FAZER LOGINAria Brooks thought she was living the dream—married to a successful businessman and finally escaping her tragic past. But her world comes crashing down when Ethan serves her divorce papers at their anniversary party, humiliating her before their friends and family. Thrown out into the rain, she’s rescued by none other than Julian Huxley—her ex-husband’s billionaire rival. Julian offers Aria a shocking proposal: a contract marriage. In exchange for acting as a mother to his daughter and accompanying him on his public endeavors, he will cover her mother’s medical bills and provide financial security. Hesitant but desperate, Aria agrees. But as she navigates the dangerous waters of their agreement, she begins to uncover secrets that threaten her newfound stability—and her heart.
Ver maisAria’s POV“Mr. Huxley,” the officer repeated, louder now, “step forward. Slowly.”The air inside the warehouse tightened. Every sound sharpened. The scrape of boots on concrete. The rattle of metal from their gear. The shallow, panicked breathing coming from Brianna behind me.Julian did not argue. He lifted his hands slightly, calm, controlled. But his eyes stayed on me, searching my face first, then quickly scanning the ropes around Brianna, the layout of the room, the exits, the angles. He was calculating even now.“I reported a kidnapping,” Julian said evenly. “You walked into an active crime scene. Untie her first.”“We will handle that,” another officer snapped. “Do not give instructions.”“I am not,” Julian replied. “I am stating priority.”Two officers moved past me and began untying Brianna. Her wrists were raw. When the rope came off, she winced and nearly slipped from the chair. I caught her shoulders.“It is okay,” I whispered. “You are safe now.”Her fingers dug into my
Aria’s POVJulian did not speak after the message appeared.He stared at the phone in my hand like it was a live wire, something that could explode if touched the wrong way. His jaw tightened, a muscle ticking beneath his skin, but his voice stayed level.“He wants to isolate you.”“I know,” I said. My voice sounded steadier than I felt. Inside, everything was shaking. “That is how he has always worked. He makes it personal. He makes it feel urgent.”Julian exhaled slowly. “You are not going alone.”“He said I have to.”“He does not decide that,” Julian replied sharply. “He never will again.”I looked at him then, really looked. The calm authority, the confidence the world saw, was still there. But beneath it was something darker, something tightly contained. Fear, maybe. Or guilt. Or both.“He knows something,” I said quietly. “Something about you. That is why he is doing this. Not just revenge. Not just control.”Julian’s eyes flicked to mine. For half a second, the mask slipped.“Y
Aria’s POvThe phone was still in my hand when Julian took it from me.He did not ask what Ethan said. He already knew.“He wants submission,” Julian said. “Not compliance. Submission.”I nodded. My throat hurt too much to speak.Emily paced the room, restless. “The media has shifted again. They are questioning why Julian hasn’t denied the accusations strongly enough.”Julian glanced at her. “Because denial would be reaction. Reaction gives him control.”“And silence gives him room,” Emily snapped. “Brianna is paying for that room.”The words hit hard because they were true.I wrapped my arms around myself. “He said he would make her regret loyalty.”Julian’s jaw tightened. “That is his pattern. He breaks people before he breaks deals.”I turned to him. “Then why are we still playing his pace?”His eyes met mine. “Because rushing is what he wants.”---BRIANNAThe lights came on without warning.I squeezed my eyes shut, pain blooming behind them.“You see,” Ethan said calmly, “this is
Aria’s POVI did not sleep.Every time I closed my eyes, I heard his voice again. Calm. Certain. Like he was standing right beside me instead of somewhere deep in the shadows where he always hid.*Now we play properly.*Julian sat in the chair across from the bed, his jacket discarded, sleeves rolled up. He had been there all night. Watching. Thinking. Planning. The man never stopped calculating, even when exhaustion carved deep lines into his face.“You should rest,” he said quietly.I shook my head. “I can’t.”He nodded, understanding without pushing. That was one thing Julian never did. He never forced comfort. He let it come when it was ready.My hand rested on my stomach. The baby was restless again. Like it could feel the tension inside me.“He used Brianna,” I whispered. “He knew she would help me.”“Yes,” Julian replied. “And he knew she would panic.”“And now everyone thinks you did this,” I said, my voice breaking. “They think you planned her kidnapping. That you staged ever
The car ride to the warehouse was silent. Too silent. Even the usual hum of the city felt muted, like the universe was holding its breath.Julian sat beside me in the back seat, fingers drumming restlessly on his thigh. Every so often, I’d catch him glancing at his phone, as if expecting it to ring
I stood in the middle of the cabin, heart pounding. I felt disoriented. The weight of everything Clara had said, everything she had done, even though it was a dream , was still hanging in the air like smoke.I glanced at the table beside me. I saw A small envelope, half-hidden under a pile of pap
The room was silent except for the occasional rustling of leaves outside the small cabin’s windows. I stood still, my breath steady, trying to keep my emotions in check.Clara was sitting across from me, her cold eyes fixed on me like a predator watching its prey. The knife she had been wielding ea
The guesthouse was musty. Empty. But not untouched.In the small bathroom, we found hair dye, scissors, colored contacts.She was changing her appearance.Preparing for something.The walls were covered with post-it notes.One said:I know where she keeps the pills.Another:Gabriella doesn’t need


















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