
1.1 K readers · 28 chapters · 8 free
Elowen Hart is a hardworking baker who loves her independence but is drowning in secret debt. Her life changes when her cold and powerful billionaire landlord, Caius Ashbourne, makes her an offer she cannot refuse. Caius is locked in a bitter fight with his grandfather and his cousin Julian over the family business. To keep his position as CEO, Caius must produce an heir to secure a trust fund. He offers to pay off all of Elowen's debts if she marries him and gives him a baby. Left with no other choice, Elowen signs the contract. Elowen moves into Caius's penthouse, and their relationship starts off tense. Caius is used to controlling everything and everyone. However, as they live together, the cold billionaire begins to soften. Elowen's warmth and fiery spirit break down his walls, and their forced arrangement turns into a very real and passionate romance. Just as they begin to fall in love, the truth comes out. Julian exposes a forged document that reveals how much Caius manipulated Elowen's debts in the beginning. Heartbroken and feeling like she was just a pawn in his corporate game, Elowen leaves Caius to reclaim her freedom. Losing Elowen makes Caius realize that his money and power mean nothing without her. He decides to give up his position at the company. To prove he has changed, Caius buys Elowen a brand new bakery with absolutely no strings attached. He stops being her controlling landlord and starts courting her like a normal man. Slowly, he earns back her trust, and they start dating for real. The story reaches its peak when Elowen discovers she is actually pregnant. Initially terrified that the baby will bring back the old family pressure, Elowen is relieved when Caius proves he no longer cares about the Ashbourne empire. He only wants to build a real family with the woman he loves. They throw away the old contracts and have a real, intimate wedding in a small chapel. The story ends happily seven months later. Caius and Elowen are living peacefully in the apartment above her new bakery, raising their newborn daughter, Clara, far away from the toxic corporate world.