All Chapters of Married by Mistake, Loved by Fate: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Lucy ended the call, her hand trembling around the phone long after the line went dead. Damian’s voice still echoed in her ears, heavy with the past she had sworn to bury. She stood there for a moment in the silence of the bedroom, staring at her reflection in the tall mirror. Her pulse fluttered in her throat.Her robe slid from her shoulders, replaced by a fitted navy dress, elegant, discreet, the kind of outfit that spoke of wealth without screaming for attention. She pinned her hair back, applied a touch of lipstick, and for the first time that morning, looked herself in the eye. You’re not the girl he loved. You’re Austin’s wife now. Remember that.Outside, the city hummed awake. Her heels clicked against the marble as she descended the grand staircase, the butler offering her keys with a bow. “Mrs. DiMarco, the car is ready.”She slid into the driver’s seat herself, waving away the driver. This wasn’t a meeting she wanted witnessed, recorded, or whispered about in the corners of

The morning sunlight poured into the DiMarco estate in sheets of gold, spilling across the polished marble floors until they glowed as though touched by fire. The chandeliers caught the light and scattered it into tiny prisms, turning the high ceiling into a canopy of dancing colors. Outside, the gardens seemed to hum with life, the roses opening to the warmth, fountains singing their steady rhythm, doves cooing on the balcony rail as if announcing the start of a long-awaited day.Lucy stood at the window, her hands clasped tightly before her, as though the sheer pressure could steady the quick, restless rhythm of her heart. The estate was breathtaking, yes, but it felt too grand, too polished, a little like the marriage she had stepped into. On the surface, perfect. Impeccable. But underneath, built on conditions and signatures, not the reckless pulse of love.And yet, Austin had tried. She couldn’t deny that. In the quiet moments, he had shown her patience, respect, and even small g

Mr. Bennett leaned back in his chair, eyes glinting with approval. “Oh, I know. I raised a sweet, loving daughter.” He shot Austin a knowing smile. “And from the way you speak, I’d say you know exactly what she’s worth.”Her mother’s laugh was soft but pointed. “She’s wife material. Always has been. She deserves more than just, ” she tapped her glass against the table for emphasis, “a contract.”The word dropped like glass shattering.Mrs. Bennett froze, her hand tightening around her fork mid-air. The silver scraped faintly against her plate, the sound sharp enough to make Lucy’s stomach clench.Slowly, too slowly, Mrs. Bennett turned her gaze to Austin. Her chin lifted, her posture stiff with authority, but her eyes… her eyes were like a scalpel, cutting clean through every defense he thought he had.“What did you mean… *more than a contract*?”The words weren’t loud, but they carried a weight that silenced the table. Even the clink of glasses and the quiet murmur of servers seemed

The knocks came again, slow, deliberate, like the hand behind them knew exactly how much weight each sound carried.Austin’s eyes cut to the door, sharp as steel. “Stay here.” His voice was low, a command dressed in calm, but the tension in his jaw betrayed him.Lucy’s pulse spiked. “Austin, don’t, ”But he was already moving, the sheer weight of his presence filling the room. Each step was measured, precise, like a predator approaching the cage of something it already knew was dangerous. Lucy, unable to sit still, followed anyway, her bare feet silent against the marble floor.The door swung open.Not danger. Not an enemy.Ella.Austin’s secretary stood there, tall and perfectly put together in a pencil skirt that looked painted onto her hips. A folder of documents rested in one manicured hand, while the other lazily brushed a lock of hair over her shoulder.“Good morning, Mr. DiMarco,” she purred, her lips curving into a smile that wasn’t professional, it was possession.Lucy froze.

Austin’s voice cut through the stunned silence, low and edged with steel. “Ella. What detail exactly did I forget to mention?”She smiled like a cat that had cornered its prey. Slowly, deliberately, she lifted the folder in her hand and let it snap open.“The Valtoro contract,” she purred. “It expires next week. And unless DiMarco Enterprises produces the renewal sum, five hundred million dollars, your shiny new merger collapses before it even begins.”Gasps ricocheted across the room. Executives whispered furiously, faces paling. Five hundred million wasn’t a number you shrugged off. It was an axe swinging above their empire.Austin’s jaw flexed, a muscle ticking like the crack of a gun. His grip on the table’s edge tightened until his knuckles blanched bone-white against the polished wood. The air around him shifted, heavy, charged, making even the most seasoned men in the room straighten in their seats and avert their eyes. His voice, when it came, was low,measured, but every sylla