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"What's your answer?" he asked making her froze. "Do I still have to answer that?" she whispered for she knows him too well but this man in front of her always making her heart stop. "You're mine and exclusively mine."
"This looks like an intervention, " Aiden Hermanes said drily. He wasn't smiling and neither was anybody else. His mother had asked him to come by the family home for a private talk but instead, he found himself confronted by Ashford, the Hermanes Corporation CFO or the chief financial officer, the family lawyer, and his two brothers, Ace and Axel.
Aiden wasn't the type of person to back down something all these people knew very well.
The atmosphere was tense. In looks, he was very alike his two brothers. All three were dominant in skin tone, hair, and eye color, but tall, angular, and Greek god in their build. All three were strikingly impossibly good looking by any standards and a picture of the three brothers together at a function or a nightspot was pure gold to the local celebrity media.
At just twenty-nine years of age, Aiden was the eldest of the three.
"As nobody here seems to want to speak, let me begin, " he said. "What exactly is this all about?"
An uncomfortable silence reigned for five long seconds.
"Aiden, " his mother said in a frail voice.
"We all appreciate that what you are doing is good. Good for the world, good for the individual charities involved and in many ways good for the Hermanes Corporation as well."
"I agree. So why are we here?" CFO Ashford interjected.
"You've given away nearly 10% of Hermanes in the last six months alone Aiden. This can't go on."
"The current net worth of the Hermanes family remains at over 75 billion dollars, " he replied with a cold economy of expression.
"There's plenty more we can give away before anyone has to cut back on the champagne."
Ace, the middle brother of the Hermanes family and its technical genius, weighed in.
"I think we're all aware of the numbers here Aiden, so that's not the issue and neither is the champagne, but if you continue to donate like this then there won't be anything left to give. If we want to maintain the philanthropic tradition of our family then it needs to be done at a sustainable rate."
"I understand that Ace, and you don't need to worry. I know exactly what I'm doing, " his face betrayed no emotion but his steely gaze spoke volumes. It was a gaze that inspired loyalty in some, fear in others, but obedience in everyone.
Nearly everyone.
Today he was speaking to his inner circle his fierce independence of spirit and natural leadership was matched by almost everyone he could see. It was the reason his mother had invited them; not only was he looking at the entire board of directors of the Hermanes corporation but if anyone in his world was able to stand up to him, then they were sitting right in front of him.
Axel, the youngest of the three brothers, spoke up. If the impulsiveness of youth had long ago left the two older brothers, Axel still held an edge of fieriness that his mother and older brothers hoped would soon soften with age.
"We all get it Aiden, we all miss dad--"
"You? Miss dad?" Aiden said accusingly. Axel hesitated, looking briefly away from his older brother before continuing.
"We all respect the tradition of giving, but this is just crazy. Give it all away and then what happens? We're just as poor as the people we're trying to help. That's no good for anybody."
"Every donation is tax-deductible. Charity is good for business, " Aiden said, refusing to give an inch.
"Don't patronize us Aid, " Ace said. "We all know that, but 10% of Hermanes in just six months? It's financial suicide. Speculation in the media that something is wrong at the heart of Hermanes Inc. is rife and sooner or later it's going to affect business."
Aiden held up his hands and the group went silent, waiting for him to speak as he looked at each of them in the eye, slowly, one by one.
"I'm acting CEO of Hermanes Corporation, " he said. "Now unless there's something else to discuss, I have somewhere I need to be."
He stood up to go.
"Sit down Aid, " Ace said. The tension in the air was near unbearable. The Hermanes family was not accustomed to internal strife in business matters since the passing of Mr. Hermanes senior. Normally they spoke as one voice, guided by Aiden's acknowledged razor-sharp business sense.
That guidance had been accepted without resentment or question until his seemingly endless spree of philanthropy threatened to bankrupt the corporation.
Aiden gave Ace a long cold look before he sat down. Like all of them, he was used to giving orders, not taking them.
"This better be good." he with quiet intensity.
Their mother spoke quickly, hoping to defuse the situation.
"It is good Aiden. Good for everyone. We have come together today simply to discuss how much money Hermanes Inc. should give away in philanthropic contributions in any given financial quarter, that's all."
"I've already decided how much that should be, " Aiden said.
"Aiden Hermanes does not equal Hermanes Inc, " Axel said with evident irritation, "no matter what you think."
Aiden looked at him, his expression giving nothing away.
"Of course I don't think that, but this specific decision is mine and mine alone, just as our father said it should be and as the board, including everyone here, agreed upon. Now if you'll excuse me--"
"If you won't discuss this with us then we will have no choice but to ask you to stand down as CEO." Ace said. Aiden was motionless for a moment. The two brothers had fought many times as children but never as grown men. They had always been equally matched and neither feared the other.
The room held its breath as Aiden looked to Emerson, the family lawyer. He didn't need to say a word to the tough old legal shark.
"It can be done."
Aiden looked around the room again. If Emerson said it was true then it was true. No one in the world knew the Hermanes family legal affairs like Emerson. He had been defending the family's interests since the brothers were in diapers.
Aiden took a long deep breath and then looked at Ace.
"Give me a proposal and I'll think it over. Now if you all will please excuse me--"
"There's one more thing." Ace said.
Aiden waited, his face still betraying no emotion but his family knew him well he was surely enraged at this challenge to his authority.
"Well?" he said.
As confident and strong-willed as Ace was, the words stuck in his throat. It fell to their mother and her 49% interest in the Hermanes Corporation as a whole, to save the moment. Her voice was frail but her power in the corporation was formidable.
"We'd like you to consider getting some help son." She said softly.
"I already have all the help I need. My team is excellent, the best in the world."
"That's not the kind of help we mean."
Even the human barracuda Emerson held his breath in anticipation.
"Exactly what kind of help are you talking about mother?"
She reached into a small pocket in her pleated skirt and put a card on the table.
"This person comes highly recommended."
Aiden Hermanes read the details from where he sat. He didn't deign to pick the card up. It was the name and contact details of a psychological counselor in the States.
He looked back into the eyes of his family and then to Emerson who returned his gaze with all the steel he could muster. The lawyer was capable of staring down a high court judge without flinching an eyebrow but his heart skipped a beat as he nodded his head to assure Aiden Hermanes of the binding nature of what his family was 'suggesting' to him.
Aiden stared defiantly around the room again. The board of directors held its breath.
Is it a sin to love? If secret love is a sin I am willing to accept whatever is at stake. I'm Marina, who will pretend to be the wife of my twin's fiancé.
Victoria, the woman seeking freedom. He grew up in a world of lies and greed when the day came when his parents sold him. William, a man with a word. He was a powerful figure in the Mafia world. A cold-hearted man not until he met her. Will Victoria compromise with William?
The prince who is killed and vows to live again and find the man who killed him and carry it with his heart and mind to the woman he married and promised at the same time to leave the search for his wife. Hades vows to love her until his death and give her a ring on their wedding day, without his knowledge the ring that he gave comes from the deities who had a plan what will go in his life. But as he again regain his life he will discover the untold story that he does not know form the moment of his wedding, a secret that his opponent interfere. Hades had the power that the deities had given him and he had to find the woman in the picture he was carrying. His situation was difficult at first because he could not remember where he had come from but he gradually remembered it when he saw her with the help of a ring she was wearing. Every whisper in Lissana's ring made Hades instantly hear and feel it. He entered the life of the Ysares who were already in debt and their company was slowly losing their way. He helped them get up by marrying Lissana's mother Elena. Hades knew all that was going to happen before it happened, so it was easy for him to marry Elena because he knew it would die sooner and Lissana would be left in his care according to his plans. Despite seeing the woman he was looking for, he also saw the man who killed her knowing that it was the man his wife was pregnant with. The man of his opponent and his wife got betrayed him without his knowledge and still, he doesn't know. But he also didn't know that the woman he had found Lissana was not his wife, it was his maid, his trusted maid that has a secret love in him. Even though he is living in immortal life, he had now a limit that he and the deities agreed. As time went on, his time was short and the reaper was following his name. Will he be able to follow what the deity left behind when he needs to get the ring in Lissana's hand before the man who killed him can take it?
For two years, Ashton had poured his heart into his marriage, yet Emalee's heart remained cold. Despite his dedication, Emalee presented him with divorce papers. She bluntly stated she could not remain married to a man whose net worth was less than a million dollars. Ashton signed the papers, closing one chapter of his life and stepping into a new beginning. Then, Ashton revealed his secret identities: a music mogul, a medical expert, and a martial arts master—each persona impressive enough to stun the world. As Ashton’s true capabilities came to light, Emalee was overwhelmed with deep regret.
"Carroll Brown is dead! But you have to marry him in your sister's name." My mother said to me in a cold tone. My sister was engaged to the hottest billionaire. It should have been a perfect marriage. Unexpectedly, Carroll was dead in an accident. My sister didn't want to become a widow, so she forced me to marry her dead fiance. And I had no right to refuse her. Actually, I was the biological daughter of the Smith family. My sister was an adoptive one. My sister and I had been swapped at the hospital when we were just born. My parents had already had a deep relationship with her. So they chose to sacrifice me. On the wedding day, I was taken to the mourning hall. "Ma'am, please keep Master company and let him feel warm." The housekeeper said with a cold expression. I couldn't help but look up at the portrait above the coffin, and my heart skipped a beat at this glance. The man in the portrait was more handsome than the superstars in Hollywood. Carroll Brown? My dead husband? Wow, he was really handsome! I didn't know how long had passed when my stomach began to rebel. After one glance at the coffin, I swallowed my saliva and then begged with my fingers crossed. "Mr. Carroll, I'm starving! May I eat your pastries? You don't mind, do you?" "I do." "Ah!" Scared, I broke out in a cold sweat. My legs went limp, and I fell to the ground. I shouted, "Ghost!" Carroll curled his lips, leaned over, and touched the black coffin. "Mr. Carroll has risen from the dead. What do you think of this headline tomorrow?"
Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true origins—a lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. "It's time to reveal your true identity, darling."
After being kicked out of her home, Harlee learned she wasn't the biological daughter of her family. Rumors had it that her impoverished biological family favored sons and planned to profit from her return. Unexpectedly, her real father was a zillionaire, catapulting her into immense wealth and making her the most cherished member of the family. While they anticipated her disgrace, Harlee secretly held design patents worth billions. Celebrated for her brilliance, she was invited to mentor in a national astronomy group, drew interest from wealthy suitors, and caught the eye of a mysterious figure, ascending to legendary status.
Due to the plight of her family, Phoebe had no choice but to embark on the path of selling herself. In an accident, she had a tangled night with Alexander. Everything began to derail, and even if she fled to the ends of the earth, she would still be found by him and entangled... *** Phoebe screamed in frustration, "What do you want from me?" What was this supposed to be? He raised an eyebrow wickedly. "What do I want? You'll find out soon enough." With that, he hoisted her up and carried her back into the office. The door slammed shut with a kick, and he cleared the desk with a sweep of his arm before laying her down on it, his body pinning hers in place, completely trapping her in his grasp. Every cell in his body was telling him he wanted her. He wanted to claim her again. This time, there would be no escape for her-he wouldn't let her slip away. Never again. If he had suffered for five years, then this woman wouldn't get off easily either!
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."