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Contract of Silence: abandoned at the altar, pregnant, and bound to the arrogant Billionaire
AGE GAP • UNEXPECTED PREGNANCY • FORCED COHABITATION • REJECTED BABY • MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE • SECOND CHANCE • REMORSEFUL HERO
On what should have been the happiest day of her life, she was abandoned at the altar.
Pregnant and deeply in love, Valentina Muniz believed she was living a fairy tale as she prepared to marry the powerful Enrico Ferrara. But in front of hundreds of witnesses, everything collapsed. Accused of betrayal by the man she loved, her world shattered—and she ran without looking back.
Four years later, far from the spotlight and devoted to the daughter she raised alone, Valentina does everything she can to protect the life she rebuilt. But fate—cruel as ever—puts Enrico back in her path.
Arrogant, determined, and still consumed by resentment, he comes face to face with the truth in the eyes of the child he rejected before ever meeting her. And he makes an offer she can’t easily a sham marriage, a contract of silence to protect his empire… and, perhaps, a chance to atone for the past.
Forced to accept, Valentina watches her carefully built defenses crumble. Living under the same roof reignites feelings that never truly died—and uncovers truths that could change everything.
Now, Enrico must prove he’s worthy of a second chance.
And Valentina must decide if she’s ready to give her heart—once again—to the man who once destroyed it.
He promised he would never go back.
She swore she would never trust him again.
But the heart has rules of its own—
and it doesn’t follow contracts.
On what should have been the happiest day of her life, she was abandoned at the altar.
Pregnant and deeply in love, Valentina Muniz believed she was living a fairy tale as she prepared to marry the powerful Enrico Ferrara. But in front of hundreds of witnesses, everything collapsed. Accused of betrayal by the man she loved, her world shattered—and she ran without looking back.
Four years later, far from the spotlight and devoted to the daughter she raised alone, Valentina does everything she can to protect the life she rebuilt. But fate—cruel as ever—puts Enrico back in her path.
Arrogant, determined, and still consumed by resentment, he comes face to face with the truth in the eyes of the child he rejected before ever meeting her. And he makes an offer she can’t easily a sham marriage, a contract of silence to protect his empire… and, perhaps, a chance to atone for the past.
Forced to accept, Valentina watches her carefully built defenses crumble. Living under the same roof reignites feelings that never truly died—and uncovers truths that could change everything.
Now, Enrico must prove he’s worthy of a second chance.
And Valentina must decide if she’s ready to give her heart—once again—to the man who once destroyed it.
He promised he would never go back.
She swore she would never trust him again.
But the heart has rules of its own—
and it doesn’t follow contracts.
600 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 12, 2026
126 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 26, 2026
Controll Issues By The MMC Are Never Surrendered, And He Uses Other Women To Force Her To "Forgive"
Nah, age gaps always suck.
Pathetic toddler men relating to women who haven't their experience is so fucking toxic.
But anyway, Julia is a Communal Abuser, she doesn't want to support her friend, she just wants her to shut up and dick the guy terrifying her daughter.
I love that hes missed the fundamental years of her life and thus Clara will never identify him as a caregiver that regulated her blood pressure and just the man that performs accountability.
The constant pressure to forgive him is toxic as fuck.
Nah, let a girl be hurt for fuck sake.
That abusive cunt didn't even wanna release her from the lies his grandma made up.
But I'm one of those people who don't think his behaviour is redeemable.
He walked away, knowing he had slept with her and she could have been pregnant.
The reason he chooses not to trust her, is irrelevant.
I legit don't care that he thought she cheated.
He was told she was pregnant my her, and he chose to reject her.
And then we get to see the toddler blame his grandma.
Who was completely irrelevant to his behaviour.
Hes the age of a granda so he should be able to emotionally regulate to be able to have a discussion.
Theres no a Male Loneliness Epidemic, just a trend of Abusers turning their abuse inward, when their victims stop refusing to perceive their abuses.
Nah, age gaps always suck.
Pathetic toddler men relating to women who haven't their experience is so fucking toxic.
But anyway, Julia is a Communal Abuser, she doesn't want to support her friend, she just wants her to shut up and dick the guy terrifying her daughter.
I love that hes missed the fundamental years of her life and thus Clara will never identify him as a caregiver that regulated her blood pressure and just the man that performs accountability.
The constant pressure to forgive him is toxic as fuck.
Nah, let a girl be hurt for fuck sake.
That abusive cunt didn't even wanna release her from the lies his grandma made up.
But I'm one of those people who don't think his behaviour is redeemable.
He walked away, knowing he had slept with her and she could have been pregnant.
The reason he chooses not to trust her, is irrelevant.
I legit don't care that he thought she cheated.
He was told she was pregnant my her, and he chose to reject her.
And then we get to see the toddler blame his grandma.
Who was completely irrelevant to his behaviour.
Hes the age of a granda so he should be able to emotionally regulate to be able to have a discussion.
Theres no a Male Loneliness Epidemic, just a trend of Abusers turning their abuse inward, when their victims stop refusing to perceive their abuses.
January 20, 2026
Lettura assurda dove per la maggior parte del tempo ti chiedi ma cosa sto leggendo?
Un protagonista maschile che prende per oro colato tutto quello che la nonna gli riferisce o gli mostra non ponendosi mai domande.
Senza neanche dare il beneficio del dubbio a quello che lui definisce L'amore della sua vita, la lascia sull'altare umiliandola pubblicamente.
Ma anche il protagonista femminile ad un certo punto della storia perde di coerenza e credibilità.
I dialoghi li trovo a dir poco assurdi ho trovato urticante il fatto di dover ripetere alla fine di ogni frase il nome dell'interlocutore come se tutti ci dimenticassimo il loro nome.
Lui un personaggio tossico come pochi ma che arriva da una famiglia tossica da paura, che non si rende conto neanche di star superando il minimo della decenza umana e di star praticamente imprigionando le persone. Ma dopo che scopre di aver avuto torto per tutto il tempo improvvisamente diventa super pentito e la persona più innocua di questo mondo?.
Non consiglierei mai questo libro.
Un protagonista maschile che prende per oro colato tutto quello che la nonna gli riferisce o gli mostra non ponendosi mai domande.
Senza neanche dare il beneficio del dubbio a quello che lui definisce L'amore della sua vita, la lascia sull'altare umiliandola pubblicamente.
Ma anche il protagonista femminile ad un certo punto della storia perde di coerenza e credibilità.
I dialoghi li trovo a dir poco assurdi ho trovato urticante il fatto di dover ripetere alla fine di ogni frase il nome dell'interlocutore come se tutti ci dimenticassimo il loro nome.
Lui un personaggio tossico come pochi ma che arriva da una famiglia tossica da paura, che non si rende conto neanche di star superando il minimo della decenza umana e di star praticamente imprigionando le persone. Ma dopo che scopre di aver avuto torto per tutto il tempo improvvisamente diventa super pentito e la persona più innocua di questo mondo?.
Non consiglierei mai questo libro.
January 28, 2026
Twenty Chapters too Long
The premise had a lot of potential, and to be fair, the technical editing was solid. There weren’t many grammar or punctuation issues, and the writing style itself was readable and easy enough to move through.
The biggest issue was the pacing. At over 600 pages, the story felt extremely drawn out. Large sections dragged, and I eventually found myself skimming just to get through it. What made that more frustrating was that the central plotline — the unresolved resort situation that originally brought them back together and fueled a major conflict — was barely addressed. After being built up across multiple chapters, it was resolved in essentially a single paragraph. That imbalance made the entire storyline feel pointless.
Character-wise, I struggled to connect. Clara felt more like a narrative device to push reconciliation than a fully developed person. I never formed an emotional attachment to her. Valentina was clearly meant to come across as strong, but on the page, that strength didn’t fully land. Something about her characterization felt flat rather than compelling.
Enrico was the most difficult for me. He came across as manipulative and emotionally immature, and while the story tried to redeem him, it didn’t feel earned. For a man in his forties — and in an age-gap romance — I expected a level of emotional maturity. Instead, his avoidance and behavior felt more like a teenager than a grown man. It undercut both the romance and the intended dynamic.
Overall, the book read more like a very long soap opera than a tightly structured novel, where you could even picture the into and exit music for each scene. There were moments of emotion, but they were buried under pacing issues, uneven character development, and a resolution that felt rushed compared to the buildup.
The premise had a lot of potential, and to be fair, the technical editing was solid. There weren’t many grammar or punctuation issues, and the writing style itself was readable and easy enough to move through.
The biggest issue was the pacing. At over 600 pages, the story felt extremely drawn out. Large sections dragged, and I eventually found myself skimming just to get through it. What made that more frustrating was that the central plotline — the unresolved resort situation that originally brought them back together and fueled a major conflict — was barely addressed. After being built up across multiple chapters, it was resolved in essentially a single paragraph. That imbalance made the entire storyline feel pointless.
Character-wise, I struggled to connect. Clara felt more like a narrative device to push reconciliation than a fully developed person. I never formed an emotional attachment to her. Valentina was clearly meant to come across as strong, but on the page, that strength didn’t fully land. Something about her characterization felt flat rather than compelling.
Enrico was the most difficult for me. He came across as manipulative and emotionally immature, and while the story tried to redeem him, it didn’t feel earned. For a man in his forties — and in an age-gap romance — I expected a level of emotional maturity. Instead, his avoidance and behavior felt more like a teenager than a grown man. It undercut both the romance and the intended dynamic.
Overall, the book read more like a very long soap opera than a tightly structured novel, where you could even picture the into and exit music for each scene. There were moments of emotion, but they were buried under pacing issues, uneven character development, and a resolution that felt rushed compared to the buildup.
January 31, 2026
I was pleasantly surprised by this angsty nugget of a book. The premise is one that has been done a lot, albeit not always well.
💔Abandoned at the altar
💔Wrongly-accused h framed as a cheater by H’s evil grandmother
💔not-so-secret baby (he doesn’t bother to follow up to ensure whether its his or not)
💔H and h celibate during 5 year separation
💔H is out for ruthless revenge
💔shattered h
💔forced marriage
💔uncovered
💔overheard
💔betrayal and very well-executed grovel
⭐️HEA with extended happy family epilogue
It’s got it all, baby! There were a few typos and formatting errors, but it didn’t spoil the story for me.
💔Abandoned at the altar
💔Wrongly-accused h framed as a cheater by H’s evil grandmother
💔not-so-secret baby (he doesn’t bother to follow up to ensure whether its his or not)
💔H and h celibate during 5 year separation
💔H is out for ruthless revenge
💔shattered h
💔forced marriage
💔uncovered
💔overheard
💔betrayal and very well-executed grovel
⭐️HEA with extended happy family epilogue
It’s got it all, baby! There were a few typos and formatting errors, but it didn’t spoil the story for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2026
I am very unsure regarding this book so bare with me.
I will be honest: i skipped from 10% to like 30% cause I mostly wanted the grovel and this was just too long.
Spoilers ahead!
Long story shot: h and H were supposed to be married but he left her at the altar cause he thought she cheated. The “proof” was fabricated by his grandmother that raised him and he thought due to cheating that h was pregnant from someone else and not him. 5 years go by and she has a new life with her daughter. He wants to build a resort in the small town she is in and they meet again cause she is leading a protest against this construction cause it will destroy the city. He finds out about the kid and wants to have her, so she takes h to court. The press and town find out about the court case and their previous story and everyone thinks this scandal is about their personal interest and not city/business. To save her reputation in front of the town and his company cause investors started dropping it, they get married and she moves in with him (threatened by him). While leaving together an attorney tells him what his grandma did and he understands his mistakes. He treated her like 💩 the whole time up to that and starts groveling afterwards. They end up together.
Soo now to the characters:
Val: I felt sorry for her at the beginning of the story, but by the middle I was really annoyed by her. The H treated her like 💩 and she was “defying” him by walking around in hot outfits trying to get a reaction out of him. Same with the banter, giirl, if you hate him you ignore him, not discuss back and forth.
Enzo: idk what this says about me, but I liked him more than Val, he was at least consistent and his behavior matched his feelings. He also really regretted his actions and tried to make everything right again.
Ooh this was long.
Conclusions: liked the plot, liked the chemistry, felt sorry for the kid, really devoured the grovel but still think this could habe been 150pages less.
I will be honest: i skipped from 10% to like 30% cause I mostly wanted the grovel and this was just too long.
Spoilers ahead!
Long story shot: h and H were supposed to be married but he left her at the altar cause he thought she cheated. The “proof” was fabricated by his grandmother that raised him and he thought due to cheating that h was pregnant from someone else and not him. 5 years go by and she has a new life with her daughter. He wants to build a resort in the small town she is in and they meet again cause she is leading a protest against this construction cause it will destroy the city. He finds out about the kid and wants to have her, so she takes h to court. The press and town find out about the court case and their previous story and everyone thinks this scandal is about their personal interest and not city/business. To save her reputation in front of the town and his company cause investors started dropping it, they get married and she moves in with him (threatened by him). While leaving together an attorney tells him what his grandma did and he understands his mistakes. He treated her like 💩 the whole time up to that and starts groveling afterwards. They end up together.
Soo now to the characters:
Val: I felt sorry for her at the beginning of the story, but by the middle I was really annoyed by her. The H treated her like 💩 and she was “defying” him by walking around in hot outfits trying to get a reaction out of him. Same with the banter, giirl, if you hate him you ignore him, not discuss back and forth.
Enzo: idk what this says about me, but I liked him more than Val, he was at least consistent and his behavior matched his feelings. He also really regretted his actions and tried to make everything right again.
Ooh this was long.
Conclusions: liked the plot, liked the chemistry, felt sorry for the kid, really devoured the grovel but still think this could habe been 150pages less.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2026
4 1/2 stars I enjoy a story with an H who believes the worst about an h he's supposed to love and destroys her for revenge. The h and H have been in a relationship for two years but on the day of their wedding someone tries to poison him about the h and when she meets him at the altar, he publicly humiliates her and denounces her leaving her at the altar despite her revelation about her pregnancy.
Five years later, the h has built a life for herself and her daughter. She has a bakery and a community. Business brings the H to her town and he is enraged to find out about his daughter. He believes that the h kept him from knowing his daughter while the h maintains that he chose to disbelieve her about her pregnancy and threw her out. A forced marriage allows the H to continue to make the h suffer for her betrayal until the truth about their aborted wedding comes out. The H does an about face with remorse about how he mistreated the h. He uses small and grand gestures to win her back.
The story mainly focuses on the h and H to the extent that other characters are only there to move the story forward rather than an ongoing presence. The first two thirds of the book flowed quickly.
Five years later, the h has built a life for herself and her daughter. She has a bakery and a community. Business brings the H to her town and he is enraged to find out about his daughter. He believes that the h kept him from knowing his daughter while the h maintains that he chose to disbelieve her about her pregnancy and threw her out. A forced marriage allows the H to continue to make the h suffer for her betrayal until the truth about their aborted wedding comes out. The H does an about face with remorse about how he mistreated the h. He uses small and grand gestures to win her back.
The story mainly focuses on the h and H to the extent that other characters are only there to move the story forward rather than an ongoing presence. The first two thirds of the book flowed quickly.
Read
February 1, 2026I had to DNF at 26%. I was already skimming since about 11% so I should have taken that as a sign.
I took a chance on this book but it’s 600 pages long and so far it’s been very repetitive.
I also cannot get over the fact that Enrico continues to say that Valentina kept his daughter from him. She literally told him in front of 300 people if she was carrying his child, it’s not her responsibility to make sure he knows without a doubt that it’s his baby.
But truly, the point where I had to stop was when he served her legal papers to obtain sole custody of his daughter, which is totally fucked up. When she goes to confront him somehow that heated argument turns into something more sexual and she’s looking at his lips like she might kiss him. I would never in a million years be remotely attracted to someone who is trying to take full custody of my child. WTF.
Technical writing was fine, with no errors that I noticed. But the characters do very a bit flat.
I took a chance on this book but it’s 600 pages long and so far it’s been very repetitive.
I also cannot get over the fact that Enrico continues to say that Valentina kept his daughter from him. She literally told him in front of 300 people if she was carrying his child, it’s not her responsibility to make sure he knows without a doubt that it’s his baby.
But truly, the point where I had to stop was when he served her legal papers to obtain sole custody of his daughter, which is totally fucked up. When she goes to confront him somehow that heated argument turns into something more sexual and she’s looking at his lips like she might kiss him. I would never in a million years be remotely attracted to someone who is trying to take full custody of my child. WTF.
Technical writing was fine, with no errors that I noticed. But the characters do very a bit flat.
February 4, 2026
DNF
I saw all the good reviews for this and thought it must be amazing!
Always look at the low scores first…
There was a real lack of substance from both the MMC and FMC. Just couldn’t figure out why Enrico was so mad still at his ex for cheating, but also for not reaching out to him and for also taking his child away…like he knew she was pregnant, then mad that she had a child? Surely someone with his power and resources would have kept tabs on her?
The writing style was good, but maybe longer chapters and less repetition.
I saw all the good reviews for this and thought it must be amazing!
Always look at the low scores first…
There was a real lack of substance from both the MMC and FMC. Just couldn’t figure out why Enrico was so mad still at his ex for cheating, but also for not reaching out to him and for also taking his child away…like he knew she was pregnant, then mad that she had a child? Surely someone with his power and resources would have kept tabs on her?
The writing style was good, but maybe longer chapters and less repetition.
January 31, 2026
18
the mmc is truly awful to the mfc for 1/2 the book. he can't see beyond himself.
the mfc takes the high ground when it comes to their daughter and is fair to him, but at the same time, never lets him forget his wrong doings. she doesn't let her body rule her decisions either, and when they finally have sex, she still reminds him that he was the one to mess up. the mmc has to really work to repair the damage done.
the mmc is truly awful to the mfc for 1/2 the book. he can't see beyond himself.
the mfc takes the high ground when it comes to their daughter and is fair to him, but at the same time, never lets him forget his wrong doings. she doesn't let her body rule her decisions either, and when they finally have sex, she still reminds him that he was the one to mess up. the mmc has to really work to repair the damage done.
February 4, 2026
This was unnecessarily long and drawn out.
I didn’t like Enrico and I sure as shit didn’t believe his redemption. Valentina said he was a coward and a manipulator and he really embodied those qualities to a T.
Anyway, I didn’t connect with Valentina because although she was made out to be a strong character, it didn’t translate on page. I was bored with her constant crying and provocation of Enrico.
All in all this really wasn’t for me 🤷🏽♀️
I didn’t like Enrico and I sure as shit didn’t believe his redemption. Valentina said he was a coward and a manipulator and he really embodied those qualities to a T.
Anyway, I didn’t connect with Valentina because although she was made out to be a strong character, it didn’t translate on page. I was bored with her constant crying and provocation of Enrico.
All in all this really wasn’t for me 🤷🏽♀️
January 25, 2026
Five stars
First time reading anything by this author. Thoroughly enjoyed this story. I was fascinated with how the author was able to redeem the mmc. His actions were devastating and cowardly but he became a beautiful character. The fmc was equal amounts strong and delicate.
All in all, a very satisfying redemption story.
First time reading anything by this author. Thoroughly enjoyed this story. I was fascinated with how the author was able to redeem the mmc. His actions were devastating and cowardly but he became a beautiful character. The fmc was equal amounts strong and delicate.
All in all, a very satisfying redemption story.
February 2, 2026
enjoyable
I’m very enjoyable characters with great, lovable moments. The only reason I didn’t give it five stars was because the story was too long. I thought it could have been a lot shorter and a lot of parts I had to skim through because it was just repeating the old thoughts and speeches.
I’m very enjoyable characters with great, lovable moments. The only reason I didn’t give it five stars was because the story was too long. I thought it could have been a lot shorter and a lot of parts I had to skim through because it was just repeating the old thoughts and speeches.
February 4, 2026
The story was not THATTTT interesting to be thattt long.
It wasnt flipping ending i gave up cause i actually didnt care anymore Dnf 80% honestly surprised i held on for so long.
Let me not hate toooooo much cause it wasnt horrible it just wouldve been better as a short novella rather than a 700 page monster full of predictable twists and even more predictable story lines.
It wasnt flipping ending i gave up cause i actually didnt care anymore Dnf 80% honestly surprised i held on for so long.
Let me not hate toooooo much cause it wasnt horrible it just wouldve been better as a short novella rather than a 700 page monster full of predictable twists and even more predictable story lines.
January 31, 2026
2
DNF after 55%. It was moving too slow for me personally. It shouldn’t take 300 pages for him to figure out he was wrong. Idk why I do this to myself when I saw it said 600 pages. I assumed from some reviews that it moved quickly.. it didn’t.
DNF after 55%. It was moving too slow for me personally. It shouldn’t take 300 pages for him to figure out he was wrong. Idk why I do this to myself when I saw it said 600 pages. I assumed from some reviews that it moved quickly.. it didn’t.
January 31, 2026
I can’t PROVE AI had a hand in writing this, but I can’t settle enough to say it didn’t either. It read like it was written by a bot. A thousand plot devices, no coherence, plot holes coming out in droves, and cardboard characters who can’t emote to save their lives. It reads like AI garbage.
February 2, 2026
I enjoyed the book, but Enrico really annoyed me. He never gave Valentina a chance to explain. He got a bit monotonous always going after he. It dragged on & you never found out what happened to the nasty grandmother.
January 22, 2026
a great read
Really enjoyed this well written story
a entertaining read that keeps you turning the page well into the early hours
Will look out for more 👍
Really enjoyed this well written story
a entertaining read that keeps you turning the page well into the early hours
Will look out for more 👍
January 31, 2026
This almost felt like that good angsty moment you need in order to cry your troubles away. But it never got there...
January 31, 2026
It was okay. Some descrepancies on details.
Over all this was a meaty book and I got bored. The big reveal happened around 50% and honestly it could have wrapped up soon after.
Over all this was a meaty book and I got bored. The big reveal happened around 50% and honestly it could have wrapped up soon after.
January 31, 2026
The book was twice as long as it needed to be and I got tired of waiting for the H to finally realize he'd been wrong.
DNF
DNF
January 22, 2026
Una lettura poco interessante ⭐⭐,5.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews