The Billionaire Stolen Bride

The rain had been falling for three hours. Amelia Hart stood outside the glass doors of Hart & Co., staring at the darkened office beyond them. The lights were off. The employees were gone. And tomorrow, the bank would come for everything. She tightened her grip around the folder in her hands and swallowed the lump in her throat. Her family's company had existed for thirty years. Her father had built it from nothing, working late nights and sacrificing everything to turn a small construction business into one of the most respected companies in the city. Now, it was dying. And Amelia had no idea how to save it. Her phone vibrated. She looked down. Dad. She answered immediately. "Hello?" There was silence on the other end. "Dad?" His voice finally came, weak and exhausted. "Amelia, come home." Her heart sank. "I'll be there." She ended the call and looked once more at the empty office. She had spent the entire day meeting lawyers, bankers, and investors. Everyone had the same answer. The company was finished. Unless someone paid the debt by tomorrow morning. And that someone would have to find nearly two million dollars. Money Amelia didn't have. She stepped into the rain. By the time she reached home, her dress was damp and her hair was sticking to her face. She opened the front door. Her father was sitting alone in the living room. The man who had once seemed invincible now looked years older. "You're here," he said. Amelia slowly sat beside him. "What happened?" He looked at her for a long moment. "I received a proposal." "A business proposal?" He shook his head. "No." Amelia frowned. "Then what kind?" Her father pushed an envelope across the table. She stared at it. There was a name printed in black letters. BLACKWOOD EMPIRE. Amelia's stomach tightened. Everyone knew the Blackwoods. They were one of the richest families in the country. And at the center of their empire was Adrian Blackwood. Thirty years old. Billionaire. CEO. Cold. Ruthless. Untouchable. There were hundreds of stories about him in the newspapers, although most people who knew him personally refused to speak about him. Amelia looked at her father. "Why is Blackwood Empire contacting us?" Her father didn't answer. Instead, he whispered, "They want you to marry Adrian Blackwood." Amelia thought she had heard him incorrectly. "What?" "They will pay the company's debt." She stared at him. "You want me to marry a stranger?" "It's not what I want." "Then why are we talking about it?" "Because we're out of options." Amelia stood abruptly. "No." Her father closed his eyes. "Amelia—" "No." She pushed the envelope away. "I don't care how much money they have. I'm not marrying some billionaire I've never met just because our company is failing." Her father's expression broke her anger. "I'm sorry." Amelia froze. "I should never have put you in this position," he continued. "But I don't know what else to do." She sat down again. Her father reached for her hand. "The agreement is only for one year." "One year?" "After that, the marriage can end." Amelia stared at the envelope. "What does he get?" Her father hesitated. "Adrian needs a wife." "Why?" "I don't know everything. His family has some inheritance arrangement. Apparently, he has to be married before a certain date." "So he wants to buy a wife." Her father looked away. "Apparently." Amelia laughed bitterly. "This is insane." "I know." She picked up the envelope. Her fingers trembled slightly as she opened it. Inside was a contract. One year. No public scandal. No divorce before the agreed period. No interference in business matters. And one final condition. Neither party was required to love the other. Amelia's eyes stopped on that sentence. She almost laughed again. As if love could simply be written out of a contract. Then she saw the payment amount. Enough to clear every debt. Enough to save the company. Enough to give her father his life back. Her chest tightened. "How long do I have to decide?" "Tonight." Amelia looked up sharply. "Tonight?" Her father nodded. "Adrian's people are waiting." She stared at him. Somewhere in the city, a billionaire she had never met was waiting for her answer. Her phone suddenly rang. Unknown number. She hesitated before answering. "Hello?" A deep male voice came through the phone. "Amelia Hart?" Her heart began beating faster. "Yes." "This is Adrian Blackwood." Silence. She had expected many things. She hadn't expected his voice to sound like that. Calm. Controlled. Dangerously confident. "How did you get my number?" "I get what I need." Amelia's eyebrows lifted. "That's not a very reassuring answer." There was a pause. "You're right." His voice remained emotionless. "Have you read the contract?" "Yes." "And?" "I'm considering it." "Don't." She frowned. "Excuse me?" "Don't consider it emotionally. Consider it as a business transaction." Something about his coldness irritated her. "You seem very comfortable buying people." "I don't buy people." "You're offering to pay millions for me to marry you." "I am offering your family a solution." "My family doesn't need saving by a man who thinks he's better than everyone else." There was silence. For the first time, Amelia wondered if she had gone too far. Then Adrian spoke. "I don't think I'm better than everyone else." "Really?" "I know I am more powerful than most people." Her mouth fell open. The arrogance. She couldn't believe him. "You are unbelievable." "And yet you're still listening." Amelia tightened her grip on the phone. "Why me?" Another silence. This one lasted longer. "Because you're available." She felt a sting of humiliation. "So I'm convenient." "You're suitable." "What's the difference?" "You'll learn." Her jaw tightened. "Mr. Blackwood, if I agree to this, don't expect me to become some obedient little wife." "I don't want an obedient wife." "Then what do you want?" "A woman who understands boundaries." "And what are your boundaries?" "Don't interfere with my business. Don't embarrass me publicly. Don't ask questions about my family." Amelia frowned. "That's a lot of rules." "There is one more." "What?" "Don't fall in love with me." Her heart skipped. For some reason, those words angered her more than anything else. "Don't worry," she replied coldly. "You're not exactly my type." For the first time, she heard something that sounded almost like amusement in his voice. "Good." The call ended. Amelia stared at the phone. She should have been offended. She was. But beneath the anger was something else. Curiosity. Who was Adrian Blackwood really? And why did she have the feeling that marrying him would change her life forever? She looked at her father. His eyes were filled with silent hope. Amelia closed her eyes. She thought about the employees who would lose their jobs. She thought about her father's health. She thought about the company he had spent his entire life building. Then she picked up the contract. Her hand stopped over the signature line. "This is only for one year," she whispered. Her father nodded. "One year." Amelia signed. She didn't know that at that exact moment, Adrian Blackwood was standing in the top-floor office of Blackwood Tower, looking at a photograph of her. He had already known far more about Amelia Hart than she realized. He knew about her family. Her education. Her habits. Her strengths. Her weaknesses. And most importantly— He knew a secret about her past. A secret Amelia herself had never been told. Adrian placed the photograph back on his desk. His expression remained cold. "Prepare the wedding." His assistant nodded. "When?" Adrian looked toward the city lights. "Three days." Three days later, Amelia Hart would become Mrs. Adrian Blackwood. And neither of them knew that their carefully planned contract marriage was about to uncover a secret capable of destroying both their families.