As Aileen embarks on her new career, she is unexpectedly drawn to her charming and enigmatic boss, the billionaire CEO Anthony Price. Yet, unbeknownst to her, she is already married to him. A year prior, Aileen entered a flash marriage with a man she barely knew, motivated by her grandmother's dying wish. Both she and her husband had almost no interaction after the wedding, and they couldn't even recall each other's faces. Now, in a stunning twist of fate, Aileen discovers that the man she is falling for at work is her elusive husband. ---
Shall we?" the lawyer asked, and I nodded my head in agreement.
"Okay, now I pronounce you..."
"Husband and wife, yes," he said, cutting the lawyer off, and finishing the sentence. He stood up hastily, looking ready to leave.
"I don't even know who you are," I complained. He paused for a moment, then dipped his right hand into the inside pocket of his suit and pulled out a premium black card. "You're mine forever and ever," he muttered without even glancing at me. "Here's my card. Use it as much as you want; there's no limit. It will never decline," he added, placing the card on the desk before rushing out of the office.
"I don't need a credit card!" I shouted after him.
"I'll be in the UK office for about a year. I'll contact you when I get back," he called from outside the office as he left the premises.
I frowned, feeling completely puzzled by his response. My fingers fidgeted with the pen in my hand.
"Ma'am, here you go, your marriage certificate," the lawyer said calmly, handing it over with a smile.
"Oh, okay, thank you."
"You have a good day," the lawyer added, still smiling widely.
I left the office, and as soon as I stepped outside, my phone buzzed with a call from Grandma. I picked up in a rush.
"Hey, Grandma!"
"Hi, Aileen! Did everything go smoothly?" Grandma's frail voice came through the line.
"Yeah, the wedding's over. We got along really well," I lied, not wanting her to worry or ask too many questions.
"Okay, my child, take care of yourself."
"Alright, Grandma, you too. Talk soon. Bye!" I quickly hung up.
"Phew," I sighed. "Whoever he is, I just hope he won't complicate my life." Then Grandma's words echoed in my head: "Aileen, Cade is a good man. Cynthia promised me her family would treat you well. I don't have many days left, and the one thing I want to see is that you're married to a trustworthy man." Her warm smile flashed in my memory, and I smiled. "I'll do anything to see you happy, Grandma," I thought to myself.
Just then, my phone buzzed with a message, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked at the screen, and my eyes widened. The message was from Pennington and Price Group. It read, "Congratulations Ms. Aileen Cooper, we're happy to invite you to join our team. Please report to the Pennington office as soon as you can."
"Whoa! This is a dream," I exclaimed, excitement flooding through me. I checked the message again and realized it was real. I'd been searching for a job to help take care of Grandma, who had always been there for me after my parents passed away.
"Yes!" I jumped up, unable to contain my excitement. "I'll take good care of Grandma. Working with Pennington and Price is a dream come true!" I added, my eyes sparkling. I flagged down a cab. "Pennington and Price," I told the driver as I hopped in and shut the door. The cab sped off.
*ONE YEAR LATER*
I had become a well-known member of the Pennington and Price Group. It was a Monday, and as usual, I dressed smartly. I wore a white T-shirt tucked into a black pencil skirt, slightly above my knees, and pulled my silky black shoulder-length hair into a ponytail.
"Hey! Lovebirds, do I look nice?" I asked Stella and Liam when I reached the living room.
"You look good as always," they chorused.
"You know, Aileen, you're so beautiful. Your curves, your hair, your height, and to top it off, you're so intelligent," Stella said with a smile.
My cheeks flushed slightly. "Stop it, Stella, you always make me shy," I replied. "I'll see you both later. Bye!" I added, leaving the house.
Stella and Liam were my college friends, we were so tight back then at school. I only live with them because the Pennington office was closer to their place Plus I enjoy their company so much. I normally visit my ageing grandmother at weekends.
When I arrived at the office, I immediately noticed some unusual buzz. Everyone seemed to be rushing around. Piqued by the unusual movements, I called Dean the manager.
"Hello, Mr. Dean," I greeted.
"Yes, Ms. Cooper, how can I help you?" he asked in his usual calm tone.
"Why is everyone so nervous today?" I asked to quench my curiosity.
"Oh, you don't know yet? Mr. Price is coming back today." He replied.
"No one told me that," I said, surprised.
"Well, now you know. And just a reminder-make sure you address him as Mr. Price."
"Thanks for the update, Mr. Dean," I said, then I hung up.
"Phew," I sighed. "Sounds like another arrogant boss," I muttered under my breath before walking to my desk. My colleagues were all engrossed in their screens.
"Good morning, guys!" I greeted them with my usual warm smile.
"Morning, Aileen," they chorused without even looking up.
I buried my face in my computer, ready to reply to the flood of emails on my screen. Then Suddenly,Mr. Dean's voice interrupted as he emerged from the main office.
"Attention, everyone!" he called, stepping out of the main office. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to him. "Mr. Price will be arriving soon," he announced, checking his watch before hurrying out.
Within moments, Dean returned with a tall, muscular man in his early thirties. His navy blue suit made him look even more striking. His piercing blue eyes scanned the room before he stepped into the main office.
My jaw dropped as my eyes narrowed Slowly in suspicion. "Have I seen him before?" I whispered to myself.
"Hey! You're too obvious," Chris, my colleague, whispered next to me.
"What?" I turned to him, eyes widened. "Oh! Sorry," I replied, forcing a tight-lipped smile.
"Be careful, Aileen. The last female employee who tried to flirt with him got fired," Chris warned, his voice low.
"You know, he doesn't even like people approaching him for his money" Ray, my second colleague poked.
"Yeah, and Aileen definitely didn't reject you for your money," Chris teased Ray with a chuckle.
Ray, anticipating more teasing, just sighed and turned back to his screen.
"So, Aileen, I heard Mr. Price is looking for a new executive assistant. Rumour has it that they might recruit internally," Chris mentioned with a grin.
My heart skipped a beat. "This is another opportunity," I thought.
"Think you'll apply?" Chris asked.
"Yeah! Why not," I replied, smiling widely.
---
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
After a heated confrontation with her husband and mistress, Brianna was pushed down to stairs. She thought she would die but when she woke up again, she realized that she traveled back two years ago, when it was not late for her to correct her path. The first thing she needed to do when she was reborn was divorce that scum. She saved from the darkest time but he lied to her and murdered her in the end. This time, she would not repeat the same mistakes anymore. She would bring the glory of her family back and make those people who betrayed her pay the price! However, in the process of climbing up to the peak of her career, she met a very intimidating and handsome man who kept on messing with her head through his bold attitude. Brianna doesn't want to be involved with another man again, for she has proven to herself that they will just drag her down, but her constant incidents with him are slowly breaking the wall she built to protect her heart. Brianna will surely choose her career over a man this time, but it's possible to choose both, right? What if he hurt her too? No! She won't risk it but. "You have to run away from me, Bree. Coz I'm done running away, I'll chase you now."
Due to the plight of her family, Phoebe had no choice but to embark on the path of selling herself. In an accident, she had a tangled night with Alexander. Everything began to derail, and even if she fled to the ends of the earth, she would still be found by him and entangled... *** Phoebe screamed in frustration, "What do you want from me?" What was this supposed to be? He raised an eyebrow wickedly. "What do I want? You'll find out soon enough." With that, he hoisted her up and carried her back into the office. The door slammed shut with a kick, and he cleared the desk with a sweep of his arm before laying her down on it, his body pinning hers in place, completely trapping her in his grasp. Every cell in his body was telling him he wanted her. He wanted to claim her again. This time, there would be no escape for her-he wouldn't let her slip away. Never again. If he had suffered for five years, then this woman wouldn't get off easily either!
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
Katie was forced to marry Dillan, a notorious ruffian. Her younger sister mocked her, "You're just an adopted daughter. Count your blessings for marrying him!" The world anticipated Katie's tribulations, but her married life unfurled with unexpected serenity. She even snagged a lavish mansion in a raffle! Katie jumped into Dillan's arms, credited him as her lucky charm. "No, Katie, it's you who brings me all this luck," Dillan replied. Then, one fateful day, Dillan's childhood friend came to her. "You're not worthy of him. Take this 50 million and leave him!" Katie finally grasped Dillan's true stature—the wealthiest man on the planet. That night, trembling with trepidation, she broached the subject of divorce with Dillan. However, with a domineering embrace, he told her, "I'd give you everything I have. Divorce is off the table!"
"Ms. Crawford, it’s time for you to divorce Mr. Larsen and come home. You're the only heiress the Master's waiting for.” ~•~ For the sake of love, Amara accepted the arranged marriage with Tobias William Larsen. She did everything to gain her husband’s heart but when his old love returned, she realized that all her effort was all for naught. Tobias demanded a divorce on the night of their wedding anniversary, even at the price of threatening her. Heartbroken, she finally dropped all her illusions about him and returned home to be the heiress. The next time she met Tobias, they were no longer couples but opponents. "Mr. Larsen, should I remind you again? We've divorced." "Amara, that's the stupidest mistake I've ever made. Please come back to me."