When struggling freelance photographer Sienna Blake wakes up in Las Vegas with a pounding headache and a billionaire husband, she assumes it's the worst mistake of her life. Xander Hawthorne, the reclusive tech genius and CEO, is equally horrified. Their drunken, impulsive marriage seems like a problem that can be solved with a quick annulment-until Xander's legal team reveals a shocking twist: a clause in his late grandfather's will forces him to remain married for six months if he wants to secure his family's estate. Desperate to fix their respective problems, Xander offers Sienna a deal: pretend to be his wife for six months, and in return, he'll pay off her mounting debts and fund her dream photography studio. Sienna reluctantly agrees, but the arrangement plunges her into the high-stakes world of billionaires, where every move is scrutinized, enemies lurk in plain sight, and her growing feelings for Xander threaten to upend their carefully crafted contract. As the two navigate media scandals, corporate sabotage, and personal insecurities, secrets from Xander's past and Sienna's present threaten to tear them apart. When a betrayal leaves their fragile trust in shambles, Sienna must make a choice: walk away with her independence intact or risk her heart to help Xander salvage not just his empire, but the future they've unintentionally begun to build together. In Accidentally Ever After, love and trust bloom in the most unexpected places, proving that sometimes, the biggest mistakes can lead to the happiest endings.
Chapter 1 Waking up in chaos
The first thing Sienna Blake noticed was the pounding headache, like a jackhammer rattling her skull. The second thing was the faint scent of expensive cologne clinging to the pillow her face was half-buried in. And the third-oh, God, the third-was the unfamiliar arm draped heavily across her waist, its owner sleeping peacefully next to her.
Her eyes shot open.
The room was a study in extravagance. She was lying in a king-sized bed, surrounded by silk sheets that felt far too expensive for her modest freelance photographer's budget. Sunlight poured in through massive floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the sleek furnishings and a champagne bottle tipped on its side on the coffee table.
Her heart began to race. She bolted upright, clutching the sheet to her chest, and turned to face the stranger in the bed.
Oh. Oh no.
The man sprawled beside her was, without question, the most breathtakingly handsome man she'd ever seen. Tousled dark hair framed a chiseled jawline, and his sculpted chest rose and fell with each slow, steady breath. Everything about him screamed money and power, from the slight stubble on his sharp cheekbones to the way his toned body barely fit under the sheets.
And he was completely naked.
"What the hell?" Sienna hissed, her voice hoarse. She glanced down at herself and realized, to her horror, that she was wearing nothing but a diamond ring that definitely hadn't been there yesterday.
Panic surged through her. She tried to piece together the events of the night before. There had been a work assignment-a high-profile tech gala in Las Vegas. She'd been snapping photos of billionaires and their perfectly dressed dates when someone had bumped into her, sending her sprawling into a man's chest.
This man.
Her pulse quickened as flashes of the night came back to her.
There had been a drink. Then another. He'd introduced himself-Xander? Xavier? Something like that. There had been laughter, a private conversation on a balcony, and the kind of chemistry that made her feel like she was floating.
And then-
Oh God. The chapel.
Sienna scrambled out of bed, pulling the sheet around her like a lifeline. She spotted a pile of clothes on the floor-hers and his-strewn in a way that suggested last night had been... eventful. Her cheeks flamed, and she forced herself to focus. She needed to get out of here before-
"Leaving so soon?"
The deep, velvety voice froze her in place. She turned slowly to find the stranger-no, her husband, if the ring on her finger was anything to go by-propped up on one elbow, his dark eyes fixed on her with an expression that was equal parts amused and dangerous.
"You're awake," she said stupidly, clutching the sheet tighter.
"And you're surprisingly loud for someone who just woke up," he replied, his lips curving into a lazy smirk.
Sienna felt a wave of indignation. "Who are you? What the hell happened last night?"
The man raised an eyebrow. "You don't remember?"
"I remember some of it," she said defensively, trying to ignore the way her body reacted to his deep voice. "But not enough to explain why I woke up married to a stranger."
He sat up, the sheet pooling around his waist to reveal more of his ridiculously perfect torso. "The name's Xander Hawthorne," he said smoothly. "And as for the rest... well, it seems we both got a little carried away last night."
Sienna's jaw dropped. "Xander Hawthorne? As in the tech billionaire? You've got to be kidding me."
"Afraid not." His smirk deepened. "Though, to be fair, you didn't seem too concerned about my net worth when you dragged me to that chapel."
"I dragged you?" she sputtered. "I think I remember you being the one who suggested it!"
"And I remember you saying it would make a great story to tell your friends," he countered, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
Sienna groaned and sank onto the edge of the bed, her head in her hands. This couldn't be happening. She was a careful, practical person. Sure, she'd had a little too much to drink last night, but marrying a stranger? This was next-level insanity.
"We need to fix this," she said, her voice muffled by her hands.
"Agreed," Xander said, surprisingly calm for someone in his position. "First step: annulment. We'll call my legal team and get this sorted out."
"Good," she said, relief flooding through her.
But then Xander's phone buzzed on the nightstand. He picked it up, frowned at the screen, and then cursed under his breath.
"What?" Sienna asked, suddenly uneasy.
Xander swung his legs out of bed and stood, completely unfazed by his nakedness. Sienna's eyes involuntarily dropped to his body, and she quickly looked away, her cheeks flaming.
He pulled on a pair of slacks from the floor and began pacing, phone pressed to his ear. "No, I didn't think it would be an issue," he snapped at whoever was on the other end of the line. "It's just a minor inconvenience."
Sienna narrowed her eyes. "What's going on?"
Xander hung up and turned to face her, his expression unreadable. "We might have a... complication."
Her stomach sank. "What kind of complication?"
"It's my grandfather's will," he said, running a hand through his hair. "He put a clause in it that requires me to be married for at least six months to access the inheritance tied to my company."
Sienna stared at him, her mouth falling open. "You're telling me we can't get an annulment?"
"Not without risking the future of my business," he said grimly.
She shot to her feet, the sheet falling slightly. "You've got to be kidding me! This was supposed to be a one-night mistake, not... not this!"
"I didn't exactly plan on marrying a stranger either," Xander said, his voice tightening. "But now we're here, and we need to deal with it."
Sienna shook her head, pacing the room. "No, no, no. There has to be another way."
"There isn't," Xander said firmly. He stepped closer, his intense gaze locking onto hers. "Look, I don't like this any more than you do. But if we play along for six months, we can both walk away without any strings attached. In the meantime, I'll make it worth your while."
She froze. "What do you mean?"
"I'll pay off your debts," he said, his tone matter-of-fact. "And I'll fund that photography studio you mentioned last night."
Sienna's breath caught. How did he know about her debts? Or her dream of opening her own studio? Then she remembered their balcony conversation, the way she'd let her guard down after a few too many drinks.
"I don't want your money," she said stiffly, though the thought of finally being free from her financial struggles was dangerously tempting.
Xander's lips quirked into a knowing smile. "You're a terrible liar, Sienna."
She opened her mouth to argue, but the words died on her lips. He was right. She needed the money. Badly. And as much as she hated the idea of being trapped in a fake marriage, the alternative-losing her chance at a fresh start-was even worse.
"Six months," she said finally, her voice shaking. "And then we're done."
Xander extended a hand, his expression serious. "Six months."
Sienna stared at his outstretched hand, then took it reluctantly. His grip was warm and firm, sending an unwelcome shiver down her spine.
This was insane. Completely, utterly insane.
But as she looked into Xander's dark, unreadable eyes, she couldn't shake the feeling that her life was about to get a whole lot more complicated-and not just because of the contract they'd just agreed to.
---
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