Married To My Ex's Ruthless Father

Isabella's POV“You really think this baby is going to change anything, Isabella?” Ethan’s voice was cold and sharp. He stood in the middle of his fancy Manhattan penthouse office, the one I had helped design with the expensive walnut floors and big windows looking out over the city. “I’m engaged, for God’s sake. Vanessa and I announced it two weeks ago.”I held the positive pregnancy test in my shaking hand, feeling like my whole world was spinning. “Engaged?” The word came out weak. “Ethan, we’ve been together for six years. I gave up everything for you — my own career, putting my name on the projects, giving you all my best ideas….”“Your ideas?” He laughed in a mean way. A couple of staff members stood near the glass doors, pretending they weren’t listening. “Don’t flatter yourself. You helped a little, sure. But Blackwood Tech is mine. You were just… support.”The pain hit me harder than the morning sickness I’d been fighting for weeks. I had written those pitch decks that got th

Damien POVShe was Ethan’s ex.The full report hit my phone at 3 a.m. while Isabella slept in the guest room of my suite. My team worked fast when I asked.Isabella Hart. Twenty-eight. The hidden force behind my son’s rapid rise. Pregnant with his child while he flaunted Vanessa Sinclair like a prize.I stood on the balcony with another whiskey, staring at the lights below. It wasn’t just anger. Disappointment with Ethan had been growing, his cocky attitude, how he used people and tossed them aside. This cracked everything wide open.But Isabella was something else.I had watched her that night. Broken but still holding her head up with real dignity. No desperate pleas, no manipulations. Just honest exhaustion. It touched a part of me I thought died with Clara years ago.The board’s latest warning still stung: “Fix your image or we push the vote. Marriage. Stability. Family presence. Or you’re out as CEO.”They called me unstable, said I was too cold. A dark smile crossed my face in

Isabella's Pov The gala was dazzling, huge chandeliers, designer clothes everywhere, and New York’s top business people filling the ballroom. I wore a rich emerald dress that Damien had chosen for me. It looked good and still hid my pregnancy. His hand stayed protectively on my lower back as we walked in.People turned to look. Whispers started right away.Damien looked strong and powerful in his tuxedo, the silver in his hair catching the light. He walked us through the room like I belonged there with him.I spotted Ethan across the room with Vanessa. She looked elegant in her jewels. Ethan’s face went completely pale the second he saw us.Damien didn’t wait.He raised his glass during the main toast. His voice carried clearly through the quieting room.“Tonight I want to share something personal. After years of focusing only on Blackwood Holdings, I’ve found someone worth building a future with. Please welcome my fiancée… Isabella Hart.”Gasps went through the crowd. Camera flashes

Isabella’s POVI barely slept after Ethan’s warning.Every time I closed my eyes, I kept hearing his voice telling Damien the empire would fall by morning. The tension inside the penthouse felt heavy even after midnight. Damien stayed awake in his office for hours making calls while I sat alone in the bedroom trying not to panic.By sunrise, the internet was already exploding.News articles covered every business page. Some focused on my pregnancy. Others accused Damien of destroying his own family for revenge. Reporters replayed the gala video again and again. Ethan’s division inside Blackwood Holdings was suddenly being investigated for missing money.And now the board wanted Damien removed.I walked into the kitchen wearing one of Damien’s oversized shirts and found him drinking black coffee while reading reports on his tablet.He looked exhausted.“Did you sleep at all?” I asked quietly.“Not much.”His voice sounded rough.I moved closer carefully. “What happens if the board vote

Isabella’s POVVictor’s words still hung in the air after he left. I stood in the living room with Damien, my arms around him. His hug felt strong and safe. For the first time since the gala, my heart did not race from fear. It raced from something else.“You did not have to kiss my forehead,” I said softly, pulling back a little to look at him.Damien’s gray eyes met mine. “I wanted to.” His voice was low, like he was testing the words. “This marriage started as a contract. But holding you feels different now.”I nodded. My cheeks felt warm. “I know. I feel it too. We said no romance. No expectations. But every day, it changes.”He led me back to the couch. We sat close, our legs touching. The penthouse was quiet except for the city hum outside. Damien kept my hand in his. His thumb rubbed my skin gently. It sent small shivers up my arm.“Tell me what you need from this marriage, Isabella,” he said. “Not just protection. Real things.”I thought for a moment. “I need to feel like a pa