UPGRADED, From Trash Ex to Billionaire Husband

“BLURB "Sever all ties with Tray. Then sign the document on the table." ​Lauren froze. He knew Tray's name? ​"Why?" she whispered. ​"I have no interest in being someone's side-piece. It's a three-year marriage contract." ​"Marriage?" ​She had been bracing for a termination letter, not a wedding ring. She stared at him, convinced she was hallucinating. "Mr. Dashiel... are you talking to me?" ​"Is there someone else in the room?" ​Lauren's brain short-circuited. Why would he want this? She immediately doubled down on her professionalism. "Mr. Lewis, last night was an accident. I'll never mention it. I'll never tell a soul." ​"I'll just be a loyal employee. I'll work twice as hard for the company." ​Dashiel leaned in, his gaze intense and unyielding. ​"You don't understand, Lauren. You don't have another choice." - For five years, Lauren believed the only thing standing between her and a wedding ring was her boyfriend Tray's empty pockets. Driven by a vision of their shared future, she threw herself into her work, penny-pinching and grinding for years just to afford a roof over their heads. ​The illusion shattered when she discovered the truth: Tray wasn't struggling; he was a literal prince playing at poverty. The hardship he shared with her-eating instant noodles in a cramped apartment-was merely a novel experience for him. While she wore cheap clothes she'd sacrificed to buy, he viewed her entire existence as low-class. His refusal to marry wasn't about finances, but about her lack of status. ​Disgusted by the charade, Lauren walked away without looking back. However, her life took a sharp turn when a post-breakup encounter led her into the bed of her boss, Dashiel Lewis.”