Fate's Bet: My Unwanted Tycoon Husband

Katie Holland was set to marry a man, despite already having a boyfriend.

She chose to run away from her own wedding, hoping her boyfriend would take her away.

However, what she stumbled upon next would etch itself in her memory forever...

Looking through the slightly open bedroom door, she saw a naked woman, sitting atop a man, moving vigorously.

"Hmm... So, tell me, Josh, is it me or Katie you're in love with?"

Panting, Josh Sutton said, "Darling, how can you even compare yourself to her? I would have left her long ago if I wasn't so concerned about my reputation taking a hit."

The woman's smile grew wider. "No worries. Once she's married off to that loser tonight, nobody can stand in the way of us being together."

Their eyes locked in a tender gaze. Then they embraced, sharing kisses...

Katie's face turned pale. She was in disbelief over the scene before her.

Her boyfriend was in bed fucking her nominal sister!

"Bang!"

The couple who were having sex in bed were startled.

Before Josh had a chance to understand what was happening, a vase struck his head.

Judie Holland let out a scream and lunged to confront Katie. "Have you lost your mind? Josh lost interest in you ages ago, and the only reason he didn't leave you was out of a sense of responsibility! How dare you hurt him!"

"It's not your place to speak, you mistress!" Katie responded with a cold push and turned to Josh. "I need to hear it from you, Josh. Have you been seeing Judie behind my back for long?"

Josh couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze. "I'm sorry, Katie."

It felt as though Katie's heart was being ripped apart, the pain so intense that she found it hard to catch her breath.

Her hands balled into fists, her nails digging into her palms. "Josh, how could you betray me like this? Don't you remember who stood by your side for three years? I was there for you when you were living in that basement!" she shouted out in the end.

Feeling guilty, Josh turned his gaze away, covered his head, and stayed silent.

Judie let out a mocking laugh. "You really think he'll crawl back to you after hearing that?"

Katie smiled calmly. "Why would I ever want him back? He's nothing but a loser who leeches off women. You are doing me a favor by having him with you."

This comment infuriated Judie.

Was Katie insinuating she was meant to be with a loser?

Fuming, Judie gritted her teeth. "You're going to regret this. My mother must have noticed that you were missing from the wedding."

Katie's expression changed.

She never wanted this marriage in the first place.

They had their sights set on Judie, the real daughter of the Holland family. Katie, on the other hand, was merely a foster child who had been taken in along with her mother.

That afternoon, Maddie Holland, Judie's mother, had invited her for tea. After one cup, Katie blacked out.

Upon awakening, she found herself in a wedding gown, seated in the bridal suite.

Maddie informed her through the door that she was to marry in Judie's place, fulfilling a long-standing engagement.

Of course, Katie refused.

The groom was rumored to be a man doing a lot of evil things. Judie herself had rejected him to the point of attempting suicide.

Katie couldn't agree to the marriage either.

Desperate, she made a daring escape through the window, not anticipating...

Overcome with anger and despair, she clutched the wedding dress tightly and clenched her teeth.

She hissed, "You won't have your way."

With that, she turned and ran away.

Julie didn't pursue her. Instead, she informed her parents of Katie's visit.

In Dailens, tracking someone down was a piece of cake for the Holland family.

Katie kept running and didn't stop.

It seemed like there were pursuers at every turn.

"Bang!" She tripped over a rock by the side of the road, tumbling down to the ground.

"Stop!" A group of strong men with electric batons were chasing after her.

Katie was determined not to be dragged back.

Biting down hard, she forced herself back on her feet and continued her escape.

An hour later, Katie found refuge in a warehouse, gasping for air.

She had made it to the suburb. Surely, her pursuers couldn't find her here, could they?

Climbing to the second floor, she used the last of her energy to barricade the door.

At last, she allowed herself a moment to catch her breath.

But her relief was short-lived when she heard noises in the dark.

Could it be a rat?

No, it was worse-the unmistakable sound of footsteps.

Tah...

The echo of leather boots on the floor cut through the silence of the night.

Fear took over Katie.

Her mouth twitched uncontrollably, and her voice trembled as she spoke. "Do you... live here? I didn't mean to intrude. I'll just leave..."

But as she got up, a large hand grabbed her from behind.

A sharp blade touched her delicate neck.

Katie was so scared that she could barely bring herself to open her mouth and speak.

A cold, male voice questioned her from above.

"Who sent you here?"

Katie was puzzled by the man's question.

She frowned, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"It's not a good thing to lie." The man's sneer grew as he applied more pressure to the blade.

A trickle of blood ran down Katie's fragile neck.

The fear she experienced right now far exceeded the fear she felt during the chase.

With a voice shaking from fear, Katie managed to speak. "Please, just hear me out..."

She kept her story simple, sharing only how she was being forced into a marriage without love. Finally, she pleaded, "I haven't seen your face, and I don't know who you are... Please let me go... My mom is at home waiting for me."

Her gentle plea somehow touched the man's heart.

He eased the pressure of the blade at her throat.

Then, a loud bang at the door erupted.

"He's got to be in here! Let's move in!"

The man's face hardened in an instant. He pulled Katie with him, pinning her against the wall.

He commanded forcefully, "Moan!"

Katie was completely dumbfounded.

Their bodies were pressed closely together.

In the next moment, the door was forcefully kicked open. The man grabbed her waist and pretended to have sex with her.

"Ah!"

Katie's forced moan sounded through the warehouse.

The armed intruders were taken by surprise.

Swearing under their breath, they left quickly.

"Damn it! What a waste of time!"

"Cut the crap! Hurry up and let's check the next place. He's hurt badly; he won't get far!"

"Understood, sir!"

The noise finally faded away.

But then...

Katie's eyelashes fluttered, and her cheeks blushed. "Are they gone?"

"Yes, thank you." His voice sounded raspier than it had earlier.

"You're welcome. May I go now?"

Holding her wedding gown, Katie felt a mix of fear and shyness.

Just as he was about to agree, his gaze landed on her torn wedding dress.

Moonlight shone through the window, lighting up something on her stomach.

He paused, taken aback.

The girl he remembered from years ago had a similar mark.

Out of nowhere, he felt a strange urge.

"I've changed my mind."

"What?" Katie was shocked.

From the shadows, his voice sounded, saying, "Do you truly wish to marry a man you don't love out of obligation?"

Katie's hold on her wedding dress tightened.

How could she agree to an arranged marriage? She definitely was not willing to do so.

Her lack of response said it all.

The man leaned into Katie with a smile and whispered in her ear, "How about continuing what we just did? Those people want to dictate your life. Don't you wish to take revenge on them?"

Katie was at a loss.

Revenge... Was that possible?

Her long-term boyfriend had betrayed her, and now her marriage was being used as leverage...

The man's words carried a devilish allure, leading her to entertain a reckless idea: having sex with him.

Recalling the intruders' words, she questioned, "Are you dying?"

"Yes, I won't live long."

"Let's continue then!" Katie said with resolve.

Now that the man was on his deathbed, no one would find out what happened between them.

He drew closer with a smile, lightly kissing her ear, his lips delicately grazing her pearl earring.

"Enjoy your wedding night, dear."

The following morning, when Katie woke up, a jacket was on her.

The man was nowhere to be seen.

Perhaps he had chosen to end his life somewhere quietly.

The thought left her heart with a strange sense of emptiness, especially considering they had shared intimate moments together the previous night.

"Bang!" Suddenly, the door burst open.

Several bodyguards rushed in one after another.

The Holland family had tracked her down!

Katie darted towards the window, only to be forcefully slammed against the wall by the guards.

An hour later, she found herself thrown at the feet of Fabian Holland and Maddie.

Maddie, with her sharp nails, pinched Katie's skin, scolding, "Our men have been searching all night for you! How could you do this? How could you run away on your own wedding?"

Katie's skin was torn and bleeding. Bearing the pain, she met Maddie's gaze with defiance. "He doesn't even want me!"

"Enough of this."

Fabian intervened, pulling Maddie away and lifting Katie to her feet. He offered a comforting smile. "Don't mind her, Katie."

As she nursed her wounded arm, Katie felt aggrieved. "I don't want to marry him."

Fabian disagreed, saying, "Katie, you're being unreasonable. Think of the years you and your mother have lived with us. Now, when it's your turn to repay us, you hesitate? You can't be so heartless."

Katie could tell that Fabian was hypocritical.

She stepped backward and said, "I'll repay the money as quickly as I can."

Fabian offered a smile. "It's not about the money. But, I've heard your mother needs a kidney transplant. Katie, can you really cover such expenses?"

Katie's hands clenched in frustration.

She knew she couldn't.

The money Katie had saved up was used to decorate the house for Josh.

When her mom got sick, she had hoped to talk to Josh about the possibly of selling the house first.

After all, they had been a couple for so long, she believed he would agree.

However, when she broached the subject, his only response was, "Katie, the house is mine."

She was caught off guard by his icy demeanor.

Initially, Josh insisted she shouldn't contribute to pay for his house, which she took as a gesture of affection.

So, when he later asked Katie to pay for the renovations, she didn't think twice.

After the house was decorated and she believed it was theirs, Josh informed her that since she didn't buy the house, he couldn't put her name on the property ownership.

Though she felt a bit odd about it, she went along with it, trusting Josh.

Until now...

Her mother was gravely ill, and only after catching Josh in bed with Judie did Katie realize how stupid she had been.

"Katie..." Fabian said to her with a smile, "I understand you don't have much money, but since you've been living here for so long, if you agree to marry Dillan Gilbert in Judie's place, I'll take care of your mother's medical expenses."

His seemingly kind gesture made Katie feel sick.

"You will keep your promise as long as I marry him?" she questioned.

"Yes, but you must do it as Judie. That man is not easy to deal with, and I prefer to avoid any complications."

Katie found herself in a dilemma.

She had to decide between her own happiness and her mother's wellbeing.

In the end, she chose her mother's life.

Her voice shaking, she agreed, "Fine, I'll marry him. But we have to make a pact."

"That won't be a problem."

Fabian promptly drafted a contract and signed it.

As Katie lowered her head to sign her name, her hand trembled while holding the pen.

A tear fell, smudging the ink on the paper.

She was filled with resentment.

But who could she resent? Had she not fallen so foolishly in love, she wouldn't be at the mercy of others now.

After signing their names, Fabian put away the agreement with a smile. "In three days, I'll rearrange the wedding for you. Make sure your true identity remains a secret then."

Katie gave a slight nod, turned, and walked away. She couldn't bear to spend another moment in this deceitful place.

Once the door was shut, Maddie expressed her displeasure, saying, "We had to offer her financial support to get her consent, that ungrateful bitch!"

"Don't worry." Fabian secured the document and reassured her with a comforting smile, "Did you really think I'd keep my word?"

Maddie realized he had a scheme in mind. She looked at him coquettishly, then felt a wave of relief. "You are really cunning. It's a good thing we're aware of her vulnerability, or Judie would have been the one marrying that man!"

Fabian smirked and pondered the unexpected turn of events. Just as Katie ran away from the wedding, Dillan was nowhere to be found.

Fabian was puzzled by this.

Given Dillan's dire financial situation, he should have been eager for the wedding, which was why he proposed it.

That was when Fabian considered Katie.

Once they were married, Dillan would have no way out even if he discovered he had married the wrong woman.

But Dillan wasn't at the wedding the night before!

Did he see through their trick?

Shortly after Katie left, a mocking laugh was heard.

Leaning on Josh's arm, Judie stood a short distance away, holding her nose and sneering at Katie. "Where did this hobo come from? She stinks!"

Katie stepped up and slapped her across the face. "Now you stink like me."

"Ah! You bitch!"

Judie shrieked and grabbed at Katie's dress. To her shock, beneath the wedding dress were numerous hickeys.

"Eh!" Judie covered her mouth and said in surprise, "So that's why you fled the wedding last night. You have been seeing another man!"