MARY_OMONOWA

Married by Mistake to the Ice-Cold CEO

Ella Carter is at rock bottom. Broke, jobless, and desperate to pay off her debts, she agrees to a shady but simple deal—sign a fake marriage contract in exchange for a life-changing sum of money. It’s supposed to be a harmless formality, just a few signatures, and she’s free.

But when she wakes up the next morning, she’s no longer a fake wife. She’s legally married to Adrian Blackwood, the ruthless billionaire CEO with a heart of ice and a glare that could freeze fire. Worse, he believes she’s nothing more than a conniving gold digger who trapped him into this marriage.

Determined to end their arrangement as soon as possible, Adrian is cold, cruel, and utterly unshaken by Ella’s protests. He wants her gone. But there’s one problem—she refuses to be intimidated. Unlike everyone else in his life, she fights back, and to his shock, she actually wins their battles.

The more they argue, the more their tension ignites. And the more Adrian tries to push her away, the more he finds himself drawn to her defiant spirit, her fire, her ability to see the man behind the icy mask.

But when secrets come to light and enemies lurk in the shadows, their marriage of convenience becomes a battlefield of trust, passion, and betrayal.

Will Adrian let down his walls and accept the one woman who dares to stand by his side? Or will Ella walk away before she loses her heart to a man who never planned to keep her?

One mistake. One contract. One marriage neither of them saw coming.

Married by Mistake to the Ice-Cold CEO

Ella had barely been Adrian Blackwood's wife for twenty-four hours, and she was already questioning her survival rate.

The man was impossible. Arrogant. A control freak of the highest order.

She stormed into the penthouse's grand dining area, where Adrian sat at the long, polished table, effortlessly scrolling through his tablet while sipping an obscenely expensive cup of coffee. He didn't even glance up.

Adrian sighed, setting his tablet down. His piercing blue eyes flicked up to her with the barest hint of boredom. "So talk."

Her pulse spiked. How was he always this infuriatingly composed?

Ella took a deep breath, gripping the back of the chair across from him. "I agreed to your terms, but that doesn't mean you get to dictate my entire life."

Adrian arched a single brow. "Oh?"

Why did that one word make her blood pressure skyrocket?

She crossed her arms. "I told you I'd live here for six months, pretend to be your wife, and keep up appearances. But I never agreed to having my every move monitored like some prisoner."

Adrian leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the table. "Interesting. Because I recall you signing a contract that says otherwise."

Ella's jaw clenched. "You had your security team follow me today."

She slammed her hands onto the table, the sharp sound echoing in the quiet room. "And that's insane, Adrian!"

For the first time since their marriage-from-hell began, he actually looked surprised.

It was gone in a second, replaced by a slow, infuriating smirk. "I protect what's mine."

She forced herself to ignore the way her heart betrayed her at those words. "Newsflash, CEO—I'm not one of your business assets. You don't own me."

Adrian exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. "Do you even understand what's at stake here? If the media finds out our marriage isn't real—"

"Then what?" Ella challenged. "Your empire will collapse? Please. You're Adrian Blackwood. You'll survive."

His jaw tensed. "It's not just about me."

Ella narrowed her eyes. There it was. The truth beneath the ice.

He wasn't just protecting himself.

But before she could press further, Adrian stood, his towering frame forcing her to tilt her head up.

"Let me be clear, Ella." His voice was calm—too calm. "I don't trust you. And I don't take risks."

She held her ground. "Then you've made a mistake, because I'm not someone you can control."

The air between them crackled, charged with something unspoken.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then Adrian did something unexpected. He let out a quiet chuckle—low, dark, and almost amused.

Ella blinked. Had she just… shocked Adrian Blackwood?

His smirk returned, but this time, there was a spark in his gaze. A silent acknowledgment. A challenge.

"We'll see about that, Mrs. Blackwood."

Then, without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Ella standing there, heart pounding, hands clenched, realizing she had just declared war.

He was more than ready to fight back.

Chapter 8: The First Clash