The CEO'S Vengeful marriage
He bought her silence. She stole his heart.
Three years ago, Elara Vance broke Damian Thorne’s heart to save his life. She took the money, disappeared, and let him hate her.
Now, Damian is the ruthless CEO of Thorne Industries—the "Devil of Manhattan." And he’s just found her again.
When Elara’s father is framed for embezzlement by Damian’s own uncle, she has no choice but to return. Damian offers her a deal: wipe away her family’s crushing debt in exchange for one year as his contract wife. It’s not a marriage; it’s a punishment. He wants to make her pay for leaving him. He wants to break her.
But Elara isn’t the scared girl he remembers. She’s resilient, sharp, and sees right through his cold facade. As they navigate a world of vicious socialites and corporate sharks, Damian’s hatred begins to crack. Every time he tries to push her away, she pulls him closer. Every time he tries to punish her, he falls deeper in love.
But someone is watching. Someone who wants them both dead.
As a deadly conspiracy threatens to destroy everything, Damian must choose: protect his empire, or save the woman he never stopped loving.
*A contract marriage. A vengeful CEO. A secret that could kill them both
Read
Chapter: Chapter 5: The Glass House**The laptop screen glowed in the dark room, casting a pale blue light on my face. It was 2:00 AM. The penthouse was silent, save for the hum of the refrigerator and the distant wail of a siren far below.I rubbed my tired eyes. I had been scrolling through news articles, financial reports, and gossip blogs for hours. My head throbbed, but I couldn’t stop. Information was power. And right now, I had none.*Thorne Industries.* The name appeared everywhere. Real estate. Tech. Media. Pharmaceuticals. They owned half the city. Damian wasn’t just rich; he was untouchable.But every empire has cracks.I clicked on an article from three years ago. *“Thorne Industries Faces SEC Investigation.”* It was old news, buried under newer scandals. The investigation had been dropped quietly. No charges filed. But the article mentioned a key witness who had disappeared before testifying.A man named Arthur Vance.My father.My breath hitched. I scrolled down, my heart pounding against my ribs. The articl
Last Updated: 2026-07-03
Chapter: Chapter 4: The Morning AfterThe music stopped. The lights dimmed. But Damian’s words echoed in my head, louder than any orchestra.“I need to make sure yours breaks exactly the same way.”He didn’t wait for a response. He didn’t wait for me to process the cruelty of his confession. He simply let go of my waist, stepped back, and offered me his arm like a gentleman. His face was a mask of polite indifference, as if he hadn’t just confessed to emotional torture.“Shall we go?” he asked, his voice smooth and cold. “The party is winding down.”I wanted to scream. I wanted to slap him. I wanted to run out of the ballroom and never look back. But I couldn’t. My father’s life depended on my silence. My dignity depended on my performance.So I smiled. A fake, brittle smile that felt like it might crack my face.“Lead the way, husband,” I said.The ride home was silent. Suffocatingly silent.Damian sat on one side of the limousine, scrolling through his phone. I sat on the other, staring out the window at the blurred cit
Last Updated: 2026-07-03
Chapter: Chapter 3: The Price of a SmileThree days.That was how long I survived in the gilded cage.For seventy-two hours, I lived like a ghost in Damian’s penthouse. I ate meals alone in the massive kitchen. I avoided the master bedroom. I jumped every time the intercom buzzed, terrified he was going to change his mind and throw me out. He barely spoke to me, only leaving notes on the counter or sending texts about schedule changes. It was cold. It was lonely. And it was exactly what I deserved.But the clock had run out. Today was the day of the engagement party.And Damian was not going to let his fake wife show up looking like a charity case.“The dress feels like armor,” I muttered to myself, staring at my reflection in the full-length mirror. “But it also feels like a cage.”The stylist, a severe woman named Claire who had arrived at the penthouse at 6:00 AM with three rolling racks of clothes, stepped back to admire her work. She had spent four hours turning me into a billionaire’s wife.The gown was emerald green.
Last Updated: 2026-07-03
Chapter: Chapter 2: The VultureThe rain hadn’t stopped. It poured down on the city like the sky was trying to wash away my sins. But some stains don’t come out with water. Some stains are permanent.I stood in front of the mirror in our tiny bathroom, staring at my reflection. My eyes were red. Puffy. I looked like I’d been crying for hours. Which I had. I splashed cold water on my face, hoping it would wake me up. Hoping this was all a nightmare. Hoping I would open my eyes and be back in my old bed, safe and free.But when I opened my eyes, the same cracked tile stared back at me. The same peeling paint. The same poverty.It wasn’t a dream. I was married to Damian Thorne.My phone buzzed on the counter. I jumped, my heart skipping a beat. Was it him? Had he changed his mind? Did he want to call off the deal?I picked it up. It was my mother.*“Where are you? The hospital called. They said the bill is paid. Who paid it, Elara? Did you sell something? Tell me!”*I stared at the screen. Her desperation was palpable,
Last Updated: 2026-07-03
Chapter: Chapter 1: The Devil’s Price“Sign it, Elara. Or watch your father die.”The words didn’t just hang in the air. They cut through it, sharp and final as a guillotine blade.I stood frozen in the middle of his office. My hands were shaking so hard I had to clutch the strap of my worn-out handbag just to keep them still. The room was cold, too cold. It smelled like expensive leather, old money, and rain, a scent that used to make me feel safe. Now, it just made me sick to my stomach.Damian Thorne didn’t even look up. He sat behind his massive black desk, scrolling through his phone like he hadn’t just sentenced my family to death. He looked bored. Detached. As if my life was nothing more than a minor inconvenience in his busy schedule.*Tap. Tap. Tap.*His pen hit the desk. Over and over. A steady, mocking rhythm that echoed in the silence.“You’re insane,” I whispered. My voice cracked. I hated how weak I sounded. I hated that he could see my fear. “You can’t force me to marry you. That’s… that’s illegal. You can
Last Updated: 2026-07-03
LOGIN
