I am ANNABEL DRAKE, a woman who has spent her entire life in the Shadows of others. A forgotten girl child ,and also an underestimated employee, in fact I am everything you can think of because I have been through a lot . It started after my father was imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. My family lost everything: our fortune, our home, and most painfully, our dignity. My mother fell ill under the weight of disgrace, and I became the sole provider, fighting every day just to keep us alive . When an unexpected job opportunity lands in my lap, I see it as an opening way out of poverty and struggle. Working as an executive assistant for Carson Clair, the almighty billionaire CEO of Sonclair Enterprises, isn't easy. He's rude , and unnecessarily leading over everyone in a bad manner, and I can tell you unapologetically that he's everything I despise in a man. But the paycheck is good, and I need it . Then, the unimaginable happens after a few months. Carson makes me an offer I can't refuse because it is such a juicy offer. It was a contract marriage . He needs a wife to secure a billion-dollar deal, and in exchange, he promises to clear my Father's name, pay off my mother's medical Bills, and set me up for life. It sounds like a dream... Until I realize I'm falling for him. Just as I start to believe that maybe, just maybe, this arrangement could turn into something real, my world shatters again. I discovered a secret which was actually the truth and it changed everything. Carson isn't who I through he was. And neither is the man I've been secretly confiding in ... Fred Mark.
Lihat lebih banyakIf someone had told me years ago that I’d end up in a fake marriage with the most powerful CEO in New York, I would have laughed in disbelief.
Because I, Annabel Drake, wasn’t a desperate or love-starved woman looking for a rich man to save me. I have principles and I take pride in it. And most of all, I had hatred for everything men like Carson Clair represented.
Yet life happened when my father was framed and locked up. Leaving my mother, once a happy woman became devastated and now here I am right here standing in the luxurious office of Carson Clair that I would have vowed not to have anything to do with.
"I need you to marry me."He spilled that fateful evening after work.
My brain stopped working for a full six seconds.
Then, I laughed."I must have heard you wrong."I said, sounding as shocked as possible.
Carson leaned back in his chair, completely unbothered, like he hadn’t just dropped the most insane statement of the century.
"You heard me just fine,"he replied.
I stared at him, unsure of how to feel or what to say. A man like Carson Clair didn’t need to buy a wife, women practically threw themselves at his feet. He was rich, ridiculously good-looking, and had more power than the President, so why the hell was he looking at me like I was his only option?
"Why me?" My voice came out shaky, but I didn’t care.
"Because you hate me."He smiled.
I blinked. "And that makes me the perfect wife… how?"
"Because I don’t need a real wife," he said smoothly. "I need a contract wife.
Someone who won’t fall in love, and who will do exactly what I say and walk away when it’s over. No strings. No complications."
"And what do I get in return?"I asked curiously.
"I’ll clear your father’s name,"He said.
"Excuse me?" My voice lowers like a whisper.
"I know what happened to your father, I know he was framed. I also know that the people who did it are too powerful for you to fight alone."
"And you’re saying you can fix it?"
He nodded. "In just six months of marriage, your father’s record is wiped clean, your mother’s medical bills will be settled and you will have a secured life for yourself”.
“Be my wife,that's all,”He added.
For years, I had fought and had suffered humiliation, I watched my mother waste away, and stood helpless as my father rotted in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.
And now, out of nowhere, the well known wealthy arrogant man offered me everything I had been fighting for? It's too good to be true.
"There’s something you’re not telling me," I whispered.
"There are many things I’m not telling you, Annabel. But that’s not your concern."He said unmoved.
For a second, I found myself in a situation where I just wanna run off and deny this ambush I smell, but then, my mother’s sick face flashed in my mind. My father’s voice pleading his innocence echoes in my head.
The years I had wasted trying to fight a battle I was never going to win on my own made me realize I had nothing left than to accept this only way out.
I raised my face "Give me the contract."
And just like that, I made a deal with the devil.
One that I already knew… I was going to regret it.
*********
The silence between us remained for a long time as Carson walked back to his desk, completely at ease, like he hadn’t just turned my entire world upside down.
"I’ll have my lawyers draft the contract by tomorrow."He said finally.
"Tomorrow?" My voice came out louder in shock. "You expect me to sign my life away tomorrow?"
"Yes. You don’t have much time, Annabel. Every day that passes, your father sits in that prison, and your mother’s condition worsens. Or am I wrong?"
I hated men like him. Men who thought they could control the world, who thought people were just pieces in their little business games.
And now I was about to become one of those pieces.
"Fine," I muttered. "But I have rules too."
Carson raised an eyebrow, looking amused. "Oh? Make me know ."
I folded my arms. "First, no physical contact. This is a business arrangement, nothing more."
"Afraid you’ll fall for me?"
I rolled my eyes. "No. I just don’t like you."
"Fine. What else?"
I hesitated. "I want proof that you can actually clear my father’s name. I won’t sign anything until I see real evidence that you have the power to do that."
He nodded. "Fair enough. You’ll get your proof."
I exhaled, feeling slightly more in control. "Good. Then we have a deal."
Carson extended his hand. I stared at it.
Shaking hands with him felt like sealing a deal with the devil.
But I did it anyway.
I pulled my hand back quickly, clearing my throat. "I’ll be expecting the contract."
Carson’s eyes remained on me.
"Welcome to hell, Mrs. Clair."He said.
I walked out of his office with my heart pounding, knowing one thing for sure.
I had just made the biggest mistake of my life.
**********
As I stepped out of Carson’s office, the reality of what I had just dawned on me.
Oh my !!!!! I was going to be a Mrs and married to a man I so much despise .I had just traded my happiness and freedom to a billionaire but all for the sake of my parents and getting back our dignity so it's fine.
While in deep thought, my phone vibrated in my bag. I pulled it out, already knowing who it was.
Fred.
I hesitated before answering.
"Annabel?" His voice showing concern. "You okay?"
I swallowed hard, forcing a smile he couldn’t see. "Yeah, I’m fine."
I wasn’t.
And something told me… this was only the beginning.
I welcomed myself to hell.
The night passed slowly. I stayed by the window until my eyes felt too heavy to stay open. Even after I lay on the bed, I couldn’t sleep. I just kept thinking about Carson, Fred, and everything that had changed in just one day.I finally drifted off a little before dawn.When I woke up, Carson wasn’t back yet.I checked my phone, there were no missed calls and no new messages.I sat up and looked out the window again. The sky was cloudy and unclear.Just as I stood up, I heard the front door open.I rushed out of the room.Carson was coming in, looking tired and slightly rough. His shirt was untucked. His eyes were red."You’re back," I said softly.He looked up at me, nodded slowly, and closed the door behind him."Did you find her?" I asked.Carson dropped his bag on the floor and walked to the kitchen without a word.I followed."Carson?"I called.He took a glass and filled it with water, then finally looked at me."No. She was gone before we got there. The apartment was empty. Cle
It had been days of chasing shadows, endless planning, and sleepless nights. But that morning, something felt different.I was in the kitchen when Carson walked in, still in his pajamas. His hair was a little messy, and for once, he didn’t look like a man carrying the weight of the world."What if we disappeared today?" he asked suddenly.I looked up from my mug. "Disappeared?"I asked."Just for a day," he said. "No talks about Clark, no planning, no worries, it's just you and me."I blinked. "You mean, like a break?"I asked.He smiled. "Exactly."he said.I couldn’t help but smile too. "Where would we even go?"I asked."Anywhere," he said. "Or nowhere. Just... away,"he said again.***********A few hours later, we were on the road. Carson had packed a small bag. I didn’t ask where we were going, and he didn’t tell me. We just drove with the windows down, the wind in our faces, and a soft song playing from the car stereo.After a while, we reached a quiet house by a lake. It wasn’t far
It was already past midnight, before Carson finally spoke again.We were in the study, each lost in our own thoughts. Papers, maps, and files were scattered across the table, but no one was touching them. Fred had gone to rest, but Carson and I stayed behind, sitting far apart—like we were still waiting for something more than just a plan, maybe a resolve.“I think I know where we should start,” Carson said quietly.I looked at him. His voice was calm now, unlike before.“Where?” I asked.He turned his laptop towards me. There was a picture of a tall glass building with heavy security at the entrance.“It’s called Valtrex Group,” he said. “They’ve been linked to illegal offshore transactions. Laura Price used it to move over four million dollars just last month,”he added.I frowned. “Is she still using it?"I asked.“Yes,” he said. “Which means we can use it too. We get inside, plant the tracker, and we follow the money trail,”he said again.I stared at the screen, then back at him. H
The house felt quieter than ever. Since Fred went back, I was just in my room and he was in his own room too. Carson and I were avoiding each other, even though we were in the same house. Sometimes I heard his footsteps in the hallway. Sometimes I saw the light under his door. But we didn’t talk.It was like we were both waiting for the other to speak first, and yes I miss him but I can't bring myself to talk to him first, because he was the one who caused it.*************That morning, I came downstairs and saw him in the kitchen. He had a bowl of cereal, but he wasn’t eating it.He looked at me and I looked at him back.Nothing.I poured myself a glass of water and sat on the other side of the table. Then not long after, Carson spoke.“Are you going to keep pretending I don’t exist?” he asked.I didn’t answer at first.“I’m not pretending,” I said finally. “I just don’t know what to say,"I added.He stood up, pushing the chair back loudly.“You always walk away,” he said. “Ever
The fight changed everything, and we now start behaving like two strangers who are just getting to know themselves. That seems very difficult for me or maybe for himself too.That night, Carson slept on the couch although I didn’t ask him to, but he didn’t come into the room either. Maybe he needed the space… or maybe I did.I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, just like I used to before we met.I managed to have a small sleep and once it was morning, I got up early. I packed a small bag and I was set to leave so as to clear my head for the main time.Carson, on the other hand, was sitting at the table with a cup of coffee. He looked tired, like he hadn’t slept at all.“I’m going out for a while,” I said softly.He looked up, his eyes unreadable.“Where?” he asked.“Just somewhere to clear my head,” I replied.He didn’t stop me. He just nodded.“Okay.”he said.I waited a few seconds. I thought maybe he’d say more. Maybe he’d ask me to stay.But he didn’t.So I walked out the door
The day started like every other quiet morning.I stood in the kitchen, wearing Carson’s big white shirt, stirring a pot of soup. The smell of spices filled the air. Not long after, Carson walked in, his hair still wet from the shower. He looked fresh, calm, and a little too quiet.“You’re cooking?” he asked, smiling lightly.I nodded. “I wanted to surprise you,"I said.He walked over and kissed my forehead. “I’m surprised,” he said. “In a good way.”I smiled and went back to stirring.We ate together, we talked, we laughed a little and everything felt so good.After breakfast,I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen while he sat on the couch reading a file.I watched him from the corner of my eye. He looked serious… too serious.“You’ve been quiet lately,” I said slowly.He looked up. “I’ve just had a lot on my mind,”he said.“Like what?” I asked.He paused, then shook his head. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it,”he said.But I was already worried.**********Later that afternoon,
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