All Chapters of Shotgun Wedding: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Diana’s POV"Can you help me secure a job inside the Smith company?"Lucas’s eyes widened, disbelief flashing across his face. "You want to work under Gordon Smith? The man who bullied you in school, who abused you, who turned your life upside down and crowned it all with a prison sentence? You finally taste freedom, and your first thought is to walk straight back into slavery?"His words struck with the weight of reason, but reason had long since abandoned me. My mind was made up, my spirit restless, my blood boiling. I had endured humiliation, loss, and injustice. Watching the Smiths thrive, pretending to be saints while they walked on the graves of the people they destroyed, was a torment worse than prison itself."Yes," I said firmly."Diana…" Lucas’s voice softened, almost pleading. "Life has given you another chance. Forget the Smiths. They won’t come after you again. The world has a way of balancing itself. Karma finds everyone in time. Let it find them."But my soul had alread

Diana’s POV"Fine," I whispered into the night. "Let’s play. You’ll be the dominant… until I make you kneel."I slipped into the shower, letting hot water wash away the traces of Gordon’s leering eyes from earlier that day. Yet no matter how long I stood there, the grime of his presence clung to me. When I finally collapsed into bed, my body was restless, my thoughts gnawing at me like rats in a cage.Lucas’s warning echoed over and over: You finally taste freedom, and your first thought is to walk straight back into slavery.I hated how right he sounded. I was no Daniel facing lions with divine protection. I was walking willingly into Gordon’s den, binding myself with the chains of his perverse contract. No one had forced my hand. I had signed away my rights, my freedom, and in a way, my dignity.Sleep clawed at me in fragments, pulling me into a dream that felt so real.I was back in Gordon’s office. A thick stack of files clutched in my hands. His eyes never left me, grazing my bod

Diana’s POVLucas left my room, and I finally had the chance to freshen up. The cool water against my skin steadied me after the chaos of the day. Later, we shared supper together and ended up sitting by the night pool. The air smelled faintly of chlorine and damp stone, but Lucas’s presence, his voice telling me funny stories about his office staff, brought a warmth I hadn’t felt in years. I even laughed, really laughed, until his tone shifted."Diana, I don’t want this to come to you as a surprise."The seriousness in his face drained the smile from mine."What is it?" I asked cautiously.He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, eyes catching the faint glow of the pool lights. "After what happened today, I kept asking myself what more I could do to help you. So I drafted a proposal to partner with Smithfield Holdings on a real estate project. That way, I’ll have access to the company and to you. I can help you dig up the information you need faster."I froze. His idea wasn’t

Third Person POVThe office door swung open, and Katherine Clark, Diana in her borrowed skin, stepped inside.Gordon Smith’s heart jolted. He had seen women of every kind: heiresses groomed in finishing schools, models who draped themselves across his arm for photographs, and ambitious assistants who thought compliance bought them security. They were all predictable, easy, forgettable.But this woman unsettled him.Her face was balanced perfection, cheekbones cut like sculpture, lips that softened and sharpened with expression. Her eyes, bright and steady, held a quiet steel that resisted being bent. Her figure, slim yet curved in ways that drew the eye, was wrapped in modest fabric that hinted at form rather than flaunting it. Everything about her whispered self-control, yet temptation radiated through her without effort.Unlike the pliant women before her, Katherine Clark carried herself like a puzzle, one that dared him to solve her. And Gordon had never been able to resist breakin

Diana’s POVThe young man dropped his hand when I didn’t take his handshake. Instead of leaving, he eased himself into the chair opposite my desk, uninvited, his posture arrogant, his smirk deliberate."Ms Clark," he began smoothly, "I know you’re wondering who I am, why I’m here, and why I think I can walk into your office like I own it. But those aren’t the questions that matter. What matters is why I sought you out."I frowned, studying his face. I had never seen him before.Then he smiled wider. "I believe you’ve met Tracy Moore, my sister?"Recognition clicked. The nose. The sharp eyes. Yes, he looked like Tracy.My stomach tightened. So this meeting was a family business."What do you want?" I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.He leaned back, crossing one leg casually. "What I want is simple. I don’t want to assume you’re stupid, Ms Clark, so let me be plain. The Moores may not be quite as powerful as the Smiths, but we are rich enough, connected enough, and.......if it c