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One night changed everything, and neither of them realized it. Years ago, they had one-night sex, the girl was drunk and her face blurred by booze and dim lighting. She went on to raise her daughter alone. He, a successful billionaire with his past put behind him. Now, fate puts them back together, he try to pretend and hide the truth that unites them. As they work together, sparks fly, as do questions. Could it be that he is the father of her child? And if the truth comes out, will it bring them together or tear them apart forever? How do you confront the past when it is right in front of you?
Chapter One
Sophia
I put the glass to my lips; the beer tasted harsh, cold, and sharp, scorching my throat as it slipped down. I wasn't concerned. I wasn't drinking for the taste or the buzz. I was drinking to forget, to block out the never-ending cycle of failures replaying in my head.
It was the last day of the networking event, which was packed with ambitious entrepreneurs. After three days of prospects, contacts, and success stories, here I was, slouched at a table alone, nursing my disappointment.
I remembered the several unsuccessful job interviews and the string of rejections; the offers that weren't rejections were nearly as bad-meek offers that barely made enough money to keep oneself afloat. Offers like "You are not worth more than this."
my stomach turn as I Pour the remainder of the Heineken into my glass and letting a few droplets fall onto the table.
The speakers shared their personal success stories, including how they inherited businesses or received financial support from their parents. Even though they discussed the dangers they took, they always had a backup plan. I didn't. They had been given opportunities. What had I got? Nothing.
If my father's business hadn't been hijacked by that cruel millionaire, I'd be in a completely different situation. I could have taken over, rebuilt it, and expanded it into something larger. But that dream had died along with my parents. Now all I had was shattered fragments of hope and no means to put them back together.
Who was I kidding when I said I wanted to start my own business without money? Nobody wanted to invest in me. Nobody believed in me.
I used to dream big. I believed that an MBA would be the key to unlocking a future in which I was not only successful but also respected. A future in which I would restore the legacy my father had left behind. But all those dreams seemed so far away now. Everything has slipped out of my hold after my father's company was taken away from us.
I wanted to start over. Build my own firm and reclaim the glory that had been taken away. But, how could I? How could I start something from scratch if no one believed in me enough to invest? When each door I knocked on remained closed?
I stared at my empty glass, the cold, crushing emptiness within me growing heavier. 'What's the point?' My chest constricted. 'What am I doing here?'
My black outfit, which had once made me feel strong and capable, now seemed like a joke. A facade to hide the gaping hole where my confidence once was.
The celebration was buzzing with activity all around me. Laughter, music, and clinking glasses-the kind of party I should have taken part in. But I was not. I was invisible.
I observed them-young, wealthy, and connected-people who had never had to worry about failure. They may fail a thousand times and yet find someone to catch them. I had no one. I was all alone.
I poured another glass, the alcohol overflowing over the rim and my hand trembling. I stared at the liquid, wondering if drowning in it would relieve the strangling sensation inside my chest. 'So, what is the point?' I couldn't stop thinking. 'No one even noticed I'm here.
I stood up, my legs shaky, the alcohol already clouding my judgment. 'I'm going to dance,' I told myself, hoping that the movement would help me get rid of my depression. But my body felt strange, heavy, and detached from my thinking. My heart raced, the combination of adrenaline and drink propelling me toward the crowd. Perhaps if I just moved, I'd feel less imprisoned and... lost.
I took a step forward, and the entire room swirled. The floor shifted beneath me, and before I knew it, I was falling. A hand sprang out, catching me before I touched the ground-strong and hard, but too firm.
I blinked, staring up into blue eyes that appeared to devour me whole. He was tall, immaculately dressed, and smiled slowly and deliberately. "You look like you've had quite the night," he murmured, his voice smooth as silk but with a tinge that made my skin tingle.
I managed a laugh, but it was hollow, even for me. "Something like that," I murmured, my speech slurred slightly.
He stepped in too close, his perfume strong and overbearing. "Mind if I join you?" His eyes never left mine; they were too keen and acute. Alarm bells went off in the back of my head, but the drink drowned them out. I nodded, not trusting my ability to talk.
"I'm Jackson," he replied, giving a hand that I unwillingly accepted. His hold was solid, almost too firm, as he drew me to the dance floor. "Sophia," I said quietly, my voice barely audible above the throbbing sound.
My ideas were dispersed and slipped away like sand through my fingers. But I still felt something-an anxiety crawling up my spine, warning me as my body followed him. I tried to resist, but the wine was drawing me down, dulling everything except his presence.
The music changed to a slower tempo, and Jackson drew me closer, sliding his arm around my waist. The contact was not comfortable; it felt possessive, as if he was holding me in place. "Relax," he said softly, his breath hot against my ear. "You're fine." But I wasn't okay.
The warmth of his hand pushed against the small of my back sent a shiver down my spine, and for a second, I wanted to shove him away. I should. I knew I should. But my limbs felt heavy and reluctant, and the wine made it easy to simply go along.
"I'm not used to this," I admitted, hoping to shrug it off, but my voice cracked. I was too tired and exhausted to fight it. Maybe it was just easier to delegate control for a while.
"I can tell," Jackson muttered, his hand moving lower and tighter. My breath caught, and I attempted to pull back, but his arm held me steady, and his smile never wavered.
My thoughts shouted at me, telling me there was something wrong and that I needed to stop this. But it felt like I was locked inside my own body, a puppet with tangled strings. I didn't have control anymore. Perhaps I didn't want to be. Maybe I was just tired of battling. Too tired of failure.
The lights darkened more, and the music settled into a slow, pulsating beat. Jackson's eyes glittered in the dim light, and his hand slid up, fingers brushing against my arm in a way that made my skin crawl. "You need to loosen up," he whispered quietly, drawing me closer and tightening his hold again.
No. The word rang in my head, but my mouth wouldn't say it. My legs felt like lead, and my mind were a blur. I needed to say something and move, but I couldn't. It was easier to let him lead me, to fall into the haze rather than fight my way out.
"I think I need to sit down," I murmured as the room spun again. I tried to back away, but Jackson's grip remained tight. "You're fine," he said, his tone firm and almost authoritative. "Just a little more."
Something chilly curled in my stomach, yet my limbs did not react. I wanted to run, scream, but my body was betraying me, the alcohol binding me to this spot. Before I knew it, Jackson was bringing me to the door, his arm still tight around my waist.
As we reached the threshold, my vision clouded, and the room's borders faded. The chilly air from the corridor hit me like a slap, but it wasn't enough to clear the cloud. My heart raced, each beat a warning I couldn't ignore.
The elevator doors swung shut behind us, trapping me inside alongside him. And all of a sudden, the weight of my decisions, everything I had let slide away, came crashing down around me.
I was in, over my head. There was no way out.
Alexander Brookes was once a rising star in the competitive world of business, until the love of his life, Alessia , left for Paris, crushing his hopes. Diverting into depression and frequent drunkenness, he gave in to his father's opinion , marrying Camilla-a woman he hardly knows-in a loveless arrangement intended to save his reputation. For three years, their marriage has been frigid, but when Alessia unexpectedly returns, Alex's addiction reignites, blinding him to the love that has gradually built between him and Camilla. Camilla realizes she is pregnant, a secret that might change everything, just as their lives cross paths again. As Alex battles his problems and accepts the consequences of his decisions, Alessia's envy leads to a catastrophic kidnapping of Camilla's child, forcing him and Camilla to collaborate. In a high-stakes game of love, betrayal, and forgiveness, will Alex find the courage to recover his life and become the father and partner they deserve? AFTER MY EX-WIFE is a story of second chance, tenacity, and enduring family relationships, demonstrating that sometimes the way to love is paved with heartache.
“You need a bride, I need a groom. Why don’t we get married?” Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. “She keeps asking for a divorce, but I don’t want that! What should I do?”
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
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."
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”
⚠️ WARNING ⚠️ This Book Contains Matured Contents, reader's discretion is advised. *** "Do you have any idea how much I want to be inside you right now?" he asked as he stood to his feet. "Then why aren't you?" I responded, loving the feel of him pressed so close, my back to the mirror, my front to him. But even still, in some far corner of my lust-fogged mind, I realized that we were still in a bathroom. Anyone could walk in and see us. The thought of getting discovered was scary and erotic at the same time. "Oh, we're not done. Spread your legs a bit for me, Kitten." He commanded. When I did as he instructed, he settled between my legs again. "Now close your eyes. And try not to move." Dominic Rutherford murmured. I drew in a sharp breath as his fingers slipped into me with a silky, wet ease. First one. Then another. A feverish tide rose inside me, and I groaned. I jerked in response, causing me to unconsciously move my hips towards his teasing, clever hand, seeking more. "Ohh-" My body trembled under his touch. "Please..." *** Ruby escapes a stifling marriage filled with betrayal, eager to reclaim her freedom. At a masquerade ball, she meets Dominic, a mysterious older man always wearing a mask and has a complex past. Their intense attraction ignites a passionate and dangerous affair. Dominic, who was tasked by Ruby's unknown brother to find her, is captivated by her defiant spirit. As Ruby gets entangled in Dominic's dark world and faces threats from her vengeful former husband and an enemy within, she struggles with her fear of love. Will Ruby and Dominic overcome their pasts and the secrets that threaten to tear them apart? Can Ruby submit to love even after the truth is revealed?
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry me?”