LOGINElara is a talented florist who never imagined her life would change overnight. When she unexpectedly becomes the bride of Adrian Hale, a captivating billionaire who is protective, intense, and emotionally unavailable her world is turned upside down. Just as she starts to navigate his luxurious and high-stakes world, a shadow from Adrian’s past returns: Lydia, a jealous and cunning woman determined to disrupt Elara’s life. As Lydia’s schemes escalate, from near-miss attacks to cryptic threats, Elara must rely on her intelligence and courage to survive. Adrian watches over her with relentless intensity, his jealousy and protectiveness a constant presence, challenging Elara in ways she never expected. Caught between a dangerous rival and the magnetic pull of her husband, Elara must prove she’s more than a pawn in a billionaire’s world. Will she survive Lydia’s manipulations and win Adrian’s trust and heart in a game where love, danger, and power collide?
View MoreMorning did not arrive gently.It arrived like a spotlight.By the time we stepped out of the car in front of the Commission building, cameras were already positioned across the street. Not chaotic. Not aggressive. Just present.Waiting.Julian hadn’t needed to call the press. The complaint itself had done that. Public inquiry into a CEO’s marriage? It was irresistible.Adrian adjusted his cufflinks once—small, controlled movement. I smoothed my blazer. Not vanity. Armor.“You still certain?” he asked quietly before we walked in.“Yes.”He studied me for a second longer.“Whatever happens in there,” he added, “we stay aligned.”“Aligned,” I repeated.And we walked inside.⸻The hearing room wasn’t dramatic. No raised voices. No pounding gavels. Just long tables, microphones, and people trained to dissect nuance for a living.The Chairwoman looked over her glasses.“Mr. Vale. Mrs. Vale. Thank you for appearing.”Mrs. Vale.The title still carried a strange weight.“We’ll begin with cla
I should have felt triumphant after the warehouse.I didn’t.Victory implies closure.This felt like prelude.Julian had been too calm. Too measured. A man denied leverage doesn’t simply retreat. He restructures.By morning, the city looked the same. Traffic flowed. Markets opened. News cycles shifted.But underneath it—pressure gathered.At 10:12 a.m., Adrian’s phone rang.Not a media call.Not a board member.Regulatory compliance.He listened without interruption, face impassive.When he ended the call, he didn’t speak immediately.“What?” I asked.“There’s been a formal complaint filed with the Commission.”My stomach tightened.“About?”“Conflict of interest. Influence manipulation. Improper disclosure tied to our personal relationship.”Silence filled the room.Julian hadn’t attacked the company.He’d attacked us.“You think it’s him?” I asked.Adrian gave me a look.“It’s structured too cleanly to be random.”I inhaled slowly.“What’s the risk?”“Investigation. Public scrutiny.
I should have known the calm wouldn’t last.Peace in this war never meant safety. It meant repositioning.Three days after Julian’s audit memo surfaced, the media shifted focus. Not away from us—but sideways. Speculation slowed. Analysts began debating internal instability at his firm instead of Adrian’s structures.On the surface, it looked like equilibrium.But equilibrium in power games is just tension held at equal force.And tension snaps.It happened at 9:07 p.m.I was reviewing documentation in my office when my phone lit up with a number I hadn’t seen in years.My brother.I answered immediately.“Elara.”His voice wasn’t panicked.It was controlled.Too controlled.“What happened?”A pause.“There are two men outside the house.”My spine went rigid.“Security?”“They’re not threatening. Just… parked. Watching.”Julian.He wouldn’t threaten directly. He’d observe. Create pressure. Let imagination do the rest.“Stay inside,” I said calmly. “Do not approach. Do not confront.”“T
I knew the backlash would come.I just didn’t expect it to arrive before sunrise.At 5:32 a.m., my phone vibrated against the nightstand. Not a call. Not a message.A notification.A headline.I sat up slowly before opening it.“Confidential Files Surface Linking Vale Group to Pre-Merger Shell Entities.”My blood ran cold.Adrian stirred beside me. “What is it?”I handed him the phone.His expression didn’t shift at first. Then it did—almost imperceptibly. A tightening at the jaw. A stillness in his shoulders.“That’s internal,” he said quietly.The article was vague enough to avoid libel. It referenced unnamed documents. Suggested structural maneuvering years before a major acquisition. It wasn’t illegal.But it looked strategic.Manipulative.Calculated.Julian had fired back.And not at me.At Adrian.“You triggered him,” Adrian said, but there was no accusation in it.“Yes.”“And he escalated.”“Yes.”I forced myself to breathe slowly.This was chess.Not chaos.“Those files,” I a












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