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In the glittering world of high society, where deals are made and alliances are forged, a young woman finds herself entangled in a web of secrets, desire, and unexpected love. When Emily Walker enters into a contract marriage with a billionaire's son Ethan Hatton, to help him secure his inheritance. She never expects to be caught between his captivating charm and the mysterious allure of his brother, Jackson Hatton. As they battle for her affection, Emily is torn between duty and her own desires, navigating a treacherous path of intrigue, jealousy and hidden agendas. Will she follow her heart, risking everything for a love she can't deny or will she succumb to the pressures of society and demands of a contract marriage?
Dear Emily,
We sincerely thank you for taking the time to apply and meet with our team for the position of secretary. After careful consideration, we have decided to move forward with another candidate. We thank you for your interest in the company and we wish you the best of luck in your job search......
Emily Walker quickly hit the power button on her phone in annoyance, another rejection letter, and the fifth one this week if she was keeping track. Her mind became immediately clouded with the bills she had to pay and working part-time in her grandmother's noodle shop, also cleaning toilets at a luxury hotel wasn't going to cut it. She hated to remind herself of how her life had gone downhill since she had to quit her last job. She felt tears sting her eyes but she was determined not to let it fall.
"Emily" she heard her grandmother yell which snapped her out of her depressing thoughts, perspiration gathered at her forehead while popped back into the heat of the kitchen.
"How many people do we have out back" she asked and Emily stood frozen, she'd been distracted and wasn't taking notes and it was no news that her grandmother had zero tolerance for slacking.
"I'll need to check," she said quickly and rushing back outside before the woman had the chance to complain but in the process, her apron caught on the handle of the door causing her to spiral into a tray of glass cups and they all went spiraling unto the ground shattering into a million pieces with a few pieces clinging unto her hair and clothes. She could feel the sting of the glass in her hair but the silence in the kitchen was louder than the pain she felt
"Emily!" her grandmother yelled, throwing a plastic spoon that hit her square in the head.
"I'm sorry, it was an accident Grandma. I'll clean it up" "Sorry's not gonna cut it Emily, this is going off your paycheck"
"There's nothing left, you keep cutting it for little mistakes I make" she retorted
"Then maybe your next paycheck, how about that and the next one if you keep running that mouth" her grandmother shot back in finality before turning back to the whistling pot and Emily fumed, her eyes rolling back in sadness that was slowly turning to anger.
"You know what Gran, I don't need this," she said as she took off her apron and slammed it on the counter
"Look at you running that mouth again, so what are you going to do? Quit? Run away just like your mother did...."
"Don't...." Emily wanted to say but the woman beat her to it
"Don't what? Mention your mother? That slimy whore that destroyed my son....." "She didn't do anything, I didn't do anything" Emily cried, letting the tears flow freely as she didn't have any means to hold them back because her grandmother's words felt like a spiral knife that stabbed at her chest, twisting and turning till there was nothing left to give but pain
"She did everything, my son is dead because of her because she was a selfish bitch and she wanted more. If she's such a good person where is she now, she abandoned you, didn't she? You look so much like her I feel sick to my stomach" Emily stayed quiet, allowing the words to soak through her skin, embedding themselves in her till it was all she could feel. Her vision blurred, her heart raced and she felt weak to her knees, she had never known love all her life and her grandmother was right. Her mother did abandon her for a better life, she was somewhere gallivanting in the streets of California in Gucci shorts and Prada bags and she wondered why she defended her. Her grandmother was right, her mother didn't want her or maybe she didn't know the full story.
"She killed my son, that selfish whore. Broke his heart so many times over till he was nothing and then abandoned you for me so don't you defend her. Who knows, maybe you're not even my granddaughter and she burdened me with the responsibility of raising you" Still, Emily stayed quiet as the words pierced her heart and there was no defense against everything she always believed to be true
"If you want to leave, you should. Get out I don't want to see your face around here anymore, you're just like her ungrateful and selfish" She felt her grandmother grab her by her arm and push her out the back door alongside her bag before slamming it on her face. Emily stood broken, her legs weak and unable to protest, even oblivious to her bleeding knees from the broken glass because it didn't hurt as much as the pain in her chest from the reality of her grandmother's words. She stepped out onto the streets of New York City of anyways unsure of her next step even though she had to be at her other job in less than two hours. The October sun shone brightly on her skin, lighting up areas that had been darkened by sadness but still, it didn't change how she felt. The heat from the sun did nothing to warm her frozen heart while she walked aimlessly on the streets, going wherever the wind pushed her but she knew where her heart wanted to be, and who she wanted to talk to even though they would never be able to speak back to her. Instead, she walked to the park and flopped absentmindedly on a bench oblivious to a young man sitting next to her with a bouquet hanging lazily from his fingers
"Are you aware that you're bleeding or is that a recent New York fashion" she heard a voice beside her although she wasn't entirely sure she was the one being spoken to. When she turned, his eyes were fixed on hers though hidden behind sunglasses she wanted to assume he was speaking to her. "What?" she raised a brow "Your knees," he said again and she looked down "Oh" she simply said faking surprise at how she hadn't noticed it earlier "Nothing to worry about," she said hoping he wouldn't say anything. They managed to sit in silence, while she watched people pass by mostly couples hand in hand, smiling or laughing at the other, faces glowing and showcasing genuine happiness while she felt like an impostor wallowing in self-pity at her inability to find love or even genuine happiness. The gravity of loneliness hit her suddenly and she had to fight internally to keep the tears locked in, to keep her face straight pensive, and not falter at the sight of a young mother kissing her daughter on the head.
"Ever been in love?" she heard the strange man speak and she turned to face him but he stared straight ahead, the flowers still dangling from his hands. When she stayed quiet he turned to look at her "Not much of a talker, no?" "Sorry" she muttered and he sighed "Take this, looks like you've had a shittier day than mine" he offered her the flowers he held, and when she refused to take them he dropped them on the bench beside her, looking relieved to get rid of them.
"Don't fall in love, it's a trap" he said in a mere whisper and then he was gone.
"Teach me" I said drunkenly "Teach me how to be a bad girl" "Are you sure about Tiny, there's a tiny addiction that comes with that" he said, looking at me through the hood of his eyes. "What am I getting addicted to?" I echoed back, trying to keep my focus on his face, and not down his chest and his muscular arms. "Me" *** Cheryl Taylor had just recently divorced her cheating husband and decided to move back to her childhood town. Desperate for a room, she finds one with some weird rules and a roommate who seemed to busy to meet with her – everything comes to a shocking pause when she finds out it's Aiden Scott – the town's bad boy, and in fact her high school bully. Aiden Scott is now a made man and a billionaire but he's stepped on a few toes to get there and now they're out for his blood and he has to lay low in the town he grew up – the town that only saw him as a good for nothing bastard. He decides to get a roommate to appear normal, he takes the first one he got and only because it's Cheryl Taylor – the one girl he had harbored a secret crush for years.
Jessica Peters moved to a new city, determined to bury her untamed past and build a fresh future with her devoted boyfriend Nathan Gold. But when she lands a dream job at a powerful corporation, she's shocked to discover her boss is none other than Parrish Holmes-the dangerously handsome billionaire who once consumed her every thought. As they're thrust back into each other's lives, the magnetic pull between them reignites, awakening dark, forbidden desires that Jessica had buried deep. Torn between the need to succeed in her career and the sinful attraction she can't resist, Jessica is trapped in a web of temptation. Just as she decides to leave it all behind for a chance at rekindled passion, she uncovers a chilling secret about Parrish that could destroy them both. With her heart shattered and her loyal boyfriend holding a dangerous secret over her, Jessica must choose between a love that could heal her or a past that threatens to consume her once more. Can she escape the darkness that threatens to pull her under, or will her untamed desires be her undoing?
"Rule No. 1 – sex is off the table" He looked at me, a certain darkness clouding his eyes that only brewed lust and desire " Don't worry doll, I'm not going to touch you, not unless you beg me to" Five years ago, Helena De Luca is divorced by her husband, Dante D'angelo, when his high school sweetheart returned and claimed his heart. Now, Helena's back, not for rekindled romance but for survival. Her family's empire is under siege, and the only way to protect it is to strike a dangerous deal with the man she once called her own. Dante agrees to help-but there's only one way: a fake marriage. Helena's reluctance turns to desperation when the rival gangs close in, forcing her to accept. She sets one rule-no falling in love. The stakes are high and complications arise in the form of Dante's manipulative cousin Matteo, who's determined to tear them apart to have Helena for himself no matter what it takes. To make matters worse, Dante's first love is back, determined to destroy Helena's life and claim Dante for herself. Their worlds entangle, a dark sinful attraction festering between Dante and Helena and getting caught in a dirty game of lust, dark desires tainted with betrayal and manipulation. Would Helena be able to withstand the demands of falling for a man as dangerous or would she give in to the pressures of those who want them apart?
"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."
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
Life was perfect until she met her boyfriend's big brother. There was a forbidden law in the Night Shade Pack that if the head Alpha rejected his mate, he would be stripped of his position. Sophia's life would get connected with the law. She was an Omega who was dating the head Alpha's younger brother. Bryan Morrison, the head Alpha, was not only a cold-blooded man but also a charming business tycoon. His name was enough to cause other packs to tremble. He was known as a ruthless man. What if, by some twist of destiny, Sophia's path were to intertwine with his?
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!
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"