Cast Out, Then Claimed By My Rival Billionaire

The area outside the Frunard Courthouse was drenched by relentless rain.

Eliana Wallace stood beneath an umbrella on the courthouse steps while rainwater seeped into the edges of the marriage documents she held.

Only ten minutes had passed since she and Connor Harrison finished registering their marriage.

Anyone in Frunard would have found it impossible to believe that the city's fiercest rivals were now husband and wife.

Just yesterday, Eliana had been standing outside Damien Stanley's apartment, the door slightly ajar. He had once been her boyfriend, and she could clearly hear what was happening on the other side of the door.

Isabel Wallace, her sister and the Wallace family's biological daughter, said in an overly sweet voice, "Damien, when are you finally going to get Eliana's shares? How much longer am I supposed to keep sneaking around as the other woman while you pretend to be with her?"

Damien answered in a low, husky voice, "Don't rush me. Your grandmother left every one of those shares to Eliana before she died, and she made it impossible for Eliana to access them until she's married. All I have to do is convince her to marry me. Once that happens, everything she owns will end up in our hands. After that, why would either of us give a damn about her?"

Hearing that from the hallway didn't make Eliana storm through the door.

Instead, she had pulled out her phone and quietly recorded everything. Once she had enough, she walked away and headed straight to a bar, where she drank until she was barely aware of herself.

After everything she had given Damien over the years, Eliana finally realized how foolish she'd been.

The truth was that her feelings for Damien had never been as deep as she once convinced herself they were. Six years ago, everyone discovered that she wasn't the Wallace family's biological daughter, and her privileged life disappeared almost overnight. Damien had remained beside her through it all.

At the time, Eliana took his loyalty as proof that his feelings were real. Even after losing nearly everything, she'd believed she was fortunate enough to have someone who still genuinely cared for her.

Only now did she understand that Damien had entered her life because he wanted the shares her grandmother had left solely to her after her unexpected death.

The whole thing was almost laughable.

How had she ever mistaken a man like him for the love of her life?

That night, Eliana drank far more than she could handle, and most of what happened afterward became a blur.

One memory remained clear. She'd grabbed a man's tie, backed him into the corner of a booth, and kissed him with reckless urgency.

A clean cedar scent clung to him and reminded her of cold winter air.

Eliana brushed her lips against his Adam's apple before whispering, "Don't leave. Stay here with me."

The man wrapped his arm tighter around her waist until the force of his hold almost hurt. "Eliana, do you even know who I am?"

She had not looked up at him. Nor did she have any desire to find out who he was.

Not long after, he led her to his car.

The cabin was nearly pitch-black, and the faint dashboard lights barely revealed the man's features.

Only then did she finally get a clear look at him.

It was Connor. Her longtime rival.

They'd been at odds since childhood. After the SATs, Connor had returned to the capital, Ozhork, for college, and their paths hadn't crossed since. After six years apart, Eliana had almost pushed him out of her memory entirely.

But seeing him again made one thing obvious. He wasn't the boy she remembered anymore.

His frame had filled out, and his features had grown sharper with age. His eyes, however, hadn't changed at all. Every time he looked at her, there was still an unreadable intensity in his gaze that she could never quite understand.

Eliana's first instinct was to get away, but she'd already missed her chance.

Connor caught her around the waist and pulled her back before she could escape. With little effort, he forced her into the passenger seat.

He bent over her next and snapped the seat belt into place.

Connor drove straight to the underground garage of a hotel. Once they arrived, he brought her out of the car and into the elevator before selecting the top floor.

As soon as the doors slid shut, Connor turned toward her and pressed her back against the mirrored wall.

The second he kissed her, the strength seemed to leave her body.

Nothing about his kiss was gentle. He was demanding and relentless, refusing to give her a chance to pull away.

One hand settled behind her head while the other held firmly to her waist, leaving barely any space between them.

Eliana pressed her lips together and fought to stay quiet. Connor seemed to notice because he slowed down and brushed his mouth over hers again and again, almost as if he were deliberately testing her patience.

Eventually, she gave in. Her arms circled his neck, and she kissed him back without waiting for him to make the next move. Connor answered with a quiet laugh before lifting her into his arms.

Once they entered the room, he didn't bother switching on the lights.

Connor pressed her against the wall near the entrance. Then he caught the zipper of her dress between his teeth and slowly dragged it down in one smooth motion.

The soft rustle of her dress dropping to the floor seemed unusually loud in the dark room.

The cool buttons of his shirt brushed against her bare skin, and the sudden chill made her instinctively pull away.

Connor immediately drew her close again. With one hand, he undid his shirt and let it fall beside her dress.

Heat spread through her the moment his palm settled against her skin.

His touch moved slowly from the curve of her lower back, lingering as though he wanted to memorize every inch of her.

Eliana tipped her head back as her breathing grew uneven.

Connor bent closer and trailed kisses along her collarbone, each one making it harder for her to think clearly.

Her fingers slipped into his hair as she whispered breathlessly, "Connor... Slow down..."

He answered with a quiet sound but showed no intention of stopping.

A moment later, Connor lifted her into his arms, and she instinctively wrapped herself around him.

He supported her firmly before carrying her toward the floor-to-ceiling window.

Eliana glanced over her shoulder. Frunard stretched far below them beneath a sea of glowing lights, and her flushed reflection stared back at her from the glass.

When she looked at Connor again, her gaze traced the strong lines of his shoulders and the faint sheen of sweat across his skin.

As the moment grew more intense, she buried her face against his shoulder and struggled to keep herself quiet.

However, Connor was still every bit as troublesome as the boy she'd known years ago. The more she tried to hide her reactions, the more determined he seemed to draw them out of her.

Just when she thought she couldn't take much more, he deliberately slowed and brushed his lips near her ear. "Stop holding back."

Eliana stubbornly refused.

Connor clearly wasn't willing to accept that answer.

The sudden change caught her off guard. Her fingers tightened against his back, and a broken sound escaped her before she could stop it.

That finally seemed to satisfy him.

The rest of the night blurred together as they moved through the suite, leaving Eliana too exhausted to keep track of anything beyond Connor and the overwhelming rush of the moment.

By the time everything finally quieted, she barely had enough strength to move. She curled against him instead, her body still trembling from exhaustion.

Connor slipped an arm around her waist and rested his chin against the top of her head while his breathing slowly returned to normal.

Then his voice broke the silence of the dark room. "Eliana... It's really been a long time."

Eliana finally pulled herself out of the memories. Rain drummed steadily against her umbrella and brought her attention back to the courthouse steps.

Her gaze dropped to the marriage documents in her hand. She was still studying them and hadn't quite gathered her thoughts when a familiar, laid-back voice sounded behind her. "Planning to stare at those things all day?"

Somehow, Connor had come up behind her without making a sound. His suit jacket rested over one arm, and he'd rolled his shirt sleeves back casually. With his relaxed posture, he looked like someone who'd just dragged himself out of bed.

Connor glanced down at the documents she was holding, and a faint smile tugged at his lips.

Eliana tucked them into her handbag. "We're done here. Let's go."

She barely made it down the first few steps before a quiet laugh came from behind her.

"Eliana," Connor called.

Eliana stopped and looked back at him.

He remained by the courthouse entrance while rainwater spilled from the roof and splashed against his shoulder. "That's it? You're seriously just going to walk away?"

Her brows drew together. She had absolutely no patience for him right now. "What exactly are you expecting me to do?"

"You really have to ask?" Connor tipped his head slightly. The wet light made the faint bite mark on his neck impossible to miss. He stepped closer and lowered his voice. "You weren't this distant when you had your teeth on my neck and kept telling me how good I was doing."

Eliana gripped the umbrella handle more tightly and forced herself not to show how embarrassed his words made her.

After clearing her throat, she replied, "I was drunk."

"Right. You were drunk." Connor nodded as though everything suddenly made perfect sense. "And now you're sober, so you've decided nothing ever happened?"

"Exactly," Eliana said without hesitation. "As far as I'm concerned, nothing happened. Are we finished now?"

Connor studied her for a few seconds before a smile slowly spread across his face.

Eliana had to admit that he looked ridiculously good when he smiled. Unfortunately, that didn't make him any less irritating.

"I'm done." He straightened and casually took out his phone. "I just think this is hilarious. Last night, you practically threw yourself at me. Today, we registered our marriage, and you're already pretending I'm a stranger. At this point, I'm starting to feel like some guy you picked up for free and tossed aside afterward."

Eliana drew in a slow breath and fought the very real urge to whack him with her umbrella.

Apparently, six years hadn't done anything to cure Connor of his talent for getting on her nerves.

Connor finally looked away and tapped his screen a few times. Then he lifted his phone and snapped a picture of Eliana standing beneath the courthouse sign.

His phone gave a soft click as he snapped the photo.

Eliana immediately narrowed her eyes. "What exactly are you doing?"

"Nothing important." Connor turned the screen toward her and opened a chat with someone saved as "Bruce Harrison." Eliana recognized the name instantly. It was Connor's father. The photo had already been sent, along with a message. "Dad, meet your daughter-in-law. We just made the marriage official."

Eliana went completely still.

Barely three seconds passed before Bruce called him.

Connor declined without even blinking.

The phone rang again almost immediately.

He rejected the second call just as casually.

When Bruce tried for the third time, Connor finally answered. He lifted the phone to his ear and said cheerfully, "Dad, congratulations. Your son just got married."

Bruce's voice exploded through the speaker loudly enough for Eliana to hear from several feet away. "Connor, what the hell did you just say?"

"I said I'm married," Connor replied with ridiculous calm. "To Eliana. You remember her. She used to live next door to Grandma when we were kids."

Bruce hurried to respond. "You'd better-"

"Can't hear you. Signal's terrible." Connor ended the call without giving him another chance to speak. Then he slid the phone back into his pocket and gave Eliana a thoroughly pleased grin. "Well, that's settled. My dad knows, so backing out isn't an option anymore."

Rain continued dripping from the edge of Eliana's umbrella while she stared at him.

That smug expression suddenly made last night's decision seem even worse. Agreeing to a contract marriage while she was drunk and barely thinking straight had clearly been a terrible idea.

An absolutely terrible one.

Eliana didn't bother answering him. She simply turned around and started walking away.

Connor called after her, "You're just leaving?"

She kept going without so much as glancing back.

His voice followed her again. "So you're really not going to take responsibility for everything you did to me last night?"

Eliana walked faster.

He called after her again, "Eliana, you can't take advantage of me and then toss me aside like I meant nothing."

His words nearly made her miss a step.

Connor's quiet laugh followed from behind and blended with the steady rain. He sounded far too pleased with himself, as though he'd just succeeded in getting exactly the reaction he wanted.

Eliana clenched her jaw and kept going until she reached the curb, where she quickly hailed a taxi.

Just as she pulled the door open, her phone buzzed inside her bag.

She took it out and glanced down at the screen.

Damien had sent her a message. "Eliana, where are you? The bridal shop called about today's fitting. I booked us for three this afternoon. Will you be able to make it?"

Eliana studied the message for several seconds.

She'd nearly forgotten that she was supposed to meet Damien for a wedding dress fitting that afternoon.

The thought almost made her laugh. Damien really knew how to keep up appearances.

Still, that worked perfectly in her favor. As far as Damien knew, she remained completely unaware of his betrayal. He probably still believed she was eagerly preparing for their wedding and would eventually hand over the shares he wanted so badly.

Eliana wanted him to keep believing that until the very end. Only then could she make him understand what it felt like to watch everything he wanted slip out of his hands.

A cold smile touched her lips at the thought. She left Damien's message unanswered, dropped her phone back into her handbag, and climbed into the taxi.

Once the door shut, Eliana never noticed Connor still standing near the courthouse entrance and watching the taxi disappear. The teasing smile on his face slowly vanished.

Connor lowered his umbrella and folded it shut while rainwater ran from the frame and splashed onto the pavement.

"She really did use me and walk away," he muttered, though this time there was no playful edge in his voice.

Right then, his phone started vibrating again.

Bruce's messages poured in one after another, nearly every one of them packed with exclamation marks.

Connor didn't bother opening a single one. He switched off his phone instead and silently cursed his father for being such a busybody.

After getting back to her apartment, Eliana peeled off her rain-soaked coat and threw it straight into the washing machine.

Before she could do anything else, her phone buzzed twice.

Damien was still the one messaging her.

The first text said, "Eliana, have you seen my message? The people at the bridal shop won't stop asking where you are."

The second read, "What's going on, Eliana? Did I upset you somehow? Why won't you answer me?"

Without replying, she left her phone on the bathroom counter and stepped into a hot shower.

The steady rush of water filled the bathroom, leaving nothing else to be heard.

By the time she finished showering, seven missed calls were waiting on her screen. Every single one was from Damien.

Two more texts had arrived as well.

His first message read, "Eliana, please pick up. I'm seriously starting to worry about you."

The second said, "Did something happen? Just tell me you're okay."

Eliana studied the messages for a few seconds before switching on Do Not Disturb and climbing into bed.

After everything that had happened the night before, she'd hardly slept at all.

She slept until eight that evening, worn out from exhaustion. The moment she checked her phone again, Damien's missed calls and messages flooded the screen.

Buried among them was a text from Connor.

She tapped on it and read. "My dad wants to meet his new daughter-in-law. He's already booked a flight to Frunard for next week, so be prepared."

The news caught Eliana off guard. Bruce Harrison, Connor's father and the man running Harrison Group in Ozhork, was actually coming to Frunard.

For five years straight, Bruce had ranked among the continent's most influential business figures. His empire reached across real estate, finance, and technology, and one move from him was enough to send ripples through the entire business world.

Someone with that kind of status traveling all the way from Ozhork simply to meet his son's wife seemed almost unbelievable.

Still, one thing became clear to Eliana. Bruce truly valued his son, Connor.

Eliana pressed her fingers to her temples.

Damien and Isabel were already more than enough trouble for her, and now Bruce had been added to the mess.

As far as Bruce knew, she'd married his son without asking for his approval and hadn't even bothered to tell him beforehand.

Something told her that winning him over wouldn't be easy.

The thought alone made her head ache.

Looking back, Eliana realized she'd agreed to the contract marriage with Connor far too quickly.

The more she considered their arrangement, the less convinced she became that she'd gotten the better end of the deal.

Still, the marriage was already official, and she had no intention of backing out of what she'd promised Connor.

Eliana sighed and sent him a short response. "Understood."

Once that was done, she finally opened Damien's chat and casually typed. "I've been running a fever, so I slept through most of the day and missed your messages. We'll have to reschedule the wedding dress fitting. I'm still not feeling well."

Damien called before ten seconds had even passed. "Eliana, you have a fever? How bad is it? I'm coming over right now to check on you."

His voice sounded as worried and attentive as it always had.

There was a time when Eliana would've taken that concern as proof of how much Damien loved her. Now that she knew the truth, hearing him pretend only made her sick.

"Don't bother," she replied. "It's only a mild cold, and I'm already feeling better."

Damien immediately protested, saying, "I'm still coming. You live alone. How am I supposed to sit here and do nothing when you're sick?"

Eliana cut him off. "I already told you not to come."

The line went quiet for a few seconds. When Damien finally spoke again, his tone had become noticeably more cautious. "Eliana... are you still upset with me?"

Eliana rose from her seat and made her way to the balcony railing.

Her gaze drifted toward the steady stream of people below as she answered without any urgency.

"What would I even be upset about?" she asked lightly. "You've already got enough on your plate with work. There's no reason for you to keep running back and forth over something this minor. Just take care of what you need to do. I'm fine."

She even let a small smile enter her voice and made sure she sounded warm enough to reassure him.

Damien seemed to relax almost immediately.

"Eliana, you really do understand me better than anyone. You're always thinking about me..." he said. "Still, I don't want us to keep delaying the wedding."

Eliana arched a brow. "Why the sudden rush?"

"It's selfish, I know, but I want you to become my wife as soon as possible." Damien lowered his voice and spoke as though he were saying something deeply affectionate. "Then you won't have to stay by yourself anymore. If you get sick again, I'll be there to look after you. And once we're married, you'll finally be able to claim the shares your grandmother left you. You won't have to push yourself so hard anymore."

Eliana nearly laughed when she heard that.

Damien really hadn't changed. No matter what he wanted, he always managed to dress it up with enough excuses to make himself sound sincere.

"All right," she replied sweetly. "I'd like to get married soon too. The sooner I receive those shares, the sooner we can build a better life together."

Damien let out a relieved breath, and then chuckled in satisfaction. "Then I'll take care of everything. I'll choose a date so we can register the marriage as soon as possible. Once you're feeling better, we'll choose the wedding outfits and get the pre-wedding photos done."

Eliana replied flatly, "Fine. You can handle the arrangements."

"All right. I'll stop bothering you and let you rest," Damien added.

She gave a quiet hum in response.

The instant the call ended, every trace of warmth disappeared from her face.