MARRIED TO MY BILLIONAIRE ENEMY

Jenny Kate had trained herself not to think too much about the past. Thinking only brought pain, and pain did not pay bills. London had taught her that lesson quickly. Her small apartment was quiet that morning, the kind of quiet that made her thoughts louder than usual. She was standing by the window, staring at the grey sky, when she noticed an envelope lying on the floor near her door. It was different from her usual mail. Thicker. Cleaner. Expensive. She bent down and picked it up. The name printed at the top made her heart stop. Frederick Global Holdings. Her fingers tightened around the envelope as old memories rushed back—memories she had buried deep. Hospital corridors. Unpaid loans. Her father’s tired face. His death. And one name that followed all of it. Stephen Frederick. She sat down slowly, her knees suddenly weak. For years, she had blamed him for everything that went wrong in her life. His company had taken over contracts meant for her father’s firm. His influence had pushed her family business into collapse. Her father never recovered from the stress. Jenny had sworn she would never cross paths with him again. Yet here he was, summoning her like her life still belonged to him. The building of Frederick Global Holdings was just as she imagined—tall, cold, and powerful. As the elevator moved up, her chest felt heavy. She reminded herself to stay strong. She would not cry. She would not beg. The boardroom was quiet when she entered. She sat down and waited, her hands resting on her lap, her mind racing with unanswered questions. Then the door opened. Stephen Frederick walked in. For a moment, time slowed. He was taller than she remembered, his presence filling the room without effort. His face was calm, but his eyes told a different story—one she couldn’t read. Their eyes met, and something passed between them. Recognition. Tension. Pain. He broke the silence first. “Jenny Kate.” The sound of her name from his lips stirred anger inside her. “Stephen Frederick,” she replied, her voice controlled. They sat across from each other like enemies at war. “You know why you’re here,” he said. “Yes,” she answered. “Because you enjoy reminding me of what I lost.” “That’s not why,” he said. He explained her financial situation slowly, carefully—how the debts were growing, how legal actions were already being prepared, how her father’s company would soon be erased completely. Each word felt like another wound opening. When he finished, she looked at him with burning eyes. “You took everything from me,” she said quietly. “And now you want to watch me lose what little I have left.” Stephen stood up, his hands resting on the table. “I didn’t come here to hurt you.” “Then why?” she asked. He hesitated, and that hesitation scared her. “I’m offering you a way out,” he finally said. She laughed bitterly. “At what cost?” He looked at her, serious and steady. “Marriage.” The room felt smaller. “Not love,” he added quickly. “A contract. A legal agreement. It will protect you, your company, and your future.” Jenny stood up, her heart pounding. “You expect me to marry the man I hate?” “I expect you to survive,” he replied. She shook her head. “I would rather lose everything.” Stephen’s voice softened. “You say that now. But when the truth comes out, you’ll wish you listened.” “What truth?” she demanded. He looked away. And that silence told her the story was far from over. As Jenny walked out of the room, her legs trembling, one thing was clear— The man she hated most had just tied her future to his. And whether she liked it or not, Stephen Frederick was about to become a permanent part of her life.