One night changed everything. Leah thought she'd never see him again-the cold billionaire who unknowingly left her with a son. She built a quiet life, hiding her child and her past. Until Adrian Blackwood returned. Now a ruthless CEO, Adrian uncovers the existence of the boy who looks just like him. But instead of a happy reunion, he offers a deal: Marry him for one year-or fight for custody and risk losing her son. Leah agrees-but she doesn't know Adrian's real reason. He believes she betrayed him in the past. And this contract marriage? It's his twisted revenge. But as old wounds resurface and sparks reignite, lines blur between hatred and desire. In a game of secrets, lies, and second chances-will love survive, or will revenge destroy them both? ---
The cafe smelled like burnt coffee and rain.
Leah tightened her grip on the tray, her fingers slick with sweat. Table 4 needed their drinks, and the lunch rush hadn't even started yet. She pasted on a smile as she approached the booth, but it slipped the moment her eyes caught him.
Her world stilled.
Adrian Blackwood.
He sat with one arm draped over the back of the booth, like he owned the air around him. Tailored charcoal suit, icy expression, eyes like a storm-he hadn't changed. If anything, he looked colder. Sharper. Deadlier.
He looked like the kind of man who broke hearts and didn't bother to remember the names.
Leah's knees buckled beneath her.
He didn't glance at her tray. Didn't smile. He looked her dead in the eye and said, "We need to talk."
No, her mind screamed. He can't be here.
"Excuse me?" she whispered, pretending she didn't know him. Hoping this was some sick trick her exhausted brain was playing.
Adrian's voice dropped to a razor-sharp murmur. "Don't play games, Leah. Not when you've kept my son hidden for five years."
The tray slipped from her hand and crashed to the floor, mugs shattering at her feet.
Gasps echoed around the cafe. Her manager shouted from behind the counter. But Leah heard nothing beyond the blood roaring in her ears.
He knows.
---
Twenty minutes later, they sat in her small, dim apartment above the cafe. Her heart hadn't stopped pounding since she'd left work early with a lie tumbling from her lips. Adrian hadn't said a word on the walk here. But his silence cut deeper than shouting ever could.
She poured two glasses of water with shaking hands. He didn't touch his.
"How did you find us?" she finally asked, her voice cracking.
Adrian leaned forward, elbows on knees. "A DNA test. A background search. A mistake you made enrolling him in school under your maiden name."
Her eyes burned. "I wasn't hiding him from you. I was protecting him."
His laugh was cold. "From me? Or from the truth?"
She flinched. "Adrian-"
"I want custody."
Leah's blood ran cold. "You what?"
"You heard me. Joint at first. Then full." He stood and walked to the window, arms crossed. "You took five years of my son's life. Five years I'll never get back. I'm done asking politely."
Her breath came in shallow gulps. "You can't just-"
"I can. And I will." He turned to face her. "Unless you agree to my terms."
A chill ran down her spine. "What terms?"
"Marry me. For one year. No media. No drama. Be my wife on paper-and I'll give you time with him. Refuse, and I take you to court. And with my resources?" He paused, eyes narrowing. "You'll lose."
Leah stared at him, stunned. "This is about revenge."
He didn't deny it.
But beneath the fury in his eyes, she saw something else-pain. Betrayal. A broken past neither of them had spoken about.
She closed her eyes. For her son... for the boy she loved more than life...
"When do we get married?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Adrian's lips curled.
"Tomorrow."
---
Chapter 1 The boy with his eyes
12/05/2025
Chapter 2 THE COLD KISS OF COMMITMENT
13/05/2025
Chapter 3 THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK
13/05/2025
Chapter 4 THE FIRST GLIMPSE
23/05/2025
Chapter 5 A STRANGER CALLED DADDY
23/05/2025
Chapter 6 THE DEVEREUX CURSE
23/05/2025
Chapter 7 THE MAN IN THE SHADOWS
26/05/2025
Chapter 8 SHADOWS AT THE DOOR
26/05/2025
Chapter 9 THE RETURN OF VICTORIA DEVEREUX
26/05/2025
Chapter 10 GHOST'S WITH PERFUME AND POISON
26/05/2025
Chapter 11 THE OTHER WOMAN
26/05/2025
Chapter 12 THE INVITATION
01/06/2025
Chapter 13 THE QUEEN'S MOVE
01/06/2025
Chapter 14 SHADOWS BEHIND THE CROWN
01/06/2025
Chapter 15 THE SCANDAL CARD
01/06/2025
Chapter 16 THE WIFE'S WAR
01/06/2025
Chapter 17 THE RECKONING
01/06/2025
Chapter 18 WHISPER'S IN THE SHADOWS
01/06/2025
Chapter 19 THE GHOST NAMED EMILY
01/06/2025
Chapter 20 THE STORM BEFORE THE RECKONING
01/06/2025
Chapter 21 THE QUEEN BEHIND THE THRONE
01/06/2025
Chapter 22 THE BEGINNING OF THE END
03/06/2025
Chapter 23 THE VAULT OF TRUTH
03/06/2025
Chapter 24 POISONED CROWNS AND HIDDEN QUEENS
03/06/2025
Chapter 25 GHOST'S DONT STAY BURIED
03/06/2025
Chapter 26 THE CALM BEFORE THE CHAOS
03/06/2025
Chapter 27 THE FACE OF THE ENEMY
03/06/2025
Chapter 28 BENEATH IRON BARS AND BITTER TRUTH'S
04/06/2025
Chapter 29 THE BLOODLINE TRAP
04/06/2025
Chapter 30 THE SINCLAIR HEIRLOOM
04/06/2025