Vanessa, ambitious and determined, finds herself thrust into the high-stakes realm of billionaire tycoon Kieran when she starts work at the Reed's Co. With a reputation for being as impenetrable as the walls surrounding his company, Kieran's icy demeanor hides a deeply guarded past. Vanessa finds herself determined to uncover the man behind the walls and swears to break down every barrier he's erected to guard himself. But, as she inches closer to her goal, just as the walls begin to crumble, a devastating revelation threatens to shatter everything, leaving their budding romance hanging in suspense. Will Vanessa's love be enough to conquer the secrets that haunt Kieran, or will their romance become another casualty of the cutthroat nature of the things that happened in a past?
It was a fine Saturday morning. The sun had just begun to peek from behind the dark clouds that looked like they were ladened with unshed rain. Like every other day in May, the weather could not, at all, be predicted.
Beneath the tall trees, tender sprouts of daffodils and lilies decorated the apartment block with so much colorful and heartwarming beauty that spread all over the compound.
Standing before the window of her small but cozy apartment on the third floor, was Vanessa with a cup of cold tea in her left hand and a piece of paper in her other hand. The paper was a letter of reminder of her rent that would be due in two weeks and three days. Yet, there was no idea how she would pay.
Her life was crumbling right before her eyes. There was little to nothing she could do about it. It has been over a month since she lost her job and since then, she was unable to get another. Her former job, even though it was as a mere waitress with peanuts for pay, it had been better than living off her friend, Stacie. Although Stacie never once complained, Vanessa thought it did not seem fair to her.
Vanessa 's mind was currently in confusion. Her thoughts were running around like noisy little toy trains, threatening to make her crazy. She hissed and placed the cup on the windowsill.
"How am I supposed to pull through this one?" She muttered, running her hand through her hair which was a strawberry blonde. "I can not possibly ask Stacie again, can I? That'd be too much."
With that said, she picked up the cup and headed to the kitchen, placing the letter on the small table by the side. Her lips were pressed into a thin line as she poured the remains of the tea into the sink and rinsed the cup. Her actions were both slow and unsteady.
She knew that she most likely had no way out of her current predicament. If she didn't ask Stacie, then she would be homeless in a matter of weeks. After all, even if she successfully got a job, no one would pay her before she worked for them.
Stacie was her best friend and worked as a lawyer in her father's firm. Stacie's father, Mr. Lexington, was a renowned man with his own firm. As his only child and heir, Stacie had studied law, choosing to follow in her father's footsteps.
Meanwhile, Vanessa was just an orphan whose parents had died in a car explosion. As if that was not enough, everything that belonged to her family had been forcefully taken from her. As a result, she was not only rendered orphaned at the tender age of fourteen, but also homeless and without any promise for the future.
It was on one of those days when she was roaming the streets that she met Stacie, a young girl with bright blue eyes and her black hair, who had taken pity on her, a brown eyed orphan, and brought her to the Lexington mansion. From then, Vanessa stayed with them until Mr. Lexington divorced Stacie's mother and remarried a woman who thought Vanessa was a leech.
Not wanting to be tagged as a liability, she insisted on leaving the Lexington mansion under the excuse that she had found a new job that required her to move somewhere close to her workplace. Although reluctant, Mr. Lexington let her go, promising to be there when she needed him. He never knew what was happening, only Stacie did and Vanessa could not be anymore grateful for a friend like her.
A lone drop of tear slid out of the corner of Vanessa's eye. She sniffled and wiped it off with the back of her palm, reaching for the top shelf with the other hand where she placed the cup and left the kitchen.
She had to find a way out. Even if it meant selling some of the jewelleries she had inherited from her late mother. After all, it was not like she was ever going to use them.
Alas, they had lots of memories attached to them.
Exhaling sharply, she returned to the room and slumped on the bed, intending to sleep.
Sleep... it was all she could do as a jobless person.
Just as she laid on the bed and shut her eyes, the shrill cry of her ringing phone cut through the silence in the room, causing her to almost jump in fear.
With a deep sigh, Vanessa reached for the phone on the table and returned to the bed. She glanced at the caller ID; it was Stacie. Without a second thought, she clicked the receive button, placed the call on speaker and placed it on the bed near her head.
"Hey, Stacie. What's up?"
"Nessa, are you just waking up?" Stacie's voice echoed through the room.
"Nah, I've been up all night. Couldn't sleep." Vanessa's voice was low and heavy. "What's up? You called early."
Stacie never called early because she knew how much of a deep sleeper Vanessa was.
"Yeah," Stacie replied, there was a bit of eagerness in her voice that made Vanessa frown. "I need you to get dressed before nine o'clock."
Vanessa's frown lines deepened. "Why? Where are you taking me to? Don't you have work to go to?"
Stacie hissed. She responded in a less eager voice, "Do you need a job or not?"
"A job?" Vanessa sprang to a sitting position and snatched the phone. She held it in her hands. "Of course I need a job!" she almost yelled.
"Good! Dress up for the interview. I'll come pick you up by 8:30. Bye!" As soon as she replied, Stacie ended the call.
Meanwhile, Vanessa's mind was still processing what she had just heard.
"An interview?" she muttered, dropping the phone on the bed as her lips slowly stretched into a grin. She jumped off the bed, screaming as she ran to the bathroom.
In what seemed like a flash, Vanessa was set for the interview. She stood before the mirror one more time to cross-check her look.
"Lucky me," she stated, smiling at her reflection. "I still have you."
She was speaking about the black Palazzo pants she was wearing. She had found them at the bottom of her wardrobe and luckily, they had not squeezed into balls like her other clothes which looked like they had been crumpled over and over again.
Satisfied with how she looked, Vanessa tiptoed to reach the top of her wardrobe where her certificates and documents sat in a see through file, gathering dust. She dusted them all, not knowing which one she'd be needing.
When she had convinced herself that everything was set, she sank into the bed, waiting for Stacie to come. It was right at that time that there was a knock on her door.
Knowing who it was, Vanessa wasted no time and opened it. A grinning Stacie was standing there, glancing at her watch. Seeing Vanessa all dressed up, Stacie smiled.
"Let's go." She turned around to leave.
"Sure," Vanessa replied, dashing into the room to pick up the bag she had arranged and her file. She ran out, locked the door and followed Stacie into the elevator.
Inside the elevator, Stacie turned to Vanessa with a faint smile. She knew just how hard her friend was trying to find a job and she was gonna help her by all means.
"So, Nessa, dad talked to someone and luckily for you, they happen to be in need of a secretary. I don't know if you'll like the job bu-"
"I love it!" Vanessa interrupted, a smile on her face. She turned to her friend and smiled sincerely. "Thank you, Stacie. I don't mind working as a cleaner. I just need a job," she said in a small voice. "And a secretary is luxury compared to the restaurant I've worked at."
Worried for her friend, Stacie sighed. "Are you sure about this? We can always get another job."
Vanessa's mind was made up. She knew Stacie was only looking out for her but she was fine with a secretary's job. Anything was better than being jobless.
With a small nod, she replied reassuringly, "Yes, Stacie. I'm sure."
I'm a Luna. After three years of marriage to Alpha Nathaniel Blackwood, I'm finally pregnant with his pup. But he's unclaimed me for his first love. I'm leaving the pack with this secret, praying he never finds out. Nathaniel Blackwood is a handsome, powerful Alpha. In a world where humans and werewolves coexist, he has it all: a billion-dollar empire, untold power, a massive pack, and, most importantly, the perfect Luna. But the return of his first love shattered our marriage. When he finds out the secret I've been hiding, will he regret rejecting me? Will I ever be able to forgive him? Dive into this gripping serialized novel to find out more-Enjoy the ride!
Due to the plight of her family, Phoebe had no choice but to embark on the path of selling herself. In an accident, she had a tangled night with Alexander. Everything began to derail, and even if she fled to the ends of the earth, she would still be found by him and entangled... *** Phoebe screamed in frustration, "What do you want from me?" What was this supposed to be? He raised an eyebrow wickedly. "What do I want? You'll find out soon enough." With that, he hoisted her up and carried her back into the office. The door slammed shut with a kick, and he cleared the desk with a sweep of his arm before laying her down on it, his body pinning hers in place, completely trapping her in his grasp. Every cell in his body was telling him he wanted her. He wanted to claim her again. This time, there would be no escape for her-he wouldn't let her slip away. Never again. If he had suffered for five years, then this woman wouldn't get off easily either!
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."
Five years ago, he upped and left his wife without informing her. He had always felt unworthy. As a result, he decided to go and become a better man. It took him five whole years of daily hard work. When he was satisfied, he returned as a powerful and honorable man. He intended to start a family with his wife. But he got back to meet the greatest shocker of his life. He actually had a daughter!
WARNING: This Book Contains Explicit scenes And Adult Languages 🔞 Do you like reading steamy, naughty, dirty, and filthy romances?? If your answer is yes, get ready for the ultimate erotic excitement that will get your blood pumping and your ovaries twitching. This novel is a collection of short erotic stories. It contains all manner of sexual explicit including friends with benefits StepSister And Brother, Stepdaddy, Office, Stepmother, Lesbian, Teacher and student, Doctor and patient, domination Etc. If you are under 18yrs, this book is not for you.
A sudden twist of fate connected Helena to a prominent and influential person. To onlookers, she appeared as a naive bimbo. In truth, she was a top-tier specialist, shrouded in layers of hidden identities. Charlie declared, “She’s quite delicate and easily hurt. Cross her, and you’re crossing me.” The elite families, outwitted by Helena's prowess, kept these truths from him. Helena eventually broke free from Charlie, sending him on a frenzied worldwide hunt. To him, she was a bird with dazzling wings, and his goal was to help her reach new heights.