JesseJay

Lilith never expected to wake up in the mansion of Arnold Blaze, New York’s most ruthless billionaire, known for destroying empires with the flick of a pen and emotions with a single glance.

One drunken night.
One unforgettable mistake.
And now… her life is entangled with the last man she should ever cross.

When Arnold offers a contract marriage, Lilith wants to refuse, but circumstances leave her no choice.
For him, it’s all business.
For her, it’s survival.

But behind the cold contract lies a dangerous obsession.
Jealousy. Secrets. Emotional walls built so high even Arnold can’t see past his own.
And Lilith? She has secrets too, ones that could shatter everything.

He’s the tycoon with no heart.
She’s the woman he was never meant to keep.
So why can’t he let her go?

Married to the Cold-Blooded Tycoon

By the end of the week, Lilith Lane had gone from unknown café owner to the face of a scandal she couldn't outrun. Her past, once buried behind forgotten aliases and erased records, now played on every screen, headline, and gossip blog.

But amid the chaos, something else had happened—something quieter, deeper. Arnold Blaze had defended her. Publicly. Unflinchingly.

Lilith had replayed the press conference a dozen times, memorizing the way his voice had softened when he said her name. The man who once looked at her like she was a puzzle now looked like he was trying not to fall into the pieces.

And yet, he hadn't reached out. Not personally. Not after the statement. Not since the email.

That silence told Lilith everything and nothing.

Arnold, meanwhile, had declared war.

"Lock Sterling's overseas credit channels. I want every distribution deal combed through and renegotiated. Pull back licensing on tech we share with them. No mercy," Arnold said.

Lucas and Isabella exchanged a glance but didn't hesitate.

This wasn't about Lilith anymore. It was bigger. Victor had crossed into corporate espionage and personal warfare. And Arnold, never one to strike first, had learned to strike hardest.

He watched the market reports without flinching, his gaze unreadable. Lilith's name trended across networks, framed as either a repentant informant or a high-end con artist. His inbox overflowed with board members demanding explanations.

Yet beneath it all, Arnold held the line.

"You still believe her?" Isabella asked one evening as they reviewed damage reports.

Arnold didn't answer right away. He was watching a news segment—a smear piece showing Lilith's photo beside the words "Corporate Siren."

His jaw tightened. "Belief isn't the word. But I understand her. That makes it worse."

Lilith, back in her apartment, could barely breathe under the pressure. Strangers camped outside. Comment sections burned her name. Old clients, terrified of exposure, ghosted her. Only Athena remained steady—a fortress against the noise.

"He defended you," Athena said gently.

"Professionally. Publicly. Not personally."

Athena hesitated. "Does it matter?"

Lilith stared at her half-empty glass. "It does to me."

That night, Arnold received an encrypted package.

Lucas opened it. Inside: photos. Surveillance. Dozens of them. Dates. Times. Notes.

Arnold flipped through the contents. Lilith outside her apartment. Lilith and Athena at the bookstore before the fire. Lilith's tear-streaked face as she watched the aftermath.

"Victor isn't just leaking stories. He's watching her. Closely."

Isabella leaned forward. "If he gets desperate, it won't stop at surveillance."

Arnold nodded, voice cold. "Then it's time I stop watching from a distance."

Two nights later, Lilith found him waiting by her apartment entrance.

Arnold Blaze. In the flesh. In the dark. Rain slicked the pavement around him, making his suit look like obsidian.

As she led him inside, neither of them spoke. But something had shifted.

They were standing at the edge of something else, battle lines blurred by heartbreak and circumstance.

Battle Lines