The Billionaire Cursed Bride

Zebulunia’s POV “Ladies and gentlemen, the to-be-bride and to-be-groom may now come forward for their dance.” I stood rooted in place, my gloved fingers clenching the soft folds of my dress. My breath snagged behind the silver lace mask I wore, the same mask I'd worn since I was fifteen. Not for mystery or fashion-but for safety. Safety from the world that had once punished me for beauty I never asked for. But tonight, the mask didn't do much even though I was meeting them for the first time. The crowd turned to watch us-me,and Ethan Cross, the to-be-groom, the heir to CrossTech Group, the man my parents, the Johnsons, had traded me to after years of silence. Their sudden interest in me hadn’t been love, It had been for their selfish interest. And now, I was presented like a gift. It was our engagement. Ethan stood across the ballroom, tall, sharp-jawed, expressionless. But the moment his eyes met mine, something twisted in his feature, something cruel. He steppe

Zebulunia POV The sun filtered through the sheer curtains of my childhood bedroom, casting a soft glow on the white walls. I blinked into the unfamiliar calm, the silence too gentle for the chaos that had happened just the night before. For a second, I didn’t know where I was. Then it all came crashing back.The failed engagement, the unexpected proposal. Damon’s smirk as he knelt before me, I must confess, he's so handsome and interesting but that's not enough, he looks secretly dangerous to me.Spend the night with him? Was he serious?Who the hell did he think I was? A whore?This whole contract would exclude any sexual activities I would make that clear to him. But something inside me wanted to be close to him secretly. After his silly question, I had walked away, without answering, without looking back, I wasn't ready to face what any of it meant, I was upset..but what's the use.So I'd come back here? To my parent's house, the house that had never really felt like home.I sh

Zebulunia POV My heels echoed against the marble as we walked through the main hall. Everything was beautiful, yes, but also cold. Even before I saw anyone, I felt unwelcome. Maybe it was because Damon had warned me about his brother. How Ethan felt embarrassed after what happened last night. That alone had unsettled me. What kind of man gets embarrassed for humiliating someone else? The more I thought about it, the more I realised how twisted people could be. We passed through the front hallway and stepped into what had to be the main sitting room. The furniture was expensive… I barely had time to admire it before…. I saw them. Ethan Cross, relaxed on the couch like a man who'd never felt shame. His shirt half done, belt loose, hand wrapped in the hair of a woman straddling him. Her blouse was halfway down her shoulder. Her body was pressed to his like they were something private and safe. Really? He's already with another woman, such a jerk. He seemed to be enjoying what h

Zebulunia POV The sharp scent of jasmine clung to the sheets. I opened my eyes slowly, sunlight spilling through the curtains, painting the room in strips of gold and shadow. For a moment, I didn’t move. I just lay there, listening to the slow, steady thump of my heart. My hand went to my face, checking if the mask was still in place. I'd worn it after everything that happened last night-after the drama. I glanced around, Damon wasn't in the room. The couch looked like it had been slept on. Did he really sleep on the couch? I'd returned after dressing up last night and found the room empty. I must have felt asleep soon after. Maybe he felt guilty. But Damon? Feeling guilty? I doubted it. Last night kept replaying in my mind, the way he'd walked towards me. I swear my knees had almost given out. I had never been that close to a man and felt so exposed. It didn’t matter that I was wrapped in a towel, his gaze had stripped me bare. And in his eyes, I saw it; lu

Zebulunia POV I pulled the trigger and the loud crack shattered the silence. One of the men groaned on the ground, holding his shoulder. I had shot him. I shot someone! The next second, the other fled into the bushes. I sank into the dirt, shaking uncontrollably. Damon lay on the ground, blood at the corner of his mouth. My chest tightened in pain. “Damon, stay with me, please.” He was still unconscious as I pulled him to my laps, my finger felt his rapid,uneven heartbeat. “Please, hang on,” I whispered, darling 911. “There's been an attack…. My husband is hurt… hurry!” He was my husband and saying it out loud made the fear sting even more. This is all my fault. Before the paramedics arrived, the other man on the floor had sneaked into the bush. ~~ The winding roads of the city passed by, beautiful but meaningless to me. I sat beside Damon in the moving car, hands tight in my lap, stealing glances at him. His face was calm, unreadable. After everything that had