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Behind the canvas of wealth and power, lies a web of betrayal and desire. Sophia Lynns, a talented but struggling artist, gets entangled in a game of love,art and corruption with enigmatic billionaire, Lucas Hawke. But behind his polished charm, lies a labyrinth of secrets, danger and an unexpected hunting ties to Sophia's past. Sophia is pulled into his dark orbit as whispers of betrayal, obsession and hidden agendas swirl. At the height of daunting revelations, she gets to meet the real Lucas Hawke, hiding behind a cool and sexy exterior. Who is Lucas Hawke exactly? Can Sophia trust him with her life or will he be the architect of her destruction? In a game where love and lies collide, some masterpieces are painted in shadows.
Sophia Lynns gripped a letter in her two hands, gazing intently at it. As her mind raced, the words became hazy.
An art commission.
An actual one. Not the odd murals she'd created to make ends meet, or the hesitant offers from tiny galleries.
It was a big one. No, this was enormous. The first thing that shocked her was the name at the bottom of the letter: Lucas Hawke.
She was startled out of her reverie as her phone buzzed on the messy desk. She grabbed it up and spoke in a tremulous voice. "Hello?"
A professional, clipped voice said, "This is Laura Bennett, Mr. Hawke's secretary. Ms. Lynns, Mr. Hawke is excited to talk about a private commission after being pleased with your portfolio. He wants to meet you at his company tomorrow."
Sophia gulped forcefully, her thoughts racing. "Tomorrow? Already? Isn't that too soon?"
Laura remarked impatiently, "Mr. Hawke values efficiency. May I confirm the meeting?"
Sophia paused, surveying her cramped, disorganized workspace. Her bank account balance was ridiculous, her fridge was almost empty, and her rent was past due. This was what she needed.
"Yes," she answered, trying to steady her voice. "I'll be there."
"All right. I will email you the information. And Ms. Lynns?"
"Yes?" Sophia answered raising a brow.
"Be on time. Mr Hawke doesn't tolerate lateness." Laura added, her tone maintaining the professional standard.
Before Sophia could reply, the line died. Her chest constricted as she gazed at her phone.
Lucas Hawke. The multi billionaire businessman whose name was a byword for strength, controversy, and secrecy.
What kind of artwork could he possibly desire from an unknown artist like her when he probably has connections to the most famous artists around the world?
Sophia thought hard about it but made no headway. She eventually gave up on her thoughts.
Maybe Fortune had decided to smile at her just like it smiled at her father, the well-known artist Lynns, and allowed her a platform to show her talent and what she was capable of doing as an artist.
************************************************
The following morning, Sophia felt quite little as she stood in Hawke Enterprises' sparkling lobby.
Her studio's chipped paint and creaking floors were in sharp contrast to the building's gleaming marble floors and tall glass walls, which shouted wealth and sophistication.
She walked up to the receptionist, adjusting her blazer in the hopes that it would conceal her nerves. Despite the pounding in her chest, she spoke steadily, "I'm here to see Mr. Hawke."
The receptionist was typing rapidly on her keyboard, without looking up. "What's your name?"
"Sophia Lynns." The woman nodded and pointed to the elevators after a brief pause.
"The top floor. There, his secretary will greet you."
The low buzz of gentle classical music did little to calm her jangled nerves throughout the seemingly endless elevator ride.
She was met by a stunning woman wearing a fitted suit when the doors were opened. The woman said in a tone as sharp as her appearance, "Ms. Lynns?"
"Yes," Sophia replied.
"I'm Laura Bennett; I'm Mr. Hawke's secretary. Please, come with me."
She followed Laura along a hallway with floor-to-ceiling windows that provided an amazing view of the city but Sophia was so focused on the enormous oak door at the end of the hall that she hardly noticed.
Laura pushed the door open after knocking once. "Ms. Lynns is here, Mr. Hawke."
Breathing heavily, Sophia entered. She marveled at the spacious and uncluttered office with its modern furnishings and a full wall of glass windows that let in plenty of natural light.
Lucas Hawke was standing behind a big, bulky desk.
As she went in, he turned, and Sophia momentarily lost her ability to breathe. He had dark, well-groomed hair, eyes so sharply gray they appeared to stare right through her, and he was taller than she had anticipated.
She felt completely out of place since his fitted suit suited him like a second skin and he exuded an effortless dominance. If there was a more stunning man alive, Sophia wouldn't have met him.
She immediately started wondering how cool he'd look in casual wear if he was so dashing in a formal suit.
Sophia subtly shakes her head to regain control of her thoughts and take her eyes off the gorgeous Mr Hawke before she is caught staring.
"Ms. Lynns," he stated in a firm yet hushed voice. "I appreciate you coming."
Sophia pushed herself forward and held out her hand. "I'm honored to meet you, Mr. Hawke." His touch was warm, his handshake solid.
"Call me Lucas, please. This is not a board meeting."
Sophia smiled politely and sat in the chair he indicated, wiping her clammy palms against her skirt in an unobtrusive manner.
Lucas reclined in his chair, his eyes looking directly at her. He started, "I've looked over your portfolio. I was instantly drawn to your work. With each brushstroke, you can convey a tale and capture unadulterated emotion."
Surprised by the compliment, Sophia blinked. "Thank you. That is very significant."
Lucas went on, "I want you to make me something special. A composition that discusses resilience, strength, and success."
Sophia's curiosity flickered as she tilted her head. "May I ask, Why me? I assume there are many more skilled artists out there who could take on a project like this."
A slight smile curved Lucas's lips. "Yes, there are. But being an artist myself, although not a professional one, I know exactly what I need in an artwork. Your work has a rare depth. It seems raw and .......intimate."
Sophia paused, uncertain of how to react.
His remarks seemed almost too personal, as though he had caught glimpses of aspects of her that she had not intended to share.
"This project will be demanding," Lucas continued, adopting a more formal tone. "The time frame is six weeks, and I will require frequent updates. However, I promise that the pay will be substantial."
Six weeks? She agreed, but there wasn't much time for a piece of the scale he appeared to imagine. "I can do it."
"That's very good." He stated, looking directly into her gray eyes. "Because this endeavor will transform everything-for us both."
His comments caused Sophia's breath to catch.
Lucas got up, which indicated an end to the meeting before she could ask him what he meant. He said, "I'll have Laura email you the information. Ms. Lynns, I'm excited to see what you produce."
Her thoughts were racing as she exited his office, down to the lobby. When he said "change everything," what did he mean? And why did she think she had just accepted a commission for more than just a piece of art?
Young billionaire Geoffrey Smith had it all-until the night his family was torn apart by betrayal and murder by none other than his favorite uncle, Danny Gayle. Blinded and broken, he vanishes, only to return eight years later with a new identity–Carlton Jaz, an intellectual man driven by vengeance. But amid the web of deceit lies a love he had been waiting to embrace his whole life-with Tiana Banks, the girl who saved him with the M3 vaccine the night he was supposed to be killed by a dangerous chemical weapon. Unbeknownst to him, Tiana Banks is right in front of him, working in the same company, but neither recognizes the other as they now look different from eight years ago and now have new identities. Worse still, an accident robs Carlton of his memory just as he uncovers Tiana's new identity as Mia. The storm between love, loyalty, and revenge reaches its breaking point. With billionaire heir, Roy Meyers hell-bent on making Mia his woman, she battles her own heart while Carlton fights to reclaim the life, love, and justice stolen from him. In a world where secrets are inevitable, betrayals, the order of the day, and love the ultimate test, will Carlton triumph?-Or will he lose his love as a price for revenge? A tale of love, power, betrayal, and redemption, 'Beyond The Facade' is a gripping saga of endurance and determination where every choice could mean triumph-or tragedy.
Deception at its peak: a love full of impurities that stem from coincidence and circumstance. Beautiful, young, and naive, Louisa falls for sexy and warm-hearted billionaire Kingsley Wills, ignoring the precarious circumstance that forced her to approach him on the pretext of being Martha, Kingsley's childhood sweetheart whom he can only recognize with a unique hand. Their whirlwind romance ends in a tragedy but Louisa is already pregnant. Forced to keep the pregnancy a secret, Louisa raises Liam alone, hiding the truth from Kingsley. Five years later, their paths cross again and Louisa must confront the lies and deception that binds them. Will Kingsley believe Louisa? Will their love triumph? Or will the truth keep them apart forever? Worse still, Martha, who is thought to be dead reappears and wants to have her love back. Kingsley is left between the devil and the anvil. Martha Or Louisa?
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?
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!
My boyfriend called, "Baby!" as he jumped out of bed and scrambled to pull his pants off the ground. "Please, I can explain my love." Shutting my eyes, I inhaled deeply and tried not to cry when I realized that my dream of the man not being my boyfriend had been dashed. "What?" I asked, "What do you want to explain?" How did you lie about having a business meeting while you were in bed enjoying yourself with my best friend, even though I told you I was in serious pain, is that it?" I stood there, my heart pounding, and tears streaming down my face...
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
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."
Sheila had her back against the wall when her family tried to force her to marry an awful old man. In a fit of rage, she hired a gigolo to act as her husband. She thought the gigolo needed money and did this for a living. Little did she know that he was nothing like that. One day, he pulled off his mask and revealed himself to be the world's top magnate. This marked the beginning of their love. He showered her with everything she could ever want. They were happy. However, unexpected circumstances soon posed a threat to their love. Would Sheila and her husband make it through the storm? Find out!