To obey his grandfather’s order, the playboy tycoon Seth Cohen had to marry the socialite and sole heiress Evonne Largent. They tied the knot and lived together under a loveless matrimony. She was obliged to marry the hottest CEO, Seth Cohen, to save their fallen business empire after her father fell into compulsive gambling, driving them to the verge of bankruptcy. Seth had no plan of getting entangled with his stunning and sexy wife, but every time he glanced at her, his body throbs, and he was drawn away. Evonne will do everything to stay away from him and pretend she’s not affected by the oozing sex appeal of her hot billionaire husband; however, her heart beats faster every time he is around. **** She saw the muscles move in his jaw, and she knew he was pissed. “Care to explain? Make sure it’s believable.” Seth’s voice carried a hot temper. There was a picture of her dancing on the tabletop, and Toby beside her was shirtless while Sally poured beer bottoms up straight to their mouths. “What’s there to explain?” “You’re married now,” He growled at her, throwing sharp glances. “Miss me with that bullshit.” She stood up and barely contained her anger. “There is a certain public image that needs to be maintained. You need to understand that.” He muttered sternly. “Oh please, I’m not going to stand here drinking the dirty water you give me as you indulge yourself in the purest of wines.”

Chapter 1 : The Unfortunate Wedding Day

The sun beat down mercilessly upon the bustling city, casting its golden rays upon the high-rise buildings and the gleaming expensive cars that lined the streets. This was the world of the rich and famous, where success and power were everything, and the trappings of wealth were fully displayed.

“By the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Cohen….” The words of the affable judge were cut short as Seth abruptly walked away. She offered a sheepish grin to the judge and took hold of the marriage certificate, hurrying to catch up with her newlywed husband. She knew that he would leave her behind if she were even a moment late.

Evonne and Seth went to a small courthouse on the city outskirts to get their marriage certificate. In today's world, people saw them as a successful couple. They had great careers and lived a luxurious life. But, despite all their achievements and different lifestyles, Seth's grandpa felt like something was missing in his beloved grandchild's life – a family and someone to carry on the family name. So, he convinced them to get married to fill that gap. Now, they were officially married and part of a wealthy group of people who lived a life of luxury and wealth.

The ride home was quiet, and they both felt tense. Even though they were now married, they didn't really know each other well. They were trying to fit into a society where how things looked was important, and the real feelings were hidden beneath a fancy surface.

The driver, with impeccable manners, respectfully opened the door for her, and she stepped inside the luxurious vehicle. She placed the certificate between them, hoping that it would spark some conversation. However, her hopes were soon dashed as she was met with a piercing glare from Seth. She had never before encountered such a cold and hateful gaze. Her heart skipped a beat, and tears threatened to spill over, but she remained strong. Why was she allowing herself to feel so vulnerable in front of this man? Taking a deep breath, Evonne closed her eyes and turned her gaze towards the window, watching the world pass by.

The journey home was an uncomfortable one, with an air of tension between the newlyweds. Evonne longed to close her eyes and sleep, but she was unable to do so. Why did they have to travel so far to obtain the certificate and rings?

The least Seth could have done was purchase proper rings instead of these cheap, coated bands they had impulsively bought from a questionable vendor outside the courthouse. Seth’s reasoning was that Evonne did not deserve to wear his late grandmother’s ring, as it would have dishonored her memory. Evonne quietly removed her ring, hoping that Seth would not notice. They still had another half hour until they arrived home. Evonne understood that Seth was trying to avoid attracting the attention of the paparazzi, but this was just too much.

She was jolted from her thoughts by the sound of his voice, speaking in Italian with a tone that suggested he was not pleased. Evonne’s gaze was drawn to his hand as she noticed he had removed his ring and rolled up his sleeves, eliciting a reaction from her inner goddess. She quickly looked away, attempting to compose herself.

“Cyrus, take me to the office,” He instructed, ending the call.

Evonne felt a surge of disappointment, and she couldn’t help but voice her thoughts. “But today is our wedding night...”

He looked at her with a mixture of disbelief and annoyance. “And?”

“I thought we would spend the evening together, have dinner….”

“Don’t be absurd. Haven’t you already achieved what you wanted? A marriage without a prenuptial agreement. Don’t ask for more.”

His cold and dismissive response left her feeling deflated.

Cyrus had already pulled into the parking. He got out of the car to open the door for his boss.

“Return the car to me before you go home,” he instructed.

Cyrus nodded silently in response.

Evonne was overwhelmed by a mixture of emotions, but she decided that a glass of wine and some ice cream would help soothe her. She may even bake herself a cake to drown her sorrows.

A few minutes later, the car pulled up to the driveway of their new home. Cyrus parked directly in front of the door and remained in the car, waiting for her to step out. Usually, he wouldn’t show such behavior in front of his boss, but Evonne was too tired to care about the driver's attitude towards her. After all, servants had seen how their master treated her, and as a daughter from a fallen business empire, she had no power or respect.

Evonne let out a sigh as she made her way out of the car, grabbing her ring and marriage certificate along the way. She trudged up to her bedroom, heading straight for the shower. She scrubbed her body clean, removing all traces of makeup and any dirt that had accumulated in her hair. When she felt sufficiently clean, she stepped out of the shower, dried herself, styled her hair into a messy bun, and donned a cozy bunny onesie. She then applied a green face mask, gifted to her by her aunt, to improve the texture of her skin. Finally, she went downstairs to appease her hunger and soothe her soul.

Evonne was pleased to find that the household staff had retired for the evening. She made her way to the freezer, eager to indulge in her favorite treat of ice cream.

After taking a satisfying scoop, she perused the wine cabinet, selecting a bottle with a foreign name. Then, she returned to the kitchen, considering whether or not to bake a cake to accompany her ice cream and wine. “Should I bake or not?”

Finally, she decided to turn on some music and hop onto the counter while she enjoyed her dessert.

“Why not bake a cake with my wine and ice cream? All three of my favorite things combined. I got excited just thinking about it.” Suddenly, inspiration struck, and she decided to bake a cake with her wine and ice cream.

The thought of combining three of her favorite things sent her into a frenzy of excitement. She quickly got to work, using wine instead of milk in the batter and making a bit of a mess in the kitchen. Before long, her creation was in the oven, and she couldn’t wait to try it.

Evonne felt a rush of excitement as she swayed to the sounds of Troye Sivan, busily tidying up her surroundings. She set a twenty-five-minute timer and worked quickly to get everything in order. Once the cleaning was complete, she had just twelve minutes until her cake would be ready. Silencing the music on her phone, Evonne treated herself to one final scoop of ice cream before returning it to the freezer.