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CHAPTER ONE: A Marriage without Love
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2026-01-26 18:05:55Rain fell in relentless sheets against the towering windows of the Blackwood estate, smearing the manicured gardens into a blur of gray and green. Inside the bridal suite, Lydia stood in front of the full-length mirror, her reflection pale in the soft light. The gown she wore was exquisite—ivory lace hugging her figure, delicate embroidery tracing her collarbones—but it felt like armor, a costume in a play she had never chosen to be part of.
Today, she was marrying Ethan Blackwood. The thought twisted in her chest. Ethan—cold, untouchable, and devastatingly handsome—was a man who had made it abundantly clear he did not want her. Their engagement was not about love. It was a transaction, orchestrated by his grandfather, Harrison Blackwood, who insisted on securing the family’s legacy before his health failed. To Harrison, Lydia was perfect: quiet, refined, and respectable. To Ethan, she was a stranger thrust into a life he had no desire to lead. A soft knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. “Miss Lydia, it’s time,” a maid said gently. Taking a deep breath, Lydia lifted her bouquet and walked down the long corridor. Her heels clicked softly against the marble floors, echoing in the empty halls. She was alone—no father to guide her, no family to steady her. The world was watching, yet she felt invisible. The chapel was grand, every detail polished and flawless. Guests whispered behind polite smiles, eager to witness the union of power and wealth. And there he stood—Ethan Blackwood. Tall, immaculately dressed, his posture rigid, expression unreadable. His eyes met hers for the briefest moment, cold and assessing, before looking away. When the officiant began the vows, Lydia’s voice trembled as she repeated the words she had memorized, words she barely felt. “I do.” Ethan’s voice followed—steady, emotionless, cutting through the quiet like steel. “I do.” The ring slid onto her finger, heavy and unyielding. And when he leaned in, she dared to hope—but his lips only brushed her cheek in a perfunctory, detached gesture. Polite. Distant. The reception passed in a blur. Lydia smiled, posed for photographs, and accepted congratulations, all while Ethan remained distant, answering questions curtly and offering no warmth. To the outside world, they appeared flawless. Behind the smiles and glittering chandeliers, the chasm between them grew wider by the hour. Finally, the last guest departed, and the mansion fell silent. Lydia waited, her heart pounding with both fear and anticipation. Ethan entered, removing his jacket, his movements precise and measured. “This marriage changes nothing,” he said bluntly, his eyes avoiding hers. “You will have comfort, money, protection—but do not expect affection.” Her throat tightened, but she nodded, swallowing back the sting of his words. “There is someone else,” he added, voice flat, almost bored. “And there always will be.” Lydia’s chest tightened, but she lifted her chin. She had expected this, and she would endure it. Without another word, Ethan walked toward the opposite wing, the bedroom door clicking shut behind him. Alone in the vast, empty room, Lydia sank onto the couch, clutching her bouquet as tears fell silently. This was her wedding night. And she was utterly, completely alone. Yet, beneath the ache, a fragile determination sparked. If he did not want her… if he refused to see her worth… one day, he would regret it. And she would not be the woman left waiting.
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His Unwanted Wife CHAPTER TEN: A Love Unbroken
The Blackwood estate was quiet, almost eerily so, the morning after the storm that had shaken its foundations both inside and out. Rain had swept through the night, leaving the grounds glistening, and a fragile sunlight now filtered through the tall windows. But inside, the mansion was alive with a tension that was different from the fear and uncertainty of the previous days. It was the tension of possibility—the quiet electricity of change, trust, and fragile hope.Lydia stood in the library, the place where so many of her battles—both emotional and practical—had begun. Sunlight streamed over the leather-bound books, catching dust motes in its glow. Her fingers brushed the spines as she walked past, and she thought of how far she had come—from the terrified bride who walked down the aisle into cold indifference, to a woman who had faced secrets, threats, and betrayal, and survived.The door creaked behind her, and she turned to see Ethan entering, dressed in casual clothes, hair stil
His Unwanted Wife CHAPTER NINE: Shadows of Betrayal
The Blackwood estate felt alive with tension that night, far more intense than the usual quiet grandeur. Lydia had learned that Ethan’s carefully controlled life was riddled with secrets—alliances he had forged in the past, enemies he had made, and debts that could ruin him if exposed. But she had also learned that beneath the impenetrable walls, he was vulnerable, and for the first time, she understood that she could not simply wait for him to change; she had to act.Ethan’s study was dimly lit, the soft glow of the desk lamp casting long shadows across the papers strewn across the surface. His jaw was tight, his hands trembling slightly as he reviewed financial documents and letters. The man who had walked through the front doors earlier—an associate turned traitor—had threatened to expose Ethan’s dealings, and he had left a lingering sense of menace in the mansion.Lydia stepped quietly into the study, aware of the weight of the moment. “Ethan,” she said softly.He looked up, dark
His Unwanted Wife CHAPTER EIGHT: The Storm Within
The morning after their first real moment together, the Blackwood estate was quiet, almost deceptively so. The previous night had left an echo in the air—something tangible and heavy, like electricity that refused to fade. Ethan was in his study, papers scattered across the desk, the lines of tension still etched into his face. He looked every bit the controlled, untouchable man Lydia had come to know, but she could see the subtle cracks that hadn’t existed before.Lydia, for her part, felt a strange mix of triumph and unease. Last night had been a breakthrough, yes. But breakthroughs didn’t erase history, secrets, or the dangers that lingered just beyond the walls of the mansion. She knew that Ethan’s world was far from simple. There were enemies, debts, and betrayals—remnants of his past that could reach her if she let her guard down.She entered the study cautiously, her heels clicking softly against the polished floor. Ethan looked up, his dark eyes catching hers, sharp but soften
His Unwanted Wife CHAPTER SEVEN: Breaking the Walls
The storm outside the Blackwood estate had passed, leaving the air crisp and heavy with the scent of wet earth. Inside, the mansion still felt like a labyrinth of secrets and shadows, but tonight, everything had shifted. The confrontation with the mysterious man—the one who had revealed hidden debts, dangerous alliances, and betrayals from Ethan’s past—had left Lydia and Ethan both shaken.Ethan’s usually composed demeanor was gone, replaced by a tension Lydia had never seen. His sharp, controlled movements were jagged, as if the perfect mask he always wore had finally fractured. And for the first time, she realized just how much weight he carried, how deeply he had buried himself beneath walls of control, wealth, and indifference.Lydia had watched him from the library doorway, silent but alert. She had listened as he confronted the man—whose name she still did not know—about mistakes, threats, and obligations that stretched back years. She had glimpsed the man behind the myth, the m
His Unwanted Wife CHAPTER SIX: Fractured Loyalties
The Blackwood estate had never felt more like a trap. Rain pelted the windows again, violent and relentless, as though the heavens themselves mourned the storm that raged within the mansion. Lydia paced the library, her hands trembling slightly as she clutched the stack of letters she had discovered. The confrontation from last night haunted her—the intruder in the hall, Ethan’s rare moment of vulnerability, and the hidden life she had glimpsed through Isabella’s letters.She could feel it now, the electric tension lingering in the air, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath.Footsteps echoed on the marble floors. Ethan entered the library, his dark eyes burning with a mixture of anger and something else Lydia couldn’t quite place—fear, maybe, or guilt.“You shouldn’t have gone through my things,” he said, voice low, dangerous. “It was a mistake.”Lydia held her ground. “A mistake? Ethan, you’ve hidden this from me. From the moment we married, you’ve built your walls, an
His Unwanted Wife CHAPTER FIVE: Secrets in the Shadows
The mansion was quiet that night, but the silence was thick—heavy with unspoken words, hidden histories, and the kind of tension that made Lydia’s pulse quicken. She had spent the day in the library, organizing her papers and exploring the estate’s hidden corners. That was when she stumbled upon it—a small drawer in Ethan’s private desk, concealed behind a false panel.Curiosity tugged at her. She knew she shouldn’t, but something about the secrecy called to her. She slid the drawer open, revealing a stack of letters, photographs, and legal documents.Lydia’s fingers trembled as she flipped through them.There were letters from a woman—a beautiful, confident woman who signed herself Isabella. The letters were intimate, passionate, and unrelenting in their claim on Ethan’s heart. The woman had been a part of his life long before Lydia ever arrived. Each letter whispered of love, betrayal, and promises broken.Her stomach twisted. Ethan had not been exaggerating when he said there was s
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