LOGINA forced marriage. A ruthless CEO. And a contract that could ruin—or rescue—her heart. Ayla Morgan thought losing her father was the worst thing that could happen. She was wrong. Within weeks, her family restaurant is seized by debt collectors, her stepmother kicks her to the curb, and her arrogant CEO fires her in front of everyone over a petty mistake. With nothing left but humiliation and bills, Ayla is forced into a blind date arranged by her greedy family… and accidentally ruins the wrong one. That “wrong date”? Damon Cross. Her ex-boss. The coldest man she’s ever met—richer than sin and twice as dangerous. But instead of being furious, Damon makes her a shocking offer: Marry me. Three years. No feelings. No questions. In return, I’ll pay your family’s debt and give you your life back. To him, it’s just a contract. To her, it’s a lifeline. Living under the same roof, working as his personal secretary, Ayla swears she’ll never fall for a man who sees love as weakness. But behind Damon’s icy exterior hides a broken man forced to marry by his dying grandfather—and a loneliness that mirrors her own. As enemies become reluctant allies and fake kisses turn real, Ayla finds herself questioning everything. What happens when the contract ends… but her heart doesn’t? And will Damon let go of control long enough to realize that love might be his only salvation?
View More"Three hundred years ago, the people of the lands were engaged in a Great War. There was famine and violence. The people suffered greatly as the noble houses of the realm fought for overall leadership.” The firelight danced in my father’s eyes as he began to weave his story. On Saturday nights we would BBQ and sit around the fire pit and tell stories.
“The people of the realm struggled to feed their children as the fields of the realm burned with the bodies of fallen men. The alphas of each house had become corrupt and only cared about their own selfish needs. After centuries of the packs governing as a panel to fulfill the needs of the people, it had warped into padding the wealth of the alpha at the expense of all others. This of course led to a gridlock on the panel. Absolutely nothing could be agreed upon.” He leaned in closer to the fire and the flames danced in the center of us.
“It became common place to kill alphas and their children and install new alphas in the hopes of gaining greater influence and riches. The violence reached a point where all the noble houses were warring against one another and within their own families. The line of succession and your placement on the list was either an opportunity to live a life of wealth and privilege or a death sentence. Being in the line of succession was not for the weak of heart.”
“The alpha of the Kingdom of the Moon, Alpha Malakai, was especially shrewd. It is said he was mated to an Omega. He cursed her and the moon goddess for pairing him with someone who he felt was beneath him.”
I gasped.
“Oh my sweet child,” my father cooed, “the goddess made your mate especially for you. Rank is a construct of man. If the goddess has chosen your mate, who are we to question it? Your destiny and theirs is intertwined. An omega is no less worthy than a king.”
“So the Alpha killed his omega mate. He couldn’t stand for her to have another because she was his, but he refused to accept the weak girl.” My father paused. He loved a dramatic pause. His face shifted to a serious and somber expression.
“Alpha Malakai had the best warriors in the kingdom. They trained relentlessly. The pack would not accept any weakness among their ranks. They hatched a scheme to kidnap all the children of the Alphas of each pack. Malakai planned to hold them hostage in exchange for each pack swearing fealty to him and proclaiming the Kingdom of the Moon pack the King and overall Alpha of the realm.”
I gasped. The idea of being taken from papa and mother shook me to my core. “Th-that’s awful” I stammer barely above a whisper.
I awoke drenched in sweat. My fathers words suffocated me. It won’t be long before the goddess reveals my mate to me. What path would she choose for me? I often dreamed of the stories father would tell me. Especially that story, as it was the last one before he died.
I woke slowly, my head pounding and body stiff. My eyes fluttered open, and for a few panicked seconds, I had no idea where I was. My surroundings looked… unfamiliar. Expensive. Too quiet.For some minutes, I kept looking around, trying to figure out where I was. Then it hit me. I was in Damon’s house. My mind raced backward, replaying last night—the bar, the drinks, the supposed taxi I boarded, the ranting, the confusion—and immediately my stomach churned. “Oh no, this can’t be,” I screamed.I sat up on the bed, clutching my pillow. I said to myself, “This is too much. The embarrassment is nearly suffocating. Maybe the ground should just open up and swallow me right now because there is no way I’m going to meet this man again.” I quietly packed my handbag and tried to tiptoe out, imagining myself like a secret agent sneaking out of enemy territory.Holding my heels in one hand, I peeked around the corner. The sitting room looked empty. No housekeeper in sight. The coast seemed clear.
As soon as we stepped out of Grandpa’s ward, Damon turned on me, eyes dark and sharp.“Why would you agree to that?” he demanded. “Why do you want an elaborate wedding? Why did you accept when my grandpa said Jhelum wants us to get married at the biggest hotel?”I froze, clutching my bag tighter. “I……”“Who do you think you are to make decisions for me? Ohhh, because we’re married by legacy? Do you think you are my real wife? My dear, don’t forget our marriage is just a contract. You have no right to decide in this. You should just smile at my grandpa, let him believe we are married for three years, collect your money, and leave after three years,” he snapped, taking a step closer. “We agreed—just a contract marriage. Private. Nothing real. And now you are thinking of making it real. Don’t you understand that you’ve just breached our contract?”I opened my mouth to defend myself, but he didn’t give me a chance. His dark eyes bored into mine as he continued.“Do you think by making the
The morning sun streamed through my room window, and I couldn’t help the flutter of excitement in my chest. Today wasn’t just any day—it was the day I officially returned to work. After a month of being sacked by my cold-hearted boss—no, maybe I should call him my husband-to-be—today he had promised me in our agreement to let me return to the company. I was finally stepping back into the world I had almost lost.I slipped into my crisp white blouse and navy skirt. A quick brush of my hair, a glance in the mirror, and I was ready.I grabbed my bag and walked to the bus stop, heart fluttering with excitement. The city woke around me, but all I could think about was stepping back into Cross Lux and finally returning to work.When I arrived at Cross Lux, the whispers started almost immediately. Colleagues who had barely looked my way before were suddenly curious.“Are you back to work, like, you’re rehired or what?” one of them asked, eyebrows raised in genuine interest.I smiled, keeping
By the time we stepped out of the hospital, my brain was in overdrive. Grandpa’s sudden insistence on marriage had thrown me off balance, and I could feel Damon walking a few steps ahead, his tall, broad shoulders rigid as ever, clearly irritated.“I just don’t get him. Why is he so obsessed about seeing me getting married? Isn’t finding a girlfriend enough?” he muttered under his breath, voice low but sharp.I slowed my pace, careful not to look too eager, though inside, my thoughts were spinning. Grandpa had dropped a bomb, and now we were walking into… whatever this was.“How about,” Damon said abruptly, “we get married truthfully?”I glanced at him, eyebrows raised. “Married? How? Isn’t this supposed to be all about being your contract girlfriend only? Then why getting married now?”He looked at me, still maintaining his cold boss aura. “$50k.”“For what?” I said, looking a little confused.“I’ll give you an extra fifty thousand dollars if you agree to this. I’ll upgrade your life
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