Signed, Sealed… Unexpectedly Yours

Signed, Sealed… Unexpectedly Yours

Rhoda Dapel · Ongoing · 71.2k Words

1.1k
Hot
1.1k
Views
0
Added
Add to Shelf
Start Reading
Share:facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsappreddit

Introduction

Signed, Sealed… Unexpectedly Yours is a slow-burn billionaire romance about two strangers bound by necessity and undone by love.

Mila Hart lives quietly, hiding from a past she refuses to name. Ethan Cole rules the world of power and wealth, untouched by emotion and bound by a will that demands he marry or lose everything. When Ethan offers Mila a contract marriage, it is meant to be simple, temporary, and devoid of emotion.

But safety turns into closeness. Silence turns into trust. And a contract meant to protect them both begins to expose their deepest wounds.

As enemies circle, secrets resurface, and the line between pretending and truth disappears, Mila must decide if she is brave enough to choose love without guarantees. And Ethan must face the one thing money has never bought him: vulnerability.

Because some marriages are signed on paper.
Others are written in the heart.

Chapter 1

The man knew her name before she had a chance to speak it.

“Ms. Hart.”

The words were low, deliberate, but they struck her spine like ice. She froze, the pen in her hand tightening until the knuckles whitened.

Mila stood behind the counter of her small, dimly lit bookstore, one hand resting on a stack of dog-eared novels, the other fidgeting uselessly with a pen she had no intention of using. The shop was unusually silent, no soft jazz in the background, no murmurs of customers. Just the steady hum of the ceiling fan and the rhythmic tapping of rain against the glass windows.

Her instincts screamed. People who knew her name without being told were rarely harmless.

“Yes?” she said, finally, her voice measured but wary.

The man stepped further into the shop, and the bell above the door rang sharply, a sound that felt more like a judgment than a greeting. He moved with the ease of someone who never needed to rush, each step deliberate, controlled.

He was tall. Not overly so, but tall enough that the space around him seemed to shrink. His coat was dark, impeccably cut; his hair perfectly neat, his face sharp yet unreadable. His eyes… Mila’s pulse jumped. His eyes observed too much, too quickly, like they could strip secrets from the walls themselves.

“I hope I’m not interrupting,” he said, his tone polite but edged with authority.

Mila glanced around the empty store. “No. You’re not.”

He nodded, as though he had anticipated that answer. Silence stretched between them. Mila waited for him to browse the shelves, ask for a book, anything remotely normal. But he didn’t. He only looked at her, and for the first time in years, she felt completely exposed.

“I’m Ethan Cole,” he said, his voice calm, steady.

The name meant nothing to her, yet it reverberated in her chest as though it should.

“And I need your help.”

Her fingers tightened around the pen. “With what?”

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he stepped closer, stopping just short of the counter. The faint scent of rain clung to him, mingling with something sharp, clean, and unmistakably expensive.

“I’ll be direct,” he said. “I don’t like wasting time.”

“I don’t like surprises,” Mila shot back, her heart racing.

A flicker moved across his mouth, not quite a smile, but close enough to make her uneasy. “Then we already understand each other.”

Her unease deepened.

He reached into his coat and laid a thin folder on the counter. It landed softly, but in the oppressive silence of the shop, it felt like a thunderclap.

“I need to get married,” he said.

The words hung in the air like a challenge. Mila blinked. “I’m sorry?”

“To you,” he added, calm as if announcing the weather.

Her breath caught. A short, incredulous laugh escaped before she could stop it. “You’re in the wrong place.”

“No,” he said. “I’m not.”

She stepped back. “I don’t know who you think I am, but....”

“I know exactly who you are,” he interrupted.

Her laughter died in her throat.

“I know you opened this shop four years ago,” he continued. “I know it barely breaks even. I know you pay rent late, but always in full. You don’t own a car. And you avoid being photographed at all costs.”

Her heart hammered. “A lot of people don’t like being photographed.”

“Yes,” he agreed. “But not everyone changes their last name and disappears entirely.”

Her hand slipped from the pen. The counter felt impossibly heavy under her palm.

“You shouldn’t be here,” she whispered.

“And yet, here I am.”

He didn’t sound threatening. That made her chest tighten further.

Ethan straightened his cuffs with deliberate precision. “This marriage would be legal. Public. Temporary.”

“No,” she said immediately. “Absolutely not.”

He didn’t argue. “That’s your answer?”

“Yes.”

He nodded, as if confirming what he already knew. Then, without waiting for permission, he pulled the chair across from the counter and sat. Calm. Unmoving. Unyielding.

“I assumed you would say that,” he said, his voice a soft, dangerous drawl.

Her pulse raced. “You can’t just sit there.”

“I can,” he replied simply.

Mila folded her arms across her chest, a futile shield. “You should leave.”

“In a moment.”

The thunder outside rolled low and ominous. Silence fell again.

“I am not offering romance,” he said after a pause. “Or affection. Or anything you would owe me emotionally.”

“I’m not interested,” she said firmly.

“I am offering safety,” he said.

The word slipped past her defenses, igniting something she hadn’t felt in years.

“You don’t know what I need,” she whispered.

“I do,” he said, eyes unblinking. “I know you lock this door three times every night. I know you flinch at raised voices. And I know you chose this shop because it has a single, controllable entrance.”

Her legs went weak.

“How long have you been… watching me?” she asked.

“Long enough to be certain I wasn’t wrong.”

“This is insane,” she muttered.

“Perhaps,” he said. “But it is also simple.”

He slid the folder toward her. “One year. You live in my house. You have access to everything you need. No one touches you without your permission. No one looks for you unless I say so.”

Her fingers hovered over the folder, trembling.

“And after one year?” she asked, barely daring to breathe.

“You walk away.”

She opened the folder. The numbers inside made her head spin—enough to pay off debts, secure her sister’s future, and finally feel free.

“Why me?” she asked, her voice tight.

He paused. “Because you don’t want me. And I need someone who won’t.”

The rain outside intensified.

Mila closed the folder slowly, as though the motion could slow her racing heart.

“What if I disappear again?” she whispered.

“Then I will find you,” he said. Not a threat. A promise.

Her chest tightened. The folder pressed against her hands like a lifeline.

“I need time,” she said.

“Take tonight,” he replied. “I’ll return tomorrow.”

He paused at the door. “One more thing,” he added.

She looked up at him. Her stomach clenched.

“If you accept,” he said, “there is something you should know.”

Her pulse spiked. “What?”

His eyes darkened. “My enemies won’t care that this marriage is fake.”

The bell rang sharply as he left.

Mila stared at the closed door, hands trembling, folder pressed to her chest.

Outside, thunder cracked violently.

For the first time in years, she wondered if saying yes would save her or condemn her to even greater danger.

Last Chapters

You Might Like 😍

After the Affair: Falling into a Billionaire's Arms

After the Affair: Falling into a Billionaire's Arms

1.1m Views · Ongoing · Louisa
From first crush to wedding vows, George Capulet and I had been inseparable. But in our seventh year of marriage, he began an affair with his secretary.

On my birthday, he took her on vacation. On our anniversary, he brought her to our home and made love to her in our bed...

Heartbroken, I tricked him into signing divorce papers.

George remained unconcerned, convinced I would never leave him.

His deceptions continued until the day the divorce was finalized. I threw the papers in his face: "George Capulet, from this moment on, get out of my life!"

Only then did panic flood his eyes as he begged me to stay.

When his calls bombarded my phone later that night, it wasn't me who answered, but my new boyfriend Julian.

"Don't you know," Julian chuckled into the receiver, "that a proper ex-boyfriend should be as quiet as the dead?"

George seethed through gritted teeth: "Put her on the phone!"

"I'm afraid that's impossible."

Julian dropped a gentle kiss on my sleeping form nestled against him. "She's exhausted. She just fell asleep."
Omega Bound

Omega Bound

1.2m Views · Completed · Veronica White
Ayla Frost is a beautiful, rare omega. Kidnapped, tortured, and trafficked to rogue clans and corrupt alphas to do with as they pleased.  Kept alive in her cage, broken and abandoned by her wolf, she becomes mute and has given up on hope for a better life until one explosion changes everything. 

Thane Knight is the alpha of the Midnight Pack of the La Plata Mountain Range, the largest wolf shifter pack in the world. He is an alpha by day and hunts the shifter trafficking ring with his group of mercenaries by night. His hunt for vengeance leads to one raid that changes his life. 

Tropes:
Touch her and die/Slow burn romance/Fated Mates/Found family twist/Close circle betrayal/Cinnamon roll for only her/Traumatized heroine/Rare wolf/Hidden powers/Knotting/Nesting/Heats/Luna/Attempted assassination
Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother

Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother

1.3m Views · Ongoing · Harper Rivers
Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother.

"What is wrong with me?

Why does being near him make my skin feel too tight, like I’m wearing a sweater two sizes too small?

It’s just newness, I tell myself firmly.

He’s my boyfirend’s brother.

This is Tyler’s family.

I’m not going to let one cold stare undo that.

**

As a ballet dancer, My life looks perfect—scholarship, starring role, sweet boyfriend Tyler. Until Tyler shows his true colors and his older brother, Asher, comes home.

Asher is a Navy veteran with battle scars and zero patience. He calls me "princess" like it's an insult. I can't stand him.

When My ankle injury forces her to recover at the family lake house, I‘m stuck with both brothers. What starts as mutual hatred slowly turns into something forbidden.

I'm falling for my boyfriend's brother.

**

I hate girls like her.

Entitled.

Delicate.

And still—

Still.

The image of her standing in the doorway, clutching her cardigan tighter around her narrow shoulders, trying to smile through the awkwardness, won’t leave me.

Neither does the memory of Tyler. Leaving her here without a second thought.

I shouldn’t care.

I don’t care.

It’s not my problem if Tyler’s an idiot.

It’s not my business if some spoiled little princess has to walk home in the dark.

I’m not here to rescue anyone.

Especially not her.

Especially not someone like her.

She’s not my problem.

And I’ll make damn sure she never becomes one.

But when my eyes fell on her lips, I wanted her to be mine.
The mafia princess return

The mafia princess return

640.6k Views · Completed · Tonje Unosen
Talia have been living with her mother, stepsister and Stepfather for years. One day she finally get away from them. Suddenly she learn she have more family out there and she have many people that actually love her, something she have never felt before! At least not as she can remember. She have to learn to trust others, get her new brothers to accept her for who she is!
Surrendering to Destiny

Surrendering to Destiny

559.6k Views · Completed · Allison Franklin
Catherine is not only a rogue half-breed, she is also the result of mate-bond infidelity, was abandoned as a baby and, to top it off, she can only shift during the full moon. When Catherine left the only pack she'd ever known in order to escape the new alpha, the last thing she expected was to find her mate... let alone for him to be the mouth-watering, heavily tattooed, lead warrior of the most feared lycan pack on the continent.

Graham MacTavish wasn't prepared to find his mate in the small town of Sterling that borders the Blackmoore Packlands. He certainly didn't expect her to be a rogue, half-breed who smelled of Alpha blood. With her multi-colored eyes, there was no stopping him from falling hard the moment their mate bond snapped into place. He would do anything to claim her, protect her and cherish her no matter the cost.

From vengeful ex-lovers, pack politics, species prejudice, hidden plots, magic, kidnapping, poisoning, rogue attacks, and a mountain of secrets including Catherine's true parentage there is no shortage of things trying to tear the two apart.

Despite the hardships, a burning desire and willingness to trust will help forge a strong bond between the two... but no bond is unbreakable. When the secrets kept close to heart are slowly revealed, will the two be able to weather the storm? Or will the gift bestowed upon Catherine by the moon goddess be too insurmountable to overcome?
Alpha Nicholas's Little Mate

Alpha Nicholas's Little Mate

412.6k Views · Ongoing · Becky j
"Mate is here!"
What? No—wait… oh Moon Goddess, no.
Please tell me you're joking, Lex.
But she's not. I can feel her excitement bubbling under my skin, while all I feel is dread.
We turn the corner, and the scent hits me like a punch to the chest—cinnamon and something impossibly warm. My eyes scan the room until they land on him. Tall. Commanding. Beautiful.
And then, just as quickly… he sees me.
His expression twists.
"Fuck no."
He turns—and runs.
My mate sees me and runs.
Bonnie has spent her entire life being broken down and abused by the people closest to her including her very own twin sister. Alongside her best friend Lilly who also lives a life of hell, they plan to run away while attending the biggest ball of the year while it's being hosted by another pack, only things don't quite go to plan leaving both girls feeling lost and unsure about their futures.
Alpha Nicholas is 28, mateless, and has no plans to change that. It's his turn to host the annual Blue Moon Ball this year and the last thing he expects is to find his mate. What he expects even less is for his mate to be 10 years younger than him and how his body reacts to her. While he tries to refuse to acknowledge that he has met his mate his world is turned upside down after guards catch two she-wolves running through his lands.
Once they are brought to him he finds himself once again facing his mate and discovers that she's hiding secrets that will make him want to kill more than one person.
Can he overcome his feelings towards having a mate and one that is so much younger than him? Will his mate want him after already feeling the sting of his unofficial rejection? Can they both work on letting go of the past and moving forward together or will fate have different plans and keep them apart?
Invisible To Her Bully

Invisible To Her Bully

286.2k Views · Ongoing · sunsationaldee
Unlike her twin brother, Jackson, Jessa struggled with her weight and very few friends. Jackson was an athlete and the epitome of popularity, while Jessa felt invisible. Noah was the quintessential “It” guy at school—charismatic, well-liked, and undeniably handsome. To make matters worse, he was Jackson’s best friend and Jessa’s biggest bully. During their senior year, Jessa decides it was time for her to gain some self-confidence, find her true beauty and not be the invisible twin. As Jessa transformed, she begins to catch the eye of everyone around her, especially Noah. Noah, initially blinded by his perception of Jessa as merely Jackson’s sister, started to see her in a new light. How did she become the captivating woman invading his thoughts? When did she become the object of his fantasies? Join Jessa on her journey from being the class joke to a confident, desirable young woman, surprising even Noah as she reveals the incredible person she has always been inside.
The War God Alpha's Arranged Bride

The War God Alpha's Arranged Bride

497k Views · Ongoing · Riley Above Story
On the day Evelyn thought Liam would propose, he shocked her by getting down on one knee—for her stepsister, Samantha. As if that betrayal wasn’t enough, Evelyn learned the cruel truth: her parents had already decided to sell one daughter’s future to a dangerous man: the infamous War God Alpha Alexander, who was rumored to be scarred and crippled after a recent accident. And the bride could’t be their precious daughter Samantha. However, when the "ugly and crippled" Alpha revealed his true self—an impossibly handsome billionaire with no trace of injury—Samantha had a change of heart. She was ready to dump Liam and take Evelyn's place as the family daughter who should marry Alexander.
Yet Alexander made his decision clear to the world: “Evelyn is the only woman I will ever marry.”
The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

The Pack: Rule Number 1 - No Mates

1.8m Views · Ongoing · Jaylee
Soft hot lips find the shell of my ear and he whispers, "You think I don't want you?" He pushes his hips forward, grinding into the back of my ass and I groan. "Really?" He chuckles.

"Let me go," I whimper, my body trembling with need. "I don't want you touching me."

I fall forward onto the bed then turn around to stare at him. The dark tattoos of Domonic's chiseled shoulders, quiver and and expand with the heave of his chest. His deep dimpled smile is full of arrogance as he reaches behind himself to lock the door.

Biting his lip, he stalks toward me, his hand going to the seam of his pants and the thickening bulge there.

"Are you sure you don't want me to touch you?" He whispers, untying the knot and slipping a hand inside. "Because I swear to God, that is all I have been wanting to do. Every single day from the moment you stepped in our bar and I smelled your perfect flavor from across the room."


New to the world of shifters, Draven is human on the run. A beautiful girl who no one could protect. Domonic is the cold Alpha of the Red Wolf Pack. A brotherhood of twelve wolves that live by twelve rules. Rules which they vowed could NEVER be broken.

Especially - Rule Number One - No Mates

When Draven meets Domonic, he knows that she is his mate, but Draven has no idea what a mate is, only that she has fallen in love with a shifter. An Alpha that will break her heart to make her leave. Promising herself, she will never forgive him, she disappears.

But she doesn’t know about the child she’s carrying or that the moment she left, Domonic decided rules were made to be broken - and now will he ever find her again? Will she forgive him?
I Slapped My Fiancé—Then Married His Billionaire Nemesis

I Slapped My Fiancé—Then Married His Billionaire Nemesis

403.9k Views · Completed · Jessica C. Dolan
Being second best is practically in my DNA. My sister got the love, the attention, the spotlight. And now, even her damn fiancé.
Technically, Rhys Granger was my fiancé now—billionaire, devastatingly hot, and a walking Wall Street wet dream. My parents shoved me into the engagement after Catherine disappeared, and honestly? I didn’t mind. I’d crushed on Rhys for years. This was my chance, right? My turn to be the chosen one?
Wrong.
One night, he slapped me. Over a mug. A stupid, chipped, ugly mug my sister gave him years ago. That’s when it hit me—he didn’t love me. He didn’t even see me. I was just a warm-bodied placeholder for the woman he actually wanted. And apparently, I wasn’t even worth as much as a glorified coffee cup.
So I slapped him right back, dumped his ass, and prepared for disaster—my parents losing their minds, Rhys throwing a billionaire tantrum, his terrifying family plotting my untimely demise.
Obviously, I needed alcohol. A lot of alcohol.
Enter him.
Tall, dangerous, unfairly hot. The kind of man who makes you want to sin just by existing. I’d met him only once before, and that night, he just happened to be at the same bar as my drunk, self-pitying self. So I did the only logical thing: I dragged him into a hotel room and ripped off his clothes.
It was reckless. It was stupid. It was completely ill-advised.
But it was also: Best. Sex. Of. My. Life.
And, as it turned out, the best decision I’d ever made.
Because my one-night stand isn’t just some random guy. He’s richer than Rhys, more powerful than my entire family, and definitely more dangerous than I should be playing with.
And now, he’s not letting me go.
Balance of Light and Shadow

Balance of Light and Shadow

239.2k Views · Ongoing · Chandrea
After escaping the brutalities of her pack, the rogue she-wolf is only interested in protecting those she cares for. While protecting the innocents during a royal raid, she runs into a wolf claiming to be the Alpha King and worse yet, he claims she is his Mate. She barely escaped that life alive and has been living as a human since she was a teenager and no one was going to make her go back.

Little did she know how much both worlds need her to bring peace and true freedom.
Thornhill Academy

Thornhill Academy

115.9k Views · Completed · Sheridan Hartin
Allison was never meant to survive. She was born a siphon and hidden away like a mistake the world was waiting to break. The Council planned to shape her into a weapon or erase her before she became one. She was supposed to disappear quietly; another tragedy folded into the past. Instead, she lived, she thrived. When the truth of her bloodline comes to light, Allison’s carefully held world fractures, and power spills through the cracks whether she’s ready for it or not. She steals the magic she needs. She survives the way she has learnt. Everything is fine until she captured from the scrub lands and four men begin to orbit her life; each bound by something deeper than choice. Five men. Five obsessions. Five hearts tethered to hers by magic older than the Wall itself.

Hunted, haunted, and newly awakened, Allison is dragged into a rebellion built on blood and belief, the same fight her parents died trying to protect. As enemies close in and desire sharpens into something dangerous, she must decide what kind of power she will become. The weapon the Council always wanted. Or the storm that tears their world apart. When Allison rises, kingdoms kneel and when she loves, she loves like war.

Dark Academia | Reverse Harem | Dark Romance | Dark Humour | Action-Packed | Steamy | Unputdownable