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

A big, infuriating, impossible-to-ignore problem.

Her name was Ella.

It had been three days since the Gala Incident, and yet, he couldn't stop thinking about her.

Not about the way she stood up to Victoria without flinching.

And definitely not about the way her dress hugged her curves that night.

Denial is a River in Adrian's Mind

Adrian sat at the head of the long dining table, pretending to read the morning paper.

Across from him, Ella sat cross-legged in her chair, happily munching on toast.

She wasn't doing anything special. Just existing.

And yet—Adrian was painfully aware of every little thing.

The way she hummed under her breath.

The way her hair was still messy from sleep.

The way she licked jam off her fingers—

No. No. Absolutely not.

Adrian shut his newspaper a little too hard.

Ella looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Uh-oh. Who pissed off the Ice King before breakfast?"

She tilted her head. "Then why are you glaring at your coffee like it owes you money?"

Adrian gritted his teeth. "Eat your breakfast, Ella."

She smirked. "Yes, darling."

Adrian clenched his jaw. This woman was driving him insane.

Symptoms of a Crisis

The problem was, it wasn't just breakfast.

It was everything.

It was the way she walked around his penthouse barefoot, like she belonged there.

It was the way she stole his hoodies, claiming they were 'comfier than hers.'

It was the way she stretched in the morning, completely unaware that he was watching.

It was the way his eyes kept following her without permission.

This was unacceptable.

He was Adrian Blackwood—ruthless CEO, emotionless businessman, master of self-control.

He did not get distracted by infuriating, sarcastic, too-damn-beautiful-for-her-own-good women.

And yet—here he was. Distracted. Unsettled. Maybe even obsessed.

Adrian took a deep breath, straightened his suit, and told himself:

He was NOT attracted to Ella.

And if he kept repeating that, maybe—just maybe—he'd actually believe it.

Chapter 17: An Unwanted Attraction