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Married to the man who ruined me.

Chapter 2 The contract she was meant to refuse.

Word Count: 1267    |    Released on: 06/02/2026

open the fold

irmly. Lucien Blackwood had already turned back to the window, his attention apparently returned to the city below

said finally. "The leas

around. "Explanatio

ts invite

witched-not quite a smi

her more than h

e folder closer a

ite. Precise. No dramatic he

t f

ge Agr

caught desp

guage flowed in neat, merciless paragraphs. Terms. Obligations. Durat

sane," she

aning against the desk, a

ot the sa

lawyers,

wed and ke

ng that startled her more than she cared to admit. Instead, the document focused

est ti

to own me,

ect what I'm re

one of you

me my responsibility the moment yo

er shut. "We didn't cros

e fell

k it immediately. When he did

about punishment,"

at is it

tain

led between t

d brittle. "You talk abou

calmly. "Just not i

n't get to decide my life b

"You don't get to p

athe. The city stretched endlessly outs

ounts were flagged," Arie

N

u can f

es

y of his answ

I don'

hesitate. "The

pped. "You let

interf

the same

rrected. "I

d into fists. "Yo

the only path that

y and fear tangling in

Lucien said. "

clause tightened the invisible net around her. She was expected to live in

said bitterly. "

ive," he

. "And when I st

eld hers. "Then

sn't re

ng?" sh

e replied. "W

she echoe

es

and pressed her palms agains

esit

or a s

it took for h

father," sh

shuttered. "I

ould happen when your co

equences wer

ok. "And you

about o

head. "You des

more than I

broken. "You say t

e if I hadn't intervened when I did, your family wouldn't be

ed. "What doe

ention on you was

lt suddenl

meone else did th

you were c

slightly. She gripp

ing you fi

e said. "Publicly. Legally. Permanen

at scar

eters

briefly, fighting

n who ruined me," she said, "or

es

ty hurt m

ounded at

aightened.

mposed, carrying a tablet. "Mr. Bl

d. "Give us

at Ariella, unre

at Lucien. "They'r

n't wast

always goin

es

You never intended t

N

uddenly exhausted. The weight of the moment

said quietly. "

ucien replied.

part of

es

e pen resting be

nd tre

after I sign

sely. "You move into B

ni

apped up. "

d security

dn't sa

n't ne

d around the pen. "Y

nt for v

t a var

gaze steadily

vered over

's anger, the endless calls she couldn't answer. The fear that

mean I forgive

just enough to be dangerous.

t mean I t

require

n't mean I b

hers. "Legal

touched

hakily, each letter feelin

she dropped the pen

ontract, scanning it q

s do

er legs unsteady

r n

e door, anger and gr

iel

stop

uieter now. "You sho

ooked

d your family," he said. "Bu

tomac

or who?"

s gaze

p until they take something f

caught. "An

dn't

door and gestured towar

od," he said softly

her ears as she step

since the call at 9:47

contract was

ing of something

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Married to the man who ruined me.
Married to the man who ruined me.
“Ariella Quinn never imagined that survival would come with a wedding ring. Once, her life was quiet. Ordinary. Safe. Then her family's name was dragged into a scandal they did not create, their finances collapsed overnight, and every door that once opened to them slammed shut. Behind it all stood one name-Blackwood. A name whispered with fear, respect, and power. A name Ariella learned to hate without ever seeing the face behind it. Lucien Blackwood is not a man who explains himself. As a billionaire with influence that stretches far beyond boardrooms, he is known for control, precision, and results-no matter the cost. When Ariella is summoned under the pretense of a legal negotiation, she expects humiliation. What she doesn't expect is a contract that will change the course of her life forever. Marriage. Cold. Legal. Non-negotiable. Lucien offers protection, financial security, and silence in exchange for one thing: her name beside his. To the public, it will look like a fortunate match. To Ariella, it is a cage built by the very man whose decisions ruined her family. Refusal is not an option. Acceptance feels like surrender. Their marriage is not born of love, attraction, or trust. It is built on resentment, fear, and secrets deliberately left unexplained. Lucien keeps his distance, enforcing rules rather than affection. Ariella enters his world surrounded by luxury that feels more like surveillance than comfort. Guards watch her movements. Strangers know her schedule. Danger lingers just beneath the surface. And the worst part? No one will tell her why. As threats begin to surface and pieces of the past refuse to stay buried, Ariella realizes that her "ruin" may not have been accidental. The marriage that destroyed her freedom may also be the only thing keeping her alive. Every answer Lucien withholds deepens her anger-and her curiosity. Every moment of forced proximity tightens the tension between them. This is a slow-burn romance driven by emotional restraint, power imbalance, and psychological conflict. Love does not arrive easily. Trust is hard-won. And forgiveness may be more dangerous than hatred. Married to the Man Who Ruined Me is a gripping billionaire romance that blends contract marriage, suspense, and emotional depth. With carefully paced revelations and chapter-ending cliffhangers, the story keeps readers questioning motives, loyalties, and the true cost of power. It explores what happens when a woman is forced to bind herself to the man she blames for her destruction-and discovers that the truth is far more complicated than she was ever allowed to see. In a world where appearances are currency and silence is survival, Ariella must decide: remain a victim of Lucien Blackwood's shadow, or learn how to stand beside him without losing herself.”
1 Chapter 1 The call at 9:47 p.m.2 Chapter 2 The contract she was meant to refuse.3 Chapter 3 The wife the world will see.4 Chapter 4 The enemy who knows her name.5 Chapter 5 Terms of survival.6 Chapter 6 The clause that changed everything.7 Chapter 7 The dinner invitation.8 Chapter 8 Shadows at every turn.9 Chapter 9 The first strike.10 Chapter 10 The trap tightens.11 Chapter 11 Cross fire.12 Chapter 12 Lines in the sand.13 Chapter 13 No safe ground.14 Chapter 14 Collision source.15 Chapter 15 Breaking point.16 Chapter 16 Edge of control17 Chapter 17 Shadows unleashed.18 Chapter 18 Crossfire.19 Chapter 19 Fractured Alliances.20 Chapter 20 The edge of reckoning.21 Chapter 21 Reckoning at Blackwood.22 Chapter 22 Shadows over the city.23 Chapter 23 The echo of betrayal.24 Chapter 24 The price of truth.25 Chapter 25 The face of betrayal.26 Chapter 26 The price of silence.27 Chapter 27 When the night turns.