"What, worried people would find out you're practically a whore?" "You asshole!" Brynn was a slave to Lawrence's whims as he switched between humiliating her and doting on her. Then one day, he dropped the bomb on her. "I'm getting married." But Brynn was relieved. She took it as closure and moved on. However, while on a blind date with her ideal man, she received nothing but insults from his family. She was losing her self-esteem when Lawrence stormed into the room and pulled her into his embrace. "Apologize to my woman!" Everyone was stunned, including Brynn. Wasn't he supposed to get married that day?
The campus of Traco University was vibrant with lush greenery.
A line of sycamore trees, thick with leaves, stood behind the library.
It was a place seldom visited by people.
"You said... you wouldn't come here..."
"What? Are you worried your classmates will discover that you're a hooker?"
"I'm not! I'm not..."
"Heh, then what's this we're doing?"
"Lawrence Yates! You scoundrel!"
"I'm a scoundrel, and you're the daughter of a murderer. Seems like we're a perfect match!"
Unable to hold back her sorrow any longer, the girl sobbed from the depths of her being, the pain encompassing both her body and spirit.
Eventually, the man, content with the experience, walked away.
In the sunlight, he stood tall, his profile striking, with sharp and pronounced features, and his skin showed a hint of a blush.
As he heard the dejected sound of the girl's footsteps behind him, his lips curled into a smirk, his eyes cold.
"You still haven't paid for this month." Brynn Gibson straightened up as much as she could, clinging to her remaining dignity.
The man gave a mocking sneer, walked over to her, and traced his finger across her swollen lips, each contact making her involuntarily tremble.
His eyes darkened, and he swallowed visibly.
The whole world knew of his disdain for her, yet it did nothing to dampen his pleasure in her reactions during these moments.
His hand wandered, and Brynn, filled with shame, shut her eyes as her body shook uncontrollably.
A bodyguard came near. "Sir, Miss Scott just called."
Lawrence Yates cast his gaze downward, and when he lifted it, all signs of desire had vanished.
He withdrew his hand and cleaned it with a handkerchief.
Brynn turned her head aside, her face a mix of shame and anger.
With a demeaning tone, Lawrence fetched a card from his wallet and handed it to her. "I'm very satisfied with you..."
The wind rustled through the leaves.
Brynn's thoughts emptied as she silently accepted the card, holding it tightly.
Lawrence walked away, accepting a phone from his bodyguard. His tone softened. "Hmm... just wrapped up a meeting..."
***
After her school day, Brynn headed to her job, and after finishing her work, she arrived at a hospital quite late.
Nearing a particular ward, she caught the sound of her mother, Jayne Duffy's, laughter.
Brynn looked down. There was only one person who could bring such joy to her mother.
She opened the door and found Kelley Rayne, her older half-sister from a different father.
Kelley greeted her with a smile. "Brynn, you made it."
"Mm," Brynn responded coolly. Jayne noticed and frowned. "Kelley's now a celebrity. It's not easy for her to find time to visit. Why the attitude?"
Kelley reassured their mother, "Mom, it's fine. Maybe Brynn's just not herself today."
"Who cares about her mood? Who is she trying to impress with that grimace?"
Jayne, who always showed a preference for her older daughter, often visited her ex-husband's family post-divorce.
Clutching a fruit knife, Brynn methodically peeled an apple. "I've taken care of the hospital bill."
Jayne didn't look at her, continuing her conversation with Kelley. "I play your song 'Wander' every day. Everyone in the media says you're a brilliant singer-songwriter! Like mother, like daughter!"
Twenty years earlier, Jayne herself was a figure in the music industry, but she left the scene after her extramarital affair became public.
She later divorced, remarried, and Brynn was born.
Brynn stopped peeling the apple for a moment.
"As long as you are happy, Mom." Kelley looked over at Brynn.
"By the way, I heard from the media that you're going to the Yates Group's big anniversary celebration."
"Yes!" Kelley responded with enthusiasm. "Being invited by the Yates Group is a big nod to my skills and fame!"
"That's fantastic! Make sure you look stunning. If you need cash, I can chip in!"
Jayne then addressed her younger daughter. "Brynn, give your sister a few thousand dollars."
Brynn stared at her mother, a mix of disbelief and disappointment in her eyes.
She looked down, her voice slow. "Mom, I'm just a student. It's my first year at university."
"Enough excuses. Get the money now!"
Kelley tried to soothe the situation, saying, "Mom, it's okay. I can go in something simple."
"That won't do! You're my daughter! You should have the best!"
"But..." Kelley turned to her sister, looking helpless and troubled.
Jayne's temper flared. "Brynn! Didn't you hear me? Get the money!"
Brynn burst out laughing suddenly. "Mom, you're in the hospital, Dad's in jail, and our home is gone... Are you aware of these things?"
Jayne scowled. "Why are you bringing this up now?"
"Ha, okay then, let me ask you, do you have any idea how I'm funding my studies? Do you know where I sleep? Do you know why you haven't been thrown out of this hospital yet?!"
Jayne dismissively waved her hand, not wanting to hear it. "Enough! All I want to know is whether you'll hand over the money or not?"
Tears welled up in Brynn's eyes as she looked at her mother, seeing not guilt but entitlement.
It suddenly dawned on Brynn.
"You've known all this time, haven't you?"
Jayne averted her eyes. "Known what?"
Brynn fixed her gaze on her mother. Ha, she definitely knew. She had always known the only reason she was in this upscale private ward was that her daughter had sacrificed her pride and dignity for it!
Brynn clenched her fist so tightly that the pain snapped her back to reality. She looked down to see blood streaming from her palm.
"Brynn, you're injured..."
Kelley moved towards her, but Brynn's cold stare halted her.
As Brynn left the ward, Jayne's angry voice followed her.
"Who does she think she is, making a scene? Would I be in this mess if it weren't for her? I could have been a legend in the music industry! It's all because of her and her father that my life and career fell apart! It's all her and her father's fault!"
The ward was filled with cries and wails.
--
After leaving the convenience store at 1 AM, a weary Brynn felt her phone vibrate. Its distinct ringtone sent a shiver down her spine.
She pulled out a phone from her bag, which was not her usual phone, and answered. The voice on the other end was thick with alcohol.
"Come to my place."
The line went dead before she could respond.
Brynn wanted to say she wasn't feeling up to it today. Could she take a pass?
But she knew such a request would only lead to further degradation.
Resigned, she hailed a taxi that cost her 120 dollars, erasing the earnings of two days' part-time work.
She arrived at an ordinary apartment complex, hardly the place one would expect the affluent CEO of the Yates Group to call home.
She retrieved the key from a potted plant beside the door and let herself in.
The apartment was tidy. A man lounged on the sofa, a lit cigarette dangling from his lips, its ember casting a faint glow.
"I'm going to take a shower," she said softly.
"No need." Lawrence gestured with his hand. "Come here."
This evening, his demeanor seemed slightly different, not as detached as usual.
Brynn hesitated, then moved toward him.
Lawrence had sex with her until the early hours.
He pressed her down on the sofa, his dark gaze intense, almost devouring her.
When the pain overwhelmed her, she pleaded for mercy. Suddenly, Lawrence drew close, biting her earlobe. In the midst of her agony, he murmured, "I'm getting married."
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
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!”
The dream of everyone with regards to marriage is to be able to find that special someone and settle down with them. Even arranged marriages grant you an opportunity to meet your partner briefly before the wedding. How will you feel about waking up in the morning with someone sleeping next to you who is not just anyone but your legally married partner yet with no memory of how that had happened in just a few hours of going out the previous day? This is the story of Jason Haward and Julia Harrison, two strangers trapped in a marriage they never planned. The quest to find out why led to the unfolding of a mystery which made them realize they are both living a lie. To find out more, read this amazing story of love, betrayal, revenge and murder.
She was a diamond covered by ashes.... King Dakota was known as the most Powerful Alpha King of all times - more powerful than any other King that had ruled from his lineage. He was cold hearted, introverted and dangerous in anger. Cursed by the Moon goddess, King Dakota had to get married to three wives all in search of a male child that would become his heir, but it was impossible as the curse would only let his wives bear she -wolves. But on a different day, the King meets a lady who offends him and as a punishment, he took her home as his fourth wife. Her name was Shilah. Shilah was a powerless wolf and as a result, was disregarded and intimidated by all. But, when she begins to do things that the King had never felt for years, he began to wonder who she really was. Slowly, she crawled her way into his icy heart and turned out to be something nobody ever expected - a storm.
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."
Charlee was left at the altar and became a laughingstock. She tried to keep her head high, but ultimately lost it when she received a sex tape of her fiance and her half-sister. Devastated, she ended up spending a wild night with a hot stranger. It was supposed to be one-time thing, but he kept popping up, helping her with projects and revenge, all while flirting with her constantly. Charlee soon realized that it was nice having him around, until her ex suddenly appeared at her door, begging for another chance. Her tycoon lover asked, “Who will you choose? Think carefully before you answer.”