Mrs. Vale by Contract
The day before her wedding, Lydia loses everything.
After giving her heart, and the one thing she had protected for years to the man she was about to marry, she catches him in bed with her own stepsister.
Heartbroken, humiliated, and desperate to escape the pain, one drunken night throws her into the path of Louis Vale, the cold, ruthless CEO every business empire fears.
To Louis, marriage is nothing more than a contract.
To Lydia, it's the last thing she wants after the betrayal.
But when Louis presents her with a one-year marriage contract, Lydia finds herself trapped. With her mother's fragile place in the family hanging in the balance, refusing him is a risk she cannot afford to take. Behind the glamorous image of Mr. and Mrs. Vale lies a relationship built on lies, resentment, and wounds neither of them is willing to face.
As Lydia slowly falls for the man who sees marriage as nothing more than a business deal, Louis begins to realize that the woman he once judged as greedy is quietly becoming the only person capable of melting his frozen heart.
Unfortunately for him...
By the time he learns to love her, Lydia has already learned to let him go, and another man is offering her the peace she has always longed for.
Will Louis convince the woman he broke to give him a second chance, or will Lydia choose the man who showed her what love was always meant to feel like?
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Chapter: CHAPTER 18: HumiliationLydia stared at Louis’s outstretched hand. He was actually asking for her phone because of Vanessa’s accusations. Her fingers tightened around the phone before she handed it over. Ryan stepped forward. “Louis, you can’t trust Vanessa. She’s lying about Lydia…” “Enough, Ryan.” Lydia turned to him. “I can speak for myself.” His mouth closed. Whatever he had intended to say, would only add to her problems. Louis slipped the phone into his pocket. “You can go home,” he told Lydia. “I’m going somewhere else.” She walked towards the car before he could respond. Vanessa watched her go. The corner of her mouth curled. Louis had taken Lydia’s phone. Perhaps he hadn’t swallowed every word, but the doubt was there. That was enough. Louis didn’t look at either of them again. He turned and walked away. Carter approached him. Louis handed him Lydia’s phone. “Block Ryan’s number. Remove his contact and delete their message thread.” Carter glanced at him. “Do you believe Vanessa’s claims
Last Updated: 2026-10-24
Chapter: CHAPTER 17: Old Photographs, New Lies.Louis handed Vanessa the laptop without a word. She connected her flash drive, then turned the screen toward him. Photographs appeared one after another: Lydia laughing against Ryan’s shoulder, his arms around her waist, his mouth pressed to her temple. Louis scrolled without comment. Behind a concrete pillar, Ryan watched, his jaw tightening. Carter had noticed him ten minutes earlier and informed Louis, but Louis had made no move to send him away. If anything, he seemed content to let him watch. Louis stopped at a photograph of Lydia asleep beneath the sheets, Ryan’s jacket draped over her bare shoulders. Ryan’s lips rested against her hairline. Vanessa noticed the pause and mistook it for hurt. “That’s nothing,” she said softly. “There are more intimate pictures, but I didn’t bring them. I wouldn’t want to hurt you more than necessary.” Louis’s thumb rested against the laptop’s edge. Vanessa moved closer. “Did Lydia tell you she married you on the very day she was
Last Updated: 2026-10-23
Chapter: CHAPTER 16: Husband Vanessa checked her reflection once, pleased, and stepped out of the house. A shadow fell across her path before she entered her car. “Look at you." Ryan's eyes slid down her red dress. "Where are you going looking so gorgeous?" Vanessa's mouth flattened. "Has there ever been a time I haven't looked gorgeous? What are you doing here?" He looked at her like she was the only thing in focus. “What's happening to us? You haven't picked or returned my calls since the Vale event. Did I upset you?" “No." She checked her watch. Seconds mattered now. Louis would reach the office soon. If he got upstairs first, security would stop her in the lobby. She had to catch him at the door and follow him up. "Where are you going this early?" She yanked her car door open. "We'll discuss it when I call you." The engine roared, and she was gone. Ryan suspected her behavior and followed, three cars behind. Louis had his keys in hand to leave the house when he realized he'd never given Lyd
Last Updated: 2026-10-22
Chapter: CHAPTER 15: The Serpent's SmileLydia was surprised when she returned to the living room.Naomi was waiting for her.The morning light had shifted, warmer now, catching dust motes near the windows.She looked toward the door."I didn't call for you.""Mr. Vale did."Of course he had.Lydia exhaled and hoped, quietly, that today would go smoothly.Vanessa arrived an hour later, gushing over the marble entryway before she'd even set down her bag."Lydia. You're really living like this now?"Her eyes moved over the high ceilings and the art on the walls, cataloguing everything.Lydia ignored the remark."Sit."Vanessa did.She accepted the drink Lydia offered, then glanced around again."Can I see the house?"Lydia hesitated."Just a tour."After a moment, she nodded.They moved through the sitting rooms, then the library, leather-bound books that smelled of dust and old paper, and the sunroom overlooking the garden, where light spilled through the glass in pale yellow sheets.Vanessa trailed a finger along every surfa
Last Updated: 2026-10-02
Chapter: CHAPTER 14: The Empire He BuiltLydia scrolled through the article on her phone.One hand curled around her untouched coffee.Five Mistakes First-Time Founders Make.She'd read it twice already.Half of it still didn't make sense.Supply chains. Equity splits. Terms she'd have to look up later.Still, something in her chest lit up every time she pictured it.Her name on something.Built by her own hands.Answering to no one.She had always wanted to own a business.What she didn't know was how to get there.She needed to learn.She was still reading when Louis walked past the dining room, not sparing her a glance."Louis."Lydia pushed her chair back and hurried after him."I chose the nurse yesterday and sent her profile to you, but you haven't replied."His expression remained unchanged."I don't have…"The cook appeared from the kitchen, carrying Lydia's breakfast.Steam curled from the plate."Mrs. Vale, your breakfast."Louis glanced at the approaching tray.Then back at Lydia."I'll look at it when I get to th
Last Updated: 2026-09-30
Chapter: CHAPTER 13: Under His RulesLydia finally mustered the courage to call Victoria.The first ring went unanswered.What was I thinking? Why would she even pick up?Just then her phone rang.Victoria.The phone nearly slipped from her hand.She answered.“Hel…”"You suddenly lost your manners and can't greet?" The voice cut through immediately. "Why are you disturbing me?"Lydia relaxed.Typical Victoria.“Good afternoon, Ma.”“What do you want?”Lydia hesitated.“It was the wrong dial.”“Wrong number, huh?”Victoria gave a humorless laugh. "Did Vanessa send you as her little peace envoy? Whatever game you’re playing with my daughter, it should stop.” “Yes, I know my beef isn’t with you,” Victoria continued. “But you can’t blame me for hating you. You’ve been in my shoes before. Was it fun?”Lydia lowered her eyes.The line went dead.Lydia had expected something else.Instead, Victoria had sounded exactly like the woman she had known all her life.Which meant, at least, that whatever Vanessa was doing, it had noth
Last Updated: 2026-09-29
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