He Asked for an Open Marriage, I Walked Away
Ashley Dawson, a brilliant 22-year-old chemistry student, has lived a quiet life defined by loss and independence. Though she secretly owns a massive pharmaceutical empire inherited from her late mother and grandmother, Ashley prefers the simplicity of her lab over boardrooms and business deals. Her fiancé, Harvey West-a wealthy, charismatic CEO-was once her dream man, but their love story shatters the day before their wedding when Harvey asks for an open marriage and an NDA to protect his affairs.
Heartbroken, Ashley is pulled into a dangerous new world when a domestic terror group develops a deadly chemical weapon. The military calls in Major Nathan Ford, Harvey's cousin and a decorated U.S. Army Special Forces officer, to lead the operation. Nathan needs a brilliant chemist to help decipher the weapon's formula-Ashley becomes that civilian consultant.
Forced to work together under high pressure, Ashley and Nathan build an unlikely partnership, discovering strength, trust, and a slow-burning attraction. Meanwhile, Harvey refuses to let go, flaunting his mistress in public and humiliating Ashley. When Ashley finally breaks off the engagement, Harvey spirals, convinced Nathan stole her away.
Nathan proposes a marriage of protection, offering her his name and his shield against Harvey and his powerful family. Ashley, tired of being powerless and cornered, agrees. Their whirlwind marriage shocks society, ignites scandal, and sets the stage for a passionate love story built on loyalty, respect, and redemption.
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Chapter: Chapter 5: Harvey's ReturnAshley woke up the next morning feeling the memory of last night's break-in heavy in her chest. The sun streamed through the curtains outside, suggesting that the whole world was exactly as it should be, but Ashley kept thinking that someone out there must be watching, must be hiding just a street over. She zipped her sweater up higher around her body before heading into the kitchen. Nathan was already there, sitting at the table with his laptop open in front of him and a steaming mug of coffee at his elbow. "You're up early," Ashley said, rubbing her eyes. "I don't sleep much." Nathan didn't look up from the screen. His voice was hushed but with the same steely undertone she had grown used to. "Eat something. We have a long day." Ashley nodded. She was still too tired to protest, and shuffled into the kitchen to make toast. The smell of warm bread cooking in the toaster filled the small kitchenette. She stood there, waiting, hands drumming against the counter. "You found the guy
Last Updated: 2025-09-20
Chapter: Chapter 4: Danger at the LabNathan picked her up the next morning at the university gate. He drove her to the lab himself. "You could have had someone else pick me up," Ashley said as she buckled the seatbelt across her shoulder. "I like to make sure my assignments get to where they're going safe," Nathan said, eyes on the road. Ashley frowned. "I'm not an assignment. I'm a person." Nathan turned to her, one eyebrow raised. "Then act like one. Stop looking like you're on your way to class. We're up against people who will kill to keep this formula a secret." Ashley crossed her arms. "So now I should start dressing like a soldier?" Nathan didn't answer, but the corner of his mouth twitched. "Just do what I say. You'll live longer." Ashley stared out the window, irritated. "You don't even know me, Nathan. You act like I'm some careless freshman who doesn't understand what's happening." Nathan's voice remained level. "I act like someone who's seen what happens when people underestimate threats like this. Yo
Last Updated: 2025-09-20
Chapter: Chapter 3: Collision with FateAshley awoke early the next morning. She hadn't slept much, but she felt clear-headed, like the fog in her chest had finally lightened and become something she could bear. The house was quiet. She made coffee and sat by the window, mug steaming in her hands, and wrote down everything she wanted to say to Harvey when he returned. It wasn't much. Just a few sentences on a torn page of her notebook. But it was enough. Enough to remind her of who she was, and why she would not bend, even for him. By noon, Ashley packed her bag and drove back to the city. The streets were crowded and the sun bright on the windshield, but Ashley scarcely noticed. She had classes to take, projects to finish, a life still left unfinished. She would not let Harvey take that from her too. When she walked into the chemistry building, the air smelled of bleach and dry markers. Her professor, Dr. Reed, was already waiting for her, standing near his office. "Ashley," he said, voice lower than usual. "Come with
Last Updated: 2025-09-20
Chapter: Chapter 2: Shattered IllusionsAshley remained at the kitchen counter long after Harvey had left. The house was too quiet, the flowers too bright. Her dress hung upstairs like a forgotten dream. Slowly, she pulled herself to her feet and walked to her bedroom, sitting down on the edge of her bed. Her phone was still buzzing with messages from Harvey. She turned it off and put it aside. The next morning she packed a small bag and drove out of the city. The sky was gray and heavy with clouds. The road was empty. She drove to her grandmother's estate, the place she lived outside of town that she hadn't seen in months. The caretaker greeted her pleasantly when she arrived. The old house was big but it was also warm. It smelled of her grandmother's lavender perfume and the stories she had told Ashley as a child. Ashley slowly walked the length of each room, running her fingers over her grandmother's furniture, her books, her curtains sewn by hand. She sank into the parlor's plush chair where her grandmother used to
Last Updated: 2025-09-20
Chapter: Chapter 1: The Day Before the Wedding"You have to sign this." Ashley froze. The pen in her hand fell onto the marble countertop. Her fiancé stood in front of her, handsome as ever in his crisp white shirt and expensive watch, but his words sent shivers down her spine. "What?" she asked. Harvey glanced at the man beside him. The lawyer stepped forward and set two folders down on the counter. "The prenup and the NDA," Harvey said, as if this were some ordinary business transaction. Ashley slowly opened the first folder. The prenup was fair and tidy. She had expected that. She was, after all, an heiress. She did not mind protecting their assets. She nodded to herself, preparing to sign it. Then she opened the second folder. Her breath caught. "This one," Harvey said, tapping the pages, "is so we have no secrets. I want to be honest with you before the wedding." Ashley scanned the document carefully. It was a non-disclosure agreement. Her eyes widened as she read the infidelity clauses and privacy clauses and media c
Last Updated: 2025-09-20
Restart My Life: The CEO's Second Chance
Shylie Reed worked her way to the top-with no family, no backup, no handouts. From living in a cramped apartment to owning luxury penthouses, from studying in the dark to speaking on global tech stages-she made it. She became someone. But just when life gave her the things she only dreamt of, a silent enemy took it all away: COVID-19.
When she wakes up, she's 16 again. A nobody in high school. Her family still ignores her in favour of the "sweet" adopted daughter who later ruined her life.
But this time, Shylie isn't the same. This time, she's not playing nice.
Armed with her adult mind, vast knowledge, and future insight, she plans to graduate early, dominate every field, and build a financial empire from scratch.
But she didn't expect to attract attention from Darren Tan, the school prince... or Elias Tan, the cold, powerful businessman who becomes her unexpected mentor-and something more.
She lost everything once. This time, she's playing for keeps.
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Chapter: Chapter 5: Lines Drawn and First MovesMonday Morning – Rooseville AcademyThe bell echoed through the room, quieting the whispers of students as they filtered into the science classroom. Shylie Reed slipped in quietly, her movements graceful, but relaxed. She carried no laptops or flashy gizmos this time. Instead, her satchel was light, home to neatly taken notes and printed data sheets. The others in the class turned to look at her as she moved purposefully to the front of the room. Murmurs. She had just left the Tan home, word already spreading about the new alliances she had made, the air around her now so threateningly thick.She could feel eyes on her, staring. It didn't phase her. It wasn't about being seen. It was about being understood, and they would understand soon enough.She took her seat at the front, back straight, her mind already chewing over the numbers in front of her. The humming of the overhead projector filled the space, and the teacher's voice sliced through the charged air."Today, we begin our grou
Last Updated: 2025-09-20
Chapter: Chapter 4: In Another Life, I Watched Them From BelowPast Life Flashback, Shylie Reed (Before death, early 20s-40s) Before the awards.Before the agonizing solitude.Before her lonely death, COVID filled lungs bloated with fluids asphyxiating in a hospital room —There were two names she would never forget.Darren TanElias TanShylie's story began at Roseville Academy. It was there she first saw Darren Tan, a timid 11th grader lost in the opulence of the elite school's halls and wealthier students. Darren was a senior in her class. He was untouchable. A god. A type of student who didn't have to try, and yet people deferred to him, just by his presence.He was everything she was not. He was in every room. The type of guy who could smile at you and make you feel like you were the most important person in the room with the most powerful handshake. Captain of the swim team. Class president. A natural-born leader, who appeared to have a no fail formula for success. It was impossible to not see him and impossible to not notice him.But he n
Last Updated: 2025-09-20
Chapter: Chapter 3: The Cold OneShylie could feel a twinge of astonishment. Homemade. She could recall a few foods that were homemade in her life before."I don't need your charity," Shylie replied, but accepted the box regardless. It was warm, and that felt nice. It was a nice weight in her hands.Darren reclined in his chair. Watching her like he was trying to get through a mask, or something close to that. "You're not like the other kids, Shylie." He said quietly. "You stare right through the crap like you've been through it already."Shylie didn't say anything. She kept quiet. If only he knew.The hallway was abuzz with energy as the midterm rankings were revealed. Students clustered around the bulletin board pointing, whispering, and criticizing as they read the list of names.GPA Ranking: Shylie Reed (Junior) Leah Carter (Senior) Darren Tan (Senior)Whispers and gasps met the list."Shylie is beating seniors?""Who the hell is she?""How could Leah lose her perfect streak?"Leah's eyes were cold, but her fi
Last Updated: 2025-09-20
Chapter: Chapter 2: Exams, Eyes, and EnemiesIt was later that day, as Shylie walked by the music room, when she first heard the gentle notes of a piano coming from within. Her fingers twitched almost instinctively at the sound. She hesitated outside the door. The song was familiar. She had heard it many times before. Shylie remembered the fluidity of the notes, the intricate path they wove. She had played it herself, not once, not twice, but many times over.Shylie smiled slightly. Let's see if they remember me.No longer would she be the wallflower of her past. Inconspicuous and unremarkable. This time, they would not forget. She was Shylie Reed, and this time, she was going to play to win.The smell of freshly printed test papers was heavy in the air. Room 204 of Rooseville Academy's oldest building. The clock ticked by one second at a time as Shylie Reed sat with her pencil poised. Every ounce of her energy was focused on this exam. Every ounce of her attention was locked on to the page. Like a laser, Shylie's mind cut throu
Last Updated: 2025-09-20
Chapter: Chapter 1: New Rules, New GameThe early sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting slanted shadows onto the old wooden floor. Shylie Reed blinked awake, the room coming into focus around her. The smell of bacon from the kitchen drifted to her, the air warm around her. This wasn't a hospital room. Not the white, cold walls, smelling of antiseptic and sorrow. This wasn't the world she had left behind, the life she had lived in the year 2020. This was 1993.She sat up, her mind still sluggish with the last remnants of sleep, remembering the life that she had lived in the past, the sixteen years of loneliness, of being unseen, of being unimportant. A lifetime of pain and mistakes and regrets fading away with each passing day like some bad dream, slipping farther and farther into the abyss of the past with every waking moment.Sixteen. Shylie blinked, the word echoing in her head. She blinked, feeling her new life solidify around her, the weight of everything settling on her like a mantle. No longer a sickly middle-
Last Updated: 2025-09-20
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