Chapter 9

• Valerie sat numbly on the couch in her modest apartment, the world feeling like it was crumbling around her. She had moved out of her father's house two years ago when she turned 20, unable to handle the toxic environment any longer.
• Her mother, Elizabeth Ashford, had been the only child of the prestigious Ashford family legacy. When she fell in love and married Richard Reynolds against her father's wishes, the formidable Henry Ashford agreed only on the condition that any children take the Ashford name to continue the lineage.
• Richard and Elizabeth accepted readily, never foreseeing how that decision would impact their daughter's future inheritance rights. And so Valerie was born an Ashford, tying her to the family fortune in a way her callous father could never control.
• Staring unseeingly at the faded photographs on her coffee table, Valerie remembered the deep ache of losing her mother at just 12 years old. The profound sense of abandonment and being utterly alone in the world consumed her. She had wandered aimlessly for days, somehow ending up across the city - hungry, scared, and so very lost.
• The exact memories of those horrific few days remained hazy, a childish trauma she never allowed herself to fully process. But Valerie would never forget the look of dismay and outrage on her grandfather's face when he finally found her, whisking her away to the palatial Ashford estate.
• Her father Richard hadn't even bothered to look for his missing daughter while she was out on the streets, alone and vulnerable. Appalled by such neglect, Henry Ashford immediately assumed full custody of Valerie to prevent her from enduring further damage in that toxic household.
• Surrounding her with affection, care, and every opportunity, her grandfather doted on Valerie through those dark years of grief without a mother's love. He cherished her as the sole heir to the Ashford dynasty and fortune, grooming her subtly to one day lead the family empire.
• Henry Ashford passed away when Valerie was just 15 years old. The news devastated her - he had been her only loving family after her mother's death. Since she was still a minor, Valerie was forced to move back in with her father Richard, who had remarried Camilla a mere two years after Elizabeth's passing.
• From that point on, Valerie lived in the oppressive shadow of Bianca, Richard's spoiled new stepdaughter to whom he had inexplicably given his last name. Valerie was treated with cold indifference as an outcast in her own childhood home.
• When she finally turned 21, Valerie attended the reading of her grandfather's will with a mixture of grief and hopefulness. But Henry's final words crushed her - a clause stating she had to be married by age 23 in order to claim her full inheritance from the Ashford family fortune. If she remained unwed, everything would transfer to Richard as her closest surviving male relative.
• Valerie realized with sickening clarity that her own father likely schemed with his new wife to ensure just that outcome - robbing his own daughter of her birthright to claim the Ashford empire and wealth for his favored new family.
• She had spent the last year in increasingly frantic attempts to get David to marry her, if only for the purpose of protecting her grandfather's legacy from Richard's grasping hands. But time was running out rapidly.
• Staring down at the simple document on her coffee table, Valerie couldn't believe the extraordinarily risky decision she'd just made out of sheer desperation.
• This official marriage certificate bound her to Michael Donovan - a complete stranger she knew nothing about beyond his disarmingly handsome face and persuasive charm. They had met by chance at the courthouse that very morning when she begged him to marry her out of the blue.
• To her shock, Michael agreed to the mad plan of a contract marriage with no questions asked. And now they were officially husband and wife, though neither expected anything more from this arranged union beyond ensuring Valerie's inheritance rights.
• It was undoubtedly an absurd risk, marrying someone she knew nothing about on a whim. But Valerie felt a fierce sense of righteousness surge through her as she studied the legal document. This marriage certificate was her hard-won revenge against Richard and Bianca's blatant machinations.
• A small, vindicated smile tugged at her lips. She could already picture the look of outrage on her father's face when news spread that Valerie successfully claimed what was rightfully hers at last. The joke would be on him.
• Yes, tying her life to the enigmatic Michael Donovan was a gamble. But it was a gamble Valerie refused to lose - not when so much was at stake. There could be no turning back now. The dice had been cast, and she hoped desperately this stranger held no ulterior motives beyond simple greed himself.
• If he proved trustworthy until the inheritance was secured, Valerie mused, her grandfather's legacy would be preserved as he desired. Then she could finally walk away, victory and freedom in her grasp.
• Here's how the chapter could continue and end:
• Valerie's swirling thoughts about her hasty marriage and newfound victory over her father were suddenly interrupted by a sharp knock at the door. Furrowing her brow, she crossed the small living room and opened it to find a tall, suited man standing stoically in the hallway.
• "Can I help you, sir?" Valerie asked warily.
• The man gave her a cursory glance. "Sorry for the interruption, Mrs. Donovan. Mr. Donovan instructed me to come fetch you."
• Valerie felt her breath catch at the new moniker. Mrs. Donovan...yes, that was her reality now after this morning's madness.
• Clearing her throat, she replied, "Okay, well just give me a moment to gather some bags."
• "Mrs. Donovan," the man stated firmly, "Mr. Donovan strictly told me to inform you not to bother packing any clothes. He's already had things arranged for your arrival."
• Valerie's eyebrows rose incredulously. "We only met for the first time today. How could he possibly know my sizes and have a whole wardrobe ready?"
• "I'm just the messenger, ma'am," the stoic man responded.
• Of course he wouldn't explain further. Letting out a resigned sigh, Valerie relented. "Fine, then let me at least retrieve some important personal items."
• The man gave a curt nod, standing watch as Valerie disappeared down the hallway. She returned a few minutes later with a small duffel bag containing her laptop, framed photos of her late mother and grandfather, and other sentimental possessions.
• "Alright, I'm ready," she announced, pulling the strap over her shoulder.
• "Allow me." The messenger swiftly took the bag before Valerie could protest, already leading the way to the elevators.
• As they descended towards the parking garage, Valerie couldn't shake a rising sense of trepidation. This was really it - her life was utterly changing course bound to a virtual stranger. Michael Donovan was clearly a man of substantial wealth and resources based on his efficient hired help, but what else had she tied herself to?
• Well, the deed was done. There was no turning back from this night that could alter her destiny forever. Reaching the sleek black sedan idling at the curb, Valerie took one last steadying breath before ducking inside, the mysteries of her new existence awaiting her on the other side.
• Michael Donovan better prove himself a trustworthy partner in their madcap arrangement. Because once Valerie claimed her grandfather's inheritance, she expected a fair parting and her own fresh start - free of controlling men or regrettable attachments.