The thought of his formidable mother playing nursemaid, kneeling once again to the whims of such a man...it was enough to make Eros see red. The world knew AristaTheodorou for two things, her powerful career as legal adviser to the global elite and her disastrous on-again-off-again relationship with Zeus Mytikas.
'Eros, don't you see...he's already acting like he has won. Our last board meeting was dominated by talk of his plans to purge the company of excess.' Arista's voice turned cold. 'He made it clear that my position in the company would fall under that category.' He turned to his mother, fire in his veins and all thoughts of his date firmly forgotten. 'This conversation is futile. You know that I will never marry.' 'Not even to spite Xander?' Her voice raised an octave as she continued. 'I need to retain control at Mytikas and the only way I can achieve that is with my own son at the helm. Please, Eros.' He saw her expression soften and knew this was a part of her act. It was always this way with Arista. For such a powerhouse of a woman, he had often seen her reduce herself to theatrics to achieve her goals. She would promise the stars, only to walk away once she had got what she needed.
He thought of his childhood spent watching her manipulate the one man who had loved her for the one who never would. His stepfather, a proud man who'd craved a simple family life, had died expecting her to change. Once upon a time, Eros had expected her to change too.
He turned to stare out at the starlit sky, his mind struggling to remain on track, as it often did with sudden shifts of information. Decades overcoming an embarrassingly inconvenient childhood stammer made him hyperaware of moments that might trigger a relapse. His jaw tightened and he carefully inhaled and exhaled a breath before speaking, just in case.
'What do you expect me to do? Barge into the church and object? Surely you can do that yourself.'
'I can't risk my position, you know that. Plus...If we want to make sure this marriage doesn't go ahead, it's not just the ceremony that needs to be ruined.'
'Ah...I see.' He forced his tone to remain calm, not belying the flash of anger that seethed in his veins. 'You don't just need my help, Mother. You need my reputation.'
'I need this bride to become suddenly, irrevocably unmarriageable. At the very least, it will give me time to contest the will. If you are determined not to fulfil it yourself.'
'I must admit, the thought of ruining Xander's perfectly laid plans is quite tempting.' Eros mused, running a hand along his jaw.
'Will you do it or not?' Arista snapped, her loss of patience sudden and sharp against the stillness of the night air. 'I just...want your brother to pay for how he betrayed you. I don't want him to win.'
Eros felt his fists tighten at her impatience, knowing that his mother had never once tried to stand up for her only son in the past. She had remained at Zeus's beck and call while Eros had gone out into the world, using nothing but rage and bitterness to forge his way alone.
The memories remained under the surface of his control but he drew upon the emotion they evoked as he stood up and took his mother's hands in his own. He saw her eyes light up with barely restrained hope.
It was rather poetic that her fatal error would so perfectly mirror that of the man she'd loved so much. Arista believed him weak, just as Zeus had, but now she was unwittingly inviting a ravenous wolf into the hencoop.
'Rest easy. I will stop the wedding.'
'You will?' she said hopefully. 'And the bride?'
'Consider her already taken care of.' He kept his features neutral. 'You just focus on contesting the will. I will do the rest.'
'This deal remains confidential between us?' she said sharply. 'If I succeed, the house in the Hamptons and the seat on the board will be mine but everything else is yours for the taking.'
'Of course,' he said silkily. 'Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?'
Her expression softened, her objective met, and she sipped on her own ouzo like a cat who had just got the proverbial cream.
It was only once she had gone and Eros was alone with the stars once more that he allowed the ghost of a smile to touch his lips. Using his phone, he searched for the name of the woman his mother had given him before she'd left. His brother's bride.
He had long imagined what he might do if he ever got the opportunity to seek revenge on those who had wronged him...but he had never considered there might be collateral damage. He would go to New York and he would destroy his brother's plot and ensure that in a matter of weeks there would be no Major Holdings for them to fight over.
He would destroy everything. Divide it up and sell it off piece by piece.
He looked at the photo on his phone once again, running his finger across the image. His big brother had chosen a pretty bride. He wondered if the beauty knew of the world she was entering into. Even if she didn't, he could not allow himself to feel guilt. It wasn't his fault if his brother had drawn an innocent into the crossfire.
In this family...all was fair in love and war.
Let them call her a social climber, let them focus on the scandal...no one could know the truth behind her hasty nuptials.
'Just help me get this on, please?' Priya exhaled a long breath and took the garment bag from her friend's hands, avoiding her questioning gaze as she undid the zip and revealed the extravagant white gown that had been selected by a top stylist in charge of the event. That was how she'd thought of it in her head until this moment, a nameless event to tick off on her weekly agenda. Only now, feeling the silk under her fingertips, she felt the first rumblings of panic under the smooth façade of her infamous ice-queen composure.
In a world where werewolves reigns, Oliver was filled with jealousy and hatred for his brother King Liam, because he thinks the existence of his brother makes him unnoticed in the entire kingdom. As his hatred and jealousy grows day by day, it led him to the point of him killing his brother, which left the whole kingdom devastated and left his wife shattered. But can the whole kingdom, including his wife and children survive the pain, will Liam be crowned the king.
Andrea Deciding that I was going to skip a day at work so I could have first time sex with my boyfriend seemed like the most absurd decision I could ever make. Or at least that was what I'd thought. Until I'd walked in on my said boyfriend cheating on me with some redhead and decided to get my revenge by losing my virginity to his wealthy billionaire father instead. Crazy, right? Trust me, I know. Like that's not enough, things take a drastic turn for the worst after I realized I was in love with him and pregnant with his child. Before I could get the chance to come clean about every including my feelings formhim and the pregnancy, he finds out about my trickery. Alejandro's not one to condone being lied to and deceived so he immediately tells me he doesn't want to see me again. So what do I do? I pack up and leave the country. But it seems like the universe isn't done with us just yet. . . Alejandro I should have known better than to get involved with someone way younger than me. It was something I've never done before. But like the saying goes, there's a first time for everything. The first time I met Andrea I was captivated by her beauty. More than that there was this innocence in her that called out to me like a moth to a flame. I ignored all the warnings in my head and went after what I wanted. And what I wanted was her. Unfortunately what she wanted was revenge against my son. I told myself that it had to be some kind of mistake. There was no way she had been playing with my feelings and planning some silly revenge this whole time. But she had. It had taken a surprise visit from my son for me to find out her true intentions. Even then it had been hard to believe it. But I couldn't deny that she'd fooled me real good alright. So naturally I cut ties with her. And that's supposed to be the end, right? Wrong. Turns out that our story was never destined to end just there. . .
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!
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
It took only a second for a person's world to come crashing down. This was what happened in Hannah's case. For four years, she gave her husband her all, but one day, he said emotionlessly, "Let's get divorced." Hannah's heart broke into a million pieces as she signed the divorce papers, marking the end of her role as a devoted wife. Within Hannah, a strong woman awakened, vowing never to be beholden to any man again. Embracing her new life, she embarked on a journey to find herself and command her own destiny. By the time she returned, she had experienced so much growth and was now completely different from the docile wife everyone once knew. "Is this your latest trick to get my attention?" Hannah's ever-so-arrogant husband asked. Before she could retort, a handsome and domineering CEO pulled her into his embrace. He smiled down at her and said boldly to her ex, "Just a little heads-up, mister. This is my beloved wife. Keep off!"
It was a big day for Camilla. She looked forward to marrying her handsome groom. Unfortunately, he abandoned her at the altar. He never showed up throughout the wedding. She was made a laughingstock in front of all the guests. In a fit of rage, she went and slept with a strange man on her wedding night. It was supposed to be a one-night stand. To her dismay, the man refused to let her be. He pestered her like she had stolen his heart on that night. Camilla didn't know what to do. Should she give him a chance? Or just stay away from men?
I ran after I died. The moon goddess gave me another chance to live. Married to a ruthless Lycan that was rumored to be cursed by the moon goddess herself. But I was killed by his minion... behind the bars of her torment... A new story began and he battled with his demons, in a world where truth was far fetched. I was his pawn, his toy, his game...until I discovered one night, when I was soaked in blood that I regretted the day I met him. I'd given up the Lycan beast, to marry a monster. I fled from the Alpha of Bloodmoon Park, the gruesome Lycan that every person feared, to be with this man that seemed soft at first glance. It made me wonder, what if I had stayed? The gruesome Lycan might be fearsome but I never heard him pierce a woman's heart with his claw. In a world where wolves howled at the moon and the lines between man and beast are blurred, danger lurked through the shadows, after the day I married the beast that visited my bed every night. Caught in a web of betrayal and deceit, the man I had fallen in love with had become the monster I wished I could flee from. A deadly threat to my life especially when I realized he was getting married to my step sister, the same girl that made my life hell when I was an omega. I wished I could get my revenge, but how could I, when I was lying in a pool of my own blood, dead? Will the goddess grant me another chance?