Amanda Luxford-Allen thought marriage would bring her a fresh start-a chance to find love, happiness, and a family of her own. Instead, she was thrown into a world of heartbreak, cruelty, and cold indifference. Her husband, Ethan Allen, treats her like nothing more than an inconvenience, a pawn in a game she doesn't understand. He humiliates her, torments her, and reminds her every day that she means nothing to him. But Amanda refuses to break. Carrying his children, she is determined to fight for the love she believes exists beneath his icy exterior. She will endure, she will hope, and she will make him see her. Yet just when she starts to believe Ethan might be changing-when he begins to show her warmth, passion, and devotion-she learns a painful truth. Ethan Allen doesn't love her. He never did. And now that she's fallen for him, he's ready to destroy her. A story of pain, obsession, and an all-consuming love that defies reason-"Cruel Devotion" is a dark romance where love is both a weapon and a curse. Will Amanda survive the storm that is Ethan Allen, or will she lose herself in the process?
Chapter 1 Unwanted vows
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Chapter One – Unwanted Vows
Amanda Luxford sat in front of the mirror, staring at the flawless bride reflected back at her. The ivory lace gown hugged her body perfectly, her hair cascaded in soft waves, and her emerald-green eyes-eyes he hated-shimmered under the soft glow of the vanity lights.
She was beautiful. A rare gem, they called her. But not to him.
Behind her, the heavy doors of the bridal suite creaked open. Ethan Allen. The man she was about to marry. The man who made it painfully clear-he didn't want her.
His deep voice cut through the silence like a blade. "It's time."
Amanda swallowed the lump in her throat and rose to her feet. This wasn't a wedding.
It was a sentence.
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Chapter One – Unwanted Vows (Ethan's POV)
Ethan Allen stood at the altar, his jaw tight, his mind cold and detached. The lavish ballroom was filled with powerful elites, the kind of people who thrived on appearances. To them, this was a perfect match-a union between wealth and status.
To him, it was a trap.
Then the doors opened.
Amanda Luxford walked in, a vision in white, her beauty undeniable. But all Ethan saw were her emerald-green eyes-eyes that reminded him of everything he hated.
She looked nervous. Good. Let her be.
She was nothing but a means to an end. A pawn in a game she didn't even realize she was playing.
And once she was his...
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