The CEO’s Contract Bride

ISABELLA’S POVSix Years Later New York City hadn't changed much, it welcomed me with noise and the mingled scent of food and exhaustion. It still looked and felt the same. The same way it was when it swallowed me whole and spat me out with my life in shambles.This city had broken me once, I wouldn't let it happen again. I closed my eyes for a moment. Albert had died. The man who made my life a nightmare was gone.Yet his absence didn’t mean freedom.It only meant the family and the company was still a battlefield.I hadn't come back to heal or think on the past I had come back to reclaim what was taken from me. I had six years to rebuild, and now I was ready to reclaim what was mine.I put my sunglasses on, and walked straight to the car that was prepared for me. Inside the car, my strategist, Lucia Collins sat waiting for me. She glanced at me, eyes steady.“Bella,” she said, “I’ve prepared everything for you.”She handed me a tablet. “That is a list of Claire Moretti dep

ISABELLA’S POVThe champagne bottle popped as Lucia opened it. She insisted we celebrate my first win.“Here you go,” she said, handing me a glass.“Thank you, Lucia, but I don’t think we should be celebrating yet. I still have to face the board. That’s where the real battle begins.” I said with unease in my chest.Lucia sighed.“Still, you bought us time. That counts.”“Not really” I replied Lucia studied me closely and slowly lowered her glass.“What’s wrong, Isabella?”“Nothing,” I said quickly.She didn’t believe me. She knew me almost better than I knew myself. After leaving New York I had moved to Paris, where I met Lucia. At the time, she was a corporate strategist and had just walked away from a powerful firm after being blacklisted for exposing internal corruption. We recognised something in each other, our intelligence, survival, and refusal to stay broken.Together, we built ISMARA, Lucia structured the company while I became the face of the brand.“This is about Ethan,

Isabella’s POV The drive back was extremely silent. I sat upright in my seat, my hands folded neatly on my thighs. I ensured there was enough distance between Ethan and me. Ethan didn’t say a word.He sat silently in the car, his eyes glued to the work tablet in his hands. His fingers kept typing and scrolling throughout.The car came to a stop in the underground garage of the penthouse building. The driver stepped out and opened the door. Ethan exited first, already reaching for his phone.He walked towards the elevator. I followed, my heels echoing softly against the polished floor. The ride up was just as silent. When the elevator doors opened, Ethan stepped out, unlocked the door, and walked inside.“This is the master bedroom,” he said, gesturing briefly down the hall. “I’ll be using the guest room.”“Of course,” I replied.He nodded once, removed his jacket, and picked up his keys.“Good night,” he said flatly, without turning toward me. “I have somewhere to be.”And just like

Isabella’s POV The boardroom was already full when I walked in.Polished wood, glass walls, and a long table that had hosted decades of decisions. Faces turned toward me, some curious, some guarded, some openly hostile. I felt it immediately. This was not a room that welcomed disruption.Ethan sat at the head of the table, composed, unreadable. He did not look at m as she took the empty seat beside Lucia. His silence was deliberate, and I understood it at once. This was not going to be a rescue. This was a test.Samuel cleared his throat. “Let’s begin.”A director on the far end leaned forward. “Before we start, I want clarity. Isabella Moretti has no active shares in this company. Why is she here?”Lucia stiffened, but I spoke first. “I am here as the legal heir of Claire Moretti and as the founder and CEO of ISMARA Group. I am also here because decisions made in this room directly affect assets tied to my mother’s estate.”Another voice cut in. “That doesn’t grant voting rights.”

ISABELLA’S POVLucia and I began seeing the directors privately to convince them.Lucia sat across from me at a quiet restaurant, her tablet glowing softly between us as she scrolled through profiles.“Director Hale likes control,” she said. “So it's best to appeal to stability, not emotion.”I nodded. “And Morrison?”“Remind him of your mother. He respected her.”That name still tightened something in my chest, but I did not let it show.An hour later, I sat across from Director Hale in his office.“You’re young,” he said bluntly.“I’m experienced,” I replied calmly. “And invested.”He leaned back. “Experience does not always equal loyalty.”“I didn’t leave this company,” I said. “I was pushed out. There’s a difference.”Silence followed.By the time I left, he had not promised support, but he had listened. That was enough for now.The second meeting went better.Director Morrison did not interrupt me once.“I see Claire in you,” he said quietly when I finished. “She fought the same