Woke Up Engaged To My Rival

I spent seven years as the secret benefactor of the man I loved, waiting for the day he would finally acknowledge our relationship. I traded my sharp business suits for a soft silk dress, ready to tell the world that the brilliant artist Andre Wilcox was finally mine. But at our anniversary dinner, the truth hit harder than any corporate betrayal. I sat inches away, hidden by a partition, as Andre laughed with his ex-girlfriend. He called me a "suffocating burden" and a "checkbook with legs" that he only tolerated until he became famous. Devastated and drowning in vodka, I stumbled into a nightclub and ran straight into Charls Wiley, my most hated business rival. In a haze of pain and alcohol, I clung to his expensive suit while paparazzi cameras flashed, sobbing that I loved him and begging him not to leave me. He swept me into his arms to escape the scandal, but our getaway ended in a horrific car crash that left us both buried in shattered glass. When I woke up in a hospital suite, the trauma had wiped my memory clean. My brain, unable to process Andre’s cruelty, filled the gaps with the only man who was there when the world went dark. "Charls, darling, you're hurt," I whispered, looking at my sworn enemy with pure, unfiltered adoration. I truly believe the man who tried to destroy my company is my devoted fiancé. My mother and Charls quickly realized that a fake engagement could save our stock prices and seal a fifty-million-dollar merger, so they decided to let the lie live. Now, I’m recovering in the arms of a shark, calling my nemesis "Hubby" while he waits for my memory to return so he can finish the war he started.

Chapters

Chapter 8

Later that evening, the room was quiet. Huldah had ushered the family out, leaving Charls "alone time" with his "fiancée."

Charls sat in the uncomfortable hospital chair, scrolling through emails on his phone with one hand.

"You're working," Eve stated. It wasn't an accusation, just an observation.

"Someone has to pay for this private suite," Charls muttered without looking up.

"You're so responsible," Eve sighed dreamily.

Charls paused. He looked at her. "Eve, stop. You don't have to do... this."

"Do what?"

"Act like I'm a hero. I'm Charls Wiley. I tried to hostile takeover your company three months ago."

Eve waved a hand dismissively. "Foreplay."

Charls dropped his phone. "Excuse me?"

"That was just our way of flirting," Eve explained confidently. "We're both alpha personalities. We express passion through conflict. My therapist would say it's unhealthy, but look at us now."

She gestured between them.

Charls stared at her. Her logic was terrifyingly sound, in a twisted way. She had rewritten their entire history to fit her narrative.

"Right," Charls said dryly. "Flirting."

"Charls," Eve's voice turned serious. "Come sit on the bed. Please? You're so far away."

"I'm fine here."

"Please? My head hurts."

The guilt card. She was playing dirty.

Charls groaned and stood up. He walked over and perched awkwardly on the edge of the mattress, leaving a foot of space between them.

"Closer," Eve commanded.

He scooted an inch closer.

Eve reached out and rested her head on his good shoulder. She let out a long, contented sigh.

Charls stiffened. His muscles were tense, ready to bolt. But she smelled like vanilla and antiseptic. Her hair tickled his neck. Her weight against him felt... grounding.

"I was so scared," Eve whispered. "When I woke up and didn't know where I was... I was terrified. Until I saw you."

Charls felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He was lying to her. He was using her.

"Eve..." he started, his voice softer.

"I know I'm difficult," she continued. "I know I work too much. But I promise, I'm going to be a better wife. I'm going to make you happy."

She looked up at him, her eyes searching his face.

Charls looked into those brown eyes. He saw honesty there. Vulnerability. Things Eve Franks never showed the world.

He realized then that he didn't know her at all. He knew the CEO. He didn't know the woman.

"You're not difficult," Charls found himself saying. "You're... impressive."

Eve smiled. "Kiss me."

Charls panicked. "What?"

"Kiss me. Doctor's orders. To help my memory."

"The doctor definitely did not say that."

"Please?" She pouted.

Charls looked at her lips. They were pale, slightly chapped.

He leaned in slowly. He told himself it was just to keep the cover. Just a peck.

He brushed his lips against hers. It was light, tentative.

Eve hummed and pressed into him, deepening the kiss.

A shockwave went through Charls. It wasn't cold. It wasn't calculated. It was electric. Her lips were soft, yielding.

He pulled back abruptly, breathless. His heart was pounding.

Eve kept her eyes closed, a smile playing on her lips. "See? I told you we had chemistry."

Charls stared at her, terrified. Because she was right.

Continue to next part

Two minutes before midnight on the eve of my wedding, my phone buzzed. I expected a sweet text from my groom, Liam. Instead, I received a photo of him with his lips inches from another woman's neck. The caption read: "He's celebrating his last night of freedom. Are you sure you want to be the jailer?" I didn't scream. I didn't cancel the wedding. I walked down the aisle the next morning and looked at his handsome face. I saw the scratch on his wrist—a souvenir from his mistress, Ava. Later, I overheard him tell his best man that I was just the "safe bet," a boring broodmare to provide an heir while he had fun with her. He thought I was a naive girl who believed in fairy tales. He thought he had secured his perfect life when I said, "I do." But he was wrong. When I discovered I was pregnant a few days later, I didn't celebrate. I realized this baby wasn't a blessing; it was a lock on my cage. Liam wanted a dynasty? He wanted a legacy? I looked at the positive test in my hand and made a cold, hard choice. I wasn't going to just leave him. I was going to destroy him. I wiped my tears, packed my documents, and prepared to burn his entire world to ash. The war had just begun.

Action Modern Romance

7.1

From Lies to Love: My Rival Husband

7.1

She needed a husband. He needed a wife. Neither expected to find each other at the end of the aisle. Mia Cross is a rising CEO with everything under control except her traditional family, who demands she marry before the year is out. Out of desperation, she invents the perfect boyfriend. But when her family insists on meeting him, her lie threatens to explode. Liam Wolfe, her infuriating rival from a competing firm. He's ruthless, arrogant, and entirely too handsome for his own good. But he needs a "wife" to secure the business deal of his life. Their solution? A marriage of convenience. The rules are simple: no love, no real intimacy, and an expiration date set in stone. But when family drama, boardroom battles, and scandalous rumors put their fragile arrangement under fire, Mia and Liam discover that pretending to be in love might be the most dangerous game of all. Because somewhere between fake kisses and staged smiles, the lines are blurring. And the hardest rule of all to keep might be the one that forbids falling in love. Will their marriage remain a lie... or become the truest thing they've ever known?

Action Modern Romance

9.1

Mr. Mafia's Obsession: His Darkest Desire

9.1

Elena’s life shatters when she is forced into a dangerous arrangement with Dante, a ruthless and powerful mafia boss. Trapped in his shadow, she must navigate a world of violence and secrets while he becomes increasingly obsessed with her. As Dante’s dark desires consume him, Elena struggles to survive his possessive grip. Their volatile connection blurs the line between fear and passion, leading to a high-stakes game of loyalty and betrayal.

Action Mafia Romance

9.2

My Alpha Made Me Rescue His Mistress Instead

9.2

Forced into a perilous rescue mission by her own mate, a rejected werewolf female must save the very woman who replaced her in his heart. As an Alpha, he prioritizes his mistress over their sacred bond, pushing his true mate into a deadly confrontation. This heart-wrenching journey of betrayal and survival tests her limits as she navigates the cruelty of her pack and the agony of a broken connection in a world ruled by power and instinct.

Action Romance Werewolf

9.7

Rising From Ruin to Build a Trillion-Dollar Empire

9.7

Betrayed by his wife and best friend, once-successful entrepreneur Ethan loses his fortune and dignity. Left in poverty, he discovers a hidden family legacy that grants him unprecedented resources. Driven by a thirst for justice, Ethan begins a ruthless climb back to the top. As he dismantles his enemies' lives, he constructs a massive global conglomerate. It is a high-stakes journey of calculated revenge and the birth of a trillion-dollar empire.

Action Billionaire Modern

9.8

Sold for $1 To The Hawthorne Brothers

9.8

Three women, three brothers, a single, crumpled dollar bill. Alina's world shatters the moment she's auctioned off-and claimed by the powerful Hawthorne brothers. Thrown into Adrian Hawthorne's cold, dangerous world, she becomes his to control... his to protect... and, terrifyingly, his to desire. He's ruthless, possessive, and hiding secrets that could destroy them both. But the deeper she falls into his world, the harder it becomes to tell if she's his prisoner-or something far more dangerous. Because the Hawthorne brothers don't just take. They keep. Viviane has spent her life surviving, so when Julian Hawthorne "buys" her freedom, she knows better than to trust it. Men like him don't save people-they collect them. But Julian isn't as simple as he pretends to be, and the deeper she's pulled into his world, the more dangerous it becomes to walk away. Especially when she realizes she might be the only thing he's ever been willing to fight for. Lena doesn't belong to anyone-and she intends to keep it that way. Brilliant, guarded, and hiding more than anyone suspects, she enters Lucien Hawthorne's world on her own terms. But Lucien doesn't play fair, and he doesn't let go. When her past comes crashing back, Lena is forced to face the one thing she's been running from: trusting someone who could destroy her... or save her. Three women. Three choices.Stay. Fight. Or burn it all down. Because being sold was only the beginning.

Action Mafia

Woke Up Engaged To My Rival

Chapter 8

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