Arranged to the devil
His Unwanted Wife, The Hidden Genius
I flew back to New York on my twenty-fifth birthday, carrying vintage gold cufflinks I spent weeks finding for my billionaire husband, Declan. But when I walked into our townhouse, I found him throwing a massive victory party with Sloane, a glamorous socialite, standing by his side as the proud hostess. "Don't cause a scene. Go upstairs." Declan coldly dismissed me in front of his guests. Even Poppy, the rookie player whose shattered ankle I had painstakingly rebuilt, rolled her eyes and ignored me to suck up to Sloane. Hiding in the shadows, I heard the maids gossiping that everyone thought Sloane was the future Mrs. Hartford. To make matters worse, I discovered Sloane had stolen my anonymous, groundbreaking medical algorithm and was planning to present it as her own. First my husband, then the girl I mentored like family, and now the scientific foundation I had built with my own hands. Declan even texted me to cancel our birthday breakfast without a single apology, treating me like an annoying afterthought. My tears vanished, replaced by a freezing clarity. I signed the divorce papers, leaving them on his desk with zero demands for his money. Then I packed my bags, booked a one-way ticket to Boston, and prepared to destroy them on the global stage.
Chapter 1
Aurelia Vance POV:
I had been married to Declan Hartford for three years.
Today was my twenty-fifth birthday, and I had flown back from Boston in secret, hoping for one quiet evening with my husband.
I'd spent a week carefully picking out a pair of gold cufflinks as a gift for my husband.
But the laughter spilling from the front door told me I was already too late: the woman who had taken my place at his side was already inside.
The heavy oak door swung open before I reached the porch. Three young players from the New York Titans, Declan's NHL franchise, stumbled out with crystal tumblers of scotch, laughing loudly. They barely glanced at me as they passed.
I stepped into the grand foyer. The heat hit me instantly,expensive champagne, roasted tenderloin, cigar smoke.
Dozens of people filled the double parlor: executives, scouts, wives in designer dresses.
In the center stood Declan, tall and broad in a bespoke charcoal suit. Beside him, laughing into his ear, was Sloane Whitfield, her backless silver dress catching the chandelier light. Her hand rested on his forearm like she belonged there.
Before I could take another breath, a blur of blonde hair darted past my elbow.
"Sloane!" Poppy Delacroix cried, throwing her arms around Sloane's slender waist. "You were completely right about the catering! This is literally the best victory party the team has ever had!"
Poppy is fourteen, a junior elite forward prospect.
I scouted her two years ago from a crumbling youth league, back when she was at her lowest.
Her parents had once shown me great kindness, and I knew they had already passed away, leaving her all alone in the world.
Declan and I adopted her together.
I rebuilt her shattered ankle with a custom rehabilitation plan.
I had always loved and cared for her as both a mother and a sister.
Now, she did not even glance in my direction.
Declan turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the crowd until his eyes locked onto mine. The easy grin on his sharp jaw vanished instantly. His brows drew together in a hard, irritated line.
He excused himself from Sloane, cutting through the throng of players with long, impatient strides.
"Aurelia," Declan said, stopping two feet in front of me. His voice carried zero warmth. "What are you doing here?"
My throat felt like sandpaper.
"I took the four o'clock flight from Boston," I whispered, clutching the strap of my bag until my knuckles turned white. "It is my birthday, Declan. I thought we could—"
"We are celebrating the division win," he cut in, his tone sharp enough to draw blood. "The board is here. The sponsors are here. Sloane spent four consecutive days coordinating this event so the organization could project stability."
He did not look at me. His gaze slid past my shoulder to the bar, like I was a waitress who had wandered into the wrong room.
"Don't cause a scene," he added quietly. "Go upstairs."
A soft, mocking murmur rippled through a cluster of players' wives standing near the grand staircase. Two women with platinum blowouts exchanged knowing glances over their flutes of Dom Pérignon.
"I didn't know," I said, my voice barely audible over the swelling music. "I am sorry."
I turned toward the staircase, my legs trembling beneath my wool trousers.
Near the landing, Poppy was adjusting her designer jacket in the hallway mirror.
"Poppy," I said softly, pausing beside her. "How is your ankle feeling after Thursday's third period? Did you complete the isometric sequence I sent?"
Poppy rolled her eyes, sighing loudly as she pulled out her phone.
"Aurelia, please, not right now," she muttered without looking at me. "Sloane is introducing me to a marketing director from one of our partners. I don't have time for your spreadsheets."
The dismissive edge in her voice hit me harder than Declan's coldness. I had stayed up until three in the morning reviewing her biomechanical scans while she was recovering from surgery, and now I was just an annoyance in the way of her social ascent.
I walked up the rest of the stairs and entered the primary suite—the massive, sterile bedroom allocated to me under our prenuptial agreement.
I sat on the edge of the mattress and pulled out the velvet box. The gold cufflinks gleamed under the bedside lamp, cold and useless.
Downstairs, cheers erupted. The sound vibrated through the floorboards.
I walked to the French doors overlooking the rear garden. Down on the illuminated patio, Sloane was directing two servers by an ice sculpture. Declan stood beside her, his head bent down as he listened to her speak, his hand casually brushing the small of her back.
They looked like the couple the city expected them to be.
My phone buzzed in my coat pocket. I pulled it out, hoping against hope.
It was an email notification.
"Happy Birthday, Aurelia. Remember that true science requires patience and solitude. You are meant for greater arenas than New York boardrooms. -Dr. Edmund Sterling."
My mentor at Harvard was the only person in the world who had remembered.
I typed a brief "Thank you, Professor" and shut off the screen.
Hours passed. The bass eventually quieted, replaced by the occasional clatter of glassware and slamming car doors. My throat burned with thirst.
At two in the morning, I padded downstairs in my stocking feet to fetch a glass of water from the butler's pantry.
As I rounded the corner near the service hallway, the voices of two newly hired catering maids stopped me dead in my tracks.
"Miss Whitfield is stunning," the first girl whispered, scraping dessert plates into a bin. "Mr. Hartford's girlfriend carries herself like royalty."
"A girlfriend?" the other asked, pausing. "But isn't Mr. Hartford rumored to be married? Is it inappropriate to be this close with Whitfield?"
"Married?Where did that come from? Even if there was one, they must have split long ago. I've worked three events here this month, and Miss Whitfield is the only woman hosting by his side. Everyone knows she's the future Mrs. Hartford."
I shrank back into the cold shadow of the archway, my blood turning to ice.
In the home where I held a legal marriage certificate, my presence had already been wiped clean.
Arranged to the devil
An arranged marriage is bad but what if it's was your highschool jerk and Mr perfect over years and he's the most evil man right now that he's called the devil. "Sapphire, do you fucking get already?". "I do, along the line I gave this marriage a change Anthony but you ruined it and you made me fe
Arranged Marriage To The Devil
"I'll go," Mia spoke. She had been living rough in this mansion. How hard could it be to live in another mansion full of danger? Besides, she knew this would save her father's life. She doesn't want to be selfish like her step-sisters. She wanted to show how she love her father. Even if it will cos
Arranged Marriage To A Mafia Devil
After discovering that her father has used her as collateral, arranging her marriage to Damien, a mafia devil without her knowledge, Aaliyah decides to give love a chance with Damien but then discovers that she is pregnant with the child of her ex-lover, Jason. When Jason decides to come back to m
Arranged To The Alpha
"She has to be at an age range that was close to mine, smart, beautiful, and a virgin" he said looking at his mother whose eyes widened. "Alpha, how are we to find out if she was a virgin or not...?" "I don't care, if I am to marry a human who isn't my mate, then she is to be one who has never been
Sold to the devil
"He didn't marry me for love. He married me to own me." When Amira Monroe is sold off to settle her father's debt, she becomes the unwilling bride of Leonardo Vercetti-ruthless billionaire, mafia boss, and the coldest man she's ever met. Locked away in his golden mansion, Amira is no wife. She's a
Mated To The Devil
A mate? No way. I already have a husband! *** Being a lone wolf, Zezi decided to chose a mate for herself. She ended up with the Beta of her pack and they had a daughter. They were living happily until an Empire of Vampires who were believed to have been wiped out resurfaced and started attacking
Revenge To The Devil
At a young age, she witnessed how her whole family was murdered by a notorious gang leader whom his Dad worked with. She knows nothing about what her Dad's job was. She never forgets his face and wishes one day she'll get revenge on him, who killed her entire family. She was brought into an orphana
MARRY TO THE DEVIL
Lucifer, the powerful man who had lived in the human realm for six thousand years, possessed a face that exuded handsomeness, unaffected by the passage of time. His mere presence struck fear into the hearts of everyone in the village, even the king himself wouldn't dare to meet his gaze. Around 30
Arranged to the Alpha Prince
"I might as well join in the fun since you decided to be a whore Athena. I'm going to see for myself just how much he's taken and have my turn with you. You would like that wouldn't you?" Next thing I knew, my panties were being torn and his tongue immediately latched onto my exposed core. It w
Matched To The Devil
Captivating smile 5ft, 6inches tall, a willowy build and gorgeous translucent skin Janice Sketches was a well-known matchmaker that could solve any problem within seconds. She finds matches to those unable to and was very skilled at it. But, she hadn't found her perfect match. Jules Forrest, a
Chained to the Devil
Clyde Harrison is a ruthless Billionaire who is no less than the devil .He doesn't hesitate to kill a person and make his life hell. His past is full with dark nightmares and pain and he has a secret that no one elses know.Olivia Smith was his one true love but he felt betrayed by her and her fath
VOWS TO THE DEVIL
Born without a wolf, Lyra Ashbourne has spent her life as the shame of her pack-until she's forced to marry Kael Draven, the ruthless Alpha King known only as the Devil. Their marriage was supposed to save a kingdom. Instead, it awakens an ancient war. As betrayal lurks behind every smile and a f
Addicted To The Arranged Bride
She loved the wrong brother... and married the one who would never let her go. After her father's death, Zara Williams's life slowly begins to fall apart. Her family's company is on the verge of bankruptcy, and everything her father worked for is slipping away. The night she discovered her childho
Arranged To Be His
Arranged to be his wrath, possession and lastly his bride. Heira's life changed completely when she was forced to marry a cold hearted billionaire, Dante Moretti. Her father, Charles Arven's reputation is being tarnished as a result of a public scandal. His company was losing investors and also goin
Mated to the devil Alpha
Effortlessly throwing her over his shoulders, Rex kicked the door open and threw her to the bed. His fist connected with the wall and he began to yell while punching it. "You are my mate, Rain!" He yelled "My property!!!". A sly smile spread across Rain's face as she stood up. "You only
MARRIED TO THE BILLIONAIRE DEVIL
"Don't send me away! I promise to do whatever you want. Don't just send me back" Desperate Candy pleaded with the man she knows nothing about. He slowly turn to look at her, his gaze piercing as ever, sending a chill down her spine. Stepping closer, he reached of her chin and raised it up to make h
A BRIDE TO THE DEVIL
{WARNING MATURE CONTENT} She has been trying to run away from him, but he wouldn't let her be the devil wants her but she doesn't want him. """ Serena's life is turned upside down when her pack gets attacked by an unknown enemy and when she thought that matters couldn't get worse she realizes
Sold to the Devil CEO
Desperate to save her family from financial ruin, Lena Carter is forced into a deal she never saw coming-she is sold to the ruthless and enigmatic billionaire, Damien Blackwood. Known as the "Devil CEO", Damien is a man feared in both business and personal affairs, his cold heart as infamous as his
Arranged Marriage To The Billionaire Heir
Elena never planned on marrying a stranger, especially not someone engaged to her sister. But when her sister disappears days before the wedding, Elena is forced into an arrangement she never agreed to, with a man she knew nothing about. Nathaniel Sinclair, billionaire heir with his dreamy looks and
