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"This marriage is nothing more than a business deal so don't expect anything from me" Those were the words he uttered as soon as we were married. How do you make your arranged marriage work when your husband has a mistress threatening to kick you out just few weeks into your wedding? Hazel Reyes finds her world turned upside down when she is told that her father is currently on his death bed and she must return home. She rushes back home and discovers that her father had arranged for her to be married out of fear that she may not be able to survive the capitalist world alone as she would be an orphan when he is gone. Unable to refuse her father's dying wish, Hazel finds herself married to the King of the capitalist world, Atticus Hayland. Atticus Hayland, the youngest billonaire and the most brutal force of the business world gets an offer to marry Martin Reyes only daughter in exchange for thirty percent shares and manangemt right of his construction business which is the largest in the country. As a business man, that is an offer he can't refuse so he accepts with the intention of marrying the young girl just for name sake and tossing her aside but he is surprised to see that she would not allow herself to be tossed aside. Hazel is determined to make Atticus hers only and make sure he gets ride of his ex fiancee who is also his current mistress as she threatens to do everything in her power to make sure Hazel doesn't remain Atticus wife. Would Hazel succeed in becoming the only woman in Atticus's eyes or would she be unable to severe the relationship he already shares with his mistress?
I was having an amazing time in Paris, and I was determined to let it last. I graduated from the university three months ago, and this was my well-deserved break from spending four years studying business administration instead of Art.
Dad has tried to get me to come back home multiple times in the last year, but I refused. I slaved my way through university and graduated Valedictorian, so I was going to be selfish with this vacation.
But on the other hand, could I call it a vacation if I had spent my last three months in Paris in the comfort of my hotel room?
I went sightseeing and did a lot of shopping in the first few weeks I came here, but I got bored quickly, and I didn't have any friends to bring with me.
I didn't do friendships. There was a lot of dramatics and baggage involved that I would rather not deal with, and I had yet to meet someone who genuinely liked me and wasn't after me because of what they could get from my father.
Today, however, was going to be a different day from the last few since I planned to attend an exhibition that was held not too far from the hotel I was staying at.
For someone who had been here for a little over three months, I didn't know shit about this place. All I did was spend time on my balcony people-watching while sipping my coffee, and I'm sure the people who could see me would think I was obnoxious.
I took one final look at the scenery in front of me before heading back inside the room and jumping on the soft bed that bounced with my action, making me chuckle.
From the corner of my eye, I saw my phone light go off, and I picked it up to see I had a missed call from Duke, our butler.
"Not today, Duke", I muttered to the phone, "I'm not going to listen to you try to convince me that I should come home again. I'll come home when I am ready"
I dropped the phone on the bed and decided to get ready since I had just an hour left before the exhibition started.
It was a small exhibition, so I decided to wear a simple yellow dress. I had a small debate on whether I should go with my phone before I decided to leave it behind since no one called me except Duke and my dad.
The exhibition venue was supposed to be close by, but when I arrived, it had already started, and the sun had gone down.
As soon as I stepped foot in the gallery, I was blown off my feet by the amazing art pieces. They were magnificent, and I was hit with instant regret that I didn't take my phone to capture them.
I was so engrossed in the pieces that I walked into someone's back who had been talking to another man.
"I'm sorry", I apologised, flustered, before rushing away from the scene.
"Mr Hayland, are you okay?"
Atticus Hayland? What was such a powerful man doing at a small exhibition like this?
I shook the thought off my head when I saw a piece that took my breath away.
Before me was a woman who was smiling so wide even though her lips had been sewn shut. I couldn't imagine how painful that must be, but there she was, staring at me with eyes glittering with excitement as tears streamed down her cheeks.
A beautiful contrast that had my heart racing and clenching painfully.
My fingers ached with the desire to draw something so mesmerising one day.
It was late before I decided to go back to the hotel. I was the last person to leave the venue because I couldn't bear to part with the pieces before me. They were so stunning I wanted them engraved into my brain.
I took a cab on the way back, and I was thankful I took my purse because I had decided to walk to the venue, which was why I arrived late.
It felt like my phone was glaring at me when I entered the hotel room, so I went to pick it up but frowned when I saw it was dead.
"That's why you look so grumpy", I scoffed, then plugged it in while I went to the bathroom to shower after I ordered room service because I was starving.
After my shower, the room service arrived, and I went to remove my phone from charging so I could call Duke back. He would be worried, and I had promised to at least call him once a day.
When my phone came on, I was stunned to see I had over fifty missed calls from both Duke and the house number.
"What the fuck" I whispered. Even though Duke loved to call me when he got worried after I didn't call or reply, he had never given me so many missed calls.
Panic gripped me as I began to go into a frenzy. This had never happened before, and my mind began to wander as I tried to think of what could have happened while I dialled Duke's number.
"Miss Hazel?" Duke's relieved voice reached me as he answered the call on the first ring.
"Duke?" I asked with a shaky voice, "What's happening? I saw so many missed calls from you and the house"
My voice was as fast as the racing of my heart. I felt fear grip me as my body started to believe that something was wrong.
"Young miss, where have you been?" Duke snapped, his relief disappearing and turning into anger "You haven't answered any of your calls for the past hours. I was so close to contacting the police over there to arrange a search party"
Damn, he was angry. Duke was one to hardly snap or yell at someone, even when he was irritated.
"I'm sorry, Duke," I quickly apologised. "I went to an art exhibition close to my hotel, and I left my phone behind. I didn't think I would be gone for this long," I explained.
I felt guilty for causing so much panic for them, especially Dad. I could imagine he was very worried, and right now, I hoped Duke would continue to talk to me and not hand the phone to my father.
"Why would you go out without your phone? We have taught you better, young miss." He scolded, "What if there was an emergency or something happened to you? You know better than to be this careless, Miss Hazel"
"I didn't think correctly," I told him "Please, don't be angry with me. It won't happen next time," I pleaded because I hated it when Duke was angry with me.
"Don't let it happen again" He snapped one more time, and I nodded my head solemnly, and when I remembered he couldn't see me, I mumbled a quiet yes.
"So why did you call? Did something happen? Where is Dad?" I asked to prevent him from scolding me more because I couldn't take any more.
And I doubted that the reason that they called me so many times was because they couldn't reach me. Something must have happened back at home.
"You need to come home on the next plane," Duke demanded, and I rolled my eyes. We've had this talk a billion times already.
"Duke", I whined and took a seat "I have told you a thousand times that I am not ready to come home. When I want to come home, I will so tell Dad that there is no need to always get you to call me and try to force me to come home"
I explained as calmly as I could so I wouldn't raise my voice because I was tired of them calling me over the same thing over and over again.
"You don't have a choice this time, you have to come home", he said again, this time with a firm tone that left no room for argument.
I would have argued, but there was something in his tone that stopped me. Something that made me believe something was wrong.
"Tell me what's wrong", I demanded, all irritation I felt fading and turning to fear "Where is Dad?"
Usually, when Duke called me, Dad would be in the background complaining about my lack of obedience, but today was different. I hadn't heard a word of complaint in the background.
And Dad had also not called me. There had been calls from Duke and the house number, but nothing from him, which was weird.
"Your father... He..." Duke stuttered as though the words were too heavy for him to say.
"What happened to Dad? Duke, talk to me," I screamed into the phone as my panic level rose and I began to sweat even under the cool AC
"He is..." He paused again, and I could no longer sit still. I stood up and began to pace the room.
"Duke, you are making me scared. Tell me," I practically screamed again. My knees were getting weak from the amount of fear that I was feeling.
"Your father is on his deathbed, young mistress" he finally spoke, and my knees gave out.
In this world, rejecting your mate is not an option,Not even when he is responsible for wiping out your entire pack and family. What can Geneva do in this heartbreaking situation? On the night of her first pack hunt, Geneva's pack is attacked by unknown wolves who wipes out her entire pack and takes her hostage. To add to her pain of losing her family, she discovers that the Alpha of these wolves turns out to be her mate. Furious at the moon goddess for bestowing her with such a harsh fate, Geneva swears to never be mated or marked by that monster even when rejection is not an option. She would take death over anything. Zion Kincaid is a man out for war until he finds his mate in his quests for revenge. He has no way to prove he isn't the monster she thinks he is but that didn't mean he would let her get away with her foolish decision of not bearing his mark. A mate wouldn't make him weak. Embark on the journey of two destined hearts at war and see how they look past their hurt to find the happiness that is meant for them.
"I, Riccardo Saviano, future Alpha of the Grey Shadow Moon Pack, reject you, Artemisia Guerrieri, Daughter of Alpha Franco of the Blood Moon Pack, as my mate and future Luna." One single sentence. One stupid single sentence was all it took to disintegrate my life. And the day of my birthday, on which this sentence was audaciously uttered to me, I lost the love of my life, my future mate, and my wolf, all at once. As I'm still assembling the pieces of my shattered heart years later, there they come. Like lightning out of a crystal blue sky. My Mates. But wait... If I am mated to triplets, how come I'm about to be mated to 5 gorgeous men? *** TW: explicit and foul language; spicy content; explicit sex scenes ***
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?
After my family's sinister plots collapsed, they lashed out at me, taking their rage to a violent level. Cornered and desperate, I married Jaxton—the town's most sought-after bachelor—due to an unplanned pregnancy. Love had no part in this marriage; I assumed he married me purely out of responsibility, his heart belonging elsewhere. The moment I chose to let him go and turned to leave, he grabbed me and pinned me down hard. "Jaxton, you promised you'd never touch me!" I snapped, glaring fiercely. His eyes flashed arrogantly as he leaned closer. "You're the one who started this!"
"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!
The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.