but according to our recor

la harder than Danie

fingers tightening around the pen she had used to sign wh

Her voice sounded

"You signed a legally binding marriage cer

red in Isab

rr

o

sn't po

iated her dignity back with cold precision. She h

was

Isabella said carefully. "I

cuments requiring signatures under the surname Hart. A proce

's pulse

file bel

voice answered

o

fr

here as if he had stepped

ntrolled expression. Eyes

werful man

ped into earlier ou

act she must have a

bella said, turning to

dn't waver. "It's a

art po

N

es

-

to be a n

e had been a

as someon

t just

der La

EO whose name dom

to crush competitor

eat rise i

d," Isabella said

ce was

in

ni

liat

aus

dured enough

d at mi

accident

iel fo

ver ran th

t thought e

Sophia before their marri

ph

mile and suspic

alm against her lower

hink ab

't

toni

said calmly, "that ann

terly. "It's a

arriage under state

wasn't ap

s mea

ate

eady calculated

lickered in

ow?" she as

es dar

w wh

would

pa

br

t none

-

ate conference room

s wa

ed d

itne

crossed

pla

tch slowly, deliberately

e a wife,

uth fe

sor

t marry and produce an heir within one year to

carried

we

emp

lla said slowly, "I'd be

kground. No criminal history. No scandals." His gaze s

n burned h

sound like a

way, i

omach

my career to build someone else's dream," she snapped. "An

venly, "you're stron

caught her

ed at hi

you want

blic marriage. Appearances.

in re

nvest in any venture you choose

eath h

ion fli

d everything for

ed it

him take

him repl

red quietly

sing me,"

es

sty stun

se me too," h

erstanding pass

imba

o oppor

someone else

else I trust to s

ed almost

nipul

uldn't

rust you,"

to," he replie

ntract acros

ye

tic obli

confide

ensation beyon

lse po

was i

ited outsid

s smug

fake ba

ng wh

ma

t m

s growing

were pr

eded s

nt

era

watched he

y knew she was

hone

ni

cou

gnore

zzed

a mes

. Sophia isn't feeling w

nails dug i

cause

ever

iced her expr

band?"

es

lieves you b

ent wasn't

kered in Alex

bt

re

unexpected trem

anything about

underesti

deeper than

it," Alexander

an down h

't an emp

eant

since the divorce, sh

ne buzz

ime fr

dy? I just saw Daniel stor

rtbeat

e," she w

stood im

decide

ind r

iel sa

twist t

humiliate

wor

ia w

e year?" Isa

es

n we wal

you

es hel

ea

te

fering her not

a we

delibe

si

er didn

in his expre

he Laurent fa

handle

e echoed down

abe

la

his hand at the s

a

ses

eath c

y," he m

-

rough a privat

dy waiting near a sle

g felt co

an

Isabella accused qu

rything," Alex

e grew louder

abe

tu

here

ath

gr

bla

en he saw Alexander

l is this?" D

expression t

even

d him, starin

you doing

auda

fted h

lea

aniel scoffed

became

le

te

un

ace draine

s not

not a

d him, clutching her

?" she whispered, eyes wide

ition

ur

we

ne

rtun

ashed acros

said to Isabella, stepping

e correct

w?" he

ened the car

Daniel's gaze without flinch

d into

door

rozen on the c

chi

walked around

ng in, Alexa

s met D

ent w

ration

entered

gine p

-Royce pu

silence stretc

a stare

art is

ad she

broke th

thing else yo

mach ti

ha

d a medical examination

through h

do you

thin thirty days,

nstinctively to

swal

lready be

slowed a

urned towar

," he sai

es

it m

eath s

e the

e sid

taring at the

illed not

ething far m

izat

susp

rt

proposes a one-year contract marriage to secure his inheritance. Tempted by power and revenge, Isabella agrees-just as Daniel witnesses h