His Strategic Bride

As Ainsworth Global’s heir, my father demanded I marry and secure our legacy. He’d handpicked three women—Chloe, Maya, and Ava—groomed to become my wife and a firm co-leader. This was the “Ainsworth Imperative.”

But their smiles masked disdain. They saw me as a weak, bookish placeholder, easily swayed by Julian Vance, our estate manager’s charming, opportunistic son. Then, the truth shattered everything: I overheard Chloe tell Jules, “Marrying Ethan is just business. Once I have the Ainsworth heir… we’ll push him out.”

My infatuation curdled into profound disgust. They consistently sided with Jules, letting him make me look foolish publicly. My passion project, a tech incubator, was secretly gutted—its funds diverted to Jules's dubious ‘charities’ under Chloe’s deceptive management. They dismissed my accusations as mere jealousy.

Their blatant betrayal and willful ignorance were sickening. I was a pawn, expected to be a stepping stone for their ambition. Their “loyalty” was a cruel joke. Trapped by my father’s expectations, I felt my entire life being stolen, molded by their greedy hands.

But I refused to be their fool. Days before the high-profile Ainsworth Foundation Gala, I announced my engagement. Not to one of them, but to Sophia Valeriano—the West Coast tech heiress, rumored to be crippled and infertile. It was my strategic strike, poised to upend their carefully laid plans.