Married to the Billionaire I Hated
I was drugged by my stepmother and betrayed by my boyfriend.
When I woke up in a stranger's bed, I realized I had been set up - used, humiliated, discarded.
The worst part? That cold, dangerous man... was my stepsister's fiancé.
I tried to run. I tried to disappear. But fate had other plans - I was pregnant. With his child.
Theodore Sterling - rich, ruthless, and utterly untouchable - offered me marriage.
"Congratulations," he sneered. "You finally got what you wanted - me."
So I became his wife. The scandal. The shame of the Reynolds family. The woman everyone hated.
He said he didn't want me.
But he never let me go.
I said I hated him.
But I couldn't stop falling.
This isn't just a forced marriage.
It's revenge, obsession, and a love I never saw coming.
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Chapter 6
I dropped onto the sofa the moment I got home, completely wiped out. Didn't even bother to turn on the lights.
Then suddenly, the doorbell rang, sharp and insistent. I instinctively looked toward the door, heart lifting into my throat. I've always been independent, yeah, but I'm still a woman living alone, and after hearing all those horror stories out there...
I stayed frozen for a second, debating what to do. The doorbell kept buzzing non-stop. Gritting my teeth, I grabbed a broom with one hand and twisted the doorknob with the other. The second it creaked open, a tall shadow slipped inside. Without thinking, I swung the broom hard, eyes shut.
A hand caught my wrist mid-swing. "Are you insane?"
I shuddered. Theodore stepped around me, stormed inside, and yanked the broom out of my hand, tossing it aside. He curved two fingers under my chin, lifting my face.
My eyes, still swollen and puffy from crying, met his as he stared down at me.
He was so close, towering over me, then-without warning-he leaned in and kissed me.
My eyes flew wide open in shock, but before I could even make a sound, he bit down harshly on my lip. There was nothing gentle about the way he kissed. Every move was rough, deliberate, punishing. My tears started falling again, but he didn't let up.
My whole body went weak from his kiss. He pulled me firmly into his chest. As soon as we were pressed that close, it felt like a surge of electricity shot straight through me.
Just when I was starting to lose myself in the moment, he abruptly let go. His eyes were colder than ice as he stepped back and spit out, "What, you enjoy being forced? Pathetic."
That snapped me back fast.
The expression on his face-mocking, smug-hit me like a punch in the gut. I shoved him hard, tilting my head up, trying my best to look defiant. "Yeah, sure, I'm pathetic! So what? You knew that already-why'd you even come back? This place is too cramped for someone like you. Get out!"
My words clearly pissed him off. He spun around and clamped down on my wrist, his face clouded with fury.
He wrapped an arm around my waist, spun me around, and pinned me up against the door. His breath was hot against my neck as he whispered, "Say it... I wanna hear you say it..."
When his hand yanked open my shirt and grabbed my chest, I didn't even hesitate. With all the strength I had, I slapped him across the face. A loud smack echoed, and I felt the sting on my palm.
"Are you out of your mind? This is my place! If you want a woman, go find someone else!"
He froze for a moment, then grabbed my chin hard. "Natalie! Cut the act! Pull this manipulative crap with some other guy. I'm sick of your games-got it?"
I took a shaky breath and glared back at him, brows drawn tight. "You're full of it! What scheme exactly have I pulled on you? Honestly, if you're doing all this because you blame me for pushing you toward marrying Isabella, then fine-but let me tell you, I'm not gonna let that wedding happen. Don't get too comfortable."
His eyes narrowed, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What are you plotting now? Let me say it clearly-I won't let you mess around with my marriage. Don't even think about it."
I shot him a sarcastic smirk, clearly provoking him. "Then let's wait and see. I've got a little show planned-I'm pretty sure you'll find it very entertaining."
"She's your sister!"
"She isn't!"I shouted, my voice sharp and loud enough to make him freeze for a second. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to calm down, then said more evenly, "Look, you don't need to worry. After this, I'll stay out of your life. I don't even really know you. This whole mess between us was just one giant misunderstanding. So just go."
But instead of backing off, his face got darker, like he'd just snapped. His tone was like a wild animal's growl. "Why should I believe you? Maybe this is all just some twisted game you're playing to get me hooked."
I almost lost it. "Are you serious? I don't care if you believe me or not!"
He sneered, voice full of mockery. "Even if you're not one of Clifford's people, don't think I can't see through you. That innocent act, those tears? I've seen it all before."
His words were laced with contempt. I couldn't help but think back to Graham nearly assaulting me. That feeling boiled over in my chest like I might explode.
What the hell did I do in a past life? No mother's love, no father's care-always being used and hurt. Vivian, Oliver... and now even Theodore had to step on me like I was nothing.
Snatching up the broom off the floor, I swung it at him with everything I had. "I don't even know who the hell Clifford is! Get out! I don't ever want to see you again, you jerk!"
He took a couple of hits before grabbing the broom and shoving me hard. I lost my balance and fell back, landing on the floor with a thud. Pain stabbed through my wrist where it was already hurt, and tears sprang to my eyes from the sheer sting.
Theodore's face was pure ice, his stare sharp and filled with fury, like a demon straight out of hell. "I despise liars. I don't care who else you've manipulated, but if you try to mess with me..."
I tilted my head up to meet his glare, defiant even in pain.
"I'll make you wish you were dead."
*****
The next morning, I woke up on the cold floor. Walking to the bathroom, I stared at myself in the mirror-puffy eyes, messy hair, collar all askew. There were faint, blotchy kiss marks on my chest.
Marks left by Theodore.
When did it start? When did everything-my body, my mind-get wrapped up in him? His presence lingered like a scent that clung to my skin and refused to leave, sinking in deep enough to suffocate.
Just as I stepped out of the bathroom, my phone rang. It was Lucille, and the second I picked up, she practically screamed at me. "Natalie! What kind of friend are you? Something that major happened and you didn't call me? You were kicked out by that deadbeat Hubert and didn't even tell me? If you've got the guts to hide this, then don't ever show your face to me again!"
I winced, rubbing my ear from the verbal assault. "Okay, okay, my bad! Where are you? I'll come find you right now and beg for forgiveness."
She huffed, "Outside Graham's office. With his wife."
I shot up from the couch like it was on fire. "What the hell are you guys planning to do?"
Her laugh was low and chilling. "After what that bastard did to you, even his wife can't stand him. I'm not letting him off easy. Meet us there-one hour."
Twenty minutes later, I rushed to the door, and just as I was about to bolt, I noticed a white plastic bag on the floor. I paused, picked it up and looked inside-Arnica Gel, gauze, bandages, cotton, scissors... every kind of wound care item you could think of. And on top of it all? A bowl of abalone porridge, long gone cold.
I blinked, remembering last night-Theodore might've come back after he left.
No one else had been here. No one.
Could it really be him?
My mind went blank. I stood there frozen, unsure what to do next.
Just then, my phone buzzed again. A message from Lucille: [Where are you? You coming?]
I shook my head, snapping myself out of it. After checking the address she gave me, I left the medical supplies and porridge on top of the trash bin outside the door and rushed down the stairs.
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9.3
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9.5
I returned to New York with a broken suitcase and exactly three hundred and forty-two dollars in my bank account. My mother was dying in a public hospital, and the only treatment that could save her required a fifty-thousand-dollar deposit I didn't have.
While I was pleading with the billing department, I ran into my billionaire ex, Gannon Sharpe, and his cruel fiancée, Aleta. Without a second thought, Aleta slapped me so hard my lip split, kicking my belongings across the floor and calling me a gold-digging thief in front of the entire staff.
I looked at Gannon, the man I once loved more than my own life, hoping for a shred of mercy. Instead, he looked at me with pure revulsion and told me I belonged in the gutter. He believed the lies his grandfather told him—that I had abandoned him after his car crash and vanished with millions.
He had no idea I was the one who actually pulled him from that burning wreckage, or that I was currently skipping meals in a moldy motel just so our secret son could have formula. He called me "disgusting" and walked away, leaving me to rot.
I wanted to scream that I was the genius scientist who wrote his company’s core algorithms, and that the child he didn’t know existed was shivering with a fever only blocks away. But the ironclad NDA I signed to save my family kept me silent, even as Gannon looked at me like I was something he’d stepped in.
Desperate for health insurance to save my mother and son, I took a bottom-tier data entry job in the basement of Gannon’s own tower, intending to stay invisible. But when a billion-dollar error threatened to bankrupt his empire, I couldn't stop myself from hacking the system to fix the code.
Now, the man who hates me is standing in my cubicle, demanding to know how a "dropout" knows his most guarded secrets. Gannon is finally digging into my past, and he’s about to find out exactly what—and who—I’ve been hiding for the last four years.
8.8
When quiet and independent interior designer Amara Benson meets the golden billionaire bachelor Alexander Drake, her life takes a turn she never expected. A whirlwind night leads to an unexpected pregnancy, and suddenly, Amara is thrust into Alexander's glittering world of power, influence, and secrets. But wealth can't buy love, and in a world where everyone has an agenda, Amara must navigate betrayal, ambition, and the fragile promise of the heart to protect the life growing inside her-and discover a love worth more than gold.
7.1
"You're mine now, Brittany." He whispered in my ears. I froze. I don't remember telling him my name.
Zayne...Zayne...oh God. Now, I remember why his name sounded so familiar...but it was too late, I thought as I lost consciousness.
__
Brittany's life has been full of heartbreaks and pain, from her father's death to her mother's manipulation and abuse, while using religion as a weapon.
She grews up with fear, guarding her virginity like a cloak because of her mother's constant words in her ears.
Until she meets Zayne, known throughout New York as the CEO for his ruthlessness, he turns out to be Mafia too.
Zayne claims her as his refusing to let her go. Will Brittany grow to love him and give him a chance after what he did to her?
What happens when she's the only one who can save him from enemies flocking around him?
__
"I'm letting you go, doll." He mumbled as he held on to me, his eyes growing weak.
My heart twisted in my chest as tears fell down my cheeks.
No... "I don't regret a thing. You taking me was the best thing that ever happened to me."
9.5
Elara Edward never dreamed of marrying a man like Leonardo Lorenzo. For her, this marriage wasn't a choice-it was a sacrifice. To save her little brother's life, she gave up her freedom and her heart.
Leonardo had everything-wealth, power, and a reputation that made people fear his name. Handsome and commanding, yet ruthless and cruel, he agreed to the marriage only to strengthen his empire. To him, love was a weakness, and compassion was a luxury he couldn't afford.
She was sweet, gentle, and broken.
He was dangerous, cold, and merciless.
Two opposites bound by chains of hatred and duty.
But as the line between pain and passion blurs, and as scars from the past give way to unexpected emotions, will Elara and Leonardo destroy each other-or find love in the darkest of places?
A story of broken souls, aching hearts, and the power of love against all odds.
Warning: This is a dark romance. It contains scenes of violence, passion, and emotional intensity. Reader discretion is advised.
9.0
I stood in the corner of the grand ballroom, trying to stay invisible despite the massive diamond on my finger. As the fiancée of the billionaire Arturo Watts, I was supposed to be the most envied woman in the room, but the suffocating scent of lilies felt more like a funeral than a gala.
A waiter’s elbow clipped my arm, sending my clutch crashing to the floor and spilling its contents for everyone to see. Among my lipstick and phone lay a heavy, glittering brooch—the Pink Star diamond—that had just been reported stolen from the neck of a billionaire socialite.
"Thief! Just like her father," the crowd hissed as cameras flashed like gunfire in my face. Tiffany Watts ground her heel into my bag, her eyes gleeful as she watched the "scammer's daughter" finally get caught. Just as security reached for my wrists, Arturo stepped out of the shadows, but he wasn't there to save me. He grabbed my face and kissed me with a brutal, bruising intensity, branding me in front of the news drones to turn my humiliation into a PR stunt for his company’s stock price.
I thought I was being protected, but I soon realized I was just a prisoner in a gilded cage with new locks on the windows. I discovered the truth Arturo was trying to shred: I wasn’t his fiancée, I was his "key code." He was using my name to access fifty million dollars of my father’s hidden money, and he had blocked my FBI application to ensure I’d never uncover the trail.
"I did it for you," he whispered, standing over me with the same cold, unreadable eyes he used on his business rivals. He thought he could buy my silence with designer gowns and a fake romance, but he forgot that I am my father’s daughter.
I’m done being a liability in his corporate games. I’ve found the secret account and recorded his confession. If Arturo Watts wants to treat me like a target, I’m going to make sure I’m the one who hits the mark and takes every cent he’s hiding.