A marriage built on lies. A family shrouded in secrets. A past that refuses to stay buried. Evelyn Sinclair has one goal-revenge. When she marries Nicholas Blackwood, the cold and ruthless billionaire, she knows exactly what she's doing. He destroyed her family, and now she's in the perfect position to bring him to his knees. But the deeper she dives into the Blackwood world, the more she realizes she's not the only one keeping secrets. Nicholas isn't just a man to be destroyed-he's a puzzle she can't quite solve. And when his enigmatic brother, Adrian, starts playing his own dangerous game, Evelyn is forced to question everything she thought she knew. Whispers of a hidden enemy echo through the halls of power, and Evelyn finds herself caught in a web of lies far more dangerous than she ever imagined. Someone is watching. Someone knows the truth. And in a game where deception is the only rule, falling for the enemy might be the most dangerous mistake of all. Will Evelyn get the revenge she craves, or will she lose herself in a world where love and betrayal are two sides of the same coin?
Chapter 1 A vow of deception
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The rain poured relentlessly, drumming against the sleek black car as it sped down the deserted highway. The city lights blurred through the tinted windows, but Evelyn Carter barely noticed. Her fingers curled around the edges of the contract in her lap, the weight of its contents heavier than the paper itself.
She was about to sell her soul.
"You don't have to do this," Olivia whispered from the seat beside her. Evelyn's best friend and only confidante had tried to talk her out of this deal countless times.
Evelyn forced a smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Yes, I do."
Her father's debt, her family's ruin, the threats that loomed over them-it all led to this moment. Marry a man she had never met. Pretend to be the perfect wife. Gain his trust. And when the time was right... betray him.
She exhaled slowly, trying to ignore the way her stomach clenched.
The car came to a halt in front of an iron-gated estate. Even in the storm, the mansion loomed with an eerie grandeur, its towering silhouette stark against the night sky. The gates swung open without a sound, as if welcoming her into a trap she had willingly walked into.
"Last chance to back out, Emily if..if you don't back out now, you can never back out again" Olivia said, her voice tight with worry.
Evelyn shook her head. "It's too late,it's really too late Olivia, there's nothing I can do now."she said nervously.
The door opened, and a man in a sharp suit stood waiting under a large umbrella. His eyes, cold and calculating, swept over her before he gestured for her to step out.
"Miss Carter," he said, his tone void of warmth. "Mr. Blackwood is waiting."
Evelyn swallowed hard. Nicholas Blackwood. The man she would soon call her husband.
She stepped out into the rain, the cold instantly biting into her skin, but she kept her spine straight. She had spent weeks preparing for this moment.
She could not afford to falter now.
The butler led her through the grand foyer of the Blackwood estate, where a fire crackled in a massive marble fireplace. The opulence was suffocating-crystal chandeliers, expensive art, and an air of power that clung to the walls.
And then she saw him.
Nicholas Blackwood stood at the far end of the room, dressed in an all-black suit, his presence commanding even in stillness. He was taller than she expected, broader too, his sharp features chiseled from stone. Dark eyes locked onto hers, assessing, unreadable.
For a man who was about to marry a stranger, he didn't look surprised.
"You're late," he said coolly.
Evelyn straightened. "It's still the right day, isn't it?"
Something flickered in his eyes-amusement, perhaps-but it was gone too quickly to be sure.
He stepped forward, closing the distance between them in slow, deliberate strides. When he was close enough that she could feel the warmth of his presence, he tilted his head.
"You don't seem nervous," he observed.
"I don't see why I should be," she lied smoothly.
A ghost of a smirk played on his lips. "We'll see."
The butler reappeared with a stack of documents. A marriage license, a prenuptial agreement-legal bindings that ensured this was no ordinary union.
"Shall we?" Nicholas asked, his tone devoid of emotion.
Evelyn took a steadying breath and reached for the pen. She had been trained to deceive, to play a role.
But as she signed her name beside his, a strange feeling settled in her chest.
This wasn't just a game.
She had just become Mrs. Blackwood.
And the real deception was about to begin
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