Hazel Green's late mother's business of housing seniors is now in control of her wicked stepfather. With her loved ones under his hostile care, she is eager to obey his demands to keep them safe. Including acting as a spy in the Kingston Corporation for intel that will dismantle his rival's empire. But, entangling herself with the infamous billionaire, Dimitri Kingston, throws a wrench in her plan. Intrigued by his ruthless desire for her, she runs the risk of her stepfather following through on his threat to murder her beloved seniors one by one. With Hazel deeply involved with Dimitri, she risks far more than she had expected. Love. Loyalty. And lives.
~Hazel's POV~
Darkness befallen over the hall before a tiny flame flickered, illuminating all that was present in the room. A dozen pairs of eyes broadened, taking the shade of amber, and in a hubbub, everyone yelled, "Happy Birthday, Lauren!"
As instructed, John switched the lights back on, and I approached the coffee table, setting the strawberry cake in the middle; a customized candle shaped as the numbers seventy-six centered the top. Chuckling at the hungry expressions, I clapped my hands. "Come, come, everyone. It's time."
Like a swarm of aged bees, forty people rushed forward, huddling around a flushed Lauren who, even at this age, looked almost like a fairy tale princess in her pink fluffy gown.
"Cut it, cut it, Laurie. I ain't getting any younger," Ben urged, bouncing his frail body as much as his age let him, and everyone burst out laughing.
Handing the knife to Lauren, I walked backwards a few feet and angled my camera in the air. "Ready."
As the birthday girl blew the candle out, the room erupted into another round of happy birthday songs while I took my desired pictures. One more happy moment to add to the memory keeper.
She cut out triangle pieces of small cakes and fed all the craving mouths until her soft eyes drove to me. "Hazel, what're you doing there, dearie? Come here." She stretched out a relatively large slice of the cake in my way.
"Yes, yes. You go. I'll take the pictures," Joseph offered, taking the camera from me.
"Alrighty!" I nodded, smiling and walking in the middle of the crowd. The smile radiating off of Lauren's face, showed all the happiness and gratitude that oozed from her heart.
"Thank you for everything, Hazie!" She pulled me in a motherly hug. "I don't know if I'll be here to celebrate my next birthday, but I'll die in peace, knowing you're here to take care of all these oompa loompas." Her voice cracked at the end.
Pulling out of the hug, I wiped the tears staining her wrinkled cheeks and fixed the party hat over her gray hair. "Don't say that, lady. You're living at least a hundred years with all these wonderful oompa loompas wishing for you," I said with a giggle and lifted her hand containing the cake, lightly pushing it to her thinned lips. Then she repeated my action, and I took a bite of the delicious fluffy delicacy, my taste buds dancing in delight.
After the whole cake was devoured, it was time for the presents, and one by one everyone delivered theirs. When it was my time, I pulled out the flat, red-wrapped gift and extended it to her.
"Thank you, darling," gratifying, she began ripping the decorating paper slowly. All the eyes around watched curiously, holding their breath. They were definitely going to be satisfied I could say. I had been thinking about this present for the last two months.
As the last casing was undone, and the velvety covered book was out, frowns formed in every forehead. Eyeing the flock, Lauren proceeded to turn the cover.
Three, two, one!
Gasps echoed throughout the walls of the old-age home as everybody hovered over the photo album, turning pages after pages, awning and laughing at the memories. A lone tear escaped my eyes, and my heart fluttered with heavenly bliss to see these elderly people so happy. I had taken weeks inserting pictures that I had been collecting ever since my mother introduced me to this place. She wasn't here anymore, but I had the people she called family, the place she called home.
A pat on my shoulder made me wipe my eyes in a haste, and I looked up at Joseph, his eyes held the same glee. "Your mother would be so proud of you, kid."
"Thanks!" I draped my arm around his hunched shoulders and sighed. "I'll never leave you guys ever again."
"Hey, whatever you do, don't make us your burden, eh?" His hand ruffled the brown locks on my head.
"Correction." I glanced at him, ruffling whatever hair was left on his head. It was our thing since we knew each other. "Y'all are my strength, old man."
A gasp snatched our attention towards the crowd. "Oh look, it's a picture of Joseph picking his nose!"
Oops! My eyes widened, and I bit my lip, trying to stop the cackle threatening to come out. Of all the elders, Joseph was the one man who liked to come off as the cool, composed guy, never showing a flaw. But at my younger age, I had been on a mission to expose him, finally capturing a picture that would ruin his perfect image on a lazy summer morning.
The hall burst out in laughter. "Hazie, you did it!"
Gulping, I released him and ran, but so did he, limping behind me with his walking cane held high.
"W'ere you goin, kid? Ye can't 'scape me today."
"Not my fault. Donald challenged me," I spoke between laughs.
"Wat? Nay!" came Donald's wide-eyed rejection. Apparently, everyone feared Joseph except me for I had known him in a way no one else did.
Suddenly he stopped, his hand lifting to his chest, but it felt like my heartbeat stopped as I rushed to him along with the others. "Joseph! Joseph, are you alri-?"
Without warning, his arm wrapped around my shoulder, and his pained expression turned into a mischievous one. "Gotcha!"
I gasped, realizing he tricked me, and my eyes shut tight as his hand lifted.
Everything went silent.
A second passed.
Two seconds passed.
When nothing happened, I opened my eyes to see him smirking, and his hand landed on my back but in a gentle manner, patting. "You got me, kid."
The tension dangling over the room cleared, and everyone erupted into another round of laughter.
"You got me, too, old man." I laughed.
That very moment as I saw all these happy faces who once forgot how to even smile, my heart poured with warmth. I felt complete for the first time since my mother died six years ago.
Suddenly the sound of the front door slamming against the wall startled everyone. What was that? Frowning, I turned around and marched out of the room, down the hallway to the reception area, my eyes widening. A group of men forayed inside, baseball bats in their hands and started smashing the furniture and the decorative pieces mom organized with her own hands.
Jeremy, the guard of this old-age home came, standing before me. "Hazel, you stay behind." He pulled out his gun, pointing it at them. "Stop it, or I'll shoot!"
"Jeremy, boi. There's no need to get so violent now," a familiar voice spoke, snapping my head towards the direction.
Ryan, my father's- well, step-father's head of security walked through the door, his smirk broadening as his eyes drove to me.
No, he didn't.
My jaw clenched, and blood boiled like lava through my veins. Pushing Jeremy out of my way, I stalked forward. "Stop this right now!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.
As expected, the men stopped hitting and turning over things. Then I directed my enraged gaze to the suited man. "Ryan," I gritted out, "what the hell is going on?"
"Chill your panties, princess. Boss's order. Have to vacate this place."
"What the hell are you talking about? This is my mother's property."
"Not anymore. This is the perfect venue for a lucrative resort."
I swirled my head around. All the elders had gathered in the corridor, eyes widened in fear. The way my heart glided over the highest sky before, now drowned into the deepest pit of the ocean. He couldn't do this to me, to my mother, to these people. This is the place we held the closest to our heart, and he knew that very well, yet he decided to betray us like this. I vigorously wiped the tears off my face. I couldn't let him do that. Never.
"I'm gonna talk to him. Take your dogs out of here." I looked at Jeremy. "Take care of them until I'm back," saying that I started walking to the exit but stopped and inclined my head to the side, fear still gripping my heart. "Ryan, if one hair on their body is harmed, you'll have your wife coming after you." I smirked. I had the pictures of him cheating, and I knew that he feared his gangster of a wife.
Without wasting one more second, I hopped into my Tesla and drove straight to the Montero Inc. Seeing me, the guard greeted and opened the door. Greeting him back, I climbed up the elevator to the fifteenth floor and stomped towards his office when his personal secretary blocked my way.
"Miss Green, wait! You can't go in there. Sir's in a meet-"
Before she could finish her sentence, I barged inside, my nostril's fuming and eyes flaring. "Mr. Montero!"
Three pairs of eyes turned to me, two widened and one pissed. Well, the feeling was mutual.
"Sir, I tried to stop her but she-"
"Out." He gestured to the men and the secretary, and they were gone in a heartbeat.
The six feet build of Daniel Montero rose and strolled around his desk. "Looks like abroad has queered your manners."
My teeth grinded against each other. This was the first time I was seeing him after he forcefully sent me to Canada. That time I wasn't mature enough for the world to defer against his decision, but time had changed. I was twenty-four now. He couldn't force anything else on me anymore.
"You can't do this."
"As per the testament, I can do whatever I want."
"The testament is rigged." Mom died before she could write her will, regarding her properties, so he prepared one as per his wish.
"And that place is gold. Situated at the center of the city, it will be the most profitable of all my resorts."
"How can you be so heartless? Where will those people go? They're shelterless for God's sake!"
"That's none of my concern. Now if you're done, you can go help to escort your friends out of my property," he spoke in a tone of dismissal, amplifying the last two words and turning away.
Fear clutched its deathly tendrils around my heart, washing away my valiant attitude. If he really did demolish the old-age home and constructed a resort there, where would those elderly people go? On the streets? My heart pounded in my chest like it would come out of my mouth. I had to protect them, that's what I promised to my mom, and so I swallowed my pride and let out my true vulnerable self. "Please, don't do this. Please."
He faced me again, a smile on his face, then it disappeared like smoke in thin air. "No. You know the loss my business is going through because of those Kingstons. How can I simply let go of such a beneficial site?"
"I'll do anything. Please," the words rolled out of my tongue so low even I couldn't believe that I said those.
His brow arched. "What?"
My eyes shut tight along with my shaking fists. "I will do anything you ask if you don't harm the place and the people."
His smirk only grew. "Anything?"
I nodded. I didn't know what I was doing. I was in a panicked trance, and all that mattered to me was those people.
"On second thought, I might leave that place alone. I'm not so heartless, you know." The evil smirk occupying his face hinted of a storm coming my way. That greedy man wouldn't spare something big without gaining an even bigger profit.
I gulped, holding onto my breath. "What do you want me to do?"
He padded closer to me and leaned down. "I want you to bring me information."
I frowned. "What information?"
"From the Kingstons."
My frown only deepened. The Kingston Corporation was his rival company who owned more than a hundred successful hotels, motels and resorts around the world, whereas Daniel Montero owned only sixty-five with half of them bringing nothing but loss.
He straightened up, went around his desk and poured himself a glass of wine. "Their plans, their strategies, their projects. I want you to bring me everything."
"What? How?"
"By working in their company, of course. You'll be my little spy."
I cringed at his nickname. "Th-That's a crime."
"It's not if you don't consider it one. Rather it's a favor from daughter to father."
"You're not my father," I snapped.
His jaw clenched. "Little girl, you need to watch your attitude if you want to keep your old friends well-fed and sheltered."
I swallowed my temper once again, helpless. If this was the only way, I could do this. I'd have to do this for them. "How? They won't give me a job just like this."
"Oh, they won't. Someone else will." The smirk playing on his lips only indicated that he already had everything planned.
"What will be my position? I can't get information without being on an important one." Which I hoped he wouldn't be able to arrange.
"Oh, you'll be in a very, very important position," he uttered, taking a sip of his wine. "You'll be the secretary."
My heart sank. How could he possibly arrange that? "Secretary of whom?"
"Dimitri Kingston."
My eyes widened to the size of saucers. "What!"
***
This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this book are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
***
🥀 1st book in 'The Alpha's Hated Mate' series 🥀 All her life, Gisella Odette has been running from an unknown force her father feared with their lives. Until one atrocious night she's taken. Lost and troubled, she finds herself in the arms of a daunting man who hates her with his guts and won't stop until she has known pain. Hades Desmond Vilkas is a man of vengeance. Scarred by his agonizing past, he is set out to inflict torment into the ones' soul that wrecked havoc in his perfect childhood. However, fate plays a cruel joke on them when they turn out to be mates. Will Hades be able to leash his inner beast and recognize his one true soulmate before fate carries him through the same deprivation again, or will he fall prey to his own demons?
Ember Collins is on the lookout for jobs when a marriage proposition arises with NY's renowned billionaire Hunter William King. While she is kind, brave and quirky, he is heartless, cold and dangerous. She is like water calming souls when touches, and he is like a tornado destroying everything on his way when passes. They are like the opposite sides of a knife; one is harmless and another cuts. What happens when they're bound in an unholy matrimony? What happens when the secret behind the marriage is revealed? Will love bloom in the most unexpected place or will it wither away in the labyrinthine of lies and deception? Join Ember's journey through love and hate, danger and despair to see what happens.
For seven years, Jillian pursued Bryan with unyielding passion, but he remained distant, his emotions tightly sealed. Disheartened, she left for overseas after graduating from college. Three years later, Jillian, now a successful attorney, sat provocatively on the lap of Bryan's competitor. She flashed Bryan a playful smile and taunted, "What's wrong, Bryan? Are you impotent?" Bryan's restraint shattered in an instant. In a swift motion, he scooped her up and tossed her onto the bed. The next morning, as Bryan woke up, Jillian flashed a mischievous smile. "Let's keep things casual, okay?"
Book 1 Amethyst prayed for her childhood best friend to be her mate. Everyone stares, they tease, they bully her for being an orphan but Mason was different. He protected her, he defended her. The Alpha's son loved her since they were pups. But you can't be kids forever. Everything turned sour when Mason began training to take over the Stone Heart Pack. He turned on her just like everyone else, Mason made her the target of his ruthless antics and when they turned of age - it got worse. Mason doesn't want an orphan for a mate. She has no power, no status and he wants someone with wealth to carry the Luna title. Amethyst isn't it. Everything crashes down, the humiliation and rejection too much to bare, turning Rogue was her only option. She couldn't submit any longer to the torture and living in the woods for a couple years before death seemed less painful. Until a man arrives. Claiming that Amethyst isn't an orphan. That she belongs to one of the five founding families. Amethyst thought that rejection was where her life ended. Wait till she finds out that it's only the beginning and neither her heart or life are safe. ******** Book 2 Maverick's past is a secret for a reason, there are rumors spread that he made deals with ancient witches to get the power every member longs for. But it's just a rumor....or is it? There is a reason why his mind and heart are always at war because if he claims Sage as his, hell would rip her from this earth. The best option is to stay away from her, to not have contact with her. What can he do when she shows up at his territory? Desperate to escape her grief. The problem is, Maverick made promises and with Sage in the picture - he can't keep them. There is a reason why Maverick is the Forbidden Alpha.. and Sage is about to find out what being a Fated Mate truly means. ******* Book 3 Jasmine Ravenstone gave up everything for a man who couldn't speak. Renouncing her Alpha title and fleeing with Kyson Zero, she has no idea of the past he carries or the Fated Mate curse she will endure. Being born from the first witch in existence, Kyson and Kier had to go through lifetimes to kill their father and never succeeded in their destiny. Now, the seal has been broken and they are down to their last life. If they don't kill their father then the supernatural world will cease to exist. Kyson didn't realize the ramifications of his actions. Stealing a Fated comes with consequences, a sirebond that ties Jasmine to him. He didn't expect a curse that will cause damnation. ******* Book 4 Kier Zero returns to his life as Alpha, after ultimately killing his first tormentor. But that was only his first demon, there is a second one that haunts him. Marked by Olivia Aspen, he wants as much distance away from her as possible. Until she arrives, with a mysterious power that everyone seems to want and a debt to a deadly vampire. She has no one to consult, stranded and lost in a world without a pack or home. Olivia chooses to repay her debt, but that comes with strings attached when the charming vampire has more to offer than she ever could have imagined.
“You need a bride, I need a groom. Why don’t we get married?” Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. “She keeps asking for a divorce, but I don’t want that! What should I do?”
Betrayed by her mate and sister on the eve of her wedding, Makenna was handed to the ruthless Lycan Princes as a lover, her indifferent father ignoring her plight. Determined to escape and seek revenge, she captured the interest of the three Lycan princes, who desired her exclusively amid many admirers. This complicated her plans, trapping her and making her a rival to the future Lycan queen. Entwined in jealousy and vindictiveness, could Makenna achieve her vengeance in the intricate dance with the three princes?
The day Lilah found out that she was pregnant, she caught her fiancé cheating on her. Her remorseless fiancé and his mistress almost killed her. Lilah fled for her dear life. When she returned to her hometown five years later, she happened to save a little boy's life. The boy's father turned out to be the world's richest man. Everything changed for Lilah from that moment. The man didn't let her experience any inconvenience. When her ex-fiancé bullied her, he crushed the scumbag's family and also rented out an entire island just to give Lilah a break from all the drama. He also taught Lilah's hateful father a lesson. He crushed all her enemies before she even asked. When Lilah's vile sister threw herself at him, he showed her a marriage certificate and said, "I'm happily married and my wife is much more beautiful than you are!" Lilah was shocked. "When did we ever get married? Last I checked, I was still single." With a wicked smile, he said, "Honey, we've been married for five years. Isn't it about time we had another child together?" Lilah's jaw dropped to the floor. What the hell was he talking about?
Three years ago, Cecilia was left battered and alone by the man she loved most, Alston, yet she bravely completed the wedding ceremony while pregnant. Three years later, although they were married, they grew apart over time. Cecilia focused on her career, no longer foolishly believing in love. But her transformation instantly threw Alston into a panic... And what is the secret from 11 years ago that Cecilia has always been reluctant to reveal? *** "She went to a law firm, met with a lawyer..." A lawyer? Is Cecilia suing someone? Who? Is there any recent litigation against the company? Alston suddenly chuckled coldly, "Who could she sue? I'm the CEO of this company. How come such a matter doesn't come to me first?" The assistant swallowed nervously, speaking softly, "Sir, there's no litigation against the company. She met with... a divorce lawyer."