Title: I Married the Man Who Ruined Me
Chapter 1: The Wedding to My Enemy
The man waiting for me at the altar is the reason my life fell apart.
Lucian Blackwood.
Billionaire. Media king. The man whose lies sent my father to prison… and my mother to her grave.
And today—
I am marrying him.
My hands tremble inside the lace gloves as the wedding march echoes through the cathedral. Cameras flash. Guests whisper. To them, this is a fairy tale.
To me, it is a funeral.
I lift my eyes and meet his.
Lucian stands tall in his tailored black suit, his face calm, unreadable—handsome enough to make the world forgive his sins. His lips curve slightly, as if he knows exactly what I'm thinking.
As if he's enjoying this.
When I stop in front of him, he leans closer and whispers so only I can hear.
"Smile, Elara. The world thinks you're happy."
My nails dig into my palm.
"You ruined me," I whisper back. "You took everything."
His eyes darken—not with regret, but possession.
"And yet," he murmurs, "you still said yes."
Because I had no choice.
Because my father's freedom hangs on this marriage.
Because Lucian Blackwood never offers mercy—only deals soaked in blood.
The priest begins to speak.
"Do you, Lucian Blackwood, take Elara Grey—"
"I do," Lucian answers instantly, eyes never leaving mine.
The priest turns to me.
Every muscle in my body screams run.
But I remember my father behind bars.
I remember my mother dying with my name on her lips.
I remember Lucian's voice on the phone that night:
Marry me… or your father dies in prison.
"I do," I say.
The words taste like poison.
Lucian slips the ring onto my finger, his touch burning.
Then he kisses me.
The crowd erupts in applause.
But his lips brush my ear, and he whispers the words that shatter me completely.
"Welcome to hell, wife."
Chapter 2: The Deal That Destroyed Me
Three months earlier…
I never meant to meet Lucian Blackwood again.
The last time I saw him was in a courtroom—standing tall while my father was sentenced for a crime he didn't commit.
So when his assistant appeared at my office, I laughed.
"Tell your boss to rot in hell," I said.
Lucian invited me anyway.
Blackwood Tower rose like a monster against the sky. Cold. Untouchable.
Lucian waited by the window when I entered, city lights painting him in gold and shadow.
"You look thinner," he said casually. "Prison life doesn't suit your family."
I slapped him.
The sound echoed through the room.
He didn't flinch.
Instead, he smiled.
"Good. You still have fire."
"What do you want?" I demanded.
He turned, eyes sharp as knives.
"Marriage."
I laughed—hysterical, broken.
"You destroyed my family and now you want to marry me?"
"No," he corrected calmly. "I want to own you."
My chest tightened.
"Your father's appeal is on my desk," he continued. "One signature, and he walks free."
Hope—dangerous, cruel hope—rose inside me.
"And the price?" I whispered.
Lucian stepped closer, towering over me.
"You marry me. You live with me. You belong to me—for three years."
"And after?"
His fingers brushed my chin, forcing me to look at him.
"After," he said softly, "if you survive… you're free."
That was the moment I should have run.
Instead, I nodded.
Because loving Lucian Blackwood wasn't the danger.
Surviving him was
Chapter 3: The First Night
The Blackwood mansion is silent.
Too silent.
The door closes behind us with a heavy click, and suddenly the applause, the cameras, the fake smiles—all of it disappears.
Now it's just me… and him.
Lucian removes his suit jacket slowly, deliberately, like he's testing my nerves. I stand frozen near the bed, still in my wedding dress, my heart pounding like it wants to escape my chest.
"You can breathe, Elara," he says calmly. "I'm not going to touch you."
I laugh bitterly. "How generous."
He turns to face me, eyes dark, unreadable.
"This marriage isn't about desire," he says. "It's about control."
The word settles between us like a curse.
He walks past me and pours himself a drink. "You'll have your own room. Your own space. But don't confuse that with freedom."
I swallow. "So what do you want from me?"
Lucian's gaze lifts slowly—dangerously.
"Obedience in public. Honesty in private. And no attempts to run."
I meet his eyes, refusing to look away. "And if I break your rules?"
A slow smile curves his lips.
"Then you'll learn why people fear the name Blackwood."
He moves toward the door, then stops.
"Oh—and Elara?"
"Yes?"
"Tonight is mercy. Don't expect it twice."
The door closes.
I collapse onto the bed, finally letting the tears fall.
I didn't just marry my enemy.
I walked willingly into his cage.
Chapter 4: The Woman He Never Let Go
The next morning, I wake to sunlight and silence.
Until I hear laughter.
Female laughter.
My stomach twists as I follow the sound down the hallway.
She's standing in the kitchen like she owns the place—tall, flawless, dressed in red silk. Her hand rests casually on Lucian's arm.
"And you didn't tell me you'd married," she says smoothly. "I feel betrayed."
Lucian doesn't pull away.
"Elara," he says, finally noticing me. "Meet Vanessa Hale."
The name hits me hard.
Vanessa Hale—the woman the tabloids once called the love of Lucian Blackwood's life.
She turns to me, smiling sweetly. "So you're the bride."
Her eyes rake over me—not curious, but assessing.
"I didn't expect you to look so… ordinary."
I straighten my spine. "And I didn't expect my husband to entertain guests without informing me."
Lucian's lips twitch.
Vanessa laughs softly. "Oh, darling. I'm not a guest."
She leans closer to Lucian, whispering something in his ear.
I don't hear the words—but I see his jaw tighten.
Then he steps back.
"Vanessa is here on business," he says. "She'll be staying for a while."
My chest tightens.
"How long is a while?" I ask.
Vanessa answers instead. "As long as Lucian wants me."
Her gaze locks onto mine.
"And Lucian always keeps what he wants."
Chapter 5: Cracks in the Armor
That night, I find Lucian alone in his study.
He looks tired.
For the first time, he looks human.
"Why is she here?" I ask quietly.
He doesn't look up. "Because she knows too much."
"About my father?" I press.
His hand freezes.
"Yes."
The word feels like a small victory.
"You ruined my family," I whisper. "Was it worth it?"
Lucian finally meets my eyes.
"I didn't ruin your family," he says coldly. "I saved you from something far worse."
My breath catches. "What does that mean?"
He stands, towering over me once again—but there's something different now. Something almost… conflicted.
"There are enemies you don't see yet," he says. "Your father crossed people who don't forgive."
"And you?" I challenge. "What are you to me?"
His gaze softens—for just a second.
"I'm the man keeping you alive."
Silence stretches between us.
Then he adds quietly, "And the man who will destroy himself before letting anyone else hurt you."
I don't know whether to believe him.
But for the first time since the wedding…
I feel something dangerous stirring in my chest.
Not love.
Not hate.
Something worse.
Chapter 6: His Rules, My Defiance
Lucian's rules are everywhere.
What I wear.
Where I go.
Who I speak to.
But the worst rule?
Never leave the mansion without his permission.
So of course, that's exactly what I do.
I step out of Blackwood Tower in a simple dress and sunglasses, my heart racing as the gates close behind me. For the first time in weeks, I feel air in my lungs that doesn't belong to Lucian Blackwood.
I don't get far.
A black car screeches to a halt beside me.
The door opens.
"Get in."
Lucian's voice is ice.
I refuse. "You don't own me."
His eyes darken. "You're wearing my name. That's ownership enough."
He doesn't touch me—but the guards do.
Minutes later, I'm back in the mansion, fury burning in my chest.
"You humiliated me," I shout.
He steps closer. "You endangered yourself."
"I'm not your prisoner!"
Lucian grips the wall beside my head, trapping me without touching me.
"You are my responsibility," he growls. "And if anything happens to you—"
"What?" I challenge. "You'll replace me?"
His jaw tightens.
"No," he says quietly. "I'll burn the world."
For the first time, I'm not sure who should be afraid.
Chapter 7: The Woman Who Warned Me
Vanessa corners me in the garden later that day.
"You're playing a dangerous game," she says smoothly. "Lucian doesn't forgive disobedience."
I glare at her. "Then why are you still here?"
Her smile fades.
"Because I survived him."
The words send a chill down my spine.
"I loved him once," she continues. "I thought I was special."
"And?" I ask.
She steps closer. "He doesn't love. He possesses."
I laugh bitterly. "You're telling me this now?"
"I'm telling you because you're already falling," she says softly. "And once Lucian Blackwood decides you're his… he won't let you go. Even if it destroys you."
That night, I confront Lucian.
"Did you love her?" I ask.
He doesn't hesitate. "No."
"Then what was she to you?"
His eyes lift slowly.
"A lesson."
I don't know what scares me more—
that he learned from her…
or that he's still learning from me.
Chapter 8: When the Mask Slips
The call comes at midnight.
My father has collapsed in prison.
I don't remember screaming, but suddenly I'm shaking, crying, breaking apart.
Lucian finds me on the floor.
He kneels without a word and pulls me into his arms.
I should push him away.
I don't.
"They said he might not make it," I sob.
Lucian's grip tightens, his jaw hard with fury.
"I warned them," he mutters.
"You knew this could happen?" I demand.
"Yes."
"Then why didn't you stop it?!"
His eyes burn into mine.
"Because this was the only way to force my enemies into the open."
The room spins.
"You used my father as bait?" I whisper.
Lucian looks away.
For the first time… he looks ashamed.
"I will fix this," he says quietly. "I swear on my life."
I laugh hysterically through my tears.
"You already own my life."
He cups my face, his touch gentle—too gentle.
"No," he says. "I'm trying to save it."
Our eyes lock.
The air between us crackles—raw, dangerous, undeniable.
And in that moment, I realize the truth that terrifies me most.
The man who ruined me…
is the only one who can protect me.
Chapter 9: The Night He Broke
Lucian doesn't sleep that night.
Neither do I.
At dawn, I find him in the private hospital wing of the mansion, standing outside my father's room. His jacket is gone. His tie is loose. His hands are clenched like he's holding back a storm.
"He's stable," Lucian says without turning around. "For now."
Relief crashes over me so hard my knees weaken.
"You moved him here," I whisper.
"Yes."
"Why?"
Lucian finally faces me. His eyes are bloodshot, his control fractured.
"Because the prison doctor was paid to let him die."
My breath stutters.
"By who?"
He hesitates—just a second too long.
"By the people your father crossed," he says. "People I'm at war with."
"Are you winning?" I ask quietly.
Lucian steps closer.
"There are battles I win," he murmurs. "And battles I endure."
For the first time, I see the weight he carries. The cracks in his armor.
When I start to cry again, he doesn't say anything.
He just pulls me into his chest and lets me break.
Chapter 10: The Kiss That Changed Everything
I don't remember how we end up in my room.
I only remember the silence.
The kind that presses down on your chest.
Lucian stands by the door, his presence filling the space.
"You should rest," he says.
"You too," I reply.
He doesn't move.
"Why are you really doing this?" I ask. "Saving my father. Protecting me."
His jaw tightens.
"Because I made a promise," he says.
"To who?"
His voice drops.
"To your mother."
The words hit like lightning.
"You knew my mother?"
"She begged me," he says quietly. "The night before she died."
My heart pounds. "For what?"
"For you."
The room feels too small.
"She said if anything happened to your father, I was to keep you alive—even if you hated me."
Tears blur my vision.
"You let me think you destroyed us."
Lucian steps closer, pain raw in his eyes.
"I needed you to survive me," he says. "Not love me."
Something in me snaps.
I step forward and kiss him.
It's not gentle.
It's desperate.
Lucian freezes—then pulls away abruptly, breathing hard.
"This changes nothing," he warns.
But his hands are shaking.
Chapter 11: The Betrayal That Followed
The evidence arrives two days later.
A file marked GREY CASE — FINAL.
Lucian leaves it on my desk without a word.
Inside is proof.
Bank transfers. Phone records. Witness statements.
My father was framed.
And the name behind it all makes my blood turn cold.
Vanessa Hale.
I storm into Lucian's office.
"You knew," I accuse. "You knew it was her."
"Yes," he says calmly.
"And you still let her live here?!"
"She was useful," he replies. "Until now."
My hands shake. "You used me again."
Lucian's voice hardens. "I used her to get the truth."
"And what about me?" I shout. "Am I just another strategy?"
His eyes darken.
"No," he says. "You're my weakness."
Before I can respond, a gunshot echoes through the mansion.
Alarms scream.
Security rushes in.
Lucian pulls me behind him instinctively.
"Vanessa's gone," a guard says. "She escaped."
Lucian swears under his breath.
I stare at him, heart pounding.
"She knows everything," I whisper.
"Yes," he says grimly.
"And now," he adds, locking eyes with me,
"she's coming for you."
Chapter 12: The Kidnapping (Completed)
The night is thick, heavy with rain.
I'm alone in my room, reviewing old letters my father left me, trying to make sense of the betrayal.
Then—the window shatters.
Glass flies across the floor. My heart stops.
"Get down!" Lucian's voice roars through the hall.
Before I can react, two masked figures drag me toward the broken window. Panic claws at my chest.
I struggle, but one of them slaps me.
"You'll regret your father's choices," a low voice hisses.
Suddenly, Lucian appears, moving faster than my eyes can follow. In seconds, he's on the intruders, his movements sharp, dangerous. He overpowers them with brutal efficiency, every strike precise.
One of the men groans and drops the crowbar. The other runs—but Lucian doesn't let him go. He drags the man outside into the storm.
I collapse to the floor, trembling.
Lucian kneels beside me, his hands warm and steady on my shoulders.
"You're safe," he says softly. But the intensity in his eyes terrifies me.
"I thought… I thought I could survive this," I whisper.
He cups my face, his fingers digging slightly, as if trying to memorize every fear etched there.
"You don't survive," he murmurs, voice low and dangerous. "Not when I'm this close."
I don't know whether to be terrified or grateful. Both.
Chapter 13: The Confession
The mansion is quiet the next morning, almost too quiet.
Lucian doesn't leave my side. He watches me as I eat breakfast, as if timing my every movement.
Finally, I can't take it. "Why are you doing all this?" I ask. "Protecting me, breaking your own rules, fighting my enemies…"
His eyes soften, just slightly. "Because you're the only one I care about," he admits quietly.
I stare at him, unsure I heard correctly.
"Care?" I scoff. "You ruined my life!"
His gaze hardens. "I never wanted to ruin you. I wanted to protect you—from everyone, from everything—even myself."
I feel my chest tighten. His words aren't an apology. They're worse—they're the truth, and it scares me.
"You're obsessive," I whisper.
"And you're mine," he counters, almost gently.
I look away, heart racing. The line between fear and something else—something dangerous—is blurring.
Chapter 14: The Betrayal Revealed
Vanessa strikes again.
She's everywhere—media rumors, leaked financial records, threats to my father in the hospital, even a text to me from an anonymous number: "You can't hide from me."
I finally confront Lucian in his study. "You let her live here after everything she did?"
He doesn't answer at first, just stares at the fire. Then he turns to me, voice low and deadly calm:
"She had information I couldn't ignore. I needed her to find the person who really framed your father."
I freeze. "And?"
He swallows hard. "She found them. And now… she's trying to hurt you to regain control."
I feel a mix of fear and relief. At least now I know who the real enemy is. But knowing doesn't make it less terrifying.
Lucian steps closer, his face inches from mine. "If she touches you, I will burn the world for you. And nothing—not her, not anyone—will stop me."
I feel both trapped and… strangely safe.
Chapter 15: The Choice
The next day, Lucian takes me to a private island—a safehouse disguised as a luxurious escape.
"Why here?" I ask, scanning the guarded perimeter.
"Because here, you're untouchable," he says. His hand brushes mine briefly, a spark that makes my skin tingle.
I look at him, suddenly daring. "And us? What about us?"
He freezes, eyes locking on mine. "Us?"
"Yes. You're obsessed with protecting me… but what do you feel for me, Lucian? Really?"
He's silent for a long moment. Then he leans close, voice rough.
"Nothing matters but keeping you alive," he admits. "But… when I see you, when you're near, I feel something I can't control. Fear. Anger. Desire. Obsession. All at once. And it terrifies me."
I swallow, heart pounding. "Then… why stay?"
"Because losing you is a risk I can't survive," he whispers.
And for the first time, I realize: the man who ruined me, the man who terrorized me, and the man who owns my life… has also captured my heart.
The storm outside rages on. The enemy is still out there. But in this moment, with Lucian's hands around mine, I can't decide whether I want to fight him… or surrender.
The line between love and hate, fear and desire, obsession and protection… has disappeared.
And I think… I'm already lost.
Chapter 16: The Final Trap
Vanessa strikes with everything she has.
A message appears on my phone: "Meet me at Blackwood Tower. Or your father dies."
Lucian reads it over my shoulder. His face is dark, unreadable.
"You're not going," he says.
"I have to," I insist. "He's my father."
He grabs my wrist. "If you go, she wins. And I won't forgive myself."
I shake free. "I can't let her control me!"
Lucian's jaw tightens. "Then you go… but not alone."
We drive through the night. Every second feels like a heartbeat away from disaster. When we arrive, the tower is empty… silent… except for Vanessa, waiting.
"I've been expecting you," she says, smirking.
Lucian steps forward, protective, deadly. "She won't touch you," he growls.
Vanessa laughs. "Oh, she belongs to me now."
But before she can move, Lucian lunges. What follows is chaos—glass shatters, alarms blare, and Vanessa is finally forced to flee.
I realize for the first time that Lucian isn't just my husband, my captor, my tormentor… he's my protector. And he's relentless.
Chapter 17: Secrets Unveiled
After Vanessa escapes, we finally have time to breathe.
Lucian leads me to his private office. "There's something you need to know about my past… and your father."
He explains the full story:
My father was framed by a rival family in a corporate war.
Lucian's family had ties to both sides; he initially helped Vanessa manipulate events.
But he always regretted it, and secretly worked to protect me.
"I ruined your life," he admits, voice raw. "But I also saved it. I just… couldn't show it until now."
I stare at him. Hate, fear, and something else—desire?—twist inside me.
"Why tell me now?" I ask.
"Because I can't hide from you anymore. You need the truth… and I need you to see me as I am."
Chapter 18: The Confession
We spend the next days together, isolated from the world.
Finally, Lucian takes my hands in his, eyes locking on mine. "Elara… I don't want to just protect you anymore. I don't want to just possess you. I want to be with you. All of you. I can't survive without you in my life."
My heart races. "But… can I trust you?"
His hands tighten. "Trust isn't given. It's earned. And I'll earn it—every day, for the rest of my life."
For the first time, I feel a fragile hope. I lean forward and kiss him. It's different now—not desperate, not bitter. It's real, complicated, dangerous… and ours.
Chapter 19: Vanessa's Last Move
Vanessa returns, desperate.
She storms the mansion with hired mercenaries, thinking she can take me—or Lucian—by force.
But this time, we are ready. Lucian and I fight side by side.
He's protective, ferocious, unstoppable.
I've learned to fight too—my fear transformed into fire.
Vanessa is cornered, her schemes unraveling. She finally bows out, defeated, powerless.
Lucian looks at me, pride and something softer in his eyes. "You're stronger than I thought."
I realize I've changed too. No longer the scared, fragile woman she thought she could control… I'm my own force.
Chapter 20: The Marriage That Survived Hell
With Vanessa gone and my father cleared, we finally have peace.
Lucian and I stand together on the balcony of Blackwood Tower, city lights sparkling below.
"I ruined you," he admits quietly, "but I also saved you. And I… love you."
I take his hand, heart full of all the pain, fear, and desire that brought us here.
"I hated you," I whisper. "But I survived. And… I love you too."
He pulls me close, kissing me like he's never letting go.
The storm of betrayal, fear, and obsession is finally behind us. What remains is messy, dangerous, and real.
And I know this: I married the man who ruined me…
But in the end, he also became the man who saved me.