THE CONTROL: An Arranged Marriage Romance
My demons will ruin whatever is left of her halo.
Elena Monroe
© 2020 by Elena Monroe. All rights reserved.
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This is a work of fiction. Characters, names, dialogues, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, whether living or dead, businesses, locales, or events other than those specifically cited are unintentional and purely coincidental or are used for the purpose of illustration only.
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First edition.
Cover Design: Maria with Steamy Reads
Editor: Mackenzie Letson of Nice Girl, Naughty Edits
Photographer: Michelle Lancaster
Model: Ben Atkins
To the ones who lived through the worst only to come out stronger.
George –
I graduated school, I took on more at work, I made books a priority and somehow you were still patient with me when I seemed to never stop being busy. You helped me build my castle and I can’t thank you enough. I love you.
Mac –
Joint custody. Forever. I am so beyond happy you found a piece of passion in this world and I cannot wait to see how you make a footprint in this world. Now I get to be your cheerleader, girl!
Amber –
Girl. I can’t. Just imagine me crying and voice messaging you one million times a day like normal only this time is a hailstorm of appreciation for having you. You could never be anything but amazing so don’t let the world’s horrors ever put out that light.
Give Me Books Promotions –
Stalker, loyal customer, annoying, slightly disorganized but always thankful for how smooth you guys make things. Forever yours.
Maria at Steamy Reads –
I am still in such a state of awe at the magic you create.
Rule Breakers, Bloggers, Readers, ARC Team & Street Team –
I write for you guys.
All day.
Every day.
All of my stories belong to you.
Take a piece because what mine is yours.
Does that make us married now?
Shoreline Mafia - “Change Ya Life”
Pouya - “Who Am I to Blame?”
Halsey - “Drive”
Enrique Iglesias - “Be with You”
Tate McRae - “You Broke Me First”
Fall Out Boy - “Church (remix)”
Michelle Branch - “Are You Happy Now”
Holly Humberstone - “Falling Asleep at the Wheel”
Machine Gun Kelly - “Body Bag (feat. Bert McCracken”
Arizona Zervas - “RIP”
TRIGGER WARNING:
It’s heavy.
It’s deep.
It’s dark.
It’s almost too much, almost all the time.
It’s dark romance and these characters have suffered in the shadows for far too long.
Proceed with caution.
My demons will ruin whatever is left of her halo.
BLURB:
BOWEN
I was living on borrowed everything: time, feelings, motives, even these stale breaths.
I was expired in every way.
No saving me.
He should have lived instead.
He deserved to squeeze every drop out of life and rub it in my face the way he always did.
I was stuck here as half of a person and Eve expected me to be whole enough to fix her.
We were too shattered to ever be put back together again.
I was her demon.
EVE
I was wasting every second of every day trying to make time move faster.
I was ready to throw away this life as the Princess of Denmark and go back home where Bowen would be waiting for me. There was no stopping me.
I had been promised to Bowen since our births.
I was determined to save myself for him and only him—my lifeline.
I may be bruised and broken but that only dirtied up my angel wings.
Nothing he couldn’t handle.
I would always be his angel.
BLURB:8
EVE11
BOWEN13
CHAPTER ONE: EVE16
CHAPTER TWO: EVE21
CHAPTER THREE: BOWEN27
CHAPTER FOUR: EVE32
CHAPTER FIVE: BOWEN39
CHAPTER SIX: BOWEN43
CHAPTER SEVEN: EVE47
CHAPTER EIGHT: BOWEN52
CHAPTER NINE: EVE58
CHAPTER TEN: BOWEN61
CHAPTER ELEVEN: EVE65
CHAPTER TWELVE: EVE69
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: BOWEN72
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: BOWEN77
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: EVE83
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: VIC89
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: EVE94
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: BOWEN101
CHAPTER NINETEEN: EVE106
CHAPTER TWENTY: BOWEN110
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: EVE116
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: EVE121
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: BOWEN123
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: BOWEN128
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: BOWEN132
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: BOWEN138
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: BOWEN142
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: ELIAS149
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: EVE150
CHAPTER THIRTY: EVE158
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: EVE163
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: KHAOS166
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: BOWEN180
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: BOWEN187
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: BOWEN191
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX: EVE195
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN: BOWEN203
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT: EVE207
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE: BOWEN213
CHAPTER FORTY: EVE218
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE: BOWEN224
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE: GRIMM231
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR: BOWEN236
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE: BOWEN240
EPILOGUES242
BOWEN242
EVE245
EVE
Age 13
No one ever talks to you when change is about to erupt all over your life. They talk at you, and that’s exactly what happened a week before school ended.
The change I was forced into also forced me to adapt in order to survive, so that’s exactly what I did.
Bowey was my best friend even though the other kids didn’t understand him. They made fun of him for being too skinny, too pale, or even too weird, but Bowey was the one person I looked forward to every day.
Duke was the one guy at school who single handedly led the charge against Bowey, making one joke and turning