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A billionaire. A contract. A love that defied every condition.

Lila Harper never meant to sign her life away — but when Dominic Blackwell, a ruthless billionaire with a cold heart and a hotter empire, offers a one-year marriage contract to protect her struggling family, she does the unthinkable. She marries him.

Dominic doesn’t believe in love. Control, yes. Power, always. But feelings? Dangerous. That’s why their marriage is just business — until the lines blur. Until jealousy burns, touches linger, and late-night arguments turn into something much harder to ignore.

But when Lila discovers Dominic was hiding the very secret that shattered her parents’ world, everything breaks. And as the contract ticks down, Lila must decide: endure two more months of pretending… or walk away from the man who’s already broken her heart.

Love Under His Empire

The sun was barely up when I opened my eyes.

The soft morning light filtered through the hospital blinds, painting pale lines across the blanket on my lap. My body ached. Everything was sore, stretched, heavy. But my heart… it was quieter than it had been in months.

Aurora was still asleep in her bassinet, her tiny chest rising and falling with the rhythm of dreams.

And Dominic was still in the chair.

He was leaned back now, one leg stretched out, arms crossed over his chest—but his eyes were open. Tired, yes. But watching. Always watching.

For a long moment, neither of us said anything.

I just stared at him, and he looked back like he didn't know if he was dreaming.

"Did you sleep?" I finally whispered.

He gave a soft huff of breath. "Only when you did."

I swallowed, shifting to sit up a little straighter. "You didn't have to stay the whole night."

"I know," he said, voice low. "But I wanted to."

Everything in me wanted to believe that was enough.

"You really didn't know?" I asked softly. "About the baby?"

He shook his head. "Not until I saw the crib in your parents' house."

The memory hit me hard. "That must've—"

"Destroyed me," he cut in gently. "It destroyed me, Lila. And I deserved every ounce of it."

I blinked fast, my throat tightening.

"I didn't run because I didn't love you," I whispered. "I ran because I couldn't recognize the man I married anymore. And I couldn't recognize myself when I was with you."

He stood slowly, coming closer, one hand resting carefully on the edge of the bed.

"I know," he said. "And I'm not here to ask for more than you're willing to give. But I can be better. For her. For you. I want to be."

I looked at his hand. Then up at his face.

And for the first time in a long time, I didn't see Dominic Blackwell, the tycoon who could ruin people with a phone call. I saw the boy I never really got to know. The man who had built a fortress around himself and never realized he'd locked me out too.

He gripped mine like it was oxygen.

We stayed like that for a long time.

Something unspoken passed between us — not forgiveness, not yet. But a beginning.

He leaned in slightly, hesitating.

And then, finally, finally, his lips met mine.

It wasn't rushed. It wasn't desperate.

I melted into it before I could stop myself, my hand curling into the front of his shirt as he leaned over the bed. His other hand found my cheek, fingers brushing gently against my skin like I might disappear if he touched too hard.

It was the first time in months I didn't feel alone.

When we broke apart, he didn't move far.

His forehead rested against mine, both of us breathing like we'd just surfaced from deep water.

"And you… you're everything else."

And for the first time, I let myself believe maybe this could still be something. Something real. Something more.

Something Like Home