Married To My Ex's Ruthless Uncle

My father was dying in the ICU, and our family company, the Martin Group, was on the verge of total collapse. While I was desperately trying to sign the consent form for his life-saving surgery, my fiancé, Eston, sent me a text. "I told you not to be stubborn. The company is mine by Friday. Beg me, and I might pay for the funeral." He had been secretly looting my family's assets from the inside, waiting for me to break so he could steal everything. He thought I would crawl back to him in absolute despair, surrendering my father's legacy just to survive. The sheer weight of my helplessness crushed my chest as the heart monitor next to my father's bed let out a frantic, high-pitched scream. The betrayal tore through me, but the despair quickly hardened into a cold, sharp stone. Why should I let the man who ruined me dance on my family's grave? Why should I let him walk away with everything while I lost the only family I had left? I wiped away my tears and blocked his number permanently. Then, I stepped out into the freezing Manhattan rain and went straight to the top floor of the Maxwell building. I threw my remaining shares onto the desk of Ellwood Maxwell—the apex predator of Wall Street, and Eston's untouchable, ruthless uncle. "I want you to marry me," Ellwood said, pushing a marriage contract toward me. "That is the only way your company survives." I picked up the pen. If Eston wanted to destroy my life, I would become his aunt and make him bow.

Chapters

Chapter 3

The interior of the stretch limousine was dead silent.

Audriana sat stiffly on the leather seat. She wore a custom black backless gown that Ellwood had sent to the penthouse. The silk felt cold against her skin. She twisted her fingers together in her lap, her breathing shallow.

Ellwood glanced at her pale knuckles. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a velvet box, and snapped it open.

He took her left hand. His grip was firm, leaving no room for argument. He slid a massive, flawless diamond ring onto her ring finger. The metal was freezing. Audriana shivered.

"Sit up straight," Ellwood ordered softly, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. "Do not show them any weakness."

The limo rolled to a stop in front of the Maxwell estate on the Upper East Side. The driver opened the door.

A blinding wall of camera flashes erupted the second the door opened. Audriana squeezed her eyes shut, her heart leaping into her throat.

Ellwood stepped out first. He turned, buttoned his suit jacket with one hand, and offered her the other. It was a pose of absolute protection.

Audriana placed her hand in his. He pulled her out of the car. The press went absolutely feral. The ruthless, untouchable Ellwood Maxwell was holding a woman's hand.

Audriana forced her facial muscles into a perfect, polite smile. She hooked her arm through his, letting him guide her up the red carpet.

Inside the grand ballroom, the air smelled of expensive perfume and old money. Eston was seated stiffly on a velvet sofa near the bar, his face pale and drawn tight with pain. His right leg was stretched out unnaturally in a heavy medical brace, a pair of aluminum crutches resting against the armrest. He was forcing a tight, agonizing smile at a group of socialites, trying desperately to pretend his shattered kneecap wasn't throbbing with every heartbeat.

The heavy mahogany doors swung open.

The loud chatter in the room died instantly. It was as if someone had pulled the plug on the audio.

Ellwood walked in with Audriana. His aura was so suffocatingly dominant that the crowd physically parted to create a path for them.

Eston turned his head. When he saw Audriana, his jaw dropped. The crystal champagne flute slipped from his fingers and shattered on the marble floor, splashing red wine all over his date's dress.

Frances Maxwell, Eston's mother, was holding court near the center of the room. Her face turned an ugly shade of purple when she saw Audriana.

Several board members hurried over, raising their glasses to Ellwood, their eyes darting to Audriana with burning curiosity.

Ellwood wrapped his arm around Audriana's waist, pulling her flush against his side. "Gentlemen," he said, his voice carrying across the silent room. "Allow me to introduce my wife, Mrs. Maxwell."

A collective gasp ripped through the ballroom. Whispers exploded like fireworks.

Frances stomped over, her heels clicking aggressively. She stopped in front of them, her chest heaving. "Is this some kind of sick joke, Ellwood?"

Ellwood looked down at her with dead eyes. "My marriage is none of your business, Frances."

Frances choked on her breath. She didn't dare yell at Ellwood, so she turned her venomous glare onto Audriana.

Audriana didn't look away. She smiled sweetly. "Good evening, sister-in-law."

Frances looked like she was going to have a stroke.

Eston finally snapped out of his shock. He pushed through the crowd, his eyes wild and bloodshot. "You gold-digging whore!" he screamed, pointing a shaking finger at Audriana. "You lied to me!"

Audriana's stomach twisted, but before she could even open her mouth, Ellwood moved.

He didn't yell. He didn't argue. He simply raised his hand and backhanded Eston across the face.

The loud smack echoed off the high ceilings. Eston spun around from the force of the blow, blood instantly dripping from his split lip.

The entire ballroom stopped breathing.

Ellwood pulled a white silk handkerchief from his pocket. He slowly wiped his knuckles. "Watch your mouth when you speak to your aunt."

Frances screamed and threw her arms around Eston, shielding him. She glared at Ellwood with pure hatred but kept her mouth firmly shut.

At the top of the grand staircase, an elegant, elderly woman appeared. Angel Maxwell, the matriarch.

The crowd parted again as a maid helped Angel down the stairs. Her sharp eyes locked onto Audriana.

Audriana's palms started to sweat. This was the real test. Ellwood's hand tightened on her waist, his thumb pressing firmly into her side.

Angel stopped in front of them. She looked Audriana up and down for ten agonizing seconds. Finally, she gave a short nod. "Since you are married, know your place and do your duty."

She didn't object. The crisis was over.

The orchestra started playing again, and the guests quickly pretended nothing had happened.

Ellwood leaned down, his lips brushing against Audriana's ear. His hot breath sent a shiver down her spine. "That 'sister-in-law' line was excellent," he whispered.

Continue to next part

Betrayed by her fiancé for a notorious villainess, Elara is cast aside as their world spirals into chaos. Determined to uncover the truth behind his sudden change of heart, she unearths a web of lethal secrets and political schemes. As she navigates a landscape of danger and deception, Elara must master her hidden strengths to survive. In a race against time, she seeks justice while facing the dark forces that threaten to consume her entire future.

Action Mystery Romance

9.1

Beyond The Empty Altar, My Reign

9.1

I stood alone at the marble altar, the silence of the temple pressing against my eardrums. It was my Mating Ceremony, but the groom was missing. My phone buzzed with a notification: a livestream of my mate, Alpha Cain, skipping our union to welcome my sister, Eris, home. In the video, he held her like she was fragile glass, captioning it: "True power recognizes true power." When I returned to the Pack House, humiliated, I wasn't met with an apology. I was met with a slap from my mother. Eris, feigning a powerful "Alpha Aura," claimed my mere scent was poisoning her. To "save" her, my family locked me in my room. But the true betrayal came when I overheard their hushed whispers through the door. "Use Vera," my mother said, her voice chillingly practical. "She recovers fast. We can drain her blood weekly for Eris. She can stay as a servant to raise Cain and Eris's pups." My blood ran cold. They didn't just neglect me; they planned to harvest me like livestock. They thought I was the weak Omega they exiled to the North years ago to peel potatoes. They had no idea that in the North, I wasn't a servant. I was Commander V, a warrior forged in ice and blood. I reached under my bed and pulled out my black tactical duffel. "Screw the meatloaf," I whispered. I wasn't just leaving. I was going to war.

Action Romance Werewolf

7.3

He Chose The Nanny, I Chose Revenge

7.3

Clara came home from a fourteen-hour board meeting to the sound of a piercing scream in the playroom. When she rushed in, she found her husband, Chadwick, kneeling on the floor in a panic. But he wasn't looking at their five-year-old son, Leo, who had a massive bleeding welt on his forehead. Instead, Chadwick was trembling as he held the nanny's daughter, Autumn, who barely had a microscopic scratch. "She needs ice. And antibacterial ointment," Chadwick snapped, carrying the nanny's daughter away and leaving his bleeding son behind. From that moment, the nightmare only escalated. Chadwick ordered Clara to cook a three-hour meal for the nanny's kid, threw away Leo's favorite toys because Autumn sneezed, and even secretly took the nanny and her daughter on Leo's promised Disney trip. The final humiliation came at the Met Gala. Right before their sponsor speech, Chadwick received a frantic call from the nanny claiming Autumn was having a panic attack. He abandoned Clara in front of hundreds of flashing cameras, sprinting out of the ballroom. Clara stood completely alone, the humiliation eating through her veins like acid. She couldn't understand how a father could call the nanny's kid his "little princess" while watching his own son cry. Why was he treating his own flesh and blood like garbage just to play savior to another woman's child? Suddenly, the blinding camera flashes were blocked by a massive shadow. Erasmo Chase, the heir to New York's largest financial dynasty, stepped out of the darkness and shielded her. "A man like that is unworthy of your grief, Ms. Best," he whispered, pressing a silk handkerchief into her trembling hand. Looking at the sharp profile of the powerful man beside her, Clara's shock hardened into a lethal, cold fury. She was going to dump her family's shares, crash the board, and make Chadwick lose absolutely everything.

Action Modern Mystery

8.6

MY ASSASSIN IS MY MATE

8.6

Alpha Kael is a powerful leader who rules his pack with an iron fist. His world is turned upside down when an elite assassin is sent to take his life. During their violent encounter, Kael discovers a shocking truth: the cold-blooded killer is actually his fated mate. Caught between his duty to the pack and an undeniable soul bond, Kael must navigate a dangerous game of betrayal and desire while his lethal partner struggles with her mission.

Action Romance Werewolf

7.9

Reborn Heiress: The Revenge She Deserves

7.9

The rain was a solid sheet of gray as the black SUV rammed into my car, sending me spiraling over the guardrail. As the glass shattered and the world turned upside down, a searing pain ripped through my chest before everything went cold and dark. I didn’t stay in the darkness. My spirit hovered ten feet in the air, watching the steam hiss from my mangled sedan. I followed the magnetic pull of my soul back to my family estate, expecting to find them devastated. Instead, I found my stepmother, Florene, and my sister, Kassidy, pouring vintage champagne and laughing in the drawing room. "To the end of the nuisance," Florene said, her eyes gleaming with greed. "The trust fund unlocks at midnight. We're finally rich." The betrayal cut deeper than the metal that killed me, but the real shock came at my funeral. Hiram Tyson—the cold, masked husband I’d spent three years fearing—collapsed over my closed casket. He unbuckled his silver mask, revealing a face ruined by scars, and sobbed a name I hadn't heard since childhood. "I'm sorry, Angel. I thought keeping you at arm's length would keep the darkness away." He wasn't the monster I thought he was. He was the boy I had saved at the orphanage years ago, and he had been protecting me in silence while my own family plotted my murder. I reached out to touch him, but the world exploded into a blinding white light. When I opened my eyes, I wasn't in a casket. I was back in our bedroom, feeling the heavy weight of Hiram’s arm across my waist. The calendar on the nightstand read September 14, 2023—exactly one year before the crash. I looked at the silver mask resting on the table and felt a cold, hard determination settle in my chest. This time, I wasn't going to be the victim. I was going to be the villain in their story and burn their world to the ground.

Action Billionaire Mystery

7.0

Revenge Of The Forsaken Pregnant Wife

7.0

My marriage ended at a charity gala I organized. One moment, I was the pregnant, happy wife of tech mogul Gabe Sullivan; the next, a reporter' s phone screen announced to the world that he and his childhood sweetheart, Harper, were expecting a child. Across the room, I saw them together, his hand resting on her stomach. This wasn't just an affair; it was a public declaration that erased me and our unborn baby. To protect his company's billion-dollar IPO, Gabe, his mother, and even my own adoptive parents conspired against me. They moved Harper into our home, into my bed, treating her like royalty while I became a prisoner. They painted me as unstable, a threat to the family's image. They accused me of cheating and claimed my child wasn't his. The final command was unthinkable: terminate my pregnancy. They locked me in a room and scheduled the procedure, promising to drag me there if I refused. But they made a mistake. They gave me back my phone to keep me quiet. Feigning surrender, I made one last, desperate call to a number I had kept hidden for years-a number belonging to my biological father, Antony Dean, the head of a family so powerful, they could make my husband's world burn.

Action Modern Romance

Married To My Ex's Ruthless Uncle

Chapter 3

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