She walked into his suite with one plan: a lie sharp enough to buy her family time. Leticia Fitzgerald left Harbor City three years ago with her head down and a heart full of unanswered questions. Now her family's company is collapsing, her brother is facing amputation, and the only lifeline belongs to Ezekiel Castro—the military-born CEO she once broke off an engagement with. One desperate night, Leticia wakes beside him and plays the last card she has: she claims she is pregnant. He pays her a check, then pays attention. He calls it calculation. She calls it survival. What follows is a cold marriage of convenience that burns both of them. Ezekiel imposes rules and distance, then punishes anyone who harms her. Leticia learns boardroom warfare. Ezekiel learns jealousy and quiet rage. Secrets from their youth crawl out of the shadows. The country’s richest families watch. A rival plots. A past mistake threatens to unravel everything. This is a story of a bargain turned bond—two stubborn people who both want control, neither willing to surrender. She used a lie to save her family. He used marriage to control a scandal. Neither expects to find something real in the space between duty and desire.

23 Chapters