I never expected my life to change so drastically. One moment, I was a woman with dreams, deeply in love with a man I thought I’d spend my life with. The next, I was betrayed and heartbroken, walking in on him cheating without a hint of remorse. That night, overwhelmed with pain and too much alcohol, I made a reckless decision, a one-night stand with a stranger who, to my shock, turned out to be my new boss. Arec, the vice president of Denco Groups, was desperate. To secure his future as CEO, he needed a wife, and in a twist of fate, he offered me a contract marriage. It sounded absurd, but his desperation mirrored my own need to escape the wreckage of my life. It was supposed to be simple: no emotions, no strings attached. A business arrangement, nothing more. I thought I could handle it, that I could keep my heart out of it. I was wrong. What started as a deal quickly spiraled into something far more complicated. As our fake marriage blurred into real feelings, the world around us began to close in. Disapproving family, old enemies, buried secrets, scheming rivals, and even an attempt on my life threatened to tear us apart. This is my story, a journey of heartbreak, unexpected love, and a fight to protect what we built together. In a world filled with lies and deceit, can a marriage born out of necessity become something real? --- Warning: This book contains mature themes. Join my Discord server: https://discord.gg/NJJKETf4
Joanne's POV:
The moment I stepped into my car, I slammed the door so hard I thought the entire window might shatter. The loud bang seemed to echo through the small space, but I didn't care. My hands gripped the steering wheel with so much force that my knuckles turned white, and I wished I could crush the damn thing. Anything to get rid of this seething rage bubbling inside me.
"How dare she," I spat, my breath coming fast and shallow, my chest heaving in time with my fury. The audacity of that woman… Ella. I could barely say her name without feeling like I wanted to scream. "Ella," I repeated, venom dripping from my voice. Who the hell did she think she was?
I hit my hand against the steering wheel. Once. Twice. Three times. Each impact reverberated through the car, but the sting in my palm did nothing to cool the volcano of rage threatening to explode inside me.