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Loving him is a sin I can't escape
img img Loving him is a sin I can't escape img Chapter 4 The Woman His Father Chose
4 Chapters
Chapter 6 Terms Revised img
Chapter 7 Collateral Damage img
Chapter 8 The Woman Who Never img
Chapter 9 The Audit img
Chapter 10 The Deposit Box img
Chapter 11 Hunting Season img
Chapter 12 Striking First img
Chapter 13 The Enemy Moves img
Chapter 14 Inside the Lion's Den img
Chapter 15 The Man Who Should Be Dead img
Chapter 16 Ghosts of the Past img
Chapter 17 The Truth She Never Knew img
Chapter 18 The Necklace img
Chapter 19 The Man Who Was Never Gone img
Chapter 20 The Trap img
Chapter 21 The Vault img
Chapter 22 Crossfire img
Chapter 23 The Watcher img
Chapter 24 Grave Secrets img
Chapter 25 No Way Out img
Chapter 26 The Man Behind the Mask img
Chapter 27 The Choice img
Chapter 28 Blood Ties img
Chapter 29 Lights Out img
Chapter 30 The Truth Buried Deeper img
Chapter 31 The Man Who Was Dead img
Chapter 32 The Man Behind Everything img
Chapter 33 The Ghost of the Empire img
Chapter 34 The Shipyard War img
Chapter 35 The Ultimate Betrayal img
Chapter 36 The Final Confrontation img
Chapter 37 After the Storm img
Chapter 38 New Beginnings, Hidden Threats img
Chapter 39 The Shadow Watches img
Chapter 40 The Trap Tightens img
Chapter 41 Into the Fire img
Chapter 42 Shadows in the Alley img
Chapter 43 Through the Flames img
Chapter 44 The War Reborn img
Chapter 45 The First Crack img
Chapter 46 Seeds of Doubt img
Chapter 47 The Trap Tightens img
Chapter 48 Surrounded img
Chapter 49 Broken Trust img
Chapter 50 The Test img
Chapter 51 The First Move img
Chapter 52 No Way Out img
Chapter 53 The Cage img
Chapter 54 Lines in the Sand img
Chapter 55 The Setup img
Chapter 56 Break Point img
Chapter 57 No Way Back img
Chapter 58 Ruthless img
Chapter 59 Fracture img
Chapter 60 Pressure Point img
Chapter 61 The Reveal Begins img
Chapter 62 Doubt img
Chapter 63 Which One img
Chapter 64 Face to Face img
Chapter 65 The Choice img
Chapter 66 Bleed Out img
Chapter 67 What You Forgot img
Chapter 68 The One Who Survived img
Chapter 69 Choose Again img
Chapter 70 Aftermath img
Chapter 71 Target img
Chapter 72 No More Games img
Chapter 73 Unmasked img
Chapter 74 Break the Pattern img
Chapter 75 Too Late img
Chapter 76 No System. No Rules img
Chapter 77 Off the Books img
Chapter 78 The Deal img
Chapter 79 The Door Opens img
Chapter 80 Override img
Chapter 81 Take Me Instead img
Chapter 82 What It Cost img
Chapter 83 On the Other Side img
Chapter 84 Closing Distance img
Chapter 85 Divide img
Chapter 86 Freefall img
Chapter 87 What You Really Are img
Chapter 88 Snap img
Chapter 89 Interference img
Chapter 90 Collapse Protocol img
Chapter 91 No Ground Left img
Chapter 92 The Edge img
Chapter 93 Refusal img
Chapter 94 Still Standing img
Chapter 95 Collision img
Chapter 96 Endgame img
Chapter 97 After the Fall img
Chapter 98 Echoes img
Chapter 99 What Remains img
Chapter 100 Aftermath img
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Chapter 4 The Woman His Father Chose

The rain hadn't stopped since morning. It streaked down the windows of Blackwood Tower, turning the skyline of New York City into a blur of grey and silver. Elena stood in Dominic Russo's office again-but this time there was no boardroom audience. Just him. And a contract lying between them like a loaded weapon.

"You've read it," Dominic said calmly. It wasn't a question. Elena's fingers tightened around the papers.

"You want me to pretend to be your fiancée."

"For six months," he corrected.

"In exchange for clearing my father's name."

"Yes."

Her chest burned. "This isn't business."

"No," he agreed quietly. "It isn't."

He rose from behind his desk and walked toward her slowly, like a predator closing distance. Every movement deliberate. Controlled.

"You left me with a scandal," he continued. "Now you help me erase one."

She met his eyes. "You're using me."

His gaze darkened.

"You used me first."

The accusation still cut.

"I never betrayed you," she whispered.

"You walked away."

"You didn't give me a chance to explain."

"You didn't try."

Silence fell. Thick. Heavy. Dangerous. Dominic stopped inches from her.

"Six months," he said quietly." Public engagement. Appearances. Dinners. Media."

"And after?"

"After," he said evenly, "we end it."

Her pulse fluttered at the coldness in his tone.

"You're that confident you won't feel anything?"

A faint smirk touched his lips.

"I don't repeat mistakes."

The words stung more than she expected.

Elena looked down at the contract again.

"You really think pretending to marry me fixes your image?"

"It stabilizes investor confidence," he replied. "And sends a message."

"What message?"

His eyes held hers.

"That I'm not alone."

The honesty in that answer startled her. Before she could respond, the office door opened without warning. A woman stepped inside. Tall. Perfect posture. Diamond earrings that caught the dim light. Blonde. Elegant. Controlled. She stopped when she saw Elena. Then she smiled.

Polite. Calculated.

"Dominic," she said smoothly. "I didn't realize you were busy." Elena felt the shift instantly. Dominic didn't move away from her. In fact-

He stepped closer.

"This isn't a meeting," he said calmly.

The woman's eyes flicked between them.

"Oh?"

Dominic placed a firm hand at Elena's waist.

Possessive.

Intentional.

"This," he said, "is Elena."

A beat of silence.

Then-

"My fiancée."

_

The word hit the room like thunder. Elena's heart skipped-but she didn't pull away. The blonde woman's smile didn't disappear. But it sharpened.

"Fiancée?" she repeated lightly.

"Yes."

"How unexpected."

Her gaze locked onto Elena now. Vivian Laurent.

Elena didn't know her personally-but she knew the name. Old money. Board connections. Family friend. Meaning: chosen. "Congratulations," Vivian said smoothly, extending her hand. Elena took it. The grip was firm. Measured. "You're back," Vivian added softly. Not a question. A statement. Dominic's hand tightened slightly at Elena's waist. "Yes," he said. "She is." Vivian's eyes flickered to the contract on the desk. Understanding dawned instantly. Her smile returned-but thinner.

"Your father won't approve."

Dominic's expression went cold.

"My father doesn't control my life."

Vivian tilted her head.

"No," she agreed softly. "But he still controls the board."

Silence. Heavy. Elena felt it then. This wasn't just about revenge. This was about power. And Vivian was part of it. Vivian stepped closer to Dominic. Close enough that Elena saw the history in her eyes.

"You should be careful," Vivian murmured.

Dominic's jaw flexed. "Careful of what?"

"Of repeating old patterns."

Her gaze slid deliberately to Elena.

"And trusting the wrong woman."

The insult was subtle.

But clear.

Elena's spine straightened.

"I don't need to be trusted," she said calmly. "Just chosen."

Vivian's smile faltered. Just slightly. Dominic looked down at Elena then. And something changed in his expression. Not anger. Not revenge. Something darker. More personal. Vivian stepped back. "I'll inform the board about the engagement," she said smoothly. "I'm sure they'll have... opinions." The door closed behind her. Silence swallowed the room. Dominic removed his hand from Elena's waist slowly.

"You didn't tell me about her," she said.

"She wasn't relevant."

"She looked very relevant."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"She was my father's preferred alliance."

"Marriage alliance?"

"Yes."

The honesty unsettled her.

"And now?"

He stepped closer again.

Close enough that her breath caught.

"Now," he said quietly, "she's a problem."

A chill slid down her spine.

"For you?" she asked.

"For anyone who stands in my way."

The intensity in his voice made her heart race.

"This engagement," she said carefully, "isn't just about image, is it?"

His gaze held hers steadily.

"No."

"Then what is it about?"

A long pause.

Then-

"You."

Her pulse stumbled.

"That's not an answer."

"It's the only one that matters."

He reached for the contract and slid it toward her again.

"Sign it."

Her hand hesitated. Because suddenly, this didn't feel like pretending. It felt like stepping into a battlefield. And Vivian's warning echoed in her head. Dominic doesn't do second chances.

Elena picked up the pen. "Six months," she said quietly.Dominic's eyes darkened. "Six months."

She signed. The sound of ink against paper felt louder than thunder. Dominic signed beneath her name. It was official. But as he looked at her-

Not cold. Not triumphant. Something else.

Something possessive. Her phone buzzed suddenly. A notification lit up the screen. Breaking News: Russo Enterprises Announces Engagement. She froze.

Slowly, she looked up at him.

"You said we'd announce it next week."

Dominic didn't look surprised.

"I changed my mind."

"Why?"

His expression hardened.

"Because if the board moves first..."

His jaw tightened.

"They'll destroy you."

Her blood ran cold.

"You mean they already know."

Dominic's silence was answer enough. And for the first time Elena realized she wasn't just pretending to be his fiancée. She was being used as a shield.

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