เข้าสู่ระบบOn her wedding day, Clara Montgomery catches her fiancé and stepsister sleeping together to steal her inheritance. When she refuses to marry him, her cruel father disowns her, leaving her broke and stranded in a violent storm. At her lowest point, Alexander Sterling—the city’s most ruthless billionaire and her father’s fiercest rival—pulls up in his luxury car. He offers a strict, one-year marriage contract: ultimate protection and the power to ruin her enemies, in exchange for helping him destroy her father’s empire from the inside out. Clara signs the papers, stepping into a world of fake public romance and cold, private boundaries. But as their charade deepens, the lines begin to blur. Clara can handle her enemies, but can she protect her heart from a dangerous man who always gets what he wants?
ดูเพิ่มเติมClara Montgomery POVThe boardroom went completely still, save for the heavy, ragged breathing coming through the speakerphone. I stared at the device on the glass table. For years, just hearing that specific tone in my father’s voice would have made me shrink back, trying to figure out how to smooth things over. Today, it didn't do anything to me."Clara?" my father’s voice came through again, the rage slightly replaced by a sudden, sharp confusion. "What is he talking about? What did you do?"I stepped closer to the table, looking down at the screen. "I didn't do anything behind your back, Dad. I just reinvested my mother’s money. Fifty-two percent of Astra Shipping belongs to me now. The transactions are cleared and fully registered with the exchange.""Are you insane?" he roared, slamming something heavy against his desk on the other end of the line. "Astra controls the entire docking grid for the eastern ports! I am in the middle of
Clara Montgomery POVThe morning light felt cold as it filtered through the blinds of the guest suite. I woke up at seven, my mind already clear and focused on the trading floor meeting. I chose a sharp, cream-colored pantsuit from the wardrobe—something that looked professional but distinct from the dark, heavy tones Alexander usually wore. I wanted to look like an independent partner today, not just an extension of his legal team.When I walked out into the kitchen, Alexander was already dressed in a dark gray suit, reviewing a printout of the Astra Shipping financial ledger. He didn't look up immediately, but he pushed a freshly brewed cup of black coffee toward my side of the counter."The funds officially cleared your primary account ten minutes ago," he said, his voice carrying its usual quiet authority. "The brokers are on standby at the firm’s downtown branch. We leave in twenty minutes.""Did Marcus Sterling’s flight land?" I as
Alexander Sterling POVThe drive back to the penthouse was completely silent. Clara sat across from me in the spacious cabin of the Maybach, her head resting against the glass window as she watched the city lights streak past through the heavy downpour. The midnight-blue dress shifted slightly with the movement of the car, the silk reflecting the dim interior lighting.She looked exhausted, but her jaw remained tightly set. She hadn't let her guard down once, not even when her stepsister confronted her in front of the entire gallery crowd.I looked back down at my tablet, but the financial figures on the screen didn't register. My mind kept looping back to the report Marco had delivered. Marcus Sterling. Just hearing that name made a bitter, familiar taste rise in the back of my throat. For fifteen years, my uncle had been a ghost, living off the millions he stole from my mother's estate while she spent her final years working two jobs to keep us afloat in a cramped Queens apartment.
Clara Montgomery POVThe VIP lounge of the gallery was tucked away behind a thick velvet curtain, effectively cutting off the sharp flashbulbs and the prying eyes of the main hall. The space was dimly lit, featuring low-profile leather sofas and a private bar made of dark, polished granite. Only a handful of high-profile guests were allowed inside, and they all had the decency to pretend they weren't tracking our every move.Alexander led me to a corner sofa, his hand dropping from my waist as soon as the heavy curtain fell shut behind us. The sudden absence of his touch left a strange, cool sensation on my back, a quick reminder of where the performance ended and reality began."Sit," he said, signaling the private bartender. "You need a minute to breathe."I sank into the soft leather, my legs slightly weak from standing in heels for two hours straight under a microscope. "Is Sienna always that reckless?""She’s desperate," Alexander replied, taking a glass of neat bourbon from the
Clara Montgomery POVThe ride to Montgomery Headquarters was quiet. I stared out the window, watching the familiar glass skyscraper get closer and closer. I used to think of that building as a symbol of my family’s pride. Now, it just felt like a monument to their greed.Beside me, Alexander was pe
Clara Montgomery POVThe private elevator opened directly into Alexander’s penthouse, and my jaw almost dropped. The place was massive. It had floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the entire city skyline, minimalist black-and-white furniture, and marble floors so polished I could see my reflection.
Clara Montgomery POVI stared at the man standing in front of me. The rain was pouring all around us, but not a single drop touched him. He looked like he belonged on a billboard or the cover of a business magazine, not at a dirty bus stop at two in the morning."Do I look like the type of girl who
Clara Montgomery POVThe grand ballroom doors were right in front of me, but I didn't open them. Instead, I bolted down the service stairs, the heavy layers of my wedding gown rustling against the concrete walls. I could hear the faint sound of the live orchestra playing downstairs. They were waiti






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