The Reluctant Vow

. The weight of the decision that loomed over her felt heavier with each passing moment. Lily had suggested she do her research, so she had begu

he results popped up, Clara was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information. The Blackwoods were a name known across t

ts spanning from real estate to technology to finance. Clara had heard of the company before-who hadn't? But she hadn't fully understood just how far-reaching its influence was. The more

his way. He had earned a reputation for being cold, calculating, and utterly unfeeling when it came to matters of business. There were whispers of backroom deals, hostile takeovers, and employees who were

charming man she had imagined in her brief encounter with him. The Blackwood family's wealth and power came with a price, and that p

ys prided herself on her independence, on making her own way in the world, no matter how difficult the journey was. But now, it felt as if the gro

s to expand even further into global markets. His voice came through the screen, confident and unyielding. He spoke with authority, his every word calculated, as if he h

omeone who had built his life around control and dominance. Could she live with someone like that? Could she share

even think about marrying into the Blackwood family? What did she really know about Marcus, other than his reputation? She'd met him only once, and even then, he had been cold and

kept swirling in her mind, one after another. The fear, the uncertainty, the

tains. He could snap his fingers and change the course of entire industries. And here she was, a woman who was

ys told her that she should never rely on anyone else, that she needed to make her own way in the world. But now, the debts were mounting, the house was in jeopardy, and every time she lo

y live with a man who would never see

mily's wealth was so vast that it almost seemed like a different reality, a world she could never truly be a part of. Marcus, with his cold ey

er. She had to make a choice. A choice that would define not only her future but her sense of sel

night was still, and the lights twinkled in the distance, as if offering some kind of distan

sed to do? What wa

, Clara wasn't sur