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.
"Sir, Madam is not feeling well," the butler of the Gannon mansion reported on the phone. The man at the end of the line spoke in a nonchalant tone.
"So, take her to the hospital. I'm not a doctor." The line died immediately. The butler was so pale, beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
Zora relaxed her back against the sofa, feeling weak from abdominal pains. Trying to mask the pain, she asked hopefully. "What did he say?"
The butler instantly put on a calm smile when he turned in her direction. "Madam, sir said he will meet us at the hospital."
Zora's eyes lit up. Ezrah had not been home for almost three days, and she was missing him so much. This sickness seemed to be her lucky charm to get him to her side again. "Okay. Let's go."
Zora's heart warmed at the fact that Ezrah at least cared about his child. Both of them were caught in a scandal two years ago, so getting married was the only way to curb the situation.
Ezrah's stance was clear through it all. "When everything calms down, we are getting a divorce."
Zora hoped that by that time, she would have been able to melt his cold heart and make him fully hers, so her hopes were high. However, over time, she found him slowly drawing away from her, even when they worked together in the same company and shared the same bedroom.
Two months ago, Ezrah returned and asked Zora for a divorce but chanced upon the pregnancy test results. His expression was dark.
"Let's hold off on the divorce until after the child is born, but don't expect to remain Mrs. Gannon. That title belongs to somebody else, but it's definitely not you."
The marriage after those words had been terrible. Ezrah barely returned home, barely got intimate with her. The only reason she still bore Mrs. Gannon was because of the child in her womb.
Zora thought that his reason for being away was because of work since he was the CEO of the Gannon Group, a multibillion-dollar company where Zora also worked as an assistant manager.
Unknown to Ezrah, Zora had been secretly in love with him for five years, but that drunk night at her best friend Coco's birthday party, Zora woke up in bed with Ezrah.
She decided to keep it a secret and a memory she would forever cherish when the media picked up the news. Ezrah could not allow the scandal to ruin his well-kept reputation and cause him losses, so he announced that he and Zora were already dating secretly and were soon getting married.
Zora, who had been madly in love with him, was excited about the news of getting married to Ezrah.
Zora hoped that with time, his heart would warm up towards her, but that did not happen. Even in her state, Ezrah hardly spent the night at home.
On the way to the hospital, Zora's phone beeped, and looking at the content, her heart dropped.
Ezrah was holding the delicate hand of a beautiful woman, a proud smile on his face. The caption read,
'Mr. Ezra Gannon admits to reigniting his love for his old flame, Miss Piper Henshaw.'
Zora's eyes were swollen with tears. As they dropped down her cheeks, she refused to believe it. Maybe it was photoshopped.
There was never any news about Ezrah dating any woman before she got pregnant for him. He never even warmed up to women. The man had long been secretive and kept his face from the media.
Also, the butler Rudolph had said that Ezrah promised to meet them at the hospital, so the media must be spreading this false news to gain popularity.
Even after everything, she still could not help the unease in her heart, instantly dialing his number.
Despite him warning her to only communicate with him through the butler, Zora took the bull by the horn this time.
Her call went through, but there was no answer. Her old self would have given up, but due to the unease in her heart because of the news, she couldn't bring herself to do so. On the fourth ring, a woman answered the call.
Her melodious voice made Zora feel less of a woman. "Ezrah is in the bathroom."
Zora's hands holding the phone shook, her heart in tatters. Ezrah never allowed her to touch his phone, but this woman casually answered his call, and was he really in the bathroom? Zora felt the pain in her chest worse than that of her abdomen.
"Who are you?" The words forced themselves out of her mouth. The woman responded casually,
"Piper, his fiancƩe. And you are?"
"Whatever he saved my name with," Zora responded calmly. The pain of the news was more than she could bear.
Though knowing that Ezrah never loved her, she thought they could live in peace for the sake of the baby in her womb, but Ezrah never meant to make her dreams come true.
The woman at the end of the line moved the phone from her ear to have a better view of the caller ID.
"Oh, Zora. If it's urgent, I could drop a message for you when he comes out."
The nights Ezrah spent away when Zora thought he was busy at work, it was a great disappointment that he was with the woman he loved, leaving her to suffer with her unborn child.
She was still in her first trimester, and due to all the morning sickness and other health issues, Zora had taken a break from working at the company to recover first.
Her mind lacked clarity, and she was beginning to doubt all the responses she got from Rudolph when she asked him to get in touch with Ezrah.
"Just tell him to call me." Zora ended the call.
At the hotel room, Ezrah returned from the meeting in the conference room. Since he never allowed anyone to answer their calls during meetings, he equally left his phone in the presidential suite meant for his relaxation.
"What are you doing with my phone?" He asked as soon as he entered the bedroom. Before Piper spoke, he asked again, "and I made it clear that you should wait for me at the lounge. How did you have access?"
The pout on Piper's lips only made her cuter as she faked anger. "Is it wrong for me to come? We would have gotten married if Zora had not appeared."
Ezrah was a man who loved to keep his love life private. He and Piper had been in a secret long-distance relationship.
The night they arranged to meet at the birthday party of one of his business partner's sister, Piper had an emergency and could not attend as planned.
That night, he mysteriously ended up in bed with Zora, an incident that should have been brushed under the carpet until the media took hold of it.
Not wanting his well-maintained reputation to crack, he apologetically married Zora, promising Piper to divorce Zora secretly after two years when the news dies down.
Things took a different turn when he found the pregnancy test result after promising Piper that he was ending things with Zora.
"I told you I was working on it. You should keep yourself hidden away from the press. We shouldn't be seen together." Ezrah's voice was stern. It was business for him first, and he didn't want Piper's presence to ruin it for him.
Piper was uneasy at the reminder. Forcing a smile, she relayed, "I could be your confidential secretary. Please Ezrah, I don't want to be away from you anymore."
Ezrah did not give a response. His actions were always well thought out. It wasn't easy for him to be the CEO of the legendary Gannon Group as the youngest of three sons.
Any wrong move and his elder brothers would begin to fight for the position. "Did anyone call?"
He was scrolling through his phone when he caught sight of Zora's name.
"Yeah. Zora. She said you should call her," Piper responded with a smile, her fingers sliding over her exposed thighs as she lay seductively on the luxurious king-size bed.
"What did you tell her?" Ezrah frowned a little. He wanted to keep Piper a secret until after the divorce.
"I pretended not to know about her existence." Piper lifted herself to a sitting position, and due to the long slit of the dress, her full thighs were exposed, but Ezrah's attention was on the phone in his hand.
"Do me a favor and don't answer my calls again." His voice had lost its warmth.
Piper faked remorse. "I'm sorry. I thought it was urgent."
Ezrah finally held her gaze as he spoke roughly, "Nothing about Zora is ever urgent."
He said to her, āwhy canāt you be like other women? Have a make-over, do your hair, nails and facials. Wear the best designers and accompany me to functions.ā She smiled sweetly, āI will, if only you will leave all those women.ā He said, "Iām very attractive and women are naturally drawn to me. I canāt promise you that.ā She was hurt but she took his advice. The day Abigail stepped in and out of the beauty parlor, four cars crashed because of her and every man in M city wanted her to be theirs. He said, āYou belong to me alone. Now I have to keep you caged.ā She responded with a wink, ābeauty must be admired by all, I can't be a caged bird you know..."
Godiva's attempt to escape from her cruel fate of being sold to seven Alphas, turns interesting when she is rescued by Alpha Rock who promises to protect her, only if she bears his mark. He is everything she hates. Cold, unspoken, wild and ruthless but if she was going to bear his mark, then she needed to tame him. Alpha Rock was known in North America as the Alpha of Alphas due to his ruthlessness. Luck shines on him when he goes to redeem his purchase and ends up rescuing her when he recognizes her as his mate. She agrees to be marked by him but the mark soon disappears because of an error of his past. Now how does he protect Godiva from six ruthless Alphas' while he tries to correct the errors of his past?
He was stunned when I caressed his wounds with my mouth. "Does it hurt?" I asked, staring into his dark gaze. Amusement shadowed his eyes. "You never asked for my surname. Do you want to know?" I nodded my head, my mind wild with expectation. He cupped my face in his big hands, his glowing red gaze, boring down my bright blue ones. His voice sounded deep and breathy, "Pain. Pain is my surname. I invented pain," Jade smirked. His wounds were healing fast and I couldn't control my urge. Not caring about the consequences, I pressed my lips on his. ******** On the death of the Mage King, he betrothed Isabella to Prince Marcus on her 18th Birthday. Not having any mage powers, she was tasked to prove herself worthy of her crown, by seducing the Supreme Alpha to avenge her late father. Supreme Alpha Jade of the Moon Star Pack remained unmated at twenty-eight because of an untold legend. However, when he rescued Isabella from one of his ditches, things were bound to change when he realized that she was his mate. He doesn't want her and he won't accept her yet, he can't let her go. But what happens when he finds out Isabella's true identity and her real intention for appearing at his pack? Betrayal was punishable by death, so what does fate hold for Isabella?
He accused her of seduction and was mean towards her after a one night stand. In retaliation, Mercedes threw a $1 note at him as payment for his service and a measure of his performance, which she graded to be below average. Meanwhile, her body ached terribly and her walls felt sore. Two days later, she walked to her new office and was sent to the board room to begin her job as a personal assistant to the President. Her heart stopped when she realized that the man she ridiculed was Nathan Legend. The multi-billionaire devil everyone whispered about. Graciously, he pretended to not know her to her great relief. Yet, when she entered his office, he locked the door. His face carried no emotions, his eyes piercing, his voice chilled like ice. "You shall spend the rest of your life, paying for the insult you threw in my face, till I tear that $1 note off the wall." She shivered to his word and as if to read her mind, he seethed, "don't even think about resigning because, I would make sure, that no company employs you and if you run, I will find you."
R18. Danica wakes up beside a strange man in the morning. The next day, she finds herself becoming the surrogate to a mysterious man, in the bid to save her twin sister Daniella from a ruthless mafia boss. But what she doesn't understand is, why did he change the rules? He wants her body once every month till she conceives yet; she can't see him face to face...
As a football champion in high school, Joel was loved for his talents and abilities but, unknown to the watchful eyes, he was Poor. Estelle, the girl from a wealthy home never cared. But what happens when her wealthy family disowns her because of him, and someone from the past comes in, coupled with Joel's secrets? Things might not just be as they seem...
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."
Lindsey's fiancƩ 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 fiancƩ. " "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?
Jennifer Bennett, the rightful heiress to the Bennett legacy, fought hard for her family's recognition, only to be eclipsed by an impostor. Faced with false accusations, bullying, and public humiliation, Jennifer eventually gave up trying to win their approval. Vowing to rise above the injustice, she became the bane of those who wronged her. The Bennett family's efforts to break her only fueled her success, leading her to heights her rivals could only dream of. Someone asked, "Do you feel let down by your parents?" With a calm smile, Jennifer said, "It doesn't matter. In the end, power prevails."
**This book contains a trigger warning. Mention about rape and torture in this book. Please read with caution** "Our marriage is nothing but a deal," he said looking at the girl, her green eyes met his cold silver eye, and both of them glared at each other. "For any rules you break, I will claim any part of your body," his gaze grew dangerously darker at his word. Ashley Harlow was at the top of the world, living the perfect and luxurious lifestyle as the legitimate daughter of the well-known Daniel Harlow. But sadly, a one-night stand put an end to that and brought her life upside down and that of her family's name to the ground. To restore his family's reputation, she was forced into marrying Damien Albrecht, a young, ruthless, obnoxious, brutal billionaire and the head of a mafia gang in exchange for her father's company.
On her wedding day, Khloeās sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didnāt commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrikās cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
After being kicked out of her home, Harlee learned she wasn't the biological daughter of her family. Rumors had it that her impoverished biological family favored sons and planned to profit from her return. Unexpectedly, her real father was a zillionaire, catapulting her into immense wealth and making her the most cherished member of the family. While they anticipated her disgrace, Harlee secretly held design patents worth billions. Celebrated for her brilliance, she was invited to mentor in a national astronomy group, drew interest from wealthy suitors, and caught the eye of a mysterious figure, ascending to legendary status.