Married by Mistake, Loved by Fate

“I’m okay,” Lucy said quietly, standing up and brushing the dust from her clothes. Her voice shook, but she tried to keep it steady as she wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.Across from her, Austin DiMarco studied her closely. She was broken, yet something about the way she held herself, fragile but still standing, made her shine even more.“I’m Austin,” he said gently. “I’m a businessman.”Lucy blinked, taken aback by his calmness and timing. “I’m Lucy,” she replied with a weak smile. “Just a roadside food vendor.”Austin raised an eyebrow. “You don’t look like ‘just’ anything,” he said honestly, glancing down at her soft makeup, her delicate features, and the ruined bouquet still clutched in her hands. “You look stunning.”Lucy let out a small, tired laugh. “Well, thank you. But looks don’t matter, do they? Not when you’ve been publicly humiliated by someone you gave everything to.”Austin tilted his head. “Maybe not to some men. But to me? Character matters. And I jus

“No. I was trying to help the man I loved,” Lucy said, her voice sharp and fierce now, burning with a mix of pain and defiance. “But you were too busy proving something, too proud, too blind, to see that I was standing right beside you, carrying your weight.”Greg slammed the contract papers down on the polished table with a harsh bang. His face twisted in anger and hurt. “What the hell, Lucy! You made me look like a fool!”Austin stepped forward, his tone cutting through the tension like steel. “You did that all by yourself, Greg. And if you ever raise your voice at my wife again, I won’t just stand here.” He moved protectively closer to Lucy, his eyes blazing.Greg’s fists clenched so tight his knuckles went white. He looked ready to punch a wall. But before he could explode, Richard Bennett’s cold voice cut through the room like a judge’s gavel.“That’s enough.” His eyes locked onto Greg’s with icy precision. As his gaze swept over Greg and Vanessa like a judge sentencing. His voic

The gun dug into her temple like an icy brand.Lucy’s breath caught, every nerve screaming.Austin’s voice was a razor.“Let her go.”The masked man laughed, low and mocking, his pale eyes glinting in the dim light.“That’s cute. You think you’re the one in control here.”Austin’s jaw flexed.“I don’t think so. I know.”Lucy’s pulse thundered in her ears. She could feel the intruder’s breath near her ear, hot, slow, deliberate, like he wanted her to feel every second of her fear.Her voice was tight, but she forced it out.“If you’re going to shoot me, do it. But don’t—”The man’s grip on her wrist snapped tighter, cutting off her words with a hiss of pain.“Oh no,” he murmured. “The Phantom wants you alive.”His eyes flicked to Austin.“Both of you.”Austin’s fingers twitched at his sides, the barest tremor betraying the storm under his calm exterior.“You have five seconds to walk out of here breathing.”The masked man tilted his head.“Or what? You’ll put a bullet in me? From where

“Lucy…”Her father’s voice was low but unyielding, the kind of tone that could stop her mid-step even now. Richard Bennett stood in the middle of the living room, jacket still dusted from last night’s chaos, his silver cufflinks glinting faintly in the morning light.“I planted Venessa.”The words hit her like a slap.Her eyes snapped to him. “What?”“I planted her,” Richard repeated, slow and deliberate. “To test his loyalty… to test the man around you. You think I haven’t got your back?” He stepped forward, gaze locked on hers. “Every step of the way, I’ve been making sure you were safe.”Lucy’s mouth fell open. “You… you’ve been doing all this for me?”A flicker of a smile curved his lips, barely there, but it warmed his eyes for the briefest second. “Always, baby girl. Always.”The warmth lasted just long enough for the sting to rise in her chest. Her voice cracked.“That bastard… son of a bitch…” She swallowed hard, the words burning her throat. “I thought he was different from t

Lucy slid into the driver’s seat, her fingers tightening around the steering wheel as if it could steady her racing heart. The car hummed to life, and with every turn of the wheels, the DiMarco mansion loomed closer, a palace that would soon be her new reality. She caught her reflection in the rearview mirror, eyes wide with nerves, lips slightly parted, her chest tightening with anticipation.This is it, Lucy, she whispered inwardly. No turning back now. You’re stepping into their world, their name, their dynasty.The thought made her heart pound. She wasn’t just driving to a mansion, she was driving straight into a life that would test her in ways she couldn’t yet imagine.The gates groaned open, iron sprawling like the arms of an empire. Lucy’s breath caught. Across the long marble path, lined perfectly on both sides, stood seven servants, their postures impeccable, uniforms crisp. Each held a silver tray, the delicate notes catching the sunlight.One by one, they stepped forward.