How Does New York Minute End?

Aurora “Rorie” Montgomery never expected to wake up married to a billionaire, but when she impulsively takes the place of an heiress forced into an arranged marriage, she finds herself trapped in a world of power, contracts, and ruthless business deals. Nathan Westfield, CEO and notorious workaholic, agreed to marry for convenience—not love. His only conditions? His wife must be discreet, loyal, and provide a future heir. Rorie has secrets. Nathan has rules. And neither of them expected to actually want this marriage to work. From the moment she steps into Nathan’s world, Rorie challenges him at every turn. She’s nothing like the obedient wife he anticipated, and she refuses to be a silent player in his life. But when Nathan discovers her true identity, instead of walking away, he protects her—publicly and mercilessly shutting down anyone who dares to question her place at his side. As past betrayals resurface and enemies threaten to unravel their carefully crafted arrangement, Rorie realizes the greatest danger isn’t losing her secret—it’s losing her heart. Because somewhere between the heated arguments, the stolen glances, and the moments where Nathan looks at her like she’s his entire world, she starts to wonder… What happens when a marriage built on lies starts to feel real? Perfect for fans of slow-burn romance, enemies-to-lovers tension, and billionaire love stories with high stakes and sizzling chemistry, The Last Minute Bride is a tale of deception, power, and a love that refuses to be just another deal.

On our wedding day, my bride insists on wearing an old, beat-up watch with the million-dollar wedding dress I buy her. I call off the wedding on the spot. She looks at me in shock. "You called off the wedding just because of a watch?" I take out the divorce agreement and tell her to sign. "Yes. Because of that watch." Everyone calls me crazy. They cannot believe I would end a ten-year relationship over something so worthless and file for divorce in front of everyone. Dad walks up and slaps me across the face. "Get on your knees, you disgrace." My mother-in-law shrieks that I have ruined her daughter's future by returning her like damaged goods. I look at the watch on her wrist, which is stopped at 3:07, and I smile. Then, I phone my assistant. "It's time. Release everything. I want a divorce."

After three miscarriages for Xavier Lowe, I see it—my mother-in-law has three years left, my father-in-law nine years, and my sister-in-law two years. I say nothing. After the third miscarriage, my mother-in-law blames me, calling me a curse who "kills" children. My sister-in-law sneers, saying she almost died in a car crash the year I married Xavier—as if my bad luck dragged her down. My mother-in-law snaps, "She can't even keep a child. It must be because she's cursed!" Xavier just stands there, silent. He doesn't say a single word for me. I know that, deep down, he believes that I bring bad luck. Maybe it's also because he already has someone else—his secretary, Yvette Snyder. His mother has always liked her better, and he clung to her the night I lost my third child. I don't explain because I know the truth will only destroy them faster. On my 28th birthday, I catch a glimpse of my own countdown in the mirror. On that day, I take a leave of absence. I go to the funeral home and pick out an urn—pure white, just like the wedding dress I once wore. Wearing a beautiful floral dress, I text Xavier, asking him to meet me at the lake where we first met ten years ago. I wait from daylight until nightfall as my countdown ticks to zero. I die, and he never shows up.

When I found out about Kenneth Hale, I didn’t argue with Claire O’Neill. I simply handed her the divorce papers. Her eyes turned red as she sat there. After struggling with the decision for a moment, she tore them up. "Give me ten days. I’ll send Kenneth far away, and he’ll never appear in our lives again." So over the next ten days, Claire went whitewater rafting with him, climbed snow-covered mountains, bungee jumped, and went skydiving. They did every thrilling thing they could think of. They watched the sunrise together by the ocean and went to Silver Pines Retreat to meditate, filling those days with every romantic experience imaginable. Then, on the ninth night, after I had packed all my belongings, I accidentally answered a video call from myself ten years in the past. "You really are me ten years from now! Then Claire and I must already be married with kids, right?" Pain flickered in my eyes. I walked straight onto the balcony and pointed the camera down at Claire and Kenneth, who were holding each other tightly, unable to let go. "This is what happens." Finley Morton looked as if he’d been struck by lightning. "That’s impossible…" My voice was exhausted, as though every last bit of strength had been drained from me. "Finley, please. Don’t marry her."

“Marry him… or watch your brother die.” Those seven words shatter Ava Carter’s world. She never imagined that saving a stranger’s life would lead her into the ruthless world of New York’s most powerful billionaire family. Now, drowning in debt and desperate to save her younger brother, Ava accepts an offer that sounds too good to refuse, a one-year contract marriage to Damien Blackwood. Cold, Arrogant, Untouchable. The billionaire CEO doesn’t believe in love. He only needs a wife long enough to claim his inheritance. No feelings, No touching, No falling in love. Just one signature… and twelve months of pretending. But every empire hides secrets. Every family buries lies. And every contract comes with a price. When enemies begin hunting Ava, buried truths about her past start to surface, and the line between a fake marriage and a real one begins to blur. Damien realizes the woman he married isn’t just the key to his inheritance, she may also be the only person who can destroy everything his family has built. In a city where billion-dollar fortunes are bought with betrayal, can love survive the final clause… or will their marriage become the most expensive mistake of their lives?

My mother was dying. Her only wish before she passed was to see me married. For 27 days, I begged my girlfriend, Monica Teller, and she finally agreed to register for marriage with me on the 27th day. I waited at the courthouse until closing, but she never came. That same day, her childhood sweetheart, Gurney Barnes, posted their marriage certificate on social media. [Time sure flies. Three more days, and we'll have been married for a month.] It was then I finally realized that she had married her childhood sweetheart since the first day I started begging her. Not long after, an apology text from Monica buzzed on my phone. [I'm so sorry, Lincoln. Gurney's family was forcing him into marriage. I couldn't stand by and watch him get shackled to a stranger. Just give it three days. We'll file for divorce. Three days later, I'll marry you." Three days later, she showed up at the courthouse in a wedding gown, But the only thing waiting for her was my message. [Goodbye, Monica. May we never meet again.]