Amelia Farrady is returning home, but she's unsure whether the little Hope Springs village is her home anymore. Now that she has spent nine months on the other side of the globe trying to mend her shattered heart, it is time to confront her history and maybe, just perhaps, move on from the guy who caused it. She's even prepared a speech for the inevitable moment when she runs into him; it was not intended to happen before she left the airport. Smith Sharp didn't think today would be the day he saw Amelia again, but he knew he would. He wasn't over her, either, even if he tried to talk himself out of it. His return to her shows how much he still loves her, and maybe, just perhaps, she still feels the same way. Is it time for them to move on and make amends? Or does this indicate that they need to give it another go in the hopes of living happily ever after?
Amelia POV
As the aircraft taxied approached the Melbourne terminal, the flight attendant urged passengers to "wait until the plane comes to a complete stop before leaving your seat."
With a sigh, Amelia sank back into her chair and closed her eyes briefly to get the energy to get up. She was tired after thirty-four hours, two layovers, and too many time zones to tally. She was lucky enough to have completed the customs process upon her arrival in Sydney. However, she needed to spend two more hours in the automobile before finally falling asleep peacefully.
If her mother let it, that is. Amelia probably wouldn't see her bed for at least six hours, given her knowledge of Julia Farraday. The only bright spot was that Julia could get sidetracked by Zoë, Amelia's sister, and the hurried wedding planning. Amelia intended to slip out when the bride's mother became distracted. Did moms who were even more of bridezillas than the brides have a term for them?
She had been intending to return home soon anyhow, but this was the reason she was coming home. Even though Amelia wasn't sure she was ready to cope with "home" just yet, her sister's wedding was a good reason to take the long-haul trip home.
The 'fasten seatbelt' indicator dinged off as the aircraft came to a complete halt. Amelia took her time getting to the front of the passengers, attempting to get off the aeroplane. Rather, she turned to face the tarmac outside the window. As airline baggage handlers and other support personnel worked tirelessly to unload the bags and prepare the jet for its return flight to Sydney, the summer heat glistened off the ground.
Amelia had dressed appropriately for the four degrees below zero she had experienced when she boarded the plane in Italy. The pilot helpfully informed them that the temperature in Melbourne was in the high thirties. A day and a half later-which, with the time difference, was three days, despite the entire flying time only being about twenty-two hours (not including layovers)-Amelia still couldn't get to make any sense in her head despite having been the one to make the trip. Before they left for home, maybe Zoë would allow her to change.
House. Was Hope Springs still where you lived? She was ignorant. Amelia had never once given thought to leaving the little rural village.
She believed it was where she would live and die, but at this point, she was ignorant.
As the people in the aisle began to disperse, Amelia waited until the plane was almost empty before standing up and retrieving her carry-on bags from the overhead bin. She exited the aircraft with the remaining survivors, grinning and thanking the flight attendants as she went, and made her way down the tunnel leading to the terminal.
She switched on her phone and waited for it to start while she was out and about. She let out a sigh when a message from her sister appeared on the screen.
Z: I'm a bit behind schedule. I'll text you an estimated time of arrival when your aircraft lands.
Amelia chose not to respond right away. Zoë and her fiancé, Blake, had already arrived, or they had not. If not, from baggage claim, she would text them.
Thank goodness the airport air conditioning was turned up, so Amelia didn't feel like taking off her boots, pants, and silk long-sleeve blouse immediately. The scarf and overcoat, which she had discarded upon boarding the aircraft, now weighed excessively on her arm. Perhaps she should get dressed in the ladies' room before getting her bags. Placing everything on the conveyor belt always took them a long time.
Amelia turned toward the restrooms rather than going straight to baggage claim, only to run straight into a wall of masculinity. She bounced off and was about to fall, but then a powerful arm caught her and pulled her back against that hard chest again.
Her breath stopped in her chest as she stepped back and gazed up at the stranger when she had her feet.
Nothing to say.
She had practised this speech a thousand times or more in anticipation of seeing him again, but there were no words. They were in an airport, she was jet tired, and she wasn't ready. This was not how it was intended to happen. She was expected to run into him in Hope Springs, looking amazing and not reeking of bad foreign travel odours.
Her eyes were listing him as she was having these frightened thoughts. He was different and yet the same. Even though nine months wasn't much, she could see he had changed based on the tightness in his jaw and the fatigue around his eyes. The carefree person she had fallen in love with had vanished, and someone tougher had taken his place.
There was a hint of scruff on his face, and she was quite familiar with how those sharp whiskers felt on her flesh. The depth of his tan would also make sense, given that his blonde hair appeared brighter, as though he had spent some time in the sun. Although she wouldn't describe him as little, he was slimmer. His broad shoulders and strong thighs gave him a brick-shithouse build, but he appeared more muscular today, with less flesh to soften the harsh contours.
Amelia assumed she seemed different as well. She hadn't shed any pounds-who in Europe, surrounded by butter, carbohydrates, and chocolate, can lose weight? However, she was aware of her more subtle changes. Even by her admission, she had grown up. Upon reflection on their five-year relationship, Amelia realised she bore a significant portion of the blame for the way things transpired. She had been so immature and insecure that she had thought he would fill in all of her gaps.
She was aware now that was not how relationships operated.
"Smith," she said, finally finding her voice and being able to speak. What did it matter if her eyes were gobbling him up like they were half-starved and her speech sounded breathy?
With a low, dark growl that made her blood boil, he said, "Amelia."
They stood uncomfortably, warily glancing at one another as they waited for the other to speak.
To the person who destroyed your heart, what in the world were you expected to say?
Holy fucking balls of crap.
Amelia.
Amelia is fucked.
She looked amazing, I swear.
Superior to excellent. Her appearance left hurt fucking eyes.
Her longer blonde hair curved over her shoulders in a way that itched for his fingers to get lost in the silky, honey-coloured strands. She smelled just as he remembered. Smith had heard that scents could elicit strong emotions, but damn, he was unprepared for the barrage of memories that hit him the moment he smelled her.
Her silky top was unbuttoned just enough for him to see the pale flesh beneath her throat, and the trousers she wore hugged her contours. He wanted to breathe her in and bury his nose in the bend of her neck. Then perhaps the hole in his heart would close itself.
"Smith," she whispered, evoking yet another wave of recollections. She remembered how, with her nails sinking into his exposed shoulders, she had gasped in terror as she called out his name.
He foolishly answered, "Amelia," since he was at a loss for words. Although he knew he might run into her in the town, he had not anticipated running into her at the airport.
His need to express himself was immense, and he remained silent about several things that finally led to their breakup. All those months ago, he had been a filthy coward and had allowed her to leave his life. He ought to have pursued her, but he chose not to, and as a result, she fled the nation, leaving him behind. He was left with little choice but to move on with his life.
He nearly let out a loud snort of distaste. He was hardly able to go on with his life. For the previous nine months, he'd been so engrossed in his work that he'd barely seen his family. He was finally home for real; his contract expired, and the idea was to start moving on with his life. Wasn't he over Amelia already? Nine months seemed like a long enough time for him to heal from his heartbreak and move on, but...
His hungry gaze went across her.
Yes, it was clear that he was still in love with her.
Amelia had changed, but he was unable to pinpoint the precise alteration. Her hair and the way she applied makeup. Not only did her looks change, but so did her wardrobe, though. It was in the way she carried herself, the way her shoulders were straight, and her chin tilted toward him rather than the earth. He thought it was good. Though he had always appreciated everything about Trina, even before they were a couple, he did like her newfound confidence. He was fascinated with his younger sister's closest friend for some time before eventually finding the bravery to take action.
Even though it was a more mature crush than the teenage wet dreams he'd experienced all those years before, he was still madly in love with her now that she was all grown up.
But because he had never truly stopped loving her, could it still be considered a crush?
Fuck, he was a mess, and they had been standing there gazing at one other longer than was appropriate, which made their awkward and uncomfortable silence.
She looked down at her phone as it beeped, snapping out of the strange bubble that had encased them and bringing him back to reality.
"It's good to see you, Amelia," he remarked as he lifted his duffel bag and turned to go.
He didn't glance back, even though he wanted to. Even though he didn't look around, he insisted he could feel her gaze on him as he continued to move. What was the purpose? Now, Amelia had another life entirely without his presence. She moved on, realising that he had lost his shot with her. Because he followed her on Instagram, he was aware. He was one of her six hundred thousand fans, yet he never liked or commented on anything.
Yes, six hundred thousand.
Amelia had discovered her style, and it was quite attractive to her. According to what he understood, her lifestyle blog was taking off, and had been funding her trips for the last nine months. He was incredibly proud of her and longed for her company. He had been deluding himself into believing he was past her. He wasn't, obviously, and he wasn't sure if he ever would be.
With a short pause to settle his long-term parking charge, Smith strolled through the airport and into the parking garage. As much as he wanted to turn back and catch another look at her, he forced himself not to give in.
After placing his duffel bag on the truck's tray, he entered the driver's seat. He didn't let himself take a deep breath until the engine grew beneath him, and he was leaving the airport.
Amelia was home, and he knew why. On the weekend of Valentine's Day, Zoë got married. Not only was he invited to the auspicious occasion. He hadn't fully considered everything when he accepted the offer. Though he felt Amelia would be there, he had no idea how surreal it would be to see her again. He was unaware that seeing her again would cause his heart's barely healed scar to burst, leaving him bleeding profusely.
Smith violently hit the steering wheel with his hand. He wasn't prepared to handle this, and he wasn't sure when he would be. Could he be too hurried to extend his agreement with the mines? He shook his head in disagreement. If he decided to go back to the Pilbara, Mia, his baby sister, would murder him. He was here to stay in Hope Springs, but was Amelia? If that's the case, what did that signify for the pair?
Isabella woke up in the morning and felt the ache in a place that never hurt before. She took a glimpse at her body, and Her thoughts went blank. Isabella's eyes discovered a guy who was laying near her, asleep, and her thoughts brought back to all the bizarre things that transpired last night. My boyfriend of 2 years abandoned me, I was intoxicated and went to my hotel room alone. Someone climbed on me. To say that he was gorgeous is an understatement. If an angel could marry a Satan, then I'm convinced he was their offspring. But it was not the goal! He came to me and kissed me. One thing led to another.. God! This man snatched my virginity. And it was hardly the worst. Guess what! He was my new boss Gabriel Remington. I was his new executive assistant. To top it, my former lover accused my boss that he raped me. What should I do? Trust my former lover who just dumped me? Or.. Trust my new boss who took my virginity?
Ethan Fani, a rising star in the business world, finds his heart shattered after a betrayal by his partner. Desperate to see his son happy again and protect their family's legacy, his father devises a plan: pay someone to date Ethan and restore his confidence. Enter Anna Hobbs, a young woman thrust into adulthood by family tragedy. Struggling to provide for her father and sister, she's drawn to the promise of quick cash when she stumbles upon an intriguing job opportunity. But as she delves deeper into the charade, Anna realises that the price of easy money may be higher than she ever imagined. Can Anna keep her secret from Ethan, or will their burgeoning connection unravel everything? In a world where love and deception collide, Ethan must navigate the thin line between truth and fiction, risking her heart in the process.
From the time they could walk, Jake and Anna had been great friends. Jake is the son of the Alpha, while Anna is the Beta's daughter. Both of them are the same age. When they get older, however, things take a different turn, and it turns out that Anna is Jake's elder brother Ethan's destined partner. Ethan has a history of acting like a playboy. Ethan and Jake are summoned away shortly after discovering their fated mate to help a sister pack that is being attacked by rogues. Something cracks within Anna when someone doesn't come back. She now has to fulfil her destiny.
Megan has always been a rogue, even as far back as she can remember. Except for her elder brother Ben, she has no pack, no mate, and no one at all after her parents passed away. She's gotten accustomed to being unimportant. mostly alone, and the butt of other people's jokes. However, Megan encounters a ferocious and very gorgeous shifter—the likes of which she has never seen or felt—when she wanders into a pack's territory after a routine errand gone awry. Megan knows that this is her soul mate. But will he take her, this outlaw from nowhere? Or will he turn her down to keep his place in his pack? As the danger around her increases, Megan finds herself caught in the crossfire of a desperate struggle between a formidable pack and a ragtag group of outlaws, trying to both solve the riddle of what happened to her once-happy family and win over the guy she knows is the love of her life.
Clara's life takes an unimaginably drastic turn when she wakes up next to Billionaire Derek Montenegro. **** Clara is a maid at one of New York's most renowned hotels. She works two jobs to make ends meet and to protect her family from the debt her father's drinking left behind. What occurs when she meets Derek Montenegro, the heir to the largest hotel chain in the nation, a real ladies' guy, and also her boss? What transpires when her ex-boyfriend unexpectedly walks in and knocks him out? She spends the entire night taking care of him in an effort to keep her job. But something seems off. Not only is she half nude next to him when he wakes up with a searing headache, but he has no memory of the previous night. He dismisses her from her work because he views her as a floozy who is just interested in his money. What transpires when they cross paths again two weeks later and she blurts out, "I'm pregnant." Not to mention, she could have a chance of falling in love—this might lead to a lot of unexpected complications. Can genuine love really last in the midst of so many lies?
I received a pornographic video. "Do you like this?" The man speaking in the video is my husband, Mark, whom I haven't seen for several months. He is naked, his shirt and pants scattered on the ground, thrusting forcefully on a woman whose face I can't see, her plump and round breasts bouncing vigorously. I can clearly hear the slapping sounds in the video, mixed with lustful moans and grunts. "Yes, yes, fuck me hard, baby," the woman screams ecstatically in response. "You naughty girl!" Mark stands up and flips her over, slapping her buttocks as he speaks. "Stick your ass up!" The woman giggles, turns around, sways her buttocks, and kneels on the bed. I feel like someone has poured a bucket of ice water on my head. It's bad enough that my husband is having an affair, but what's worse is that the other woman is my own sister, Bella. ************************************************************************************************************************ “I want to get a divorce, Mark,” I repeated myself in case he didn't hear me the first time—even though I knew he'd heard me clearly. He stared at me with a frown before answering coldly, "It's not up to you! I'm very busy, don't waste my time with such boring topics, or try to attract my attention!" The last thing I was going to do was argue or bicker with him. "I will have the lawyer send you the divorce agreement," was all I said, as calmly as I could muster. He didn't even say another word after that and just went through the door he'd been standing in front of, slamming it harshly behind him. My eyes lingered on the knob of the door a bit absentmindedly before I pulled the wedding ring off my finger and placed it on the table. I grabbed my suitcase, which I'd already had my things packed in and headed out of the house.
For three years, Jessica endured a loveless marriage while her husband pretended to be impotent. His lies unraveled when a pregnant mistress surfaced. After six months of secretly collecting proof, Jessica threw him out and built her own billion-dollar empire. After the divorce, she transformed into an irresistible figure, attracting admirers. As she left her office one day, she met Kevan, her ex-husband's brother. He stepped in, confronting her. "Was I just a tool to you?" Jessica's lips curled into a calm smile. "How much compensation do you want?" Kevan's voice softened. "All I want is you."
After hiding her true identity throughout her three-year marriage to Colton, Allison had committed wholeheartedly, only to find herself neglected and pushed toward divorce. Disheartened, she set out to rediscover her true self-a talented perfumer, the mastermind of a famous intelligence agency, and the heir to a secret hacker network. Realizing his mistakes, Colton expressed his regret. "I know I messed up. Please, give me another chance." Yet, Kellan, a once-disabled tycoon, stood up from his wheelchair, took Allison's hand, and scoffed dismissively, "You think she'll take you back? Dream on."
When they were kids, Derek saved Norah's life. Years later, after Derek ended up in a vegetative state from a car crash, Norah married him without a second thought and even used her medical knowledge to heal him. For two years, Norah was devoted, seeking his affection and looking to settle her life-saving debt. But when Derek's first love returned, Norah, faced with divorce, didn't hesitate to sign. Despite being labeled as forsaken, few knew of her true talents. She was a race car driver, a famed designer, a genius hacker, and a renowned doctor. Regretting his decision, Derek begged for her forgiveness. Just then, a charming CEO intervened, embracing Norah and declaring, "Back off! She's my wife!" Taken aback, Norah blurted out, "What did you say?"
After three years of loveless marriage, Kira was slapped with divorce papers. She has shown him her unrequited love throughout her entire marriage with him, but he decided to turn blind eyes all because of his lover. Distraught and heartbroken, Kira choose to sign the divorce papers with bitter heart. But then and there, she promised herself that when she's back, he will come crawling to her, but she will make him pay for hurting her. Join Kira as she transform to a wealthy heiress and soared as the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar empire, a remarkable healer and make her ex-husband pay!
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.