" And you, " Lucas turned to Carla. " Don't you dare come to my room unless you have something very important that I must know about, " he warned, eyeing her, his eyes filled with disgust and pure hatred. " Lucas, what the hell is wrong with you? " she queried, pulling her arms roughly from his firm grip. " Why are you acting like this? ". " Have you forgotten? You said this was a marriage of convenience, I don't think I have to dedicate myself, my time, and my bed to you, do I? " he fired back, raising his voice slightly. Lucas Grayson had to get married to Carla Hudson, his childhood friend, who had been having a crush on him ever since they were little, in order to secure his position at his father's company and he hates her for that. As they navigated into the world of marriage, trying his very best to avoid her and make her miserable, Lucas found himself falling in love with her, only that his step brother, Logan, was harboring the same feelings and found himself in a love triangle, trying his best to win the heart of his wife, at the same time, securing his position at the company.
" Carla Hudson, do you take Lucas Grayson as your lawfully wedded husband? To love and cherish him, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?" the Priest asked. " Yes, I do, " Carla replied almost immediately, earning a side look from Lucas who was standing next to her. " Lucas Grayson, do you also accept Carla Hudson as your lawfully wedded wife? To love and to cherish him, in sickness and in health, till death do you part? , " the Priest turned to Lucas asking him the same question he asked Carla. ' Say no, ' his subconscious told him as Carla turned to look at him.
He knew he couldn't do anything stupid, people were watching, and everything was at stake. " I do, " he answered in between gritted teeth, trying his very best to hide the scowl that was threatening to show on his face. This wasn't what he wanted, he didn't want to get committed to anyone, especially not Carla.
" FLASHBACK "
I won't, Dad, " Lucas snapped, declining the file on the table loudly. His father, Robert Grayson, was asking for the impossible. " I will not get married to Carla Hudson, " he stated defiantly. " You have no option here, son. We have to sign a partnership with Hudson Corporations and the only way we agreed to do that is to have her married to you. I don't see what is wrong here, both of you have been friends since you were kids. If you do not sign the papers by tomorrow, you'll have to take responsibility for your actions, " Robert pressed on, folding his arms as he rested his back on the chair he was seating on. " I will take full responsibility for it then, I cannot marry Carla Hudson, heck, I'm not even ready to settle down, ". Robert's face held an amused expression, his lips curving upward to form a smirk, Lucas had absolutely no idea of what was going on. " Fine then, I guess you'll have to give up your position and the company and wipe off every thought you have about taking over the company, " Robert informed. On hearing that, Lucas averted his gaze back to his father, his eyes wide open, hoping that his father was going to correct his statement. " Father!, " he yelled. " This is absurd. You can't just take away my position simply because I don't want to get married. It's unfair and I'm sure the lady in question won't also want this, " he argued further, earning a chuckle from his father. " Carla has signed the documents. What is left is your signature and then we'll start the wedding preparations, " he explained. Lucas took the file almost immediately, not believing his father, but was disappointed when he saw a beautiful signature, neatly penned at the little edge of the file. He dropped the file back on the table angrily as he clenched and unclenched both his jaw and fists. Ideas ran through his head, but there was no way out of it. His father was bent on making him get married to her and if he didn't, his position at the company was at stake. Without saying anything else, he glanced at his father one last time, took the file, and dashed out of the office, stomping his feet on the floor. He got into his car and drove straight to his next destination, where Carla lived. She had just finished college and was still staying at home for a while before she started working. He was very sure that there was no way she was going to work if the marriage goes on. He stopped the car and got out, pausing for a while to take in deep breaths before ringing the doorbell. The door opened and Carla came into view, her eyes widening a bit as she saw Lucas, certainly not expecting him to be standing in front of her door. Her lips morphed into a smile almost immediately, trying not to show her surprise. " Lucas, to what do I owe this visit? , " she asked, opening the door wide enough for him to enter, which he did without saying a word. He looked around the house, he had been there a couple of times but it felt so strange to him with all that was happening. After being ushered to a seat and served a cup of coffee, Carla sat with him, watching as he sipped his coffee, his Adam's apple moving up and down, enough to make her feel tingles in between her legs. He placed the cup back on the table, his eyes meeting hers and she averted her gaze looking at anywhere but him. She cleared her throat, blinking her eyes, embarrassed by the fact that she was caught staring like a child. " I received a file from your father, about both our company's partnership and the marriage deal. Do we have to get married for the deal? " he asked and she shrugged trying to act oblivious to what was happening. " That's what my father wants, I have no say in it, " she explained and he raised a brow, giving her a knowing look. " Why are you here? " she asked, trying to change the topic. " You make it sound like you don't want me to be here. Why? At least you signed a marriage deal without consulting me first, " he responded, his face still not showing any emotion but his voice laced with pure anger. "It's a marriage of convenience. Both our companies needed the partnership. I think it is only right that we do what is best for it or don't you think so? ". She questioned, taking a sip from her coffee but he only smirked, nodding his head, making her more nervous than she already was. " I see. Since you said it is a marriage of convenience, I hope you don't expect more from it, " he informed, mischief playing in his eyes as he opened the file, penning down his signature on it before placing it back on the table. " I didn't.... " she tried to say but he cut her off by waving his hands, pushing the file to her.
The day Raina gave birth should have been the happiest of her life. Instead, it became her worst nightmare. Moments after delivering their twins, Alexander shattered her heart-divorcing her and forcing her to sign away custody of their son, Liam. With nothing but betrayal and heartbreak to her name, Raina disappeared, raising their daughter, Ava, on her own.Years later, fate comes knocking when Liam falls gravely ill. Desperate to save his son, Alexander is forced to seek out the one person he once cast aside. Alexander finds himself face to face with the woman he underestimated, pleading for a second chance-not just for himself, but for their son. But Raina is no longer the same broken woman who once loved him.No longer the woman he left behind. She has carved out a new life-one built on strength, wealth, and a long-buried legacy she expected to uncover.Raina has spent years learning to live without him.The question is... Will she risk reopening old wounds to save the son she never got to love? or has Alexander lost her forever?
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.
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.
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."
After three secretive years of marriage, Eliana never met her enigmatic husband until she was served with divorce papers and learned of his extravagant pursuit of another. She snapped back to reality and secured a divorce. Thereafter, Eliana unveiled her various personas: an esteemed doctor, legendary secret agent, master hacker, celebrated designer, adept race car driver, and distinguished scientist. As her diverse talents became known, her ex-husband was consumed by remorse. Desperately, he pleaded, "Eliana, give me another chance! All my properties, even my life, are yours."
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"