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
Ella's POV:
I sat in Arec's office, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me.
The air was thick with tension as Greg from the PR team rattled off instructions on how we should handle the live video.
My mind was only half-focused on his words. I was supposed to go on camera and defend myself against Klaus's lies, to explain the twisted narrative he'd spun about me. But all I could feel was the sharp sting of betrayal.
Arec sat beside me, his presence both reassuring and terrifying. I wasn't used to him being so close, so personal.
Ever since we found out about the baby, he had been different, more attentive, softer in ways I hadn't expected. But even now, with him trying to fix everything, I wasn't sure how we could come out of this unscathed.
My phone rang, cutting through the noise of Greg's briefing. I glanced down at the screen and saw my mother's name. My heart dropped.
I knew what was coming.