Chapter 5: Annulment
Ella barely got any sleep.
She had tossed and turned all night, her mind replaying Nicholas Carter’s words like a broken record. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw that smirk of his, the way he had looked so amused by the chaos he had just dropped into her lap.
When her alarm went off, she groaned, forcing herself out of bed.
She couldn’t afford to miss work.
She couldn’t afford anything.
Dragging herself through her morning routine, she pushed thoughts of Nicholas aside. She had more pressing concerns—like making it through another exhausting shift and figuring out how to quietly annul this ridiculous marriage before Ryan or anyone else found out.
By the time she reached the café, the morning rush was already in full swing.
Mia greeted her with a raised brow, clearly still curious about yesterday’s incident. "You good?"
Ella forced a smile. "Yeah. Just tired."
Mia didn’t look convinced but let it go.
Ella threw herself into work, keeping her hands and mind busy, hoping that if she focused hard enough, she could pretend nothing had changed.