The Understudy Wife

Elara Voss didn't marry for love. She married for a contract.

Two years. A business arrangement. No feelings, no claims, no overstaying the timeline. She would be Caden Ashworth's wife on paper - attending his events, running his household, asking for nothing - while he waited for the woman he actually loved to return from Paris.

She kept every rule.

She also quietly saved his company three times. Raised his orphaned niece like her own. Left an annotated binder, a detailed note, and a river stone on the kitchen table - and walked out at six in the morning without looking back.

She never expected to be missed.

Caden Ashworth has a problem. The woman he treated as temporary is the only real thing he can remember. And Elara - who spent two years wanting nothing - has finally started building a life that belongs entirely to her.

He can grovel. He can show up. He can go to her mother before he ever goes to her.

But the contract is over. This time, the terms are hers.