Contract Marriage: The President's Stand-in Lover - Chapter 8:

The Flame of Jealousy

The days that followed sank into a strange kind of silence.

Vivian and Gu Chen still lived under the same roof,

but it was as if they had both been programmed to avoid each other polite, distant, mechanical.

Every word was measured.

Every silence, deliberate.

The air inside the villa felt frozen. Even the housekeeper and servants began tiptoeing around,

sensing something brittle in the atmosphere, as though one wrong sound might shatter it.

Vivian threw herself into work at the foundation. She volunteered for more projects,

attended meetings, reviewed case files late into the night.

She used busyness as armor to keep her thoughts from wandering where they shouldn’t.

No more questions about his past. No more waiting for an explanation.

Just finish the contract, she told herself.

Take what’s owed.

Three years later, we walk separate roads.

But wounds ignored don’t close. They simply bleed in silence.

That afternoon, Gu Chen came home earlier than usual.

He walked into the living room, where Vivian sat reviewing a stack of reports,

and placed a gold-edged invitation on the coffee table in front of her.

Tomorrow night. Grand Hotel. The Gu Group Annual Charity Gala.

You need to attend.

His voice was flat, calm, businesslike.

Vivian lifted her gaze briefly, looked at the invitation, and said nothing.

Gu Chen’s brow twitched. He added, The stylist will come tomorrow afternoon.

The gown and jewelry are ready.

Mm.

Her answer was soft, indifferent. She lowered her eyes again, turning a page as though the

glittering gala meant less to her than the numbers on the report.

That quiet composure that apathy somehow irritated him more than anger would have.

He had expected pushback, maybe even wounded protest, but not this cold indifference.

Tomorrow’s event is important, he reminded her, voice tightening.

There will be media and major partners

You don’t need to worry.

She finally looked up, a faint curve at the corner of her mouth not a smile,

exactly, but something sharper, almost mocking.

I know how to behave. I won’t embarrass you or the Gu family.

Her gaze was calm, unreadable, as deep as still water. Gu Chen’s throat moved slightly,

as though words rose and died there. He simply said, Good.

The next afternoon, the styling team arrived right on time.

Vivian sat quietly as they worked, letting them turn her into someone dazzling

someone who didn’t quite feel like herself.

When they finished, even the stylist gasped.

The silver fringe gown fit her perfectly, glimmering as she moved,

every flicker of light tracing the lines of her slender frame.

The sapphire necklace and earrings shimmered like midnight stars,

their chill mirroring the calm distance in her eyes.

When Vivian stepped down the staircase in heels, Gu Chen looked up from the sofa.

His gaze caught on her and stayed there.

For three seconds, he simply stared.

There was astonishment in his eyes, unhidden, raw.

But behind it came something deeper, heavier a shadow of possession,

and something darker still.

He rose to meet her, his movements precise, elegant, practiced.

Beautiful, he murmured. The words weren’t so much praise as confirmation

an acknowledgment of something already his.

Vivian said nothing. She simply took his arm, fingers grazing the fabric of his sleeve.

Beneath it, his muscles were firm and warm, but all she felt was cold.

The gala glittered with champagne and diamonds.

Everywhere she turned, the air shimmered with wealth and ambition.

When they arrived, the crowd’s attention shifted instantly the perfect couple,

the prince and his poised, untouchable wife.

Gu Chen commanded the room effortlessly, greeting partners, shaking hands, smiling for cameras.

Vivian stood at his side, graceful and silent, her every movement a reflection of decorum.

She played her role flawlessly.

Until she saw him.

Li Hao.

He was across the room, speaking with a group of scholars.

And as if drawn by her gaze, he turned.

Their eyes met.

For an instant, shock flickered across his face then regret.

He excused himself and walked straight toward them.

Vivian. Mr. Gu. What a coincidence.

His voice was polite, but his eyes never left her full of admiration

and something dangerously close to longing.

Gu Chen’s arm tensed around her shoulders. He pulled her closer,

his expression cool, his tone frigid. Mr. Li.

I’m here with my mentor, invited by the organizers,

Li Hao explained, still watching Vivian.

You look… incredible tonight.

The compliment was too personal, too open.

Gu Chen’s grip on her waist tightened until it hurt.

Thank you for complimenting my wife, he said, voice smooth but edged with steel.

Li Hao blinked, realizing his misstep. He smiled awkwardly, searching for neutral ground.

I heard you’ve joined the Gu Foundation. Congratulations

you’ve always dreamed of doing that kind of work.

Thank you.

Vivian’s tone was clipped, polite, desperate to end the conversation.

She could feel Gu Chen’s anger radiating through his touch, sharp enough to cut the air.

But Li Hao didn’t seem to notice. He took a small step closer, his voice softening.

Vivian… I’m leaving next month. I’ll be teaching at NYU.

I wanted to tell you before I go. And… I owe you an apology.

I was young, and foolish, and I made choices I regret.

Let the past stay buried, Li Hao.

Her voice was calm, but final.

We both have new lives now.

Yes, I suppose we do.

His smile was bitter, his eyes lingering on her.

I just hope you’re truly happy.

She is happy.

Gu Chen’s interruption was cold as frost. She doesn’t need your concern.

Before Li Hao could reply, the host announced that the charity auction was about to begin.

The tension between the three of them was sliced short,

but not dissolved only buried under applause.

During the auction, Gu Chen’s mood grew even darker.

When an antique diamond necklace said to have belonged to

European royalty appeared on stage, the bidding war ignited instantly.

Gu Chen didn’t hesitate once. Each time someone raised the price, he raised it higher,

his voice calm but his eyes burning with something fierce.

He won it with a number that made the room gasp.

When the hammer fell, applause thundered through the ballroom.

All eyes turned toward them the picture of passion and devotion.

Gu Chen leaned toward her, his voice low against her ear.

Only the best is worthy of you, Mrs. Gu.

To everyone watching, it was romantic. Intimate.

But Vivian heard the truth hidden beneath the words not affection, but possession.

Not tenderness, but a warning aimed straight at Li Hao.

That necklace was not a gift. It was a claim.

The car ride home was heavy with silence.

Gu Chen stared out the window, jaw tight, the streetlights flickering across his face.

Vivian said nothing, her thoughts tangled frustration, humiliation, exhaustion all swirling together.

The moment they entered the villa, he tore at his tie, turned, and pinned her with a burning gaze.

Stay away from Li Hao.

Vivian’s head snapped up. His jealousy, sharp and unmasked, hit her like a wave.

We only ran into each other by chance, she said, anger rising.

Don’t you think you’re overstepping, Mr. Gu?

Overstepping?

He laughed, a cold, humorless sound, stepping closer.

The way he looked at you I didn’t like it. Don’t forget who you are.

You’re Mrs. Gu. Every word and action of yours represents this family.

I won’t tolerate another scene like tonight.

His words struck her like blows not loud, but cruelly precise.

Misunderstanding? she echoed, trembling.

Gu Chen, how dare you accuse me like that?

There’s nothing between us anymore.

And you what right do you have to demand loyalty from me?

You won’t even tell me why you married me.

You and I both know who you’re really thinking of!

The unspoken truth hung in the air like lightning the substitute.

Gu Chen’s pupils darkened, storm brewing in their depths.

He seized her wrist, his grip so hard she gasped in pain.

Who I marry and why I marry is none of your concern.

His words came through clenched teeth, each one sharp and trembling with fury.

Your only duty in this marriage is to remain loyal.

That’s the agreement. If you break it

If I break it, I pay the penalty, right?

Her voice cracked, defiant even through tears.

Don’t worry, Mr. Gu, I can’t afford that. So I’ll keep playing your perfect Mrs. Gu.

But don’t forget contracts go both ways. You have no right to control my friendships.

Friendships?

The word hit him like fuel on flame.

In two strides he had her pinned against the wall, his breath hot, their faces inches apart.

His eyes blazed with a wild, dangerous light she had never seen before.

Watching your ex-boyfriend look at you like that you call that friendship?

Do you take me for a fool?

And what about you?

Vivian’s voice trembled, tears streaking down her cheeks.

What am I to you, Gu Chen? A tool to appease your grandfather?

A pawn to provoke your ex-lover? Or just a stand-in for the woman you can’t forget?

The last words ripped out of her throat like a scream.

The world fell silent.

Gu Chen froze, staring at her, his eyes dark and fathomless.

Anger twisted inside him pain, denial, confusion a chaos even he couldn’t name.

His grip on her wrist turned his knuckles white.

Vivian’s heart pounded, caught between fear and defiance.

Then, suddenly he let go.

Before she could react, he bent down and kissed her.

It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t tender.

It was punishment raw, furious, claiming.

This was not the polite brush of lips from their wedding, nor the fleeting confusion of Venice.

This kiss was a storm a desperate, consuming force,

demanding that she remember who she belonged to.

Vivian struggled, pushing weakly against his chest, but his strength crushed her resistance.

His scent cold cedar, sharp and intoxicating filled her lungs until her

thoughts dissolved into white noise.

Her knees weakened. Breath fled.

When he finally released her, both were trembling.

Her lips were swollen, her breath unsteady. Her eyes shimmered with tears and confusion.

Gu Chen looked down at her, his voice hoarse, low, threaded with something dangerous.

Now do you remember who you belong to?

Then he turned, climbed the stairs, and disappeared without another word.

Vivian sank to the carpet, fingers trembling against her burning lips.

Her heart raced wildly, her mind spinning.

That kiss was it jealousy? Possession?

Or something else entirely?

She didn’t know.
She only knew that the man called Gu Chen was

becoming more and more of a mystery.

And this marriage, born from a contract, was beginning to slip beyond her control

like fire spreading through glass, beautiful and unstoppable.