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28: Futile
Huling Na-update:
2025-02-21 15:23:12
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Married To The Billionaire I Hate 29: A Line We Can’t Uncross (Mature)
Author’s Note:This chapter starts off slow, like nothing intense will happen. But keep reading, and things heat up fast. It gets very explicit with vulgar words, so consider this your warning!Emily’s POVI should have left.The moment he stepped into the kitchen, I should have picked up my tea and walked away like I always did. But something about tonight was different. Maybe it was the way his voice had dropped an octave, rough and edged with something that made my skin prickle. Maybe it was the way he looked at me…like I was something he wasn’t willing to lose.Or maybe it was the fact that, for the first time in seven years, I wanted to stay.I hated him. I had told myself that over and over again, burned the words into my mind until they became truth.But I didn’t hate the way he looked at me.Didn’t hate the way his body closed the distance, heat radiating off him in waves, making the air between us thick.Didn’t hate the way my fingers curled tighter around my mug, knuckles wh
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-21Married To The Billionaire I Hate 30: Avoiding The Elephant
Emily's POVI woke up to the smell of him.It was everywhere…on the sheets, on my skin, in the very air I was breathing. The scent of him clung to me like a second skin, a reminder of what had happened, of what I had let happen.For a long moment, I stayed still, my body sore, my mind empty, like my brain was still catching up to reality. And then, all at once, it came crashing back.Cole.His hands. His mouth. His voice, rough and deep, whispering things in my ear that I should have told him to stop saying.My stomach twisted, my throat tightening as I slowly turned my head.He was still asleep beside me, his chest bare, his breathing slow and steady. His hair was a mess…disheveled, wild, the way my fingers had left it last night.God.I needed to get out of here.I swallowed, carefully peeling the sheets off my body, trying not to move too much. My muscles ached, a deep, dull soreness between my legs making it impossible to forget just how hard he had taken me.And then I remembered
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-24Married To The Billionaire I Hate 31: Contempt For His Wife
Vanessa’s POVThe studio lights were blinding.I sat on the stool, legs crossed, chin tilted slightly up, the fabric of my dress spilling around me like liquid gold. The makeup artists had spent hours perfecting my face, my hair was pulled back into an elegant updo, and the diamond earrings hanging from my ears were worth more than most people made in a year.I was the perfect picture of beauty. Of power. Of everything I had worked so hard to be.And yet…"Vanessa, can you smile a little? Just a small one?" the photographer asked hesitantly, adjusting his lens.I moved my eyes to him, unimpressed."Take the shot." My voice was sharp, leaving no room for argument.The photographer hesitated, then nodded, snapping the photo.I knew what the problem was.It wasn’t my outfit. It wasn’t my makeup. It wasn’t the lighting.It was me.I looked good…better than good. I looked untouchable, flawless, a goddess dressed in designer. And yet, every single picture would have the same thing…cold, emp
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-24Married To The Billionaire I Hate 32: Blood And Jealousy
Vanessa's POVShe didn’t even flinch.The glass hit the railing, shattering into pieces, droplets of liquid splashing onto her arm. She glanced down at the mess, then back at me, still completely unfazed.The people around us had stopped talking. Stopped eating. Eyes were on us.But Emily?She just leaned back, looking at me like I was the most pathetic thing she’d ever seen.“No self-control,” she murmured. “No dignity.”I trembled, my breathing harsh.She shook her head, standing up. She was taller than me in her heels, but she didn’t have to be. She already towered over me in every way that mattered.Emily turned to leave, that same irritating confidence in every step, her posture straight, movements effortless, like she had already won. Like I was nothing more than a tantrum she had already forgotten.No.She didn’t get to walk away like that. She didn’t get to win.Something inside me snapped, raw and violent, like a wire pulled too tight finally breaking.Before I could think, m
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-24Married To The Billionaire I Hate 33: The Shift
Cole's POV.The second I saw the message, everything stopped.The noise of the room, the low sound of conversation, the subtle clink of glasses…it all faded into the background, dissolving into nothing.I was in the middle of a high-stakes deal, sitting across from a man worth billions, a man who had spent months securing this meeting. The contract in front of me had the potential to change everything, to solidify my control over Greyson Corps in ways that no one could challenge.But none of that mattered.Not when Daniel burst into the room, his usually composed demeanor shattered."Sir, it's about your wife."Just those words.And suddenly, the air felt different.My grip on the pen tightened. My heartbeat thundered in my ears, drowning out the rest of the conversation. I barely noticed the other men at the table turning to look at us, their expressions shifting from curiosity to unease.Daniel's face was pale, his breath uneven. That alone sent a ripple of something cold through my
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-01Married To The Billionaire I Hate 34: Six Weeks, Too Late
Cole's POV.The police station smelled like sweat, stale coffee, and bad decisions. The fluorescent lights overhead buzzed faintly, putting everything in a cold, unflattering glare.Daniel walked beside me, silent but tense. He hadn’t said a word since we got here, but he didn’t need to. He knew I wasn’t here out of guilt, or obligation, or whatever the hell Vanessa thought still existed between us.I was here to end this.A uniformed officer led us down a short hallway, the scuffed floor dull under my steps. We turned a corner, and there she was.Vanessa sat on a hard plastic chair, wrists cuffed in front of her, dark eyes flashing with frustration. She wasn’t crying. She wasn’t pleading. She was pissed.The moment she saw me, her head snapped up, and her expression twisted. "Took you long enough."I ignored the bite in her tone, nodding to the officer. "Uncuff her."The cop hesitated, glancing between us, but after a moment, he pulled out a key and unlocked the cuffs. Vanessa rubbed
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-01Married To The Billionaire I Hate 35: A Father’s Rage, A Husband’s Regret
Emily's POV.The hospital doors slid open, and I heard it before I saw it…the heavy steps, the shuffle of men in dark suits, the distinct sound of power announcing itself without a word.Richard Hart had arrived.I closed my eyes for a second, inhaling sharply. I knew this would happen. I knew the second those damn videos got out, my father wouldn’t just sit back and let it slide. He wasn’t that kind of man. And now, here he was, standing in the doorway of my hospital room, looking like he was ready to set the world on fire.His dark gray suit was ironed to perfection, his presence commanding. The air around him felt heavier, thicker, like even the walls were holding their breath. His men stood by the door, silent, waiting. They didn’t need orders. When Richard Hart walked into a room, everyone knew exactly where they stood.His eyes locked onto mine, and I saw it…the fury, the cold, simmering rage that barely made it to the surface but burned deep beneath.“Who did this?”His voice w
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-01Married To The Billionaire I Hate 36: Nothing More, Nothing Less
Emily's POV.The hospital room still felt heavy after my father’s departure. The sharp words, the accusations, the raw anger…it all remained in the air, but Cole stood there as if none of it had affected him. As if he wasn’t just brutally confronted by Richard Hart, a man who could crush him with a single decision.I waited for him to leave, to snap, to throw his own anger back at me. But instead, he walked towards me, rolling up his sleeves. His eyes swept over me, analyzing every bruise, every scratch Vanessa had left on my body. Then, without saying a word, he adjusted my pillows, carefully lifting my arm so I wouldn’t feel any strain.“You should rest,” he said.I scoffed. “You’re acting like I’m dying.”“You look like hell,” he muttered, pulling the thin hospital blanket higher over my legs.I frowned, staring at him. There was no mockery in his tone, no arrogance, no frustration. Just... something else. Something softer. I should’ve hated it. But for some reason, I didn’t.The D
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-01
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Married To The Billionaire I Hate 131: The Dance That Stopped Time
Smith’s POVThe Hart Enterprise 50th Anniversary Gala was perfect.Every inch of the ballroom screamed success. The walls, lined with art and gold accents, reflected the soft shimmer of crystal chandeliers. The air smelled faintly of expensive perfume and fresh flowers, the latter arranged in massive, white-topped vases at every corner. I surveyed it all…took it in from the balcony before stepping down to join the crowd below.It was a night that I had meticulously planned. Years of hard work, of seeing opportunities and risks like no one else, and now, it all led here. Every seat in the room was occupied. Every person invited was a mover, a shaker, an influencer. The type of people who understood what it meant to be at the top.I adjusted the cuffs of my black tuxedo…custom-made, obviously. Not a thread out of place. My watch gleamed under the soft lighting as I looked out at the sea of faces below. The night was unfolding as I had imagined. Every detail was perfect. Every piece in p
Married To The Billionaire I Hate 130: The Seduction Strategy
Stevie-Lou’s POVThree days.It had been three days since we lowered my father into the ground.Three days since I stood beside his casket, dressed in black, staring down at the man who raised me…silent and still beneath a polished wooden lid. Three days of hearing strangers murmur things like “He was a good man” and “So sorry for your loss,” as if their condolences could glue together the splintered mess inside my chest.They couldn’t. Nothing could.The grief was a living thing. It clung to me like a second skin, heavy and suffocating, curling around my lungs every time I tried to breathe. I sat curled up on the sagging couch in my apartment, wrapped in my father’s old flannel shirt, my knees tucked under me like a scared little girl. A single candle burned on the coffee table. Sandalwood…his favorite scent. The flame danced, throwing shadows against the walls, soft and flickering. It was the only light I could stand. The overhead bulbs were too harsh, too alive.Jeremy, my boyfrien
Married To The Billionaire I Hate 129: The Cost Of Detachment
Smith's POV.I leaned back in my chair slowly, the leather squeaking. I didn’t speak. Just stared at James.His hands were twitchy. Fidgety. Like he didn’t know what to do with them."Is that all?" I finally asked.He blinked. Like he expected me to say something else. Anything else."Yes, sir. I just thought... you should know."I scoffed. "Why?"He flinched. "Well, he worked here since before you were born.""Exactly," I said, cutting him off. "Which means he had years to prepare. Retirement fund. Family. Friends. A damn GoFundMe if he wanted."James didn’t speak."You think it was my job to save him?" I asked, eyes narrowing.He shook his head quickly. "No, sir. Of course not.""Good. Because it wasn’t. This isn’t a charity."The silence in the room tightened. James looked at the floor."He was desperate," he mumbled.I stood up slowly. Walked around the desk until I was a few steps from him."Let me ask you something, James. If I give 1.3 million to a dying man with a bad heart, h
Married To The Billionaire I Hate 128: Deadlines And Dead Men
Smith POV.I was 27. Young. Cold. Successful. Ruthless.CEO of the Hart Enterprise.People feared me. And that was fine. Fear keeps people in check. I didn’t have time for emotions or second chances. Not in this world. Not in business. One mistake could bring it all crashing down.I sat behind my office desk…black, clean…just like everything else in my life. The skyline of New York stood outside my glass window. Everyone out there had a dream. I was already living mine. But it didn’t come easy.I wasn’t even supposed to be here. I wasn’t meant to exist.My father, Richard Hart, never wanted me. He wasn’t married when he met my mother, Lena. His first wife…Emily’s mother…had already left him. Walked away. No cheating involved. That chapter had ended.Eight years later, he met my mother. It was just a one-night stand. Nothing more. A stupid decision. When she found out she was pregnant and told him, he turned into a monster.He tortured her. Pressured her. Told her to get rid of me.But
Married To The Billionaire I Hate 127: Part 2
Married To The Billionaire I Hate Part 2Synopsis:Stevie-Lou Parker’s world shattered the day her father, a loyal employee of Smith Hart, died after being denied a loan for his treatment. Smith Hart, the ruthless billionaire, refused to help, and her father paid the price. Consumed with rage, Stevie-Lou swore revenge on the man who caused her family’s downfall.To get close to him, Stevie-Lou went undercover, hiding her true identity. She lied about her name and used a disguise so Smith would never suspect she was the daughter of the man whose death he had caused. Using her beauty and talent as a skilled dancer, Stevie-Lou captivated Smith with a performance that left him wanting more. He fell in love, believing she was just another woman to add to his collection.But for Stevie-Lou, this was never about love…it was about revenge. She married him, planning to strip him of everything he held dear: his wealth, his power, his empire. What Smith didn’t know was that Stevie-Lou wasn’t alo
Married To The Billionaire I Hate 126: Epilogue
Emily's POV.Six years later.I couldn't believe how much everything had changedm..and how much I had changed. I used to be a woman who could take on anything with a smile, fighting tooth and nail for what I wanted, getting my way, keeping my guard up. Now, I was a wife, a mother to two wild kids who were way too much like me for comfort, and I was somehow still trying to find the balance. Cole and I had two little monsters. I meant that in the most loving way, of course. A five-year-old girl who thought she knew everything, and a three-year-old boy who was already calm enough to be mistaken for a mini version of his father.I looked over at Mia, our daughter, as she flipped through her book on the couch, muttering to herself. “Mom, you know you can’t just say things like that. The truth is like…” She paused, squinting up at me, “...it’s like a key. It opens doors. And if you don’t have the key, well, you’re locked out. Simple logic. Honestly.”I blinked, my fork halfway to my mouth
Married To The Billionaire I Hate 125: The Endgame
Emily's POV.I could feel the tightness in my chest as I walked into the hospital room. The usual weird smell of the hospital hit me instantly, but it didn’t matter. My feet were heavy, like each step took more out of me than it should. I didn’t know what I expected walking in here, but seeing him like this…injured, bruised, bandaged…was almost too much.Cole was sitting upright in the bed, his broad shoulders hunched slightly as he adjusted the position of the IV that was attached to his arm. His face, though familiar, looked a little different. His skin was pale, almost sickly, and his hair was messy, falling loosely across his forehead. His eyes…those eyes that could melt anyone with a single glance…were narrowed at the screen in front of him. His left hand was holding a small tablet, and I saw the footage of the trial. It was the video of what happened in court …Vanessa, shackled, dragged in like she was nothing. I saw the shot of her standing in the courtroom, struggling to keep
Married To The Billionaire I Hate 124: Five Life Sentences
Vanessa's POV.They brought me in through the back. Shackled. Dressed in orange. I could feel every damn eye in that courtroom the moment the doors opened.Phones were out. Cameras. People whispering. Judging. Hating.I used to walk through halls with power in my step, people hanging onto my words, afraid to cross me. Now, the guards shoved me forward like I was nothing. Like I wasn’t the Vanessa Monroe.The courtroom was colder than I remembered. The lights too bright. Too many people. Too many eyes. My throat was dry, and not a soul here gave a damn.The judge didn’t look up as I was led to the defendant’s table. He was flipping through a file…my file…thicker than a Bible.I sat. Hands cuffed. Ankles chained. Heart racing. Face burning.And then I saw her.Emily.Sitting there in the front row like she owned the damn place. Like she wasn’t two months pregnant with the child I tried to erase along with her.Her head was high. Shoulders back. Lips painted blood red. Her arms crossed l
Married To The Billionaire I Hate 123: A Good Sign
Emily's POV.Hours passed. Again.The ICU lights didn’t dim. Nurses kept coming in and out. Adjusting tubes. Checking monitors. Writing things down without saying a word to me. One of them offered me a blanket. Another brought me water I didn’t touch. I couldn’t drink. Couldn’t eat. My stomach was twisted into a hundred knots.Cole hadn’t moved.Not even a twitch.I kept waiting for something. A flick of his fingers. A twitch of an eyelid. A miracle.But the machines kept beeping the same way. Monotonous. Cold. Consistent.My fingers stayed laced with his. Even though he couldn’t squeeze back.The door creaked open again.Footsteps. Not rushed. Not hesitant. Just... steady.I turned, and there she was.Lena.Smith's mom.She looked like she’d driven straight from hell to get here. Hair in a bun that had long since given up. Dark circles under her eyes. Clothes wrinkled, boots dusty. Her eyes locked on me, then flicked to Cole. Her jaw clenched."Is he…?" she didn’t finish the question
