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Zero is a fiery assassin contracted to kill Alex, a billionaire scientist, but on her way, she has a ghastly accident. In a twist of fate, same man she was sent to kill, champions the cause for her survival by paying her hospital bills and bringing her into his home to look after her. A series of events take place which lead to their getting emotionally close -so close that sparks begin to fly. Question that keeps popping up in zero's mind is who is she and why does she feel this type of way for the man who says he's her boss. You see, Zero has lost her memory, she doesn't remember a thing. That's probably where the problem lies. A whole lot of drama later and she finds out things are not as they seem. Someone has been yanking her chains. That someone has to pay!
Z E R O
Even before I opened the swing doors, the smell of liquor hit me like a force. I stood for a bit taking in the scenery before me. Men and women from different works of life crowded the chairs and the dance floor. Some chatted amongst themselves, while others rocked to the beats from the live band playing on the stage.
The bar, however, seemed to be in a different world of its own. All around it sitting on stools were men jostling for beer or whisky, while others threw back the contents from their bottles down their throats.
It looked like a war-zone, except the prize was alcohol and there would be no prisoners.
I smiled to myself. It was stampede night. All the stools around the bar had been occupied, but I needed to be close to the beer, so I headed there. I sashayed forward, my hips taking up a rhythm of their own.
"Hi!" I flapped my eyelashes at this guy with a port belly that could rival King Kong's. "Can I have a seat, please, kind sir?"
He looked at me long enough to know I had a b sized-cup and full hips, and then he made the mistake of leering. "Yeah, sweetheart, you can seat on my lap and I'll give you some of my beer."
Poor man.
I knew he was going to try to draw me to him, and I sighed tiredly.
I gave him a chance. I even stepped back, but he was such a pig-headed son of a gun, so I tried telepathy instead. Maybe that was his thing.
Don't do it, mister, it'll only end in sorrow for you.
But when do men ever listen?
As his hand rose to curl around my waist, I fisted my right hand and hung it in the air as a warning. He flashed his upper missing teeth at me instead of taking heed, stood and walked close to me.
Maybe he thought I was some helpless woman that didn't know how to defend herself, or it could have been because I had red hair and wore a leather mini skirt. Whatever the case was, he didn't see it coming.
My hand landed on his jaw, hot and heavy, giving him and upper cut and making sure to rearrange it. Yeah, he wouldn't be able to talk to anyone for awhile, that's for sure.
For a big man, he went down pretty quickly. He was out like a light at my feet. Make that a beer-filled light.
"Hi, Z!" Ron smiled at me from behind the counter. He didn't so much as blink as he set a green bottle in front of me.
I opened it, about to tip it into my mouth when from the corner of my eyes, I saw him. It had to be him. He stood out like a sore thumb in stark comparison to the other guys around. What with his cold demeanor and all black leather get up, he was a poster boy for dangerous, and he wore it well. He sauntered over to me and with a piercing look at the guy sitting beside me, that one fled, and he took his place.
"I can see you've already made yourself at home." He glanced meaningfully at the unconscious man lying not far from my feet. One of the bouncers was already dragging him away by his legs.
"What can I say, I'm a regular." I shrugged, tipping back my head and gulping the contents of my bottle and smacking my lips after.
"I'll have what she just downed." He indicated to Ron, who had anticipated his request and set before him an identical green bottle.
The man removed a long brown envelope from inside his coat and slid it on the table towards me. I caught it, just before it could get away. As I brought out a 12 by 14 black and white picture of a man from the envelope, I became mesmerized. The man in the picture could have been mistaken for a model by all and any standards. His black hair framed an oval face and a square jaw, while his eyes were grey, hooded and smoldering.
I had never seen a man with such arresting features before. And his eyes, they were so beautiful.
The man I stared at was hot, make that drop dead hot, by any standards.
Pity he had to die.
I looked up to see leather guy quirking a brow at me. "There a problem?"
I shrugged. "Just wondering when you want him gone."
"Tomorrow!" He arched a brow, as if daring me to refuse.
I tried not to look surprised but I couldn't not. That was almost impossible.
"I heard you're the best, so why look so shocked?" His brows arched cockily as he stared at me.
I knew what he was trying to do and I was over that male ego bullshit. I've had to prove myself time without number in this business, and I'll be damned if some man thinks he can swing by and cast aspersions on my reputation.
"For two million quid, I'll do it now if you want." I jutted my chin, daring him to back down. I wasn't just the best, I didn't come cheap either.
He nodded. "My boss will pay you five million. Two and a half million upfront in an untraceable account to be accessed immediately you sign here. . . " He pointed to a form he had whipped out, ". . .and the rest once the job is done."
I struggled not to widen my eyes. Five million was a whole lot of dough. Chito could be made whole again, and I could start a good business with the rest of the money and leave this kind of life I was presently in.
"What's the problem?" The man's gaze settled on me penetratingly. "Money too small for you? My boss is very generous, he can up it if you do a good clean job."
"No problem, mister, except I don't accept transfers upfront. For me, cash is king. Cash advance first, and then a transfer for the balance. I must be paid in full."
The man's eyes glistened dangerously as he leaned forward. "Do you except me to walk around with that amount of money?"
My lips curled in a smile and I also leaned forward. My face was only two inches from his as I replied. "You should have thought about that before contacting me. That's my policy."
Our eyes locked. This wasn't about money, it was a battle of dominance. Who would capitulate first. I didn't blink, neither did I flinch. And then his upper lip tugged up in a smile and he nodded. He drew the briefcase on the floor up to the bar and slid it across to me.
I caught it and looked at him. "What's this?"
"Open it and see."
Without taking my eyes off him, I opened the briefcase slightly. It was stacked with neat-looking one hundred dollar bills. I brought out one and sniffed it before putting it back. I looked up to see the man watching me closely.
"Hi, my name is Zero, glad to make your acquaintance."
I lifted a hand towards him in a hand shake and watched in rising amusement, the flow of emotions on his face. I knew he debated on whether to shake me or not. Coming to a conclusion, he brought out his hand and clasped mine in a firm shake.
Just as he was about to release my hand, I leaned close once more. "I have one question. "What's his profession?" I tapped the picture in my hand.
Ridges appeared on his brows immediately, and I knew he didn't like my inquisition. Too bad, because even I lived by a code, and that was never to kill a man who didn't have blood on his own hands.
Trust me, I always knew.
The man released a heavy sigh, removed his hand from mine and inclined his head. "Fair enough, he's a scientist who has been made rich by killing a lot of people with his drugs, and that's all you need to know. Now, enough talking. Are you in or out?"
I looked at the man seating before me for what seemed like a long time but could only have been a few seconds, and shook my head. "I'm in!"
His face stretched in a smile, but somehow it didn't sit well on his face, unlike Mr. Hot in the picture, the look alike model that was actually a scientist. The man opened his jacket and brought out a phone which before my very eyes, was enlarged to form a mini laptop.
I watched as he tapped on some buttons and after some seconds, turned it round to face me. I saw the name of an escrow bank on the top corner and below it, was two and a half . . . I counted the number of zeros. I filled in the column for my offshore bank details and watched as he tapped on the send button. I smiled in satisfaction as I watched the cursor disappear and in it's place, a message popped up - SENT.
"Inside the envelope you're holding are more details of him. Find him and end his life once and for all. My boss will be waiting impatiently tomorrow for the news. Do not contact me when you're done, trust me, my boss will find out."
He stood, tucked the phone back into his jacket, and without a goodbye, walked off.
Rude.
I looked at his retreating back until he disappeared from sight before I turned to Ron once again. "Another bottle, please. Oh, never mind." I picked up the bottle the man hadn't even touched. "I'll have his."
I downed the contents in five gulps and belched loudly. The man on my left poked his head out and smiled. "I like a woman that can throw back her liquor, and you seem to fit that bill. Care for a dance?"
I smiled and shrugged. Why not? I needed to dance to my victory of getting five million just like that. But as I got up, something about this deal didn't sit right with me. I couldn't pin point what it was, but as the night went on and I took more bottles of beer, the feeling left me and was quickly replaced with a feeling of euphoria.
I deserved this break, and so did Chito.
Picture two people at a beautiful, rustic hotel overlooking the sea. They're the epitome of a happily married couple on their honeymoon, until something happens that shakes their happy farcade -- a diary, to be exact! Eyare finds out he's a means to save face, a plan B and a second option through the damning words his recently aquired wife wrote down in her diary. Now he's at a loss as to what to do. It seems his life is a magnet for bad things, as one negative thing comes fast on the heels of the other. There's a conspiracy to wrench his birth right of the kingship, right from under his nose and from an unusual suspect too, lending credence to the saying ---- The people closest to you are the one's that can hurt you the most. The walls seem to be closing in on him. Will he be able to keep them at bay? Follow Eyare in this gripping tale on his race against time. Find out whose life is up for keeps and whose is going to be lost.
“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?”
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"
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.