"Our marriage is nothing but something based on a sheet of paper, no more than a deal to help me grow my company." He said cold-heartedly as he stared into her eyes. Denise had been forced into marriage with an arrogant billionaire CEO, and he made it clear to her that, to him, the marriage was only a deal to fetch him money. Since it would help her family too, but little did they expect that love would intervene and make a change to their story.
DENISE POV,
A single droplet of tears rolled down my face as I stood in front of a floor-length mirror.
Some people believe one's wedding day to be the happiest day of their life, but I never imagined mine to ever be like this.
There was nothing I could do as I watched in silence while my mother prepared me for the man they believed was the perfect husband for me.
They all acted like it was nothing strange and the calm expression on my parents' faces whenever we talked about it sickened me. How could they just give me away like that?
It didn't matter how I felt about such a marriage as long as it was what they wanted, and they tried to convince me that he was the perfect man for me.
"Is that a tear I see?" Her brows arched as she questioned and I looked away. I heard her sigh in disappointment. "Denise, how many times do I have to tell you that he is the perfect man for you? And not only for you but any woman out there! Do you know the gravity of what he has done? He has chosen to help our family without us paying him back a penny!"
I scoffed a laugh, unable to hold it back even if I wanted to. Her words were the funniest thing I had heard all day.
He wasn't asking for a penny? It would have been better off if he requested his money back, but what he was taking was more than money. He was taking me!
"Mother, does he even have to ask for a penny? He is going to marry me, your only daughter, aren't you feeling concerned at all?" My voice almost wavered as I spoke, but I managed to keep myself from bursting into tears.
She shook her head as if disappointed at my words. "Do you see it as paying the price of what he did by marrying him? No, you are not paying any price here, but instead, you are even taking more from him!"
"You should be the happiest one here today because, if anything, you are going from a bankrupt family like us into a prestigious family like the Benjamin's." She said with a proud smile in her eyes.
Silence took over me once again, and I just watched her tighten my silver white wedding dress around my back.
Why argue? I said to myself, when is it all you have been doing since the day you found out about this forced marriage but still no luck in breaking it apart?
I had been profusely against it but neither she nor my dad cared, nobody gave a damn about my own feelings and I eventually stopped trying when I realized I had no say in the matter. In my own marriage.
The man I was meant to marry didn't know, but my family had lied to him about our wealth. He knew, of course, since he wasn't stupid that we were not rich, but he didn't know that we were bankrupt.
Just so they could get what they wanted, they lied to him to win a partnership and gave me away as well.
I felt a hand cup my face and I snapped out of my thoughts. Turning to the side, my eyes met with my mother's set of deep blue, and she bore into me. "I don't know the kind of thoughts that are running around in that little head of yours, but you are going to get through with this marriage and be a wonderful wife to him."
"You may try to make us believe that we are wrongfully giving you away, but I know that you also know the lot of benefits that come to you directly by just being his wife, so you might as well drop the act and put an end to this pity party. I, your father, will never let you destroy what we worked so hard to get."
Her eyes darkened as she spat out the rest of her mind. "A woman's duty to her husband is to please him properly in bed and I want you to have it at the back of your mind that whenever he calls for you, you must run to him and climb into his bed on his order."
Her words made my stomach churn and I felt as if I was about to hurl. The thoughts alone had haunted me, and now she had coldly thrown the words directly at my face.
There was a deep message in the way she gripped my face, the way her eyes bore into mine, the sternness in her gaze and voice and the confidence in her stance.
A message that read out loudly that she didn't care about what I had to say about the topic and there was nothing I could do to stop the marriage.
She would only do what she saw fit for herself and my father, irrelevant of what I thought about it.
But I would still speak my mind even though her gaze held a knife to my throat. "I will not be a bed warmer to him, mother. I am a woman, and he should show me respect as fit. What? A woman's duty to her husband is to please him properly in bed? No, that's a sex slave's job. And I will only treat him as a husband if he treats me as a wife."
Tears pricked at my eyes as I spoke, but I managed to keep them from pouring down my face.
I controlled my voice from shaking and also kept it at a neutral tune to avoid stirring up trouble with my mother, because the last thing I needed on such a devastating day was her getting angry at me and becoming aggressive, as she always did.
She sneered. "You can run your mouth all day about this topic, but I care less about that. No, I don't care at all. You must do whatever it takes to keep this marriage from falling apart, you must please him in every way.
"I don't care about what you think of it, call it whatever you want, sex slave, bed warmer, anything at all, but you must do every and anything he asks for. If he comes to us with the slightest complaint about you or your attitude towards him, you should already know what will come next, and you are not going to like it."
I felt her gaze burn me as I looked into her eyes, bound by the fire, unable to break away.
She released her grip from my face. "Fix your make-up and cover every single trace of tears." She said as she started towards the door.
As much as I tried, my tears still broke free and trailed down my face. I fought back the urge to reply, every time she became like this, I always found it hard to believe that she was my own mother.
Her words stabbed my chest so painful that I thought I would bleed out.
"I don't want my own daughter walking down the aisle looking like a depressed woman." She said sharply before slamming the door behind her.
I closed my eyes to regain my thoughts before adjusting my make-up. The thought of absconding came to me, but running away was no issue. If they found me, I would be in big trouble.
But could I really survive such a marriage? Why should I have my own fate decided for me?
A gentle knock called me out of my thoughts as I redid my makeup and I already knew who it was.
I applied the last layer of powder on my face and dropped the brush back on the table. So that was it. No going back now.
Walking towards the door, I took the handle in my hand and opened the door. My own father stared at me with emptiness in his gaze, but I knew my mother must have filled him in on our not-so friendly discussion.
He fixed my veil on my head without saying a word, then stretched his hand for me to take. "It's time to walk you down the aisle." He uttered sternly.
I fidgeted next to him as I took his hand and he tightened his grip, making me bite down on my lower lip.
"I heard about your shenanigans from your mother. Do you want me to handle the situation?" His voice was cold and caused chills to run down my spine.
I immediately shook my head, my hand subconsciously wrapped around myself, the images of the scars on me depicted on my head.
"Good, you had better be at your best, or you will weep your way into his home. Put on a big smile, bigger than the entire hall, brighter than the sun itself or else."
The only important thing to him here was the benefit he would gain from selling me off to another man, and he didn't care about what fate lay ahead for me in the hands of this man.
I swallowed hard, trying to hide my fear. "Yes father..."
"It is time."
I flinched as his breath fanned my face, my body trembled in his arms. This was the chance, but was I scared? His eyes affected me in so many ways, as they held grief, pain and regret. Our stare was our way of communicating. It was intended, emotional and agonizing. I was hiding the knife behind me, picturing the perfect place to stab him. His searing heat sent a gush of lust inside me. I shouldn't fall for that. This was a revenge plan, not a romantic show-off. "I'm engaged, and I have a child with him", I remembered, barely recognizing my cold voice which had become soft and weak. He let out a dirty smirk, lowering his eyes to my lips as we exchanged breath. "I know, but I can't stop myself from falling" he whispered, and before I could blink an eye, he captured my lips, twirling them to his taste. It was a long liquid kiss that made me wet so that I couldn't fight back. The knife slipped off my hand as my body yanked on his. We both dried up where we stood when her voice resounded in our ears. "Mom?" *** Her fantastical life with Dante was a shadow. She left everything behind just to be with him, but he never loved her back. She lost her life because of him. Fortunately, she survived and looks forward to exerting her revenge plot on him. However, she never found him nor heard from him. Forgetting the painful memories that he never existed, she moves on and wins over a powerful man, Peris, who establishes her. She gives birth to her daughter and anticipates her wedding with Peris. However, what happens when Dante shows up three days before her wedding?
Blurb: Millie Matthews was willing to give up everything to be with the one she truly loved. Three years ago, she left home to be with her lover, Rovan Marlowe, whom her family were strictly against. But after finding out she could never replace his first love in his heart, she was forced to leave when he heartlessly chose his first love over her. She returns to her family and takes her place to start her life afresh, only for Rovan to return and beg for her to come back. After realizing that he was a fool to let her go, Rovan became determined to get her back as his wife.
It was a cold night, her family was brutally murdered alongside the love of her life, and taken captive by the ruthless Alpha in all of Windertown. Latina is forced to pay the ultimate price for her betrayal. Little did she know, her destiny was somewhat tied to his just as he was tied to her, but the realization was too late as the damage had already been done.
Did you think that I would marry you instead of her? Common, you are only an orphan, whom no one knows originated from, Vickson's words kept repeating in Hailey's head, after he had just embarrassed her by choosing her stepsister as his mate instead. As if that was not enough for him, he still forced himself on her. And Hailey is blamed by her adoptive mother, as she forces both of them to get married. Her adoptive mother didn't want to bear the shame of what people would say. But her stepsister, Ava, rather dies than watch the two of them live in peace as husband and wife. So Ava becomes their worst nightmare!
Amanda's world crumbled when she received the eviction notice. Her family's financial struggles had reached a boiling point, exacerbated by her mother's mounting medical bills. Desperation Desperation was the beginning of everything. Will her desperation lead her to the right path? – or otherwise? Faced with mountains of problems, with no option. She went for the easiest solution – or so she thought Amanda jumped at the only available opportunity. Getting married to the cold hearted billionaire. No strings attached, just appearances. Awaiting the time her marriage would be dissolved and she would be free again. But what becomes of her when she starts falling in love with the cold hearted man? A man whose only interest is his company and appearances. Will her love be reciprocated? Or will it be crushed to pieces and blown away like dust into the earth?
Ashley is a 19-year-old waitress working at a bar to make ends meet and provide for her father who is suffering from chronic illnesses. She's mortified and feels her life has been turned upside down as she's forced to marry the wealthy CEO, Jackson. She hates Jackson and tries to avoid him at all costs. However, when she starts to know him better, she begins to see the kind and loving person he truly is. Over time, their love for each other grows stronger, and they overcome the obstacles that stood in the way of building a happy family.
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...
Endless caresses, endless kisses. Clinging to him as if her life depended on it, her body ached for more and she arched into the touch to receive more, more pleasure. "Oh darling, you taste so delicious, I can't get enough." He rubbed himself against her, telling her how much he wanted her, his deep, gruff voice resonating in her head. Her body also desired him. "Come for me, baby," He gave the order, and her body obeyed, following his command. "No!" she yelled, opening her eyes abruptly. Feeling confused and guilty, she gasped and sat up in bed. Scarlett's life takes an unexpected when she discovers that she is pregnant by a stranger with whom she had a one-night stand. She was humiliated and disowned by her parents. She ran away from the pack to start a new life. Will Scarlett find her way back to the father of her kids? What happens when he finds her and does everything possible to make her his? Will they scale through the challenges that life would throw at them? ***** Scarlett wakes up in bed with a stranger and doesn't even remember how she got there. She later discovers that the man she spent that night with was the Lycan King.
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?"
For seven years, Jillian pursued Bryan with unyielding passion, but he remained distant, his emotions tightly sealed. Disheartened, she left for overseas after graduating from college. Three years later, Jillian, now a successful attorney, sat provocatively on the lap of Bryan's competitor. She flashed Bryan a playful smile and taunted, "What's wrong, Bryan? Are you impotent?" Bryan's restraint shattered in an instant. In a swift motion, he scooped her up and tossed her onto the bed. The next morning, as Bryan woke up, Jillian flashed a mischievous smile. "Let's keep things casual, okay?"
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
I pressed my lips against his and stole his sweet, savory taste, not ready to end the sweet moment. I licked my lips seductively and whispered. "Despite your age, I love you." Sarah was obsessed with the man of her dreams, despite knowing that their love was forbidden and would be disapproved by her father and others. She held onto the many beautiful dreams she had of being with him, wishing for them to come true. She found herself in love with her father's best friend, a very handsome man who had been rejected by his wife. Her desire was to show him what true love really meant. When her father received a job transfer,Sarah saw it as a perfect opportunity to be with him. The situation improved even more when she realized they would be living under the same roof.