It had been three years since billionaire Nathaniel Kennedy last saw Jade Bennett after the night they spent together. Fate brings them together again and he discovers she had borne a child for him. Nathaniel wants to play a part in his son's life and eventually bring them together as a family. Jade is hesitant. Can Jade overcome her fears to be with the only man she's ever loved, or will those fears be their undoing?
I saw that you were perfect and I loved you, then I saw that you were not perfect and I loved you even more
- Angelita Lim
Nathaniel Kennedy could not remember, for the life of him, why he was at a fashion show of all events. He recalled his friend Damon Price asking Nathaniel to accompany him to his model girlfriend's fashion show she was walking in. He just could not remember why he had agreed to attend. Was he that bored? Maybe. His whole life revolved around work lately. He was glad when it was finally over. The flashing lights, loud music, and mad rush of persons were giving him a headache.
What he wasn't glad about was the number of lascivious looks and attempts he had to endure in the last couple of hours. The cocktail waitress who brought his drink slipped him her number. An actress pretended to lose her footing on the red carpet and tripped up in front of him and when he went to help her up, she started feeling his chest. One of the models deliberately and conveniently fell off the runway and into his lap. He was tired of it all.
"Come on bro." Damon said while nudging him and rising from his seat. "Let's go grab Melanie so we can hightail it out of here before you start murdering people." he said in response to Nathaniel's facial expression. Nathaniel replied him with the same stony expression he kept all night, before rolling his eyes.
"I don't plan to forget this favour and I intend to get even in the nearest future." Nathaniel said as he rose from his seat.
"What you need is a girlfriend. A fashion show is the best place to find one. High profile and high maintenance, just the way you like them. This is me doing you a favour and you should be saying thanks." Damon said as they made their way backstage, ignoring the eyes fluttering in their direction.
Nathaniel turned to him with an incredulous expression "These girls are stick thin. Majority of them are anorexic. I happen to like my women with a little flesh on them." he said.
"Thought you liked them anorexic."
"Not anymore."
"Ah. Changing your palettes I see. Happy for you my friend. Although you picked a bad time. I told Melanie's friend Bella that you were available. We're supposed to get dinner after this."
"Damon, really?"
"Sorry, didn't know your tastes have changed. Point taken."
He did not want to admit to Damon that he still was not over Jennifer. Damon would think he was crazy. It's getting to three years and the image of her in his head is still fresh. Her red hair. Her soft lips. Her dark sensual eyes. Her soft curvy body. Damon helped him search for her at that time, after which he told Nathaniel to let it go. It was like she had vanished off the surface of the earth. He found it hard to believe someone could just disappear like that. He knew it was time to let it go but his gut was telling him that he would cross paths with her soon. And he always trusted his gut.
Rousing from his musings, Nathaniel realized they had entered the battleground that was the backstage area, awash with warriors consisting of press officials, models, assistants and managers. It was a crush. Damon located Melanie through the designer she had walked for. Sighting them approaching, she launched out of her seat and threw herself at them, her platinum blonde hair flying behind her slim body. Damon greeted her with a deep kiss that bordered on being inappropriate. Nathaniel looked away for propriety's sake. This is getting embarrassing, he thought.
"Hey Nath, fancy seeing you here. I thought fashion shows weren't your scene." Melanie said, smiling up at Marcus.
He scowled down at her, "You thought correctly." he said.
Melanie gave a shrill, headache inducing laugh while smacking his arm. She turned her attentions to her boyfriend.
"Baby," she whined "I want that dress from Saint Lucia's fall collection." Melanie dragged Damon towards the display of mannequins. He gave Nathaniel an apologetic look as he walked away.
Nathaniel stood surveying his surroundings. It was at that moment, he saw a flash of red hair. Immediately, he thought of Jennifer, and her vivacious red hair. He shook his head, trying to clear the image. He can't keep comparing her to every red head he saw. He turned his eyes away. But he was drawn, and he kept staring, and staring. She was speaking animatedly with a woman, her back to him. She turned to smile at a man who approached them and he caught a glimpse of her profile. He felt the wind leave his lungs. My God. Suddenly, as if she felt the weight of his stare, she turned her head towards his direction and locked eyes with him. Her eyes widened, and in that moment he knew she knew who he was, and he knew who she was as well.
It was her. Jennifer. It's Jennifer. Of all places. He couldn't believe it. She turned and started quickly making her way through the back exit. He starting making his way towards her, brushing off anyone who was in his way, determined to get at least an explanation. A side door opened and a crowd of fans flooded the backstage area and in the mad rush of people, most of whom were trying to get his attention, he lost her. He saw her glance back at him, then she was gone again, blending into the crowd and disappearing.
Nathaniel looked around in frustration, spinning in circles and feeling all kinds of foolish. At that moment, he glanced towards the corner she was standing and spotted the woman she was speaking to arranging merchandise on a table. He marched towards her.
"Where is she?" he growled at her. She jumped back, startled and her eyes wide. "Mr Kennedy..." she started. "Where is she?" Nathaniel repeated, forcefully. She visibly swallowed, glancing around as if looking for someone to save her. "The redhead you were speaking with who just hightailed out of here. Her name is Jennifer. Where is she?" he said, softening his tone when he realized she was scared out of her wits. "I was speaking to a redhead, but her name is not Jennifer, Sir." she said, looking at him like he had grown a second head.
Nathaniel stepped back in shock. "What?" he said. "Yes sir, her name's not Jennifer. It's Jade. Jade Bennett. She's the creative director of Jaded. This is her merchandise table." she said. Nathaniel stared at her in shock. He was silent for a moment before shaking his head to clear to recover himself. "Thanks." he said to the lady before walking away.
No wonder he couldn't find her. She gave him a fake name! She had created a whole fake identity. He couldn't believe it. And all that time he spent searching for someone that did not exist. She was not Jennifer Johnson. She was Jade Bennett. And apparently, she was a fashion designer, not a model. He had to find her, and fast. It was a good thing he had her real name now. He whipped out his phone to place a call to his security adviser.
"Benson, get me addresses on Jade Bennett. Now."
....................................................................................................
Jade Bennett leaned into her chair at her desk in her office in downtown Manhattan. She heaved a deep sigh and closed her eyes. This week had been hell, but she was glad that it was over. She was even happier with the results of her hard work. Conquering New York Fashion Week had always been a goal for her, and she was very happy that she was close to reaching that goal. The reviews and requests were through the roof. She smiled to herself. She had done it, she was on her way to building a successful business doing what she loved, just like she'd always dreamed.
The fashion show the previous night had been the closing event of Fashion Week. Jade had attended to support a fellow designer friend who had been displaying her latest collection and also to display some new merchandise. It was good show, and also an excellent opportunity for a rookie designer like her to showcase her designs and sell some pieces. She went backstage after the show to congratulate her friend and to network with the other designers and models. Everything went as expected and it was a good night thus far.
Her night started going downhill when she saw him. Of all people, at all places. She could not believe it. Her skin had felt prickly and she suddenly felt uncomfortable, she could feel someone's eyes on her and when she turned, she saw him standing there. She knew who he was the moment she locked eyes with him. Those green eyes. Those unforgettable green eyes. It was impossible to forget them. She saw the recognition in his eyes, the accusations, the anger, the disbelief. When he started moving in her direction, she did the only thing she could do. She ran away. She told the lady in charge of her merchandise table, Tina and her friend Jason that she had and emergency, then she had hightailed out of there.
Luckily for her, the side door opened and fans spilled into the backstage area. When she looked back she could see him still making his way towards her. She wrapped the scarf she took from her merchandise table around her head to cover her hair, blended into the crowd and ran out the emergency exit. She was glad when she got to her car and saw that she had lost him.
She was unable to sleep at night. Whenever she closed her eyes, all she could see were his angry eyes glaring at her. She stared at her ceiling for the longest time, recalling the time they had spent together. The laughs, the kisses, the touches. It had taken all the discipline in her to leave that morning. But she knew it was for the best. There was no future for them. Now that Fashion Week was over, he had probably gone back to Dallas, and she'd never have to be confronted with that mistake ever again.
She made a move to stand up from her desk when she heard a knock on her door and her assistant, Emily poked her head in.
"Someone's here to see you Jade. Said he's interested in investing for the expansion." Emily said.
Jade gave her a quizzical look. Her plans to expand had not been made public yet. She had only spoken to her bank, who said it was a stretch, something that needs careful planning else her business was going to go bankrupt. So how does this person know?
Deciding it would not be bad idea to talk with this person, Jade told Emily to let him in. Her door opened and she rose out of her chair to receive the visitor when she suddenly felt her blood run cold. She found herself staring into a pair of green eyes. Those unforgettable green eyes. Her mouth went dry.
"Hello Jade."
He hates her so much but she feels so safe with him... Orla Sullivan is the seventh and last daughter of Arnold Sullivan. She is a young girl who is loathed and rejected by every member of her family. Though a Sullivan, Orla lived a solitary life until she met Callan Barlowe at an uninvited dinner in her home. Callan Barlowe is a ruthless billionaire, a man whose aura exudes dominance and agitation. He believes in working hard to make money and when he needs to relax; sleeping with high-class hoes is not an option, but a must-do for him. Marriage is not included in the list of things he has to do in life, but his mother wants him to get married at all costs. Callan's and Orla's worlds collided and now, Orla's life is about to completely veer around from worse to something more inimical because she's about to get married to Callan Barlowe; the ruthless billionaire boss who doesn't give a shit about anyone.
[Sorry for unstable updates these days due to healthy issues. Will soon be back and keep on writing. Thanks.] This is my third year as the contractual lover of Jason Langley. During the day, he is my handsome CEO in the office, and at night, he is my passionate lover on the bed. "Dare you expose this contract, you won't afford the consequences. Am I clear?" "Yes, Mr. Langley" But what if I'm pregnant? Damn, it is not the situation in the the contract! Taking the chance that Mr. Langley was busy with the engagement, I resigned and ran away. I don't want to lose my baby. But God, why is he chasing me? "Mr. Langley, our lover's contract has been terminated!" "I regretted it. Please marry me. If there must be the contract issue, the contract term is a life long period!"
Three years ago, the Moore family opposed Charles Moore's choice to marry his beloved woman and selected Scarlett Riley as his bride. Charles didn't love her. In fact, he hated her. Not long after they got married, Scarlett received an offer from her dream university and jumped on it. Three years later, Charles's beloved woman fell terribly ill. In order to fulfill her last wish, he called Scarlett back and presented her with a divorce agreement. Scarlett was deeply hurt by Charles's abrupt decision, but she chose to let him go and agreed to sign the divorce papers. However, Charles seemed to delay the process deliberately, leaving Scarlett confused and frustrated. Now, Scarlett was trapped between the consequences of Charles's indecision. Would she be able to break free from him? Would Charles eventually come to his senses and face his true feelings?
Lindsey's fiancé was the devil's first son. Not only did he lie to her but he also slept with her stepmother, conspired to take away her family fortune, and then set her up to have sex with a total stranger. To get her lick back, Lindsey decided to find a man to disrupt her engagement party and humiliate the cheating bastard. Never did she imagine that she would bump into a strikingly handsome stranger who was all that she was currently looking for. At the engagement party, he boldly declared that she was his woman. Lindsey thought he was just a broke man who wanted to leech off her. But once they began their fake relationship, she realized that good luck kept coming her way. She thought they would part ways after the engagement party, but this man kept to her side. "We gotta stick together, Lindsey. Remember, I'm now your fiancé. " "Domenic, you're with me because of my money, aren't you?" Lindsey asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Domenic was taken aback by that accusation. How could he, the heir of the Walsh family and CEO of Vitality Group, be with her for money? He controlled more than half of the city's economy. Money wasn't a problem for him! The two got closer and closer. One day, Lindsey finally realized that Domenic was actually the stranger she had slept with months ago. Would this realization change things between them? For the better or worse?
"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...
Sophia Drake braced herself for the worst when she was forced to move across the country in the middle of her junior year. Desperate to escape her shattered home as soon as she turns eighteen, her plans are disrupted by the enigmatic and captivating Ashford twins. Sophia can't fathom the intense attraction she feels for the twins and tries to avoid them at every turn. As she's thrust into an unfamiliar world, her past demons resurface, making her question her true identity. Will Sophia flee from her past's secrets, or will she embrace her destiny and take control of her future?