BLURB: As if Lena's day couldn't be any worse, a car sped past her, sending filthy water over her, and the driver didn't even have the courtesy to stop and apologize! One thing Lena knew was that the driver was related to the Josh family and that she despised him. Upon returning home, Lena gets news that her fiance is cheating on her and when she confronts him, he doesn't deny it. Heartbroken, Lena goes to a club to quell her emotions and ends up having a one-night stand with a stranger who happens to be the driver. It wasn't until a week later that Lena got to realize the stranger was Asher Josh, a friend of her fiance. On the day of Lena's wedding, she discovers her fiance eloped with another woman. Lena is once again heartbroken and she is about to call off the wedding when Asher offers to take her fiance's place. Lena is adamant but agrees and when she marries Asher, she receives shocking news. Will this news cause loopholes in their married life or will it be the very thing that breaks off their hatred for one another and bring them closer to each other?
Author's POV
The blaring horns of New York City's late-night traffic hammered against Lena's skull, intensifying the ache already gnawing at her temples. Rain drizzled down relentlessly, drenching the crowded streets in a damp, miserable haze.
"Hey! Some of us need some rest after a long day of work! What's with all this hold-up about?" a man hollered from his luxury Audi, his voice lost in the chaos.
Lena exhaled sharply and held her knee, trying to stop her head from aching.
Five months. Five whole months of relentless job hunting, yet nothing.
It didn't make sense. She had graduated at the top of her class, valedictorian of her Master's program in accounting with a stellar 4.2 GPA. That should have opened doors. Instead, she was stuck balancing jobs three jobs as a waitress, salonist, and daycare teacher just to get by.
But in a city ruled by the elite, academic achievements meant nothing compared to wealth, connections- and curves.
"Big boobs and a fat ass," she muttered, mocking herself. "Not my fault I was born flat."
She grimaced, clutching her knee tighter where the pain of standing too long had settled deep in the joint.
Earlier that day, she'd finally scored an interview with Luca Josh-the youngest heir of the infamous Josh dynasty. His early-morning email had been oddly direct, summoning her for a personal meeting after scanning her résumé and liking the photo on her ID.
It had all gone to hell the moment she entered his sleek, soulless office.
Luca had barely masked his disappointment when she walked in, but that hadn't stopped him from making vile, suggestive remarks under the guise of "friendly conversation." When she politely mentioned being engaged, he'd shrugged, leaning closer, his voice low with mockery:
"Well, sweetheart, unless you're willing to really impress me tonight, that ring won't help you get this job."
Disgust had turned her stomach, but she'd kept her composure-until he body-shamed her outright, picking at her appearance like she was nothing more than an object. She'd snapped back, venom sharp on her tongue, and the next thing she knew, she was being thrown out of the building.
Literally.
Lena shivered, blinking back the sting of tears.
'Why didn't I see the red flags sooner?' She asked herself.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Fumbling it out, she squinted at the screen.
Abby:
Girl, no time for calls. About to dominate a sexy Italian stranger (insert blushing emoji). Hope you nailed that interview! Also... I just saw Drake checking into The Josh's Hotel with some chick wearing basically lingerie. Maybe you should come to check it out? Love you! (insert 20 heart emojis).
Lena frowned, running a shaky hand through her damp hair before replying to her best friend's message.
Lena:
Love you too, Abs. Drake said he had therapy at that hotel tonight. Don't overthink it. I'm sure it's nothing.
She hesitated before adding:
Also... use protection.
When the message was sent, Lena barely had time to process anything else before-
SPLASH!
A sleek silver Porsche sped through a puddle, sending a wave of filthy rainwater cascading over her, drenching her completely.
Gasps echoed around her as she stood there, stunned, rainwater dripping from her hair and face.
Lena's wide eyes locked on the car as it came to a smooth stop in front of the massive glass building-Josh's main enterprise.
Her humiliation quickly twisted into rage.
'You've got to be kidding me.'
Teeth clenched, she stormed after the car, fists balled.
"Mommy, look! A witch!" a toddler whispered loudly, pointing at her dripping figure.
Lena ignored the sting of the words, her heels clicking hard against the pavement as the Porsche's door opened.
Out stepped a man who screamed power-dressed in a sharp, tailored black suit with a silver cross tattoo peeking from beneath the collar of his shirt. Before Lena could confront him, a sea of paparazzi and reporters swarmed in.
"Mr. Josh! Is it true your mother has been diagnosed with cancer?"
"Are you finally ready to take over your family's empire?"
The questions flew relentlessly, but the man-clearly another member of the Josh dynasty-stood unbothered, his jaw tight, his gaze hard.
' Arrogant prick!' Lena squirmed inwardly.
She shoved through the crowd, determined to give him a piece of her mind, but a wall of muscle blocked her path.
"Step back," A towering bodyguard barked, his scowl making her feel microscopic.
Lena scowled right back. "I need to see that asshole who didn't have the courtesy to stop his freaking car and say sorry to me after driving his car at an unlawful speed limit and sending shit water over me!"
The bodyguard's face twisted in horror. He glanced over at his boss, who had noticeably heard what Lena had said since he had come to a complete halt.
The guard turned to Lena rapidly, trembling with anxiety that his boss would make a commotion if he saw the woman who had ridiculed his name...
"You've got two seconds to leave before I make you." He growled a hint of fear in his eyes.
Lena opened her mouth to argue-only for the brute to shove her hard, sending her stumbling to the ground.
Laughter rippled through the crowd. Paparazzi barely spared her a glance, their focus glued to the Josh heir.
"Attention-seeking much?"
"Elites, don't date the oppressed; go find someone in your class and stop embarrassing yourself!"
"Petty little thing."
Lena's chest tightened. She scrambled to her feet, clutching her muddy briefcase as humiliation crushed her like a weight.
Tears blurred her vision as she staggered away from the scene, cold and soaked to the bone.
The towering skyscrapers loomed above, symbols of the life she'd once dreamed of. The life she had worked so damn hard for.
She'd sacrificed so much-missed parties, pushed away romance throughout her high school and college years-all for this? For a city that refused to see her worth?
Her hands trembled as she flipped both middle fingers at the Josh building, voice cracking as she cried out,
"Screw you. You just lost the best accountant you'll ever get."
'Who am I kidding?'
By the time Lena reached her apartment, her feet were blistered, and her spirit felt just as battered. She kicked off her mud-streaked heels, tossed them aside, and collapsed onto the couch, the dampness of her clothes seeping into the beige rug.
Hot tears welled again. She forced herself up, cleaned the mess, showered, and curled back up on the couch in a fresh set of clothes.
She returned to the living room, turned on the television, and was greeted with a commercial from the Joshes' company.
" If I ever get to see that asshole, I'll give him a piece of my mind." Lena scowled and turned off the television.
Her gaze flicked to the door, waiting for Drake. He always knew how to comfort her after bad days like this. But midnight passed. Then 1 a.m.
'The therapy should've ended hours ago.' Lena reckoned, worriedly.
Just as she was about to call him, her phone lit up with a call from Drake.
"Happy, she sat up and answered the call immediately.
" It's past midnight and you haven't returned. You owe me a lot for getting me so worried."
" I think you have to wait a little bit longer because your fiance here can't get enough of me." A female voice came through.
Lena raised a brow in confusion. She was about to ask who was speaking when the female spoke again.
" Look, I'm aware Drake has a fiancee. It's my job as a sex worker to bang him, but I don't want you to continue getting deceived by him."
Lena's heart started to beat fast. She rose to her feet and gripped the phone tightly.
" I don't understand what-"
" Thought I heard my phone ringing." Drake's voice came through, and after a second, Lena heard the sound of something crashing into a bed.
" Must be your imagination."
" Or maybe I'm too high from making love with you." Drake laughed so loud it shattered Lena's heart into pieces. " Stand on the bed and bend for me, would you? Be a nasty little prostitute, and don't scream till I tell you to."
" What about your fiancee? She'd get worried if you don't get home soon."
Drake chuckled ludicrously. " She will believe any false story I tell her like the naive little slut she is. If not for the money she's giving me, I would have taken you as my bride in her place."
Mysterious, dark-haired, sexy almond eyes, all charm, Alpha Kymon Zephyr is everything she wants to run away from. His records. She knows. His past. She knows but not the part she was part of. Not the part that scares every inch of his being. The part that drives him crazy. Mad. All smiles, brown alluring eyes, Lyra Reyes is everything he fears. Everything that threatens to break down his walls. Everything that reminds him of his past. But, as much as they want to be away from each other, fate draws them together and so close to the point she'd destroy every obstacle that comes his way and he'd burn any person that harms a single hair on her body. Remember now, the past always has a way of coming back and when it does, it leaves them with no option but to break apart or destroy the world. But then again, who gives a damn about the world?
BOOK 1- BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE BOOK. MATURE THEMES 18+ The book may contain s!xual scenes, sudden instances of possessiveness, mild violence. Sydney Morgan and Gavin Reed, high school sweethearts, had been married for over a decade. Five years of their relationship were filled with unconditional love; however, in the next six years, this changes drastically between them when Sydney takes advice from her best friend, Gavin's first love. When Sydney loses her baby, Gavin is left broken and vulnerable in the hands of his first love. She convinces him to divorce Sydney, and when he does, Sydney loses it and nearly gets hit by a car, but then the talk of the town, Gavin's rival, and CEO's son, hiding behind a facàde, comes to her rescue.
"You were about to cum in me." I said and sat up. That's when I felt a stinging pain across my ear as my hand caressed my face, then the realization hit me- he had slapped me, Lee had just slapped me. #Sex. Lies. Money. Power. *** Jessie, after finding out her fiance had married another woman, decides to have a one-night stand with his uncle, only to find herself married to him. But despite being married to his uncle, she was still attracted to him, so she started secretly seeing him. Well, the uncle wasn't willing to give her up now, not after he vowed to always be by her side; now she had two men fighting for her. And the woman her ex-fiance married wasn't just going to give up on him. Will Jessie realize old flames can never be and live a peaceful life with her new billionaire husband, or will Jade succeed in winning her back?
"Love is blind!" Lucinda abandoned her beautiful and comfortable life because of a man. She married him and slaved off for him for three long years. One day, the scales finally fell off her eyes. She realized that all her efforts were in vain. Her husband, Nathaniel still treated her like shit. All he cared about was his lover. "Enough is enough! I quit wasting my years with an ungrateful man!" Lucinda's heart was shattered into many pieces, but she summoned up the courage to ask for a divorce. The news caused a stir online! A filthy rich young woman recently got divorced? She was a good catch! Countless CEOs and handsome young men immediately swarmed to her like bees to honey! Nathaniel couldn't take it anymore. He held a press conference and begged with teary eyes, "I love you, Lucinda. I can't live without you. Please come back to me." Would Lucinda give him a second chance? Read to find out!
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
After being kicked out of her home, Harlee learned she wasn't the biological daughter of her family. Rumors had it that her impoverished biological family favored sons and planned to profit from her return. Unexpectedly, her real father was a zillionaire, catapulting her into immense wealth and making her the most cherished member of the family. While they anticipated her disgrace, Harlee secretly held design patents worth billions. Celebrated for her brilliance, she was invited to mentor in a national astronomy group, drew interest from wealthy suitors, and caught the eye of a mysterious figure, ascending to legendary status.
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."
After three years of loveless marriage, Kira was slapped with divorce papers. She has shown him her unrequited love throughout her entire marriage with him, but he decided to turn blind eyes all because of his lover. Distraught and heartbroken, Kira choose to sign the divorce papers with bitter heart. But then and there, she promised herself that when she's back, he will come crawling to her, but she will make him pay for hurting her. Join Kira as she transform to a wealthy heiress and soared as the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar empire, a remarkable healer and make her ex-husband pay!