LOGINI didn’t answer immediately.Richard watched me with the patience of a man who already knew the outcome.My mind wasn’t in his office anymore.It was at home.In that house.That prison.My stepmother’s sharp voice.My stepsister’s mocking laughter.The small store room I slept in despite being the one who paid most of the bills.If you lose this job, don’t come back here.Her words echoed loudly in my head.For years, I had endured it quietly, telling myself that one day, I would leave that house with dignity.Not chased out.Not insulted out.But walking out proudly.And now…That chance was sitting right in front of me.Dressed in an expensive suit.Offering me a contract instead of pity.I wiped my tears quickly and looked at Richard.“If I agree… I have conditions.”One of his brows lifted slightly.“Go on.”“I don’t want to feel like a charity case. I want this written clearly as a business agreement. I want my own room in your house. My own privacy. And after one year, you don’
“You’re fired.”“You have two options, Scarlet,” Richard said calmly.“Walk out of this office unemployed…”“…or walk out as my wife.”******Those were the first words my billionaire boss ever said to me.And the next words changed my life forever.“Unless you agree to marry me.”*******When a desperate mistake at work costs her everything, she expects to be fired by the ruthless CEO everyone fears.Instead, he offers her a contract."Marry me for one year."No emotions. No questions. No love.Just a signature that will save her job, her family from debt, and her reputation.He needs a wife to secure a powerful political–business alliance that will determine the future of his empire.It’s strictly business. Strictly contractual. Strictly no feelings.Until possession, jealousy, and forbidden attraction begin to break every clause they signed.And when the alliance is threatened, Scarlet realizes she was never just a convenient bride…She was a pawn in a dangerous game between powerf
Adrian gasped. “There’s a league?”Damian tapped his nose. “Secret one.”Emery laughed, the sound warm and bright, surprising even herself. Damian looked at her then really looked—and something eased in his chest.She was smiling again.Not the tired, forced one from the past.A real one.And he knew he would spend the rest of his life protecting that smile.“Mom!”Ethan’s voice approached from behind them.Ethan and Patricia walked toward the picnic blanket, carrying extra fruit and drinks. Patricia’s eyes softened the moment they landed on Emery.“You look peaceful today,” her mother said.“I feel peaceful,” Emery admitted quietly.Patricia squeezed her hand with the kind of apology only a mother could give—no words, but years of regret, guilt, and love pressing into a single touch.Ethan plopped down beside Adrian.“Want me to show you how REAL h
The mansion doors burst open.Uniformed officers stormed in, followed by two detectives. Their flashlights slashed through the dim hallway like blades.Clara froze at the doorway, her hair wild, makeup streaked, eyes darting like a trapped animal.Owen stood behind her, pale as chalk—hands trembling, sweat dripping down his forehead.Emery instinctively stepped backward, breath catching in her throat.Clara’s gaze locked on her instantly.“You,” she hissed.Damian surged forward.“Stay away from her.”Clara laughed — a high, broken, hysterical sound.“Oh, look. The loving husband. The knight. How pathetic.”Damian’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t react.He positioned himself protectively in front of Emery.Gabriel moved to her side, steady and quietly watchful.The lead detective lifted a file.“Clara Bennett. Dr. Owen . You are both under a
Evening,The car was silent on the way.Too silent.Emery glanced at Gabriel once or twice.“Are you okay?” she asked.He forced a smile.“Fine. Just work.”But his fingers tapped against the steering wheel — nervous.His jaw was tense — deliberate.Something felt off.But she pushed it aside.Until the car slowed… and Emery looked out the window…Her breath left her body.Because she knew this road.She knew that curve.She knew that black iron gate.Damian Cole’s mansion.She shot up in her seat.“Gabriel—why are we here?”He parked.Killed the engine.Then turned to her, eyes slightly pained.“Because you deserve answers, Emery.”A beat.“And because you deserve peace.”Her heart pounded.“No. No, Gabriel, take me home. Please…”
The hospital was too quiet. Gabriel lay still, his arm stitched and wrapped, a thin line of blood staining the gauze. Emery sat beside him, eyes red and sleepless. She hadn’t said a word since the fight. Every time she tried, her throat closed up because it wasn’t just fear anymore. It was guilt. “You shouldn’t have come,” Gabriel said, voice rough. Emery blinked. “You really think I’d sit back and wait to hear you were dead?” “It was a trap,” he muttered. “They wanted to draw you out.” “And you think I care about that?” she snapped. “I care that you almost got yourself killed!” He sighed, turning his face toward the ceiling. “Clara knows how to use people. She’s not doing this alone.” Her pulse jumped. “Then who is she doing it with?” He hesitated, eyes flicking toward her. “Dr. Owen.” Emery froze. “…Owen?”
The Cole mansion glittered under the evening lights, but inside, the silence was deafening. Every corner gleamed with perfection — marble floors polished to mirror shine, chandeliers glinting with gold. Yet for Clara, it felt like living inside a glass box: beautiful, fragile, and utterly cold.She
She opened her mouth, but no sound came. Her lips trembled slightly, and Damian’s gaze locked onto her — raw, accusing, desperate.He took a slow step forward.“Yes,” he said finally, his voice low, cutting through the silence like thunder.“She’s my wife.”The restaurant gasped in unison.Emery’s
That broke her. Clara turned, blinking fast to hide the sting of his words, and left without another sound. The door closed behind her with a soft click — but it might as well have been a gunshot. Damian sank back into his chair, chest heaving. The whiskey glass finally met his lips. The burn w
The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime. Emery stepped out, her heels clicking against the marble floor of the corporate tower. She had just wrapped up a late meeting, her body tired but her mind restless.The night air outside promised freedom. She wanted nothing more than to get home, to t







