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:
The moment Arec ended the live stream, I felt like I'd been holding my breath for hours. My chest was tight, and my palms were clammy.
I rubbed them against my thighs, trying to steady my breathing, but I could already feel the weight of what we'd just done pressing down on me. The silence that followed was suffocating. It was just Arec and me, alone in his office now, the tension thick between us.
"Do you think it worked?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Arec didn't answer right away. His jaw clenched as he stared at his phone, waiting for the inevitable flood of notifications, comments, and opinions that would come pouring in.
The live video had been necessary, we both knew that. Klaus had thrown the first punch, and we had no choice but to hit back with the truth.
But the truth wasn't always enough. People loved their scandals, and I had no idea if the truth would matter to them.