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Ava Mitchell's life takes an unexpected turn in a world of luxury when her father's successful business empire collapses due to an overwhelming burden of debt. With limited options, he forges a malicious deal with the captivating and enigmatic billionaire, Nathaniel Brooks to marry Ava. Despite her initial reservations, Ava strives to make the most of the circumstance, even as her heart remains entangled with her former boyfriend, who unexpectedly resurfaces as a manipulative third party. A second chance at love becomes possible as their chemistry returns. Ava faces a critical decision ā whether to follow the desires of her heart or honor her duties to both family and husband. Ava was faced with betrayal by her father as she discovered a secret about him. What is this secret ? Will she uncover true love amidst this arrangement? Will she rekindle her past romance? Will her husband ever find out about the ex-boyfriend? Will she ever forgive her father?
Ava summoned the courage to confront the undeniable tension that hung thickly in the air between them. She lifted her gaze to meet Nathaniel's intense stare head-on.
"Nathaniel," she began, making an effort to control her emotions, "it's been days since you mentioned having something to discuss regarding our marriage."
He shunned her.
Her curiosity grew, and moisture gathered in her palms, causing her hands to tremble. "Does it go beyond just the arranged marriage?" she questioned.
An awkward silence lingered between them.
"Okay! This arrangement feels suffocating. We barely know each other, and yet we're expected to act as if we're in a genuine relationship. How do I achieve that when the so-called husband is cold to me?"
Nathaniel raised an eyebrow, his confidence unwavering in his expression. "It was your father who pushed for this arrangement, not me. I have my benefits, and he has his," he replied coolly.
Ava's heart sank at his unapologetic response, but she refused to back down.
She giggled.
"You are callous. Do you have human feelings at all? What about me? What would I gain from all of these?" she inquired, trying to convey her discontent.
Nathaniel's response was filled with arrogance as he said, "You have the honor of being associated with someone of my figure. Do you know what that means? I doubt you know how much influence and power I control. I can provide you with a life of luxury and comfort that you could never have dreamt of."
She shook her head in disgust and disbelief. Her frustration grew, like a brewing storm eager to be unleashed.
"But I had a life before this," she insisted, her voice a crescendo of emotions breaking against the shores of his indifference. "Dreams, plans-they all vanished into thin air.
Nathaniel leaned back in his chair, stretching forth his legs.
"Sometimes in life, sacrifices must be made for the greater good. Your father made his decision, and now you must live with the consequences," he stated firmly.
Her eyes widened "Consequences?"
Her fists clenched tightly with her face showing how frustrated she was. She wanted to scream at him, to tell him that she was more than just a puppet in his business game.
She unfisted and calmed her nerves, she knew deep down that her efforts would be in vain.
***
Under the gentle moonlight that flowed through the room, Ava lay there, her heart heavy with the weight of an arranged marriage.
She had married Nathaniel out of duty and structure, but deep down, her heart yearned for something more profound.
Love was what she truly desired. It consumed her thoughts, this longing for intimacy and a connection that transcended the formalities of their marriage.
"Nathaniel," she whispered, her voice barely audible, her vulnerability laid bare. "Can we talk?"
He turned to her, his eyes meeting hers with a distant look. "What is it again, Ava?" he replied, his tone guarded.
Taking a deep breath, she felt her fingers glide over the smooth silk bedspread, tracing invisible patterns. "I... I know this marriage was arranged. " she began, her words hesitant. "Something beyond a mere transaction."
Nathaniel let out a sigh, his face displaying traces of frustration. "Woman, we knew what we were getting into when we agreed to this marriage," he said, his voice tinged with detachment. "We have our roles to fulfill."
"I understand," she said softly, her voice carrying the weight of her emotions. "But I've always yearned for a marriage filled with love. A marriage where I truly feel cherished, where I'm not just a presence or commodity, but genuinely seen and heard."
She felt her throat tighten, and she swallowed hard.
"The truth is, we barely even know each other. All I want is to be seen. You don't talk to me. You don't even see me. It's as if I exist in your world as nothing more than a shadow.
Her words hung in the air, vulnerable and raw. But he chose to ignore her, his attention fixed on his phone, dismissing her feelings without a word.
There was a moment of silence, heavy with her words hanging in the air. Then, without looking up, he muttered, "You're exaggerating."
She turned to face him, an expression of pain and annoyance visible in her eyes. "Can you even deny it?"
Her voice wavered slightly, but her resolve held strong. "I'm here, right in front of you, and yet I feel invisible. It's like my feelings don't matter."
He finally tore his gaze away from his phone, a mix of irritation and frustration. He responded dismissively, "This is pointless," his tone dismissive. "We have more important things to deal with than your emotions."
Her heart sank at his words, the weight of his arrogance and indifference pressing down on her.
"Remember, this is an arranged marriage. Your dad exchanged you."
"I wonder if there's even anything special about you for your father to have traded you" he mumbled.
Tears welled up in her eyes, her heart aching for his statement and for a connection that seemed out of reach. "I heard you. But that does not mean we can't have a real partnership, a genuine connection?"
He looked away, avoiding her gaze. "I don't know, Ava," in Insolence, his words heavy with uncertainty. "Perhaps it's better this way, to keep things separate."
Her heart sank, and the ache of longing grew stronger. "But I want more," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I want to know you, to be more than just a stranger in your life."
The arrogance in his conduct was obvious as he scoffed. He responded dismissively, "This is the way things are, we're bound by duty, not by some romantic notion of connection."
A profound sense of longing enveloped Ava as if the connection she so desperately desired was slipping forever from her grasp.
"But what about my happiness, your happiness?" she asked, her voice filled with desperation.
"Don't we deserve to find it together? Maybe we can find a way to make this work, to find some common ground." Her voice was desperate. "To have some understanding, some vulnerability between us?"
Nathaniel's expression remained unchanged, his walls seemingly impenetrable. "I do not need vulnerability," he stated coldly. "It's a weakness I don't indulge in."
She felt a pang in her chest as if her heart was on the verge of bursting out. Amid her astonishment, an inner thought reverberated "What sort of a man is this?"
With a fire in her eyes, she uttered, "Nathaniel, you may view vulnerability as weakness, but I believe it is the foundation of true connection.
Nathaniel's gaze bore into hers, "'You're more daring than I thought," he mused, his usual composure faltering momentarily.
"Ava met his gaze, her heart throbbing with a newfound strength. 'I refuse to be a puppet in this marriage,' she affirmed. 'If we're going to make this work, we need to find a way to bridge this gap, to understand each other beyond our roles.'"
"Nathaniel's lips curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. 'Very well,' he said, his tone carrying a hint of challenge. 'Let's see if you can truly handle what you're asking for.'
I fell in love with the man I had always hated. Williams Davis was supposed to be my enemy-the man who destroyed my life, the one I vowed to never forgive. But fate has a twisted sense of humor. Now, that the universe has decided to pull us closer, I found myself trapped between love and hatred. How do you love someone who's broken everything you hold dear? When the truth comes out, will love be enough to heal the wounds, or will it destroy us both forever?
June Rivera was divorced by her husband after three years of marriage because he wanted to be with her sister who was pregnant for him. Kicked to the curb with a divorce and rejected by her parents,she struggles to make ends meet and get a job until she saves Luis Ambrose from an accident - the only child of Rafael Ambrose, a widowed man and the CEO of Ambrose Corporation. When little Luis asks to have her as a nanny, and Rafael's mother pressures him to get married, they draw a contract. To be Luis's nanny and his fake wife for one year in exchange for 50 million dollars!
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."
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.
Allison fell in love with Ethan Iversen, the soon-to-be Alpha of the Moonlight Crown pack. She always wanted him to notice her. Meanwhile, Ethan was an arrogant Alpha who thought a weak Omega could not be his companion.Ā Ethan's cousin, Ryan Iversen, who came back from abroad and was the actual heir of the pack, never tried to get the position nor did he show any interest in it. He was a popular playboy Alpha but when he came back to the pack, one thing captured his eyes and that was Allison.
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!"
Iris grew from an orphaned child to the adopted daughter of the Stewart family at age ten, finding warmth in her nominal uncle Vincent's kindness. Seven years later, she became his secret lover. When Vincent's engagement was announced, gossip spread about the notorious playboy CEO finally settling down. But only Iris knew the extent of his cold, two-faced nature. Iris fell for Vincent and, through tears, begged, "Marry me," only to be met with his frosty refusal. Defeated, she accepted a lawyer's proposal, sparking public excitement. Then, on her wedding day, Vincent pleaded desperately, "Don't marry himā¦"