Nicole Vargas. Spoiled, rich, smart, and melodramatic. She graduated Fashion Design in Brazil and was the daughter of a well known artist and the CEO of 'The Vargas' hotel and casino chains. She could get anything she wants at just the snap of her fingers. Even her career. But she didn't. And she wouldn't take advantage of her parents position in society. In fact, she wanted to be successful on her own. But her father didn't want to let her go all the way to New York where she could fulfill her dreams. For him, she was still a little girl. Ethan Gray. Insanely handsome and a mouthwatering specimen. Ethan Gray graduated Business Administration at the London Business School in England. After he graduated he took over his uncle's business and instantly became the richest and youngest CEO in England. After so many years he returned back to Brazil to visit his parents and attend the yearly elite ball. After that he would go to New York to expand his business and would stay there for a year. But, things turned a little bit different. He didn't went to New York alone. Instead, he had the daughter of Santiago Vargas with him. The most annoying, dramatic, but absolutely beautiful girl he had ever met. He couldn't stand her tantrums and drama. And she wasn't willing to change just for him. After all, he was just the guy that was suppose to watch over her. A hot, sexy as sin guy.
Nicole Vargas
"That's a lot of money, Nicole!" My dad looked displeased at me as he opened his bank account and saw how much money I had spent. "For all I know, you have everything you need. Why do you need to keep on buying stuff?!"
"Papai, I don't!" I muttered looking down at my perfectly polished toes. "It's only sixty-five thousand real."
"Only sixty-five thousand! Are you out of your mind?! That's a lot of money!" he seethed angrily. "Give me your credit card. You will not buy anything for the next two weeks!"
"But dad...," I whined, tears brimming in my eyes. This can't be happening right now. Not when the big ball approaches. "I need to buy a dress for the elite ball next week. And shoes. And makeup!"
"You have a whole store with shoes, clothes, and makeup in your room. You even have three walk-in closets. Choose something you already have."
"But it will be so out of style, dad. Please let me use it for this once. I promise I will not spend that much anymore." I pleaded.
He shook his head. "You already said that the last time. And all the other five times. You're twenty-three and graduated, how can you still be so irresponsible?"
"I'm not irresponsible. I can't help that everything I see is so alluring. It basically calls me to buy it. You know it's hard for me to say no."
"Well, you need to learn to say no to all the alluring stuff. Only buy what you need. Now, you are dismissed, I have work to do. You don't get your card back."
"But papai---," I cried out.
"No arguments Nicole. I already made my decision. You don't know how to spend money, you don't get your credit card back." he said sternly and pointed his finger at the door. "Now, get out of my office, because I need to earn that sixty-five thousand real back."
I grunted angrily and stomped out of his office. I was so mad at him. He earns that money every fifteen minutes, I don't see what's the big deal. Next week there's going to be a big ball where all the billionaires and their families are going to be. It's a really fancy and elite ball and now I don't have anything to wear.
I walked into my bedroom and angrily started to turn on my music, the volume all the way up. Look what you made me do of Taylor Swift blasted in my room and probably through the whole penthouse.
"What is wrong with you, Nicole?" My mom yelled above the music as she barged into my room. "Why are you throwing another tantrum?"
I turned the volume down and huffed. "Dad took away my credit card."
"You spent so much money in three days. What did you expect?" She placed her hands on her hips and cocked an eyebrow.
"Don't take his side."
"Of course I will. You graduated Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design. Do something with that degree and earn your own money."
I rolled my eyes and plopped down on my king-sized bed. I love Fashion and I loved the field I majored in, but I wasn't feeling to work in Brazil anymore. Everyone knows me, since my dad is the CEO of Brazil's most popular hotel and casino chains. The Vargas.
They would only give me the job because I was his daughter and not because of my degree. My dad also asked me a million times why I didn't want to have my own boutique, he had his connections to make it a reality.
How much I really wanted it, I didn't want to achieve my success through my parents. I wanted to do my own thing and be successful on my own. But If I stay longer in Brazil, I can't achieve my dreams and my dad wasn't ready to let me go yet.
How much I really annoy him and scare the living hell out of him when he sees the amount of money I spent on my shopping trips, he still loved me unconditionally.
"I already told you mamãe, I don't want to open my business here." I sighed, covering my face with my hands. "You know the reason already."
"If it's because of papai then it's a really dumb reason. He can't help that he's so well known. Brazil is also a really good place to start your business. You're familiar with the place." Mom reasoned.
"It's not only papai. It's also you, you're a popular artist. Your work is displayed in all art museums." I got up from my bed and faced my mom. "And by the way, I want a challenge."
My mom shook her head disapprovingly. "Dad will not allow you to go out of the country."
"But why?" I just can't understand why he wouldn't let me go. "I'm not a teenager anymore!"
"Good Luck explaining that to him." With that, my mom turned around and walked out of my room. I let out an angry growl and threw my pillows on the ground. I was so frustrated and annoyed. My parents treated me like I was a porcelain doll, that needs to be protected every single minute because she's so fragile.
But I'm not. I'm not a porcelain doll nor am I twelve. I don't know at what age they will stop treating me like I'm a child. Even when I go for a run, I have to take a bodyguard with me. The place where we live is a high secured neighborhood and you can't enter it without permission. I am their only child and I knew that they wanted the best for me, but this is just too overdone.
I twisted and turned on my bed thinking of ways how to convince my dad that I'm a grown-up woman. While the argument of me and my dad played in my head, I fell asleep.
I don't know for how long I have slept, but when I woke up it was already dawn. I yawned and stretched out before jumping out of bed. It was already seven pm and dinner would start soon. At day time my parents were rarely home. My dad was at his office and my mom was either working on her painting in the east wing of the penthouse or she was at the museum. The maids and I were the only ones at home. Most of the time I went shopping, golfing, or swimming. But when it was dinnertime we would all be around the table.
No excuses.
Dinner time was family time. If my dad had a meeting during dinner time, he had to cancel that. Family comes first.
I closed the curtains of my window and walked downstairs. The smell of Feijoada entered my nostrils. "Mmmmh." I hummed as I entered the kitchen. Feijoada was my mom's specialty. It was warm rice with a stew of beans with beef and pork. It's commonly prepared in Macau, the place where my mom grew up.
My dad was already seated on the dinner table waiting for his food to be served. Even though we were elites, my dad always preferred a meal prepared by his wife. Even for lunch he brought food from home that my mom prepared.
"Hey papai," I seated next to him on the round dining table. "I'm sorry about earlier."
He just nodded. "Good, you're realizing your mistakes."
I smiled stiffly. "So, hmm---," Even though I have asked him this a million times and I know what his answer is going to be, I still keep on asking him. "Can I move to New York, to start my career as a fashion designer."
"No!" was his firm answer. "I already told you. I'll not let you out of this country. We don't have anyone in New York who can watch over you."
"I don't need anyone to watch over me. I'm twenty-three, not twelve."
My mom placed the plates with food on the table and my dad reached over to her and planted a kiss on her cheeks. "It smells delicious, querida. You never fail to amaze me with your cooking." My mom blushed at his compliment.
I sighed and started to eat. The food was delicious as always. My mom was good at everything. Painting, cooking, decorating, fashion, and so much more. She was from everything a little bit. Probably that's why my dad fell in love with her. I, on the other hand, was the total opposite of her. The only thing I'm good at is spending money and eating non-stop.
"Can I have my credit card back papai," I asked in a small voice. Maybe he realized how important a dress for the ball is and---
"No!" My dad stated. "I have already told you that. Let's not argue about it anymore."
"Why are you doing this to me?!" My voice raised an octave. "I'm not twelve, I'm twenty-three for god sake!"
"Nicole!" My mom warned sternly.
"Then act like you're twenty-three. You are throwing tantrums like a three-year-old." My dad said calmly.
I hated when he was acting calm. It made me even more furious.
"That's why you should learn to let me go!" I yelled out and stomped out of the room.
I was so mad. They are treating me like a child and I can't stand it anymore. I needed freedom.
I groaned and kicked my bedroom door shut. What should I do for them to let me go?
Lyra Mitchell is the owner and operator of 'The Sweet Spot', a local bakery in New York. One day, when a little girl walks in, Lyra's life changes forever. Brandon Cole is the CEO of Cole Enterprises. Rich and young, he is any girl's perfect man. And while Brandon had a wide selection of girls to choose from, he wasn't interested. The only girls who had a place in his heart were his mother and his daughter. But one little phone call changes it all.
"What if he is the one? But he is afraid to tell you?" ┉ Once upon a one night stand in Milan, Italy┉ 💗Two people fell in love.💗 He snuck out in the morning, before she woke up. And when she finally woke up, she couldn't remember who the stranger was she had a one night stand with. Years later, they still couldn't get over each other. HE turned into a womanizer to forget her and SHE remained single, because she couldn't get the one night stand out of her head. They both break their heads to find each other. HE in search for the girl that stole his heart during a One Night Stand and SHE for the guy that made her fall in love. But as the saying goes: "What's meant to be, will find its way back." Will it be that easy? SHE can't remember HIM. HE can remember HER. Heartbreak.Secrets.Lies I was a goddamn business man. Business deals, contracts, name it and I could arrange it. No hesitation. No second thoughts. And then there's her. I was afraid. Afraid of losing her. Afraid that this love is only one sided.
Janice, the long-forgotten legitimate heiress, made her way back to her family, pouring her heart into winning their hearts. Yet, she had to relinquish her very identity, her academic credentials, and her creative works to her foster sister. In return for her sacrifices, she found no warmth, only deeper neglect. Resolute, Janice vowed to cut off all emotional bonds. Transformed, she now stood as a master of martial arts, adept in eight languages, an esteemed medical expert, and a celebrated designer. With newfound resolve, she declared, "From this day forward, no one in this family shall cross me."
Lindsey's fiancé was the devil's first son. Not only did he lie to her but he also slept with her stepmother, conspired to take away her family fortune, and then set her up to have sex with a total stranger. To get her lick back, Lindsey decided to find a man to disrupt her engagement party and humiliate the cheating bastard. Never did she imagine that she would bump into a strikingly handsome stranger who was all that she was currently looking for. At the engagement party, he boldly declared that she was his woman. Lindsey thought he was just a broke man who wanted to leech off her. But once they began their fake relationship, she realized that good luck kept coming her way. She thought they would part ways after the engagement party, but this man kept to her side. "We gotta stick together, Lindsey. Remember, I'm now your fiancé. " "Domenic, you're with me because of my money, aren't you?" Lindsey asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Domenic was taken aback by that accusation. How could he, the heir of the Walsh family and CEO of Vitality Group, be with her for money? He controlled more than half of the city's economy. Money wasn't a problem for him! The two got closer and closer. One day, Lindsey finally realized that Domenic was actually the stranger she had slept with months ago. Would this realization change things between them? For the better or worse?
Katie was forced to marry Dillan, a notorious ruffian. Her younger sister mocked her, "You're just an adopted daughter. Count your blessings for marrying him!" The world anticipated Katie's tribulations, but her married life unfurled with unexpected serenity. She even snagged a lavish mansion in a raffle! Katie jumped into Dillan's arms, credited him as her lucky charm. "No, Katie, it's you who brings me all this luck," Dillan replied. Then, one fateful day, Dillan's childhood friend came to her. "You're not worthy of him. Take this 50 million and leave him!" Katie finally grasped Dillan's true stature—the wealthiest man on the planet. That night, trembling with trepidation, she broached the subject of divorce with Dillan. However, with a domineering embrace, he told her, "I'd give you everything I have. Divorce is off the table!"
For as long as Emily can remember, she has wanted to overcome her shyness and explore her sexuality. Still, everything changes when she receives an invitation to visit one of the town's most prestigious BDSM clubs, DESIRE'S DEN. On the day she chose to peruse the club, she noticed three men, all dressed in suits, standing on the upper level, near the railing. Despite her limited vision, she persisted in fixating on them. Their towering statues belied the toned bodies concealed by their sharply tailored suits-or so she could tell. The hair of two of them was short and dark, and the third had light brown-possibly blond-hair that reached the shoulders. The dark, crimson background incised their figures, exuding an air of mystery and strength. They stood in stark contrast to the unfiltered, primal energy that pulsed through the club. Shocked by the desires these men aroused in her, she was disappointed to learn that they were masters seeking a slave to divide and conquer. She couldn't afford the fee, and she also realized that they were outside her league. Emily hurriedly left the club, feeling disappointed and depressed, unaware that she had also caught the group's attention. A world of wicked pleasure, three handsome men. Over the years, they have lived a life of decadence, their lavish lair serving as a stage for their most sinister desires. But despite the unending parade of willing subjects, one woman sticks out. A mysterious stranger with white porcelain skin and a killer body, a slave, a name with no address, the first lady to attract their eye and they will go to any length to obtain her no matter the consequences.
Belinda thought after divorce, they would part ways for good - he could live his life on his own terms, while she could indulge in the rest of hers. However, fate had other plans in store. "My darling, I was wrong. Would you please come back to me?" The man, whom she once loved deeply, lowered his once proud head humbly. "I beg you to return to me." Belinda coldly pushed away the bouquet of flowers he had offered her and coolly replied, "It's too late. The bridge has been burned, and the ashes have long since scattered to the wind!"
"Love is blind!" Lucinda abandoned her beautiful and comfortable life because of a man. She married him and slaved off for him for three long years. One day, the scales finally fell off her eyes. She realized that all her efforts were in vain. Her husband, Nathaniel still treated her like shit. All he cared about was his lover. "Enough is enough! I quit wasting my years with an ungrateful man!" Lucinda's heart was shattered into many pieces, but she summoned up the courage to ask for a divorce. The news caused a stir online! A filthy rich young woman recently got divorced? She was a good catch! Countless CEOs and handsome young men immediately swarmed to her like bees to honey! Nathaniel couldn't take it anymore. He held a press conference and begged with teary eyes, "I love you, Lucinda. I can't live without you. Please come back to me." Would Lucinda give him a second chance? Read to find out!