Then, almost as if he had realized something, he smiled, a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. "It's a private restaurant and we can go there separately if you would prefer," he said, closing up the file. For a moment, I thought he might say more. Something daring, something to suggest that he did not only want to take me out to dinner. But he did not. Instead, he just nodded, his expression uncatchable, and turned back to the view outside the window again. It was then that I realized I had not said a word. And neither had I left. "Okay, you can take me out to dinner."
Angela's POV They say I am too beautiful. That my mere presence is a temptation too great for any man to resist, and in some ways, I've found that it is true. When I step into a room, all eyes follow me whether they want to or not. Men, and sometimes women too, approach with that same look in their eyes. The bold ones, those without fear, tell me openly how they would do anything to make me theirs, like I am some kind of prize to be won.
The shy ones, the ones who cannot quite find their voice, stumble on words pleading for a chance, as if a chance with me is something they cannot quite fathom. But a chance at what? To possess me, to claim me, to own me. It is never anything new; it is just the way of the world for someone like me. But I never imagined that Mr. Walde would be one of those people. Mr. Walde is my father's best friend, a man whose name I have been used to for as long as I can remember, long before he became the governor of this city and my father, his ever loyal aide-de-camp. He's been some sort of a figure in my life, but always just that... a figure. A distant presence. But then he visited our home a few months ago, and like all the others, he could not help but sing my praises, commenting on my beauty, remarking how I managed to outshine the sun itself, even in my father's presence. He was just another man swept up by my looks, or so I thought. The first time we were alone together, truly alone, was not in the privacy of a six star hotel room or the solitude of a private restaurant or beach, no, it was in the middle of a crowded, bustling city hall, just after one of his meetings. The kind where my father was supposed to be present, but had been called away on some urgent business trip. It was on a Friday afternoon, that much I remember clearly, the kind when everyone was too busy to notice what was really happening under their noses. My father had asked me to bring a file to Mr. Walde, an important one he had left behind in his office at home before leaving, one that contained details about an ongoing project the governor had to approve. It was nothing out of the ordinary, just another one of those "father's errands" or so I thought. I walked into the large, glass-walled conference room where the meeting had just wrapped up. A handful of aides and city officials were still milling around, exchanging pleasantries, but the room was already losing the formality that had defined the hours before. It was then that I saw him, Mr. Walde, standing by the windows, his back to me as he looked out over the city, hands clasped behind him. His figure was strong, commanding, and as much as I wanted to keep my distance, something about him anchored my attention. I stepped into the room, trying to be unnoticed, but I could feel his eyes on me before I even said a word. "Angela." His voice was rich, smooth and deep. He turned slowly, his gaze settling on me in a way that made my heart skip. "I didn't expect you to be here. Is everything alright?" I held up the file as if it was a defense mechanism against his lack of expectation. "My father... he left this for you. He had to leave in a hurry." He flashed me a boyish grin even though he should be at least in his fifties. "Ah, yes, of course. I was expecting him." As he reached out for the file, his fingers brushed against mine, a brief, electric contact that made my body go limp. His hand lingered for a split second longer than necessary, and I swore I saw something flicker in his eyes, desire, just as I have come to see it in the eyes of many before him. "Thank you, Angela," he said, trying not to look so bedazzled. "It's a pleasure to see you." He dropped the file on the edge of the table as he flipped it open, pretending to study the contents. But I could see his attention was divided, half on the papers, half on me. I should have turned and left that minute. But the way Mr. Walde stood there, alone in the room with me, looking at me with a sort of intensity I could not quite place made it impossible to move. Impossible to even look away. "I would love to take you out for dinner," he said suddenly, breaking the silence between us. It was not a question. It was a statement. I did not answer right away. What could I say? That I was not interested? That I was not sure my father would like the idea of us going to dinner alone? Or that I am afraid of what people would say if we were seen together? What if I wake up and I am all over the morning headlines? The words caught in my throat. All I could do was stand there, heart racing, feeling the weight of his gaze as he awaited my reply. Then, almost as if he had realized something, he smiled, a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. "It's a private restaurant and we can go there separately if you would prefer," he said, closing up the file. For a moment, I thought he might say more. Something daring, something to suggest that he did not only want to take me out to dinner. But he did not. Instead, he just nodded, his expression uncatchable, and turned back to the view outside the window again. It was then that I realized I had not said a word. And neither had I left. "Okay, you can take me out to dinner."
“I'm beautiful, I'm wanted”, she whispers through her tears, countering her father’s words in her head. “You’re the reason why my life is the way it is, the reason for my suffering and poverty. You're a wicked child.” Rojo’s voice echoed again in her head like when one stands and shouts into a dark tunnel with sounds ricocheting off the tunnel walls.“I'm the architect of my life and no one else’s, my other names are solace and wealth. Not suffering” — she swiped angrily at her tears, — “or poverty. But solace and wealth and I am a beautiful child.”
"MATE!" Marion screamed excitedly. "Oh my gosh, Jimmy is our mate!" I was excited; happy even that this was the grande present the moon goddess had in store for me. This out- of- a- fairytale concept that was about to turn my life around for good but--- "I Jimmy Flicher of the Night gazer pack hereby reject you, Anna Jenson as my mate" My dream, my hopes were all shattered in that moment there and then. The moment of shock only lasted for just a short while before I felt a great and unbearable. Clenching to my chest as I slowly fell to the ground, I watched as jimmy turned away from me without unfeeling, leaving me alone by the doorstep. I gasped as I struggled to make my way back to father but it was to no avail. I'd given up all will to struggle back to my feet and remain on the ground but a loud sound; like a Vaseline crashing to the ground behind me jolted me up. On getting to my feet and looking back, I saw father on the floor. Adding two and two together, I knew he must have seen Jimmy reject me and that had caused him to pass out. I'd immediately rushed over to his side, shaking him fervently, imagining the worst. "Father! Father, wake up!" But he didn't budge and with that, I was left with no choice than to call the ambulance which brings me to how I got to this hospital. Today was my birthday, the day Jimmy rejected me, the day father passed out from shock, the day I would never forget in my life.
Jax I called out quickly rushed over to him. Jax, are you okay?. I brushed his hair away from his face. His beautiful eyes were deep red and he was covered in sweat. A...Aurora.He called my name in a whisper " You're here?. He said, fear evident in his voice. Of course I am. What the hell happened to you? Did you get into a fight? Are you hurt?. I questioned. My blood boiled at the thought of someone hurting him. If there was then I would snap all bones out of the culprit’s body. He shook his head. It's none of those things. He grabbed my waist, burying his face in my stomach. Then what was it?.
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
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?
Desperate to handle her grandmother's towering medical bills, Gianna agreed to a contract marriage with Tristan, the enigmatic man she'd once shared a one-night stand with. She assumed they'd fulfill each other's needs and dissolve the arrangement once the terms expired. Unbeknownst to Gianna, this marriage was a dream Tristan had clung to for ten relentless years. Certain she was just filling someone else's role, Gianna prepared to leave when that other woman returned. But Tristan, his eyes burning with unspoken emotion, seized her trembling hand and declared, "You’re mine. Now and always."
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!”
22-year-old Evelyn Carter is attempting to start over in California while avoiding her past. She will be embarking on a new career path as a private school teacher. She is smart, attractive, and doesn't put up with nonsense. Who wouldn't notice her? However, what happens when she attracts the attention of someone unwilling to let her go? Who wants her and nothing else after falling in love at first sight? A 25-year-old billionaire CEO and single father, Lucian Carrington. He takes what he wants and he is also a very dangerous man. All it needed was one look at a stunning woman to realize she was HIS, even though he doesn't believe in relationships because they always end. Preview: Miss Carter, you will be mine. I say firmly. "Release my arm, Mr. Carrington, before I force you to." She says, seeming to smile at me. I give her a sly smile. Squeezing my wrist with her other hand, she twists it uncomfortably. I gave a painful hiss. "Don't underestimate me, Mr. Carrington." "This is the only time I will allow you to walk away from me, Miss Carter." She glared at me as she turned. "Mr. Carrington, I am no possession of yours." I was left standing there when she opened the classroom door and left.
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."