Blurb: The Billionaire Husband No Woman Wanted Power. Control. Wealth. Elliot Sloane has spent his life mastering all three-ruthlessly expanding his empire, crushing competitors, and keeping his heart locked away. Love is a liability, and marriage? A cage he swore he'd never step into. But when his late grandfather's will delivers an impossible ultimatum-marry within six months or lose everything-Elliot finds himself playing a game he never wanted to join. No woman wants to marry the cold, calculating billionaire who sees love as nothing more than a business deal. The tabloids call him "The Husband No Woman Wanted," a man too rich, too ruthless, and too untouchable to be loved. His enemies laugh, his family waits for his downfall, and the clock is ticking. But Elliot doesn't lose. His plan is simple: find a wife, secure the inheritance, and walk away unscathed. No emotions. No complications. Just another transaction. Then he meets her. She's not looking for love. She has secrets. A past. A reason to say yes. The perfect deal-until desire ignites, past wounds reopen, and enemies move in the shadows. Elliot is about to learn that some contracts don't come with escape clauses. And the woman he never wanted? She might be the one thing he can't afford to lose. A high-stakes billionaire romance filled with power plays, deception, and undeniable passion. Perfect for fans of intense chemistry, ruthless billionaires, and thrilling twists.
Chapter 1 Reading of the Will
The towering Sloane Estate rose like a monolith against the roiling heavens, its gothic spires plunging into the low-flying clouds. Rain lashed the stained-glass windows, shattered rainbows spraying across marble floors. Elliot Sloane stepped from his black Bentley, the wind howling, his expertly tailored coat blowing around his knees. He did not even pause to pull an umbrella over his head. The weather mirrored as gloomy and morose as his demeanor.
Within, the air was electric with tension. The estate's opulent drawing room was filled with the Sloane family's inner circle, all gathered for the reading of the deceased billionaire Alistair Sloane's will. Elliot's stepmother, Evelyn, sat perched on the edge of a velvet chaise, her red lips curled into a thin, self-satisfied smile. beside her, his half-brother Lucas was sitting with an air of haughty indifference, fingers drumming slowly against the armrest. They exchanged a glance, their eyes glittering with hope. They knew the will would be theirs.
Elliot sat at the head of the table, his expression blank. His ice-blue eyes, razor-sharp, scanned the room, observing every little detail-the tightening of Evelyn's fingers on her purse, the flicker of Lucas's jaw when their eyes crossed. He did not say a word, his silence a weapon honed through years of working in the harsh terrain of corporate empires.
The family's attorney, Mr. Harold Whitaker, entered, his new shoes clicking against the marble floor. In his hand, he held a leather-bound paper whose edges were worn from years of usage. The room fell silent as he adjusted his reading glasses and began to read.
"I, Alistair Sloane, being of sound mind and body, do hereby declare this to be my last will and testament..."
Elliot's gaze remained fixed on the attorney, his posture rigid. He was always his granddad's favorite, the one set to come into Sloane money. But as Whitaker continued, the room hung with expectation.
"To my grandson, Elliot Sloane, I leave the majority of my shares in Sloane Industries, and the CEO position. But." Whitaker paused, looking at Elliot. "There is one condition."
Elliot's jaw tightened, but otherwise he did not reveal his discomfort. Evelyn leaned forward, her smile widening.
"Elliot has six months from the date of my death to marry," Whitaker continued, his voice even. "If he does not, his stock will be transferred to the other beneficiaries, and he will lose control of the company."
The table burst into murmurs. Evelyn's grin was self-satisfied, and Lucas let out a low, derisive laugh. Elliot, however, did not alter his expression. His fists beneath the table tightened into hard balls, his knuckles pale. Marriage? The word felt like a betrayal. His grandfather got his stance on love, on commitment. Why would he go and do that?
Whitaker cleared his throat, silencing the room. "The will also provides that the marriage be real. Any attempt to circumvent this provision by a sham or contractual marriage will instantly invalidate it."
Elliot's head spun. This wasn't a stipulation-it was a trap. His grandfather was always a strategist, a man who played the long game. But this... this was on a personal level.
As the meeting adjourned, Evelyn approached Elliot, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. "Well, Elliot," she purred, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "I suppose you'll have to find yourself a wife. Or... perhaps you'll finally step aside and let someone more... capable take the reins."
Elliot turned to face her; his expression cold. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Evelyn. This changes nothing."
Her smile faltered for a fraction of a second before she recovered, her eyes narrowing. "We'll see."
As she walked away, Elliot's mind was already calculating. He would find a way to outmaneuver this. He always did.
Elliot's Private Anguish
Elliot's penthouse is located in Verdant Heights, a sprawling metropolis located in the heart of New York. Renowned for its glistening skyscrapers, frenetic financial quarter, and dramatic contrasts of lavish opulence and gritty urban existence, Verdant Heights is a city of aspiration and intrigue. Lying between the winding Hudson River and the distant, misty Catskill Mountains, it's a city where money is power and the skyline is a monument to the aspirations-and brutality-of its architects. The irony of the city's name was actually taken from the green parks which are dotted everywhere across its terrain, although hidden from sight most of the time behind the steel and glass giants which line its horizon. It's a place where money is lost and made, and where Elliot Sloane's penthouse is a declaration of his mastery over it all.
The penthouse was quiet, aside from the far-off hum of the city below. Elliot stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows, his reflection staring back at him like a ghost. The storm had moved on, leaving the skyline to glimmer with man-made light. In his hand, he held a crystal glass of whiskey, the amber liquid showing off the light of the city.
With a savage, jerky motion, he hurled the glass against the wall. It shattered, dissipating its scream of sound into the empty air. Marriage. The word burned in his mind like a red-hot iron. He had lived an eternity avoiding it, erecting fences so high that no one could jump over them. And now his grandfather had knocked them all down with words.
He collapsed into a leather armchair, hands over his head. Forgotten memories began rising to the surface.
Twenty Years Ago
Sloane mansion was quiet, a quiet that felt heavy, suffocating. Ten-year-old Elliot sat on top of the stairs; his knees pulled up to his chest. His parents' bitter shouts came from below.
I don't know why I married you!" his father bellowed; his voice hoarse from fury. "It was never for love. It was always for money!"
"And you?" his mother snapped; her tone icy. "You were more than willing to use my family for contacts to build your little empire of your own. Don't act like you're the victim here!
Elliot pressed his hands against his ears, but the words seeped through. He didn't hear everything they were saying, but he heard enough. His parents didn't love each other. Maybe they never had.
The argument escalated, the shattering of glass making Elliot jump. He crept down the stairs, his heart pounding. His father was in the doorway, his face pale. His mother was not to be seen.
"Elliot," his father had whispered, trembling with his words. "Your mother... she's not coming back."
Those words hit him physically in the stomach. He sprinted towards the door, but the driveway was empty. She had left without a goodbye.
Elliot's hands formed fists. His mother's abandonment had left its mark-visible and invisible. The gash on his forehead from the day he'd chased after her car, only to trip and fall, had long since healed. But the wounds to his heart had festered, shaping him into the man he was today.
He had sworn to himself he would never let anyone get close enough to hurt him like that again. Love was a weakness, a liability. And yet here he was, faced with the very thing he had spent his life learning how to avoid.
The Enemy Within
Around the city, in a bright, modern penthouse, Evelyn and Lucas reclined in the warm glow of a crackling fire. The room was the opposite of the Sloane Estate's stodgy luxury, all jagged edges and minimalist furnishings. Evelyn spun a glass of red wine, her eyes aglow with purpose.
"This is our chance," she whispered. "If Elliot doesn't marry, the company will be ours.".
Lucas settled back, his expression thoughtful. "And what if he does marry?"
Evelyn's lips twisted into a sly grin. "Then we have it arranged to be to someone unsuitable. Someone who will ruin him."
Lucas raised an eyebrow. "You've got someone in mind?"
"Not yet," Evelyn admitted. "But I will. And when the moment is right, we'll make our move."
The Billionaire's Decision
The next morning, Elliot sat in his office, the city sprawled out below him like a chessboard. Across from him, Grayson Carter, his best friend and corporate lawyer, leaned back in his chair, a bemused expression on his face.
"Marriage?" Grayson said, his tone incredulous. "You? I'd sooner believe you'd donate your fortune to charity."
Elliot's lips twitched, the ghost of a smile. "It's not a choice. It's a condition."
Grayson studied him for a moment, his amusement fading. "You're actually considering this."
"I don't have a choice," Elliot replied, his voice cold. "I'll find a wife. But it will be on my terms. Love is irrelevant. This is business."
Grayson shook his head. "You can't just treat marriage like a corporate merger, Elliot. It doesn't work that way."
Elliot's gaze hardened. "Watch me."
As Grayson left, Elliot stood before the window, his mind already reeling. He would acquire a wife-someone who understood the rules, someone who would not ask for anything more than he was willing to provide. But as he stared out over the city, a strange sense of unease fell over him. He didn't realize it yet, but his neatly structured life was on the verge of being shaken to its core.
Elliot waited alone in his penthouse, city lights glistening like distant stars. Somewhere out there was the lady who would blow apart all of his plans. And their destinies were to entwine.
Chapter 1 Reading of the Will
07/03/2025
Chapter 2 Celeste's World Crumbling
07/03/2025
Chapter 3 The First Meeting
07/03/2025
Chapter 4 The Paper Marriage
07/03/2025
Chapter 5 A Frosty Welcome
07/03/2025
Chapter 6 The Threat from Within
08/03/2025
Chapter 7 The Charity Gala
08/03/2025
Chapter 8 The Woman from the Past
08/03/2025
Chapter 9 The First Betrayal
08/03/2025
Chapter 10 Secrets in the Dark
08/03/2025
Chapter 11 The Nightmare Reappears
10/03/2025
Chapter 12 The First Betrayal
10/03/2025
Chapter 13 The Wolves Circle
18/03/2025
Chapter 14 The Truth About Natalia
18/03/2025
Chapter 15 The Trap is Set
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Chapter 16 The Ghost of the Past
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