 “I don’t know,” I said desperately, my voice breaking. “I was there, yes, but I didn’t touch her. She—she slipped, James. It was an accident.”

“An accident?” he spat, his eyes narrowing. “Just like my sister’s death was an accident? Just like our baby—” He yelled, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

“Don’t,” I whispered, tears streaming down my face. “Don’t bring our child into this.”

 “Why not?” he said, his voice rising, his eyes blazing with fury. “It’s the truth, isn’t it? You take life, Ella. That’s all you know how to do. My sister, my child, and now Victoria’s baby. It’s like you’re cursed.”

******

Ella's childhood was marred by Cecilia's relentless bullying, only to be wrongfully blamed after a mysterious drowning incident. Years later, to save her wrongfully imprisoned brother and ailing grandfather, she is forced to marry James—her childhood crush who now despises her.
In this marriage built on revenge and lies, betrayal, miscarriage, and carefully orchestrated setups eventually push her to the breaking point. Ella resolutely leaves, raising her child alone, building her business, and finding true love with someone from her past.
When James discovers her years later with the truth finally revealed, can he make amends for the pain he caused and win back her heart?


The Contract Wife: Marriage Of Malice

Hundred and Ten

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

The tea was held beneath a white marbled pavilion nestled in the rose gardens of Lady Pennington’s estate. It was the sort of affair where everything shimmered with old wealth—porcelain thin enough to see light through, tea poured from kettles older than I was, and guests who spoke in honeyed tones ...

Hundred

Three

Four

Five

Seven

Eight

Nine

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen 

Fourteen 

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen 

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty One

Twenty Two

Twenty Three

Twenty Four

Twenty Five

Twenty Six

Twenty Seven

Twenty Eight

Twenty Nine

Thirty 

Thirty One

Thirty Two

Thirty Three

Thirty Four

Thirty Five

Thirty Six

Thirty Seven

Thirty Eight

Thirty Nine

Forty

Forty One

Forty Two

Forty Three

Forty Four

Forty Five

Forty Six

Forty Seven

Forty Eight

Forty Nine

Fifty

Fifty One

Fifty Two

Fifty Three

Fifty Four

Fifty Five

Fifty Six

Fifty Seven

Fifty Eight

Fifty Nine

Sixty

Sixty One

Sixty Two

Sixty Three

Sixty Four

Sixty Five

Sixty Six

Sixty Seven

Sixty Eight

Sixty Nine

Seventy

Seventy One

Seventy Two

Seventy Three

Seventy Four

Seventy Five

Seventy Six

Seventy Seven

Seventy Eight

Seventy nine

Eighty 

Eighty One

Eighty Two

Eighty Three

Eighty Four

Eighty  Five

Eighty Six

Eighty Seven

Eighty Eight

Eighty Nine

Ninety 

Ninty One

Ninety Two

Ninety Three

Ninety Four

Ninety Five

Ninety Six

Ninty Seven

Ninty Eight

Ninty Nine