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Bought to be His Wife

Bought to be His Wife

Mira steele

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She needed money. He needed a bride. Neither expected love. Struggling med student Elara Rivers is drowning in debt, desperate to pay for her younger brother's life-saving surgery. When she stumbles into a high-end escort agency, she thinks she's signing a contract to be a paid companion to a rich man for one week-strictly business. But the mysterious, cold-eyed billionaire Cassian Wolfe isn't looking for a plaything. He's being forced into marriage by his dying grandfather's will-or he loses control of the Wolfe empire. Cassian offers Elara a deal: become his legal wife for one year, attend public events, and play the role of perfect bride. In return? Enough money to change her life. But when Elara steps into his world of luxury, lies, and bloodthirsty business rivals, she quickly realizes this marriage comes with dangerous strings-and a husband who's not as heartless as he seems. Cassian has secrets. So does Elara. And the contract? It never said anything about falling in love.

Chapter 1 Sold to a Stranger

The silence in the hospital room was heavy. Too heavy for a place that held a boy fighting for his life.

Elara Rivers sat by her brother's bedside, her fingers curled tightly around his cold, fragile hand. The beeping of the machines echoed in her ears like a countdown-tick, tick, tick-reminding her of everything she was about to lose.

"Just hold on a little longer, Caleb," she whispered, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead. "I'm going to fix this. I swear I am."

But promises didn't pay for surgery.

And the doctor had been apparent.

Two weeks. That's all she had left.

Two weeks, or her brother would be transferred to the public ward and left on a waiting list he wouldn't survive.

Elara stood, her jaw tight as she stepped outside. The hallway felt colder than usual, the fluorescent lights buzzing above her like taunts. She didn't cry. Not anymore. Tears didn't help. And neither did pride.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

Unknown Number: "Are you still interested in the offer?"

Her heart thudded.

She had applied out of desperation-a single, blurred message sent to a mysterious contact passed around in the shadows of an online forum. "High-end companionship. Quick payout. No strings."

Lies. Of course, there were strings. There were always strings when money was involved.

But her brother was dying.

Elara: "Yes. Where and when?"

A second later, a new message appeared. A time. A location. A name.

Wolfe Tower. 9 p.m. Ask for Mr. Cassian Wolfe.

Elara stared at the message, her throat tightening. She'd heard the name before. Cassian Wolfe-heir to Wolfe International. One of the richest, coldest men in the country. A man known for tearing apart businesses and people alike.

So why would someone like him be involved in this?

She didn't know.

She didn't care.

She just needed the money.

-

Wolfe Tower was everything she wasn't-glass, steel, and silence. The kind of place where people like her weren't supposed to set foot without being chased out by security.

But tonight, she walked in like she belonged.

The woman at the desk barely looked up. "Top floor. He's expecting you."

The elevator ride felt eternal.

When the doors finally opened, Elara found herself stepping into a room that looked more like a palace than an office-dark wood, gold accents, and city lights stretching endlessly behind the glass.

And at the center of it all... him.

Cassian Wolfe.

Tall. Cold. Dangerous. With eyes like frozen steel and a presence that made the air hard to breathe.

He didn't rise to greet her. He didn't smile.

He just looked her up and down, once, like she was a product he wasn't sure was worth the price.

"So," he said finally, voice sharp and low, "you're the one who wants to sell herself."

Elara's spine straightened. "I'm not here for insults. I'm here for a deal."

That made him smirk. It wasn't a kind smile. It was the type predators wore before they pounced.

"Good. Because I'm not looking for an escort."

She blinked. "You're not?"

"No." He stood now, moving toward her with slow, measured steps. Every inch of him screamed power and control. "I'm looking for a bride."

Her stomach dropped. "A... what?"

"A wife," he said simply. "On paper. In public. For exactly one year."

Elara couldn't breathe.

"I'll pay you fifty thousand dollars upfront. And another fifty when the year ends. All legal. All confidential. No emotional complications. Just appearances."

"Why?" she whispered.

"Because I need a bride to keep my inheritance. And you..." He paused, his eyes narrowing. "You're desperate enough to say yes."

He was right.

And that terrified her more than anything.

"Think fast, Elara. I don't offer twice."

She looked at him-this cold, calculating stranger who was offering her everything and asking for everything in return.

Her hands were shaking when she whispered, "Where do I sign?"

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