Forever In Chains
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.
Forever In Chains
NOTICE: THIS BOOK CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT. 🔞 Isabella life changes when she takes her cousin place at her wedding with a multi billionaire Leonard Smith who is known for being aggressive towards everything. When Leonard saw Isabella was the he is getting to he was angry because she didn't meet his
Tangled in His chains
The city of Ravenwood had always felt off, it's like a place between heaven and earth. It was just another modern city-a place of life, work, and fleeting love. But for Kelly B, it was a place she can never escape from, prisons without walls Kelly B never thought that her life would change forever
Love In The Shadow Of Gilded Chains
In the grand halls of the Devereux estate, Claire's life is defined by silence and duty. As the daughter of one of the family maids, she moves unseen among the opulence that feels worlds away. But beneath her quiet exterior lies a heart that dreams of freedom-and of a love that seems impossible. A
Unbroken Chains
She was weak, shattered by life's cruel hand. He was ruthless, the kind of man who took what he wanted, no questions asked. When their worlds collided, she became his prisoner in more ways than one. But what happens when a fragile woman, bound by fate and a contract, discovers the power within her t
Crimson Chains: Love In The Shadows
In a city where secrets are power and betrayal lurks in every shadow, Naya Cruz walks a dangerous line. By day, she's a struggling tech genius. By night, she's the elusive hacker Cipher, exposing corruption and toppling crime lords from behind her screen. But when a job goes wrong, she finds herself
Twisted Chains
Damien Vale is a predator in a world of the privileged and powerful. At Ravenwood Academy, where wealth and influence dictate survival, he is king-a cruel, untouchable force no one dares defy. Until Ivy Monroe. She's the new girl, a scholarship student who doesn't belong in his world. She should'v
VELVET CHAINS
He's power. She's a secret. And someone's playing them both. When Isabella Reyes takes a job inside the glass towers of Langford Holdings, she expects paperwork, not passion. But Grayson Langford, the brooding billionaire heir with a dangerous past, sees straight through her polished facade. One s
Velvet Chains
The room smelled like jasmine and secrets. Alina's eyes blinked open, dazed and dry, the silk sheets soft against her bare skin. She tried to move, but her wrists tugged gently against restraints-not metal, but velvet. A sound-a sigh, maybe a whisper-slipped past her lips before her memories could
Forever
"You must be punished, Eleanor." He rasped, his deep rich voice sending tingles down her spine. Pulling her away from the wall, he hoisted her up on his shoulder. A squeal of horror escaped her lips as she immediately clutched his shirt from back in her tiny fists, eyes looking at the floor in terro
From Chains To Crown
I, Damien, reject the pregnancy. I'm not responsible for it. She sleeps with the guards."Emily, a slave bound to the ruthless Prince Damien of Opsia, is left to die after becoming pregnant a crime punishable by death.Betrayed. Humiliated. Condemned. Her fate seems sealed.Until another prince steps
Chains Of His Empire
Julian Thorne is a man of absolute control. As the ruthless CEO of a global empire, he has built his life on power, wealth, and emotional distance. When he discovers that struggling artist Elara Vance's family gallery sits on valuable real estate, he sees an opportunity for revenge against a rival c
Velvet chains of winter
Elara Snowe's world is a gilded cage. Trapped under the control of her manipulative stepmother and jealous stepsister, she dreams of freedom and safety-though she doesn't know it can come from an unexpected place. Kael Arden Blackwood, a brilliant but emotionally distant CEO, has mastered the art of
Chains of marriage
PROLONG Have you ever been sold to a marriage of a lifetime.....to a very rich and promising man that you dont love well you're about to hear about my miserable story my name is Maya Roberts before i got married and i became Maya George, i lost my dad at a very young age and my mom raised me a si
Chains of Deception
Amanda Holson never imagined that a chance encounter with the enigmatic billionaire Leonardo Castelli would change her life forever. When Leonardo proposes a contract marriage to solve his dangerous personal and business challenges, Amanda is thrust into a world of luxury, lies, and lethal secrets.
Chains of Fate
Alessia Rizzo's life of privilege crumbled when her father's death left her under the cruel rule of her stepbrother, Leonardo. Reduced to a maid in her own home, she clung to the promise of her inheritance at 25 to escape. But her plans were shattered when Leonardo sold her to settle his debts with
CHAINS OF DESTINY
Kira's first day at a new school is anything but ordinary. As the daughter of an Alpha who abandoned her, she's no stranger to harsh judgments and bullying. But she's determined to keep her head down and focus on her secret life as a top assassin, tasked with taking down rival packs. Her world flips
From chains to crown
I, Damien, reject the pregnancy. I'm not responsible for it. She sleeps with the guards."Emily, a slave bound to the ruthless Prince Damien of Opsia, is left to die after becoming pregnant a crime punishable by death.Betrayed. Humiliated. Condemned. Her fate seems sealed.Until another prince steps
Three Years In Chains, A Lifetime Of Vengeance
Anna took the fall for her husband, Michael, after a car crash and spent three years in prison. After many life-saving acts inside, she was released three months early, eager to surprise him and their daughter. She walked in on Michael kissing her best friend, Sofia, and learned their child had d
Entangled forever.
Mia and her four year old daughter move to London in hopes of having a fresh start. A new job and new place will help Mia forget the pain and heartbreak she has endured for the last five years. Little did she know the equal opposite was waiting for her.
Yours Forever
She played with her fingers having no idea of what was going on, the man suddenly looked up and she raised her brow because she couldn't see his face. “Strip.” His deep voice said and she frowned. “Excuse me?” “I don't like to repeat myself.” “Well, I don't like to strip.” She said back and s
