Alana is forced to marry Adrian, a cold and vengeful heir to a business empire. This marriage isn't about love-it's punishment. To Adrian, Alana is merely a tool for revenge for the betrayal her family has committed against him. From the first night, Adrian treats her with contempt, viewing her as a cheap woman sold by her family to atone for their wrongdoings. But Alana refuses to submit. Heartbroken and seething with rage, she vows to persevere and prove that she belongs to no one, let alone a man who only sees her as an object of pleasure. But as time goes by, the hatred between them begins to mix with an unexplainable attraction. Adrian begins to see that Alana is not who he thinks she is. But as he begins to doubt his own intentions, a deep secret about a past betrayal is revealed-and things take a more dangerous turn. Can Alana free herself from Adrian's shadow of revenge? Or will she be trapped in this game of hatred and passion forever?
Chapter 1 Alana stood in front of the grand
Alana stood in front of the grand, towering mansion, her fingers clenching the cold metal of her suitcase handle. The night air was thick with tension, a silent omen of the life she was about to step into. This wasn't a wedding. It wasn't a new beginning. It was a transaction-a punishment she had never asked for.
The double doors of the estate loomed before her, intimidating and unwelcoming. They swung open without a sound, revealing the man she had been forced to marry. Adrian Carlisle.
He stood at the threshold, tall and imposing, his sharp features sculpted in contempt. His storm-gray eyes were devoid of warmth as they roamed over her, assessing her like one would a cheap commodity.
"So, you're finally here." His voice was cold, detached, and filled with unmistakable disdain.
Alana swallowed hard, refusing to shrink beneath his gaze. "I didn't have a choice."
Adrian let out a humorless chuckle, stepping aside to let her in. "Of course, you didn't. That's what happens when your family sells you to the highest bidder."
Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, but she forced herself to remain composed. She had expected cruelty. She had prepared for it.
Stepping inside, she was immediately enveloped in the overwhelming presence of luxury-marble floors, gilded chandeliers, and an atmosphere so suffocatingly pristine that it made her feel even more like an intruder.
"You'll find that I'm not a generous husband, Alana." Adrian's voice cut through the silence, making her spine stiffen. "You are here to fulfill your end of the deal, nothing more. Do not expect love, kindness, or respect. You won't find any of those things in this house."
Her chest tightened, but she met his gaze head-on. "And what exactly do you expect from me?"
Adrian stepped closer, his presence dominating the space between them. His fingers brushed against her jaw, forcing her to look up at him. The touch was deceptively gentle, but his eyes held nothing but cruelty.
"You already know the answer to that," he murmured. "You belong to me now, whether you like it or not."
Alana's stomach twisted with revulsion. "I'm not your whore," she spat, jerking away from his grasp.
Adrian smirked, a dark amusement dancing in his eyes. "No? Then prove it."
She didn't understand what he meant, but she knew one thing for certain-this marriage was a cage, and he was the one holding the key.
Chapter 1 Alana stood in front of the grand
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Chapter 2 Dark mahogany furniture
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Chapter 3 Dinner with the Devil
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Chapter 4 Adrian had disappeared after dinner
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Chapter 5 Every breath Alana took felt like inhaling the thick scent
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Chapter 6 We'll see
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Chapter 7 he ate with effortless grace
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Chapter 8 for the first time
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Chapter 9 every mistake carried a heavy price
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Chapter 10 staring at the ceiling
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Chapter 11 Prove it to yourself
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Chapter 12 Adrian's presence was omnipresent
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Chapter 13 Alana's every move seemed to be weighed by an unseen scale
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Chapter 14 as if the walls of the penthouse had grown thicker
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Chapter 15 but had no choice but to continue
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Chapter 16 Alana felt as though the walls were closing in
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Chapter 17 Alana didn't look back
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Chapter 18 Silence stretched between them
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Chapter 19 Alana's breath came in shallow
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Chapter 20 No guards stood in her way
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Chapter 21 Not because she lacked the strength
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Chapter 22 Alana hated the silence that followed
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Chapter 23 A Prison of Her Own Making
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Chapter 24 staying meant accepting something even worse
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Chapter 25 Adrian was too close
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Chapter 26 Alana's hands trembled at her sides
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Chapter 27 never give him another second of her existence
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Chapter 28 The weight of Adrian's words hung in the air
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Chapter 29 Alana could barely breathe
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Chapter 30 Because deep down
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