwood said"

"Said what? Spit it out."

"He said the Blackwood family has high standards, and they would never let their daughter marry a crybaby waste of space. He told us to give up now."

I saw red.

I was furious.

Who the hell was Xavier Blackwood to talk about my brother like that? So what if he cries a little? He's kind and gentle, and aside from his lovesickness, he's a great guy!

Xavier Blackwood, you've made an enemy.

Since playing nice didn't work, it was time to play dirty.

First, I sent a few handsome men and beautiful women to apply for jobs at the Blackwood Corporation, hoping a little seduction would loosen some lips. I figured every man has a weakness, right?

Less than three days later, they all came back with their tails between their legs.

"Ms. Reid, Xavier Blackwood isn't human! He made us run fifty laps around the company building at the crack of dawn, to 'build character'!"

I gritted my teeth.

Fine. If he wouldn't fall for honey traps or threats, I'd handle it myself.

I went home and told my brother, "You watch the company for a few days. I'm going to handle your future brother-in-law."

He looked skeptical. "Are you serious? Or are you just trying to skive off work and go on vacation?"

I gave him a cold smile. "Say that again. Do you want me to post all your pathetic love letters online?"

He immediately shut up.

With the fool at home taken care of, I created a new identity, transforming myself into a recent graduate, and managed to get a job at the Blackwood Corporation.

I thought I'd find a chance to get close to Xavier. Instead, I spent a week in the finance department and didn't even figure out where his office was.

My patience wore thin.

That afternoon, armed with a stack of questionable financial reports, I barged into the executive elevator.

When the doors opened, Xavier Blackwood's icy face was right there. Our eyes met. We were both stunned.

I recovered quickly, shoving the reports into his chest. "Mr. Blackwood, I have an urgent matter to report."

The pressure in the CEO's office was suffocating. I slammed the evidence of embezzlement I'd spent all week uncovering onto his desk. Even though I was a spy, my professional ethics wouldn't let me ignore such a massive discrepancy.

Xavier flipped through the documents, his expression growing darker. Finally, he looked up at me, his gaze sharp and appraising.

Soon after, the executive who had been embezzling funds was fired. And I, inexplicably, became Xavier's new favorite, promoted directly to his executive assistant.

While it wasn't part of my original plan, it was a lucky break. I had gained his trust. He even specifically requested that I accompany him to a business gala that evening.

Talk about a small world.

I was on Xavier's arm when we ran right into my brother at the event.

Xavier clearly had a terrible impression of Connor. The moment he saw him, his brow furrowed, and a chill emanated from him. My brother, on the other hand, saw me, and his eyes went wide, his mouth opening, ready to start bawling.

I shot him a death glare: Hold. It. In.

He choked back his tears, looking utterly wronged.

After a few drinks, everyone was a little tipsy. Xavier was slightly flushed, and my brother was swaying on his feet. The fool stumbled over, holding a glass, and yelled at Xavier, "Bro! A toast! To you! May your company prosper and make you a fortune!"

Xavier gave him a cold glance and didn't even touch his glass.

My brother's fragile heart shattered on the spot. His eyes welled up, the dam about to break.

My own heart leaped into my throat. If he cried in public, the Reid family's reputation would be ruined!

I quickly grabbed a glass and, when no one was looking, dragged my brother by the wrist out onto the terrace.

"Cry, cry, cry! Is that all you know how to do? Can't you have a little dignity?" I hissed.

He sniffled. "But but I haven't seen Julie in a month I miss her so much"

I clamped my hand over his mouth, afraid someone inside would hear.

Just then, a cold voice came from behind us.

"What are you two doing?"

The voice was like a clap of thunder, nearly scaring me to death. I stiffly turned around.

Xavier was standing in the shadows, his gaze chillingly fixed on our intertwined hands.

"What are you doing?" he repeated, his voice thick with suppressed anger.

I let go of my brother's hand as if I'd been electrocuted, my mind racing. "Um Mr. Blackwood, I saw this gentleman was drunk and was worried he might cause a scene, so I brought him out for some fresh air. I was just helping him sober up."

My brother was nodding frantically beside me.

Xavier was silent, his eyes darting between my face and my brother's. Suddenly, understanding seemed to dawn on him, and his expression turned darker than a stormy sea.

"Tessa, come here."

In that moment, I was eternally grateful that I'd used my mother's maiden name for my undercover identity.

I sheepishly walked over to him. My brother was still looking at me with the mournful eyes of an abandoned puppy.

Xavier grabbed my wrist, his grip surprisingly strong, and pulled me away. I kept looking back, desperately trying to signal to my brother: Don't worry, I'm fine! Get out of here!

Xavier dragged me to a deserted corner, trapping me between the wall and his body. He smelled faintly of wine, and his presence was overwhelmingly intense.

His eyes were tinged with red as he stared down at me, a look that made my stomach flutter with nerves.

Crap, did he figure out I'm a spy?

"Tessa, you like him?"

I froze, a million questions marks popping up in my head.

What?

Seeing my silence, Xavier seemed to get even angrier, his tone laced with scorn.

"Don't. A man who does nothing but cry isn't worth it. Besides, he only has eyes for my sister. You don't stand a chance."

I almost coughed up blood. Me? Like my own brother? Am I sick in the head?

I shook my head frantically. "No! I swear I don't like him!"

Xavier's expression softened slightly. "Really?"

"Absolutely!"

"Good." He seemed relieved, his voice softening too. "I was going to give you my sister's address, but if you don't like him, then I guess there's no point"

"Wait!"

Alarm bells went off in my head. For the sake of my brother's happiness, I had to go all in.

I grabbed his tie, my expression instantly shifting to one of profound sorrow.

"Actually Mr. Blackwood, I was lying. I do like him. I've liked him for a long time."

Xavier's face instantly turned to stone. "Tessa, are you playing games with me?"

I went for a full-blown Oscar performance, tears streaming down my face. "I really do like him! But I know he only loves your sister, so I tried to get into the Blackwood Corporation just to see to see what kind of girl could captivate him so completely"

Xavier stared at me, his eyes a mixture of complex emotions.

I cried even harder. "Mr. Blackwood, please just tell me. Let me see her one time, just once, and I'll give up! I promise, after I see her, I'll come back and work hard and never think about him again!"

In the end, he couldn't withstand my performance. He let out a long sigh. "Alright, stop crying. I'll give you the address. But after you see her, you have to give up. A man like that isn't worth your time."

I nodded furiously. "Don't worry, Mr. Blackwood! I'll give up completely! I'll be totally over him!"

Inside, I was cackling with glee. Mission accomplished!

After getting the address, I promptly quit my job and flew with my brother to a romantic little town abroad.

Connor finally saw the goddess of his dreams.

Unfortunately, reality was harsh.

At an outdoor caf, Julie was laughing and talking with a handsome, scholarly-looking young man, their hands resting on top of each other's.

And that man just happened to be my brother's sworn enemy, Landon.

My brother exploded on the spot, charging over and screaming, "Julie! How could you do this to me? You know I hate him!"

Julie was startled, her face clouding over. "Connor, are you ever going to stop? I don't like you. Why did you follow me here? Can't you just leave me alone?"

My temper flared. My brother might be a fool, but his feelings for you are real. You can reject him, but you don't get to humiliate him! And Landon was notoriously deceitful. I wasn't about to let my brother get hurt.

I stormed over and, without a word, slapped Landon across the face. Twice.

I don't hit women, but this guy, I couldn't stand.

Smack! Smack!

The sound was crisp and satisfying.

Landon was stunned. "Who the hell are you? Are you crazy?"

Julie was furious, her eyes red. "Why did you hit him? Landon is just a classmate, he doesn't even like me! What right do you have?"

My brother was still stuck on his own point. "I don't like you? Julie, where did you get that idea? I'm crazy about you!"

"I got it from both my eyes! What you do is called harassment, not love!"

The scene devolved into chaos.

In the end, Julie ran off, and my brother stood there like a wooden statue.

"How could she say that to me"

Seeing him so dejected, I felt a pang of sympathy. I had pissed off Xavier, lost my job, and all for this.

Just then, my phone rang.

It was Xavier. Over and over again, the vibration making my hand numb.

Feeling incredibly guilty, I turned it off.

"Come on, bro! We're going for a drink tonight! There are plenty of fish in the sea. We don't need this one!"

I dragged my brother to a local bar. That night, we both drank ourselves into oblivion.

When I opened my eyes, my head felt like it was splitting open. I tried to move but found my hands and feet were tied. I looked down to see myself trussed up like a sausage, lying on the floor. Next to me, also tied up and snoring loudly, was my brother.

My heart dropped.

Crap. Were we kidnapped? Did Xavier find us?