Ariadne Harper thought her brother couldn't get any worse than just turning into a bad guy, but Jaxon Harper did something Ariadne never expected before by sold her to marry a billionaire. After being dumped to marry a stranger man 10 years older than her, Ariadne's life was no different from a precious bird in a luxurious cage. Everything was available for her, but the freedom was taken away, her life was confined in the mansion, even her husband treated her so coldly as if he didn't care. Ariadne slowly hatee her life, but what if something dangerous was hidden behind the reason for her marriage? Ariadne didn't know much about her husband, and why he was interested in marrying her even though he had another woman he loved. A long journey awaited Ariadne to uncovered the secret behind her marriage, and when she opened the secret box, Ariadne would find the reason for her to love Maximilian Leander Milton, or hated him to death.
View MoreMaximilian averted his gaze, the weight of unspoken words heavy in the air. There was something he couldn’t bring himself to say.Ariadne’s voice broke the silence. “You do realize that your silence only makes me more suspicious, right?”Maximilian turned to her, steeling himself to deliver yet another carefully crafted response. “I just got along with your brother so well,” he said, his tone deliberately casual. “I decided to help him out.”Her eyes narrowed. “Even to the point of leaving your lover?”Maximilian hesitated before answering, his words measured. “Harper, Havana, and I were together for business.” He saw a flicker of surprise in Ariadne’s expression, realizing she hadn’t known this before. “Everyone talked about how perfect we seemed, but that was all for appearances. It was just professionalism.” His voice softened as he held her gaze. “I never truly loved Havana. In fact, I never loved anyone sincerely… until I saw you.”Ariadne froze under the intensity of his gaze. F
Less than a week into their vacation, Maximilian was already eager to take Ariadne somewhere new. Her daily progress was evident, and Maximilian wanted to celebrate it by going on another outing.They left late at night, the plan as spontaneous as Maximilian Leander Milton himself—a man whose intentions Ariadne could rarely predict. She had initially refused, but her husband insisted. Thus, this morning, she found herself waking up in yet another unfamiliar bed. A pang of homesickness hit her; she missed her bed back home.Something else felt odd this morning. Not only had she woken up slightly disoriented, but Maximilian was nowhere to be found, though he had been beside her last night.“Maximilian?” Ariadne called out, wondering if he was in the bathroom. Being disciplined in every aspect of life, including personal hygiene, it was a plausible assumption. But no response came.Determined not to let her fears spiral, Ariadne tried calling again, “Maximilian Leander Milton?” Still, si
Maximilian immediately sought out Mrs. Amber, the familiar name of the garden’s owner, who was known to be a kind neighbor to both her and William's grandfather. The moment his eyes found the elderly yet vibrant figure, he waved and called out, “Mrs. Amber!” His loud call irked Ariadne, who squinted in mild annoyance.It took Mrs. Amber a moment to recognize Maximilian, but once she did, she waved back and beckoned him over. Maximilian grabbed Ariadne’s hand and pulled her along as he ran to greet Mrs. Amber Hwang. Despite her protests to walk normally, he ignored his wife—acting like he was the one returning home, not Ariadne.“Maximilian?” Mrs. Amber asked, confirming his identity. Maximilian nodded, and the two embraced, reconnecting after more than a decade apart. “You’ve grown so handsome! I almost didn’t recognize you.”“Thank you, Mrs. Amber. You’re as wise as ever.”“And who’s this? Your girlfriend?” she asked as she noticed Ariadne. Startled, Ariadne quickly greeted her polit
Today, Monday to be exact—no longer did the 'monotonous activities' apply. For today marked the beginning of a holiday for Maximilian, and for Ariadne, of course.Maximilian wasted no time inviting the young woman on vacation; he didn't want to risk whatever crazy thing Theo might do as long as she was within his reach.He even suspected that Theo might already know where Ariadne lived, so this trip also served as a way to keep Ariadne away from Theo for an indefinite period.Maximilian couldn’t predict how long he would stay at their vacation spot, but one thing was certain—he would do his best to resolve the situation with Theo as soon as possible.Ariadne didn’t know where they were going; Maximilian only told her they were going on a vacation but left out the details of the destination—he said it was a surprise.Yet, even knowing a surprise was being prepared for her, Ariadne couldn’t muster even a sliver of excitement. She was still haunted by the fear of Theo’s disturbances, whi
“Hmm?” The man pursed his lips, forming an adorably confused expression as he stared at his phone. Struggling to understand the reaction of the girl he observed from a distance, he continued to watch her, ignoring the voice calling out from the other end of the line.“Hey, Theodore Lee!” The sharp shout from the phone snapped Theo back to reality, prompting him to bring the device back to his ear.“Yes, yes! Why are you so loud? I’m right here.”“You’re not doing anything crazy with that girl, are you?”The voice on the other end sounded suspicious, and Theo’s face fell into a disappointed pout.“Do you doubt me? How could I hurt the woman I love so dearly?”“It’s not that I doubt you, but you’ve reached a point where you’re borderline insane. I helped you, but not so you’d end up in legal trouble or, worse, prison.”“Good grief, have you forgotten who I am? I’m Theodore Lee. I can do whatever I want, including protecting you from such nonsense.”“Yeah, yeah, I get it. Look, I’m busy.
Ariadne was silent at Sarah's words. For some reason, after hearing them, a strange sensation tickled her stomach and made her ears burn. She quickly sought clarification, asking, “Are you siding with him now?”Sarah swallowed hard. It seemed Ariadne’s tendency to misunderstand things was hard to shake off.“It’s not like that, darling. I’m just stating the facts. He acts that way because he cares about you and wants to keep you safe under his watch.”Ariadne fell silent, slowly digesting Sarah’s words. If she thought about it, perhaps the Bennett girl was right.She didn’t fully understand what it was like to be loved by a man as a partner. It had been so long since she felt it—ever since her relationship with her ex, who now had a happy family of his own. Perhaps her feelings had grown numb over time. Marrying Maximilian had warmed her heart again, if only she would realize it.“Stop it, Sarah. Don’t talk about Maximilian—I’m getting a headache! We’re here to have fun!” Ariadne quic
After the incident with the bouquet of flowers, Maximilian couldn't go a single day without thinking about Ariadne.Whether he was reviewing work documents, in a meeting with clients, or even during lunch, his thoughts always wandered back to her. How is Ariadne doing at home? Has that person caused trouble again?Because of this, whenever possible during his lunch break, Maximilian would return home to check on his wife. Even though Gideon had assigned a few of his men to guard the house, Maximilian couldn't feel at ease unless he saw for himself that everything was fine.That afternoon, as usual, Ariadne greeted Maximilian's return with a look of mild exasperation. It wasn’t that she disliked him coming home—it was just that he worked hard, and it seemed absurd to her that he would waste time and energy returning home for the trivial reason of checking on her safety.“Have you eaten? Would you like to eat with me? Or maybe you want me to order something from your favorite restaurant
After completely overhauling the security system and replacing the guards, Maximilian thought he could return to work in peace, even if it meant leaving Ariadne behind. However, it wasn’t that simple. Two days after the mysterious flowers were delivered, nothing unusual happened around them; he and Ariadne lived through uneventful days. Ariadne had questioned the flowers once, but Maximilian explained they had wilted and were disposed of.Since then, Maximilian hadn’t set foot in his office. He worked from home, even conducting important meetings with his top clients remotely. Maximilian felt compelled to stay home to oversee Ariadne’s safety directly, though he failed to realize that his own thoughts had confined him to his room all day. The pounding on his door was the only thing that snapped him back to reality.He hurried to open the door, startled to find Ariadne standing there with an irritated expression. Only then did he realize he had locked his door, breaking the promise he
“Sloane?” Ariadne immediately stood up, facing Sloane, whose sudden presence nearly startled her out of her wits. Sloane looked equally surprised, particularly by the way Ariadne addressed her. She smiled. “Good morning, Madam. What has you so startled?” Ariadne’s gaze was skeptical, though she composed herself, maintaining politeness despite her unwilling mood. “I’m startled and also wondering what brings you here to see me again.” “I’m not here to see you, Madam. I came to speak with Max—” “Oh, and that’s why you brought these flowers?” Ariadne remarked, referring to the bouquet in her hands. Sloane’s eyes widened in confusion as she pulled the bouquet from behind her back, further surprising Ariadne. “I’m allergic to roses. I’d never give Max roses—I always send him lilies.” Ariadne was momentarily speechless, bewildered by Sloane’s explanation. Reflecting on the events of the previous night, Ariadne doubted that the bouquet in her hands had been sent by Maximilian.
The front door creaks open, and I sprint from my room, heart pounding after waiting for him for hours. I know it’s Jax—he always comes back at this ungodly hour after vanishing all night. “Jaxon Harper!” I shout as I reach the door, my fingers clutching the paper I found in his room last night.There he is, standing in the doorway. His dark hair is disheveled, and his skin has that sickly pale tint. Probably another night of drinking and partying. He stumbles in, not even glancing my way, like this is just another morning in his chaotic routine.I shove the paper in his face. "What the hell is this, Jaxon Harper?" My voice cracks with sheer disbelief. "An agreement? A marriage? Did you just sell me off to some random billionaire?Jax barely glances at me, tossing his jacket onto the couch like it's just another Tuesday. "I didn’t expect you to find out this way," he mutters, fiddling with his phone and avoiding my gaze.I stare, disbelief boiling inside me. "That’s it? So you’ve been
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