Contracted
/1/132171/coverbig.jpg?v=584949ea5c9e495cc0c21608874afceb)
Your Humble Ex-Wife Is Gone
Three years of marriage, and Jayson Mccormick never once looked at me the way he looks at my sister. I told myself he was just cold. That if I loved him hard enough, he'd eventually love me back. Then I crashed his secret wedding. The bride was Kate-the daughter my parents kept while I was lost. The guests? My entire family. They all knew. They all helped. "She's dying," Jayson said. "Let her have this." So I let her have it all. The husband. The family. The life they built around her. I walked away with nothing-because I knew I could make it all back. After years of silence, the legendary perfumer and the financial genius have returned. They think I have nothing. They don't know that, where they never bothered to look, I've already built an empire of my own. It's time to bury the obedient wife.
Chapter 1 The Secret Wedding
It was exactly seven o'clock in the evening.
The private manor, nestled on the outskirts of the city, was brilliantly illuminated, its grand facade glowing like a beacon against the darkening sky.
Corina Logan stood at the towering wrought-iron gates, her attire glaringly out of place. She wore a simple, unadorned plain dress, the kind one might wear for a quiet evening at home, standing in stark contrast to the opulence unfolding before her.
Just two hours ago, the illusion of her life had still been intact. Her husband, Jayson Mccormick, had called her, his voice carrying its usual clipped, authoritative tone. "There's a critical board meeting tonight that's going to run late," he had said through the receiver. "I won't be coming home. Go to sleep early, Corina."
Yet, here he was. Not in a boardroom surrounded by executives, but in this lavishly decorated estate, preparing to hold a wedding ceremony with another woman.
Through the grand windows of the manor's main hall, Corina could see the head table. Sitting there, adorned in their finest evening wear and beaming with pride, were her biological parents, Arthur and Eliza Logan, alongside her older brother, Oliver.
The guests mingling on the manicured lawns and inside the grand hall were a familiar crowd. They were the mutual friends, business associates, and extended family that made up the social circle she and Jayson shared.
Yet she, the lawful wife, had been kept entirely in the dark.
As Corina took a step closer, the evening breeze carried a scent that made her breath hitch. It was a complex, intoxicating fragrance-a masterful blend of deep, velvety rose intertwined with the rich, smoky notes of agarwood.
This specific perfume was named "Surrender." It was a unique, one-of-a-kind fragrance that Corina had personally formulated and blended as a wedding gift for Jayson three years ago. It was meant to symbolize a love that was absolute, a yielding of the heart.
Now, this very scent, representing possession and ultimate surrender, saturated the air of a wedding where her husband was the groom, and the bride was not her.
Her gaze traveled down the pristine white carpet that served as the aisle. At the end of it stood Jayson, looking breathtakingly impeccable in a custom-tailored, pure white high-fashion suit. His usually cold, calculating eyes were currently filled with a profound, melting affection as he looked at the woman standing opposite him.
The bride was Kate Logan.
Kate was the fake daughter who had occupied the Logan family's nest for over twenty years. Corina, on the other hand, was the true daughter, only found and brought back to the family a mere three years ago. Because their grandfather and the patriarch of the Mccormick family had been comrades in the trenches, they had arranged a marriage pact for their grandchildren.
When Corina returned to the family, she fulfilled that pact, marrying the heir to the Mccormick empire, Jayson. It felt like destiny to her, because Jayson was the man Corina had desperately, silently loved for seven long years. He was the man who had once pulled her out of the darkest abyss of her life.
She had truly believed this was a match made by fate, that she was destined to be the happiest woman in the world. But reality had just delivered a resounding, brutal slap across her face.
At this moment, Kate, draped in a voluminous, sparkling white wedding gown, leaned weakly against Jayson's chest, looking so fragile that a strong gust of wind might blow her away.
As Corina stepped fully into the light of the entrance, the melodious strains of the "Wedding March" suddenly warped. The musician had spotted her, and his fingers slipped, producing a harsh, piercingly discordant note that echoed across the lawn.
Instantly, every pair of eyes in the venue snapped toward Corina.
The joyous smiles on the faces of the Logan family froze, replaced by expressions of sheer panic and guilt.
Whispers erupted among the guests, spreading like wildfire.
"Is that... isn't that Corina? Why is she here?"
"I thought everyone agreed to keep this an absolute secret from her!"
"Who leaked the information? This is going to be a disaster."
The hushed voices were deafening. She was his actual wife, yet in this place, surrounded by her own family and friends, she was treated as an unwanted intruder.
When Jayson's eyes finally landed on her, a flash of genuine shock crossed his deep gaze, but it was almost instantly swallowed by his habitual, chilling composure.
He lowered his head, whispering a few soothing words to Kate, before gently handing the bride's hand over to a bridesmaid. He then stepped off the altar, his long legs eating up the distance as he strode purposefully toward Corina.
As he neared, the familiar, crisp scent of cedarwood that always clung to him enveloped Corina. It was the scent she had once been so hopelessly addicted to.
"What are you doing here?"
Those were his first words. Not an explanation, not an apology, but a cold, hard interrogation.
Corina looked up at the face she had loved for seven years. The sharp, aristocratic line of his brow, the thin, cool lips she had kissed a thousand times. Suddenly, she found the entire situation utterly laughable.
"Shouldn't I be here?" Corina's voice was incredibly soft, as casual as if she were inquiring about the weather. "My husband is getting married here today. Shouldn't I come to offer my congratulations?"
Jayson's brow furrowed deeply, a clear precursor to his impatience.
He took a sudden step forward, his large hand shooting out to clamp down hard on her slender wrist. Without another word, he dragged her away from the prying eyes of the crowd, pulling her into the shadows of a secluded stone corridor.
Once they were enveloped in the dim light of the corridor, he stopped and released her wrist.
"Corina, don't make a scene," he commanded, his voice tight.
"Kate... she doesn't have much time left." Jayson reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket, pulling out a silver cigarette case. He extracted a cigarette but didn't light it, instead rolling it restlessly between his long fingers, a sign of his internal agitation. "Late-stage liver cancer. The doctors have confirmed she has, at most, half a month left to live."
Corina stood perfectly still, her eyes locked onto his.
"And so?" she asked, her voice devoid of inflection.
"Her final, greatest wish in this life was to wear a wedding dress and marry me," Jayson said, meeting her gaze with a look that suggested his actions were the most logical, reasonable thing in the world. "This wedding is entirely fake. I am simply putting on a performance for her, allowing her to leave this world without any lingering regrets. Do you understand?"
He paused, taking a breath, and when he spoke again, his tone softened marginally, sounding like a king offering a generous concession to a peasant. "Corina, it is merely a ceremony. Why must you be so petty and hold a grudge against a dying woman?"
Petty? Holding a grudge?
Corina's gaze drifted past his broad shoulders, looking out toward the distant, brightly lit lawn where the guests were still murmuring, their faces painted with a mix of celebration and nervous anticipation.
/0/26291/coverbig.jpg?v=80c448eae65eb5676ca1dc553e5dee74)
The Substitute Wife: My Poor Husband Is A Billionaire
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
/0/37661/coverbig.jpg?v=59cef53ed5ba1336d4f3fd2d015d64d9)
Goodbye, My Love
Loraine was a dutiful wife to Marco since they got married three years ago. However, he treated her like trash. Nothing she did softened his heart. One day, Loraine got fed up with it all. She asked him for a divorce and left him to enjoy with his mistress. The elites looked at her like she was deranged. "Are you out of your mind? Why are you so willing to divorce him?" "It's because I need to return home to get a billion-dollar fortune. Besides, I don't love him anymore," Loraine replied with a smile. They all laughed at her. Some believed that the divorce affected her mentally. It wasn't until the next day that they realized she wasn't fibbing. A woman was suddenly declared the world's youngest female billionaire. It turned out to be Loraine! Marco was shocked to the bone. When he met his ex-wife again, she was a changed person. A group of handsome young men surrounded her. She was smiling at them all. The sight made Marco's heart ache severely. Putting his pride aside, he tried to win her back. "Hello, love. I see that you are a billionaire now. You shouldn't be with suckers who just want your money. How about you come back to me? I'm a billionaire too. Together, we can build a strong empire. What do you say?" Loraine squinted at her ex-husband with her lips curled in disgust.
/0/25419/coverbig.jpg?v=94133fe2e1aef8d116061d52af9510a5)
Contracted
"Are you here to sell yourself or is there something else I can help you with?" she asked. "Mistress, I would like to sell myself for three months please." Read as he sells himself as a slave under a contract... The story may get more and more intense!
/0/41546/coverbig.jpg?v=656c2255c57d70c8f7db612815a9a9d6)
Contracted Billionaire
Jason Lewis was born into a poor family of four who has always lived from hand to mouth. His mother works as a cook in a small noodle shop, his father works as a truck driver and his older sister Rachel is a university student working two part-time jobs. He entered the biggest high school through sc
/1/105473/coverbig.jpg?v=61cd9dad291b459d3b17ab76816afd93)
Alpha Damien's Contracted Luna
"They say marriage is a big gamble, and I bet on the wrong man." *** Victoria Solace was a once beloved Alpha daughter of the Palemane Claws Pack and an heiress to a renowned perfume empire. After her dad died, she married her long-time crush, Elijah Arison, making him a powerful Alpha instead of be
/1/114770/coverbig.jpg?v=993c415e7b27a8b865b605cff4f0e495)
CONTRACTED TO HATE
Three years. One contract. Zero love. Ruby Andre-White and Joshua White have perfected the art of deception. To the world, they are the golden couple, elegant, powerful, untouchable. A marriage forged between two empires, built to last. But behind closed doors, their reality is far colder. Separat
/0/22226/coverbig.jpg?v=9e4c618d612c2234ee2bea3ed85378d6)
Mafia's Contracted Love
Autumn Emerson was the Queen of the Shadow Mafia, inherited from her father. She was twenty-five years old and ruling a gang was a huge achievement for Autumn. However, there were some haunted memories linking between her fingers and a trigger of a gun. Meanwhile, Ian Beckett was the King of the Si
/0/63605/coverbig.jpg?v=9797e9694099f3e4cc63ff6bf3831222)
Contracted Billionaire wife
Abigail Walker's life is turned upside down when she's forced to become Sebastian Alexander's contracted bride. The condition: her brother's life will be spared after he stole a huge sum of money from Sebastian's company which was used to treat their dying father. With no choice, Abigail agrees, ent
/0/63114/coverbig.jpg?v=f71eb0c2dd076357a5fdfd481bdbb318)
THE CONTRACTED MATE
Rejected by her mate due to a curse, shunned by the pack, and treated like filth by her mother, Kaida decides to flee from the house and the pack, but unfortunately she is attacked by wild wolves. Just when it seems like all hope is lost, Alpha Ryder of Riverside Pack rescues her and takes her back
/0/47943/coverbig.jpg?v=dbb776bdc26b3e7fca435af4172fd462)
The Billionaire Contracted Bride
In"The Billionaire Contracted Bride," struggling artist Emma Thompson ends up at a junction, frantic to save her family home from dispossession. At the point when strong tycoon Alexander Sterling proposes a marriage of comfort, it seems like the ideal arrangement. Nonetheless, their plan tests the l
/0/24923/coverbig.jpg?v=315783ff264edb3a9b4523bb8f7adaff)
The Billionaire Contracted Wife
For how long can you be able to keep a promise? In a moment, days, weeks, months, or lifetime? What if you can no longer remember those promises that you were making? But what if fulfilling those forgotten promises is already impossible, would you mind attempting to risk it once more? Cayne, a s
/0/23376/coverbig.jpg?v=7396535497730fa2167bb39864eed3d7)
CONTRACTED TO THE CEO
Xavien Caruso has been designed to drive any woman beyond seven sensations of pleasure. He is powerful and elegant. He is drawn to danger and will dangle his fingers in everything that is forbidden. This billionaire bad boy might have you on his speed dial, but you will never capture his heart. Me
/0/57194/coverbig.jpg?v=20240817121110)
Cursed Alpha's Contracted Mate
“I, Alpha Hayder, of Eclipse Moon Pack, reject you as my mate!” He spat each word angrily and dragged me outside as the sounds of hundreds of hair uprooting from my scalp made me cry loudly…"Fucking accept it! " He roared. "I, Isla, accept...your...rejection. "I struggled to run away from him but he
/0/51044/coverbig.jpg?v=2215dc108e529dee4058cdc67e1e6bb5)
Mr. President Contracted Marriage
"Are you that heartless? Why would you want to destroy my brother's life for your selfish purposes?" Violet asked, tears flowing freely on her cheek. "Heartless? I can say that about you too! I have to watch my son deteriorate because he thinks you are his mother! Do you think I want to marry you in
/1/110779/coverbig.jpg?v=4e5c02be9e578c85ca8aa1d8f126cc62)
Mr Ceo Contracted Wife
Twenty three years Lisa, has it all brains, beauty and a thriving career as an interior designer. What she doesn't have is any interest in marriage, especially not to Thomas Nicklson, Her family's arrogant business partner's son. She would rather stay single forever than be shackled to him. To es
/0/26038/coverbig.jpg?v=a5e34db8934b12a66f6205503a95e773)
CONTRACTED TO THE BILLIONAIRE.
"You must marry him!" "Well, it's not like you are in a relationship in someone else at the moment and even if you are in a relationship, you have no choice because this could be a tremendous breakthrough for our family" her tone soft but they only formulate mean words. "This could be our chance
/0/79670/coverbig.jpg?v=b67a0de0ae7715282cd89cc905ffbb98)
The billionaire's contracted wife
Lena Wellington's life takes a very devastating turn when she is betrayed by her boyfriend and tricked into a one-night stand with billionaire Carson O'Connell. Struggling with feelings of being betrayed and the overwhelming burden of her mother's life-saving surgery, Lena finds herself backed into
/0/22912/coverbig.jpg?v=90c1c26a4cf0116f5646e5b8ad3a0338)
The Billionaire's Contracted Wife
A fake marriage, whirls into a true love. Will you marry a rich, handsome and certified playboy?? No, Stella did not want that either but when the billionaire mogul, Parker Morgan, proposes a marriage and a million dollars to Stella, a simple and independent girl, who wants to own a fashion house i
/0/42174/coverbig.jpg?v=9d407d5e48de34fdfd21c4ccd6fc9194)
The CEO's Contracted Wife
Warning! Mature scene explicit [R+18] When the time I had nowhere to go because I had lost everything, he came. He showed me and made me feel the things I missed early on. He gave me the ones I had never tried and experienced. But the person I thought I could trust completely was just another pois
/1/101666/coverbig.jpg?v=a7e3b8cc2fdbc9777d37e09a3c2beb7e)
The Contracted Unloved Luna
"You're nothing to me other than a reminder of what your father did to me!" In order to save her pack, Claire agreed to her contract marriage with a powerful Alpha she has never met. Although it was an arrangement between their packs, she was determined to make her marriage work except that her n
/0/48813/coverbig.jpg?v=0ebdf96b31fafd7b6b2ba1b52dadf2f9)
His Contracted Love
Synopsis "And now you may kiss the bride," her eyes widens as wide as it could and her heart beats with loudest scream. "You won't kiss me, will you? You told we would do everything in limits," she mumbles in a low voice. "I understand my rules better," he said and pecked her in her cheeks. It i
/0/86081/coverbig.jpg?v=0eb4c3e8748b7db150ef7853c4383226)
HIS CONTRACTED OBSESSION
When Camille Aragon signs a shadowy contract to pose as the fiancée of Damien Laurent-Europe's most feared and desired billionaire-she expects a transaction built on luxury and lies. What she doesn't expect is to confront the brutal past she fought to bury... or to meet a man who sees through every
