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A Devil's Deal To Ruin My Ex-husband - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 Traitor 

“Oh, please!” Mason sneered.


Tamara burst into laughter. “What? What is ‘please’? Are you saying she’s beautiful?”


“Who’s beautiful? Have you seen her lately? There’s nothing attractive about her. She never takes care of herself, always messy, doesn’t dress well—and did I mention she’s dirty?”


“She’s dirty too? Seriously?” Tamara cracked up.


“Yes. And anytime I try to say something, she runs off like, ‘Ohh, Alisha is crying! Oh my baby!’” He mimicked her tiny voice and chuckled loudly, joined by Tamara, who couldn’t stop laughing.


“She really did raise my child well. Once the divorce is finalized, the three of us can finally be a family,” Tamara said with a wicked smile.


So it was true—Alisha was her child all along!


Eloise clenched her fists, fighting the urge to scream. They had kept her in the dark for all these years!


“I’ve already got the divorce papers ready,” Mason said coldly. “Honestly, she’s not the kind of woman I’d want to show off and say, ‘That’s my wife.’”


' Bastard!' Eloise lips trembled, her breath quivered.


She was dead but everything felt suffocating, her chest tightened with intense pain, one she wished to claw out with her fingers. Tears brimmed in her eyes.


This was the man she loved, the man she gave her everything, including her company. Mason was just a manager who became the CEO after they got married.


' I'm not the kind of wife you want?' her voice trembled as she said in disbelief.


Fury scorched through her cell.


Tamara grinned, loving every bit of what she was hearing. “But Mason, can you wait a little bit longer?” she pouted.


“A little bit longer for what?”


“Before divorcing her.”


“Why? We have everything we want now. Why delay it? And more,” he took a strand of her hair, kissed it, and inhaled. “I can’t wait to have you as my wife and show off your beauty to the world.”


Tamara rolled her eyes, blushing. Her heart beat so fast she almost forgot what she had to say. She cleared her throat and pouted—an expression Mason found adorable.


“It’s not that I don’t want that, but you know I still want to maintain my beauty. And I don’t like stress.”


“But I’m not going to stress you. Who said I won’t take good care of you? You’ve got nothing to worry about,” Mason assured her.


“I know… but Alisha is still a baby, and babies can be so stressful…” she dragged the words. “Let Eloise keep taking care of her. I’m not ready for sleepless nights.”


She feigned a sad expression that melted Mason’s heart.


“Hahahaha… hahahaha…”


Eloise laughed hysterically to herself, tears falling like a dry waterfall. In the end, she had lost.


She lost everything.


You ruined me. You looked me in the eye, watched me rock her to sleep, watched me kiss her scraped knees, sing to her, call her ours—and you said nothing.


You let me grieve a lie while smiling in my face.


And when I caught you with her, you didn’t even flinch.


Eloise screamed in her heart.


It was all lies—


The lies you happily fed me, the lies you made me build my world on.


You knew all along.


She knew all along.


That baby wasn’t mine, and you let me mourn the one I never got to hold… while raising someone else’s.


She wept bitterly, gritting her teeth with anger and pain. She wanted to charge at them and rip out their throat, but her hands only went through them.


Was it too late?


Maybe. Cause now she's dead.


If only she could have a chance, a chance to live again, she would never marry Mason.


No. She would drag both of them straight to hell.


And just then—Her soul was suddenly yanked back—back to the crash site—and slammed into her body once more.


“Please…” she begged. “Give me one more chance. Just one. I’ll right my wrongs. I’ll make them regret everything. Please!!” she cried as everything around her began to fade.


With that, her vision went black, and Eloise took her last breath.


The moment Eloise died, her grandfather’s wristwatch—clutched tightly in her hand—suddenly stopped.


Then, without warning, the hands began to spin backward—fast—until they stopped at 12:00 PM.








Chapter 5: Death?

She didn’t know how much time had passed when she heard an annoying voice.
“ Eloise! Honey!” Mason's deep voice called out.
Eloise's ear came alive, and the first voice she heard caused a hard, painful stab against her chest; it was the voice of the person who despises her with every bone in her body.

“ Even if this is the afterlife, isn't he supposed to be screaming from hell, and not me hearing that bastard’s voice calling me?” she yelled in her mind, intense anger brewing inside of her while feeling the soft surface beneath her skin.

“ Hey baby,” the voice is closer now to her ear, causing her heart to burn with aches, sinking deep into her hollow.

She clenched her fist against a sheet and frowned deeply. Just then, she felt his rough palm shake her body slightly, and that's when she knew it wasn't a dream.

She flung her eyes open and screamed, startling Mason as she jumped up and out of the bed.

“ What are you doing here?!!” she yelled, looking around the familiar room. The wedding picture hanging over the wall and other photos from the photo shoot, everywhere, looked exactly as it was a few months after their wedding.

“ Hey, baby! Are you okay?” Mason asked worriedly and took a step closer, but her fierce yell halted him.

“ Don't you dare! If you take one more step, I swear on my life I'll kill you mercilessly,” she threatened, pointing at him and glaring murderously.

His presence stirred up pain in her chest and anger that demanded his blood.

Mason has never been this confused in his life, She looked like she meant every word she said.

“ Are you angry because I woke you up?” he asked innocently. Guilt was masked on his face.

Eloise ignored him and looked around vigorously, wearing confusion and anger on her face. Everything looked normal; she peeped outside and didn't see singing birds, people in white, or angels; rather, she saw people moving up and down and going about their daily life. She turned sharply back at him,

“ Are you dead?”

Mason looked shocked, pinched himself, and shook his head, “No, I'm not.”

“ Get out!”

“ Huh?”

“ Get out!” she shouted and grabbed the table lamp and threw it at him.

“ Ouch! Shit!,” he grunted in pain as it hit his shoulder, now realizing she's extremely pissed at him and now looking for another weapon to grab, he quickly ran out of the room for his dear life. He heard the door slammed shut as he run outside, “ what the fuck is wrong with her?.”

“ Babe, I'm sorry,” he shouted from outside, but heard no response. He stood outside the door for a few seconds, unsure of what was going on.

‘Is this some kind of hormone?’ he asked himself, cluelessly, but then an idea came to his mind. Maybe he just needed to display some affection, maybe that's what she wanted.

‘ I have to make her happy, today can't go wrong,’ he smiled as he said in his mind before walking away, knowing exactly what to do to put her in a good mood.

Eloise turned back from the door, her chest felt suffocating, and her eyes brimmed with tears as she looked around in confusion while rubbing her chest with her palm, hoping to soothe the pain.

She glanced around with a wrinkled brow; she had no idea if she was currently alive or dead.

She pinched herself and winced.

“ This is not a dream,” she shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks, the aches from her chest, the pain stabbing her soul mercilessly, they felt too real to be a dream.

“ What's going on?” Her voice shook, fear, confusion, and pain accompanied every word.

She remembered clearly running into a car, and the pain all over her body.

She touched her whole body, up to her ankle, but felt no pain.

“What's happening to me? Were all those really a dream?” She walked towards the bed and sank onto it. “There's no way it is,” she remembered being pregnant, the unforgettable pain during delivery, the death of her grandfather, her child, the betrayal, the car accident; they were all real, that she knows for sure.

The sudden ring of her phone jolted her a little. It was an old, ringing tone playing, one she changed a long time ago. She grabbed it to see it wasn't a call, but a reminder ringtone.

“ A reminder? To what?” She swiped up.
The tone stopped playing, and her eyes fell on the reminder messages.

(Reminder 1- Visiting grandfather at the hospital at 1:00pm )

(Reminder 2- Introducing Mason to the Archeon circle at 6:00 pm)

Eloise furrowed her brow, this reminder is something that has happened before, she remembered this was the app she do use to set reminder for her schedules and she set this particularly after handing over her company to Mason, and then introduce him to the Archeon circle, a discreet group of CEOs and financiers who collaborate on off-the-record mergers, political influence, and global wealth strategy.

“ Why is this coming up again?” she asked, knowing she had done that, yeah, a lifetime mistake, something she's still regretting with every hair on her.

“ Wait, what!?” she exclaimed as her eyes fell on the date. Her fingers frantically slid up, and her eyes widened, not believing her eyes. She looked for the calendar, and her jaw fell to the ground.

The date wasn't showing October 27th, 2027. The day she died, rather, the date is May 17th, 2025.

With her widened eyes, her head slowly raised from the calendar and the phone, with confusion, her head trying to wrap around what was going on, but the only explanation and the only sentence that her head could make out of everything was that.

It's either everything that happened was a dream, which can’t be, her two years of married life can't be a dream.

Or.

She went back in time to a month after her marriage to Mason!







Chapter 6: The trick

Eloise sat frozen, heart aching, eyes brimming with tears. Frantically, she searched her phone for answers, most of them confusing—until one article stood out.

She tapped it. A bold heading appeared:
“Understanding the Effects of Time Travel.”

“This is it,” she whispered, reading on.

Time travelers often feel fear and confusion, as if trapped in a vivid dream. That sounded familiar. But the next lines chilled her:

“Time travel can offer second chances, but sometimes it becomes a cruel loop—forcing people to relive trauma and loss.”

Her breath quickened. Hands trembling, she continued.

“Many cases begin with an unjust death—something deeply personal tied to the moment of loss.”

Eloise buried her face in her hands. It was unbelievable—but it explained everything.

“Some mistake dreams for time travel. True travelers relive moments—a chance to change fate.”

‘I'm not crazy, all that truly happened,’ she whimpered and covered her mouth with her palm, realizing, ‘ I'm back in time!’

A remembrance of the reminder alarm ringing after the call from Mason, and it happening again a few minutes ago, hit her.

She stopped sobbing when another realization hit her, and her eyes widened. She jumped to her feet immediately and grabbed her coat and phone before running out of the room.

*******

Mason whistled as he flipped the pancake, the white apron around his neck was stained with flour and some yellowish spots. His heart leaped with joy as he looked across the table, loving the meal he was preparing for Eloise.


‘There's no way she'd eat my food and not lighten up, she had better be happy to be lucky to have me as her husband,’ he giggled as he said in his mind and made to grab the whisk when he heard the loud thuds.

He turned around to see her running outside.

“What happened?” he panicked, but she spared him no glance and just ran out of the house.

“Babe? Eloise!” he shouted and almost went after her in worry and fear, surprised to see her run off like that, but the smoke from the burnt pancake caused him to rush back inside to carry the hot frying pan off the fire with his bare hand.

“Ouch!,” he winced as he was carried away with panick, “ fuck,” he cursed between his teeth.


*****


At Bastion Hospital’s VIP ward, a tall, sharply dressed man stood facing a doctor. The doctor avoided his gaze, clearly nervous.

The man was magnetic—his presence quieted any room. Immaculate suit, straight posture, piercing grey eyes. His face was carved like stone: sharp cheekbones, a strong jaw, lashes too long to belong to any man, and lips that were both severe and striking.

“She has about four months left,” the doctor said gently.

The man didn’t flinch.

His expression didn’t change. He didn’t speak.

“Right now she’s stable,” the doctor added. “As long as she sticks to the diet and takes her medication on time.”

The doctor turned to the patient, a grey-haired woman lying weakly in bed.

“Are you in any pain?” he asked her kindly.

“No,” she replied with a tired smile. “I feel okay.”

“That’s great,” he smiled back. But as he turned again to the man, his smile faded. His palms grew sweaty.

“There’s nothing to worry about,” he said quickly before hurrying out of the room.

The nurses nearby blushed and looked away when the tall man turned. But he didn’t acknowledge them. He only looked back at the woman in bed—his grandmother.

She had been diagnosed with blood cancer six months ago. It was aggressive and eating away at her faster every day.

“Are you really okay, old lady?” he asked, as her personal maid tucked the blanket around her.

“No,” she pouted. “No, I’m not.”

“But the doctor just said—”

“I’m dying, Antonio,” she cut him off. “What part of that sounds okay to you?”

Antonio clenched his jaw. Normally, he didn’t tolerate being interrupted—but not by her. Not by his grandmother.

“The doctor said you’ll be fine—if you keep up with your treatment.”

“That doesn’t mean I’ll live. He said four months. Four.” She sighed, then leaned back with a look he recognized all too well.

Here it comes, he thought.

“I’m going to die soon,” she began dramatically, “and you kids are making it impossible for me to go in peace. How can I rest without seeing my grandchild?”

He groaned inwardly.

“We’re your grandchildren,” he muttered.

She glared at him, hard.

“Why not ask Zade?” Antonio added quickly. “He’s surrounded by women. I’m sure he can give you one.”

“Your brother?” she scoffed. “If Zade brings me a baby tomorrow, I’ll assume it’s rented. He’s a woman-chasing fool.”

Then her eyes narrowed.

“And you? You’re the opposite. You avoid women like the plague.”

“I do not,” Antonio said, half-offended. “I like women.”

“Then why have I never seen you with one?”

He shrugged. “I guess not enough to keep them around.”

She began to sob loudly. Antonio rolled his eyes. He knew her theatrics too well.

“All I ever wanted,” she cried, “was to see you happy, with a woman by your side. A daughter-in-law. A grandchild. How am I supposed to die with my heart this worried?”

He was about to roll his eyes again—until something stopped him.

Real tears.

Not the fake ones. Not the wails for show.

Real ones.

His chest tightened. His throat dried up. His fists clenched at his sides. He looked down at his shoes.

Then he said it.

“I’ll get a wife.”

The room went still.

His grandmother and her maid gasped.

“What?” she asked, barely believing him.

“You want a wife,” he said, staring at her. “I’ll get you one.”

She wiped her eyes. “You mean it?”

He nodded, his voice cold and final. “So dry your tears.”

With that, Antonio turned and walked out of the room.

As the door clicked shut behind him, his grandmother and the maid clasped hands and squealed with joy.




“It worked! It actually worked!”







Chapter 7: All for love

“Woah! He looks scary,” the doctor heaved a sigh as soon as he stepped out of the ward.

“But he is so handsome,” one of the nurses cooed, blushing, earning a side eye from Dr. James.

He made to reply to her when he saw one of his patients’ relative dashing towards him. He smiled and made to greet her, but she dashed right past him without sparing him a glance. James's smile vanished as he turned back to see her race towards her grandfather's VIP ward.

With her heart racing faster than her legs, she ran towards the ward and pushed the door open. Her legs halted on getting to the room, and tears gushed out of her eyes. Lying on the bed motionlessly was her grandfather.

“Pa!” she cried out and walked briskly to fall on her knees right by the side of the bed. With the mixture of joy and relief, she cried out of her eyes.

“He's alive, he's still alive,” she chuckled bitterly as she gazed towards the heart monitor and held his warm hands for more confirmation. Her mind remembers how cold they felt against her palm, but now, they feel warm.

The doctor and a nurse strode in just then.

“Miss Eloise, I mean, Mrs. Cormac,” Dr. James called, smiling as he remembered she was now married.

Eloise turned to look at him, her eyes full of tears, and she remembered the smiling face of Dr. James, who had looked dejected while telling her about her grandfather's death. Another round of tears streamed out of her eyes.

“You must be so overwhelmed with joy,” he said, smiling.

Eloise nodded, weeping, even though what the doctor meant differed from what Eloise was thinking.

“I didn't even know the nurse had called you, I was about to call you myself.”

“Really?”

“Yes, though it was briefly but I think that's progress, the fact that he was woke up and was awake for about ten minutes is a good sign,”

“Grandpa woke up?” she asked, looking surprised.

James looked at the nurse and back at her, “The nurse told you.”

She shook her head, sniffling and not letting go of her grandfather's hand.

“Either way, he woke up, and he left you a message, more like he woke up to tell you something,” Dr. James said, grinning and hinting at her that her grandfather must have missed her as much as she missed him.

“What did he say?”

“He said that there's only one second time, make good use of the gift.”

The message sank into her mind, and she covered her mouth with her palm, whimpering.

Seeing her break down that much, the doctor figured that she might need her privacy, but he halted in his tracks and turned back to her.

“Sorry, Mrs. Cormac, have you perhaps taken his wristwatch? We noticed it was no longer by the side table.”

Eloise looked up at him, slowly bringing her hand down from her mouth.

“You can't find the watch?”

The doctor nodded.

Not understanding why, the watch was suddenly missing, it had never gone missing before, always by the bedside table till the day he died, and it was given to her.

“Um, I'll check for it, maybe it's with me,” she said, hoping that would dismiss the doctor.

After they left, she turned back to her grandfather, “ Was that a gift from you?” she asked, letting the tears flow out freely, “Was that you saving me?”

She held his wrist tighter and bawled out of her eyes.

“ They took everything from me, Pa, they lied to me, made me love a child that wasn't mine, unable to mourn mine, he betrayed me, he ruined me in every way possible,” she voiced out all her pain, “ I loved the wrong person, I trusted the wrong person.”

She felt her heart shred into pieces as she remembered when she first met him, his charming smile, and jovial personality. It started off as a distant admiration, gradually developing to her heart skipping each time she caught him staring at her, especially when she walked past his desk. And sometimes, when he makes her feel seen.

(Flashback)

Late night in Penafort's private office after a failed board meeting. The media is tearing her apart over a scandal on a failed product, and the board is preparing a vote of incompetence. She was alone, deep in thought, while she bit the tip of her pen until he walked in.

Eloise sits behind her desk, the city skyline cold and distant through the glass. Her hands shake, barely noticeable, except Mason notices everything.

“ You haven't gone home in three days,” he said worriedly,

Without looking up, she replied, “There's no time for weakness.”

Mason walks closer and drops a confidential folder on her desk—proof that a board member she trusted tampered with the product.

He said with a smile, “You were never weak, and I'm always here to help; all you need is to call me.”

“ I don't need your help,” she replied coldly.

Mason knelt on a knee beside her, gently placing his hand on hers.

“ Everyone needs help at some point, even queens.”

The silence stretches. Her voice, when it comes, is quiet, strained.

“ I'm on the verge of losing my company, I…”

“ Shh…you're not losing your company.”

She looks at him, getting wrapped with the warmth that melts her heart, and for the first time, Eloise lets someone see her scared. After she opens the folder, her heart opens a lock towards him.

(End of Flashback)

Eloise shut her eyes tight, her memories now tainted with schemes and betrayal. She wept as she remembered another memory, which was when he saved her life.

( Flashback)

At a worksite, she visited to inspect the progress on a major project when a pile of iron fell from the second floor, targeting her. While everyone jumped out of the way, it was almost too late by the time she saw it, but Mason jumped, pushing her out of the way and nearly getting struck.

Later, when they were safe alone by the car, with her body still a little shaken up by the incident, she stared at him in surprise and concern.

“ Why did you do that? You could have gotten hit,”

“ But I didn't,” he said, smiling, “ and I couldn't watch you get hurt,”

“Why?”

“ I just couldn't.”


( End of flashback)

‘ But all that were lies,’ she muttered as she whimpered beside the bed and let out a bawl in her eyes for almost an hour till there was nothing to shed anymore.

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, her eyes got darker, her lips tightened, and her hands curled into a tight fist.

“ But it's not over,” she gritted her teeth, “ this is my chance, my opportunity, to make your life a living hell. For the loss, for Alisha, for the betrayal, for the lies.”

Her eyes flared with fire, with rage, and a taste for vengeance. Her fingers dug into her palm as she said,

“ I promise you, you'd wish you'd never met a lady called Eloise Stewart.”







Chapter 8: Marry me 

Eloise crossed the road, heading to the restaurant across from the hospital. After spending hours with her grandfather, her stomach rumbled, demanding attention. A month had passed since her marriage, and just days after she'd handed the reins of her company over to Mason.

She slapped her forehead as she entered the restaurant. "What the hell was I even thinking?"

She ordered a burger, fries, and a soda, then found a quiet spot at the corner, her back to the entrance. She bit into her food, but her mind was elsewhere. What had she done?

Two days ago, she'd transferred her shares to Mason, handing him control of everything she'd built.

What the hell was I thinking? Her stomach churned at the thought. The decision felt so impulsive now. So stupid.

But then her mind wandered back to Mason—how much she'd loved him, how she'd let herself feel vulnerable for the first time. It wasn’t just about business; it was about wanting to let go, to trust someone else. But then she remembered the cafeteria incident.

She’d overheard the gossip from the employees.

"Did she really love him?" one had laughed. "She’s a CEO. He’s just some MD. She doesn’t lower herself for anyone."

The mocking voices still echoed in her head. Had Mason heard it? Did he believe it?

Their relationship had faltered because of it. His insecurities had driven a wedge between them, pushing her to the brink.

There was the fight.

Mason had messed up his presentation that day. Eloise, as always, had pointed it out—professionally. But to him, it was an attack on his pride.

"Couldn’t you have done that differently?" he had snapped later. "You embarrassed me."

"I didn’t mean to," she had said. "I was just doing my job."

He’d looked at her, his eyes cold. "You make it feel like I’m just along for the ride in your world. Just some guy you're trying to control."

Her heart had sunk. "That’s not true. I love you, Mason."

"Then prove it," he had challenged, his voice sharp. "Let go. Trust me. Have you thought about us outside of work? About what we’d sacrifice?"

She had been silent, the weight of his words sinking in.

Mason had continued, "If we got married tomorrow, who would step back? Who would sacrifice?"

She had known the truth. Silence had said everything.

"I could," she had whispered, the words tasting like regret. "If that’s what it takes. Take the company. Run it. Let the world see you at the helm."

He’d stared at her, stunned. "You’d really do that?"

"For us," she had said.

The memory hit her like a wave. How could she have been so blind? Why did I do that?

"Your lip is bleeding."

Eloise looked up, startled. Antonio Brayden. Her business rival, sitting alone at a table across from her, his cold gray eyes fixed on her.

She swallowed the bite of a burger in her mouth.

“What are you doing here?” she asked,

“Is this someplace I can't be?”

“It's so unusual to see a figure like yours in an open pace,”

“I just needed a place to think,” he exhaled, “which was successful until someone ruined it.”

In her former life, Eloise hadn't seen Antonio after she got married until now, when she was back in time.

In the ruthless world of industrial empires, Stratmore Holdings and Penafort Group are the two titanic forces constantly at war for market supremacy.

Stratmore Group runs the glitzy side of construction—luxury high-rises, downtown revamps, the kind of projects that end up on magazine covers. CEO Antonio Brayden? Smooth, ruthless, and obsessed with turning trash into treasure. His playbook? Elite money, flashy partnerships, and total market control.

Penafort? Different beast. They build the guts of cities—ports, highways, power plants. CEO Eloise Stewart is a street-smart contract queen, ex-supply chain, no-nonsense. Her company’s got union ties, grit, and a rep for winning ugly.

And these two? They hate each other. If Stratmore lands a downtown jewel, Penafort steals a highway deal. If Penafort scores a billion-dollar gov contract, Stratmore buys their concrete supplier. It’s not business—it’s a blood feud.

She returned the glare she was getting from him.

“Me? How did I ruin it?”

“Constant loud grunting and groaning, beating yourself up? Let me guess, for handing over your company to your husband.”

Eloise's eyes skipped and her eyes widened, “ how did you know that?.”

He scoffed, looking away, “You were never that smart and quite predictable.”

Eloise eyed him angrily.

Was she really that predictable?

*****

At the far corner of the restaurant, Antonio leaned back in his chair, a crystal tumbler of whiskey balanced between his fingers. He’d been enjoying the rare quiet, letting his mind wander. Women came and went through the entrance—laughing, clinging to men, adjusting dresses too tight for comfort. Pretty faces, empty eyes. All the same.

For his grandmother’s sake, he would have to marry one day. But the thought of ending up with a painted smile and ambition disguised as affection made his stomach turn.

Then Eloise Stewart had walked in.

No glitter. No coy smile. Just puffy eyes and a stiffness in her posture that told him she’d been crying but refused to collapse. Even in jeans and a plain top, she carried herself like she owned the air around her. And yet—there was something cracked at the edges.

He’d thought her predictable. A fighter who’d just lost her battlefield. But watching her sit there, stabbing at her food, muttering under her breath, he wondered what kind of war she might start next.

He swirled the whiskey, then called out to her. “Why don’t you join me? You need someone to knock some sense into you before you drown in self-pity.”

To his surprise, she didn’t snap back. She stood, walked over, and pulled out the chair opposite him. The scrape of wood against tile made him smile—just a little.

“What did he do?” he asked.

She blinked. “Huh?”

“You gave him your company. Now you’re here looking like hell. He betrayed you, didn’t he?”

Her eyes narrowed. “How would you know that?”

“Because I can read a battlefield,” he said evenly. “And your eyes? They’re waving a white flag.”

She exhaled sharply, leaning back. “No wonder you’re Antonio.”

“So, what did he do?”

“I’m not here to narrate my marriage to a rival,” she said.

“Maybe you should,” he replied, his gaze never wavering. “I hate men who cheat. Why get married if you want to screw around?”

Something flickered in her eyes. Then she said it. “He plotted with my best friend to take everything I owned.” Her voice was tight, her hands clenched in her lap. “And I let it happen.”

“You didn’t know,” Antonio said.

“I should have. I was warned not to marry him.”

“So what now? You going to sit here all night regretting it?”

Her silence was sharp enough to cut through the air.

“Marry me,” he said.

Her head snapped up. “What did you just say?”

“I want you to marry me.”

A dry laugh escaped her lips. “Didn’t think the cold CEO dabbled in jokes.”

“I’m not joking.”

Her laughter faded, replaced by suspicion.

“You need leverage,” Antonio said. “Support. A way back into the game. I can give you that.”

She narrowed her eyes. “So I’m a charity case now?”

“Hardly. This is business.”

“And what business is that?”

“I’m offering you a contract marriage.”

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