MARRIED TO THE CEO WHO RUINED ME

Years

cross Marceline's life-some deep

ndurance. Of silencing sobs at midnight. Of risi

suitcase, she stood once again on the soil of

asn't

as a

rt to brea

s shimmered in the dusk. Her fingers curled tighter around

et. "Can't believe

n, brow raised. "You're going to crush tha

offering a faint smi

ought dragons in human form. Who

I get the job, I'll be able to pay off Mama's hospital bills. G

ight. The kind of pressure that wraps itself a

uel words, the abandonment-sh

ay her body folded in on itself in pain. Not when Marceline ha

wing on the skyline. "Let's see what

... .

PORATION –

r resume clutched so tightly that her knuckles ached. Her chest rose and fell with ragged, shallow breaths, the nerves bubbling u

r mother. For the su

name, slicing through her spi

arceline

hind the assistant felt like a slow march to a battlefield. The elevator creaked upward, but

ped before a black doubl

No reason for t

sted. Someth

hed the

me-time

sat

ss D

ribs like glass. Her vision narr

hispered promises against her skin-then turned his bac

n expensive silk, smirking

wly, his voice low and leth

Her blood ran cold. But she refuse

rment, of unanswered calls, of mourning al

with cruel amusement. "Neve

old and steady. "Not like I

ars, and you're still this fe

o claw that arrogant look off his face. But sh

. "I guess the intervie

sual and cutting, like

ob," he said. "But

temperature in the room dropped

n her spine. She d

t y

would come with a price. One she wasn't sure she

s smirk and the weight of five years of

back into the ar

sked, her voice brittle as

rrogance and amusement. He leaned back on the leather co

a marriage of convenience," he

ned, as the air in

allowed to get physically atta

n her throat. What t

e: Your body and s

ap. Possessive. Degradin

ver get ahead of yours

s a nail in a

t fall for me. This marriage

ed his love-but because once, foolishly, naively, she had.

cide when it ends," he finished, nonchalantly, as though he'd

ping down her spine. "What's this supposed

d in designer. "A contract marriage. You marry me, you get the job. You

. She stared at him, searching for

ispered. "Tell me this is just a

ice flat, emotionless. "Read the cont

ng up her throat. "And what if

ed from every step as he stalked toward her like

ou say?" he

that weak, naive girl you used to control. I'm no

nished. His f

ine," he growled. "Do you unde

spat. "Because I'd rather starv

could smell the expensive col

line," he warned, voice low.

nd shove it," she hissed, tur

hree steps before his nex

ure your mother never gets that surgery. I'll buy

rld wen

eline

caught in

woul

uld

bling. Tears burned in her eyes-but th

her like she was air, who now held her fa

ecome her

d just woke

t suddenly thinner like the oxygen had been

oed in her skull,

. Her sick mother is at home, all alone, right now. You know what to d

Her breath hitched

in-slow, brutal, suffocating. Her heartbeat thundered i

a mere whisper of its former strength, st

her as the image of her little sister flashed acros

e, you know I have too many ways to catch the cat. I just decided to go for the simplest.

ed to. The ice behind his words was enou

this?" she asked, brokenly, b

ug curl of his lips. "When I say I know ever

ight of it all. Her lips trembled as the tears she had fou

ng as her body folded in on itself-lik

. "Take it as me granting that

augh through the sob in her thr

just a marriage of convenience. You mean nothing. I only picked you because you

t. She hated that it still hurt.

Marceline," he added wi

apped, voice rising, cracking under the weight of a

y. "I get to solve your problems for you. All

man she had once loved was now a stranger in

anged," she said, her voice low and trembling. "But

eaming darkly. "Thank goodness. You an

elt," he whispered, trembling with barely contained rage. "You'r

with terrifying calm. "I'

hands. Her whole body screamed at her not to do it. But she had no choic

sig

ture felt like etching ch

r eyes, red and swollen with te

'm no longer a plastic doll you can bend and

ened. But she

any