"You're here to play nurse, not to pretend you care," he snapped, his cold gaze locking onto hers. "And you are here to waste your life because it's easier than fighting for it," she shot back, her voice shaking but defiant. He wheeled closer, his jaw clenched. "Don't think for a second that you can fix what is so broken." I'm not here to fix you," she whispered, her eyes unrelenting. "I'm here because I believe there's more to you than this bitterness. He was the untouchable golden boy of his family, a magnetic presence destined to inherit a sprawling empire. His charm, his power, and his perfection made him unstoppable until a car crash shattered his life and left him confined to a wheelchair. His once-loyal followers turned their backs, leaving him drowning in the bitterness of betrayal. She was living proof of her family-a forgotten daughter whose dreams of becoming a doctor kept her sane amidst years of neglect. All she wanted in life was freedom, but fate had other plans. Forced into a contract marriage with the epitome of misery, she found herself engulfed in a battle she never asked for. Their worlds collide in a storm of resentment and vulnerability. Underneath his bitterness, though, lies the ruins of a man who had everything to lose-and the dim hope of someone who could help him find it again. As she works her way through his fury, and he pushes against her kindness, a bond forms-a bond neither expected. But with jealous rivals scheming in the shadows and old wounds threatening to tear them apart, their fight for love becomes a war for survival. Can two broken souls find strength in each other, or will the scars of their pasts destroy them both?
View MoreChapter 5 Sparks and murkThe room was a sea of spangling gowns and acclimatized suits, the soft hum of polite chatter mingling with the delicate clink of champagne glasses. also, without warning, Ethan's voice cut through the crowd like a blade." What exactly are you playing at, Maya?" The anger dropped from his words, loud enough to draw stares from every corner of the room.Maya set, her glass pulsing in her hand. She turned sluggishly, her eyes locking with Ethan’s. He was standing — actually standing — without his cane. The moment should have been triumphant, but his expression made her heart sink.“I’m not playing at anything,” she said, keeping her voice low, though the tremor in it betrayed her nerves. “Why would you suppose that?”Ethan took a step closer, his jaw gripped so tightly it looked like it might crack. “Don’t act innocent. I saw you with Thomas. What were you talking about?”“Thomas?” Maya blinked, caught off guard. “He approached me. I didn’t seek him out.”“Acce
Chapter 4: The Unseen Enemy“Maya, why are you pacing?” Ethan’s voice cut through the quiet hum of the fireplace. He sat in his usual spot near the window, his eyes following her restless movements. “You’re wearing a hole in my rug.”She stopped mid-step, clutching the edge of her cardigan as if it were a lifeline. “You’re seriously going to pretend that message isn’t a big deal? Someone literally told me to stay away from you or else.”He leaned back, rubbing his temple with a sigh. “Maya, I’ve been dealing with this kind of nonsense for years. Empty threats, veiled warnings—it’s all part of the package.”“That’s not the point!” Her voice cracked slightly, but she pressed on. “You’re acting like this is normal. It’s not, Ethan. What if this person isn’t bluffing?”He waved a dismissive hand. “And what do you want me to do? Hide in a bunker? Whoever sent that message is just trying to scare you. Don’t let them win.”Maya crossed her arms, frustration bubbling under her skin. “So that’
Chapter 3 Ghosts of the history“Why are you holding that” Ethan’s voice was low, but the ice in his tone cut through the stillness of the room.Maya jumped, the photograph pulsing in her hands. She hadn’t heard him approach, his wheelchair rolling quietly across the carpet. “I wasn’t. I wasn’t prying,” she stammered, her grip tensing on the edge of the frame. “It was just lying then on the desk.”Ethan’s jaw tensed as he rolled closer. “That’s a lie. My desk is hardly a public gallery for you to browse through.” He reached out and snared the picture from her grasp, his hand pulsing slightly. “Coming time, you feel the urge to snoop, don’t.”Maya drew in a steadying breath, forcing herself to meet his piercing gaze. “I wasn’t poking, Ethan. It caught my eye. The woman in the picture — she looks. important.”Ethan’s grip on the frame tensed, and for a moment, his expression softened. It was transitory, however, snappily replaced by the hardened mask he wore so frequently these days. “A
Chapter 2: The Silent WarThe ceremony had been a sterile, mechanical affair. The air in the grand hall had been thick with the weight of expectations, not joy. The Caldwell family had spared no expense, yet the extravagance failed to mask the absence of warmth.Maya stood opposite Ethan, her hands trembling slightly as she held his. His touch was cold, indifferent, matching the chill in his steel-gray eyes. His jaw clenched as if each word of the vows was a thorn cutting into his pride.“I, Ethan Caldwell, take you, Maya Anand.” His voice was steady but devoid of emotion.Maya swallowed hard; her throat dry. She repeated her vows, her voice low but clear. Each syllable tasted like surrender.When the officiant declared them husband and wife, Ethan didn’t so much as glance at her. Instead, he turned his wheelchair sharply, motioning for the staff to follow him out of the hall. Maya, left standing alone at the altar, felt the silent stares of the guests prickling her skin.The drive to
Chapter 1 Broken Promises“Ethan, you can’t keep pouting in then like some woeful idol. It’s disturbing,” Victoria Caldwell’s voice sliced through the silence of the dimly lit study like a blade.Ethan slightly squinched. His reflection in the mirror held his attention, indeed as his mama stood brewing in the doorway. “Sulking? I didn’t realize gaping at the wreckage of my life qualified as a hobby.”Victoria stepped closer, her heels clicking against the hardwood bottom. “Enough of this self- pity. We’re having dinner tonight — an important dinner. You’ll attend, and you’ll bear.”He swirled his wheelchair slightly, eventually admitting her presence. “Dinner? Why? Another one of your charity galas to parade your imperfect son around?”Her sharp inhale betrayed her irritation. “You’re marrying Maya.”The words hit him like a physical blow, though he kept his expression neutral. His fingers tensed on the armrests. “Come again?”“Maya Harper. You’ve met her father, Gregory. He’s. useful
Chapter 1 Broken Promises“Ethan, you can’t keep pouting in then like some woeful idol. It’s disturbing,” Victoria Caldwell’s voice sliced through the silence of the dimly lit study like a blade.Ethan slightly squinched. His reflection in the mirror held his attention, indeed as his mama stood brewing in the doorway. “Sulking? I didn’t realize gaping at the wreckage of my life qualified as a hobby.”Victoria stepped closer, her heels clicking against the hardwood bottom. “Enough of this self- pity. We’re having dinner tonight — an important dinner. You’ll attend, and you’ll bear.”He swirled his wheelchair slightly, eventually admitting her presence. “Dinner? Why? Another one of your charity galas to parade your imperfect son around?”Her sharp inhale betrayed her irritation. “You’re marrying Maya.”The words hit him like a physical blow, though he kept his expression neutral. His fingers tensed on the armrests. “Come again?”“Maya Harper. You’ve met her father, Gregory. He’s. useful...
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