All Chapters of The cursed Alpha’s Contract Bride : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Angel The heat outside was thick. I pushed through the glass doors of Stellar Media, and the sudden blast of cold air made me shiver. I stood in the quiet lobby, my fingers tracing the edge of my folder.Politeness opens doors that anger shuts. My father’s words echoed in my mind, his voice sounding thin and tired, just like it had on the phone earlier this morning. Don't let your words become a blade today, Angel. Secure this job. For both of us."I’ll be a saint, Papa," I whispered to the empty air. "I promise."A forced smile plastered on my face as I walked towards the desk. The receptionist was busy typing, her eyes fixed on her screen. She didn't even bother to look at me."What is your Name? she asked."Angel Molley. I’m here regarding the junior storyteller interview.""Take a seat in the lobby. We’ll call you."I sat on a velvet chair that felt too soft, surrounded by other applicants who looked anxious. My heart would not stop racing in my chest. Ten minutes passed, then fi

AngelThe room was silent, the kind of silence that feels like the air has been sucked out of the space. Drake Crane didn't let go of my wrists. His grip was strong, cold and unyielding."Who sent you?" he repeated. His voice wasn't a shout; it was a low, lethal whisper that made my skin crawl."I told you! I'm just a waitress!" I gasped, struggling against his hold. "No one sent me!"He shoved me back slightly, though he didn't release me. He gestured with his chin toward the silver tray I had just placed on the table. "Why did you poison the food?"I froze. My heart skipped several beats, then began to race so fast I felt dizzy. "Poison? What are you talking about? You haven’t even touched it. You haven't even taken the lid off!""I don't need to taste it to know a rat when I see one," he snapped. "You followed me from my office. You showed up here, in the one place you shouldn't be. You’re either the world’s unluckiest person, or you're a very bad assassin.""Assassin?" I let out a

AngelThe luxury of the pent house felt like a gilded cage. I didn't care about the silk sheets or the view of the city lights that stretched out like fallen stars. I spent the night huddled on the floor by the window, my knees tucked to my chest. I cried until my throat was raw and my eyes felt like they were filled with sand.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the vial of white powder. I saw the cold, accusing look in Drake Crane’s eyes. I thought of Papa, lying in that small, dark room, waiting for a daughter who might never come home.I eventually fell into a shallow, restless sleep on the carpet.A sharp knock on the door woke me before the sun was even fully up. Two women in gray uniforms entered. They didn't speak. They moved with a quiet, robotic speed."What is happening? Where are you taking me?" I asked, my voice cracking."Bath is ready, Miss Molley," one said. "Please. We have orders to prepare you.""Prepare me for what? Jail?"They didn't answer. They washed me and dres

AngelThe car ride was excruciating. I sat rigid in the back of the sleek black sedan, the leather seats cold and unforgiving against my skin. Drake Crane sat beside me, equally motionless. Every breath I took felt monitored; every movement was scrutinized by the man who now owned my time.My mind drifted to a soft, impossible fantasy. I had always imagined my wedding day would be warm and filled with quiet joy. I would wear a light, flowing dress and walk toward a man whose eyes held warmth. We would have a home filled with the scent of old books and morning sunshine.Now, my reality was a silent, speeding luxury car driven by a cold-eyed stranger.The drive wasn’t long. We moved from the glass towers of the city into the exclusive, tree-lined hills. We passed through massive wrought-iron gates with a sharp, absolute engraving: CRANE.The car stopped before a modernist structure, a vast complex of dark stone and glass that looked more like a fortress than a home. Grey opened my door.

Angel"A nightmare?" he asked.His voice was like a deep well, low, smooth, and very calm. I tried to speak, but my throat felt like it was full of sand. I could only shake. My breath came in short, sharp gasps that hurt my chest.“You will be fine,” he said.He moved a step closer. The air around him felt heavy and warm. My body shook even more as his shadow fell over me. When he reached out his hand, I froze. I felt like a small bird caught in a bright light. I wanted to shout. I wanted to push his hands away and run into the hall, but I stayed still. I could not move a muscle. I just let him touch me.“You will be fine,” he said again.He took my small, cold hands into his large, warm ones. “You will be fine. Sleep now.”He said those words over and over, like a soft song meant to quiet a storm. Slowly, the fear began to melt. My heart slowed its frantic beat. My muscles went soft under his arms, and the world began to blur. Everything turned to a soft, black silk, and I fell into