Chapter 1

Trapped by family betrayal, Isabella marries a stranger to survive. But her "ordinary" husband hides a deadly secret: he's the heir to a fortune—and her enemies' worst nightmare. Can their fake love destroy a conspiracy that wants her dead?

'Where am I? Why can't I move?' Isabella Taylor thought, a wave of dizziness washing over her.

She managed to crack her eyes open just a bit, but everything around her kept spinning wildly.

'I feel like I'm being pushed somewhere. Where is this? The smell of disinfectant is so overwhelming. Am I in a hospital?'

With what little awareness she had left, Isabella finally caught sight of the bright surgical lights and the medical staff in their scrubs bustling around her.

"I'm not sick! Why am I in a hospital? Let me go! I just want to go home!"

She tried to scream, but all that escaped her lips was a feeble sound.

When Isabella was pushed into the operating room, the last thing she saw was a very familiar face, that of her sister Bianca Taylor.

"Isabella, do you know how long I've waited for this moment? I can finally watch you die."

Bianca's eyes were full of resentment, and she left the operating room laughing with a mocking smile on her face.

"Come back! I don't want to die! Someone, please save me!" Isabella's eyes widened in sheer terror. She desperately wanted to scream, but all that came out was a raspy, unsettling sound that barely filled the room.

Until the doctor injected Isabella with anesthesia again, her consciousness once again fell into a stupor.

'Am I really going to die this time? I didn't do anything wrong. Why is this happening to me? If I die, what will happen to my husband? Will he cry? Probably not, since we've only known each other for a short time.'

Isabella's life flashed quickly through her mind.

'I've heard that when people are about to die, they quickly review their entire life. It feels like I'm in that moment right now.'

Isabella couldn't help but laugh at herself inwardly. It felt like time had frozen in the entire world at this moment.

In those fleeting memories, she saw a man who had brought her so much pain.

"John, you bastard. If I make it through this, I swear I'll never let you off the hook," she cursed John Williams silently, her heart filled with resentment.

Isabella had once been engaged to John, with Mason Williams as their witness. She had loved him for eight long years, only to recently discover that he had been with Bianca all along. They had even planned to use Isabella's kidney to treat Bianca's uremia.

"How could I have been so blind to fall for that bastard, John? My current husband is so much better than him! At least he wouldn't hurt me!"

Isabella cursed John, but at the same time, another man's image appeared in her mind.

Time rewound to two days ago.

Isabella stood at the entrance of City Hall, gazing into the distance as she waited for someone to arrive. He was a man she found through a dating website, eager to settle down and escape the pressure from his family to get married.

"John, you bastard, trying to use marriage as a threat against me. I'll marry whoever I want! I'll show you that you're not irreplaceable," she muttered to herself, her anger boiling over and her thoughts a bit irrational. It was all John's fault for using their engagement to manipulate her. If she didn't agree to give up her kidney to save Bianca, he would never even consider marrying her.

Suddenly, Isabella noticed a very ordinary car approaching from a distance. Then a man in a black suit got out of the car.

Isabella saw the man's appearance and immediately recognized that he was the one she was going to marry.

The man's name was Michael Williams. When Isabella first saw the surname, she was worried that he might be related to the Williams Family.

However, Michael's profile indicated that he was just a low-level employee at a company owned by the Williams Family, and the same surname was just a coincidence.

Isabella took a deep breath and walked toward Michael. As he approached, he looked her up and down, a hint of admiration in his eyes.

"You must be Ms. Taylor! I have to say, you're even more beautiful in person than in your photos," he said, flashing a charming smile.

Michael was strikingly handsome, radiating that mature male charm. The way his mouth curved when he smiled was both elegant and slightly roguish, making Isabella think he'd be better suited for a modeling agency than stuck in a small office job.

"Thank you for the compliment! You're quite handsome yourself," Isabella replied, trying to keep the conversation light.

"So, Ms. Taylor, are you really sure you want to marry me?" Michael asked again, his tone a mix of curiosity and seriousness.

Faced with this question, Isabella thought of the man she once deeply loved, John. But thinking of him being intimate with Bianca filled her with grievance and hatred.

"I've made up my mind. Let's get married," Isabella said seriously, looking at Michael.

"Alright, then let's go inside," Michael said, naturally taking Isabella's hand and leading her into City Hall.

Michael's natural action made Isabella suspicious.

'We're meeting for the first time, isn't this a bit impolite? Could his profile be fake? Maybe he's a playboy, but what does it matter? We're not marrying for love anyway.'

Isabella pushed aside her slight discomfort and began filling out the forms. When the staff collected their paperwork and handed them their marriage license, a wave of relief washed over her.

'Now, no one can use marriage to threaten me anymore,' she thought, smiling at the license in her hands.

Just then, her phone buzzed in her bag. She glanced at the caller ID, and her expression shifted subtly, a mix of surprise and apprehension crossing her face.

The call was from John's grandfather, Mason.

If John made her feel disgusted, John's grandfather Mason still brought a sense of warmth. He was the one who had arranged their marriage, after all.

Mason's cheerful voice came through the phone, inviting Isabella to a family dinner and mentioning he wanted to introduce her to John's mysterious uncle.

"I understand, Mason. I'll be there," Isabella replied, agreeing while mentally noting she needed to find a moment to tell him about her marriage.

After hanging up, Isabella sensed someone approaching from behind. She turned to find her new husband, Michael, standing there.

"Do you need something, Mr. Williams?" she asked, curious.

Michael shrugged, that casual smile still on his face. "I just wanted to check if you remember our agreement from earlier?"