The Billionaire’s Wife Doesn’t Compete for Love
Chapter 1
The engagement announcement came at my grandfather-in-law’s eightieth birthday gala.
In front of half the business elite of New York, Arthur Ashford, patriarch of the Ashford family, smiled and declared,
“I’ve decided. Evelyn Carter will marry my grandson, Adrian Ashford.”
The ballroom fell silent.
Then came the whispers.
Everyone knew Adrian Ashford had never loved anyone except one woman.
Claire Bennett.
She lived in a renovated guest cottage on the Ashford estate, protected by Adrian for years.
If Claire’s late father hadn’t been imprisoned for embezzlement that nearly destroyed the Ashford Group, she would’ve become Mrs. Ashford long ago.
People watched me with sympathy.
Or amusement.
Waiting for me to embarrass myself.
Unfortunately for them…
I didn’t care.
Three years earlier, my fiancé, Captain Daniel Brooks, had died while leading a rescue mission after a devastating landslide in Colorado.
The day they handed me his folded flag, a part of me had died with him.
Whether I married Adrian Ashford or a stranger made little difference.
Besides…
Becoming Mrs. Ashford wasn’t a bad deal.
The Carter family needed stronger ties to New York’s old-money circles.
As for love?
Love had never been part of this contract.
Our wedding ended just before midnight.
Inside the master suite, Adrian and I exchanged a ceremonial toast.
The crystal glasses had barely touched when frantic knocking echoed outside the bedroom door.
“Mr. Ashford!”
A maid’s trembling voice came through the door.
“Miss Bennett’s migraine has returned. She’s in terrible pain. Please… she keeps calling your name.”
Adrian stood so quickly his chair scraped across the marble floor.
Only after taking two steps did he seem to remember I existed.
He turned toward me.
For a brief moment…
There was guilt in his eyes.
I smiled faintly.
“You should go.”
His brows knitted together.
“Our wedding night…”
“A person’s health matters more than tradition.”
I shrugged lightly.
“I’ll survive one evening alone.”
His expression softened.
“I’ll come back as soon as I can.”
I simply nodded.
The bedroom door closed behind him.
I looked toward my housekeeper.
“Emily.”
The middle-aged woman hurried forward.
“Yes, Mrs. Ashford?”
“Help me remove the veil.”
She hesitated.
“Won’t you wait for Mr. Ashford?”
I smiled at my reflection in the mirror while removing the diamond earrings.
“He isn’t coming back tonight.”
Emily opened her mouth, then quietly lowered her head.
She understood.
The next morning Adrian returned.
His tuxedo was wrinkled.
He smelled faintly of antiseptic… and Claire’s floral perfume.
Today we were expected to serve tea and breakfast to the Ashford elders.
He looked unusually tense.
Probably worried I would cause a scene.
Instead, I stepped forward and adjusted his tie.
His eyes widened.
“Our marriage is public now,” I said calmly.
“Whether we like it or not, your reputation affects mine.”
I straightened his collar.
“What happened last night stays between us.”
“There is no reason to embarrass Grandfather.”
For several seconds, Adrian only stared at me.
Then he quietly said,
“…Thank you.”
That afternoon Adrian left for work.
I remained at Ashford Manor.
By evening, when he returned, he found seven servants kneeling in the entrance hall.
Their hands were tied behind their backs.
Claire’s longtime nanny was among them.
Adrian frowned.
“What happened?”
The nanny immediately burst into tears.
“Mr. Ashford!”
“Mrs. Ashford wants to fire all of us!”
“She’s jealous because you care about Miss Bennett!”
“She even threatened to slap Miss Bennett!”
Adrian didn’t look at me immediately.
He wasn’t foolish enough to believe every accusation.
I calmly set down my teacup.
“This morning,” I said evenly, “your staff gathered in the conservatory during working hours.”
“They drank wine.”
“They gambled.”
“And they entertained themselves by discussing your private life.”
The servants lowered their heads.
I continued.
“They described—in remarkable detail—how you spent the entire wedding night in Miss Bennett’s cottage.”
“Apparently they even know how long you massaged her temples.”
The nanny lifted her chin.
“Because Mr. Ashford truly loves Miss Bennett!”
I ignored her.
Instead, I looked directly at Adrian.
“Where you sleep is your decision.”
“But employees turning their employer’s private life into entertainment?”
“That’s unacceptable.”
I stood.
“They’re not insulting me.”
“They’re humiliating the Ashford family.”
Silence filled the room.
Adrian tapped two fingers lightly against the back of a chair.
Thinking.
The nanny suddenly cried louder.
“Miss Bennett needs me!”
“She’ll panic if I’m gone!”
I turned toward Emily.
“Has the car been prepared?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Send every one of them to the country estate.”
“They’re suspended indefinitely.”
I paused.
“As for Mrs. Wilson…”
I looked at Adrian.
“She served Miss Bennett.”
“She’s your decision.”
The nanny looked at Adrian with desperate hope.
“Sir…”
Without hesitation Adrian answered,
“Send her with the others.”
The nanny froze.
Her crying stopped instantly.
Adrian turned toward me.
“Are you satisfied?”
I smiled politely.
“You shouldn’t ask me.”
“You should ask whether the Ashford family’s rules are satisfied.”
The following afternoon…
Claire Bennett finally came to see me.
She wore a simple ivory dress.
Her makeup was pale enough to emphasize her fragile beauty.
A faint reddish mark peeked above her collar.
Whether accidental…
Or carefully placed…
Only she knew.
She walked into the drawing room and coughed softly twice before kneeling.
She offered me a porcelain teacup with both hands.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Ashford.”
“My illness interrupted your wedding night.”
“And caused Adrian so much trouble.”
She emphasized his first name just enough for everyone in the room to hear.
Emily stiffened.
Several maids exchanged uneasy glances.
I didn’t reach for the tea.
Claire slowly looked up.
Her eyes shimmered with tears.
“If my presence bothers you…”
“I can leave the cottage.”
“But your grandfather-in-law was the one who insisted I stay after my parents passed away.”
“I wouldn’t want to disappoint him.”
I gently stirred my tea.
“I haven’t said a single word.”
“And yet you’ve already decided I’m the villain.”
I looked at her with mild amusement.
“Your migraines seem far less active than your imagination.”
Claire’s smile faltered.
“I… didn’t mean—”
Before she could finish—
The drawing room doors opened.
Adrian walked in.
Claire startled.
The teacup slipped from her fingers.
Hot tea splashed across the back of her hand.
She gasped dramatically.
Adrian crossed the room immediately.
“What happened?”
Claire bit her lip.
“I… I’m fine.”
Her maid instantly dropped to her knees.
“Mr. Ashford!”
“Mrs. Ashford refused Miss Bennett’s apology!”
“She accused her of pretending to be sick!”
I looked at the girl.
“I said those exact words?”
The maid trembled.
“But… that was what you meant.”
Adrian finally looked at me.
“Claire isn’t well.”
“There was no need to make things difficult.”
I laughed softly.
“Last night she had a headache.”
“You rushed over.”
“Today she burns her hand.”
“You appear again.”
I tilted my head.
“You’d make an excellent emergency physician.”
Claire quickly tugged at Adrian’s sleeve.
“Please don’t blame her.”
“I came at the wrong time.”
I stood.
Walking slowly toward Claire.
“No.”
“You came at exactly the time you intended.”
“You have no title.”
“No place in this household.”
“And certainly no reason to kneel before the mistress of this house performing apologies.”
Claire’s tears spilled freely.
“I only wanted forgiveness.”
“Then apologize properly.”
I glanced toward Emily.
“Bring the first-aid kit.”
“If she’s truly injured, we’ll treat her.”
“If she isn’t…”
“…we’ll save the ointment.”
Adrian frowned.
“Evelyn.”
I met his eyes without hesitation.
“If she’s genuinely hurt…”
“I’ll apply the medicine myself.”
“But if she isn’t…”
“You owe me an apology.”
Emily gently lifted Claire’s hand.
The room fell silent.
The tea had barely touched her skin.
There wasn’t even a visible patch of redness.
Claire quickly withdrew her hand.
“My skin bruises differently…”
I closed the ointment.
“What a coincidence.”
“I’ve never been easy to fool.”
Emily lowered her head to hide a smile.
Adrian’s expression darkened.
Claire’s tears fell even harder.
“If Mrs. Ashford dislikes me…”
“I’ll come less often.”
I answered evenly.
“Not less.”
“Without my permission…”
“You won’t enter the main house again.”
Adrian’s voice turned cold.
“You’ve only been my wife for one day.”
“And you’re already asserting authority?”
“Exactly.”
I smiled.
“If I don’t establish boundaries on the first day…”
“When should I?”
“After someone else mistakes this house for hers?”
Claire whispered,
“I’ll leave…”
As she turned…
Her knees suddenly buckled.
She fell neatly into Adrian’s arms.
He caught her without thinking.
I stepped aside.
Making room for them.
“Emily.”
“From now on, whenever Miss Bennett wishes to enter the manor…”
“Inform me first.”
I looked at Claire’s pale face.
“I wouldn’t want her collapsing every few steps…”
“…and someone deciding it’s somehow my fault.”
Adrian lifted Claire into his arms.
Before leaving, he stopped at the doorway.
He looked back at me.
“You’re far more difficult than I expected.”
I returned his gaze calmly.
“And you’re far less reasonable than I was led to believe.”
The room fell silent.
For the first time…
Adrian Ashford realized that his new wife wasn’t interested in competing for his affection.
She was competing for something far more dangerous.
Control.
Chapter 2
The Mistress of Ashford Manor
The mansion became unusually quiet after Adrian carried Claire away.
Silence had a way of revealing who truly understood the rules.
And who only pretended to.
Emily approached cautiously.
“Mrs. Ashford… shall I prepare dinner?”
I closed the family ledger lying on the coffee table.
“How many people are employed at Ashford Manor?”
She blinked.
“…Sixty-eight.”
“And how many report directly to Miss Bennett instead of this household?”
Emily hesitated.
Finally, she whispered,
“At least fifteen.”
I smiled.
“So nearly a quarter of the staff answer to someone who isn’t even a member of the family.”
She lowered her head.
“No wonder this house has forgotten who signs their paychecks.”
That evening, I requested every department manager to gather in the drawing room.
The head chef.
The grounds supervisor.
The security director.
The housekeeping manager.
Even the chauffeur.
Some looked curious.
Others looked irritated.
One or two barely bothered hiding their contempt.
To them, I was merely the woman who had married Adrian because of business.
Not someone worth respecting.
Perfect.
People who underestimated me usually made my work easier.
I stood beside the fireplace.
“I’m not here to replace anyone.”
“I’m here to restore order.”
No one spoke.
I continued calmly.
“Beginning tomorrow, every purchase exceeding five thousand dollars requires two signatures.”
“The household accounts will be audited every Friday.”
“Security footage will be archived for ninety days.”
“The staff rotation between the manor and the guest cottage ends immediately.”
Several expressions changed.
The housekeeping manager frowned.
“But Miss Bennett—”
I interrupted politely.
“Miss Bennett is not your employer.”
The room became deathly still.
Across the estate…
Claire sat in her cottage while Adrian applied ointment to her hand.
“It really doesn’t hurt.”
She smiled weakly.
“You didn’t have to come.”
Adrian remained silent.
His phone vibrated.
A notification from Security.
Household Staff Policy Update.
He skimmed the document.
Eight pages.
Every policy professionally written.
Every loophole closed.
Even he couldn’t find fault with it.
Claire leaned closer.
“Is everything alright?”
He looked toward the manor through the window.
“Evelyn just reorganized the household.”
Claire’s fingers tightened around her blanket.
“So quickly…”
She forced a smile.
“She’s… efficient.”
But beneath the blanket…
Her nails dug into her palms.
The next morning…
The finance office delivered household expense reports to my study.
I spent nearly three hours reading every invoice.
Imported flowers.
Luxury skincare.
Designer clothing.
Private medical equipment.
Every bill had been charged…
To Ashford Manor.
Not to Claire.
I flipped another page.
Another.
Then another.
Finally I looked at Emily.
“How long has this been happening?”
Emily answered quietly,
“Almost five years.”
Five years.
Millions of dollars.
No one questioned it because Adrian approved everything.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
That afternoon Adrian returned home early.
I handed him a folder.
“You should read this.”
He opened it casually.
Ten minutes later…
His face hardened.
“Claire never asked for any of this.”
“I know.”
I nodded.
“Someone else did.”
He looked up.
“What are you suggesting?”
“I’m suggesting someone has been using your feelings for Claire as an unlimited company credit card.”
He closed the folder slowly.
For the first time…
He realized the problem might be much bigger than two women competing for one man.
That night…
Someone broke into the household archives.
Fortunately…
I had expected they would.
Chapter 3
The First Trap
At exactly 2:17 a.m., my phone buzzed.
Emily’s message contained only three words.
They’re inside.
I didn’t move.
Instead, I called the head of security.
“Lock every gate.”
“No one leaves.”
Ten minutes later…
Three employees were escorted into the main hall.
One accountant.
One archive clerk.
One gardener.
All pale.
All terrified.
On the table between us sat a shredded stack of financial documents.
Adrian arrived wearing only a dress shirt thrown over yesterday’s trousers.
“What happened?”
I pointed toward the papers.
“Someone tried destroying expense records.”
The accountant immediately panicked.
“It wasn’t me!”
“The documents were already missing when I arrived!”
The archive clerk burst into tears.
“I swear I only followed orders!”
Adrian narrowed his eyes.
“Whose orders?”
Silence.
No one answered.
I walked toward the fireplace.
“I’ll make this simple.”
I placed three envelopes on the table.
“Each envelope contains a resignation letter.”
“And one contains a confession.”
The three employees stared at one another.
Confusion spread instantly.
None of them knew which envelope held what.
I smiled.
“You have five minutes.”
“Anyone who tells me the truth keeps their job.”
“Everyone else leaves with the police.”
Adrian looked at me.
“…You’re bluffing.”
“Perhaps.”
I folded my arms.
“Let’s find out.”
Two minutes later…
The gardener collapsed first.
“I’ll talk!”
The accountant shouted over him.
“No, wait! It was Mrs. Wilson!”
“The nanny!”
“She ordered us to replace the invoices!”
The archive clerk burst into tears.
“Miss Bennett didn’t know!”
“It was Mrs. Wilson who handled everything!”
Adrian froze.
Mrs. Wilson.
Claire’s nanny.
The same woman Evelyn had expelled from the manor two days ago.
An hour later…
Mrs. Wilson was brought back from the country estate.
She looked remarkably calm.
“You have no proof.”
I slid a tablet across the table.
The security footage began playing.
Mrs. Wilson entering the finance office.
Removing folders.
Meeting privately with vendors.
Forging signatures.
Her face turned white.
“Impossible…”
She whispered.
“I deleted those recordings.”
I smiled.
“You deleted one server.”
“The backup stores automatically in the cloud.”
Emily couldn’t hide her grin.
Adrian looked at me with open surprise.
“You planned this.”
“I planned for someone to panic.”
I corrected him.
“I simply wasn’t sure who.”
Mrs. Wilson suddenly laughed.
“So what?”
“I stole money.”
“But not for myself.”
“I did it for Miss Bennett.”
“Everything she owns came from Mr. Ashford anyway.”
The room fell silent.
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“Did Claire know?”
Mrs. Wilson hesitated.
Just long enough.
It was enough.
Adrian noticed.
So did I.
Later that evening…
Claire arrived at the manor unexpectedly.
Her eyes were red from crying.
The moment she saw Adrian, she rushed toward him.
“I just heard what happened.”
“I had no idea Mrs. Wilson was doing those things.”
Before Adrian could answer…
She turned to me.
Then…
To everyone’s surprise…
She knelt.
“Evelyn…”
“I’m begging you.”
“Please don’t send her to prison.”
“She’s been with me since I was a child.”
“I’ll repay every penny.”
The servants watched nervously.
Everyone expected another confrontation.
Instead…
I walked over.
Bent down.
And gently helped Claire to her feet.
“There is no need to kneel.”
Claire looked stunned.
I smiled politely.
“The police don’t decide cases based on tears.”
“They decide based on evidence.”
I stepped back.
“And if Mrs. Wilson truly broke the law…”
“Neither you…”
“…nor I…”
“…can save her.”
Claire’s face lost every trace of color.
For the first time since entering Ashford Manor…
She understood something terrifying.
Her greatest opponent wasn’t a jealous wife.
It was a woman who never lost control.