Jack gave a peculiar smile, tilted his head, and said to his assistant, "Take Ms. Roberts home safely. I need to handle some household matters."

"Yes, sir," the assistant replied, taking the restless Julia away.

I blinked and said, "Dear husband..."

Without a word, Jack grabbed the back of my neck and dragged me out.

Great, I'm doomed.

Jack ushered me into his car without uttering a single word. We drove straight to the villa—our home.

To be honest, marrying Jack was purely accidental.

His family pressured him into marriage, and I was also facing marriage pressure. We bumped into each other, and with our mutual needs, we ended up getting married on a whim.

He was the Best Actor, so Jack's agent laid out a few conditions: first and foremost, no cheating. If I found someone more suitable, I could file for divorce. But we had to keep the marriage secret. The cherry on top was a monthly allowance of 500 thousand dollars.

I agreed without a second thought.

Now, as I was sitting in the car, the oppressive silence felt like the calm before the storm.

I had stepped into a minefield; Jack might think I had been unfaithful. The car pulled up to the villa, and I walked in under Jack's intense gaze.

Jack flopped onto the sofa and motioned for me to sit.

"Uh, Jack, let me explain…" I decided to admit my fault to save my skin.

Jack glanced at me and said calmly, "Go ahead."

"Julia was heartbroken and asked me to keep her company," I confessed, feeling cornered.

"And you ended up ordering ten gigolos," Jack added.

"No! She did that, not me!" I protested, my anxiety showing.

Jack continued, "I suppose that's a pity?"

"No! They're not as good-looking as you, and their voices are terrible. I'm not blind..." My survival instincts kicked in.

Jack's usually composed face seemed to flush with a hint of embarrassment.

He cleared his throat and said coolly, "Just as long as you understand."

Wait, why did he suddenly seem bashful?

Have I just dodged a bullet?

The next morning, Jack was already gone. I woke up to the buzzing of my phone, flooded with notifications from Twitter's trending topics.

Opening my phone, I was stunned.

[#Jack At The Bar#]

[#Jack Seen With A Woman#]

I immediately clicked on the first trending topic and saw photos of Jack at a bar last night, clearly taken by a paparazzo.

His face was fully visible, and the photos were exceptionally flattering.

No wonder he was the Best Actor.

The comments section was split, with half criticizing Jack.

One top comment read: [Is it possible that the woman Jack was with is his wife?]

The replies to this comment were mostly: [You're overthinking it.]

[No way.]

[Jack married? Seriously?]

I thought to myself, Actually, it could be true.

I clicked on another trending topic and found photos of me being dragged into the car by Jack. Thankfully, my face wasn't visible, but the pictures made it look like I was being arrested.

I closed Twitter and tried to call Jack.

But another trending topic popped up, making my heart race once more.

[#Jack Replies To Comments#]

[#Jack's Family Discipline#]

I clicked to find Jack's recent tweet: [My wife's family discipline isn't great, so I had to take her home for some correction.]

The comments went wild.

[Is this really you?] Jack replied: [Yes, it is.]

[Best Actor, you're married!?!] Jack replied: [Yes.]

The comments quickly shifted tone.

[Wow, Best Actor is so doting!]

[I'm in awe!]

I started to doubt whether it was really him posting.

What happens to our secret marriage!?

Terrified of being exposed as the woman in question, I shakily dialed Jack's number.

"What's going on..." I asked, my voice trembling.

"What's wrong?" Jack's voice was calm, "Is something the matter?"

How could I even dare to complain?

"Not exactly..." I said hesitantly.

The main thing is, I'm terrified of being exposed, you know!

"Well, as long as you're okay with it," he replied.

I was Charlize Collins, a barely known actress. If it got out that I was secretly married to the Best Actor, I couldn't even imagine the fallout. At this point, I could only take it one step at a time.

I ended the call, staring at Jack's name, which was still topping Twitter's trending list. I felt a chill run through me.

After getting up and getting ready, I settled in at home, trying to take it easy. About an hour later, Jack's agent called me.

"Charlize! Hey, you need to come over right away. Jack's got a fever, and he won't go to the hospital!"

I was taken aback.

"Where is he?" I asked, quickly grabbing my things and heading out.

"On the set of 'New Era'."

I rushed over and was greeted by Jack's agent, who led me inside.

Seeing Jack slumped in a chair, I was both worried and frustrated. I immediately grabbed his hand, trying to get him up. "To the hospital."

"No," Jack mumbled, "I don't want to go..."

What is wrong with this guy?

Since he was sick, I had to coax him. "Alright, fine. If you won't go to the hospital, at least come home with me."

Jack murmured, "No, I want my wife to come."

My jaw nearly dropped. Really testing my patience.

"I am your wife. Let's go home."

His face was flushed, and after giving me a look, he finally agreed, "Okay, honey."

I helped him into the car and took the driver's seat, heading home. Since he refused the hospital, I had to manage his fever myself.

Once we got home, I half-carried him to the bedroom and laid him down on the bed.

I grabbed a damp cloth and some medicine.

By the time I finished, it was already afternoon, and I was finally able to take a breath.

Just as I was about to leave, Jack reached out and grabbed my hand, his eyes looking pitiful.

"Don't leave. Stay with me."

I sighed, resigning myself to the situation. I sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I need to rest," I tried to reason with him.

Jack said, "Then sleep with me."

Seriously?

"Can't we? Aren't we married?" Jack asked, his voice sleepy but his grip firm.

"Alright, fine."

I lay down, and before I knew it, this human furnace had wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Let go of me," I struggled to say.

But Jack only held on tighter.