Married for a billionaire’s Revenge

The ball was everything Isabella loathed glittering chandeliers, diamonds around every wrist, gigeles that rang mockingly. All in their silks and gold, but underneath, it was all famine. Famine for power, for gossip, for the next scandal.Alexander took her hand as they entered, not because he loved her but because he owned her. His grip was fierce, almost brutal, as if daring someone to not believe she was with him. Cameras clicked, capturing the ideal shot of the ideal couple. The ruse was flawless."Smile," he breathed into her ear, his voice a warning coated with silk.She pressed her mouth into the smile she had seen her mother flash at social gatherings like this one smooth, expert, empty. Her gut twisted.Near the middle of the evening, a stout older businessman came over, his eyes resting on Isabella longer than was proper before he said, "Mr. Knight, you never told me your wife was so beautiful."Alexander's arm encircled her waist, drawing her close until the heat of his bod

The ball of the Knight family was nothing short of breathtaking. Crystal chandeliers poured golden lighting over the expansive ballroom, where powerful men and elegant women mingled with flutes of champagne in hand. Laughter and hushed whispers hung suspended in the air, a symphony of wealth and secrets.Isabella stood at the top of the stairs, her heart pounding beneath the midnight silk of her gown. The fabric clung to her body like a second skin, the low bodice provocative and yet classy. She'd never felt so exposed, and yet so untouchable. Every head turned as she descended, whispers in her wake.And then she saw him.Alexander stood near the bar, a black bespoke suit seemingly chiseled onto his form. His eyes found her at once, sharp as razors, but something flickered there something he couldn't quite hide. Possession. Hunger. Warning.As she reached the bottom of the stairs, he moved forward to meet her, his hand coming to rest at the small of her back with a possessive pressure

The house was too quiet after Cassandra had left. Too still, as though the walls were holding their breath, waiting to breathe. Isabella sat on the edge of their bed, her mind replaying every sneaky glance, every snake-tipped remark between Alexander and that woman.She yearned to believe him. She yearned to believe that his past did not linger in their present. But the look that had flashed on his face when he first saw Cassandra… it tormented her.Later, after Alexander returned from the study, his face was chiseled in granite."Isabella," he broke in quietly, "whatever you think you overheard""I didn't think, Alexander. I heard," she cut in, her voice quivering over her attempts at audacity. "You said she smashed something. What was it?"His teeth gritted. "It doesn't matter any longer.""It matters to me," Isabella pressed, her voice cracking. "Because whether you like it or not, she remains. Between us."For a moment, his mask slipped and she saw the storm under it. Pain. Anger.

The room felt colder after Alexander’s words.She was the woman I was going to marry… until she destroyed me.Isabella clutched the photograph, her chest tightening. Cassandra’s smile was beautiful, confident almost mocking.“Destroyed you how?” she asked, her voice trembling.Alexander’s jaw clenched. He poured himself a glass of whiskey, the amber liquid shaking slightly in his grip. “She didn’t just betray me. She betrayed everything I built.”He downed the drink in one swallow. “We were engaged. I thought she loved me. But she was using me to get closer to my empire. She leaked confidential information to my competitors… and when I confronted her, she laughed. Said I was too easy to manipulate.”Isabella’s heart pounded. She couldn’t imagine that kind of humiliation. But part of her still whispered what if Cassandra wasn’t the only manipulator? What if Alexander learned from her and turned the same tactics on me?“You think marrying me will undo that betrayal?” she whispered bitte

The hotel lobby smelled of roses and expensive perfume, but Isabella’s stomach twisted as soon as she saw her.Cassandra.She was everything Isabella imagined and worse draped in a red silk dress that clung like fire, lips curved into a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She spotted Isabella instantly, as though she had been waiting.“So,” Cassandra said, her voice smooth and sharp, “you’re the wife.”Isabella thrust back her shoulders. "And you are the ghost who won't stay buried."A throaty laugh erupted from Cassandra, brittle but with venom. "Cute. Brave. I can see why he selected you." She crept closer, her perfume heady. "But do not fool yourself. He does not love you. He's only trying to try to erase me."Every word hit Isabella like a slap. But she did not let Cassandra catch her flinch.Isabella had not even had a chance to reply before Alexander appeared. His presence filled space at once, his eyes flicking between them like an incoming storm."Cassandra," he growled, "