The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride 의 모든 챕터: 챕터 1 - 챕터 10

The night everything began to fall apart smelled like rain and antiseptic.Hospitals always had that strange scent, a mixture of cleaning chemicals and something heavier that clung to the air like quiet fear. I sat on one of the stiff plastic chairs in the emergency hallway, staring down at the stack of papers resting in my hands.Medical bills.Too many of them.I had counted the total three times already, hoping the number would somehow change if I looked long enough.Thirty two thousand dollars.The number felt unreal, like it belonged in someone else's life and not mine.I rubbed my tired eyes and leaned back against the cold wall behind me. The fluorescent lights above buzzed softly. They made everything look pale and lifeless, including me.Across from me, my younger brother Liam paced the hallway. His sneakers squeaked every time he turned around. Back and forth. Back and forth.He had been doing that for the past twenty minutes."Did the doctor say when they'll come back?" he

I had imagined many ways my life might collapse.Losing my job had been one of them. Watching my mother get sick had been another. Even my father's disappearance had crossed my mind during darker moments.But sitting across from a billionaire in a glass tower, staring at a contract that offered to solve all my problems in exchange for a year of marriage, had never been part of those nightmares.The pen sat on the table between us.I kept looking at it, then at the document, then at the man watching me from the other side of the table.Ethan Vale did not look impatient.He did not look nervous either.He simply sat there calmly, as if the outcome of this conversation had already been decided.That confidence made something inside me uneasy.People like him were used to getting exactly what they wanted.And right now he wanted my signature.I lowered my eyes to the contract again.The words blurred together after the first few lines. Legal language always sounded cold and distant, like

The mansion was bigger than any place I had ever stepped foot in my life. Every hallway seemed endless, every door led to rooms that looked like they belonged in a magazine, and the polished floors reflected the sunlight so brightly that I had to squint. My heart pounded with a mix of awe, anxiety, and a nagging fear that I didn’t belong here at all.Daniel led the way with calm efficiency, glancing back at me every few steps to make sure I was keeping up. The orientation folder I clutched felt heavier than it should have, though it was just paper and ink. It contained my schedule, instructions, staff assignments, and a list of rules that already felt suffocating.“This way, Miss Bennett,” Daniel said politely as he approached a set of grand double doors. He held them open for me, his movements precise, measured, and almost robotic in their perfection.I peeked inside the room and froze for a moment. The staff lounge was a bustling hive of quiet activity. Chefs moved from stove to cou

AvaI woke up before my alarm.For a moment, I didn’t remember where I was. The bed beneath me was too soft, the sheets too smooth, the silence too complete. Then it all came rushing back. The contract. The mansion. Ethan.My new life.I stared at the ceiling, my chest rising slowly as I tried to steady myself. Today was the day he had mentioned. The announcement. The moment everything would become real to the outside world.I pushed the covers aside and sat up, my heart already beating faster than it should.A soft knock came at the door.“Miss Bennett,” Clara’s voice filtered through. “It’s time to get ready.”I stood quickly. “Come in.”She entered with two other women behind her, both carrying makeup kits and garment bags. My stomach dropped slightly.“All of this is for… me?” I asked.Clara gave a small nod. “You will be appearing beside Mr. Vale today. The press will be there. First impressions matter.”Of course they did.Before I could say anything else, they got to work. My h

AvaBy the next morning, my life no longer felt like my own.It wasn’t just a feeling. It was a fact.Every news channel, every blog, every social media page seemed to carry the same headline. My name. My face. My life, suddenly open for public consumption. I didn’t even recognize half the stories being told about me.Some said I was a secret heiress. Others claimed I had been hiding a long relationship with Ethan. A few went as far as calling me a gold digger who had somehow trapped one of the most powerful men in the country.I stared at the tablet in my hands, my stomach tightening with every swipe.“This one says we met in Paris,” I muttered.Clara, standing nearby, didn’t even look surprised. “The media fills gaps with imagination. You will need to get used to it.”“I’ve never even been to Paris,” I said.“That doesn’t matter,” she replied calmly. “What matters is what people believe.”I dropped the tablet onto the bed, running a hand through my hair.“This is insane.”“Yes,” Cla