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

The night air was thick with the scent of salt and jasmine as the waves crashed against the shore. The resort's private beach, illuminated by the glow of moonlight, stretched before them—beautiful, untouched… and filled with an unbearable tension that neither of them knew how to escape.

Adrian's fists were clenched as he watched her.

Dressed in a simple yet maddeningly elegant slip dress, her hair spilling over her shoulders in loose waves, she was laughing softly at something Damian Wolfe had just whispered in her ear.

The man had no right to be standing this close to her. No right to look at her like she was something to be won.

The thought was dangerous. Possessive. Unforgivable.

It had been days—weeks, even—of this slow, torturous unraveling. Ever since that damn kiss, the one they both refused to acknowledge, something inside him had shifted.

Because tonight, Adrian felt himself breaking.

The Breaking Point

Enough of Damian Wolfe's smug smirks.

Enough of this madness burning inside him.

So when Damian reached out—his fingers barely brushing against Ella's wrist—Adrian moved before he even thought.

He was there in an instant, his grip firm but controlled as he caught Ella's arm, pulling her away.

"We're leaving." His voice was low, dangerously calm.

Adrian's jaw was tight enough to crack. "I said, we're leaving."

She looked between him and Damian, her eyes narrowing. "Are you serious right now?"

Damian smirked, watching the exchange like it was his favorite show.

"Oh, let him throw his little tantrum," Damian drawled, his voice taunting. "That's what this is, isn't it, Blackwood? A tantrum?"

Adrian turned his gaze—ice-cold, razor-sharp. "If you value your business, Wolfe, I'd suggest you shut the hell up."

Damian raised his hands in mock surrender, but the amusement in his eyes never faded.

Ella, however, was far from amused.

She yanked her arm free, stepping closer—too close.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she hissed. "You don't get to decide who I talk to."

Adrian exhaled slowly, trying—failing—to rein in the storm inside him. "Come with me, Ella."

Her eyes searched his face. She saw it, then. The tension in his jaw. The barely restrained fury in his gaze.

For a brief moment, she looked almost… surprised.

Not because it was funny—but because it was unbelievable.

"Oh my God." Ella took a step back, shaking her head. "You're jealous."

Adrian's expression didn't change. Didn't falter.

But she saw the way his hands curled into fists.

"Say it," she challenged, tilting her chin up. "Say it, Adrian."

He wanted to. He wanted to tell her exactly why the thought of another man touching her made his blood boil. Why seeing her laugh at someone else's joke made him want to destroy everything.

Because if he said it—if he admitted it—then he'd have to tell her everything.

About the darkness that lived inside him.

About the fear that if she ever saw the real him, she'd run.

"I don't owe you an explanation," he finally said, voice like steel.

Ella's expression flickered—hurt, just for a second.

Then she smirked, covering it up like she always did.

"Of course you don't," she said lightly. "You never do."

And with that, she turned and walked away.

Because for the first time in his life, he wasn't sure if holding onto something—someone—would ruin him.

Chapter 31: The Almost Confession