The billionaire forced bride

Four Years Ago – Harvard Business School, London Isabella Cruz had never believed in fairy tales. She was the daughter of a businessman, born into luxury, not power. Her mother died young, and her father raised her like a soldier, not a girl. She was beautiful, intelligent, smart, and also an independent lady. She didn’t believe in love. But she did believe in herself. At Harvard Business School, she had the sharpest mind in the economics department. Always among the top five. Always neat, smart, and stubborn. Always planning her way to freedom. And that’s where she met him. Alexander Shawn. Handsome, with full black hair, tall, and a muscular body with the most attractive blue eyes. He wasn’t just a student—he was like a walking god in the campus halls. Tall. Ruthless. Cold. Born into luxury and power, the Shawn family was one of the most influential and powerful families in the American world. They weren’t friends. They weren’t even enemies, not then. But they were competitors. They sat in opposite corners during business competitions, case studies, and lectures. He didn’t speak much. When he did, it was calculated and frustratingly correct. Isabella hated how arrogant he was—how he was always correct—making her feel second; she hated feeling second, so she made him her rival. Alexander barely looked her way until she beat him in a high-stakes project competition at their school. That was when the main competition started. “You’re clever,” he said, cornering her backstage after her win. “But you’re too idealistic; that’s why you’ll struggle in the real world.” “And you’re a robot,” she fired back. “Which is why no one clapped when you lost.” He looked at her for a long, unreadable moment, then turned and walked away without another word. She didn’t know it then, but she’d left a mark. And so had he. From that day, they became rivals, always competing in debates, classes, projects, and competitions. Final year of college for Isabella and Alexander. The ballroom shimmered with gold chandeliers, silver champagne trays, and the hums of political power It was the kind of night meant for alliances, backroom deals, and watching the future heirs of the elite quietly battle for influence. Isabella Cruz stood near the edge of the dance floor in a ball gown, sipping champagne with the practiced smile of someone born to high society—but bored by it. Across the room, Alexander Shawn leaned against a marble column, his blue eyes scanning the crowd like a chessboard. He was dressed sharply, but as always, looked like he’d rather be anywhere else. They locked eyes—for the briefest moment. And as always, sparks didn’t fly. Daggers did. “Still pretending to enjoy these events?” she asked, walking past him with her glass. He arched an eyebrow. “Still pretending you’re not dying for attention?” “Please. If I wanted attention, I’d stand next to your ego.” He smirked. “And I thought Cruz women had better manners.” She didn’t respond. Just smiled, sharp and cold. Ten feet away, a far more important reunion was happening. The Meeting of Legends At the center of the ballroom, Rafael Cruz and Nicholas Shawn stood face to face for the first time in nearly two decades. Their handshake was brief. Tense. Heavy with history. “Didn’t think you’d show your face in public, Rafael,” Nicholas said, voice like gravel. Rafael raised his glass. “Didn’t think you’d still be alive to insult me.” Both men laughed—but it was hollow. Nearby guests watched with curiosity. Old rivals. Broken brothers. Now powerful, wealthy, and weighed down by time and loss. Rafael glanced across the room at Alexander, then at Isabella. “They hate each other, you know.” Nicholas followed his gaze. “Just like we did. At first.” Rafael’s voice dropped. “They’re more alike than they think. Ambition. Fire. Neither one knows how to lose.” “Are you suggesting something, Rafael?” “A proposal.” Rafael turned to him. “An alliance.” Nicholas studied him carefully. “A marriage?” “Exactly. They’ll fight it. But give them time. Sometimes hate burns into something more powerful than affection.” Nicholas sipped his scotch. “We’re going to ruin their lives.” “Or save them,” Rafael said quietly. “Depending on how the game plays out.” Present day (Four years later) The mahogany door of Shawn Enterprises slammed shut as Isabella Cruz marched into the devil's office wearing six-inch heels. She was so angry that her glares could kill. “Mr Alexander is expecting you,” his secretary said nervously “Of course he is, jerk,asshole,” she muttered, stepping into the private elevator Her reflection in the mirrored walls stared back—full red lips, shiny brown eyes, and red hair pulled into a sleek, war-ready bun. She was here to shut down a deal that should never have been made. She was not here to be civil. When the doors opened, Alexander Shawn was already standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse office, overlooking New York like he owned the skyline. Probably because, in some ways, he did. “Alexander shawn is a billionaire,handsome, full black hair, tall, muscular body and has the most attractive blue eyes but he is arrogant, ruthless, handsome jerk” but she knows why she is here She didn’t bother with pleasantries. “You’re out of your mind.” He turned, the faintest smile on his lips. “Hello to you, too, Isabella.” Her eyes narrowed. “Did you really offer a marriage proposal to my father as if this is the 18th century?” “I offered a solution,” he said calmly, walking toward his desk. “Your family’s company is drowning. Mine has the capital to save it. I just helped by creating a solution because our family knows each other so this marriage is... a seal.” “A seal?” she repeated with a sharp laugh. “You think my life is a business stamp?” He gestured to the chair across from him. “Sit down.” Why would you think your life is a business stamp? “You’re already standing in my office. Don’t get dramatic now.”he said She sat, mostly to keep myself from hurling something. “Why me, Alex? She alone call him Alex because she knows he doesn't like being called like that. You hate me. I hate you. We haven’t been able to stand each other since college.” “And yet,” he said, folding his hands, “we understand each other better than anyone.” “she laughed like a crazy woman” I'm stilled. That part wasn’t entirely false. Their rivalry went back years—debates, deals, academics, everything they hated each other But marriage? “This isn’t a solution,” she said coldly. “It’s a war declaration in disguise.” He leaned forward, his blue eyes locked on her's. “Then declare it. Marry me, and fight me every day. Argue. Challenge me. I’m not asking for love, Isabella. I’m asking for loyalty. Appearances. Public unity. A two-year contract.” Loyalty my foot your life is going to be a living hell don't you think Alex? She said stubbornly Don't worry we both can live in hell together don't you think bella? he laughed saying it, he knew how to get on her nerves because he knows she hates being called that way. “Don't call my name that way” she said, frowning and gritting her teeth. “And what do you get out of it?” she demanded as he slightly raised his eyebrows and looked at her suspiciously “yes I am also a business woman there is never a contract you don't gain from because nobody likes to lose”. “A shield,” he said simply and continued “I’m tired of socialites and speculation. A wife silences scandal. And with you, I’d never be bored.” She blinked. “You’d marry someone just to keep the media quiet?” “Wouldn’t be the first time someone used marriage for power,” he said dryly. “And what if I say no?” she responded. He stood, walked around the desk, and placed a crisp folder in front of me. “Then Cruz & Co. goes bankrupt within six months. Your staff are laid off. And your father... Well, he’s already signed his half of the agreement.” Her breath caught. “You’ve already spoken to him?” she asked dumbfounded. “You think lowly of me, Bella, he came to me,” Alexander said, he continued softer now. “You're the only treasure he has left to offer.” Her heart cracked, even as she kept my face like stone. “You think I’ll just accept this? "Marry you for convenience?” she asked, expecting him to refuse or even get irritated like he always does. He leaned closer, lowering his voice to a near whisper. “No, Isabella. I think you’ll do it... because you’re just like me. You’ll do anything to protect the people you love, and what you have built so far. Her pulse betrayed me. He was too close. Too calm. Too right and too handsome. She stood, jaw tight and said, “This doesn’t mean I like you. Or respect you. Because this thing called a marriage is nothing but a contract, nothing more or less.” "He stepped aside, always elegant, always in control. “Of course. "This isn’t about love.” “But I swear, Alexander,” she said, turning at the door, “if you think you’ll own me because of a ring, you’re wrong.” He gave a dark smile. “I don’t want to own you, Isabella. I want you to survive.” After the meeting with Alexander, Isabella had stormed into her father’s study at the Cruz estate in high heels clicking against marble like a declaration of war. She was so angry, she slammed the front door so hard that her father's secretary trembled. He was everything Isabella despised. And now, he was her fiancé. Without her consent “You arranged a marriage behind my back?” she seethed. Her father, Rafael Cruz, didn’t even flinch. “It's a wonderful joining, don't you think so Isabella. “I’m not one of your companies, Father!” He folded his hands on the desk. “You are my daughter. Which means you are my asset.” Rage boiled in her veins. “You’re selling me to Alexander Shawn." “I’m securing your future—and mine,” he said coldly. “You’ll be protected. And once your duties are fulfilled, you will have no problem in your marriage every marriage is fixed like this in our elite society. You both look good together and it will help the company is so many ways “You are a beautiful woman Isabella what foolish man wouldn't fall for you dear” She stepped back. “No. He won’t. He’s cold, arrogant, and does not believe in love.” We are very very different kind of people we couldn't stand each other in college what makes you think we will be able to bear seeing each other's face every day ‘i shouted’ Rafael Cruz stood. “Enough. The papers are signed. The engagement will be announced by Monday. You will marry Alexander Shawn, Isabella. Besides the marriage have already been sealed long time between his father and I ‘her father said. Then she walked away, tears silently falling.