"It’s not just a deal. It’s an opportunity. I’m offering you a way out of all the bullshit—" "By tying myself to you forever?" I laughed bitterly, the absurdity of the situation hitting me. "No, thanks." Ethan’s jaw clenched, his calm demeanor faltering for the first time. "It’s not forever. It’s just... a few years. Until we both get what we need. Then we can go our separate ways. You’ll have power, money, and respect." I stared at him, incredulous. "You’re insane. You're offering me marriage just so I wouldn't expose you for being a vile and evil man" His voice dropped and his expression darkened, "How much do you want?." ------------ Madison Taylor never expected to see Ethan King again—the arrogant high school golden boy who made her life a living hell. But years later, fate throws them together when she takes a job at his billion-dollar company. Madison is no longer the shy, vulnerable girl she was in high-school, she had changed into a gorgeous confident young woman who was ready to make her mark in the world and Ethan is intrigued by this transformation. Now, Ethan is desperate to keep his past buried and offers Madison a $30 million contract to marry him and protect his spotless reputation. Madison agrees, but not for the reasons Ethan thinks. She’s ready to make him pay for every cruel word, every insult that scarred her. But as their contract marriage unfolds, so do feelings neither expected. Caught between revenge and undeniable attraction, Madison must decide: will she ruin the man who once broke her, or fall for him all over again?
view moreI slipped the ring into my pocket and murmured a quick thank you, even though I was still completely thrown off. Except Ethan, no one else was egoistic enough to buy gifts for someone they had betrayed.I knew he was here somewhere, I just couldn't guess where.The second I turned my back to leave the market, the weird prickling sensation returned. The hairs on my neck stood up and my stomach formed knots. Something was about to happen, I wasn't safe.I wasn’t imagining it.Someone was watching me.I picked up my pace, weaving through the crowd, but the feeling got stronger each passing second. My hands clenched into fists inside the sleeves of my hoodie. I told myself to stay calm. Just get to the main street, flag a cab and go back to the hotel. Nothing was going to happen and I would be fine in no time.I glanced over my shoulder and my heart skipped.There was a man. Not the same one from the other night, but similar in build, wearing a dark cap, hoodie pulled low. He wasn’t shopp
I had promised myself never to leave this room again.After the terrifying encounter on the streets, my mind had been a mess of paranoia and fear. Every shadow outside my window felt like a threat. Every knock on my hotel door made my skin crawl.How long could I possibly live like this?Returning back home wasn't an option, I was having way too much peace of mind. Staying here on the other hand was scary, the man that had harassed me was never caught.What are the odds that he won't come back for revenge. My plan to hide away from the world was working well until I got an email from Mrs Cheng, my supervisor at the office.“Miss Taylor, your presence is required for a Zoom meeting tomorrow morning,” my supervisors email read. “Please dress appropriately.”Panic settled deep in my chest. I had been working in nothing but oversized shirts and sweatpants for weeks. I left most of my fancy dresses at my first hotel and the ones I had left weren't appropriate for work.I tore through my s
~MADISON~Life was simple without Ethan, Samantha and all the unnecessary drama.It was quiet, peaceful and somewhat predictable. I had created a routine for myself which would make solitude more bearable.I woke up, worked from my hotel room, and only went out at night when the streets were emptier or less crowded.No unnecessary interactions, no surprises, just peace and quiet.Or at least, that’s what I told myself.The truth?I was hiding.From the world. From him. From the mess I’d left behind.But it was easier this way.I had just finished an early morning meeting when a knock sounded at my door.I wanted to ignore it but the knocks only grew louder and more persistent.“Miss Taylor?” one of the hotel staff called.I opened the door, forcing a polite smile. “Yes?”“We need to clean your room today. Hotel policy,” the woman explained.I hesitated. Letting strangers into my space felt like a complete destruction of my routine but I also knew I couldn’t refuse forever. It was eith
~ETHAN ~“Samantha!!”I held up the tablet, my jaw clenched so tight I thought my teeth might crack.She immediately went pale, but it lasted only a second before her expression smoothed into one of practiced innocence.“What’s that?” she asked, reaching for the tablet. I pressed play and forced the tablet into her hands.Her breath hitched and her usual calm facade faltered.She was panicking.“Care to explain?” I asked, my voice dangerously calm despite the anger bubbling beneath the surface.She let out a short, nervous laugh. “Ethan, I—”“Don’t,” I cut her off immediately, my patience wearing thin. “Don’t you dare try to spin this. You lied to me.”Her eyes flared with anger, desperation and guilt. “You owe me, Ethan!” she shot back. “After everything we’ve been through—”“I don’t owe you shit,” I snarled, stepping closer. “I gave up everything to take care of you, thinking you were hurt. Thinking you needed me. But the whole time, you were faking it?”She crossed her arms, lift
~ETHAN~The walls were closing in.I had always prided myself on control—control over my emotions, my life, my choices. But this? This was a nightmare.Samantha had finally found a way to trap me.She blamed me for her accident. She made me feel responsible. And now, I was stuck playing her doting caretaker, suffocating under the weight of her many expectations.I barely slept. I barely breathed.And Madison?She was gone.The thought of her haunted me every second.Where was she? Was she safe? Did she think I had abandoned her?I clenched my jaw as I drove home, gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white.I had spent the whole day drowning in work, dodging phone calls, pretending I was fine. But I wasn’t.The moment I stepped into the house, Samantha’s shrill voice sliced through my thoughts like a blade.“Ethan, you’re late.”“I had a meeting,” I responded, avoiding her gaze.She sighed dramatically from her wheelchair. “You always have a meeting.”I ignored her
My private jet touched down in New York just past midnight, but I barely noticed. My mind was still back in that hotel, in that empty room where Madison had vanished without a trace. I felt like a monster for leaving, but my stepmother’s words had been urgent.I didn’t have a choice.The second I stepped out of the car and onto the estate grounds, I braced myself for chaos. If Mom had dragged me back so urgently, something must have been wrong.But everything was… peaceful.The mansion was lit up, but there were no panicked servants, no family members in distress.My gut twisted.What the hell was going on?I stormed through the front doors and my stepmother was already waiting in the grand foyer, a cup of tea in her manicured hands.“You’re late,” she said smoothly.I scoffed. “You said it was urgent. I left everything to get here.”She gave me a knowing look, but ignored my frustration. “Samantha was in an accident.”My chest tightened.Samantha?I hadn’t spoken to her since she lef
~ETHAN~The hotel room was oddly silent.The second I stepped inside our room, something felt completely wrong.At first, I couldn’t put my finger on it. The curtains were drawn, the bed was made, and the air smelled faintly of Maddy's perfume.But something was missing.I turned towards the closet, my eyes scanning the entire room.My stomach dropped as soon as I spotted the half opened closed.I walked over and yanked it open fully.It was completely empty.Madison's stuff was all gone. There was no sign that Madison had ever been here.Panic surged through my veins.I spun around, checking the nightstand. Her laptop and suitcases were all gone. At the edge of the wardrobe, she left everything I had gotten her, including her ring.She was gone.I grabbed my phone and dialed her number, pacing the length of the room as the call rang over and over again before going to voicemail.I cursed under my breath and tried again.Still no response.My pulse pounded in my ears as I stormed into
I took a picture of the purse.My hands were trembling as I snapped the photo, making sure to capture every little detail—the gold clasp, the stupid little initials engraved on the side, the way it sat there in his car like it belonged.It didn’t.It shouldn’t.He was my husband. If he wanted to be free to mess with women, why then did he sign the papers?Why did he bring me here and treat me special?I shoved the purse back into the glove box, slammed it shut and peeled out of the parking lot like the car was on fire. I needed to get back to the hotel. I needed answers.But deep down, I already knew.I just needed proof.By the time I made it back to the hotel, my heart was racing so fast I could barely breathe.I scurried down the halls ignoring the greetings from the receptionists and servers who were familiar with Ethan.I almost tripped several times as I ran to the nearest elevator.I bolted to my room as quickly as I could. Luckily, Ethan was out already and I had the room to
I had spent the last two days avoiding Ethan like the plague he was.After what happened that night, the way I given myself to him so easily, only to wake up and see Samantha’s messages.I couldn’t look him in the eye.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the texts and Samantha's bare boobs starring back at me in those photos.It was stupid to feel betrayed. Ethan and I weren’t together. Not really. But it didn’t stop the ache in my chest, the humiliation of letting myself believe that night had meant something to him as much as it did to me.I did not want to confront him, it was no use.Avoiding him seemed like the best option. I left the room early, skipped breakfast and barely spoke a word to him when he came back in the evenings. If he noticed my sudden coldness, he didn’t say anything. He just kept his distance too, as if he had no problem giving me space.That only made it worse.I needed a distraction. Something to take my mind off the mess I had gotten myself into.The art ga
I stood in the glass elevator, watching my reflection grow smaller as the city below me shrank. There I was—Madison Taylor, no longer the awkward girl with too-big sweaters and a heart too soft for her own good. No longer the girl who flinched at the sound of his name. Now, I was confident, collected, and ready to face whatever lay on the other side of those doors. Even him. Ethan King. I hadn’t seen him in almost a decade. The last time we were in the same room, I’d been holding back tears as he and his friends laughed at my expense. High school had been its own kind of battlefield, and Ethan had been the king, both literally and figuratively. He’d ruled the halls with his charm, his looks, and his cruel words, cutting me down without ever giving it a second thought. But that was years ago. I wasn’t that girl anymore. And he? Well, he was the CEO of a billion-dollar company. King Enterprises. I clenched my jaw at the irony of the name. How fitting. The elevator dinged, jolting me...
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