Erica Davidson just wants to start afresh. No worries about love. She just needs a breeze of fresh air. An opportunity presents itself when Erica Davidson finds out about Beaumont, one of the biggest money companies in the US, who are searching for another accounting assistant. Miraculously, she was hired the day she got interviewed, even if it was a bit too easy in her opinion. They had warned her about the new position and her boss, however, she hadn't understood why. Until she met him. Mr Beaumont isn't only a tyrant, a brooding and yelling boss who hates tardiness and self-doubt, but also the most handsome man Erica Davidson has ever laid eyes on. Imposing, tall and handsome, the soon 30-year-old has already forced his way into her life. Cold, too witty for his own good, stern and unpredictable, this CEO is causing Erica Davidson way more trouble than she had anticipated - Mr. Beaumont makes her working day a living hell, makes her face countless obstacles and plays with her mind as he pleases. All of a sudden she couldn't stop thinking about her boss who has been strangely nice to her, even though she can't stand him ... or is she just lying to herself?
The first three weeks of my new job had been quite blissful - almost everybody was nice to me, I quickly made friends with my accounting team and my money worries were growing less prominent as the date of the paycheck approached.
It was Monday the 23rd when I for the millionth time checked my phone to see if Noah had written to me, but to no avail. He was active on his social media accounts, constantly online on Facebook too. I huffed loudly. So he could talk to others but with me only through his lawyer? That prick!
I angrily dug into my muesli and forced the hot coffee down my throat. I didn't want him back, not after how he had changed and how he had treated me. Noah had changed so suddenly once we had gotten married ... was I the reason? Did I do something wrong? Was it because I hadn't slept with him?
I played with my cup of coffee. It didn't feel right. All those years we had been together it had never felt right, nor had a moment presented itself. Noah hadn't also taken the lead, as he never did. And I was too shy to ask him to have sex with me.
No, I wasn't to blame. Both of us were. If he had needed physical pleasure, he could have told me. He was my husband for fuck's sake, technically he still was; I would have had sex with him! I really would have! We had kissed, hugged, and touched each other, so I wouldn't have minded sleeping with him! I was a grown woman and I had my needs too, dammit!
But he had grown distant for some reason. The day we got married he had gradually changed from this quirky man to a serious, always tired guy and I couldn't do anything about it. Noah was no longer the man I had fallen in love with. No silly jokes, no kissing, no dancing, no harmony between us when we relaxed together, nothing.
I checked my watch and jolted up from my kitchen stool. I would be late! I threw the bowl into the sink, grabbed everything I needed blindly and ran to the tube as fast as I could.
To reach my office, I had to walk down a long glass corridor to our shared space. I pressed my card against the scanner and the glass door was unlocked by the security system.
I registered my presence at the monitor and held my card against the scanner until it let out a humming sound. 7:58:32. Just in time.
Hanging my coat on the coat rack, I greeted the others who came from the other rooms with the files that we had to work through.
Taking one pencil, I opened the first file on my growing pile and started highlighting and commenting on the passages which I read.
It was a case of our own investments and I should check if we could afford to expand our company.
The others had told me so much about Mr Beaumont the last few weeks. Besides talking about ourselves, eating lunch together and working together, they loved chatting about him.
Nina had described him as: confident with a forceful personality. He can be intimidating, and he dominates anything that he can dominate. His temper is nerve wrecking, and nobody dares to make him angry.
Clarissa nodded heavily and added: He looks aggressive, tall and gloomy, but he's a stunner. He expects you to do his tasks thoroughly and perfectly, or else he will send it all back to you and you'll have to stay until you finish it. He hates doubt and tardiness.
Jessica shook her head: You are scaring her. He can be a bother to work with, but he's a nice guy. He cares for his employees, even though he doesn't seem like it. He has often made sure we felt alright and took matters into his hands when we didn't. Mr. Beaumont is really passionate about his work.
With that in mind, I went back to work to finish the file from Mr Edwards, one of the leading assistants in the PR-department.
When Jessica had hired me, she had told me we stood the closest to Mr. Beaumont and had to answer certain emails for him. Our work went straight to him, while the rest came to us and then to him. We were the last step before he signed bills, papers, agreements and expenditures and such, therefore, we were quite important.
The elevator doors opened, and I froze.
A tall man stepped out, causing me to step back.
This guy looked so aggressive.
He was so tall I had to put my head back. An imposing, gloomy, yet equally handsome man met my eyes. He was breath-taking.
This man bore dark blond wavy hair which was styled to the side perfectly, he bore a slightly tanned skin, piercing sky-blue eyes, a strong and attractive nose. His arched lips, which I could tell were full even though he had pressed them together, were perfect just like the rest of him. He also had a trimmed beard, which was almost brown compared to his hair.
My eyes courtly looked at his body and then I looked at my feet in embarrassment. You could see hints of a strong trained body underneath his dark blue suit.
This must be Mr. Beaumont.
He instantly dominated the hallway the moment he stepped out the elevator fully. His eyes firmly held mine as I dared to glance at his face again, all while he bore this analytical expression. He radiated a power that just told you who the boss was.
Mr. Beaumont extended his strong, veiny hand. "You must be the new accounting assistant", his deep voice rumbled in my ears, making me jerk slightly. His tone showed he wouldn't take no as an answer.
"Uh, y-yes, Sir", I stuttered, then quickly took his hand.
Calm down, Erica Davidson . He's just your boss.
Your handsome boss.
A Greek god type of boss.
Enough.
This was Mr. Beaumont - I had to leave a good and lasting impression!
"Erica Davidson Davidson . Pleased to meet you. It's an honor to work for your company, thank you for giving me this chance." He softly raised his brows, which made his analytical face go back to a brooding one. Was that his natural resting face?
He took my hand and shook it firmly. I had to suppress the urge to shake it. His confidence left me dizzy.
I had never been particularly good with men, always shying away from them, and he was destroying that border with just a simple glance. He was too much for me.
"Pleasure is mine, Mrs Davidson ."
"Please", I start, before I can silence myself. I quickly shut my mouth.
"Please?", his blue eyes made me shiver as I looked into them..
"I ... I won't be called Davidson for long."
Mr. Beaumont didn't make this awkward at all. He understood, not pressing me further about it. "For as long as that is your legal name, I will address you as such. Once it changes, please tell us. We want to treat everybody right here."
"I-I will! Thank you very much!"
His eyes scanned me, a muscle in his jaw moving, as if he was suppressing a laugh. "Come to my office once you are done with your files."
"I will, Sir."
I slumped against the walls of the elevator, out of breath.
The elevator stopped at the 18th floor and Jessica entered with a surprised look. She laughed once she glanced at her watch. "You met Mister Powerhouse himself, didn't you?"
I could only nod.
Jessica nudged me. "Don't be afraid of him, he's a decent guy once you get to know him."
"Really?"
"He might seem tough, but he has a kind heart. You'll see."
I nervously put away the contact papers and cleaned my desk before I would finish with the last file. All I needed to do was press 'send' and I was done for the day. But I didn't want to.
Putting away the papers into the fitting folders, making sure the papers inside the folders weren't crooked, clearing off the table and trashing unnecessary posts took less time than I hoped it would.
Jessica chuckled, shutting down her computer. "Just go to him. The more you elongate it, the more likely he will come to you himself. And that's not funny at all."
"Will he be mad?"
"Not quite, but you'll get chided by him - and he chides quite strongly. It leaves everybody shaken in the end."
I got up.
"Come inside."
I froze for a second.
His voice was so loud, it rumbled in his entire office through the door.
I took a deep breath.
Pressing the door open, I was welcomed by a dark office with tall windows behind Mr. Beaumont's broad chest. The view was breath-taking, just like him. New York opened behind him, almost the whole town visible to him.
"Sit down", he commanded, not looking up from the paper he was writing. My feet moved on their own to the leader chair in front of him.
Once regarded as the height of wealth, Charlotte Hartley was ignored as the wife of wealthy CEO of Martinez Swimming Club Leonard Martinez. Her life changed when Leonard made three terrible decisions that resulted in their breakup after he was heartbroken by the club's performance in the elite golden swimming competition. His extreme loss, the attraction of a more successful and glitzy companion, and the evil whispers of a rival devious competitor who considered Charlotte as a threat drove him to reject her. Unknown to Leonard, Charlotte's estranged mother was the only swimmer ever to surpass all of Martinez's marks. After three years of seclusion and self-discovery, Charlotte has come to be a champion swimmer in her own right. Her comeback could jeopardize Leonard's dominion, much as it deals with fresh dangers from merciless enemies seeking to wipe it from within. Charlotte must balance the terrible past with her newly acquired power as Leonard searches for Charlotte's comeback to rebuild the club's lost glory and save his failing reputation. Will she allow the ghosts of her past define her future, or will she grab this second chance to rewrite her story and face the forces that aim to separate them in a world of high stakes of betrayal and atonement?
Amanda, a hardworking maid at a prestigious New York hotel, never expected her life to take a dramatic turn. What happens when she crosses paths with Chris Montenegro, heir to the biggest hotel chain in the country, a total ladies' man and not to mention, he is also her boss. What happens when her ex-boyfriend storms in on the two of them and knocks him out? In an attempt to save her job, she cares for him throughout the night. But there might be a problem, he wakes up with a splitting headache with no memory of the previous night, not to mention, she is laying next to him half naked. He thinks of her as a floozy who is only after his money and fires her from her job. What happens when the two of them meet again two weeks later and she spits out the words: "I'm pregnant." This might lead to many problems she never expected, not to mention, a shot at falling in love. Will Amanda and Chris find a way to navigate their complicated relationship, or will secrets tear them apart? Can true love ever survive amongst so many lies?
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry me?”
My name is Katia, and I am just trying to survive until my fated mate arrives. Which may be easier said than done. Rejectection is the last straw. Whispering my acceptance of his rejection. I run through the pack house, out across the manicured lawn into the forest. "I'm sorry, my sweet girl," I say to my wolf. I'm sorry you have been stuck with me and have had to suffer everything I have. She whispers," it's not your fault, Katia. We came to a cliff with a waterfall. The hurt keeps pounding at me. I need it to stop. My sweet girl, and I just want peace, I keep running and leap off the cliff. Spreading my arms wide, with tears streaming down my face, I fall, not making a sound, waiting for sweet oblivion where we feel nothing ever again. "I love you, my sweet girl! Until we meet again, "My wolf replied just before we hit the water, "I love you too, Katia. I have never regretted a moment with you." The Snow Moon pack is having their last barbecue of the summer next to the waterfall on their land. The adults are laughing and joking while watching the pups play. The alpha, beta, and gamma are swimming with some of the older children and playing a game of Marco Polo. Someone yells, "Oh my goddess, someone just jumped over the waterfall!" Everyone is frozen as they watch what looks to be a child falling arms spread wide, no one makes a sound. The small body hits the water like a plane crashing into the side of a mountain. The alpha, beta, and gamma, spring into action, swimming towards the area the person went under. The alpha is screaming his wolf is going crazy repeating, "Find her. Find her...find her!" They dive and the beta surfaces with a small person in his arms. Alpha takes the girl from his beta, laying her on the ground. The men are shocked by what they see. She is covered in scars and injuries. Her body is twisted and broken. The Beta asks, "Who could have done this to someone so defenseless?" Alpha drops to his knees, repeating, "MATE...MATE...MATE!"