LOGINYou want revenge, Michelle? Then marry me." The words came from the last person she ever expected—Kieran Castellan, her ex’s cold and ruthless stepbrother. Hours earlier, Michelle’s world had fallen apart. She caught her fiancé cheating—with her best friend—right before saying “I do.” Humiliated, betrayed, and drowning in debt, she ran from the altar with nothing but pain in her chest. Then Kieran found her. He needed a wife to keep his CEO position. She needed a way to survive. It was supposed to be a deal—a one-year contract marriage, no feelings, no complications. But the more time they spent together, the more dangerous their connection became. Kieran’s touch burned, his words softened, and somewhere between hatred and healing, Michelle started to fall. Until old secrets, jealous enemies, and the ghosts of betrayal returned to tear them apart. Now, she’s faced with a choice: walk away before her heart breaks again… or fight for the man she was never supposed to love.
View MoreMICHELLE’S POV.
They say every woman's dream was a big wedding to the man she loved, her Mr right, her true love. Well, mine wasn't. Instead it was the worst day of my life. The soft music playing in the church sounded beautiful, but my heart was beating too fast. I stood there at the altar, my hands shaking slightly as I held my bouquet. Everyone was staring at me. I tried to smile through the awkwardness. Where was Damien? He was supposed to be standing there, waiting for me. But I was the one waiting for him. I turned slightly to look at my in-laws, hoping for some kind of answer. His parents looked calm, almost bored, like nothing was out of place. His mother kept fanning herself, and his father was scrolling through his phone. The priest cleared his throat gently and asked, “Where is the groom?” My lips parted, but no words came out. I looked over at the groomsmen sitting in the front row. They were all busy with their phones, pretending not to notice me. “Excuse me,” I said softly to one of them, but he didn’t even look up. I tried again, louder this time. “Have you seen Damien?” He finally lifted his eyes, frowned, and said, “He’ll be here soon. Just wait.” Then he went right back to his phone. Something twisted in my stomach. I took a quick glance around. All eyes were on me. And worst of all, none of them were my guests. They were all on Damien's side. The only person that came here for me was my bridesmaid and she is also nowhere to be found. I couldn’t stand there any longer. I had to find my best friend and my man. “I’ll be right back,” I whispered to the priest, and before anyone could stop me — not like they would anyways — I walked down the altar and out of the hall. The church hallway was quiet. My heels clicked against the tiles as I moved quickly toward the rooms at the back. My heart pounded harder with every step. I wanted to believe he was fixing his tie, or maybe just nervous. But when i got to his room, i froze. I heard a sound that made my whole body freeze. Soft moaning. A woman’s voice. Then his voice—Damien’s voice. I stood still, unable to breathe. My fingers trembled as I pushed the door open a little. What I saw made my world stop. Damien was there, his pant lying on the floor and he was on top of a person. And that someone was my best friend, Sarah. Sarah gasped when she saw me. “Michelle—” she tried to move away, but Damien grabbed her hips and said breathlessly, “Don’t stop. I’m close.” Then, with a low groan, he came. Tears blurred my vision. My entire body felt cold. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing—or hearing. Damien turned around slowly, his face red and sweaty, and he smirked. “Hey babe,” he said casually. “W— what are you— you doing?” I asked, my voice choked with tears. “I just wanted a little break before walking you down the aisle.” “What?” My voice cracked. “A break? Are you serious, Damien?” He laughed. “Oh, come on, don’t overreact. It’s just sex. You’re still the one I’m marrying, aren’t you?” I shook my head, tears falling freely now. “With my best friend? On our wedding day?” Sarah tried to speak, her voice trembling. “Michelle, please, I—” “Shut up!” I screamed. “Don’t you dare talk to me!” Damien rolled his eyes. “God, you’re so dramatic. Stop crying and fix your makeup. People are waiting.” “People are waiting?!” I snapped, my voice filled with disbelief. “You were in Sarah a few seconds ago and the only thing you can say to me is, people are waiting?” He shrugged, shaking his head as if he did nothing wrong. “In my defense, my dick has been kissing Sarah's womb for the last four years.” I felt the last piece of my heart shattered. “C'mon, did you really think I bought your virgin crap?” He laughed. “C'mon, a man got to blow some steam once in a while. And you weren't really girlfriend material. You were boring.” I didn’t even realize I had turned around until I found myself running back to the altar. Everyone looked up as I burst in, tears still streaking my face. The music stopped. “Where is Damien?” One of the groom's men asked. “He was sleeping with Sarah!” I shouted. “My best friend! In the next room!” Gasps filled the church. People started murmuring. My mother-in-law stood up and walked toward me with a cold, angry expression. Then she slaps me. My cheek burned as she hit me. “Stop making a scene,” she snapped. “We’re all tired. Just get married and end this nonsense.” Her husband nodded in agreement, his voice sharp. “Do you know how much we’ve spent on this wedding? Stop embarrassing us.” I stepped back, shaking. “You’re defending him? After what he did?” Before I could say more, Damien and Sarah walked back into the hall. Damien’s hair was messy, his tie crooked, but he didn’t seem to care. He came straight to me and grabbed my arm tightly. “Don’t you dare make a scene in front of all these people,” he hissed in my ear. “You should be lucky I still want to marry you after all this.” “Lucky?” I whispered, my voice breaking. He turned to the crowd. “Please excuse my wife, she is a crazy bitch.” He turned to the priest. “Let’s continue,” he said firmly, pulling me closer. I snapped. And slapped him, hard The whole church gasped again. Damien’s face twisted with anger, and before I could move, his hand came crashing across my face. I stumbled back, holding my cheek. “You monster,” I whispered. He leaned closer and grabbed my arm, his eyes dark. “Who do you think you are?” “Someone who is about to dump your sorry ass,” I muttered, jerking my hand away. “You don't deserve me,” I added and walked out of the church.Michelle's POVI kept a vigil throughout that week.Whoever it was, the person was back, and I was pretty sure they weren't going to let us go without a scratch.That morning, I sat in the lobby of my therapist’s office, staring at the fish tank and watching the fish swim freely, envious of their lives.They lived in a tank, yet they had fewer problems and more freedom than we did.What’s the point of being the highest-ranked animal on the food chain if you still can’t control anything?“Michelle,” she called.I looked up. “Yeah?”“You can come in now,” she said, opening the door wider. “Or do you need a second?”I shook my head and walked into the office.She closed the door behind me.“Rough morning?” I tried to start a light conversation before dumping my dead life on her.“Teenagers,” she said with a smile, taking her seat. “Those tiny little things think they know everything about life. She claims things have changed and that I’m old-fashioned.” She leaned closer. “Can you imagin
Kieran's POV Things did get out of hand. I underestimated Damien a second time. I thought I could control the media, but it turns out a scandal is like candy wrapped in honey and handed to a child. The authorities were all over my business. Fortunately, the other Castellan was fast enough to bury a lot of things. But that did little to stop the storm rising within the company. I never realized it until now. Damien wasn't interested in blackmailing me into giving him power in the company. He wanted me to go on a wild goose chase while he slowly painted himself as the angel. The exposure of my mother's crime was just a bonus I foolishly handed him. “The media is buzzing with news of your mother’s crime. The cops are everywhere,” Mr. Holt said, slamming his hands on the table. Damien sat beside him with a smug smile, as if he had just won a Nobel Prize. “Damien was the one who exposed the crimes,” Mira snapped. “Why is he still here?” “Do you have proof that I did it?” Damien as
Kieran's POV.I recognized her without seeing her face. The dress, her back—pretty much every inch of her body was etched in my mind like an image I could never get rid of.I wanted to go after the man who bumped into her and give him a piece of my mind, but Mira warned me not to do anything funny before slipping away.My legs moved before my mind could catch up, and I caught her before she fell to the ground.She turned, and her face went pale instantly.I stared deep into her eyes, trying to control the rage I had spent months trying to control. I kept telling myself that I had no problem with her decision to leave when I needed her the most, but that was a big, fat lie. I resented her. And seeing her when my life was crumbling before me made the anger worse.I left her before the words could come out of my mouth.I tried to act normal in front of those foolish and ungrateful people, but Michelle had other plans. She walked over to an average-looking man and allowed him to touch her
Michelle's POV.I stared at Kieran, still confused whether he was just my imagination or a ghost who had come to haunt me.His eyes showed no warmth. Almost resentment. And I didn't necessarily blame him. I knew that with Kieran's influence and the life my mother wants for me, I was bound to meet him. I just didn't think it would be this soon. I was hoping it would be after forty years, when we both have grandkids.“Watch your step,” he said, pulling me up.“Thank—”He was already walking away.I watched him walk to Lana, who adjusted his tie—it clearly didn't need adjusting. That tie was perfectly fit.Lana's eyes met mine for a brief moment. Then they were back on Kieran. She whispered something to him, and they walked toward the hall, leaving me to struggle with everything that had just happened.What the hell were they doing here? I thought this was only for athletes.Wait... Could he be the investor with that huge scandal?My legs rushed toward the hall before I could think twice
Michelle's POVThe papers were spread all over the table in front of me, but my mind was not really on them.I kept thinking about Lana. I still couldn't believe that Lana was behind everything. And the thought of not getting the truth out of her sent a cold shiver down my spine. I blinked and loo
MICHELLE'S POV. I did not know where to look first.The room was enormous. The walls were lined with things I could not name. Things that looked out of this world and probably belonged behind a glass in a museum with a guard standing next to them.And then there was my work. I stood very still fo
AUTHOR'S POV.It felt like time had suddenly frozen.One second, Michelle was trying to help Kieran up. The next, the sharp sound of fabric tearing echoed through the empty hall.Her dress had ripped from top to bottom.For a long second, neither of them spoke. But their pale faces said everything.
KIERAN'S POV. I did not expect this evening at all. When Michelle stopped the car and stepped out, I looked up at the large building in front of us. I was shocked to see it was an orchestra hall.I blinked. “You brought me here?”She smiled like she was proud of herself. “Yes.”I stared at the en






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