Mag-log inShare
CHAPTER FIVE — HIS COMPANY
Petsa ng paglalathala:
2026-01-31 18:42:37Aria's POV.
He paused, choosing his words carefully. "He loves you, he really loves you. And it's destroying him."
The words hit me like a huge blow.
"I know," I whispered. "I know and I'm going to fix it. Somehow."
I spent the next hour in the kitchen, teaching myself how to cook from YouTube videos. I wasn't exactly a culinary expert, my skills extended to instant food and microwave meals, but I could still manage something simple.
Chen appeared in the doorway, looking confused to find me actually cooking instead of plotting an escape.
"Mrs. Blackwood? Do you need help?"
"Can you cook?" I asked hopefully.
A small smile tugged at his usually stoic face. "My mother owns a restaurant in Chinatown."
"Thank God. Please, help me not poison anyone."
We worked together, Chen gently correcting my knife skills and showing me how to properly season the chicken. It was... nice and normal. Like I was just a regular person making lunch, not a prisoner trying to win back her captor's trust.
"Why are you helping me?" I asked as Chen showed me how to cut carrots.
He was quiet for a moment. "Mr. Blackwood is a good man. The best employer I've ever had. When my sister needed surgery last year, he paid for everything. He didn't even ask for anything in return." Chen's hands moved deftly, creating perfect pleats. "He deserves happiness and despite everything, you make him happy. Or you did, once."
The past tense stung.
"I want to make him happy again," I said softly. "I know you don't believe me, but I do."
Chen glanced at me, something assessing in his gaze. "Then prove it. Not with words, but with actions. Consistent actions, over time. That's the only way he'll trust you again."
By eleven o'clock, I had an insulated lunch bag packed with homemade food. Probably not restaurant-quality, but edible at least. Chen had even helped me make Lucien's favorite tea.
"I want to take this to his office," I announced to Marcus.
Marcus immediately shook his head. "Mr. Blackwood left strict instructions. You're not to leave the apartment."
"I know. That's why I need you to come with me." I met his eyes steadily. "Please, Marcus. I'm not trying to escape. I just want to see him, to try to fix what I broke."
"He'll think it's manipulation."
"Probably," I admitted. "But I have to try anyway. Even if he throws me out, even if he refuses to see me, I still have to try."
Marcus exchanged a glance with Chen, some silent communication passing between them.
"Fine," Marcus finally said. "But we're with you the entire time and if you try anything..."
"I won't. I promise."
The drive to Blackwood Industries took twenty minutes through downtown traffic. I spent the entire ride nervously fidgeting with the lunch bag, my stomach in knots.
What if he refused to see me? What if he thought this was just another game?
The building was impressive, all made up of glass and steel, reaching toward the sky like a monument to Lucien's success. The lobby was pristine, filled with purposeful-looking people in expensive suits.
“What the heck! My husband is so freaking wealthy.“
I felt so underdressed in my simple jeans and sweater, my hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. I looked nothing like the polished wife of a billionaire CEO.
The receptionist's eyes widened when she saw me. "Mrs. Blackwood! We weren't expecting you."
"Is my husband available?" I asked, trying to sound more confident than I felt.
She hesitated, glancing at her computer screen. "He's in a meeting, but..." She picked up the phone. "Let me check with his assistant."
A moment later, an elegant woman in her forties appeared. Emma, I remembered. Lucien's executive assistant. She'd visited the apartment once, bringing papers for Lucien to sign, and had looked at me with thinly veiled disapproval.
"Mrs. Blackwood." Her tone was professionally cool. "Mr. Blackwood is in a board meeting, he can't be disturbed."
"I know. I don't need to disturb him." I held up the lunch bag. "I just wanted to leave this for him for when his meeting ends."
Emma's expression flickered with surprise. In five months, I had never once visited Lucien's office, never once shown any interest in his work or his life outside our apartment-prison.
"I... see. I can take that to his office."
"Actually," I said, gathering my courage, "could I wait? Just until his meeting ends? I promise I won't cause any problems."
Emma looked uncertain, clearly weighing her options. Refusing the CEO's wife could be risky, but letting me in might upset Lucien even more.
"Please," I added softly. "Five minutes. That's all I'm asking."
Finally, she nodded. "Wait here. I'll let you know when his meeting concludes."
I settled into one of the lobby's plush chairs, Marcus and Chen flanking me like bookends. The minutes crawled by, each one feeling like an hour.
I watched people come and go, all of them moving with purpose and direction. This was Lucien's world, the empire he had built from nothing and I had never even bothered to see it before. I had been so wrapped up in my own misery, my own desperate need to escape, that I had never considered what I was running from.
A man who had built all of this. Who had created jobs, opportunities and futures. Who had paid for Chen's sister's surgery without being asked. He had even sat in a chair all night watching over me after I hurt myself, even though I had spent five months making his life hell.
Tears pricked my eyes. I suddenly felt incredibly stupid, incredibly selfish, and incredibly determined to make this right.
"Mrs. Blackwood?" Emma had returned. "Mr. Blackwood's meeting just ended. His office is on the top floor. I'll escort you up."
My heart hammered hard as we rode the elevator all the way up, the city spreading out below us through the glass walls. The doors opened to reveal an executive floor that screamed power and success.
Pinakabagong kabanata
FORCED TO WED THE BILLIONAIRE CHAPTER EIGHTY-FIVE — THE GENEVA PROTOCOL
Aria's POVGeneva was cold. A sharp, biting wind blew off the lake, and the city felt gray and institutional. We checked into a hotel that didn't have a name on the outside, just a discreet black door and a concierge who recognized Lucien on sight."David Park is in the suite," Lucien said as we stepped into the elevator. "He’s found the address. Mercer is staying in a villa in Cologny. High security, private docks, the works.""It’s a fortress," I said, checking the feed on my phone. "But every fortress has a weak point. Usually, it’s the people who work there.""Park is already working on the staff," Lucien said. "But we need to move fast. If Mercer sees the jet on the tarmac, he’ll know we’re here."&
FORCED TO WED THE BILLIONAIRE CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR — THE UNEXPECTED VARIABLE
Aria's POVHe stayed behind me for a long moment, the heat of his presence grounding me even as the data on the screen tried to pull me into a vortex of paranoia. I could feel the slight tension in his posture. He was looking at the graphs, but I knew he was really looking at me."The jet is fueled," he said, his voice regaining its usual steady cadence. "But before we go, I want to know exactly what you’re planning to do with that information. You’re not just going to hand it to David Park, are you?"I turned the chair around, looking up at him. "Park is good for finding people, Lucien. But he doesn't understand the nuance of behavioral economics. He sees a target, I see a pattern. If we just go to Geneva and try to
FORCED TO WED THE BILLIONAIRE CHAPTER EIGHTY-THREE — THE SILENCE BETWEEN US
Aria's POVI sighed and took a bite. "Fine. But you're paying for this.""I always pay, Aria. It’s part of the contract."We ate in a comfortable, loaded silence for a few minutes. Lucien watched me with that steady, unhurried attention that always made me feel like he was reading my thoughts in real-time. He wasn't the "Dark Lord" right now, he was just a man enjoying a meal with his wife, but the authority was still there, woven into the way he sat and the way he held his glass."Mercer isn't just a consultant," I said, setting my fork down after the required three bites. "I went back through the LSE alumni records while you were on that call with David Park. He did
FORCED TO WED THE BILLIONAIRE CHAPTER EIGHTY-TWO — THE WEIGHT OF A NAME
Aria's POV"Always," he replied.He didn’t move. He stayed right there, looming over me in the confined space of the elevator, his hand still firm on the back of my neck. The elevator began its smooth, silent descent, and for a few seconds, the only sound was the faint hum of the machinery and the steady rhythm of his breathing.I looked up at him, my heart still doing that strange, fluttering thing. "You didn’t tell me Halloway was on the list. You let me walk into that room thinking we were just fishing.""I told you I had the beginning of an idea," Lucien said, his voice dropping into that low, resonant tone that always seemed to vibrate right through me. "I didn't want you overthinking your performance. If you kne
FORCED TO WED THE BILLIONAIRE CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE — THE BOARDROOM PERFORMANCE
~Aria's POV~The boardroom of the Blackwood building felt like a courtroom. Twelve men and women sat around the long glass table, their faces masks of professional indifference. At the head of the table, Lucien sat with his jacket unbuttoned, looking bored, his fingers drumming a slow, rhythmic beat on the surface.I sat to his right. I’d chosen a sharp, emerald-green suit, a color Lucien had once called 'dangerous.' I had my tablet open, but I wasn't looking at spreadsheets. I was looking at the people in the room."The Victor Hale situation has been handled," Lucien said, his voice flat and unhurried. "The police have him. The acquisition strategy he was pursuing is dead.""And the Mercer connection
FORCED TO WED THE BILLIONAIRE CHAPTER EIGHTY — THE ARCHITECT IN THE SHADOWS
~Aria's POV~The morning sun didn't feel like a victory. It hit the glass walls of the penthouse with a cold, sharp brightness that made the events at the pier feel like a fever dream.I woke up with the scent of sandalwood still clinging to my skin. Lucien was already gone from the bed, leaving only a slight indentation in the pillow and a heavy sense of his presence. I found him in the study, already dressed in a crisp white shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbows, staring at a set of encrypted files on his main monitor."Victor didn't talk," Lucien said in a low voice. He didn't look up as I entered. "Marcus spent three hours with him before the police transport arrived. He’s terrified, Aria. But not of us. He’
FORCED TO WED THE BILLIONAIRE CHAPTER 42: UNEXPECTED VISITOR
Aria's POVI heard a soft, dry chuckle. It was the sound of a woman who had just been handed the ultimate leverage. She knew exactly why he was staying, it was the "Aria effec
Huling Na-update : 2026-04-05FORCED TO WED THE BILLIONAIRE CHAPTER 41: THE CRISIS
Aria's POV"It’s been buzzing for three minutes, Lucien," I whispered, reaching back to stroke his hair. "It might be important ."He finally reached out, his hand grabbing the&z
Huling Na-update : 2026-04-04FORCED TO WED THE BILLIONAIRE CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE — THE UNEXPECTED COLLAPSE
Aria's POVLucien was still standing by the darkened television, his silhouette cast in jagged red by the emergency lights. He looked like a king standing amidst the ruins of his palace. His chest was heaving, his hand still white-knuckled around the grip of his gun."Lucien?" I
Huling Na-update : 2026-03-24FORCED TO WED THE BILLIONAIRE CHAPTER FOURTEEN — THE PLANNED KIDNAP
Aria's POV I didn't waste a second. I grabbed a trench coat to cover my disheveled state and followed Marcus and Chen down the private elevator. The air in the garage felt different, it was thicker and charged with the kind of static that precedes a storm."We take the armored SUV," Mar
Huling Na-update : 2026-03-20
Maaari mong magustuhan
In Love With The Hot CEO
Tula578.0K viewsPop My Cherry Daddy!
Xee write595.5K viewsA Ruling Passion: Mr Tremont's Priceless Little Bride
Lemon Flavored Cat1.5M viewsOn Her Daddy’s Bed!
Xee write666.3K viewsTango With Three Vampires
Princess Adanne 103 viewsThe Billionaire's Dead Wife: Married To A Monster
Kryptonite 135 viewsThe Nerd and the Hockey King
Daisy_justwrite192 viewsCraving The Reckless Twin: Hot Erotica Collection
Crane fantasies211 views
