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"What if I don't fall in love with you?" she asked apprehensively. Instead, his lips curved into a small smile that messed with her chest. "You will" he replied confidently and she knew at that moment that she already had. --------------------------------------------- A loveless marriage. Her parents' mysterious death. Dangerous secrets. Zaria Williams would do anything to find out who caused her parents' death and why. Taking over their company and ending her loveless marriage after disappearing for one year was the first step. With her two brothers as the last of her family, Zaria is further pulled into a web of dangerous secrets and dangerous territories even without having any idea of it. And there was only one reason, he protected her without question, without a word, without she even having an idea of it.
Zaria sat on the left side of the bed staring outside the window, there was really nothing to look at except the rows of houses opposite hers. The estate was as silent as a graveyard, it always was; and even more so at night. She had no doubts that any of the houses could be throwing parties but no one would have any idea since all the houses were equipped with soundproof systems.
She turned and took another glance at the empty bed. Even though she already knew that he wouldn't return that night, she was a little hopeful in her heart. She hoped that something would happen and he would come home. But as much as she hoped; she knew better.
Her phone buzzed on the bedside drawer and she stretched her arm to reach for it. Her eyebrows pulled together slowly when she realized that it was a message from an unknown number. She clicked the message open and upon seeing the picture in the message inbox, she gulped unconsciously.
Tears rushed to her eyes but Zaria pressed her lips together willing herself not to let a single tear fall. She knew that she was back and that was why for the past month, her husband hadn't visited or slept in his own house not more than two times. She knew that while he stayed away from his home, he spent ample time with her but she was too scared to bring it up in case he got angry and asked for a divorce. The thought made cold sweat form on her back. For what it was, she couldn't afford to lose him.
She sniffed quietly while dialing his number and pressing the phone to her ears and just as she expected, her call went to voicemail. Pursing her lips again, she summoned up courage and called his assistant. The latter picked up the call at the second ring.
"Hello," Zaria greeted quietly.
"Good evening Mrs. McConnell" the assistant's polite yet distant voice retracted into Zaria's ears and Zaria debated whether to ask her question or not. She didn't know what Logan must have told his secretary but each and every time they came into contact, the latter always treated her with a very polite but distant attitude that never failed to make her feel awkward.
"Mrs. McConnell?" the assistant called when Zaria didn't say anything and Zaria was immediately jolted back to the present.
"Err.... Er.... I called Logan a few minutes ago and my calls went to voicemail. I wanted to ask if he was working late" Zaria replied and there was a moment of silence.
"Mr. McConnell is at the hospital" the assistant replied and Zaria swallowed her saliva.
"Hospital? Is someone ill?" Zaria asked despite knowing the answer.
"Miss Peterson is ill and Mr. President is accompanying her" the assistant replied.
"Oh," Zaria muttered quietly, fighting every urge in her not to let any of her tears spill down her cheeks.
"Could I get the name of the hospital? I'd like to send Miss Peterson some fruits and if possible check up on her too" Zaria added; dropping the call as soon as the assistant said she would text her the address.
Sick? Accompanying her? How dumb did they think she was?
The phone in her hand buzzed again and Zaria glanced at it to see that it was a message from the assistant. It was the address of the hospital, she quickly texted the secretary a thank you and dropped the phone on the bed. She sniffed and got up from the bed, walking towards her wardrobe while changing into a simple blouse and pants. She picked up her coat and walked out of the room towards the kitchen.
Opening the fridge, she was able to collate a small basket of fruits. A glance at the desolate kitchen once again reminded Zaria of how pathetic she was. She loved cooking, she enjoyed it and she loved cooking for him but not even once, had he tasted her food. Every single time she thought he would come home and make a huge dinner; he either came home too late or didn't even come home at all.
Zaria pushed her thoughts aside while walking out of the house. She got into the car and put the basket of fruits in the passage seat and she hadn't gotten to start the car when her phone started buzzing loudly in her pockets once again. She brought out her phone and immediately gulped upon seeing the caller ID. She picked up the call and pressed her phone to her ears.
"Zaria" a deep male voice drifted into her ears and for some reason; Zaria wanted to burst into tears right there and then.
"Hey, Theodore" Zaria greeted, trying to sound as cheerful as possible.
"Don't give me that tone Zaria. I know what's going on with you. Just because I am not in the country doesn't mean I am oblivious to everything that's going on okay?" Theodore replied and Zaria pursed her lips.
"I'll be back in three days. They are making a move again; I have to be there" Theodore added and Zaria kept quiet, refusing to say the words that her elder brother wanted to hear.
"Zaria" Theodore called quietly and softer this time.
"I'll call you back Theodore," Zaria said, cutting off whatever Theodore wanted to say.
"Stay safe Za," Theodore said after a moment of silence and ended the call. Dropping her phone on the seat beside her; Zaria started the car and drove out of the house.
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The moment Zaria stepped into the ward, she already that the fact that she was ill was a total lie. No one would be ill with rosy cheeks and energetic yells. The lady seating on the bed finished her video call and turned to the door to find Zaria standing there. A flash of surprise ran through her eyes but it was soon replaced with a bright smile.
"Don't tell me Logan asked you to bring me fruits? He already bought a lot yesterday" she started and Zaria unconsciously clenched her fists while the lady continued relaxing in her bed.
"When Logan comes back from the washroom you really have to thank him for me. He's been a real sweetheart these days. He moved me to a VIP ward the moment I said the noise from other patients was making me unable to sleep. I woke up in the middle of the night and was craving ice cream, he drove out in the middle of the night to get it for me. He even paid my hospital bills!" the lady continued with a huge smile on her face.
"I don't know where else I would have seen such a sweet childhood friend you know" she added; playing with her fingers while watching Zaria's reaction.
"When he heard that I caught a cold, he was really worried and left a meeting to run all the way here just to check up on me. C'mon, there's no sweeter childhood friend anywhere" she continued maintaining a bright smile on her face. She knew everything she was saying would annoy and irritate her, no woman would want her husband fawning over another woman and being at her beck and call while he ignored her.
Zaria hadn't even noticed that she was clenching her fists so hard that her nails were digging into her palms and they were already becoming bloodied. As much as she hated to admit it; she knew that she was right. Logan had barely sent two glances at her when she fainted but just because his childhood sweetheart had gotten cold, he had left an important meeting and stayed with her for so long. She used to think that maybe Logan wasn't affectionate to anyone but here was the evidence that he was affectionate but it was only for one person.
"I may not know what you want or what you like or whatnot but you have shown me that you want out of this marriage and that's one thing that I know I'm going to help you with it" Callum replied and Athaliah smiled mirthlessly. "That is what you want. That's what you've always wanted. You are the one who went to work on our wedding night without saying a word to me. You are the one who leaves the house before I wake up and come back when I'm asleep. You are the one who treats me like a plague, someone you can't stand for a long time, and you've done that for two years Callum and now you dare to stand in front of me and tell me I showed you I wanted out of this marriage" Athaliah said shaking her head. "How dare you?" she shot at him. **************************** Bound by a marriage forged in the crucible of misunderstanding, Athaliah and Callum found themselves tethered to a union neither of them wanted. Athaliah' compelled by familial duty and Callum, driven by his grandfather's desire. The union was doomed to crumble and fail. Within a mere two years, after his grandfather's death, the ties that bond them together snapped, and with two signatures, their paths were set separate and different from each other. Fate, that fickle mistress, intervened years later, bringing them back to each other's orbit igniting the spark and electric connection anew and the both of them dared to grasp at the second chance fate had offered. But then again, history began to repeat itself, patterns began to replay, and Athaliah and Callum are faced with their shared past, forced to confront the ghosts of their past. With new revelations and unfolding layers of complexity, the fabric of their relationship was stretching thin, and Athaliah's perception is shattered after unearthing a scared truth.
Samantha McCartney is turned into the laughing stock of her family when her childhood crush and soon-to-be husband a wedding ring on her younger sister's instead of her on their wedding day. Devastated and heartbroken, Samantha gets drunk and ends up having a one-night stand with someone she had only seen on TV and more; happened to be the estranged stepbrother of her childhood crush.
THE MONTELLE FAMILY SERIES (BOOK ONE) “Julian?” the latter called out in shock and surprise as Julian sucked in a breadth and turned to face the latter maintaining his flat expression. “When did you come back?” the latter asked again. The question instantly made a plethora of memories wash over Julian. He discovered he could remember everything that happened that day clearly as if it had happened the previous day. He remembered every word and everything that had happened and they seemed to suck the air of his lungs and as his legs almost turned to powder. His trust was broken and his so called loved ones betrayed him. Not even one of them remained; they had all taken his side and left him stranded and all alone. With his father's threat of giving his company to charity if he didn’t come home; Julian Montelle is forced to abandon the life he had built for himself in Hong Kong. Coming back to the place that held the worst and horrid memories for him wasn’t an option but for some unknown reason. Julian found himself getting on a plane and getting back to take back his rightful heritage and property. This time around, he came back to take revenge on everyone who had something to do with what happened back then and who had abandoned him. And as well this time around, he wasn't alone and had someone who stood beside him without any questions.
When Gianna Emerson best friend gets dumped by her boyfriend; Gianna is determined to make him go through the same pain and hurt he made her best friend go through. Get close to him, make him fall in love with her and then mercilessly dump him. It was the most perfect and flawless plan except that it didn’t involve Gianna falling helplessly in love with him. What’s more, her Favourite rule of friend is “though shall not fall in love with your friend’s ex”
Since when they were little, Gabriella Armani had developed a huge crush on her elder brother’s best friend but the latter had never given her attention or even treated her like her a girl, he had always treated her like a younger sister; much to Gabriella’s annoyance. After severally promising to marry him when she grew up, she left the country or her studies. Never in his life did Kiley imagine that a point in his life, he would start to see Gabriella Armani as woman and not as the younger sister who followed him everywhere.
Despite being an easy target for bullies; Tessa O’Bailey never got bullied. The bullies weren’t scared of her but they never touched her either. And Tessa had no idea why but she was glad, at least she could now do whatever she wanted but when she somehow got into detention with the school’s bad boy, it didn’t take long for her to realize why.
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!”
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"
Eliana was framed by her best friend and her fiance into sleeping with a boy toy in the club and getting impregnated by him. Five years after she had given birth to twins, she returned home and worked under the Moran Group, where she met the CEO-- Maurice. Maurice was a brilliant businessman who did his job well. But in order to stay under the radar, he lived a double life. One as Maurice, and one as Preston. Fate brought the two together again, roping them in on an exciting love story. It all became more complicated when Eliana faced Preston, the man she had slept with before, once again. Now that she was being pursued by two men, how could she ever choose? When would Eliana uncover the secret of Maurice's identity? When was Maurice going to know that he already had two children of his own? How would Eliana face this man when the truth came to light one day? Come and find out.
[Cute Baby + Secret Identity + Powerful hero and heroine!] Caroline loved Damian with all her heart for five whole years. She devoted herself to him and lived humbly for his sake. However, when the couple faced a crisis, she hoped that the news of her pregnancy would fix their marriage, but what she got in return was just a divorce agreement. And to make things worse, while she was about to give birth, she had fallen into someone's trap and her life was in danger. After managing to survive such a harrowing experience, she was determined to cut all ties with the man. Five years later, she re-emerged with her head held high, being the CEO of a famous company. Those who used to bully her now got a taste of their own medicine. And the truth about the past gradually surfaced... Dazzled by Caroline's newfound confidence, her ex-husband wanted to get back together with her, but she just turned a blind eye to his advances. Damian pleaded desperately, "Honey, our baby needs both his parents. Please remarry me!"
As a simple assistant, messaging the CEO in the dead of night to request shares of adult films was a bold move. Bethany, unsurprisingly, didn't receive any films. However, the CEO responded that, while he had no films to share, he could offer a live demonstration. After a night filled with passion, Bethany was certain she'd lose her job. But instead, her boss proposed, "Marry me. Please consider it." "Mr. Bates, you're kidding me, right?"