Beneath the dazzling lights of Celestia, a city brimming with power and intrigue, Liliana Lennox lives in the shadows of her dark past. Her marriage to Ethan Darnell, the Alpha heir to a business dynasty, which was supposed to save her family, has turned into a nightmare. In her fight for survival, Liliana faces betrayal, hatred, and secrets that slowly come to light. Meanwhile, Ethan, blinded by anger and feelings of betrayal, finds himself caught in an unexpected emotional turmoil when Liliana reappears in his life after three years of absence. Her return reignites a conflict he had long tried to bury, pulling them both into a vortex of revenge, love, and sacrifice. Amid external threats and their own internal struggles, can Liliana and Ethan find their way to the truth? Or will their relationship remain buried under an unforgivable past?
View MoreLILIANA LENNOX
I slowly opened my eyes, though the morning felt far from welcoming. My body was heavy, but my mind refused to stay in the haze of sleep. I was still in shock, utterly drained after a long and tormenting night—a night that shattered my illusions of how foolish I’d been all along. The faint scent of alcohol lingered in the air, mixing with the masculine, overpowering aroma of Ethan’s cologne, making me shudder.
Fully awake, I slid out from under the blanket and grabbed my nightgown scattered on the floor. Careful not to make a sound, I walked to the ceiling-to-floor window, pulling back the curtains to reveal the glittering city lights below.
“Celestia,” I whispered to myself. “The city that never sleeps. Soon, the sun will rise. Maybe it’ll finally erase me in its light…”
Solaris Heights, the exclusive enclave of Celestia’s elite, had been my gilded cage for the past month. Hidden behind its towering iron gates, it held secrets the outside world could never penetrate.
“There’s nothing I can do, is there?” I muttered again, sighing heavily. “No point in hoping anymore. They’ve already decided to throw me away here.”
Though Celestia was the dazzling capital that fueled the world’s economy, I felt as if I’d been thrust into the deepest, coldest abyss.
A month ago, my parents—Alpha and Luna Lennox—offered me as collateral to the Darnell family, the leaders of the Blackland pack. It was all because of my brother Raymond, who, either deliberately or accidentally, had killed one of their betas—a crime that could never be forgiven.
I had hoped Raymond would own up to his mistake and take responsibility. I didn’t care if it meant a duel, his life, or even a war between packs. But that spineless, cursed brother of mine had run away, leaving me to pay for his sins. And now, here I was, condemned by my own parents.
“Damn you, Raymond!” I clenched my fists so hard my knuckles turned white.
Somehow, my conniving stepmother, Alina Lennox, had managed to suppress the Blackland pack’s fury and strike a deal with the Darnells. But the deal they reached wasn’t justice—it was betrayal. Instead of Raymond, I was sent to the Darnells as restitution for the beta’s death.
Now, the Lennox family and Blackland pack were bound by marriage—an unholy alliance. I was forced to marry Ethan Darnell, their infamous Alpha. The man was rumored to be cruel, disfigured, crippled, and old—an angry, bitter relic of a man who had lost his wolf. Yet, despite his disabilities, he retained his grip on power with legendary ruthlessness and unimaginable wealth.
These horrifying whispers about Ethan had circulated everywhere, painting a vivid picture of a tyrant ruling with fear. But no one had actually seen him—not even me until last night.
My stepmother’s words echoed in my head: “Lili, you have to do this. It’s the only way to save us. One day, Raymond will repay your sacrifice.”
This marriage wasn’t my choice. It was a sacrifice forced upon me to save my family and my pack.
Behind me, the heavy rustle of blankets pulled me out of my thoughts. Ethan, my so-called husband, rose from the bed. Though we had been married for a month, I had only seen him for the first time last night. And I still trembled at the memory.
The image of an old, grumbling Alpha shattered the moment I met him. Instead, I was confronted with a man who exuded cold, brutal authority.
Cruel? Absolutely. My body bore the evidence of his cruelty after what he did to me last night.
Crippled? Yes, that part was true. He couldn’t walk unaided and relied on a wheelchair. His eyesight was nearly gone. But old and bitter? That was the biggest lie.
I knew there had been a grand celebration yesterday, but I didn’t expect Ethan to come to the villa—or worse, to find me trying to escape. I’d had enough of this unfair marriage and wanted to return home to demand my parents annul it. But just as I was about to leave, someone stood in the doorway.
Ethan entered the villa, pushed in his wheelchair by one of his betas. The dim lighting barely revealed his face. I took a step back, hoping to find another exit, but someone grabbed me from behind.
“You’re too late to run,” a gruff voice whispered, a blade pressed against my waist. I glanced back and realized it was a gamma from the Blackland pack.
“I-I just want to go home. Please…” I pleaded.
“Go back to your room and fulfill your duty!” the gamma snapped. “Your family sold you to our Alpha. There’s nowhere for you to return to. Do you understand?”
Helpless, I returned to the room. For an entire month, I had been locked in this villa with no way out.
“The Alpha is drunk enough. That should make things easier for you tonight. Give him what he wants—a heir!” the gamma barked before shoving me into the dimly lit bedroom.
“What am I supposed to do?” I whispered, trembling.
“Anything the Alpha wants!” he hissed before slamming the door behind me.
In the dimly lit room, I felt suffocated as I saw Ethan lying in the massive bed.
“Come here and take off my clothes,” he ordered in a voice that dripped with authority and intimidation.
I hesitated, my steps faltering in the darkness. I could barely make out his face, but the tension in the room was suffocating. Suddenly, he grabbed my hand, yanking me forward until I fell onto his chest.
“What’s wrong? Are you disgusted by a crippled man?” he sneered, his voice tinged with bitterness.
“N-no, Alpha. I’ll serve you!” I stammered, my words spilling out before I could stop them.
I was grateful for the dim lighting, shielding my face from revealing the turmoil within. With trembling hands, I stripped Ethan Darnell. He lay immobile on the bed, but his hands were anything but weak. He moved quickly, stripping me and pulling me onto his body. The sudden contact made my skin flush.
“Do it quickly,” he ordered.
Ethan’s heavy breaths filled the air as he gripped my small waist tightly, rendering me completely helpless. He pressed my body against his, and at that moment, I realized something terrifying—Ethan Darnell was nothing like the weak old man everyone had described.
My face flushed slightly as the madness of last night replayed in my mind. Oh, God… after a month of mystery, I finally knew. A body carved with muscle, raw masculinity that could make me faint, and an unbridled hunger. He was... rough, and at the same time, intoxicatingly addictive!
LILIANA"I'm so tired of all your drama trying to escape," Ryder sneered, then threw a pillow on the floor in front of me. "Just use the blanket Serina brought earlier."I didn't respond. I just glared at him, then struggled to lie down on the cold wooden floor. My back ached, my arms were sore from the uncomfortable position. But that wasn’t what made it hard to sleep.What made me restless... was that sound.The rustling of fabric. The sound of a belt being unfastened. A shirt being pulled over the head. I held my breath.Was Ryder... taking off his clothes?My face instantly flushed. I knew I wasn’t supposed to care. I knew I should only be thinking about escaping from here. But I still couldn’t help eavesdropping.I wanted to open my eyes. Just a quick peek. Just to see a little.But the sound of his footsteps approaching made me pretend to sleep immediately. I controlled my breathing carefully. My heart pounded.He stopped beside me. I could feel his gaze."Liliana," he said soft
LILIANAThat night felt cold, even though the fire in the cabin’s hearth still burned. A thin mist hung outside, as if it too was hiding sins that had yet to be uncovered.I tried to push his chest. But he was too strong, and I was too weak in his embrace.“Let me go, Ryder!” I hissed, half panicked, half disgusted.His hand traced my waist slowly, as if marking his territory. The touch made my body tense—not out of desire, but out of disgust and fear. The tremble of his hand was cold against my skin, sending waves of nausea through my stomach.“I didn’t do it! I’m not a whore!” I cried desperately.But that’s what the rumors said. It was even featured in a special news report for the wives of famous men. My name and face were clearly displayed on the screen, next to a headline that made everyone blame me for my divorce with Ethan three years ago. Gossip too perfect to believe, too cruel to ignore.“That’s just gossip!” I hissed, trying to keep my distance from Ryder, slipping away fr
LILIANAIt was late at night. The wind slipped in through the cracks of the old cabin door, brushing against my skin, carrying the scent of wet earth and mist. Inside this cabin built from solid wood, lit only by a flickering oil lamp, I stood frozen. My breath hitched. Ryder stood tall in front of me—rigid and unyielding. His eyes locked on me like a hawk eyeing its prey."Fine," he finally said, voice deep and sharp. "I'll let you go..."I could barely believe what I just heard. My throat clenched. My chest felt like it might explode. Did this mean he finally realized how foolish it was to trust Ethan? Or... did my words actually get through to him? Did they make him feel something?But before I could even process that thought, his cold voice cut through again."On one condition," he added.I blinked. Of course. There was always a condition. It was never that easy. I clenched my fists, trying to calm the chaos in my chest."Condition?" I muttered, barely audible.Ryder stared at me
LILIANAI don’t even know how long I sat curled up on that hard bed, my body stiff and aching. The rough ropes tying my wrists and ankles just got more painful every time I tried to move. The cold air inside this wooden cabin cut right to the bone, making the hopelessness gnawing at my heart even worse.I was beyond bored—but mostly, I was furious.Earlier this afternoon, some big guy had brought me food. He also offered to help me go to the bathroom, all stiff and formal like a damn robot. I refused both. I wasn’t about to depend on anyone here, especially not to show weakness.He ignored all my begging and threats. His face didn’t even change when I tried. After I tried to escape last night—stealing one of their horses, no less—they were definitely being way more careful.I let out a slow breath, trying to keep the frustration inside.When night fell and it got darker outside, I heard heavy footsteps coming toward the cabin. I immediately sat up straighter, alert. Maybe this was ano
LILIANAHe threw me down on the sturdy, pretty decent-sized bed in this cabin. Honestly, this bed was way better than the one they stuck me with last night. But it wasn’t the bed I cared about. I wanted answers.Ryder couldn’t just walk away after what he said. I should’ve known from the start that something felt off. I struggled to sit up and was ready to sprint after him to stop him from leaving.I glared at Ryder’s back, my whole body burning with rage. But he didn’t even flinch. Like my anger didn’t mean a damn thing to him. Without even glancing back, he walked toward the rickety wooden door. This cabin didn’t even have windows—obviously built to keep people locked in. People like me.“Wait!” I screamed, my voice echoing through the stuffy room. “Don’t you dare leave me without answering, Ryder! Don’t you freaking ignore me!”I could feel my pulse pounding under my skin. My anger boiled over, burning away every last bit of logic I had. I seriously felt like I could do anything ri
LILIANAI didn’t have much of a choice but to ride with him. Ryder yanked me up onto his horse without warning, making our bodies press together. I could feel his heavy breathing right by my ear, one hand on the reins and the other wrapped tightly around my waist.I felt sick. Not having a wolf made me feel like dead weight. Ryder didn’t even bother carrying me on his back—he’d rather use a horse to drag us both around."Sit still and stop moving," he hissed. "If you try to jump off, I’m not responsible if you get hurt."I bit my lip, holding back the rage boiling inside me. I knew Ryder wasn’t someone you could reason with—especially not in moments like this. His horse galloped down a rocky road, far from the nearest village. I felt trapped, like a bird with no wings."So... whose baby is it?" His cold voice cut through my thoughts.I tensed. My heart started pounding faster. He knew. But how?"Does Ethan Darnell know you have a kid? Or is it someone else’s?"I closed my eyes, trying
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