I Married My Archenemy to Burn Them All Down

“Please... it hurts. Can you be gentle?” Her voice trembled with desperation, tears streaming down her face like rain.

“Now you want me to be gentle?” Kingsley muttered. “You should’ve thought about that before you drugged me.”

The force of it was almost unbearable—pushing her right to the edge. Elsie fought to stay conscious until it was over. The moment Kingsley pulled away, his hand shot to her throat. “Tell me. Who put you up to this? Why did you drug me?”

Looking at her—so damn innocent, like a lamb—Kingsley was furious. He couldn’t believe someone who seemed so harmless could cook up a scheme like this.

“No one sent me,” Elsie said, holding his gaze with determination. Her tear-streaked face stirred a flicker of pity he hadn’t expected.

Kingsley’s voice turned cold. “Then what’s your angle?”

“To marry you,” Elsie replied simply.

Kingsley let out a humorless laugh. “You really think sleeping with me puts marriage on the table?”

“I know it’s not that simple. But I installed a camera in this room. It’s all on tape. If you refuse to marry me, I’ll send the footage to your grandfather. I’m sure he’ll make sure justice is served.” Her voice shook despite her attempt to sound calm.

Kingsley was in his thirties and still single—a constant source of worry for Titus Reynolds, who never stopped nagging him to settle down. If Kingsley got caught in this mess, Titus would demand he take responsibility.

Kingsley let go of her and leaned back against the headboard, his posture deceptively relaxed, his gaze sharp as a blade. “That’s one hell of a gamble. What do you want out of this?”

“Because of your nephew. Fabian Cooper.” Elsie’s voice dripped with bitterness as she nearly spat the name.

Revenge wrapped in the pretty packaging of love? Something in her eyes sparked Kingsley’s interest.

“Becoming my wife makes you his aunt. That’s your plan for revenge?”

“Of course not.” Elsie’s answer came fast. “I just want the people responsible to pay.”

She wanted Fabian Cooper and Liana Roberts to answer for what they’d done. Liana—adopted from a shelter by Elsie’s parents and raised as her sister—had grown ambitious and conspired against the Gomez family fortune.

Liana falsely accused Elsie’s father, Adam, of exploiting his adoptive ties for corrupt gain, wrecking his name and sending the company’s stock into free fall. Unable to bear the disgrace, Adam jumped from the company rooftop.

His desperate act to clear his name was twisted by Liana, who claimed he’d committed suicide out of guilt. Adam died with his name still stained. Liana then used Fabian’s influence to seize the Gomez assets, leaving Elsie and her mother with nothing.

Elsie’s quest to restore her father’s name and reclaim what was theirs led her to Kingsley—feared as the Reaper. With no other options, she chose this desperate path.

The cold, determined fire in her eyes caught Kingsley’s interest. “You’re practically his father figure. Shouldn’t you have taught him better? That makes this your responsibility.”

Her twisted logic amused him. “Do you really think you can release that footage without my say-so?”

Elsie lowered her eyes, speaking softly. “Mr. Reynolds, I didn’t hide the video on me. I planned ahead.”

She laid out her strategy with the sincerity of a carefully rehearsed presentation. It seemed impossible that she had orchestrated all this.

“Mr. Reynolds, you wouldn’t want a death on your conscience, would you?” She met his gaze with unwavering eyes.

“There’s nothing to lose by marrying me. This way, your grandfather stops nagging, and you get some peace.”

Kingsley’s eyes seemed to look right through her, trying to uncover her real motives. After a moment of silence, he said, “Alright. I’ll marry you.”

Elsie finally allowed herself to breathe.

“But... other than telling my grandfather, I won’t reveal your identity.”

Her hand tightened under the sheets before she relaxed it, her expression staying composed.

“Fine. But I have a demand too. I want to join J.C. International.”

Before Kingsley could object, she added, “I graduated from an Ivy League university and worked in management at Gomez Group for three years. I have the credentials.”

“The only opening at J.C. International is for the CEO’s assistant,” Kingsley said. “And being my assistant isn’t easy.”

Without missing a beat, Elsie agreed, “Alright.”

Revenge was never simple. At least now, she had made the first move: getting close to Kingsley and into J.C. International.

Liana and Fabian had stolen her skincare formula, planning to use it to secure their position at Gomez Group. But J.C. International was developing a similar product, and Elsie intended to join their R&D team to make sure Liana’s product never launched.

She wanted to see how they’d fare with an incomplete product.

After leaving the hotel, they headed to the courthouse.

Walking out with the marriage certificate, the sunlight felt harsh and glaring—a stark reminder of her new reality. In her younger dreams, Elsie had imagined her wedding day, but never like this.

Kingsley, still tapping away on his phone, said, “I’ll text you the address. Move your things in. Report to the office tomorrow—I’ll make the arrangements.”

“Alright.” Elsie hadn’t expected a warm reception. She’d forced this marriage on him.

“Can I bring my mom with me?”

Liana had thrown them out of the Gomez mansion and left them in a rundown apartment. Elsie couldn’t leave her mother there.

“As you wish.”

His indifference was palpable as he slid into his car, leaving Elsie to watch him drive off before she hailed a cab.

“Find out what’s going on between Elsie and Fabian,” Kingsley ordered the moment he got into the car.

“Yes, sir.”

“And let my grandfather know I’m married.”

As Elsie had pointed out, his single status was a constant worry for Titus. Maybe now, things would settle down.

“Understood.”

Thinking back on the previous night, Kingsley’s eyes grew cold. Elsie’s captivating face lingered in his mind, refusing to fade.