JoseMary

Synopsis

Ella Carter never imagined her name would be tied to scandal, secrets, or a billion-dollar empire. Forced into a sudden marriage to the cold and commanding Xavier King—heir to a powerful legacy—she believes she’s just a pawn in a game she doesn’t understand. But behind Xavier’s icy gaze lies a man battling shadows of his past, and behind Ella’s quiet strength is a truth even she doesn’t fully know.

When old family secrets begin to surface—secrets involving mental institutions, betrayal, and a child erased from history—their marriage of convenience turns into something far more dangerous. As enemies close in and lies unravel, Ella and Xavier must decide whether their fragile alliance can survive... or transform into something real.

In a world where love was never part of the plan, can two broken hearts fight for a future they didn’t choose—but might desperately need?

Married to a Billionaire Stranger

Chapter 23: Watching Eyes, Sealed Lies

The hospital room was unusually still.

Ella sat beside her mother's bed, her hand resting gently over Katherine's fragile fingers. The machines beeped in quiet rhythm — a sound she had come to find oddly comforting.

"I don't know what I expected," Ella whispered.

Katherine stirred slightly, her voice thin. "Not this, I imagine."

"I didn't think I'd find you again."

Her mother smiled faintly, eyes still closed. "You always found what mattered."

Meanwhile, back in the city, Xavier King moved through his late father's private vault — alone.

He'd sent the staff away for the day. No assistants. No attorneys. No eyes but his own.

He was already breaking company protocol by even being here.

The vault smelled of aged leather and dust. The kind of dust you don't see in luxury homes — the kind that only gathers over secrets nobody wants found.

> "C.K. — Personal/Confidential. Authorization: Level Zero."

Only the board chair had access to Level Zero.

He cracked the seal on the envelope.

A copy of a non-disclosure agreement.

A transfer of funds to Cypress Grove Medical Facility.

A patient registration sheet under the name Claire Benson — aka, Katherine Carter.

> "Red Flag: Paternity Risk. Legacy Threat. Monitor Indefinitely."

Xavier exhaled sharply, then paused.

The corner surveillance panel blinked red — recording.

> Someone had turned the vault cameras back on.

Back at the hospital, Ella stepped into the hallway to take a call.

"We're not paranoid," he said, voice clipped. "Someone inside the company is watching what I access."

Ella's stomach dropped. "What do you mean?"

"I mean every time I get close to anything with your mother's name on it, the file gets flagged."

"Modified. Hidden. Or gone. Someone doesn't want us connecting the dots."

She looked back into her mother's room. "It's Charles, isn't it?"

Xavier was silent for a beat. "I think so. But if he's not working alone, we're already in deeper than I thought."

That night, Ella stayed in the hospital again.

She couldn't leave. Not while her mother was vulnerable — and not while she was being watched.

And she was. She could feel it now. Every time she stepped into the hallway. Every nurse who passed her twice. The way a man in a beige coat lingered by the nurse's station a little too long.

When she stepped out for air, he followed.

She didn't turn around. She simply took out her phone and messaged Xavier.

Across town, Xavier was already in motion. His investigator had sent over a name that chilled him: Mason Lang — former King Global security contractor. Fired. Silenced. Rehired off the books six months ago.

The same man standing outside Katherine Carter's hospital room.

"Don't go anywhere," Xavier said to Ella over the phone. "I'm coming to get you. And we're going to end this."

But as he hung up the phone, a message flashed across the screen of his private system — encrypted and anonymous: