My Parents Forced Me to Marry a Stranger—Then I Uncovered Their Darkest Secret

Determined to find out why her parents were so desperate to force this marriage, Victoria returned to her family's sprawling estate while they were still out celebrating. The house was quiet, filled with the shadows of secrets she was finally ready to uncover. She slipped into Arthur's private study, her heart hammering against her ribs. She bypassed his locked desk drawers, finding the spare key hidden inside a small velvet box on the bookshelf. Within minutes, she had opened his private safe.

Inside, she found a thick leather folder labeled "Project Vance." Expecting to find financial records, Victoria opened it, only to find medical documents and a birth certificate from thirty years ago. The baby’s name was Julian Vance—but the mother listed was Eleanor, her own mother. Victoria’s breath caught in her throat. Julian was her half-brother.

As she dug deeper, the horrific truth came to light. Her parents' empire was on the verge of bankruptcy. Julian Vance had recently inherited a multi-billion-dollar fortune, but a clause in the Vance will stated that if Julian died without a spouse, the money would go to charity. Her parents had tracked Julian down and planned to force Victoria to marry him. Then, they planned to orchestrate a fatal "accident" for Julian, leaving Victoria as the sole heir of the Vance fortune, which her parents would control.

"They are planning a murder," Victoria whispered, horror washing over her. "And they are using me."

Suddenly, the heavy oak door of the study creaked open. Victoria spun around, clutching the documents to her chest. Standing in the doorway was Arthur, his warm fatherly mask completely gone, replaced by a cold, menacing sneer. Behind him, Eleanor stepped into the room and locked the door with a sharp click.

"You shouldn't have been snooping, Victoria," Arthur said, his voice dangerously low.