MasukShe thought she was just a contract wife, a convenient arrangement to keep his reputation spotless and his empire stable. But when Duke Austen’s billion-dollar empire begins to crumble, he turns to her, the woman he once treated like a business deal, and suddenly, his coldness melts into obsession. He protects her like she’s his only weakness, kisses her like he’s afraid to lose her, and holds her like she’s the only thing keeping him alive. Until she discovers the truth. She was never just his contract wife. She’s been his real wife all along. And she’s the only one who didn’t know. Now, between love, lies, and a hidden marriage certificate that could destroy everything, she must decide if she will fight for the man who deceived her, or finally walk away as the woman he can never own?
Lihat lebih banyakThe news broke quietly at first, almost as if the world itself hesitated to breathe.Ashley was standing in the kitchen when Duke’s phone rang. It was early, the kind of morning that felt suspended between hope and dread. She watched him answer, saw the way his shoulders stiffened, the way his jaw tightened as he listened. He said nothing at first. Just listened. Just absorbed.Then he closed his eyes.“It’s confirmed,” the doctor said on the other end. “You are not the father.”Duke exhaled, a sound that felt torn from somewhere deep in his chest. “Thank you,” he replied, voice steady in a way only exhaustion could create. He ended the call and stood there, phone still in his hand, as if afraid the truth might slip away if he moved too fast.Ashley had not spoken. She had barely breathed.“Well?” she finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper.He turned to her. For a moment, he simply looked at her, as if memorizing the fact that she was still there. “It’s not mine,” he said. “I
“Then let’s do the test.” Duke’s voice was steady, even if his eyes weren’t, fixed on the clinic receptionist as if this decision might physically anchor him. “Today. No delays and negotiations.”Ashley looked at him sharply. “Are you sure?”her voice low, careful, because the walls here felt too thin and the world outside too loud.“I’m tired of shadows,” he answered, finally turning to her. “I won’t let lies keep breathing between us.”The private clinic smelled faintly of antiseptic and polished marble, the kind of place built for discretion and quiet scandals. Yet nothing about this moment felt private. Ashley could feel it in her chest, the strange pressure of being watched even when no one was looking directly at her. Phones buzzed in handbags. Eyes flicked. Whispers traveled faster than truth.A nurse approached them with a clipboard. “Mr. Austen, Ms. Larsen, if you’ll follow me.”Ashley’s hand hovered near Duke’s for half a second before she let it fall. Not because she didn’t
Ashley sat on the edge of the couch, her fingers wrapped so tightly around her phone that her knuckles had gone pale. The screen was dark now, but Alexandra’s words echoed relentlessly in her head, replaying with cruel precision. Pregnant. Possibly Duke’s. The door clicked open behind her. “Ashley.” Duke’s voice was careful, restrained, like he was afraid one wrong tone might shatter her completely. “You didn’t answer my calls.” She didn’t turn to face him. “I needed quiet,” she said, her voice steady only because she forced it to be. “I needed to think.” Duke closed the door and stepped closer, stopping a few feet away as if an invisible line had been drawn between them. “And?” She let out a breath that trembled despite her effort. “And I keep replaying everything. The dates. The silence. The weeks we weren’t talking. The months you disappeared.” She finally looked at him then, her eyes glossy but sharp. “The timeline fits too well, Duke. You can’t pretend it doesn’t.” “I’m
“You didn’t think I would come without asking, did you?”Alexandra’s voice slid into the hospital room like cold perfume as she closed the door behind her. Duke stirred slightly on the bed, monitors humming beside him. Ashley straightened from the chair, instinctively stepping closer to him as if her body alone could shield him. “You shouldn’t be here,”Ashley said evenly, keeping her tone calm despite the tension coiling in her chest.“This isn’t a place for games.” Alexandra smiled faintly, slower than usual, the sharp confidence dulled by dark circles under her eyes.“Games? I’m exhausted, Ashley. I didn’t come to fight.”She glanced at Duke’s pale face.“I heard he collapsed again.” Ashley crossed her arms.“You hear a lot of things.” “I hear truths people try to bury,”Alexandra replied, pulling a chair closer but not sitting yet.“May I?” Ashley hesitated, then nodded once. Alexandra sat, folding her hands together, unusually restrained. “I owe you both an apology,”Alexandra said












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