Loved by the Stranger I Married for Revenge

That night, the wind picked up, making the white curtains by the glass door flap quietly.

Behind the thin curtain, two bodies intertwined, tangled in a mess of passion-his strength meeting her allure, heavy breathing mixing in a rhythm only betrayal would understand.

White sheets and bronze skin, a mix of softness and raw desire.

A wild night like this? Classic setup for cheating.

Anna Green pressed herself against the balcony's windowpane, her whole body tense, her face a mix of calm and-well, unreadable.

She was here on a mission: catch her boyfriend in the act.

The guy tangled up in that mess inside? Yep, the very one. After hearing some rumors, she'd decided to stake out the scene herself and give the cheater the scare of his life. Ideally, she would burst in mid-wrongdoing and leave him speechless, shamed, and hopefully pants-down.

Solid plan, every detail covered.

Buuut... even the best plans hit snags.

A faint cologne drifted up to her nose-masculine, subtle, definitely not from her boyfriend-and she suddenly became hyper-aware of a breath, warm and slow, brushing across the bare skin of her arm.

Tingly. Kind of electric. Like someone running a feather down her skin.

Trying not to panic, Anna shifted slightly, uncomfortable, then turned her head-

Right into the personal space of another man squatting next to her on this ridiculous excuse of a balcony.

He wore a snug black Italian suit that screamed craftsmanship, every line on his tall figure looking like something off a magazine spread. His face was sharp yet elegant, and those deep, almond-shaped eyes carried a kind of lazy charm that could probably melt glaciers. Tight lips, calm posture, with just enough distance to appear aloof and expensive.

Anna had seen her share of good-looking dudes. Actors, models, influencers-nothing new. She'd always thought herself immune.

But this guy?

He didn't belong here. He belonged at a gala, with red wine in one hand and a stunner on his arm, violins playing in the background-not crouched here beside her like a co-conspirator in a breakup stakeout.

Damn, the awkwardness level was off the charts. She could feel her brain lagging, scrambling for something-anything-to kill the tension.

Forcing a sugary-sweet smile, she gave it her best shot.

"Wow, small world. You here to catch a cheater too?"

Seriously, Anna? That's what you came up with?

"...So, the woman inside-she's your girlfriend?"

Julian Blake was about to shake his head, deny it cleanly. But when he locked eyes with Anna, something made him pause. The words caught in his throat, and instead, he just accepted the ridiculous label. Even if it wasn't true, not really.

Anna gave a half-hearted nod, messing with her phone and scrolling through the photos she'd just snapped of the cheating couple. She mumbled, "Well, since we've both been played, I guess that makes us comrades in misery. Want a copy, bro? I'll send it to you-just in case she pulls a fast one when you break things off."

She really meant well.

The guy was almost too good-looking to be true. Sure, her own boyfriend wasn't bad, but compared to this man? Total mismatch.

It was like comparing street food to a Michelin-star meal. Plastic shiny toy to a real gold ring.

Why that woman in bed would ditch this man for Anna's, who the hell knew. Must've had something loose in her head. But if this man wanted to break up, no way that chick would take it lying down.

"You're not upset?" Julian sounded genuinely caught off guard. This girl's reaction totally blew past what he'd expected.

Where the heck did his nephew find someone like this?

"Upset?" Anna glanced away from her screen and blinked, "What's the point? It is what it is. Better to find out now than later and waste even more time on trash like him."

She sounded cool and detached, but deep down, yeah, it still stung a little. Just not as much as she thought it would.

Maybe it had something to do with the guy next to her going through the exact same mess.

Okay... maybe it was wrong, but part of her kind of found it ironic. A little satisfying even.

The soft glow from inside the room spilled across Anna's face through the window, tracing the curve of her cheek.

And that's when Julian had a wild idea.

"Want revenge?"

His voice, low and rich, slid through the dark like it carried a secret.

"They messed around behind our backs, totally betrayed us-how can we just let it slide that easily, right?"

Honestly, he wasn't wrong.

Anna felt fired up at first, almost nodded in agreement, but then her sanity kicked in, and she shook her head hastily.

"Heh... better not."

She subtly shuffled away, trying to escape Julian's intense gaze. The guy was absurdly good-looking, sure-but maybe getting cheated on messed with his head? What if he dragged her into something crazy like arson or murder? That would be game over.

"Scared already?"

Julian's charming, slightly sly eyes twinkled as he spoke calmly, but Anna couldn't help feeling teased by his tone.

Anna had always been the bold, fearless kind since she was a kid. Being challenged like that? No way she was backing down.

She straightened her back and blurted, "W-Who said I was scared?!"

She stared him down, jaw tight, stubborn fire in her eyes. She didn't realize that her chest rose and fell with each breath, and from Julian's perspective, the whole scene was... distracting.

Julian's eyes darkened. He reached out and gently pressed a finger to her lips. "You said it yourself, remember. No backing out."

The sudden cool touch startled her, and-don't know what flipped in her brain-she bit him.

Their eyes locked. The air between them was suddenly... thick.

"Ugh! Why're you sticking your finger in my mouth, you creep!"

Anna snapped out of it first, spit out his finger, blushed furiously, and quickly flipped the roles with a loud accusation.

Julian just glanced down at her, unfazed, pulling out a handkerchief from his suit jacket and carefully wiping off his finger like nothing happened.

Ew.

Anna stuck out her tongue in disgust; her arm broke out in goosebumps. That look he just gave her? Way too icy.

"What's your name? Where do you live? How old are you?"

Julian lowered his head, not even looking at her directly, but fired off questions one after the other without pause.

What-was he a cop?

Anna didn't want to answer, but remembering that chilly glare, she shrunk back a little, then mumbled unwillingly, "Anna Green. From the capital. I'm 21."

Julian lifted his hand under the dim light, eyeing the clear row of bite marks on his finger. A strange smirk tugged at his lips.

"Oh, so you're part puppy, huh?"

"Uh..."

The second she answered, Anna realized something was off-but it was too late to take it back.

Eyeing this total stranger warily, she laid down the terms for teaming up.

"Fine, I'll help you get revenge or whatever, but you've gotta promise me nothing illegal. No killing, no arson-count me outta that. Though... even if you really do something bad, my lips are sealed."

Yeah, she totally just sold out her boyfriend without hesitation. Well, ex-boyfriend now, anyway.

"They left. Did you take your ID?"

Julian didn't address her condition directly. Instead, he tossed her this random question.

"...Huh? I always carry mine..."

Anna poked her head around and finally realized the room was trashed, but the couple who had been all over each other earlier was now long gone.

"Good. Then we're leaving too."

Pleased with her answer, Julian stood up, adjusted his clothes, and reached down to pull Anna up from her crouch.

"Wait... where are we going?"

"You'll see. Just come."

Julian ruffled her hair like she was some kind of pet.

Still in a daze, Anna let him lead her out. By the time they stepped out of the hotel, morning light had already broken across the sky.

"Sir, ma'am, are you both entering this marriage voluntarily?"

It was a typical Monday morning at the county clerk's office, packed with couples waiting their turn. Amid the sea of lovey-dovey pairs, one couple stood out-for all the wrong reasons.

The man was tall, unfairly handsome, with the kind of sharp features that belonged on a billboard. The woman beside him had that effortless beauty look-toned limbs, full lips parted in shock, with sleek, sun-kissed hair falling in a straight cascade down her back and a radiant glow, though her death grip on the counter suggested she'd rather be anywhere but here.

"No! We are not here to get married!" Anna blurted, words tumbling out in a panicked rush. "Officer, this is a mistake! I barely know this guy!"

What the hell was happening?! After being kidnapped (okay, dragged) into his car and driven here, this lunatic had marched her straight into the marriage license office. Was this some kind of sick joke?

"Barely know me?"

Julian, who had been silent until now, let out a low chuckle. In one smooth motion, he pulled her against his chest, tilting his head with that infuriating, smug smirk of his. His voice was pure honey-if honey could also sound like a threat.

"Anna, sweetheart, since when do strangers walk into a courthouse together to get a marriage license?"

The crowd erupted.

"Girl, you're saying no to that? Damn, what's your standard-Prince Charming?"

"Yo, bro, if she's not signing, I volunteer-"

"Babe, why can't you look at me like he's looking at her?"

"Nah, I'm calling off my wedding. This is depressing."

The clerk, a middle-aged woman who had seen every kind of cold feet imaginable, sighed and pried Anna's white-knuckled grip off the counter.

"Honey, let's be real-men like him don't just fall out of the sky. Stop overthinking and just sign the damn papers."

Anna's face burned. She opened her mouth to argue-but before she could, Julian's arm tightened around her waist, his fingers tracing a slow, teasing line along her hip. The message was clear: Try running. I dare you.

Trapped against him, surrounded by his stupidly expensive cologne, Anna was outmatched.

This was a disaster.

Tears pricked her eyes. All she'd wanted was to catch her cheating ex-how did she end up cornered by a human-shaped red flag in a courthouse?!

"Anna," Julian murmured, lips brushing her ear in a way that made the onlookers swoon. To them, it looked tender. To her? Psychological warfare.

"You agreed to this, remember? Smile for the nice people, sign the license, and we can go home."

AGREED?!

She jerked back, eyes blazing. "We need to talk. Right. Now." Her voice dropped to a hiss. "You can't just force me into marriage because you've got a room full of people fooled!"

Julian studied her, silent.

Sweating, Anna played her last card: the law.

Thank God for legal consent.

She squared her shoulders. "Even if you drag me to the altar, I'm not signing anything."