All Chapters of Married To a Stranger : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Owen's answer dropped the room into pin-drop silence. It was Isabel who broke it first. She bowed her head. Her voice laced with fake sympathy. "Oh, so that's what happened." She sighed softly. "Ruby, why didn't you say anything earlier? If you had just told us the truth, we could have avoided all of this." "Owen—" Cutting off Isabel, he leaned back on the sofa calmly. "I don't recall Ruby being the one who jumped to conclusions." "That was you." Matilda's eyes sharpened as the situation clicked into place. Then she exploded. "Oh, so you thought I was senile," she snapped. "You thought I couldn't see through your pathetic tricks." "You make a mess, refuse to admit it, and then blame someone else. Shame on both of you." Her glare landed on Carter. "Call off the engagement. I will not accept that woman into this family." Isabel's whole body trembled. The marriage she had clawed and schemed for was slipping away. She turned desperately to Carter, searching for reassura

While Isabel spent the night kneeling in the freezing courtyard, her knees pressed into unforgiving stone, Ruby slept lightly in Matilda's room. The first pale rays of morning filtered through the curtains, just enough to wake her. Ruby found herself alone, tucked neatly into a bed. A small grey blanket pulled up to her waist. It didn't match the room's décor and looked like it had come from somewhere else, perhaps another bedroom. She barely gave it a second thought. After freshening up, she joined Owen and Matilda for breakfast. A plate of fried sugar cakes sat at the center of the table. Matilda reached for one with obvious delight. Owen's expression tightened. His grandmother had no business eating sugar. Yet she treated medical restrictions like polite suggestions. And of course, no one in the Knight Estate had the spine to stop her. Least of all Owen. Usually, he let her take the first one and had the rest quietly removed. On worse days, he simply ate the entire pl

:::writing{variant="standard" id="53827"} Ruby's heart raced as she waited for the clerk's response, Leo's shouting still echoing in her ears. Owen, on the other hand, appeared outwardly calm. Though she was almost certain she'd caught a fleeting smirk at the corner of his lips. The clerk gave Owen an odd look. "I'll need to check the system first." He took the marriage certificate, turned to his computer, and began typing. Owen pressed his lips together. He felt ridiculous. He knew he wasn't married yet. Here he was, standing in the city clerk's office like a fool. He had even postponed an important meeting to confirm something that shouldn't have existed in the first place. Seconds dragged by. Then the clerk looked up. "It's real." The floor seemed to drop out from under Owen. Leo reacted instantly. "That's impossible. Are you sure you didn't enter something wrong?" The clerk shot him a flat, unimpressed look. "Seriously?" he sighed. "Marriage is a legally binding

Owen had not expected the conversation to end the way it did. He was confused, surprised, and more confident than ever that something was important in Ruby's rush. Strong instincts could help, even if they got into trouble sometimes. Importantly, his ego was bruised. Ruby's immediate signing of the agreement left him stunned, with even more questions about her intentions. Her game was not over. He was not about to let it go without finding out about it. "What's the rush?" he asked. "It's extremely urgent," Ruby replied. She couldn't wait for her company to go public. Owen studied her for a moment. "Fine." "Tomorrow morning," Ruby added, "bring your ID, passport, and the marriage certificate." "We'll meet at the city clerk's office." Owen nodded. Then his expression froze. Across the street, Matilda stood on the sidewalk. Her face drained of color. One hand clutched her chest as she stared at them. "You're getting a divorce?" she asked, her voice t

Ruby's response should have struck a nerve, but instead it left Julian momentarily stunned. He did a double take. You can actually understand this. Ruby opened her mouth to answer, but another voice cut in. Actually, I think she can. Julian turned sharply. You two know each other. The man shifted, then offered a shy smile. I was one of Professor Miller's graduate students at Hudson University. He said, last year, while I was still there, the professor brought her in to work on a few projects with us. Ruby studied him for a second, then it clicked. Chris. Chris Weber nodded, a little sheepish. She was the only undergrad Professor Miller ever brought on. She's a ridiculously fast reader and has already worked with these basic frameworks. Julian's expression didn't soften. If anything, his irritation deepened. So, he scoffed. This is basic framework material. What's the big deal? If she's really that capable, why doesn't she solve the core technical issue? Chris stiffened. T