Sophia Ysabelle, 26 years old, accepted the life-changing deal of marrying the famous billionaire, Daniel Kelley, not for his money but his name. They have different reasons for marrying each other. Daniel needs a woman to pretend as his wife to get the biggest investment for their company, which will lead them to the top-grossing company in the whole state of California. While Sophia needs someone 'powerful' on her back while still seeking justice for what happened to her in the past. But there is a big problem between the two of them, they couldn't stand alone in one place facing each other. Daniel is a cold and arrogant billionaire with a smile as precious as a diamond, and who already put her under his judgement from the very first time they met. And Sophia is a stubborn yet resilient woman who never backs down from anyone's judgement, not even from her future husband's rudeness. But in the end, will she tell him the real reason for marrying him? When he finds out the truth, will he continue to judge her? Will he be able to protect her from her dark past or he will just remain a cold and arrogant husband towards her? "Never judge someone without knowing the whole story. You may think you understand, but you don't"
Sophia's POV:
A long, deep sigh escaped my lips as I checked my wristwatch for not knowing how many times. I've been sitting inside the coffee shop for almost forty-five minutes, but I still can't catch a glimpse of the person who sent me a message yesterday... Mr Daniel Kelley. He is the CEO of Kelley International Corporation, my 'so-called' fiancé and a husband to be three weeks from now.
He said he wanted us to meet and see each other personally before announcing our engagement party next week. I agreed, so I cancelled my first practice appointment just to meet him.
Maybe someone would get confused about the engagement party. How can two people get engaged without knowing each other or without even seeing each other? Well, this is just a contractual marriage, so to be intimate with each other isn't necessary. We just need to be in this marriage for a year and after that, we'll go in our separate ways again.
"Ten minutes. No, five minutes. Five more minutes and if he still doesn't show up, I'm gonna leave and I won't show up until the engagement party." I murmured in a low voice as I wandered my eyes around the restaurant.
And to get myself busy while waiting for another minute, I put my earphones back and listened to my new dance music downloaded from my phone and continued to create new dance moves in my head.
I was already indulged in the music and enjoying the beat when I noticed that someone was standing in front of me. I removed my earphones and looked up to see a tall, handsome man in a dark suit.
The first thing I noticed was his eyes, they were cold and you can never see even a single emotion on them. It's like you're looking at an emotionless man.
"Sophia."
My breath hitched at the sound of his voice, so cold yet so sexy. And the way he mentioned my name sent shivers down my spine.
"Yes. Are you Mr Kelley?"
I asked, straightening my seat as I looked him directly in the eye. He didn't answer my question, instead, he pulled the chair across my seat and settled himself comfortably without leaving his eyes on me. It's kinda odd and creepy, but I held my breath and fought the urge not to look away.
"Mr Kelley, right?" I asked again, but just like my first attempt, I still got no answer.
I was about to ask him if he's kinda deaf when he finally opened his mouth.
"Tell me, Sophia, how much money did my mother offer you to accept this agreement?"
I was taken aback by his question. I didn't expect him to ask me such a question. That was what they called NOT beating around the bush. Straightforward. Straight to the point and without even saying 'Hi', 'Hey' or whatever.
"What? I-I'm sorry?" I asked to clarify what I heard.
"Come on, Sophia. I just wanna know how much money my Mom offered you for this deal?"
I gulped at the way he stared at me like I was some kind of dirt.
"How did you meet her and how did you ask her to choose you to portray this act?"
I chuckled sarcastically right after he finished his question.
"Excuse me, Mr Kelley? But for your information, your mother hasn't offered me even a single cent from your family's bank account!"
"So, what do you mean? Did you just accept this deal with nothing in return? Oh, come on, Ms Sophia, I'm a businessman and you can never fool me like what you did to my Mom!"
I formed my fists into a ball and tried to calm my raging nerves. How dare this man insult me with his money? But instead of shouting and giving him a death glare, I smiled. A smile that I'm sure would get into his nerves.
"Is that why you wanted to meet me, Mr Daniel Kelley? Just to insult me and throw in my face that all I wanted was just your money?"
"Why, isn't that your reason why you agree with this? So, tell me how much do you need---"
"Then what? Are you going to tell me to back off and cancel the deal?" I chuckled again, shaking my head. "Listen here, Daniel Kelley! Not all things in this world have a price and can buy with your shiny-shimmering cards or with your precious money inside your pants!"
I brought my face closer to him and I didn't miss how he was surprised by my action.
"For once and for all, your Mom didn't offer me a single penny! In fact, she asked me for help. To help her older son and act as his wife for a year! And yes, I have a reason for marrying you, but it's too far from the money! So, just tell me directly if you don't want me to marry you and stop throwing insults and judgements at me! Or if you want, you can talk to your mother, because I didn't insist on this wedding!"
I stood up and took my bag from the table, but then I remembered something that I had to tell him.
"Tsk.Tsk.Tsk. Daniel Kelley. Yes, you're handsome, you have broad shoulders, sexy and a perfect husband material for your looks..."
His mouth slightly opened as his eyes widened a bit.
"But you know one thing I've realized? I realized that no matter how good looking you are, it's the opposite of your attitude! It stinks! You need to shower more than three times a day all year round!"
I saw how he was taken aback by my last sentence, but I didn't wait for him to respond. I left him open-mouthed and walked my way towards the entrance of the coffee shop. I don't care what he thinks of me after this. If he doesn't want me to become his contractual wife, then that's fine. But I don't need his insults. I've suffered a lot of insults and judgements before, I don't want more this time.
When I reached my car, I let out a deep sigh and a silent prayer as it started raining outside. It's like raining cats and dogs and now clouding my windshield. I started the engine as I have no choice but to drive in this heavy rain. If only I had known that this was going to be the result of my almost an hour of waiting, I wouldn't have had to wait for him. No, I shouldn't have agreed to meet him.
What I said was true, yes I accepted the deal but it's not for money, but his last name, his family name. I need to do it, 'cause I have no choice left when his mother offered the contract.
~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~
Flashback:
I was in the parking lot of the mall and walking towards my car when I noticed the figure following me behind. I turned around just to stuck on my feet. I couldn't believe I saw the last man I wanted to see or should I say, the man I never wanted to see ever again. The man who almost ruined my life in the past. Joseph De Luca.
"Guarda chi c'è? Finalmente ti ho trovato, amore mio." (Look who's here? Finally, I found you my love) he said grinning maliciously.
"Don't call me your love, you bastard!" I shouted at him as goosebumps started to creep all over my body.
"Esuberante." he chuckled. "Non sei ancora cambiato. Come stai, amore mio?" (Feisty. You haven't changed yet. How are you, my love?)
"Ho detto di non chiamarmi amore, cazzo! Bastardo!" (I said don't fucking call me 'love'! You bastard!)
He smirked and took a step towards me, and I began to step backwards. My heart was pounding inside my chest.
"Dai, non ti manco? (Come on, don't you miss me?"
"Non mi mancherà mai la tua fottuta facia in tutta la mia vita!" ( I won't ever miss your fucking face, in my entire life!)
And I run to my car. I was about to open the door when I felt a hand over my hand. And the next thing I know, I was slammed into the car door with his lips on my neck.
"Let me go! You're fucking bastard! Don't you dare touch me!" I tried to push him but he's so strong, so I just screamed at the top of my lungs. "Help! Somebody help me!" I gathered all my strength and pushed him, but not without giving him a hard slap.
He touched the area where my hand landed and smirked at me... then it turned into a demonic laugh.
I was catching my breath as I watched him laugh at me. I can't believe I've seen him again after a long time and in all the possible places, here in California. Italy is too far from here, but why does fate bring this bastard here?
"Who would have thought that after all these years, we will meet again, amore mio? Why did you leave Italy? I've been searching for you everywhere. Do you see this? Do you still remember this?"
He pointed to the long scar on his neck. His face became serious which added to the anxiety that was creeping me at that moment.
"This is the fucking reason why I looked for you! I almost travelled all over Europe just to find you! But why didn't you inform me that you're just hiding here in California?"
"You're a son of a bitch! If you think you can escape what you did to me six years ago, then you're wrong!"
"Ohh... mia cara Ysabelle, ma non hai prove delle tue accuse!" ( Ohh, my dear Ysabelle, but you have no proof of your accusations.)
"Yes, but I swear to God, Joseph! When I get strong evidence against you, you're going to grow old and die inside the prison!"
"Ohh..tsk.tsk tsk. It's been six years, amore mio. Don't you feel tired? Why don't you give me now the gift you refused to give me before?"
"Fuck you!" I shuddered at the thought of giving him myself to him. "I'm getting married, so fuck off!"
He narrowed his eyes on me, but before he could speak, we heard someone's voice behind and three men in white uniforms, appeared in our sight.
"What's happening here? Sophia, are you okay?" Mrs Kelley came up to us.
Joseph looked at the three men in front of him and turned his gaze on me.
"Non abbiamo ancora finito, amore mio! Quando ci rivedremo, mi assicurerò di prenderti e renderti completamente mio!" he said with a glare before he walked away from us. (We're not done yet, my love! When we meet again, I'll make sure to take you and make you completely mine!)
"Huh!" I closed my eyes and let out the heavy breath I had been holding earlier.
"Are you okay, Sophia?" she patted me on the shoulder and I looked at her with tears in my eyes.
"I'm okay, Mrs Kelley. Thank you for helping me."
"But I didn't do anything."
"No, ma'am. You helped me escape from that man and thank you so much for that."
"Sophia, if you don't mind, may I ask who was that man earlier? And what did he say before he left?"
"He said, we're not done yet. And when sees me again, he'll surely take me and make me completely his."
"Oh my God! Why did he say that? Was he your boyfriend before or your boyfriend now? But you said you're single, right?"
"Yes ma'am, I'm single and he's neither my ex nor my boyfriend, and that's never going to happen. I'll choose to die rather than seeing myself with him." I looked into her eyes to see what her reaction would be if I told her the truth. "He tried to rape me six years ago."
"Oh, my holy Christ!" her eyes widened in shock and I just gave her a sad smile.
A high-society romance where pretense turned into reality. Van, the heir to a top-tier fortune and a regular on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, had been mocked for being perpetually single, with even rumors swirling about his "dysfunction." Winnie, a Hollywood superstar desperate to escape her constant barrage of scandals, encountered this billionaire worth tens of billions. To her surprise, Van presented her with an unexpected proposal: "Pretend to date me for a year. You won't have to do anything else. I'll pay you $100 million after taxes." She planned to laugh it off but couldn't ignore the man's chiseled features-the way his shadowed face was lit up as he casually raised an eyebrow and lit a cigarette in the glow of firelight, his voice steady and laced with danger. She remembered their first meeting in a torrential downpour-the man reclining in a silver Maybach, eyes half-closed, exuding charm yet utterly unattainable. She also remembered later, when everyone had believed him to be unshakable and untouchable, he had appeared alone, worn and weary, at her remote desert film set, quietly asking: "Do you really have to shoot this kiss scene?" Behind this contract lay something far deeper than money-a fixation, a love that had turned real, or perhaps an irresistible force neither of them had recognized. $100 million had set the stage for a high-stakes battle of love and hate that would ultimately unravel.
She is a wealthy and wealthy woman renowned in New York, and he is a financial tycoon in Washington. Their marriage is a family alliance without any emotional connection. In order to cultivate this love, she hid her identity and entered her husband's company, but unexpectedly, the first thing she did at work was the sexual hidden rules of her immediate supervisor.
'Sir, this card is rejected either!" Vanessa's eyes crossed with a trace of pity. Such a beautiful man was a penniless vagrant. But, luckily, he met her. Vanessa was worried about how to spend the 100,000 dollars, or her brother would nag her again. So she handed the card over directly, 'Use this." Aaron Anderson looked down and saw a fair arm stretched out from behind him. The girl was extremely good-looking, just looked cold. He raised an eyebrow, and for the first time in his life, he had the illusion of being a kept man.
Aviva~~~ I sat on the ground looking at the sight in front of me. I cried again and again. "Why did you leave us?"I screamed to the top of my lungs. " why us" I screamed a gain this time my lungs felt painful but not compared to my heart. " why did you have to leave us?"I said in lower tone this time lowering my head and looking down at the grave. I just couldn't understand life or was it fate? It took from us the most loved person. "Why did you have to leave us miserable with no support dad?" I said looking down at his grave. The grave I was sitting at the moment hopping that my dad could comeback and live happy with us like how we used to be. Hoping that at least my dad could come and take me to where he went up there Hoping that when I go back home everything could go back to where they were before my dad died.
Introduction: She was the daughter of a plutocrat, an elite with multiple identities, known and respected by everyone; she was a young girl from a rich family, who was peacocky and shameless, loathed by all. After being reborn as her, she defeated the bad man and the angelic bitch, took revenge on the bad guy who killed her, married the noblest man, got into the sweetest relationship, and stunned the world! Reporter, "Mr. Leach, what is your favourite thing in the world?" Benson, "Jill." Reporter, "Mr. Leach, what do you like to do most every day?" Benson smiled, "Sleeping with Jill in my arms at night." Juliana: ...
Kadin and Billy, two young pupils, got hold of a notebook with a mysterious scribbling in it after a professor was assaulted and maybe murdered for it. Looking for answers and starting to fall in love Billy falls into the hands of the devils. Kadin runs into the dangerous prophet that manipulates everyone with supernatural powers. Desperate to save the brave Billy she fell madly in love with she runs for help by the people they shared the mystery of the script with and they devise a risky and desperate plan to deceive the Devil. She negotiates with the Devil alone and takes a huge risk trying to trick him. Their lives hang on a thread as Kadin tries her best to navigate the dangers. The curse follows them home and now their families are also in danger. They are oblivious of the fact that the future of the world as we know it hangs on a thread and that the danger is far bigger than they can imagine in their wildest dreams. Join Billy and Kadin to try and unravel the mystery before the peril is divulged when even more sinister characters knock on their front door.
After three secretive years of marriage, Eliana never met her enigmatic husband until she was served with divorce papers and learned of his extravagant pursuit of another. She snapped back to reality and secured a divorce. Thereafter, Eliana unveiled her various personas: an esteemed doctor, legendary secret agent, master hacker, celebrated designer, adept race car driver, and distinguished scientist. As her diverse talents became known, her ex-husband was consumed by remorse. Desperately, he pleaded, "Eliana, give me another chance! All my properties, even my life, are yours."
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."
The day Raina gave birth should have been the happiest of her life. Instead, it became her worst nightmare. Moments after delivering their twins, Alexander shattered her heart-divorcing her and forcing her to sign away custody of their son, Liam. With nothing but betrayal and heartbreak to her name, Raina disappeared, raising their daughter, Ava, on her own.Years later, fate comes knocking when Liam falls gravely ill. Desperate to save his son, Alexander is forced to seek out the one person he once cast aside. Alexander finds himself face to face with the woman he underestimated, pleading for a second chance-not just for himself, but for their son. But Raina is no longer the same broken woman who once loved him.No longer the woman he left behind. She has carved out a new life-one built on strength, wealth, and a long-buried legacy she expected to uncover.Raina has spent years learning to live without him.The question is... Will she risk reopening old wounds to save the son she never got to love? or has Alexander lost her forever?
For ten years, Daniela showered her ex-husband with unwavering devotion, only to discover she was just his biggest joke. Feeling humiliated yet determined, she finally divorced him. Three months later, Daniela returned in grand style. She was now the hidden CEO of a leading brand, a sought-after designer, and a wealthy mining mogul—her success unveiled at her triumphant comeback. Her ex-husband’s entire family rushed over, desperate to beg for forgiveness and plead for another chance. Yet Daniela, now cherished by the famed Mr. Phillips, regarded them with icy disdain. "I’m out of your league."
"You're my wife in name only, on paper only. My heart and love will never be yours." Edward made it clear to Daisy that she was nothing to him. They were both victims of family greed -- the marriage was arranged for them. Six years passed. She remained quiet, gaining a reputation in the army as a tough-as-nails colonel. When she walked into his life again, Edward fell in love with this woman, unlike any he had known. She surprised and delighted him. But will Daisy take him back? Can their son keep them together? Can the rift between them be healed? Pick this one up and find out!
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.