Married To My Anonymous Enemy

Opening Hook "You're under arrest". Those were the first words Ruby had rehearsed over and over for the man known only as Smoke. Instead her first words she actually said to him were ...... "I do". She had no idea that the stranger placing a wedding ring on her fingers was the same man she had spent five years hunting. And he intended to keep it that way . Chapter 1 Ruby's Pov "Dad, are you actually serious?" Ruby’s voice trembled, shock writing itself across every feature of her face. She stared at her father, waiting for the punchline, for a sudden smile, anything to signal that this was just an ill-timed prank. But his expression remained as cold and rigid as marble. "I have found a suitable match for you," her father replied, his gaze fixed on the paperwork across his desk, refusing to meet her eyes. "His name is Victor Black, and he will be your husband." "Victor Black," she whispered under her breath. The name left a bitter, heavy taste in her mouth. She had never met the man, but even his name sounded dark and brooding. She kept her eyes locked on her father, her chest tightening as the quiet heavy silence of the room settled in. The longer he ignored her plea, the faster her hope withered away. The terrifying reality began to sink deep into her chest: she wasn't just being asked to settle down, she was being handed over to a total stranger. "Why him?" Ruby demanded, her voice cutting through the heavy silence of the office. "Dad, I built my career away from this family business so I wouldn’t be treated like a piece of leverage. I’m a journalist. I investigate story leads, I don't get traded off like stock!" Her father finally looked up from his desk, but there was no fire in his eyes, only defeat. The sharp, unyielding man who had built a corporate empire looked entirely broken. "You think I want this, Ruby?" he asked softly, his fingers trembling as he removed his glasses. "The company is gone. The debts aren't just with the banks, they're with people who don't send overdue notices. They send enforcers." Ruby felt the room spin. "What are you talking about? The company was stable last month." "It was an illusion," her father confessed, staring blankly at the polished mahogany surface between them. "Someone targeted us. Liquidated our assets, shorted our stock, and bought up our debt overnight. It was calculated. Precise. A total execution." Ruby’s mind raced. Her investigative work had made her sharp, but nothing in her files pointed to how her father could lose an empire in a matter of days. "And Victor Black?" Ruby asked, her chest tightening. "Where does he fit into this?" "Victor is the only man with enough liquidity and power to shield us," her father said desperately. "He offered to absorb every cent of the debt and handle the lenders. But he made one non-negotiable demand. He wanted you." A cold shudder ran down Ruby’s spine. She had heard the name Victor Black in corporate circles, but she had never actually set eyes on him. He was a quiet, highly intelligent titan in the business world, a recluse who avoided press interviews, public galas, and photo ops at all costs. To the rest of the world, he was an untouchable, brilliant mogul. To Ruby, he was a total stranger who had just bought her freedom. Why would a man who possessed everything suddenly demand a marriage to an investigative journalist he’d never even met? She stared at her father, realizing the trap had already snapped shut around her. If she walked away, her family would be destroyed by the ruthless forces coming for their debt. If she stayed, she would be handing her life over to a brooding, mysterious stranger. "Fine", Ruby thought, clenching her fists until her knuckles turned white. " I’ll play the dutiful wife. But if Victor Black thinks he can buy my silence, he has no idea who he just brought into his life". "No," Ruby said, her voice dropping into a firm, unshakeable tone that made her father pause. "Ruby, please—" "I am not signing my life away to a ghost in a suit without looking him in the eye first," she said, folding her arms across her chest. "If Victor Black wants to acquire me along with your debt, he can tell me why himself. Face to face." Her father looked as though he wanted to argue, but the stubborn set of her jaw silenced him. He let out a ragged sigh, reached for the desk phone, and dialed a number. Two hours later, Ruby found herself sitting alone at a secluded table in the back of 'Cool breeze', a high-end, dimly lit restaurant downtown. The air smelled of vintage wine and expensive leather. She had her small leather notebook tucked discreetly into her handbag, habit dictating that she come prepared to take mental notes. She kept her gaze fixed on the entrance, expecting a flashy, arrogant CEO flanked by bodyguards. Instead, the atmosphere in the room subtly shifted before she even saw him. Heads turned in quiet murmurs, waiters straightened their posture, and a sudden, heavy stillness settled over the dining room. Then he walked in. Victor Black didn't carry himself like a man who needed to command attention; the room simply yielded to him. He was tall, powerfully built beneath a tailored charcoal suit, with sharp, carved features that looked as though they belonged on a statue rather than a living man. His dark eyes swept the room with cool, calculating precision before landing directly on her. Ruby felt a sudden, instinctual pulse of tension in her chest, the same hyper aware instinct she felt whenever she was closing in on a dangerous story. He approached the table with slow, deliberate steps and stopped opposite her. Up close, his presence was overwhelming. "Miss Hart," Victor said. His voice was low, smooth, and laced with a subtle, commanding resonance that sent an involuntary shiver down her spine. "I was told you demanded an audience." Ruby held his gaze, refusing to blink, refusing to let him see her breath catch. "I don't make life-altering decisions based on a third-party relay, Mr. Black. If you want this arrangement, you talk to me directly." A faint, almost unnoticeable trace of amusement touched the corner of Victor's lips. He pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down. "Fair enough," Victor said softly, leaning forward, resting his hands on the table. His dark eyes locked onto hers with terrifying intensity. "Ask your questions, Ruby." Ruby drew a steadying breath, pulling her notepad closer, though she didn't open it just yet. "Why me?" she asked directly, cutting straight through the pleasantries. "You’re Victor Black. You could buy half the city if you wanted to. You don't need a wife to secure business deals, and you certainly don't need my family’s collapsing company. So why make my marriage the price of saving my father?" Victor didn't blink. A faint, expression passed over his features, neither warm nor hostile, just deeply calculated. "Your father’s company made mistakes, Miss Hart. Reckless ones," Victor said, his tone smooth and measured. "Absorbing his debt is a significant financial risk for me. I don't give away lifelines out of charity." "That doesn't answer why I'm part of the transaction," Ruby countered, leaning in slightly, refusing to back down. "What do you actually gain from marrying a journalist who has zero interest in being a trophy wife?" "A public image requires stability," Victor replied calmly. "An established family name, a partner with integrity, and a quiet, binding agreement that ensures mutual discretion. You want to protect your family from ruin. I want a personal life that remains undisturbed by public scrutiny. It is a business arrangement." Ruby studied his face, trying to read the man behind the crisp suit and the calm demeanor. He spoke with the precision of someone who weighed every single word before letting it leave his lips. He was intelligent, composed, and completely in control. "And if I say no?" Ruby asked. "If I walk out right now?" Victor leaned back, the faintest hint of a shadow crossing his eyes. "Then your father faces his creditors alone by tomorrow morning. But if you sign, the debt disappears tonight." He reached into his jacket, pulled out a sleek silver pen, and set it on the white tablecloth between them. "The choice," Victor said quietly, "is entirely yours."