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 Visit in the Shadows

Ella pulled the hood of her sweatshirt lower, keeping her head down as she hurried toward the entrance of St. James Medical Center. The cold evening air bit at her skin, but she barely felt it.

She had been dreading this visit, yet she couldn't stay away.

Her mother was in the ICU. The doctors had made it clear that her condition was worsening. And the guilt—the crushing, suffocating guilt—was eating her alive.

How could she admit that the real reason she had agreed to this ridiculous contract marriage was to save her mother?

How could she look him in the eye and say, I didn't marry you for wealth or power—I did it because I was desperate. Because I had no other choice?

And Adrian Blackwood detested weakness.

Ella sighed, pulling the hospital doors open and stepping inside.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't see them.

The paparazzi lurking in the shadows.

Whispers in the ICU

The rhythmic beeping of machines filled the air as Ella entered her mother's hospital room.

Her mother lay on the bed, pale and fragile, tubes and wires surrounding her. It was a sight Ella hated.

She forced a small smile, gripping her mother's hand. "Hey, Mom."

The nurse had said she had been in and out of consciousness. Some days were better than others. Today, it seemed, wasn't one of those days.

Ella swallowed the lump in her throat. "I… I got your favorite flowers. The nurse said you still like the smell of roses."

Ella tightened her grip on her mother's hand. "You have to fight, Mom. Please. Just a little longer. I'm trying—I'm doing everything I can."

But here—here, with her mother, in this quiet, sterile room—she was just Ella.

Not the woman pretending to live in a perfect fairytale marriage.

A daughter who was terrified of losing the only family she had left.

Outside the hospital, a camera clicked.

A journalist smirked, lowering his lens. "Well, well, well… what do we have here?"

His partner grinned. "Looks like Mrs. Blackwood has a secret."

"Billionaire's wife sneaks into hospital late at night? Sounds scandalous."

The first journalist chuckled. "Doubt it. And if he doesn't, this is about to get very interesting."

And then, with greedy smiles, they disappeared into the night—ready to set the world on fire with the truth.

Chapter 42: Ella’s Visit to the Hospital