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 Nightmare Unleashed

She could hear her own breath, short and ragged, as she stared at the screen.

The name alone sent an icy chill racing down her spine.

The man Adrian hated. The man who had been circling her like a predator for weeks.

And now, the media was spinning a twisted story—painting her as a woman caught between two powerful men.

"This isn't happening," she whispered.

Adrian's grip on his phone tightened until his knuckles turned white. The air between them was thick—crackling with tension, unspoken accusations, and something far more dangerous.

He took a slow step toward her, his voice cold. "Tell me, Ella. Why the hell was Damian Wolfe at that hospital?"

She met his gaze, unflinching. "I don't know."

Adrian's expression darkened. "Try again."

"I don't know, Adrian!" she snapped, hands trembling. "I was there to see my mother. I had no idea Damian was anywhere near me—let alone in the damn hospital!"

His jaw clenched. "The media won't see it that way."

Ella swallowed hard. She knew he was right.

Billionaire's Wife Caught in a Midnight Tryst.

Adrian exhaled sharply and ran a hand through his hair. "This is bad."

She scoffed. "Bad? Adrian, my mother is fighting for her life. And instead of asking me if I'm okay, you're worried about a PR disaster?"

"That's not what I meant," he said, voice low.

Ella crossed her arms, heart pounding. "Damian is your rival. We both know he's been trying to get under your skin for months. And now, suddenly, he appears at my mother's hospital? You think that's a coincidence?"

A storm was brewing in his gaze—anger, frustration, and something far more dangerous.

She took a shaky breath. "I think Damian Wolfe is playing a game. And I think we're his pawns."

Instead, he turned, pacing like a man holding back something deadly.

Ella knew that look. She had seen it before. Right before he destroyed people.

A sharp knock at the door shattered the silence.

His face was grim. He stepped inside, tossing a newspaper onto the coffee table. "It's worse than we thought."

Ella's eyes flicked to the headline:

"Damian Wolfe: The Other Man in Ella Blackwood's Life?"

Damian, standing outside the hospital entrance, looking straight into the camera—smirking.

Nathaniel exhaled. "Adrian, this isn't just a scandal. This is an attack. Damian's been waiting for an opportunity to humiliate you—to break your control. And he's using Ella to do it."

Ella's fists clenched. She refused to be anyone's pawn.

"Then we fight back," she said, her voice steel.

Adrian's gaze snapped to hers. "You don't get it, do you?" he murmured.

She lifted her chin. "Enlighten me."

"If Damian Wolfe is targeting you, it's not just about me anymore. He's coming for you, too."

Nathaniel's phone buzzed. He checked it, then cursed under his breath. "He's calling a press conference. In an hour."

What the hell was Damian planning?

Adrian's lips curled into something dark. Something dangerous.

"If Damian wants a war," he said, voice deadly soft, "then I'll give him one."

Chapter 44: Shadows of the Past