Hillary-Williams is a struggling physiotherapist whose life is not so beautiful. After losing her father to cancer, she gave up on the word called forever. But, everything changed when she saved Loukas from falling to his death. An act of kindness that leads to her forever Loukas-Whitemore had it all: money, looks, and a large fortune, but he led a miserable life. After surviving a ghastly accident fourteen years ago, Loukas's life has been far from normal. The accident left half his body paralyzed and he considered his condition a curse. One night, he decided to end it all, but he was saved by a girl who wanted him to live. The agreement opens a new chapter in their lives. A secret was revealed, and enemies were created.
Hillary POV:
Every story has a backstory. Most of them are epic, while some are bad. Just like how the alley leading to my apartment is dark, how my life has been dark and lonely ever since the beginning.
The street's light glitched as I walked toward my apartment, and it reminded me that my life was a story with a bad backstory. Dogs barked as I walked past different houses along the alley. The waste bin at the front of each house creates a nauseating feeling in my stomach. If I'm to throw up, I will probably throw up nothing because I didn't have breakfast.
As I got to the front of my apartment, I met my landlady seated at the front of my door. When she saw me coming, she stood up and rushed to meet me. "Glad you are back," The petite woman who was my landlady clapped her hands. She always does that every time I don't pay my rent on time. "You are two months late on your rent, Hillary," she shouted, and continued clapping her hands. Her voice echoes down the alley, and I am sure everyone must have heard her shouting.
"Mrs. Peters, I..." I tried to say something, but she clapped her hands.
"Duh, Duh, Duh!" she snapped her fingers at me. If she were up to my height, at 5 feet 7 inches tall, her fingers would be buried deep in my dark brown eyes.
"If I make excuses when I build this house, then it won't be standing today." She pointed to the building as if it was her best achievement. The building is a two-story house. I stay on the ground floor while she stays on the first floor.
"Mrs. Peters, I...." I tried to say something, and she snapped her fingers again.
"No excuses, young lady. You have five days. "If you don't pay my rent in five days, I will throw you out," she threatened, and walked away with cusses and mutterings.
I rolled my eyes as I mimicked her. "You have five days." She must have heard as she turned to look at me. "Good night, Mrs. Peters," I said as I entered my room before she could start a lengthy conversation.
"When?" I dropped my bag to the ground and fell to the ground as tears streamed down my face. Life has been unfair to me, and every time I try to compete with life, it never ends well.
I did not cry because of Mrs. Peters, but because my life is not what I expected it to turn out to be. My life is far from perfect, from a struggling job to a dying father. I don't have the life I've always wanted.
After crying my heart out, I stood up from the ground and lay on my couch. It's a two-seater black leather couch that doesn't fit my height, but what could a girl with no bed do? Nothing. I stared at my ceilings that are infested with cobwebs and dust and thought about my not-so-perfect life. Ten seconds later, I fell asleep. I knew I'd have nightmares while sleeping.
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
"Rise and shine, Hillary!" My alarm blared in my bag. It's a tone I recorded myself because I love listening to myself talk. "If you don't stand up, Hillary, I will hit you." I groaned and blew off my black braided hair from my forehead and rose from the couch. I stretched and yawned loudly.
"Perfect," I said, getting up from the couch and looking for my bag, where the alarm was blaring. When I found my bag, I turned off the alarm and yawned again. I looked at my phone and groaned when I saw the time. It was 7:00 am, which meant my not-so-perfect life had begun.
I already have a schedule I use every morning. First, I take my bath, dress up, and rush out of the house to catch the early morning bus. Second, I alight at the bus stop that is close to the hospital where my father is admitted, and after checking up on him, I leave for my office.
My father's condition had become worse. Doctor John, the specialist in charge of my father's condition, informed me that morning.
But, " I paused and heaved a deep sigh. "What about another chemo?"
"It won't help. He is at the late stage and going through chemotherapy would give him more pain. You have to let him go. "
I bit my lip at the news as I fought back the tears that were threatening to fall. "How long does he have?"
"Three months, Max. I'm sorry, Hills, "he patsme on the back. "Concerning your debts," he paused and looked at me.
I know what he wants to say. It was about my debt to the hospital. I owe them a lot ever since my father started his treatment. "I'll settle the bills, John," I said to him before he could finish what he wanted to say.
"Okay. Stay strong, Hills," he smiled, and I returned the smile, but it changed to a frown.
I stood up and left the office, and when I got outside, a terrible headache hit me and it felt like my head was getting hit with a hammer. I held my head as another wave of a headache hit me.
"Leave the way!" A husky voice brought me out of my surprising pain. I raised my head and looked at the person. A white man in a wheelchair stared back at me as I continued to look at him. He has unique hazel eyes, which I find attractive. "Are you deaf?" The man shouted, sounding a little bit harsh.
I faked a smile like I always do with my patients and made a way for him. He wheels himself away without turning to look at me.
"Different people with their problems, "I muttered and headed towards my father's room."
"Dad," I whispered as I entered the room. My father, who used to be full of life, lay lifeless on his bed. His black curly hair was bald, and his face looked like a dead man. It was pale and lifeless. In his mouth was a tube connecting to life support. "I don't know what to do." I grabbed his hand. "I wish I could bring back the time when you were fine and always happy."
I stared at my father's face and wished he could just open his eyes. Ever since he was diagnosed with cancer twelve years ago, he has never said a word to me. "Just show me you are okay! Move a finger or something! " I shouted and cried out. "Dad!" I didn't want to lose my father, but there was nothing I could do but watch him die.
"Why?" I asked no one in particular.
••••••••••••••••••
Loukas POV
As she entered the VIP ward, my stepmother made her presence known. I was admitted to The White Hospital, where I've spent almost my life battling with my paralysed body.
Amanda, My stepmother dropped her white Louis Vuitton bag on the white sofa and sat down. She took out a piece of brown paper from her bag and threw it on the bed where I lay. "Die for all I care, but before you do, sign those papers." She pointed to the brown paper. "My bad!" She gasped and then started laughing. "Only the left side of your body is normal." She mocked.
She was right about that, because I was useless.
I watched her as she took the paper and handed it over to me. "Are you not going to take it or is your left side no longer working?" She mocked me again, but I refused to say anything. The annoying blonde woman who called herself my stepmother did not deserve to hear me talk.
"Loukas!" She shouted. "Why are you in this hospital when you don't want to be treated?" She stood up from the sofa and paced around the room. "Let's make this easier for you, Loukas." Why don't you just die and let your brother take charge of everything? " She referred to the inheritance owned by me. "Your brother has been in charge of everything since the beginning. Die and let him have everything." She said to me.
"So what if I die?" I paused and then burst into laughter. "If I die, will you finally be at peace?" I scoffed.
"You are in pain, Loukas, so stop wasting your time here and die." She advised and pointed to the brown paper. "If you fall to your death, I'll think of how to come up with a write-up." She tried to touch me, but I slapped her hand away. "Sign the papers before tomorrow and by then, make sure you are dead." She whispered and walked out of the room.
I heaved a deep sigh as soon as she left and thought about what she said. I have already considered dying twice. First, it was when I got into the accident that made my right side paralyzed. I couldn't remember anything when I first woke up, and when the doctor told me I had hemiplegia, I tried to commit suicide. The second time was when I tried to kill myself by taking poison. Now that Amanda had brought it up again, I thought about dying.
Don't judge me. I have spent fourteen years of my life with no memory of my childhood and a paralyzed body. Every month it's one complication or the other. Since I refused medical attention, I'm either fainting or having speech problems. Life hasn't been easy for me ever since I got into the accident that damaged my brain. I refused to leave the hospital, which had become my home ever since the accident.
What's the point of living if half your body is paralyzed?
The reason why I gave up on treatment was when I tried physiotherapy for three years but there were no changes in my body. The process was painful and it was a total waste of time as I found out my therapist was hired by my stepmother. That's the day I gave up on getting better. "Sir," said Rotimi,
my best friend and bodyguard who had stayed with me my whole life, entered the room. "I saw Amanda coming out of your room a while ago. Are you alright?" He questioned
"She dropped this," I said, pointing to the brown paper on the bed beside me. Rotimi took the paper and read the content. He looked at me and frowned.
"What the hell is this?" Rotimi questioned.
"I'm considering it, Rotimi," I answered.
"What do you mean?" Rotimi sat down beside me. "What are you talking about?"
"I mean, I am going to sign it. Caleb deserves it anyway. " I said my stepbrother's name. "He has been helping me since the beginning."
"But you've been behind the brilliant ideas. You plan the biggest building in Mecianda and hotels around the world. " Rotimi tried to talk me out of it.
"No one knows me, Rotimi. Allow it to be. I'll sign it. "
"I disagree with this, Lou," Rotimi said.
"As your friend and boss, I command you to agree with me."
"But this isn't okay. This is bullshit. " He cussed, and I frowned. When he saw my face, he smiled. "Very well then. I hope you know what you are doing. "
"Yes, I do," I replied. "Take yourself out with the boys tonight." You all deserve a night out. "
"You know I can't leave you alone," he refused.
That was one thing I loved about Rotimi.
"Please!" I begged. "You guys have not taken any rest this week. Go and have fun. I'll be fine. "
"Fine," he agreed. "But I will be back before midnight."
"Fine." Midnight was okay because I would have been dead by then.
He is the world's first and most feared werewolf after his pack members were destroyed one night, and his story began three hundred years ago when the moon goddess sealed Ria, a notorious thousand-year-old Demon, in the body of a young boy. The only way to break the curse and set the boy free was to find his Mate, who would love him even if he turned out to be a monster. That boy grew up to become Alpha Kyaria, the king of all werewolves. Everyone despised him for his cruelty, but everything changed when he met his chosen Mate Teresa, an omega and a servant to his proposed future queen. Teresa is an omega who has spent the better part of her life serving her Alpha's daughter. Her destiny was altered when she was hired as the future Queen's servant at the palace. Is she the one who can break the curse? Monsters, too, have hearts.
They fell in love after a plane crash, unaware that their love would be a forbidden love. Raina and Eros are plane crash survivors who were forced to spend two weeks on the island together. They fell in love, and when they were rescued and returned to their country, Rania discovered that Eros was her best friend's future husband, and she was pregnant with his child. Eros and Rania, torn between friendship and love, must fight for their love or remain apart. How will they triumph over their feelings? A love story with betrayal, vengeance, friendship, and heartbreak.
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry me?”
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”
After hiding her true identity throughout her three-year marriage to Colton, Allison had committed wholeheartedly, only to find herself neglected and pushed toward divorce. Disheartened, she set out to rediscover her true self-a talented perfumer, the mastermind of a famous intelligence agency, and the heir to a secret hacker network. Realizing his mistakes, Colton expressed his regret. "I know I messed up. Please, give me another chance." Yet, Kellan, a once-disabled tycoon, stood up from his wheelchair, took Allison's hand, and scoffed dismissively, "You think she'll take you back? Dream on."
Rachel used to think that her devotion would win Brian over one day, but she was proven wrong when his true love returned. Rachel had endured it all—from standing alone at the altar to dragging herself to the hospital for an emergency treatment. Everyone thought she was crazy to give up so much of herself for someone who didn’t return her feelings. But when Brian received news of Rachel’s terminal illness and realized she didn’t have long to live, he completely broke down. "I forbid you to die!" Rachel just smiled. She no longer needed him. "I will finally be free."
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
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."