Leila Adams has always felt small, living in the shadow of her family’s expectations. Shy and unsure, she never thought much of herself—until her father arranges a marriage to a man she barely knows: Alexander Hawke. He’s a powerful billionaire with a cold, unfeeling exterior, hiding the pain of a past full of betrayal. At first, Leila’s marriage to Alexander feels like a business deal. He’s distant, controlled, and doesn’t care for her at all. But as time goes on, something starts to change. Leila begins to find her own voice, growing stronger with every passing day. And Alexander, who thought he could keep everything under control, starts to see the woman beneath the surface—the woman who could break down the walls around his heart. As Leila and Alexander begin to learn what it means to trust, love, and heal, both of them must face their pasts and decide if they can build a future together. Will Leila finally embrace her true strength? Can Alexander let go of his fear and open up to love? In The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride, passion, trust, and transformation collide in a story of love that neither of them ever saw coming. Read Now and experience their journey of love, healing, and second chances.
View MoreThe weight of everything presses down on me like a stone sitting on my chest. I wake up in the morning, gazing at the roof, and briefly, I keep thinking about whether any of this — the wedding, the commitments, the moving tides of my new life — are genuine.Alexander's side of the bed is cold once more, and the space between us feels more critical now than it did even only a couple of days prior.I swing my legs off the bed and press my palms against the cool surface of the end table, steadied by the quietness of the room. The calm is frightening. I long for when quietness felt consoling, not choking. Maybe the quietness has turned into a wall between us, a barrier I’m unsure how to break through anymore.I hear the soft sound of footsteps outside our bedroom door, and a moment later, it creaks open. I don’t even have to look up to know it’s him—Alexander. He’s standing there, a shadow in the doorway, his expression unreadable. He’s dressed for another day at the office, but the lin
The day extends on in a blur of meetings, calls, and vast reports. I sit in the extensive front room of our penthouse, the quietness weighty in the air.Alexander hasn't spoken a lot today, and when he does, everything,without a ddoubtt, revolves around business. His psyche is consumed by the domain he's endeavoured to work in while I sit on the outskirts, a mere observer of a life I’m no longer sure I’m a part of.“Leila, did you get the numbers from the New York team?” Alexander asks, not looking up from his phone as he paces the room, his face etched in concentration.I look up, alarmed by his abrupt inquiry. I've developed used to his distraction with work, but the distance between us feels more articulated today. "Yes, I have them," I express, standing from the lounge chair to recover the files. I hand them over to him, feeling the cold air between us deepen.He barely acknowledges the gesture, scanning the papers quickly, then tossing them aside without a second thought. “We nee
The phone rings, its shrill tone cutting through the silence of our apartment. I glance at the clock. It’s late, but the call isn’t unexpected. The moment I press accept, my father’s voice comes through, strained, far more panicked than usual.“Leila, we need to talk. It’s urgent.”I sit up straighter, the weight of his words pressing down on my chest. “What is it, Dad?”There’s a pause on the other end like he's gathering his courage before speaking.“The financial situation… it’s worse than I thought. The debts have piled up even more than we anticipated. I don’t know how long we can keep this up.”My stomach churns, and I rub my temples, trying to steady myself. “But we were supposed to have more time… We were managing everything slowly, little by little.”“I thought so too,” my father says, his voice tight, “but things have escalated. We might lose everything, Leila.”I close my eyes, feeling the weight of his words sink in. The pressure in my chest feels suffocating. I glance at
The day feels different, almost as if the air has shifted around me. When I wake up, there’s a sense of purpose that wasn’t there before, a quiet but undeniable energy inside me. It’s not like the nervous excitement of a child on their first day of school, but rather the steely calm of someone who’s decided to stop letting life happen to them.I glance at the mirror, surprised by the reflection staring back at me. My hair is a mess, as always, but it’s the eyes that hold my attention. There’s something in them now. Something I didn’t notice before. A quiet resolve that wasn’t there a week ago.“You’re not just a pawn in someone else’s game anymore,” I murmur to myself.The house is quiet when I step out of our bedroom. Alexander is already gone for the day, leaving only a faint scent of his cologne behind. I’m used to his early mornings, but today, for some reason, I’m restless. I should have stayed in bed. But I can’t. I need to do something. For myself. For us.I move through the gr
The morning started like any other, with the soft hum of the city outside our penthouse and the steady rhythm of life moving forward. But as I entered the living room, the first thing I noticed wasn’t the view—it was Alexander.He was standing near the window, phone in hand, eyes narrowing at something on the screen. I could feel the tension radiating off him, even from across the room.“Is everything okay?” I asked, my voice quieter than I intended. He didn’t look up immediately, and for a second, I almost regretted asking. But then he finally turned, his expression hard, almost guarded.“It’s just the news,” he muttered, shoving the phone into his pocket. “Nothing for you to worry about.”I frowned, crossing the room toward him. “Don’t do that. Don’t shut me out.”His jaw tightened. “I’m not shutting you out. I just don’t want to drag you into this mess.”But I had already seen enough. I’d been living with Alexander long enough to know when something was off. His eyes, normally col
The morning air is cool, and for the first time in weeks, I don’t feel the weight of uncertainty on my chest. Alexander is away on a business trip, leaving me alone in the penthouse. It’s been quiet, almost too quiet. I find myself walking through the apartment, drawn to the places where we’ve spent the most time together—his office, the kitchen, the living room. It all feels so… distant now.But I’m not alone. Not really. His presence lingers in every corner of this place, in every piece of furniture, every object. I see reminders of him everywhere, even when he’s not here. I hear the soft chime of my phone ringing, pulling me out of my thoughts. It’s Kate, one of Alexander’s close associates. I haven’t spoken to her much, but I know she’s been around since before I came into the picture.“Leila,” her voice is warm, yet there's something tentative in it, as though she's unsure of how much to share. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”“No, not at all,” I reply, walking toward the window a
The meeting room is chilly, the sort of cool that saturates your bones. The long, smooth table between Alexander and me feels like a tremendous gorge, one that is just getting more extensive the more we sit opposite one another."Leila, I don't think you completely figure out the circumstance," Alexander says, his voice low and cut. He's been talking like this throughout the previous ten minutes, his tone cool, legitimate — like he's attempting to address me instead of examine.I sit in my seat, my hands twisting into clenched hands on the table. His belittling tone is getting to me, and it takes all that I have not to snap."I see completely well," I say, keeping my voice as consistent as I can make due. "This choice will influence the workers and the fate of the organization. I'm not simply staying here since I'm your wife. I'm staying here since I have a stake in this, as well."He doesn't check me out. His eyes stay fixed on the financial report before him, as though he's, as of n
The boardroom is colder than I remember. Indeed, even the air feels more sterile today, like it's waiting for something to change. The sound of the door closing behind me echoes in the silence, and before stepping forward I hesitate for a moment.I don't know why in the world would I come here today. It wasn't simply the pile of administrative work sitting before me back at home, or the rising frustration with my failure to figure out everything. It was more than that—something deep inside pushing me forward. I need to do this. Alexander’s absence is like a shadow in this room, looming but not touching anything. He hasn't arrived, and I understand exactly the amount I've missed having his presence — if only to check how I should act.I sit at the enormous gathering table, crossing my hands before me, attempting to keep my nerves under control. I look at the files before me once more. Business, finance, systems, everything I've never genuinely needed to manage up to this point.I kno
The daylight streams through the enormous windows of the penthouse, however it doesn't feel warm. The room is colder than it ought to be. I sit on the edge of the couch, my fingers absentmindedly following the edge of my coffee cup, attempting to discover some similarity to calm. But, it's hard. All that feels like it's getting past me."Leila, we really need to talk."I take a quick look up to find Alexander standing in the doorway, his expression more strained than usual. His suit is perfectly tailored, his dark eyes shadowed, but there's something in his voice that cuts through the stiffness like a sharp dagger. The weight of his words lands heavily in the space between us."About what?" I ask, trying to keep my tone even. But even I can hear the frustration persist in staying beneath the surface.He steps forward, his jaw clenched. "You know damn well what." He makes a gesture slightly at the room, at the whole situation. "The business, the sabotage, the fact that we’re being atta
The ballroom is massive,it is too large for me to truly understand it. A sea of polished marble stretches beneath my feet, the high ceilings is very far above, decorated in gold ornamental work. The chandeliers sparkle as the stars in the sky sparkle, and every corner of the room is bathed in a golden light. Be that as it may, regardless of how lovely the space is or the way in which stunning the visitors are, I feel thoroughly like a gatecrasher who doesn't have a place there.All I taste is dread in me. My heels against the marble floor as I'm strolling reverberations noisily in my ears, yet the clamor is immediately gulped by the mumble of discussion and the clunk of glasses. I don’t belong here. The dress is great—an intricate blend of satin and lace—lace that clings to my body in ways that make it feel unnatural. I never imagined I’d wear something like this. It’s beautiful, yes, but it feels like a mask, a costume, something I’m expected to wear to play a role that isn’t ...
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