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
Arec's POV:
I stood in front of my grandmother's desk, her eyes boring into mine with that familiar mix of expectation and disappointment.
She had always been the matriarch of the Weston family, the one who had held our dynasty together through sheer force of will. And now, she had set her sights on me.
"Arec, you're not getting any younger," she began, her voice firm, carrying the weight of generations of expectations. "It's time you settled down. This family needs stability, and as the future CEO, you need a wife by your side."
I sighed, raking a hand through my hair, feeling the familiar tightening in my chest that always accompanied these conversations. "Grandmother, we've been over this. I'm focused on the company right now. Marriage isn't a priority."