~• COMPLETED •~


[ WARNING : CONTAINS SMUT/ MATURE CONTENT FROM CHAPTER 102]

Delia's life was a cruel reality: the neglected and abused illegitimate daughter of a noble family, the Ellington family,  she yearned for the love of her stepmother, Baroness Augusta, and younger sister, Lady Anne, who relentlessly mistreated her. 

Her world crumbled when she discovered a double betrayal: her beloved husband, Lord George had secretly pined for Anne, marrying Delia only to be near her sister. Simultaneously, her step mother framed her for a crime Anne committed. 

Overwhelmed and heartbroken, Delia's attempt to escape a death sentence led to a fatal carriage accident.

But death was not the end. Delia awoke one year in the past, finding herself still engaged to George. This was her second chance, and the naive girl was gone, replaced by a woman consumed by a burning desire for revenge. Her first target: Duke Eric Carson, the powerful and wealthy man her sister Anne desperately pursued.

Delia boldly approached Eric with a proposition for a contract marriage. To her surprise, Eric agreed, but with a condition: their fake marriage would become real and they can go their separate way after a year, hiding his own secret agenda. Now, armed with Eric's unexpected devotion and his willingness to lay down his life for her, Delia meticulously begins to dismantle her family's world. With Eric's help, she exposes the secrets they hide, manipulates their desires, and turns them against each other, orchestrating George’s demotion, Anne's downfall and seizing everything her sister coveted, including Duke Eric love and obsession.

Will Delia and Eric be able to conquer all odds to get what they want? What happens when Eric doesn’t want their contract marriage to end? What happens when the last petal that indicates her second chance falls?

———————
EXCPRET 


“I can’t return your feelings, your grace,” Delia whispered, her back against the cool wall.

“But I can,” Eric murmured, stepping closer.

Delia’s voice trembled. “It’s not the same.” She choked out. “ No one can love me without hurting me.”

“Then teach me,” he said, his breath warm on her cheek. “Teach me how to love you the way you deserve to be loved. I’m a quick study.”

When she stayed silent, he sighed contentedly, a soft smile playing on his lips.

 “It’s alright. Just… use me. Anything you need. if you want money, ask the treasury, take as much money that’s needed. if you want power, use my name. if you want security and love, use my body.”

 His breath warmed her skin, his chest rose and fell with hers. "As long as it's from you, I'm happy."

The Duke of Elinburgh's residence was now thrumming with life. The morning sun streamed through sparkling clean windows, illuminating hallways where maids bustled with dusters and footmen carried trays of fresh flowers. The distant, cheerful clatter of pots and pans from the kitchens and the scent of baking bread mingled with the faint aroma of lemon polish, creating an atmosphere of a happy, well-run home.


In the Duchess's dressing room, a chamber now filled with light and laughter, Delia stood on a small platform while three maids attended to her. The process of dressing was one her most dreadful routine of the morning.


"Ouch!" She shouted, her breath catching as one of the maids gave a final, firm tug on the laces of her corset. The whalebone structure cinched her waist, pushing her figure into the fashionable hourglass shape.


Chapter 263 - Chapter Two Hundred And Sixty Three