A one-night stand with a mysterious stranger leaves Kimberly pregnant, but when she tracks the supposed father, she discovers he's none other than the cold-hearted billionaire, Nicholas Reid. He ruthlessly denies the child, dismissing her as nothing but trouble. Determined to make him take responsibility, Kimberly goes public with her story, igniting a scandal that threatens Nicholas's position as CEO. To save his reputation, he's forced to take drastic measures: marry Kimberly, with plans to divorce after the baby is born. Living under the same roof, their clash of wills grows intense. But as secrets unravel and sparks ignite, will they survive this loveless arrangement, or will the actions of their one night together change them both forever?
KIMBERLY
The shrill ring of my alarm jolted me awake, and I shot up in bed, my heart pounding. A quick glance at my phone made my stomach drop.
"Crap! I'm late!"
I tossed the covers off, rushing into the bathroom. No time for a proper shower-I splashed cold water on my face, brushed my teeth like my life depended on it, and yanked a brush through my tangled hair.
A glance in the mirror made me wince. Dark circles under my eyes, hair half-tamed...not exactly my best look. But there was no time to worry about that now.
Grabbing whatever clothes I could find, I threw them on-thank God it was casual Friday. Sneakers instead of heels today.
I shoved a granola bar into my bag and sprinted out the door, praying I'd somehow make it to the office without looking completely disheveled.
I hopped into my car and drove as fast as I could.
"Ugh! Move your damn car you c*nt!" I yelled out in frustration to the driver in front of me. He was too slow.
The streets were already busy, which only added to my already built-in frustration. Why did it feel like every car, every pedestrian was out to slow me down today?
By the time I finally burst into the office building, I was breathless, my shirt slightly wrinkled, and my hair a complete mess. Great. Just great.
As I pushed through the doors, I immediately noticed something was off. The usual hum of the office was replaced with... laughter? Excited chatter?
I frowned, walking in to find balloons, streamers, and a crowd gathered around Jessica's desk.
"What the-?" I muttered, trying to catch my breath. Did I miss some kind of memo?
Before I could process what was happening, Jessica spotted me from across the room. Her eyes lit up, and she rushed over, practically bouncing with excitement.
"Kimberly! You're finally here!" she exclaimed, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the crowd.
"Wait-what's going on?" I asked, still a little dazed from my frantic morning.
Jessica grinned from ear to ear. "I got promoted! Can you believe it? I'm officially the new Senior Marketing Manager!"
The pieces clicked into place, and I felt a wave of guilt for not remembering sooner.
Jessica had been working her ass off for this promotion, staying late almost every night. I should've been more prepared to celebrate, not showing up like a tornado that just ripped through a thrift store.
"That's amazing, Jess!" I said, forcing a smile despite my internal chaos. "You deserve it!"
"I know, right?" She was practically glowing with excitement. "We're going out tonight to celebrate. Club Vortex. And you, my dear, are definitely coming."
I blinked, still trying to recover from my mad dash to the office. "Uh, I don't know if-"
"No excuses," Jessica cut me off, waving her hand dismissively. "You've been cooped up for too long. You need to let loose. Trust me, it's going to be fun."
I sighed, running a hand through my already messy hair. "Fine, fine. I'll be there."
"Good," she said with a wink. "And tonight, you're not allowed to be the responsible one. It's time for you to let go for once."
I laughed softly, shaking my head. "Yeah, we'll see about that."
Jessica gave me a playful nudge before returning to her sea of congratulations.
Just then, Katie, one of the random workers at the office called out to me.
"Miss Ross, your attention is needed in the file room." She said.
"Fine. I'll be there shortly".
Hours later...
4:30pm...
"Hey, don't forget about the celebration tonight, Kim. At the club." Jessica said as she escorted me to my car.
"Do I really have to? I mean, they literally threw a party for you to celebrate."
"Come on, don't be a party pooper. Loosen up. Let's have some fun."
"But-"
"No buts. Infact, I'm gonna follow you home."
"Why?"
"To ensure that you'll follow me out to celebrate."
"Jess, I-"
"Nuh-uh." Jessica said, while nodding. "Let's go."
She entered the passenger's seat of my car.
I smacked my palm on my forehead in frustration.
"Ugh! You're unbelievable!" I said, annoyed.
"That's why you love me. Drive. Let's go to your house."
"Fine." I said, as I revved up the engine and drove off swiftly.
Soon, we arrived at my place.
"Hmm... cozy as always." Jessica said, as she sat on my sofa. She stared at me smugly. "Don't just stand there! Get dressed!"
I sighed.
"But, I don't have anything to wear."
Jessica scoffed. "You're kidding right?"
She walked towards my closet and started shuffling through my clothes.
"No... nah... this one is dead already... too casual... not club material... She continued to say, as she threw the clothes on my bed.
Jessica stopped, eyes wide as she pulled out a sleek, crimson dress. Her jaw practically dropped.
"Oh my God! Kim! You have this dress!? It's sexy asf!"
I glanced at the dress, already feeling my face heat up. "It's not really my style. It'll show too much skin, Jess."
She held the dress up in front of me, Red, and extremely short. The thin spaghetti straps and dangerously low back caught the light. "Um, hello? You're going to a club, not some church or something..."
"Jess!" I protested, shaking my head.
"What?" She rolled her eyes, pushing the dress against my body. "Wear this. In fact, you don't have a say. You're wearing this."
"But-"
"No buts!" She shoved the dress into my hands, crossing her arms. "Trust me, you're gonna look hot."
I hesitated, glancing at the plunging neckline and how the fabric clung in all the right places.
"Jess, this is... a bit much."
"Exactly. It's the point. Now go change before I make you!"
"Fine!"
I stared at myself in the mirror, unsure if this was really happening. The dress was nothing short of scandalous, the deep red fabric clinging to every inch of my body, exposing more skin than I ever thought I'd show.
Jessica's eyes gleamed as she stepped back to admire me. "Damn, Kim. You look incredible. Seriously. You could shut down the entire club in that."
I tugged at the hem, trying to cover more, but it was useless. "This feels... too much."
She laughed. "Too much? You'll be the hottest girl in the club. Trust me."
I bit my lip, my nerves still getting the better of me. "And what are you wearing?"
Jessica grinned and pulled a sleek black mini dress from her bag. "I always come prepared. Had a spare dress in case of emergencies. Mind if I borrow a pair of your shoes?"
"Yeah, sure," I mumbled, still not fully convinced by my own reflection.
She quickly slipped into her dress and found a pair of heels from my closet, effortlessly pulling off the look like she'd been planning it all along.
"Alright," she said, twirling the car keys in her hand. "Let's go."
I nodded affirmatively, and we hurried out the door, entered the car and drove off.
The cool night air hit my bare skin.
"This is going to be a long night." I muttered silently.
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Lily Hart has lived her life in the shadow of her father's ambitions, expected to follow the rules laid out by her powerful family. Engaged to Victor Langston-a cold, controlling heir to a massive fortune-Lily's heart rebels against the idea of a loveless marriage. But when Evan Brooks, a brooding and mysterious man from her family's past, reappears, her world is turned upside down. Evan is no longer the humble gardener she once knew. He has returned from abroad, wealthy, self-assured, and harboring secrets that could bring the Hart family to its knees. When he sets his sights on Lily, the sparks between them ignite a passionate, forbidden affair that she can't resist. As Lily's heart is torn between duty and desire, she must decide: will she bow to her father's demands and marry Victor, or risk everything for Evan?
June, a young, and free-spirited girl with dreams and aspirations is torn, when she is forced to leave her home to a new town called Silverbrooke, a town in which her father came from. As she navigates through Silverbrooke, June finds herself in a world filled with fantasies and mysteries. Something enchanting and unexpected happens when June is faced with a striking truth. Now, she must decide whether to embrace her destiny or reject it, risking the unraveling of her carefully constructed life. What will June discover about her true identity and destiny as she navigates the enchanting world of Silverbrooke? Will she embrace her newfound fate?
Hilda Thompson, an independent young woman, finds herself thrust into an arranged marriage with the possessive and enigmatic billionaire Alexander Hartman in order to save her father's crushing company. As Hilda tries to navigate the complexities of their relationship, she must confront her desires while being held captive by the controlling grip of her billionaire husband. Will Hilda be able to break free from Alexander's possessive hold and discover true love, or will she remain trapped in a marriage devoid of passion and freedom?
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Ivy Rosalia Jones, a young and beautiful doctor working at a suburban hospital, is determined to marry a man she met through a blind date, even though he is paralyzed. Actually, the marriage was meant to be symbolic, with both of them intending not to interfere in each other's affairs after the wedding. However, Ivy never expected that she would end up marrying the most influential man in the world. Shawn Dyxon Tate, Ivy's husband, has no intention of letting his beautiful wife go. Once she entered his life, he made a decision to spoil her and gave her the world she never had.
Beta Black had clarified that he would never take a mate, but following his beliefs was becoming increasingly difficult because Wolf could not resist their mutual attraction. Once he touched and tasted the beautiful Aileen, the wolf couldn't help but want her his mate. Can one night give two people what they so desperately want, or will the reality of who they are tear them apart?
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”
My family was on the poverty line and had no way to support me in college. I had to work part-time every day just to make ends meet and afford to get into the university. That was when I met her—the pretty girl in my class that every boy dreamt of asking out. I was well aware she was out of my league. Nevertheless, I mustered all my courage and bravely told her that I had fallen for her. To my surprise, she agreed to be my girlfriend. With the sweetest smile I had ever seen, she told me that she wanted my first gift for her to be the latest and top-of-the-line iPhone. I worked like a dog and even did my classmates’ laundry to save up. My hard work eventually paid off after a month. I finally got to buy what she wanted. But as I was wrapping my gift, I saw her in the dressing room, making out with the captain of the basketball team. She then heartlessly made fun of my inadequacy and made a fool out of me. To make things worse, the guy whom she cheated on me with even punched me in the face. Desperation washed over me, but there was nothing I could do but lie on the floor as they trampled on my feelings. But then, my father called me out of the blue, and my life turned upside down. It turned out that I was a billionaire's son.
Emberly, an esteemed scientist of the Imperial Federation, took her own life after completing important research. She was reborn, and just like in her first life, she was born into a wealthy family. She could’ve lived a carefree and prosperous life. However, the babies got mixed up in the hospital and she was taken home by another family from the countryside. Her foster parents later found out the truth and brought her to her real family, but they didn’t like her. Her evil adopted sister even loathed her. She was framed and ultimately, she died in prison. But in her next life, she refused to stay a coward and swore she would take revenge on all who wronged her. She would only care about those who were truly good to her and turn a blind eye to her heartless family. In one life, she had once experienced darkness and been trampled upon like an ant. In another, she had stood on top of the world. This time, she only wished to live for herself. As if a switch had gone on inside of her, she suddenly became the best at everything she put her mind to. He won the math contest, topped the college entrance exams, and solved an age old question... Later, she garnered countless scientific research achievements. People who had once slandered her and looked down on her cried bitterly and begged her for a patent authorization. She just sneered at them. No way! This was a world without faith, but the world put their faith in her. Austin, the heir to a powerful aristocratic family in the imperial capital, was cold-hearted and decisive. He scared anyone who laid eyes on him. Unbeknownst to everyone, he doted on one woman: Emberly. Nobody knew that his desire for her grew stronger with every passing day. She brought light to his originally dull and gloomy life.