Beneath His Cold Vows
Alicia never dreamed of marrying into the powerful Valentine family. But when her sister's life hung in the balance, she signed the contract marriage Edward Valentine offered. He gained a dutiful wife to quiet his board and father; she gained the money for her sister's treatment. It was supposed to be temporary. Then Edward asked her to stay.
For two years, Alicia kept her vows and her silence, holding on to hope that Edward might one day see her as more than a transaction. That fragile hope shatters when Lucy Harrington--the elegant woman from his past--returns, and Edward suggests an "open marriage."
As Alicia struggles to balance her sister's recovery and her own breaking heart, Edwards indifference cuts deeper. He lets Lucy humiliate her in public, ignores her pain, and dismisses her every concern. Slowly, Alicia begins to detach. The woman who once endured quietly starts to find her own strength, until humiliation and betrayal leave her with no choice but to walk away.
But separation doesn't end the story. Away from Edward, Alicia begins to rebuild her life and rediscover her worth. For the first time, she lives for herself. Meanwhile, Edward's perfect world begins to crack. His polished image, his control, and even his bond with Lucy lose their shine without Alicia's steady presence. Only then does he begin to realize what he has lost.
Yet winning her back will not be simple. Secrets about families, long-buried betrayals, and the revelation of Alicia's true place in the Valentine legacy turn their fragile marriage into battlefield. To prove he deserves a second chance, Edward must confront not only Lucy's schemes and his mother's ambitions, but also his own cold heart.
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Chapter: Chapter 4: The Night & the Storm Edward's POVThe city bled neon through the rain, streaks of red and gold bending across the windshield. My wipers fought to keep up, the unfaltering thud-thud-thud matching the hum of the engine beneath me.Alicia hadn't answered when I called.I didn't call again.She was emotional. That was her way. She'd calm down. She always did.The road gleamed black ahead of me, slick under the tires. The storm had swallowed the skyline, rain running down the glass like the city itself was melting.Lucy's voice replayed in my head, smooth and certain."We didn't get to talk at the gala," she'd said. "Meet me tonight."Not a request. An expectation.That was Lucy.She'd been gone for years when I came back from the UK, where I'd studied before stepping into my father's company. She glided between continents like it cost her nothing, her name splashed across glossy magazines next to men with too much money and too much time. Now she was back, walking into the gala like she owned the place. Like
Last Updated: 2025-09-09
Chapter: Chapter 3: Racing Against Time The ground tilted under my foot."Your sister...collapsed," Edward repeated, his voice clipped, tight around the edges.Collapsed. The word rang in my skull, a bell struck too hard.My body moved before the thought fully formed. Bag in one hand, shoes barely on, I demanded, "What hospital?" My voice broke like it couldn't carry the weight of the words."St. Luke's," he said. "She's already in the ER."I didn't look at him. Couldn't. My pulse raced, chest constricted as if my ribs were closing in on my heart.We were out the door in seconds. The night hit cold and sharp against my face as we crossed the driveway.This couldn't be happening. Not again."I will drive you, you can't drive in this state," Edward said.I nodded.The car roared to life. Edward's usual collected driving vanished; he weaved through traffic with a speed that looked like it could keep my sister alive. His jaw was locked, eyes glued to the road, headlights carving tunnels of light through the rain.The city whipp
Last Updated: 2025-09-09
Chapter: Chapter 2: Wrecking Ball "An open marriage."The words hit me like a fist to the chest.For a second, I went rigid, my towel digging into my palms so hard I thought it might rip. Water slid down my neck, too cold, too hot—I couldn't tell anymore.Then I dragged a blouse over my damp skin, fumbling with the fabric like covering myself could shield me from the words hanging between us.I must have misheard. I had to have. Right?Sorry,” I said, my voice low, my heart beating in my ears. “What?”"You heard me."Edward didn't even stutter, as if detonating my life was no different than ordering wine at dinner.I laughed. It was a sharp, ugly sound that didn't belong to me. "You're joking.""No."That was it. No speech. No apology. No emotion. Just a neat little wrecking ball swung through the middle of our bedroom. With the way he had said it, one would think it was perfectly reasonable to ask your wife to share you.I gave a slow shake of my head, disbelieving. "You want to run that by me again? Because it almos
Last Updated: 2025-09-09
Chapter: Chapter 1: When It All Fell Apart Alicia's POV The first time I saw the photo, I thought it was fake.Elena shoved her phone under my nose while I tried to make sense of quarterly reports that looked like they'd been designed to kill brain cells. The screen was bright, the colors too sharp, like the world was about to laugh in my face."Sweetness," she said, her voice dripping with the drama she usually saved for office gossip. "Your husband is trending again."I didn't look up right away. Edward Valentine was always trending — business magazines, financial blogs, the occasional society page. He was the kind of man who looked like he owned the air people breathed, and for some reason, the world loved to watch.But there was something in Elena's tone this time. Something that made my chest feel tight, like my heart already knew before my eyes did.I glanced at the screen.And locked in place.Edward Valentine. My husband. Black tuxedo, cufflinks glinting, looking like sin and old money rolled into one. He wore that pr
Last Updated: 2025-09-09
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