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Hazel goes to work at the house of Aziel Storm as a maid. She is sharp and outspoken. She is always smiling and she loves to talk. Aziel is dark and gloomy. He doesn't say much and he hardly smiles. The presence of his new bubbly employee in his house annoys him but also amuses him at the same time. They are two opposites whose worlds collide and they find themselves suddenly attracted to each other. The passion between them arises but obstacles also arise as Aziel's former employer threatens to make their lives miserable if Aziel doesn't give up his company. While the two of them battle their demons from the past, Aziel must fight to save his company and also everything in his power to protect Hazel and his company from Anderson's evil plans.
AZIEL'S POV
I hid under my blanket as I did every day waiting for my mom to come back home from work. I was at home alone a lot and we didn't live in a safe neighbourhood. Sometimes, I would hear gunshots and one time, a neighbour of ours was stabbed. I stayed as quiet as possible so I didn't draw attention to our apartment.
I looked at the time on my digital Spiderman wristwatch and was relieved to find that it was just five minutes till my mother returned from work. I did this every day.
It had always been just me and my mom. We had lived in this neighbourhood for the past year after getting evicted from our last house. This was all we could afford with the money that my mom made from bartending, we didn't have a lot but we were always happy.
Most times my mom got back from work very late. She would work till 2 am sometimes and I would always wait for her till she got back. I could never sleep knowing she was out there and it was very dangerous.
It was exactly 1 am when I heard the keys jingle and I rushed to the door. The moment my mom stepped into the house, I hugged her.
"Hey, little man. What are you doing up by this time?" She asked me like she always did.
"I was waiting for you."
She crouched down to give me a proper hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"I've told you Aziel, honey, you don't have to wait for me. You need your sleep."
"I was scared. I can't sleep when I am scared." My mom gave me a sad smile.
"Well, let's get you off to bed. You have school tomorrow." She told me.
We went to the room that we shared and she tucked me into my bed. She kissed me on the forehead and wished me goodnight.
After a while, after she thought I had gone to sleep, I heard her sob like she did every night when she thought I was asleep. I made a vow that one day I would get rich and my mother would never have to suffer again.
***
It was two days after my birthday, a day I will never forget, my mom had come home from work the day before, she looked way more exhausted than she usually was and she looked almost terrified. I knew that whatever had happened she would never tell me. She said she was okay, but I knew it was a lie.
Even at the age of six, I could tell that something was wrong, she put me to bed and for the first time in a long while, she didn't cry.
I assumed everything was in my head and I was worrying for nothing, so I slept off.
The next morning, my mother woke me up very early. She said we were going on an adventure. I was very excited. It had been a long time since I had left the house to go anywhere aside from school and I was about the chance to finally see other places.
We got to a bus station, which I found odd. Why would we be going on an adventure to a place so far away and to Chicago, nonetheless? I pushed the thoughts out of my mind and decided it would be a fun trip. My mom wanted me to meet some of her friends. She had stayed in Chicago before she gave birth to me.
The trip lasted only three hours and we finally arrived. We took a cab to a very remote part of town. It was almost like our neighbourhood at home but it seemed better.
When we got to a particular house, my mom handed me my little suitcase and we hid in the bush. We waited for about thirty minutes, when a man, who looked to be in his thirties drove into the driveway, got out of his car, slammed the door to the car and did the same to the door of his house when he got in.
"Look at me, baby. We are going to play a game, okay?" She spoke as her voice choked and tears started to fall from her eyes.
My little mind struggled to understand why us playing a game would make her sad.
"Why are you crying, mommy?"
"Don't worry about it, okay? Now, I need you to listen to me very carefully, okay?"
I nodded in response.
"Take this envelope," She pulled out a white envelope from her bag and handed it to me. "Then go and stand in front of that door, okay? I will be standing right here. I am going to give you a signal, then I will leave and when I do, I want you to knock on the door and hand the man that just came out of the car this envelope. Do you understand?"
"Where are you going?" I asked. I was now very scared of what was about to happen. I didn't know what was happening but I knew that it was not good at all.
"I will come back, I promise. Just do as I say. Remember, Mommy loves you so much okay? I will be back before you know it."
That made me feel a bit better but I could still tell that something was wrong.
"Now go." She said and gave me a push towards the house.
I looked at her for a moment before turning and walking towards the door with my suitcase and the envelope in my hand.
I looked at my mom who was still standing by the bushes. She gave me the go-ahead to knock and then she ran away. It hadn't occurred to me that that would be the last time I would ever see my mother again.
The man opened the door and he looked less than pleased to see me standing in front of his door.
"What do you want, kid?" He spat out with annoyance.
Mr. Ethan's business is bankrupt and in debt, so he turns to the powerful but ruthless Lucas for help. However, the price of preserving his livelihood is something Mr. Ethan could never have imagined: his daughter, Grace. Grace Ethan is a hardworking and kind-hearted young woman who has tirelessly searched for work to help her father in need but has been rejected repeatedly. She is angry when she finds out that her father has promised her a job as Lucas' secretary and his wife. Torn between her loyalty to her father and her own life, Grace is thrown into a world of power, arrogance, and control embodied by the tyrannical Lucas. When Grace reluctantly joins the Lucas Consulting Firm, her boss, Lucas, has high expectations of her and demands even higher terms. But as time passes and their lives intersect, Lucas' cold exterior crumbles to reveal a man wrestling with his demons. Despite the manipulation and hardships, Grace remains determined and unsure if she can accept her fate. Will Grace find a way to get through this risky arrangement without losing herself? Or will Lucas' control and secret affection be enough to change both of their lives forever?
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."
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
Kaelyn devoted three years tending to her husband after a terrible accident. But once he was fully recovered, he cast her aside and brought his first love back from abroad. Devastated, Kaelyn decided on a divorce as people mocked her for being discarded. She went on to reinvent herself, becoming a highly sought-after doctor, a champion racer, and an internationally renowned architectural designer. Even then, the traitors sneered in disdain, believing Kaelyn would never find someone. But then the ex-husband’s uncle, a powerful warlord, returned with his army to ask for Kaelyn’s hand in marriage.
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"
In her previous life, Kimberly endured the betrayal of her husband, the cruel machinations of an evil woman, and the endless tyranny of her in-laws. It culminated in the bankruptcy of her family, and ultimately, her death. After being reborn, she resolved to seek retribution against those who had wronged her, and ensure her family's prosperity. To her shock, the most unattainable man from her past suddenly set his sights on her. "You may have overlooked me before, but I shall capture your heart this time around."