/0/55109/coverbig.jpg?v=bf796fe3dbca1a6e02e6990bdff517c8)
Joan's life was shattered when her family's business crumbled, forcing her to work in a bakery to survive. Santiago, scarred by a bitter heartbreak, swore off love-until fate brought them together. They struck a deal; Joan would pretend to be Santiago's girlfriend, and in return, he'd help revive her father's company. But when secrets surface, and dangerous pasts come back to haunt them, their fragile arrangement begins to crack. As their lives spiral into chaos, one question remains: Will their bond withstand the shadows of their past, or will it all come crashing down?
Copyright © 2023 Bethel-Gold.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed "Attention: Permissions Coordinator," at the address below.
Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Names, characters, and places are products of the author's imagination.
***
The golden-brown-haired lady came into the office with two large brown envelopes in her hands as she quickly walked to the table of the expecting older man. She placed the envelopes on the table and they both began bringing out the files that were inside as they skimmed through each of them.
When she felt tired of standing, she sat on one of the chairs that were in front of the older man, she adjusted her skirt and put her hair in a ponytail since it kept falling down.
After a moment the man asked "Joan, anything yet?"
Joan looked up from the file of files in front of her and shook her head with a little furrow on her brow. "Nothing yet, Dad," she answered and he sighs.
"Let's keep looking, there could be something that we could find that would get us out of this mess we found ourselves in," he said and they kept looking through the remaining untouched files.
A knock was heard.
"Come in," Gary said, loud enough for the person knocking to hear.
A man in casual wear, a troubled look, and a small enveloped letter came inside his office, closed the door, and walked towards Gary and Joan were busy.
"There's a problem sir" the man spoke and that made both father and daughter stop and take a look at him worriedly.
"What will that be, Robbie?" he asked then took the envelope that Robbie handed over to him. He looked at the sealed envelope and he looked at Robbie before opening the envelope to see its content.
He took out the folded paper and read its content, his eyes widened when he saw the content and it rose to look at Robbie's troubled ones.
"They di-"
"Yes sir, they did"
Gary stood up and threw the paper on the floor in anger, Joan watched her father's reaction then stood to pick the paper that lay on the floor, and she read through it and could feel her heart race.
She turns to Robbie "They have to be joking" she said and Robbie shook his head.
"They are not ma'am"
Joan shook her head "They can't do this, they... they can't just make such a ridiculous request" she stated then placed the paper on the table "Yes, we have been struggling since the Kingswell project which was a disaster but we are still holding up" she raised her chin up the turns to her dad who had sad look on his face.
"We still have some resources to keep us going, w-we are on the verge of bankruptcy but we can still hold on, right Dad?" she asked for clarity with hopeful look but the sadness that played on her dad's face told her otherwise.
"Joan dear" he came closer to her and touched her hair "We used up the rest of our resources to try and make an alternative but it failed too," he told her and she gasped.
Trying not to let it get to her she shook her head and paced around the room as she thought about what could be done to save her dad's company then she stopped and walked closer to her dad.
"We still own a bigger share, right? We can use some of our profits to keep up for the time being then refer some of our employees to other companies, temporarily so that we can have lesser salaries to pay as we sort out this issue," she turns to Robbie who shares the same look as her dad.
"I don't want them to suffer because our company is, they have families to feed," she finishes and he bows his head then she looks at her dad who seemed like he would burst out crying.
"Joan, I am sorry but we have just a little share from the company" he breaks to her and she widens her eyes "I don't know how that happened but the Reliso's Company was able to get a majority of our shar-"
"And they want more?" she asked, her dad nodded "That's ridiculous, they possibly wouldn't just want our company without having something they gain from," she said.
"What more could they want? They need more power and since our company has been progressing over the years, they saw our weakness and decided to work with that" her dad explains.
"No, not that," she said when realization dawned on her "It's something else," she said then let her lips draw a smirk "And I think I know what exactly they want" She picked up a document and the letter.
"You're going somewhere Joan?" she nods "You want to meet them" he didn't ask.
"Trust me, Dad, I know what I am doing Dad, just trust me on this, please" she begged when she saw the sullen look on her dad's face "I'll fix this and soon things will fall into place" she tried to assure.
She wasn't sure about the actions she was going to take now but hoped for the best.
"Robbie, you heard all that we said, go make a report on that and put the right team together so that you start work as soon as possible," she said and he nodded before leaving "I'll see you soon Dad," she went to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek before leaving.
... Three months later ...
Robbie didn't bother knocking when he burst into Gary's office looking really panicked. He walked to Gary who had a little furrow on his brows when he saw him.
"What's the matter, Robbie? You were supposed to k-" he was interrupted by the opening of his office door again to see Darken Reliso, the son of Henry and Ansel Reliso in his usual expensive Gimanni dark blue suit, clean cut, and shining pair of shoes.
He had that static annoying smirk on his lips and kept his right brow up. He was holding a document.
Darken walked slowly into the office and stopped just as he was in front of Gary, he then let himself sit on the chair in front before placing the document in his hand on the table.
"Good day Mr. Anderson" he greets cooly. He looks up at Robbie who had a glare directed at him. "Can you leave us so we can talk?" he asked but Robbie made no move to leave so he rolled his eyes and looked at Gary "Can you te-"
"What are you doing here Dark?" he interrupts him,
Darken frowned and sat up on his chair "It's Darken, not Dark"
"Same thing, what are you doing here?" he asked again.
Choosing to ignore him, he placed his hands on the table and raised his chin up "Now I see where Joan got her feistiness from" he remarks.
"What do you mean by that?" Gary asked with a little furrow now on his brow.
"You'll know soon, just tell this man to leave us to talk" he side-points at Robbie.
"He is my secretary so he has to be present in every meeting I have with anyone" Gary defends.
Darken looks up at Robbie and then laughs hard before composing himself "Too bad good people are too stupid to see who truly is against them," he remarks and before Gary can ask he continues "Anyways, I came here to seal off the deal I sent three months ago" he states.
"Your offer is ridiculous" Gary remarks.
"What choice do you have? Anderson Tech is going through one of its worst challenges and you are already bankrupt, soon some company will come to buy you guys off and probably turn your company into a children's playground" he said with a laugh.
"I better watch my words if I were you Dark"
"It's Darken and for heaven's sake, sign the document already. It will be okay if we took over some shares of your company than a stranger whom you don't know of, unless..." he wriggled his brows.
Gary got an idea of what he was referring to.
"No!"
"Well then, sign this paper or you'll just end up losing what you think you still have a hold on"
Gary looks at Robbie who has a defeated look on his face, he knows he is in a deadlock here and as much as he doesn't want to agree with Darken, he is right. The Resilo's might be annoying but at least, he knew them.
He looked at the front page of the document then signed in all blank spaces and flung it at Darken "Don't think you can come near my daughter, stay away from her" he warned.
Darken stood to his feet with a triumphant smirk and walked away. "We'll see about that"
Pastry chef Isabelle Marie Campbell is fired from her job in a coffee shop following a report by a billionaire, leading to her struggle to save her late mother’s bakery with a deadline to vacate her space in a month. Fortunately, she lands a job as a personal chef to an old American-based, Italian billionaire. Her heart twists when she finds out that he is the grandfather of the cold-hearted, hot-tempered, and arrogant Alessandro Levon Moretti, an Italian billionaire heir based in New York City. He was also the same man responsible for losing her job. His grandfather’s health was fast deteriorating, and he needed a woman to marry fast or lose his inheritance. As Isabelle contemplates either quitting her dream job or enduring Alessandro’s unwelcoming presence, he walks up to her with a cold and arrogant expression. “Be my girlfriend for three months. We shall have a contract for it…
Cade Lorenzo discovers a family secret which made him feel betrayed. Fresh from college, Cade's quest for answers about his parents' mysterious disappearance leads him to a foreign land, where he meets with the lady he met online. But things take a perilous turn when Cade's reunion with his mother ends in a disaster, prompting him to abandon his old identity as a billionaire and forge a new path as an ordinary citizen. A cruel revelation emerges, which threatened not only his own safety but also the lives of those he cares about. Caught in a web of deceit spun by the cunning Daniella, Cade races against time to expose her shenanigans before things gets bad. He was involved in an accident, leaving his family mourning his supposed demise. Years later, Cade returns, but now a different man with a mission, Will his family get to know what his mission is before things gets out of hand?
At Bernard Tech, financial troubles loom large as their current major project hits a snag. The Lorenzo family grapples with challenges, caused mainly by their youngest son, Dimitri, who is haunted by past heartbreaks as he walks a dangerous path, much to their dismay. Kingsley Bernard, desperate for a solution, asks his friend Donald for assistance. Donald Lorenzo offers a lifeline. A marriage proposal between their children. Audriana must navigate the treacherous waters of Dimitri's unpredictable behavior. As tensions arise and secrets unravel, will Dimitri discard his reckless ways and embrace love? Will their union rescue Bernard Tech from ruin? Would they find out who tried to sabotage pivotal project?
As a simple assistant, messaging the CEO in the dead of night to request shares of adult films was a bold move. Bethany, unsurprisingly, didn't receive any films. However, the CEO responded that, while he had no films to share, he could offer a live demonstration. After a night filled with passion, Bethany was certain she'd lose her job. But instead, her boss proposed, "Marry me. Please consider it." "Mr. Bates, you're kidding me, right?"
"Ahh!" She was in a moaning mess. She did not want to feel anything for this man. She hated him. His hands began to move all over her body. She gasped when he pulled down the back chain of her dress. The chain stopped at her lower waist, so when he zipped it off, her upper back and waist were exposed. "D-Don't touch m-ummm!" His fingers rolled around her bare back, and she pressed her head against the pillow. His touches were giving her goosebumps all over her body. With a deep angry voice, he whispered in her ear, "I am going to make you forget his touches, kisses, and everything. Every time you touch another man, you will only think of me." - - - Ava Adler was a nerdy omega. People bullied her because they thought she was ugly and unattractive. But Ava secretly loved the bad boy, Ian Dawson. He was the future Alpha of the Mystic Shadow Pack. However, he doesn't give a damn about rules and laws, as he only likes to play around with girls. Ava was unaware of Ian's arrogance until her fate intertwined with his. He neglected her and hurt her deeply. What would happen when Ava turned out to be a beautiful girl who could win over any boy, and Ian looked back and regretted his decisions? What if she had a secret identity that she had yet to discover? What if the tables turned and Ian begged her not to leave him?
Elodie took a deep breath and knocked, the sound echoing in the quiet corridor. A moment of silence passed, broken only by the pounding of her heart. Finally, the door snicked open, revealing a surprised Dashiell. 'Can't you see the Do Not Disturb sign? We don't want-' His initial frown quickly morphed into confusion at the sight of his wife. 'What are you doing here?' he demanded. 'Your girlfriend invited me,' Elodie replied, her voice laced with icy calm. She tried to peer past him, but his broad frame blocked the view. A saccharine voice chimed in from within the room. 'Elodie? Oh dear, we didn't mean for you to find out this way. It's just that-' Elodie cut her short. 'Oh please, Selene. Spare me the fake apologies. You wouldn't have sent me all those texts if you didn't want me to know.' Dashiell shifted uncomfortably, his face a mask of annoyance. 'What texts?' Elodie stepped past him, taking in the luxurious suite with a sardonic smile. The king-sized bed, the scattered rose petals, the lingering scent of sex – it all painted a vivid picture of their betrayal. She looked up at Dashiell, her gaze unwavering. 'I want a divorce.' ****** Dashiell lived a life of luxury, surrounded by the best things money could buy. But when a car accident left him vulnerable, he met Elodie, a seemingly ordinary woman who nursed him back to health. Mistaking her for just another employee, Dashiell entered into a loveless marriage with her solely for convenience. However, fate had a different script in store. Elodie, the 'ordinary nurse,' held a secret more precious than any diamond: she was the sole heiress to Northstar, a vast and powerful enterprise. Unaware of her true identity, Dashiell cast her aside when his ex-girlfriend returned, leaving Elodie humiliated. But Elodie was not one to be easily broken. She shed the facade of the meek nurse, reclaiming her rightful inheritance and stepping into the role of Northstar's CEO. Now, the woman Dashiell discarded was the one holding the reins of power. As Elodie thrives in her new role, Dashiell is consumed by regret. He finally sees Elodie for the extraordinary woman she truly is, realising the depth of his mistake. But will his remorse be enough to win back the heart he so carelessly discarded?
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..." But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
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?
It's true what they say about marriage: one partner's always happier than the other. ~~~ Julie's world is shattered when her husband, Ryan, reveals that he wants an open marriage. His reason: he needs a child as they've been unable to have one. Julie reluctantly agrees to save her marriage. The next day, Ryan returns home with his secretary, confirming Julie's long-held suspicion that their affair was taking place behind her back. Julie, heartbroken and enraged, seeks solace in a bar, where she meets a fascinating stranger named Luke, who changes the game. Julie confides in Luke over drinks, and he proposes a risky plan: he will act as her "boyfriend" to turn the tables on Ryan. Julie agrees, setting off a chain of events that will challenge everything she thought she knew about love, loyalty, and herself.