What ties connect her past to her wedding night of a forced marriage with this stranger?
" You will be wed to the Earl of Valthems in a fortnight"
The announcement caused Blair's face to go pale. Horrified, she sat still, at loss for words. If it had been any other person, she would have accused him of jesting, but her father, the Earl of Winrook, never jested, talk more of such a matter. He would grin, yes, but those grins were even more frightening than his frowns, like a wolf flashing its teeth before and attack.
" The wedding will take place in the countryside", he went on. " I've asked..
" I don't want to", Blair said, finally finding her voice though still trembling.
Her father paused but then continued as if she hadn't uttered a word. " I've asked your Aunt, Lady Monique, and your sister, Beryl to see to the preparations. I'll be dropping by at..."
" Father, I don't want to be wed, I don't even know the Earl of Valthems", she spoke louder this time getting on her feet.
" Well you seemed to have enjoyed his company last night ", he pointed out stone faced. Blair frowned.
Indeed she had enjoyed dancing with the Earl last night at Lord Edward's ball. He was a good dancer after all and never stepped on her shoes, which was more than she could say about more than half of the young gentlemen in the county. He was a good listener too and even quite amusing.
Now, she no longer found him so. He probably acted wonderful on purpose to charm her, and what a fool she had turned out to be, falling for his charms . If only she had known then, that he was plotting to marry her, she wouldn't have dancer with him at all!
" You WILL marry the Earl of Valthems, what you wish is of no importance", her father said with a tone of finality.
" Do you not care for my happiness? I am your daughter!"
" Yes, you are my daughter and you will do as I say. Do you think this is the first time a woman is being wed to a man not of her choosing?"
She stared at him defiantly, her jaw clenched and her eyebrows narrowed. She had a lot of things to say, she wanted to scream but instead she just picked up the hems of her skirt and marched out of the room.
" I don't recall dismissing you, or do you want to be sent to bed without any supper?"
She ignored him.
" You should the grateful, the Earl of Valthems..."
The rest of the sentence remained in the study, behind the door which she pushed shut with such strength that the chandelier in the hall shook. She didn't care, as she made her way up to the staircase with a scowl on her face.
Grateful for what? For being given away like a pig to the butcher, with her opinion being of no significance? Her gowns were chosen for her. Her meals. Her books. Her friends. Must her husband be chosen for her too? She was aware of how rare love marriages were in the county. Still, she had hoped to choose her husband, or at least be consulted on the matter.She was twenty two after all and not some teenager. In fact she had begun to wonder if she was going to remain a spinster like her Aunt Marinette.
She never wanted to be a spinster. She thought they were all pretentious, pretending to be fortunate that they had not ended up marrying, pretending they were strong enough to have been able to resist a man's charms, when they actually secretly pined for a man's touch.
Yes, she had always dreamed of marrying and having kids and watching them play in the garden while she knitted or sipped tea. But not like this.
When Jennie gets invited to the wedding of the gorgeous, rich ,sexy and outrightly perfect high school frenemy, Latesha Bogart, she has to do everything to prove that her life isn't in fact as miserable as it already is. This includes a whole list of lies and a hired fiancé, will she be able to pull it off? Or will the thin string holding her facade together, rip right in the middle of everything?
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
Jennifer Bennett, the rightful heiress to the Bennett legacy, fought hard for her family's recognition, only to be eclipsed by an impostor. Faced with false accusations, bullying, and public humiliation, Jennifer eventually gave up trying to win their approval. Vowing to rise above the injustice, she became the bane of those who wronged her. The Bennett family's efforts to break her only fueled her success, leading her to heights her rivals could only dream of. Someone asked, "Do you feel let down by your parents?" With a calm smile, Jennifer said, "It doesn't matter. In the end, power prevails."
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?"
Lucille was one of the most skilled female assassins, and on the previous night, she embarked on a top-secret mission. However, the mission's details were leaked, leading to her untimely demise at the hands of a traitorous companion. She never discovered the identity of the person who betrayed her before her death. But by some miracle, she was granted a new life, and was reborn as a girl with the same name. Determined to uncover the truth and seek revenge for her family, Lucille seized her second chance at life. She planned to avenge her loved ones. However, her plans were complicated by Joseph, an apparently frail man who was actually skilled in martial arts. And he seemed to fall for her deeply, now this newfound knowledge only added to the complications of Lucille's revenge plan...
Ava Adler was a nerdy omega. People bullied her because they thought she was ugly and unattractive. But Ava secretly loved the bad boy, Ian Dawson. He was the future Alpha of the Mystic Shadow Pack. However, he never gave a damn about rules and laws, as he only liked to play around with girls. Ava was unaware of Ian's arrogance until her fate intertwined with his. He neglected her and hurt her deeply. What would happen when Ava turned out to be a beautiful girl who could win over any boy, and Ian looked back and regretted his decisions? What if she had a secret identity that she had yet to discover? What if the tables turned and lan begged her not to leave him?
Lindsey's fiancé was the devil's first son. Not only did he lie to her but he also slept with her stepmother, conspired to take away her family fortune, and then set her up to have sex with a total stranger. To get her lick back, Lindsey decided to find a man to disrupt her engagement party and humiliate the cheating bastard. Never did she imagine that she would bump into a strikingly handsome stranger who was all that she was currently looking for. At the engagement party, he boldly declared that she was his woman. Lindsey thought he was just a broke man who wanted to leech off her. But once they began their fake relationship, she realized that good luck kept coming her way. She thought they would part ways after the engagement party, but this man kept to her side. "We gotta stick together, Lindsey. Remember, I'm now your fiancé. " "Domenic, you're with me because of my money, aren't you?" Lindsey asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Domenic was taken aback by that accusation. How could he, the heir of the Walsh family and CEO of Vitality Group, be with her for money? He controlled more than half of the city's economy. Money wasn't a problem for him! The two got closer and closer. One day, Lindsey finally realized that Domenic was actually the stranger she had slept with months ago. Would this realization change things between them? For the better or worse?