"It is already unholy, why try to make it abominable and nefarious?" When a runaway bride leaves her groom at the altar, her younger sister, Yenisse, is forced to step in and save the day. How will she navigate her unexpected union with Jude Wellington, the charming billionaire, when they are married in name only and their hearts beat for different souls. Will they find a love that's a once-in-a-lifetime chance or will it remain a cold and calculated arrangement where love is a forgotten melody and disdain is the only truth? What will be the fate of a loveless union when a war is waged upon them?
YENISSE
The words that change my life forever tumble from my father's lips, "your sister is gone. You will have to take her place...at the altar." His voice is firm and commanding.
"Dad?" I gasp in disbelief. "Is this some kind of joke?" Because there is no way I am going out there to marry that asshole of a sister's fiance.
"No, sweetheart. It's not a joke. It's the only way to salvage our family's honor."
I feel like I've been punched in the gut. "What? No, Dad, I can't!" I protest, my voice is shaking.
My mother's eyes plead with me to reconsider. "Honey, please understand-"
It's no surprise how nice her tone is as she is about speaking to me and that's because she needs something from me. And I even feel more anger towards her for doing that.
But I cut her off, my mind racing. "How can you even ask me this? It's wrong on so many levels!" I think of my boyfriend, Oliver, who is seated already in the congregation. How will he feel seeing me walk down the aisle with another man?
My father's face hardens. "Your sister's actions have left us no choice. She humiliated our family by running away on her wedding day. You're the only one who can redeem our honor now."
I shake my head, trying to understand why my parents have failed to see reasons with me. "But that's not fair! And what about Oliver? I can't just abandon him like this."
"Worry about your family first. Think about how this would affect your life, our lives. Now is the time to show you're truly a Billing."
What does that even mean? Was being born into the Billing's family not enough to make me a Billing? This is exhausting.
I walk towards the door but my father's words stop me in my tracks. "Your efforts will be futile. There is no running away from this."
"I wasn't running away but there is no way I'm marrying Jude." That is impossible. I don't even love him.
"What's so wrong with marrying Jude?" My mother asks.
"Everything mom. Diana is my sister. Are you forgetting that fact? And he's Diana's fiance. Not just fiance. They have been dating for two years now."
"There is no big deal about that. After all, in the past, if a man's wife is dead, the late wife's sister can marry the husband," says my father.
"Dad!" I yell. "Really? Diana isn't even dead. That is totally not relatable to what's happening here. Besides, that was in the past, not now." I can't believe he is bringing something like sororate marriage up when it's not connected or linked to us, our time or our tradition in any way.
"The past makes way for the present," he voices. "I would love for you to see it like that because she is gone. She is nowhere to be found and you will do as you're told."
I frown, my stomach churning. What exactly is going on? Diana runs away on her wedding day and now I'm being informed that I'm marrying Jude in her stead? This is ridiculous, and there is no way either Jude or Diana would accept this.
I run a hand through my hair, confused. "Have you spoken to Jude yet? Does he even know?"
"Yes. I think he has been informed by his parents."
"And he is okay with this?" Jude hates me, his actions say it, and the way he looks at me says it, so there is no way he would agree to this. In that case, I'm sure of escaping this cruel fate.
"That doesn't matter. The point is, the wedding is happening and you're his bride."
Diana wouldn't do this to Jude. She speaks every day of how much she loves him and there is no way she would be okay with me being his wife. She would really despise that.
I glance at my parents, but neither of them can face me. This... this can't be real. What does this even mean? For me? For Oliver and I?
"Marry him, or our family's reputation is ruined plus there will be no money to fund your business if you try to do anything stupid."
Is he going to pull that card right? He knows how badly I need that investment. I can't believe him right now. My mind sprints with conflicting emotions of shock, anger, and guilt. How could my sister do this to us? To me?
My scolding voice pierces the room. "How could she be so selfish? Leaving us to deal with the consequences of her actions!" My words sting but they know I am hurting. This can't be right.
I grab my phone and ring Diana again for the umpteenth time today but her line is switched off. It was ringing earlier, I'm sure she saw my texts and messages before switching off her phone. Diana had disappeared on her wedding day leaving a "I can't do this. Sorry" note. She was really looking forward to this day so why would she do that? What does she mean by "she can't do this"? Why would she do this to me?
"Let's give it time. It's probably just cold feet. She will get back into her right senses and show up." I try to fight my way out.
"I'm sorry," My mother says. But is she truly sorry? Or is this just her way of disguising her selfish desires? The only thing she cares about is the benefits this marriage provides. "I'm concerned about your sister's behavior, and I hope she doesn't look back on this with regret."
"She will, mom, there is no way Diana would agree to me marrying Jude," I speak with a firm but gentle tone. Of course, they know that. They're just too selfish to let their mind think about that.
"It will be alright, Yenisse," she squeezes my hand.
I scoff. Will it be alright if after the wedding she comes running back to Jude? What would be my fate? Is this another way to sabotage me? No, those questions shouldn't pop into my mind. I am not even entertaining the thought of marrying Jude, not even for a second.
"Can I at least talk to Oliver about this?" I plead with my parents.
"No! There is no time. Jude has been waiting for so long and the congregation is already spewing gibberish."
I feel trapped like my whole world is crashing down around me. Because of Diana's actions, I am going to lose and hurt the only person I ever loved. He is the only man who sees my worth and loves all parts of me. And how could my parents do this to me?
The mirror before me arrests my reflection, encouraging me to run away but there is no way to save myself. No, not with my parents here telling me what to do. Their reputation can as well burn to the ground. I will not sacrifice my life or the one I love for these selfish people who never loved me. I am ready to lose everything, but not Oliver.
"Please, I need a minute to think."
"There is no time." My mother's sharp response.
"Really? This is overwhelming. I just need a moment to myself."
My father looks at my mother and then returns his gaze to me. "Take your one minute and don't try to do anything stupid."
I smirk and nod in response.
"Your phone?" He holds out his palms in front of me and I roll my eyes before handing my phone to him.
As soon as they exit the room, I lock the door. Without even taking a breath, I look through my window and jump out of it - fleeing my fate.
Livia Dumont, a hardworking girl grappling with financial burdens and coupled with the workload of her new job, stumbles into Xavier Lexington in a complicated way. She is unaware that Xavier, is her aloof and seemingly indifferent boss who holds the key to both her professional fate and an unexpected twist in her personal life. Their initial interaction is marked with misunderstanding, and Livia unwittingly finds herself on the wrong foot with the enigmatic figure who signs her paychecks. In this accident of chance, Livia and Xavier learn that sometimes, starting off on the wrong foot can lead to the right kind of love. But is their right kind of love enough to withstand all the drama, secrets, controversies and betrayal that comes with it? Will it be enough to give them a fairy tale ending or will it crash into a tragic ending?
Vanessa was about to get engaged when she discovered that her groom-to-be was cheating on her with her own sister. Instead of creating a scene, she went to the club and hired the most desirable gigolo she found. After a wild night of passion, she gave him a generous check. "Thanks. I may require your services in the future." The gigolo was mad at her for being heartless, but Vanessa dismissed his words as an attempt to get her attention. It was only later, when she had to seek out the renowned Mr. Fuller to help with her business, that she realized the man she had slept with was no gigolo at all.
Betrayed by her mate and sister on the eve of her wedding, Makenna was handed to the ruthless Lycan Princes as a lover, her indifferent father ignoring her plight. Determined to escape and seek revenge, she captured the interest of the three Lycan princes, who desired her exclusively amid many admirers. This complicated her plans, trapping her and making her a rival to the future Lycan queen. Entwined in jealousy and vindictiveness, could Makenna achieve her vengeance in the intricate dance with the three princes?
At the office, Samantha is mouthy AF and hellbent on testing my patience. So you can imagine my surprise when my new personal assistant walks into my club with a very specific fantasy. When the man Samantha's paired with doesn't stick to the rules, I step in to take his place. Wearing a mask protects my identity, and soon the little wildcat from the office is telling me all her darkest secrets and fantasies. During the day, she gives me hell, but at night, she becomes my wounded kitten. I know I'm playing a dangerous game. She doesn't know I'm one of the heads of the Cosa Nostra. She doesn't know her boss and her nightly visitor is the same person. With my enemy on the attack and her past coming to haunt her, our secrets come out in the most explosive way possible, threatening to rip Samantha away from me. But my wildcat has another thing coming if she thinks I'll ever let go.
On her wedding night, Natalie's stepmother set her up to marry Jarvis, a disfigured and disabled man. Fortunately, she managed to escape, but little did she know that later she would fall for the man she was betrothed to.Jarvis pretended to be a poor man, but he didn't think that he'd fall head over heels for this woman.Their life went on until one day, Natalie found out her boyfriend's little secret."Huh? How could you have billions of dollars' worth of assets?" she asked in disbelief.Jarvis didn’t know how to respond.Being met with silence, she gritted her teeth angrily. "They said that you couldn't walk, but as far as I can see, you're strong enough to run a marathon."Still, he remained silent.Natalie continued, "They even said that you only have a few years to live. What about now?"Finally, Jarvis opened his mouth to explain. "Honey, this is all just a misunderstanding. Please calm down. Think about the baby.""Jarvis Braxton!"The man knelt down immediately.
Dear readers, this book has resumed daily updates. It took Sabrina three whole years to realize that her husband, Tyrone didn't have a heart. He was the coldest and most indifferent man she had ever met. He never smiled at her, let alone treated her like his wife. To make matters worse, the return of the woman he had eyes for brought Sabrina nothing but divorce papers. Sabrina's heart broke. Hoping that there was still a chance for them to work on their marriage, she asked, "Quick question,Tyrone. Would you still divorce me if I told you that I was pregnant?" "Absolutely!" he responded. Realizing that she didn't mean shit to him, Sabrina decided to let go. She signed the divorce agreement while lying on her sickbed with a broken heart. Surprisingly, that wasn't the end for the couple. It was as if scales fell off Tyrone's eyes after she signed the divorce agreement. The once so heartless man groveled at her bedside and pleaded, "Sabrina, I made a big mistake. Please don't divorce me. I promise to change." Sabrina smiled weakly, not knowing what to do...
The Lloyds' family had only one son, Xavier. He was a billionaire businessman. He was dubbed the "contemporary Midas." They call it the Xavier touch since every firm he owns succeeds. All of his business rivals would do anything, if not everything, to see him lose his touch. His father demanded that she marry soon, or he would find him a wife. But he had no desire to marry. Eunice Dawson, an illegitimate kid, has been living with her father and his family since her mother died. She stated that she intended to lead a normal life. However, things are growing more difficult. Her stepmother and half-sister are not fond of her. Her boyfriend, whom she thought loved her, abandoned her in favor of Irene, her step-sister. Her father was never angry with Irene, instead telling her to just let things go. that her lover was more interested in Irene than in her. She felt lonely and heartbroken. What is Xavier's reason for not desiring a wife? What would happen if Eunice ran away from her father's home?