Ava Grayson and Luke Carter get thrown together by a marriage of convenience schemed by their parents. What happens when Ava finds out that her one-night stand is her soon-to-be husband's cousin and Luke's Ex showing up with twin babies on his wedding day? Find out in the book...
Prologue
Everything happened fast... One moment, she had a strong grip on the handlebars, and the next, she found
herself on the tarred floor of the highway.
She blinked twice and winced in pain. She started to get to her feet, but as she looked up and saw the parked cars and concerned faces staring down at her, she rolled her eyes underneath the helmet. "People" she spat with disgust.
"I mean why stand around and stare down at me if you're not going to lend a helping hand?" She mumbled under her breath as she stood.
She made a futile attempt to wipe at the stains on her ash overall, trying to remove her helmet at the same time.
She passed a fake smile around at the faces and mouths mumbling their concerns, as she tried to articulate her thoughts. What had happened?
She remembered taking a sharp turn from Maple Street onto the main highway, maintaining the speed limit.
She smirked at that thought, cause she was a sucker for breaking laws, but she just wasn't in the mood.
Then it hit her. "The stupid red car."
She had noticed it just as she turned onto the highway, cause why not? It screamed 'NOTICE ME'.
As it all slowly came to her, a hand tapped her shoulder. "Excuse me, ma'am." She whirled around, eyebrows raised.
She studied the young man in front of her, good-looking, prim, and impeccable. He had a boyish charm that betrayed all that impeccability though.
"Are you okay?"
She winced. Too formal. She glared at him. "And who would you be?" She asked, dipping her palms in the pockets of her overalls.
The young man stuttered a bit as he tried to explain. She smiled and caught on quickly.
"So you're the one that hit me," she said sharply, gesturing at the red car, "with that.." she paused, making a face, "that thing" she completed. Glaring at him even more.
She saw the confused expression cross the young man's face in a split second, but he quickly masked it, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips.
"I'm so sorry ma'am. Maybe we could compensate you for the damages. We're running quite late."
Her brows raised at that and she chuckled softly. "What do you mean we?" Without waiting for a response, she pushed past him and made her way to the red car.
She rapped on the windshield on the driver's side continuously without getting a response. The young man turned almost immediately and got into the passenger seat.
"Excuse me?" She sounded annoyed now. These people were arseholes. "What's all the ruckus about?" A voice from the backseat asked.
The young man glanced at the rearview mirror at the voice.
"Sir, it's the lady we hit. She's being a bit difficult."
"I told you, no sirs! And why don't we just pay her for the damages and get the hell out?"
The young man threw an annoyed glance at the voice. "I tried that already," "Sir," he said after a short pause.
"Well try something-" the voice at the back started to say but was interrupted by another round of continuous rap on the windshield. He turned towards the sound. Messy blonde hair. He sighed and looked away.
"Did you think you could run from me, doll? Or is this just your way of testing me?" After being abandoned by her family, being sold by her godmother was the last thing Iris Paulman expected. Raised in a church in a small town, Iris's world was one filled with faith and innocence. But when her godmother put her up for sale to clear her pending debt, Irish life takes a drastic turn. What happens when ruthless mafia lord Damon Vyon decides to buy her?
Elin spent twenty years deeply loving her husband, finally marrying him just as she'd always dreamed. But reality shattered her illusions—he wasn't the man she believed. Instead, he callously destroyed her family, crushing her heart beyond repair. At her lowest point, Ruben, equally betrayed that night, approached her steadily. "Marry me, Elin. I'll help you take revenge." Yet, after their wedding, she quickly discovered he was dangerously unpredictable. "I made a mistake. Let's divorce..." Ruben slid his arm possessively around her waist, whispering a chilling promise, "Only in death."
Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms once at peace. The kingdom of Salem and the kingdom of Mombana... Until the day, the king of Mombana passed away and a new monarch took over, Prince Cone. Prince Cone, has always been hungry for more power and more and more. After his coronation, he attacked Salem. The attack was so unexpected, Salem never prepared for it. They were caught off guard. The king and Queen was killed, the prince was taken into slavery. The people of Salem that survived the war was enslaved, their land taken from them. Their women were made sex slaves. They lost everything, including their land. Evil befall the land of Salem in form of Prince Cone, and the prince of Salem in his slavery was filled with so much rage. The prince of Salem, Prince Lucien swore revenge. 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 Ten years later, thirty-years old Lucien and his people raided a coup and escaped slavery. They went into hiding and recuperated. They trained day and night under the leadership of the fearless and cold Lucien who was driven with everything in him to get back their land, and take Mombana land too. It took them five years before they ambushed and attacked Mombana. They killed Prince Cone and reclaimed everything. As they screamed out their victory, Lucien's eyes found and pinned the proud princess of Mombana. Princess Danika. The daughter of Prince Cone. As Lucien stared at her with the coldest eyes anyone can ever possess, he felt victory for the first time. He walked to the princess with the slave collar he'd won for ten years rattling in his hand as he walked. He reached close to her and with a swift movement, he collared her neck. Then, he tilted her chin up, staring into the bluest eyes and the most beautiful face ever created, he gave her a cold smile. "You are my acquisition. My slave. My sex slave. My property. I will pay you in spades, everything you and your father ever did to me and my people." He stated curtly. Pure hatred, coldness and victory was the only emotion on his face. .
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
When Zora was sick during the early days of her pregnancy, Ezrah was with his first love, Piper. When Zora got into an accident and called Ezrah, he said he was busy, when in actual fact, he was buying shoes for Piper. Zora lost her baby because of the accident, and throughout her stay at the hospital, Ezrah never showed up. She already knew that he didn't love her, but that was the last straw for the camel's back, and her fragile heart could not take it anymore. When Ezrah arrived home a few days after Zora was discharged from the hospital, he no longer met the woman who always greeted him with a smile and cared for him. Zora stood at the top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression, "Good news, Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us anymore, so let's get a divorce." The man who claimed not to have any feelings for Zora, being cold and distant towards her, and having asked her for a divorce twice, instantly panicked.
"Miss Brown, I am the butler here at your service," the butler replied. "My master wants to buy the baby in your belly." "What?!" Does that mean the abortion didn't take place? Did they kidnap her from the operating table just to buy the baby? But why her? "You..." Alice was about to ask a question, but the man in front of her calmly continued, as if he had expected her question, "You're pregnant with his child, and he needs a child. That's all I can tell you." Alice was forced to sign a surrogacy contract and eight months later gave birth to two healthy babies. Fortunately, the man was unaware of her daughter's existence. It wasn't until five years later that fate brought them together again...
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."