The Predatory Marriage Novels & Stories

Seven years of love meant nothing against seven months of betrayal. Some promises are easier to break than to keep. Kyros Arnaud Ferrero, the man I met at 17, was supposed to be my forever. Never did I imagine that his love would come with a betrayal. He loved me, yet he could hurt and betray me with the very friend I trusted. He could lie and cheat without even batting an eye. To get back at him, I married the brother he despises most—the current president of his company.

Now, let me remind myself that she’s here to finish her very last requirement so she can finally graduate and not find a lover! “Just…” he paused and I was waiting for him to continue what he was saying. By looking at him right now, I know that I brought him so much stress because of this so-called marriage of ours. Marriage my ass! Where did that paper even come from? I didn’t know about it. I didn’t even know about him for me to get us a fucking marriage certificate and why would I involve myself in it in the first place, right? Because if I could blackmail Keandrick for him to sign me my clearance for the finals, involving myself in a marriage would be the least. I wouldn’t risk my name,

Elena used to think marriage was a private vow—two people against the world. She was wrong. Marriage to Holden Lu was not a union. It was a declaration of war. She understood that fully now. The first threat arrived without a signature. No name. No sender. Just a thin cream envelope slipped beneath the door of her private office, sealed with red wax bearing an unfamiliar crest—an abstract dragon devouring its own tail. Inside was a single line, printed neatly: Be careful where you stand, Mrs. Lu. Blood remembers blood.

"More specifically, a marriage of convenience. If you sign it, your life changes today. I am offering you total financial freedom. A monthly allowance that far exceeds your yearly teaching salary, a penthouse suite in Manhattan, an estate in Tuscany, and full access to top private healthcare and security detail." He stepped closer, his shadow falling over me as he continued laying out the terms. "In addition, your daughter will be enrolled in the finest private academy in the country, fully paid for, with round-the-clock protection. You will never have to worry about rent, bills, or medical expenses ever again. In return, you will move into my residence, act as my wife at public functions an

“An unwanted child should not leave in peace right?” “How dare you! Emily! Don't forget where you are! This is not your hometown or your playground!” He fumed more when he heard her last sentence. An unwanted child needs no peace? Are you fucking serious? He knew that the marriage between them was none other than a forced arranged marriage. A marriage where they were both drugged and forced to get married. “What I did is to train him for the future! What wrong did I do there?” “You are a devil! A merciless devil! Ray is our son!”

And vulnerable men didn't stay in power long. But marriage... the thought still made my jaw clench with distaste. I'd watched my father parade his pregnant mistress through Florence society while my mother wasted away from cancer and heartbreak. I'd seen how marriage could become a weapon, how love could be twisted into control. No. Marriage was not the answer. But tonight had clarified something else for me. Adriana's clumsy attempt to drug me, to force intimacy between us. She wasn't content to wait for a formal engagement announcement. She was actively scheming to trap me, to use pregnancy as leverage to force my hand.

"That's not a problem, you can leave your husband and get a divorce from him. I don't care if you are married; you belong to me and me alone." "Are you crazy?!" Charlotte busted out in anger. She used all of her energy to push Christian's hands off her. "You really expect me to leave my husband for you?" "Listen Charlotte, I know five years have passed but I still feel the same way about you. Plus, I know that the marriage between Sebastian and you is just a contract marriage. You guys never even met prior to a month before your marriage." Charlotte's heart stopped beating for a moment when she heard Christian say that her marriage was based on a contract.

He paused, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my breath hitch. “But in return, you belong to me. This is not a business partnership. This is an acquisition. You will take my name. You will move into this house permanently. You will appear at my side at every gala, every meeting, every public event as my wife. Your inheritance, when we recover it, will be tied directly to Cross Holdings. You will be completely, entirely mine. Do you understand the weight of that signature?” A fake marriage. Total surveillance. Becoming the property of the most dangerous predator in the city. It was exactly what Sarah had warned me against. It was a deal with the devil.

Instead, I was met with nods and perfunctory smiles that only deepened the chasm within me. At one table, I overheard a conversation about future business ventures and the strategic advantages that my marriage would supposedly bring. Their words were cold, impersonal, and it struck me how my personal happiness had become a mere footnote in a grand corporate strategy. Every detail of the wedding, from the floral arrangements to the seating charts, was dictated by those who valued power over individual desire. In that moment, I felt the sting of betrayal all over again—the bitter realization that I was a commodity to be traded, a means to an end rather than a person with hopes and dreams.

"They wished they could marry her. Not only is her father a high-ranking member of the Bratva with a lot of connections, but she's also pretty. A two-in-one package—powerful and beautiful. In short, every man's wet dream in the Bratva." Every man's wet dream in the Bratva. Did that include Aleksei? God, did he want to marry her, too? Was that why we were here? My stomach twisted painfully at the thought. I wasn't a fan of polygamy, and over my dead body would I agree to him marrying someone else while he was still married to me. My ring weighed heavy on my finger. I twisted the cool metal as regret burned hot under my flesh. I should've bargained for this before the wedding, but it had skipp