All Chapters of The Billionaire's Wife For One Year: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

By the time I reached the 32nd floor of Cross Enterprises, I had rehearsed my confrontation with Nathan Cross so many times that I could have delivered it without looking at him. The folder clutched in my hands contained everything I had gathered during the past two weeks: debt notices, bank correspondence, the liquidation warning, and financial statements showing how quickly Bennett Industries was being pushed toward collapse. My hands trembled slightly around the folder, but I refused to let anyone see my fear. My father had spent thirty years building his company, and six months after his death, I had become responsible for keeping his legacy alive.The elevator doors opened onto an immaculate reception area of glass walls, polished stone, and furniture that looked too expensive to touch. I walked toward the receptionist with my shoulders straight, reminding myself that I was not there as a grieving daughter asking for sympathy. I was there because hundreds of employees depended on

By the seventh day, I had stopped counting how many times I had heard the word no. It came from banks that had once competed for my father's business, from investors who had praised Bennett Industries during better years, and from companies that were suddenly too cautious to become involved with us. Every conversation ended the same way. They liked the company, respected its history, and understood that it could recover, but none of them wanted to risk their money while the debt held by Cross Enterprises remained unresolved.I sat at my desk that morning with three financial proposals spread in front of me, searching for a weakness in my recovery plan that I could fix before another investor found it. The numbers were not impossible. Bennett Industries still owned valuable assets, our manufacturing division had profitable contracts, and several clients had already expressed their willingness to renew their agreements once the financial uncertainty was resolved. The problem was that we

By the time the wedding morning arrived, I had convinced myself that I was prepared for everything except the way my life had changed in only a few weeks. Thirty days earlier, I had walked into Nathan Cross's office determined to fight him over my father's company. Now I was standing in front of a mirror wearing a wedding dress chosen by a designer I had never met, preparing to become Nathan Cross's wife in front of hundreds of people. The thought still felt unreal, especially because I knew that beneath the beautiful dress and carefully arranged flowers was a contract that would expire in exactly one year.Maya stood behind me, adjusting the veil while studying my reflection. “You look beautiful, Celine,” she said.I gave her a nervous smile as I turned slightly toward her. “I feel like I am preparing for someone else's wedding,” I admitted.“That is probably because you never imagined marrying a billionaire you were arguing with a few weeks ago,” Maya replied.I laughed softly befor

The first thing I noticed when I woke the next morning was that the sofa had done absolutely nothing to improve my sleep. My back ached, my neck felt stiff, and the narrow piece of furniture had somehow made eight hours feel like two. Across the room, Celine was still asleep on her side of the bed, her dark hair spread loosely across the pillow and one hand resting beneath her cheek. I should have looked away immediately, but I found myself watching her longer than I intended, until I reminded myself that she was my wife because of a contract and not because I had chosen her for love.When Celine finally stirred, she opened her eyes and glanced toward the sofa before looking at me. “You actually slept there all night?” she asked as she pushed herself upright.“I told you I would give you the bed, and I keep my promises,” I replied while adjusting my watch.She studied me for a moment before getting out of bed. “You look like you regret keeping that promise,” she remarked.“I regret ch