She doesn't want anything to do with her past. He will stop at nothing to win her heart, even if it meant taking her back to her family. **** Two people with an intertwined past. A nasty secret that could cause everything to crumble down. And a former love rekindled. When the young tortured daughter of an ex mafia lord breaks off an engagement and runs away, hiding under a different identity. She believes that she's free from that shackle until she stumbles right back into the arms of the boy she left behind. Love is formed anew. Jealous flares and buried skeletons are being revealed. The question now is; Will Estella run away again before the storm catches up to her?
|TEN YEARS AGO|
I'd always been the odd one out of my family. And no, I wasn't talking about how I was the only person who loved to stay in the gardens although father had specifically warned me against it.
I meant how I looked different from my mother and sister, while they boasted of blonde hair and bright blue eyes with model like faces and body structure, I on the other hand, inherited frizzy chestnut colored hair and unnatural grey eyes. Father had always said that they reminded him of the sky when it was overcast but mother had directly told me that it was an ugly and murky color.
Either ways, I looked nothing like my mother and sister. Luckily, people always said that I had a great deal of resemblance to my father, that was the only assurance I had that I was not adopted or picked off from the streets.
"Come here, pompom," I cooed gently at the feline that had wrapped itself around the branch of the large tree in front of me.
Lately, the thought began to niggle at me. What if I was adopted? What if I was an illegitimate child? After all, I'd heard the whispers of the maids and other workers in the manor. They always looked at me the same, with pity.
"Oh, mama! I think this is beautiful!"
I recognized the voice instantly, turning my attention away from the stubborn cat and towards the walkway that led to the manor. I spotted mother and my sister, raising my hand to wave at them when I noticed the array of bags the maids carried as they trailed behind them.
The smile on my face fell slowly and my hands dropped to my side. I watched as my mother cooed and clapped at my sister. I watched as my sister twirled around, the sheer pink ball gown, that was undoubtedly new, she donned shimmering under the soft glow of the sunlight.
"You look gorgeous, my love!" Mother cheered in an ecstatic voice, her eyes filled with adoration for my younger sister, "Absolutely gorgeous!"
I remembered distinctly when I asked mother for a new set of clothes since I'd outgrown the ones I had and I could recall her response,
'If we bought clothes simply because we got too fat for our previous ones then we wouldn't have a roof over our heads, would we?'
Of course, like the good girl that I was, I nodded in agreement but now, watching them as they twirled and rejoiced over their new outfits I couldn't help the pain I felt in my heart.
My eyes slowly fell to the crème colored gown I wore, it was way past my knee, rumpled after having seen too many days and was too tight at the bodice, however it was the only decent wear I had. It was given to me by one of the maids when she saw how small my other clothes appeared on my body.
'You're a growing child,' She muttered with tears in her eyes and bitter frustration in her tone as she searched through her bags for a outfit, 'Of course, you need new clothes. What's Mr. Cruz doing anyways?'
Although she muttered the last part to herself, I caught it but pretended not to hear. I'd stopped wondering why my father never paid me much attention, maybe like mother he couldn't stand the sight of me.
I swallowed the lump that had somehow gotten stuck in my throat, lifting my gaze towards the sky to prevent the tears from falling.
"Pompom?" My voice shook as I called, lifting my arms towards my cat, "Please, come down."
You see, I would have put up with it. I would've ignored their harsh words and cruel treatment. I would've ignored the hitting and getting locked up in the cellar for days on end. I would've ignored everything because I desperately wanted to cling on to my family and because maybe deep inside, I had hope that one day, mother would look at me and smile too.
But it wasn't going to happen. I was never going to get that chance.
'You're getting married.'
My father had broken the news to me last night and the ceremony was scheduled to hold a week from now. I had no idea who the groom was or why I was going to become a wife at fourteen. But when I saw the cruel smirk on mother's face and the joyful grin on my sister's face.
I was convinced then. I didn't belong here, no matter how much I tried. I wasn't her daughter because no parent would treat their child the way mother did me.
"Good girl," I whispered when Pompom managed to untangle herself from the tree, jumping into my arms, "Very good girl."
As I stroked Pompom's soft fur, I decided in my heart then. I wasn't going to get married against my will and I wasn't going to put up with a family that didn't need me.
I was going to leave, run as far away as I can get and never look back. It was the only thing I could do to survive.
I doubted they would even notice my absence if I was gone. The only thing they would feel is embarrassment at having to cancel the wedding because of a missing bride.
"Come on, Pompom," I muttered to the feline and her ears perked in response, "We have a grand escape to plan."
The cat meowed in response, swinging her furry tail this way and that. I smiled at the reaction, stroking her fur and she snuggled closer to me.
"Where do you think we should go, Pom?" I whispered in a tone low enough for only our ears.
Pompom meowed again, stretching her back and then curling into a ball in my hands. My lips quirked and I looked upwards, gazing at the horizon in the distance.
"Well, I know where," I continued in a soft voice, my eyes drifting faraway, reminiscent of the place that I constantly marked on the globe back in my room, "America. Let's go to America, Pompom."
Pompom made a quiet sound and I took that as an agreement, my smile growing wider. It was settled then,
America, it is.
"I'll give you two options, the choice is yours to make." She scoffed, "And what is that?" A cruel smirk lit up his face, "Simple, either watch me rip off each of your brothers heads or you become my mate. The choice is yours." ****** All her life, Alyssa has only ever known the love and care given by her family and pack. She's never had a reason to be terrified for the future. When a self-proclaimed tyrant seizes their peaceful pack, everything changes for the worse. With her life and entire future in his hands, Alyssa must now decide; Either she dances with the devil or risks losing everything she cares about. Soon, she discovers that all roses come with thorns and this time, the sharpest one was aimed at her heart.
She stared at him with hooded eyes, heated breaths mingling in the air between them, "If you agree to this, there's no turning back." His fingers dug into the curve of her ass and she mewled helplessly, "So tell me, flower. Do you agree?" As she gazed into his dark orbs, a fiery passion ignited within her chest. She wanted this, wanted him. But most all, she wanted to forget. "Yes," She replied breathlessly, pressing her bare breasts into his hard chest, "Yes, I agree." *********** Aurora is the perfect little princess, or so everyone thinks. She is smart, beautiful, a ballet prodigy and is also from an affluent family. All her life, Aurora has always been told what to do, how to act and even down to what she should eat. Her overbearing mother constantly dictates how she should live her life. In the eyes of everyone, she is little miss perfect. But little did they know, she was hiding a secret. A big one. And it came in the form of a devilishly handsome boxer.
Maya Greenley has always been a hopeless romantic, or at least that's what her best friends tell her. Between acing her classes and preparing for post-grad school, Maya doesn't have time for 'romance'. That is until she sees Alexander Grey, a mysterious but swoon-worthy man with dark eyes and a wickedly charming smile. Maya knows she shouldn't feel anything towards him, it was wrong, forbidden even and he was absolutely off-limits. And it was because the charming man is not only years older than Maya, He's also her Psychology professor.
Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"
After three loveless years, Neil's betrayal deeply wounded Katelyn. She wasted no time in getting rid of that scoundrel! After the divorce, she devoted herself to career pursuits. Rising to prominence as a top designer, skilled doctor, and brilliant hacker, she became a revered icon. Neil, realizing his grave mistake, tried in vain to win her back, only to witness her magnificent wedding to another. As their vows were broadcast on the world's largest billboard, Vincent slid a ring onto Katelyn's finger and declared, "Katelyn is now my wife, a priceless treasure. Let all who covet her beware!"
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
Cathryn, an orphan with no family ties to Grayson, regarded him only as family. He, however, valued her as a precious jewel. From their very first encounter, Cathryn's destiny was intertwined with his. Once lonely and desiring affection, she was ensnared by his love, unable to break free. Eventually, she managed to escape his emotional clutches. Shockingly, she had fallen for someone else. Grayson confronted her sharply. "How could you feel for another?" Unable to meet his eyes, she whispered, "You're family. I can't..." Looking down, he pressed further. "You can't, or you wouldn’t dare?"
"It was just one night stand, and now I'm pregnant with triplets? Gosh!" Josephine Jade never thought that she would have to run away from her own family while pregnant. She was alone, without money, without connections, with three fetuses in her stomach. How can she survive? However, Josephine couldn't give up now, until she managed to reclaim her arbitrarily seized property and get back at everyone who tried to get rid of her. A sick child, a past crush that comes back, a mysterious eccentric man, and a family that hates her, will weave together the journey of Josephine Jade's new life. "You have no right to separate me from my children, you bastard! I will survive and you will submit to me. Just watch!"
Belinda thought after divorce, they would part ways for good - he could live his life on his own terms, while she could indulge in the rest of hers. However, fate had other plans in store. "My darling, I was wrong. Would you please come back to me?" The man, whom she once loved deeply, lowered his once proud head humbly. "I beg you to return to me." Belinda coldly pushed away the bouquet of flowers he had offered her and coolly replied, "It's too late. The bridge has been burned, and the ashes have long since scattered to the wind!"