All Chapters of The Billionaire's Million-Dollar Bride: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Ryan had been single for several years, ever since his last serious relationship ended badly. He had once been in love, or at least he had believed he was, until he discovered that the woman he trusted had been cheating on him. The experience had left him with little desire to put himself in that position again.Since then, he had made a decision to keep women at a distance. He enjoyed their company, the attention, and the excitement of meeting someone new, but he had no interest in commitment. Flings and one-night stands were more than enough for him.He had money, a successful business, and the freedom to live however he pleased. He wasn't about to complicate his life with a relationship.Besides, there was always another beautiful woman waiting to get his attention.He pushed the sheets aside and got out of bed.As he walked towards the bathroom, he caught sight of his clothes scattered across the bedroom floor. He shook his head slightly and stepped inside, turning on the shower.

What the hell was he thinking?He barely knew the woman, and yet he was suddenly fighting the ridiculous urge to kiss her.He quickly brought his eyes back to hers.Lauren, meanwhile, had noticed the way he was looking at her.His gaze lingered on her face before dropping briefly to her lips. She felt an unexpected flutter in her stomach, and for a moment, she forgot the angry words she had been preparing to say.There was no denying that the man was handsome. His sharp features, well-defined jaw and confident posture made him difficult to ignore. But his attitude was doing an excellent job of ruining whatever impression his appearance might have created.She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, suddenly conscious of the way he was studying her.Why was he looking at her like that?Ryan straightened his jacket, forcing his attention back to the matter at hand.This woman was annoying. Beautiful, perhaps, but annoying.And he certainly wasn't going to let her get away with sp

"I need a wife."Ryan Callahan said the words with a frown, his eyes fixed on the document lying open on his desk. He couldn't believe he was actually considering marriage, but after reading the same clause for the third time, he was beginning to realise he had very little choice.His lawyer, Daniel Harris, sat opposite him, watching his reaction."Unfortunately, Ryan, that's what your grandfather's will requires," Daniel said calmly.Ryan let out a frustrated breath and dropped his expensive fountain pen onto the desk."That old man," he muttered, shaking his head. "Even from the grave, he's still finding ways to control my life."Despite his complaint, a faint smile crossed his face. Richard Callahan had been more than a grandfather to him. As his mother's only son, Ryan had grown up under Richard's watchful eye. His grandfather had taken a special interest in his upbringing, taught him the business, prepared him to lead and eventually made him chairman of Callahan Global Group. Rya

Lauren was beginning to feel as though the entire world had decided to make her life difficult.For days, she had been sending out job applications, attending interviews and waiting for responses that rarely came. Even worse, she was beginning to suspect that the financial scandal Diane had dragged her into was following her everywhere.It was bad enough that her former best friend had borrowed money in her name and left her struggling with angry creditors. Now, the situation seemed to have damaged her reputation as well. A few employers had stopped responding after conducting background checks, while others had politely informed her that they wouldn't be moving forward with her application.She had tried explaining that she wasn't responsible for the debts, but nobody seemed interested in hearing her side of the story.She was running out of savings, her rent wasn't going to pay itself, and the constant calls from creditors were beginning to make her dread the sound of her phone ring

Lauren couldn't believe what she had just heard. Of all the things she had expected the man sitting across from her to say, that was certainly not one of them. Marry him?She stared at him, waiting for him to laugh and admit that it was some ridiculous joke. But he didn't. He simply sat there with one hand resting beside his coffee cup, looking as though he had just asked her to pass the sugar."I assure you, I'm perfectly sane." Ryan's expression remained completely serious."Well, that's debatable." Lauren shook her head and glanced around the bistro, almost expecting someone to appear and explain what was happening. "Do you usually walk up to women you barely know and ask them to marry you?""Not usually." Ryan lifted his coffee and took a calm sip, his eyes briefly settling on her over the rim of his cup."Then I suppose I should feel special." Lauren gave him a dry look before reaching for her own cup.A faint amusement crossed his face, drawing attention to the sharp angles of