The Billionaire Bride of Convenience

The Billionaire Bride of Convenience

last updateTerakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09
Oleh:  Jane M. CokerOn going
Bahasa: English
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“You’re marrying Mike Rowling. There’s no choice.” That’s what my mother said, her words as cold as ever. I never imagined my life would come to this—trapped in a marriage to a man I’ve never wanted. Mike is a bitter, broken billionaire, his heart sealed off after an accident that changed everything. He’s a stranger in his own home, and now, I’m his reluctant wife. But there’s something no one knows, not even Mike: my daughter Mia isn’t just my little girl—she’s his, too. A secret I’ve kept buried for years. As the days pass, I can’t help but feel the pull between us. He’s changing, softening, and my heart begins to betray me. But every smile, every touch, feels like a lie because of the truth I can never tell. Then one night, Mike looks at me with eyes full of questions, and I realize—he knows. Everything is about to unravel. Will the truth destroy us, or will it be the key to our future?

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Bab 1

Chapter 1: The Betrayal

“You’ve got this all wrong, Cath,” Alex’s voice rang out, sharp and defensive, as he yanked his arm free of Jemma’s delicate grasp. “It’s not what it looks like.”

Cath gazed at the scene before her — Alex, her life partner, standing excessively near Jemma, her sister. Jemma's lips nestled into a sneer, an articulation so weak it might have been confused with responsibility by any individual who didn't have a clue about her.

Her throat consumed. "Then, at that point, *what* does it seem to be, Alex? Since from where I'm standing, it looks a ton like selling out."

Jemma shifted her head, her long light hair flowing behind her in a rehearsed move. "Cath, dear," she said, her voice trickling with pretended guiltlessness, "you're blowing up. Alex and I were simply — "

"Spare me," Cath cut her off, her voice breaking. "I saw enough. You don't get to bend this."

The load in the room squeezed against her chest as she ventured back, shaking her head in dismay. How had it worked out like this? The man she thought she'd wed, the sister she'd guarded for what seemed like forever — together in the faint light of her family's review, murmuring mysteries that currently felt like blades to her back.

Cath's knees clasped, yet she steadied herself against the door jamb, reluctant to fall before them. "How long?" Her voice hushed up, very nearly a murmur, yet it cut through the quiet like a sharp edge.

Alex looked at Jemma, then, at that point, back at Cath. "Essentially nothing remains to be informed you. This isn't — "

"Try not to lie!" The yell got away from her before she had some control over it. Her hands shuddered at her sides, clenched hands grasped so close her nails dove into her palms. "How long have you been sneaking around despite my good faith?"

Jemma moaned, emphatically, as though Cath was the nonsensical one. "Truly, Cath, you've forever been so emotional. Might you at any point see this isn't about you?"

The words hit like a slap. Cath opened her mouth, however no sound emerged. She turned her look to Alex, frantic for some sort of clarification, some defense that would fix the rugged edges cutting into her chest.

He didn't meet her eyes.

The quietness between them was stunning, broken simply by the weak ticking of the clock on the far wall. It was Jemma who broke it.

"If you will cause a ruckus, Cath, perhaps take it elsewhere," Jemma said, looking at her impeccably manicured nails. "Mother won't generally care for you creating a ruckus in the house."

Cath's breath got. "Mother."

Also, as though brought, Kaila cleared into the room. Her heels clicked against the hardwood, her presence glorious and ordering as usual.

She stopped, taking in the scene: Cath, flushed and shaking; Alex, blameworthy and quiet; Jemma, grinning as though she'd won some award.

"What's happening here?" Kaila's voice was cool, her sharp look choosing Cath.

Cath attempted to consistent her breathing, signaling at Alex and Jemma. "What's happening? *This*. This is what's happening. Your future child in regulation and your #1 little girl — together."

Kaila's eyes flicked to Alex, then, at that point, to Jemma, and lastly back to Cath. There was no shock, no displeasure. Just inconvenience. "Cath, don't be crazy."

"Ludicrous?" Cath repeated, her voice breaking. "You believe I'm making this up? I got them — here, in *your* house!"

Kaila folded her arms. "Also, what does that demonstrate? That you're adequately unreliable to rush to make judgment calls?"

Cath gazed at her mom, her throat fixed. "You're not kidding?"

Kaila's lips nestled into. "What I'm doing is declining to enjoy your showy behaviors. Jemma is your sister. Alex is — was — your life partner.

There's nothing on earth you wouldn't do to safeguard your nobility, as opposed to tossing allegations around like a despised lady."

An unpleasant giggle rose out of Cath. "Respect? You're discussing respect when my sister is lying down with the man I should wed?"

Jemma's grin enlarged, her voice misleading delicate. "Cath, don't be so rough. We as a whole are grown-ups here."

Something inside Cath snapped. She turned on Jemma, her voice rising. "You're inconceivable.

Do you partake in this? Taking all that is mine and it's your entitlement to imagine? First my companions, then my chances, this happens?"

"Perhaps in the event that you weren't really uneasy," Jemma answered without a hitch, "you wouldn't continue losing everything."

Before Cath could answer, Alex at long last talked. "No more." His voice was firm, however it came up short of the conviction she once respected in him. "Jemma, how about we go."

Cath's heart sank. "You're leaving? Very much like that?"

He delayed, his eyes shooting to Jemma, then, at that point, to Kaila, who gestured enthusiastically.

Without a word, he turned and followed Jemma out of the room, leaving Cath remaining in the destruction of what had once been her life.

Her mom moaned, as though she were the one troubled. "I raised you better than this, Cath. Handle your feelings secretly. This show is underneath you."

Cath's mouth went dry. "You're favoring her." It was anything but an inquiry.

Kaila's appearance solidified. "I'm favoring reality. Jemma is your sister. Whatever occurred, you ought to be attempting to excuse her, not destroying this family."

Destroying this family. The words reverberated to Cath as her vision was obscured with tears.

"You have no clue about what she's finished. Also, you couldn't care less."

Kaila's look didn't falter. "What I care about is this family's standing. Go tidy yourself up and quit humiliating us."

With that, Kaila turned and left, her heels clicking away like the last sign of Cath's almost certain demise.

Cath remained there for what felt like an unfathomable length of time, the quietness squeezing in on her like a weight.

Her chest hurled with the work of keeping down wails, her hands holding the edge of the work area for help.

This wasn't simply selling out. This was demolition.

A weak sound broke her considerations — a delicate stirring, coming from the side of the room. She turned forcefully, her breath hitching.

There, half-taken cover behind a drapery, was Mia, her five-year-old niece. Her wide eyes were overflowing with tears, and her little casing shuddered as she gripped a stuffed hare to her chest.

Cath's heart sank. "Mia... how long have you been there?"

Mia ventured forward reluctantly, her voice scarcely over a murmur. "Is it true or not that you are alright, Auntie Cath?"

Before Cath could reply, Mia's next words froze her setup.

"I heard Mama conversing with Uncle Alex last week. She said you'd never see whether they were cautious."

Cath's blood went to ice.

"Mia," she said gradually, stooping to the kid's level. "Did you hear something else?"

Mia gestured, her little hands grasping the hare more tight. "Mom said assuming you flew off the handle, Grandmother would make everything better. Like she generally does."

Cath's breath was trapped in her throat. The walls of the review appeared to shut in, the heaviness of the selling out choking out her.

But it wasn’t just the betrayal anymore. It was the conspiracy.

And she was all alone.  

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50 Bab
Chapter 1: The Betrayal
“You’ve got this all wrong, Cath,” Alex’s voice rang out, sharp and defensive, as he yanked his arm free of Jemma’s delicate grasp. “It’s not what it looks like.”Cath gazed at the scene before her — Alex, her life partner, standing excessively near Jemma, her sister. Jemma's lips nestled into a sneer, an articulation so weak it might have been confused with responsibility by any individual who didn't have a clue about her.Her throat consumed. "Then, at that point, *what* does it seem to be, Alex? Since from where I'm standing, it looks a ton like selling out."Jemma shifted her head, her long light hair flowing behind her in a rehearsed move. "Cath, dear," she said, her voice trickling with pretended guiltlessness, "you're blowing up. Alex and I were simply — ""Spare me," Cath cut her off, her voice breaking. "I saw enough. You don't get to bend this."The load in the room squeezed against her chest as she ventured back, shaking her head in dismay. How had it worked out like this?
last updateTerakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-14
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Chapter 2: The Ultimatum
"Marry Mike Rowling, or try not to return here."Kaila's voice was like ice, cutting perfectly and sharp across the lounge area. The weak ring of her teacup meeting its saucer reverberated in the harsh quietness, however Cath could gaze."Excuse me?" Her voice sounded unfamiliar to her own ears — calmer, more fragile, similar to how she was caught in a horrible where nobody heard her shout.Kaila didn't actually look into it, her fingers changing the precious stone wristband that got the morning light."You heard me," she said, her tone isolating, as though she were remarking on the climate. "It's a straightforward plan, Cath. You wed Mike, or you're all alone."Cath flickered, her psyche hustling to make up for lost time. "You believe I should wed somebody I scarcely be aware? How could I — " She held back, acknowledgment unfolding like a savage joke."This is about cash, right? Mike Rowling and his organization. That is what's genuinely going on with this."Kaila shifted her head, a
last updateTerakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-14
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Chapter 3: A Bitter Proposal
"Is this how you usually make decisions? By dragging people into rooms they don’t want to be in?”The man sitting opposite me didn't turn upward. He was too caught up with whirling the bourbon in his glass, his long fingers wrapped firmly around maybe it was the main thing tying him to the occasion."I didn't request this anything else than you," he said at last, his voice low and cut.I gripped my clenched hands under the cleaned oak table, compelling myself to keep my appearance nonpartisan.The pressure all around was choking, thick with implicit feelings of disdain and assumptions.The confidential room in the upscale lodging was faintly lit, the main sound coming from the weak murmur of a crystal fixture above.Mike Rowling was nothing similar to what I'd anticipated. He was sharp-highlighted, his dim hair cleared back with the accuracy of somebody who couldn't stand remaining details.His custom-fitted suit shouted riches and authority, however, his stance was easygoing, practic
last updateTerakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-14
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Chapter 4: The Wedding of Convenience
“This is the happiest day of your life. Smile, for heaven’s sake.”Kaila's voice ground on my nerves as her nails dove into my arm, directing me toward the plated swinging doors of the setting.Her fragrance, sharp and overwhelming, gripped the air between us. The texture of my white glossy silk dress felt choking, every last trace of it an untruth."I'm marrying a man I scarcely know," I murmured brutally, yanking my arm free. "What precisely is there to grin about?"Kaila's painted-on grin floundered briefly before she recovered. "Insight is everything, dear.No one needs to see a lady of the hour moping. Presently, get in there and make it look acceptable."I breathed in profoundly, steadying myself as the weighty entryways squeaked open. The room fell quiet. Many new faces moved in the direction of me, their appearances going from interest to apathy.Mike remained toward the finish of the path, his stance firm, his demeanor garbled.He was as immaculately dressed as anyone might i
last updateTerakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-14
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Chapter 5: The Stranger in the Mansion
“This place is too quiet,” I muttered, my voice barely carrying across the cavernous hallway.Mike didn’t bother turning around. He was halfway up the grand staircase, his steps echoing in the emptiness, his posture rigid and unwelcoming.The ornate chandelier overhead cast a cold, sterile glow on the polished marble floors and towering walls lined with art too abstract to appreciate."It's anything but a jungle gym," he answered briefly. "You'll become accustomed to it."I shuddered at his tone, looking as he vanished into the upper floor without even a retrogressive look. The quiet surrounded me once more, weighty and choking.The head servant, a more seasoned man with silver hair and an articulation as indistinguishable as Mike's made a sound as if to speak."Will I show you to your room, Mrs. Rowling?"The title ground on my nerves, yet I gestured, grasping the handle of my bag. "Lead the way."He moved with rehearsed accuracy, his cleaned shoes tapping softly against the floor as
last updateTerakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-14
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Chapter 006
As I made what seemed like the hundredth adjustment to the hem of her dress, I urged Mia to remember to smile. Unable to believe she was about to go into the opulent world of the Rowlands, she stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection with wide eyes.With wonder in her voice, Mia muttered, "I can't believe this is my life now."I let out a sigh, thinking I could somehow ease her burden. It was unfair. Mia was only a young child, caught up in the mayhem I had voluntarily entered.My hand touched her shoulder. "I understand, but Mia, you're strong. Additionally, you'll leave a lasting impression.Her mouth quivered a little. "I don’t know if I can do this…"I gave her a little, reassuring grin and nodded. "You've completed it already. You simply aren't aware of it yet."I observed that Mia appeared to get taller with each step as we made our way down the grand staircase of the Rowling estate, her posture becoming somewhat more erect. She was undoubtedly anxious, yet a quie
last updateTerakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09
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Chapter 007
"How’s the mansion treating you?" As Jemma entered the stately foyer, her flawlessly manicured nails glistening in the gentle light, her voice was brimming with kindness. Her heels clicking on the marble floor served as a reminder of her identity as she walked in without waiting for an invitation. It also caused my stomach to turn."Jemma, what are you doing here?" It was difficult for me to control the hint of annoyance in my voice.She claimed, "I was just in the neighborhood," with a smile that was too radiant to be real. "I wanted to see how you were doing. Observe how you're adapting."Getting settled. The words hurt more than I thought they would. It wasn't as though I had any say in the situation. I didn't live here. It wasn't my intention to be here. My life had been completely upended, and Mike had promised me nothing but an empty marriage and the chilly comfort of his mansion, which is why I was here.I mumbled, "Thanks," keeping my voice barely polite.As she moved deeper i
last updateTerakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09
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Chapter 008
"She’s got your eyes."The words hung between us like a dense mist in the air. Eleanor sipped her tea nonchalantly, her fingers carefully caressing the rim of her cup, and I halted, staring at her. I got a chill from the way she said it, as if it were simply another observation."What did you say?" I inquired, sounding much too abrasive and defensive.Eleanor didn't appear to be aware. A tiny, hardly noticeable smile curled her lips as she put down her cup. Her gaze remained fixed on my face, as calm and calculating as ever."Mia," she uttered quietly, as if the name alone had some kind of influence. "She has Mike's eyes, your eyes. The same blue color. It's eerie.My heart pounded loudly in my chest as I tensed up. I was urged by my thinking to seem normal and dismiss her remarks as only another casual remark. However, there was something about her tone and the way she was staring at me that gave me the impression that I was in a trap.My fists clenched around the glass of water befo
last updateTerakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09
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Chapter 009
"Is this really how you want things to be?"The tight calm that had descended between us was broken by his voice, which was low, strained, and almost imploring. I stared at the floor and tried to contain the emotions that were about to explode, so I didn't respond immediately away. Unspoken words and the weight of everything we weren't discussing filled the air.With my heart thumping and blood thumping in my ears, I eventually raised my eyes to meet his. Mike stood with his arms folded and his concentrated gaze searching my for something that might explain this mess. However, I had nothing. I was worn out. I was upset. I was also apprehensive. I wouldn't allow him to watch it, though. Not quite yet."How do you want things to be, then?" In an attempt to maintain some sort of control, I snapped, my voice taut. Everything was brewing inside of me, including irritation and fury, and it was simpler to snap than to cope with the tangle of feelings that were brewing beneath the surface.Mi
last updateTerakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09
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Chapter 010
"Are you going to eat that?"Mia looked up at me across the dinner table and spoke in a little, almost hesitant voice. She fumbled with the edge of her napkin, her dish half-finished, the food unfinished. I briefly believed that she might be putting me to the test to see how I would react to something as basic as food.I looked back at her after taking a quick look at the piece of chicken that was still on my plate. I answered, "Yeah, I guess so," in a softer tone than I intended.Although she didn't smile, I could detect a gleam of optimism that she might be able to get through to me in her eyes. Feeling the weight of the stillness that had hung over us since supper began, I pushed the final piece into my mouth and reclined in my chair.Mike was remarkably silent tonight, absorbed in his own thoughts and gazing at his plate as if it had the solutions to a puzzle he was unable to solve. Over the past few days, our typical tension had increased, and I wasn't sure if that was due to the
last updateTerakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-09
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