Bound by debt; Freed by love
She thought she could endure a loveless marriage to repay her family’s debt—but she didn’t count on the cost of her heart.
Once the proud daughter of a wealthy businessman, ELENA BRADFORD watched her life crumble when her father’s betrayal left her and her mother drowning in debt. Desperate to protect her family, she reluctantly agreed to a marriage contract with her father’s former business partner’s reckless son, ADRIAN HAWTHORNE—a man who once loved her during their university days but now only mocks her fall from grace.
Trapped in a cold marriage filled with scorn and humiliation, Elena finds herself suffocating under the weight of Adrian’s cruelty. But everything changes at a high-profile dinner when she locks eyes with the one person she never thought she’d see again—LUCAS EVERHART, her childhood best friend, who once confessed his love before vanishing from her life.
Now a powerful CEO, Lucas is stunned to see the woman he loved trapped in a toxic marriage. Learning of her misery, he vows to free her from the chains of her past—even if it means clashing with Adrian who refuses to let her go.
As old feelings reignite and secrets unravel, Elena must decide: will she fight for the love she once believed in, or will her past mistakes keep her from the future she deserves?
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Chapter: Chapter 67ELENA'S POV Having breakfast at the table was weird for me but Lucas and his sister's constant banter made it less weird. Despite the troubling call yesterday which made the three of us awfully silent, the twin siblings still found a way to jab at each other with their words. I mostly chuckled, other times choking down my food which I intentionally took my time to nibble on. Soon, my life was going to go from something to nothing all again. Every bit of happiness was taken away from me the moment I’d just started getting used to it, so why bother to hold on to any at all. My lost gaze found their way to Lucas again, sitting across the table passing glares to his sister who chewed slowly in satisfaction at her brother's expected reaction. A soft smile tugged on the corner of my lips as I instantly saw the love that had grown between them within just a day of…bonding, I guess. Although they still had a lot to uncover about their family but somehow being together made it seem less bu
Last Updated: 2025-02-22
Chapter: Chapter 66LUCAS POV Pregnant? A bomb exploded in my ears as I took a few involuntarily steps back taking in her somber expression and her leaner stature that looked nothing like her. “She was far worse than this when we brought her here”, Lucille said, like she read my mind. “I had to check her pictures twice to make sure”. Elena casted a glare towards Lucille, warning her to keep her mouth shut then awkwardly took a few shameful glances at me. “You know, this could be a hot topic for the media”, Lucille spoke up again, her shiny eyes seemed to be enjoying every moment of this. This time, my icy glares were directed at her almost regretting having her for a sister and a twin at that. “You're now officially a side piece huh”, she continued to tease, not in the least affected by my cold gaze. “Shut up Lucille”, Elena and I snapped at the same time, already fed up of her blunt and embarrassing remarks. “Lena how? Did he force you? James mentioned he saw you at the hospital and I've been text
Last Updated: 2025-02-22
Chapter: Chapter 65ELENA’S POVI stared out the window out of my strangely well furnished room they threw me in for days now. After banging endlessly and even attempting an hunger strike, the pregnancy hormones didn't let me live up to my determination. Although I had no idea where I was but this place was awfully quiet and weirdly peaceful giving me some sort of much needed break. I twisted my less sore wrists which weren't tied to anywhere that they began to feel numb and swollen. My eyes wandered back to the blinking red dot at the top corner of the room knowing I was being watched. “Hey if you can hear me, at least tell me if I'm going to die or not”, I yelled towards it, turning back to the window facing the deserted island. Soon the door opened, letting in carts of food and different snacks making me sigh in frustration. “Uhm I just finished eating a full meal. Maybe you could bring it back later”, I said to one of the maids, wearing an apologetic expression but they all continued to do their j
Last Updated: 2025-02-21
Chapter: Chapter 64LUCAS' POV I puffed out a smoke watching the sun set from the balcony connected to my room. The previous night had gone exactly as I planned leaving me with a pile of questions I never thought to ask ever since.Why exactly did she find me then? She would have easily given the company to her son, Henry and kept her knowledge of me a secret. Perhaps I'd have liked it better if I never knew the truth about my family. Why did she get me to come back and act nice to me, if this was her plan all along? Something just didn't add up here. Another frustrated groan escaped my lips for the tenth time as I put out the cigarette, striding back into my room and laying down.My phone buzzed on the table besides my bed indicating a text and just as I picked it up, Nathan's heavy feet stormed into my room with a heavy expression as the announced the same dreaded words appearing on my screen. “Elena's gone missing”. My feet touched the ground almost instantly as I beckoned him to the balcony where
Last Updated: 2025-02-20
Chapter: Chapter 63CHAPTER 63LUCAS POV The Everhart's family Villa upstate was a place I never considered to be home for lots of reasons. Asides from visiting here once to go through the documents my father left me, I'd never been here again. I wasn't blind to the hatred and anger steaming from them during my formal introduction as the new heir of the Everhart family and businesses. Nathan carefully rolled me towards the main entrance murmuring bitterly under his breath. “I don't get why we have to do this Lucas, we could just lock every single one of those haggard faces and torture them until they cough up their last breath”, he whined endlessly, eyeing the entire mansion in contempt. My cold, scrutinizing eyes were no different from Nathan's but his continuous whinings eased up my expression a bit. “I’m disappointed in you Nathan. You've been the business advisor to my father for years and you still don't know my family is more complicated than you think”, I calmly retorted, lowering my tone as w
Last Updated: 2025-02-20
Chapter: Chapter 62ELENA'S POV The dull weather perfectly complimented my mood today as I moped into thin air still laying on the bed with my hands tied to each sides. I had not made a single sound or attempted to struggle when the doctors came and left each single day for a freaking week. According to Mrs Hawthorne, “we need to make sure there's no single escape no matter what”, she'd said, eyeing me in her usual contemptuous gaze. As for Adrian, I never caught a glance of him during these traumatizing sessions and the entire period I was locked in here but the moanings and loud music from his room kept me up for days straight. “Get me a mirror”, I muttered lowly, pretending not to notice miss Edith's face lit up in joy from the corner of my eyes as she raised her head to look at me. It was a surprise even for me but I couldn't help it, at least not after an entire month has passed. Although I wished to soar my dark world alone without having anyone to share my pain, anger or even irritation with b
Last Updated: 2025-02-19
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