Kennedy Gilby works hard for years for the promotion. Before she takes the risk, traveling to the country she never heard of for the assignment, she meets a green-eyed, smoldering hot, and devilishly handsome Thayer that any woman will wrap their hands around him. She just broke up with her ex, yet she's already dreaming of His Royal hotness in disguise. When she learns the real identity of the arranged to be engaged prince, she runs away. Thayer Camren Aleksei Keoni Gattewarde Braynburd works hard for the monarch. When the King becomes ill, the prince apparent unwrapped the list of his son's potential wives. Prince Thayer decides to bring a woman of his own choice even if the time is not on his side. The moment Thayer lays an eye on Kennedy, he knows she's the one. He is used to getting what he wants. When he realizes he's madly in love with her, he kidnaps her, not only once but twice. To Kennedy, she's not ready to give up her career and her ordinary life, but the charming prince is willing to give up his title to make his future wife fall in love.
KENNEDY
My life just takes a detour.
My playlist blasted on my Airpods. I didn't give a crap taking off my sunglasses as I entered the lobby of the 45th story building, ignoring the incredulous looks from the receptionist in a dark blue uniform throwing at me. At the back of my mind-what, bitch?
I punched my floor number as I entered the elevator. A few ladies and men in suits joined me.
I hoped Siena came to work early. I was not in a mood to answer her twenty questions right now.
Thankfully, I arrived on the 20th floor. I excused myself from where I stood at the back. As soon as the elevator shut closed behind me, I took off my Airpods and checked my watch-I was two minutes late, which never happened since I started my intern at Style four years ago.
My heels clomped heavily along the tile floor. Pairs of eyes pinned at me as I followed the aisle toward my cubicle, ignoring my bleeding heart. I threw my bag on my desk, took off my eyeglasses, and shoved it into my bag.
Taking a seat, I hit the power button on the desktop. I had been good at compartmentalizing. What was so hard of ignoring a bad breakup? It was not that he was the only one has a dick in town.
My hand froze around the mouse by the clearing of the throat. Not much of trying not to get someone's attention when you arrived late, eh?
"What?" I focused my gaze on the screen.
"You're late. It never happened. Ever." It was Serenity. We started our intern the same day.
"I woke up late," I lied. In truth, I barely slept last night. I had not gotten a blink on an empty stomach. I couldn't swallow the food when upset-no, raging mad like a bull seeing red.
"Don't you set your alarm like three hours ahead? Your alarm is on the nightstand, and you have a phone, Kenny."
I clicked the folder on the screen, even if I could feel her searing stare at me. "I'm working. I should compensate my two minutes late, Sere."
She snorted. At the corner of my eye, she crossed her arms over her chest. "Your eyes told me that you're right. You didn't get enough sleep, but that's not the Kennedy Gilby I knew, babe. What's wrong?"
I shut my eyes closed and inhaled deeply before I looked at her. Serenity was kind and loving. She was the kind of friend that you wanted on your side. The kind of friend who agreed to your terrible decisions because she didn't want to hurt your feelings. She was also adorable with her big bright blue eyes and curly long bronze hair. Of course, all of us working in Style was fashionable with free wardrobes weekly.
"He broke up with me." I sighed.
"What the freak-" She looked around when she figured her voice came out louder. "That freaking Gorilla Raoul?" Her eyes grew even bigger. "What happened? Didn't you just move in with him two months ago?"
That son of a bitch. He was persistent in asking me to move in with him. Then he just broke up with me with the clichest speech of the clichiest-it's not you, it's my crap. To be honest, something just shifted the moment I moved in. We'd been dating for almost a year now, and it was good. Then he just went cold feet on me.
"He told me it was not working." Well, he was right. We hadn't had sex in two weeks-either he said he was tired, or he had a deadline to meet. Apparently, working in one of the best architectural firms needed a lot of his time.
"He's an a-hole, Kenny. You deserve someone better." That was what I thought. Serenity was the kind of friend I wanted right now. She squeezed my shoulder. "I'll help you move out. I know just the right movers."
I pasted a small smile on my lips. "Thanks. Now can I get back to work?"
"I understand. You're still in the denial stage. If you need a drinking buddy, I'm here."
I rolled my eyes. "You could barely take a single shot. Siena and Faith are better drinking buddies, but you're welcome to tag along and be our DD. I could use a drink or two."
"Count me in then." She smiled.
My chest constricted again. I understood that sometimes, men freaked out when they used to be living alone. They needed some space, but I couldn't think of any reasons why he broke up with me. He was kind and considerate. Sex was great. So what had gone wrong? I didn't think there was a third party involved because Raoul had been thoughtful and faithful. He would never cheat on me.
"Asshole."
"Who?"
I jerked in my seat. "Hey, Sien."
"Is he the one who put eye bags under your eyes?"
I didn't have much time to put on eye patches. "I don't know what are you talking about, Sien. I just got insomnia last night."
"Wow! You looked lively without sleep. How much did you consume caffeine?"
I stared at Siena-the man-hater, but she had a strong personality. She could deal with difficult people. I always envied her strawberry blonde.
"I'll be fine tonight. I promise to take two cups of Camomile tea." I wanted to roll my eyes, but it was cut short when our big boss emerged from her glass office door.
I rose from my seat. Today, she would have a big announcement that I'd been waiting for for almost three years now. My skin tingled in anticipation.
If there was the Devil wears Prada, Madam Alessia Hearst, our Executive Editor wore Hermes from bags, scarves, and belts. Louboutin for her shoes, and I didn't have to mention the choice of her jewelry and watches. She had her own stylist, but she barely agreed to interviews. She took her private life seriously. If she did, it only focused on her job, not her personal life.
Alessia Hearst remained a mystery to me. But man, she was sophisticated, classy, and stood tall at least five feet, nine inches tall. She always kept her chestnut hair short. What I loved the most was her medium skin to my Porcelain.
"What the hell is wrong with your eyes, Miss Gilby?"
I gulped. I could feel everyone's gaze on me. My face heated when Alessia kept her gaze on me, waiting for my reply.
"I had a hard time looking for a new apartment last night. I was planning to move out of my asshole ex's apartment-" My hand clamped my mouth.
My colleagues chuckled around me, but I was also known to have confidence. So, I stood straight and rolled my eyes.
"What's funny with moving out? We women should never depend on men. When a relationship can't make you happy anymore, then get the hell out of it before it strangles you, depresses you. It's ugly. Your mental health is important, and the pain will heal than staying in a toxic relationship."
The entire floor went silent-a deafening silence.
Wow! She must be single.
"Now, my announcement. I'll be taking a week's leave starting on Monday. When I come back, I'll be announcing my chosen candidates for our new senior editors. Now back to work." She turned around.
Disappointment cut through me like a knife. I'd been working hard for the past years. I knew if I was good at it and not. What the hell was wrong with announcing it today? Was she planning to change her mind when she came back?
After a few seconds of excruciating silence, she called my name. Yay!
"Kennedy?" Alessia just called me by my name. She was still holding the door for me. Oh, my God. This is it!
Heat rose to my cheek.
"Yes?" I strode in her direction. "Alessia."
She did not reply but closed the door behind us. It was not the first time I was in her office. The creative lighting and geometric designs had her personal touch. Incorporated with bold colors, it added sparks of creativity, excitement, and at the same time, a calming effect.
I took a seat on the sofa a few steps away from her desk.
"I've checked your portfolio carefully. I admit that I was hard to be pleased and impressed."
"Thank you." I smiled.
"You're good at what you do-" But I felt there was a but at the end of her sentence.
Crushed by disappointment, I dropped my gaze.
"Oh, for God's sake, Alessia. Just get to the point."
Heartbroken, Charleigh Wrylee, a charming and driven associate architect, dedicates her life to her career. She grabs the opportunity when a new project promises her a promotion. Bryce Chase is a tough daddy and a great baker with only two goals in life-raising his child and managing his cake shop. But things change when he runs into a new girl. Even though their interests don't align, it turns the heat between them, pulling them together like magnets. Will they be able to set their issues aside and follow their hearts instead? Or will they rather stick to what they're fighting for; his shop and her promotion? *** Sometimes hiding the truth comes with a great price. That's what the quiet and preserved Arizona Sky realizes after meeting Tripp Wrylee- a hardworking overconfident CEO of a top architectural firm. She finds herself doing things she never thought she'd do- marrying a man she barely knows and leaving her the next day. Three years later, he comes back, asking for a second chance, filling the husband's role he left empty, bringing out the other side of him that Ari never knew he had. Things between them become surreal until his job is at risk, their relationship is in hot water, and the people she loves are against their relationship, but something between them is maybe worth saving.
"Why did you bend over, Maverick?" Â "Because you told me to, assh*le." Â "I'm so tempted to f*ck you right now. You're the most exquisite woman I've ever been with, the only beautiful thing I see and have." Â "Then what are you waiting for? Just punish me already!" *** MAVERICK As a working college student, I struggle to make ends meet until a stranger approaches me with a proposal-- to be his employer's wife for an enormous sum of money. Knowing the cash will help me pay my grandmother's medical bills, I accept the offer with a demand-- just a marriage of convenience, no intimacy. It's too late to realize I'm marrying the charming and gorgeous to a fault, young Mr. Winston. And there's this instant fire between us despite my inhibitions. Things get more complicated when our sham marriage is put to the test by his father, who threatens to expose my dirty little secret. *** LAKE Being a Braddson-Winston heir is sometimes a curse. My father is a real SOB and a pain in my ass. He makes one outrageous demand for me to secure the CEO seat in the company-- marriage. So I found a perfect bride- Maverick Bates II, who is beautiful but in a dire financial situation. I only ask two things. We stay MBA and keep things purely business until the contract ends. As simple as that. It was meant to be a straightforward deal, but each day I get to know her, my position is not the only thing at stake but also my heart. I realize I can't let her go even if I have to make a dangerous bargain with her father, who happens to be a ruthless crime boss.
Without warning, he grabbed me by my ankles and dragged me to the edge of the bed. “Take your panties off,” he ordered me as he unbuckled his belt and worked on his pants, letting them fall on his ankles. Then he grabbed his dick out of his boxers. He was already hard and began stroking it. When I was too shocked to move, he growled at me, his green eyes searing against mine. “Panties. Off. Now, Nirvana.” I did as he said, scrambling to remove my shorts and underwear. My chest started heaving. My lips went dry as I watched him enjoy stroking himself. “Open your mouth, suck me, and take me all in.” His order woke up something inside me. Lust fired up through my veins, and my clit ached for him. I opened my mouth, and he shoved his shaft inside. “That’s it, sweetheart. Good girl.” *** All her life, Nirvana Thorne thought she was just human, at least not until a mysterious guy rejected her for no reason. When she finally uncovers her family secrets, Knight reclaims her as his fated mate and forces her to dig deep into the unimaginable danger of the underworld to undo the curse. Fighting her attraction towards him is hard enough. Every time they get close, their chemistry sizzles, and the heat between them becomes irresistible. When the pack is under siege, she must learn to gain control of the newfound power within her while the alpha intends to show her where she belongs. *** All Knight Blackwell ever wanted was to run his pack while getting rich. What he didn’t need was a woman demanding his attention, let alone a human mate like Nirvana. So he rejects her. What he never sees coming is his mate possesses an ancient secret— she’s a creature bound in magic intertwined with an ancient dark prophecy and the key to something bigger than anything they’ve ever imagined. With his primal urges getting harder to resist and the powerful being wreaking havoc in his wake, Knight has to sate his dark cravings for his mate before they go to war that Nirvana might have to sacrifice a piece of herself.
“Do it again.” “Be more specific, baby.” I heard a smile in his words. He was enjoying this and wanted me to beg. “Fuck you. You know what I mean.” I grunted in frustration. “I actually don’t.” He stopped again. His rough hand remained between my thighs. “Stop playing games, or I will stroke myself until I come.” I wiggled my ass, seeking a quick relief from the throbbing in my core. Breathing raggedly, he said, “No one is playing games here, baby. I just want to know what you want.” “You really make me do this, don’t you?” My voice was a combination of frustration and irritation. He was enjoying this too much, probably punishing me for giving him blue balls twice. “You were complaining earlier, so, yes. I don’t want another broken nose.” “Spank my ass, Califf. Then touch me and fuck me with your finger. I wanna come. Do you think you can do that?” *** All Shadow ever wanted is to live in peace with their pack, but as a royal Lycan and the daughter of a witch, it comes at a price. When a faceless enemy targeted her, she did not only lose her wolf but also her healing gift, leaving her powerless and vulnerable. Now that the bond is gone and her happy ending is not guaranteed, she has nothing left to offer. She doubts whether she’s still worthy of her mate and Luna of their pack. Alpha Califf becomes a formidable Alpha after defeating a sinister enemy. He should be invincible with allied packs everywhere and witches at his disposal, but Shadow becomes a liability. Despite what happened to his mate, he’s willing to leave the pack and live with her away from threats, but their enemy is two steps ahead of them, and Shadow becomes cold and distant, leaving him nothing but agony he’d never felt before. Will Shadow get her revenge and find a way to get her wolf and gift back? Will they uncover the ugly truth behind their enemy? Or their foe is just right under their noses all along.
“I can smell you’re wet for me, my little mate.” My nose flared. My chest heaved. My rage boiled inside my body, making me want to explode. “Well, take this, Alpha. I, Shadow Raven Hawks, omega of Night Stalker Pack—” “Shadow, what the fuck are you doing?” He was fast to cup my face as his eyes began brewing the pain. “Rejecting—” I wasn’t finished when he slammed his mouth against mine, stopping me. *** She’s a lone wolf— a rogue. Shadow Hawks learns to keep her head down. That’s how she survives until she wakes up in a pack run by a control freak hot-as-sin ruthless Alpha. With one single sniff of him, she feels an intense connection with irresistible heat. Now she’s got her old pack on her heels. The only one who can protect her is Alpha Califf. She will do everything, even if she has to bow down and reveal herself. Califf Stone doesn’t have time for a relationship but to protect his pack from a sinister, vicious Alpha killing the neighboring packs. Until he meets a mysterious rogue who enjoys defying his orders, he finds himself craving for her, losing control— And he knows she’s the one. When their common enemy threatens her, he’s ready to break his defenses to protect his mate. What surprises him, she’s not only half-Lycan, half-witch. She’s also a Lycan Princess.
Estelle Bladwyn has a certain type— a little older with a little less demanding job and knows his way in bed. When she bumps into a hot thirty-ish man on her not-so-romantic-getaway on an island, he does check two on her checklist, and exactly what she wants for that moment. One thing that doesn’t set right— their growing attraction is overwhelming, and her life is already complicated. But who can deny someone like Linden, who held you captive with his eyes, caged you in his arms, and still promised you a good time? Gabe Linden is getting old and still single and done with hookups and doing favors. When some big guns like Moses Braddson, a man he looks up to, he just can’t say no to. The only problem is he hasn’t taken the job yet— he knows he’s already failing it. Looking into her celadon blue eyes, he sees right into her soul. There’s no way he’s letting her go, even by means of breaking his number one rule— The beautiful billionaire is his to keep.
The night before her engagement, Valerie was tricked by her boyfriend and stepsister into spending the night with a stranger. After the night together, the man vanished. Later, her boyfriend accused her of cheating, revealing his affair with her stepsister. Pressured by her father, Valerie married an unconscious man in place of her stepsister. Valerie exposed the scheme, sabotaged her father’s ambitions, and transformed herself. When her husband woke and chased her to the airport, she calmly refused him, saying, "It's over between us." He held her firmly. "You married me, so you must commit."
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.
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.