Ivy Summers thought she could handle the storms life threw her way until one foolish choice turned her world upside down. A quiet night of weakness leads to a memorable one-night stand with Griffin Blackwell, a man who oozes power and control. When she learns that her mysterious lover is not only her boss but the cruel rich CEO of Blackwell Enterprises, her life becomes even more confusing. Griffin, hurt by betrayal and determined never to let anyone close again, views Ivy as a problem he can't afford but can't resist. When a high-stakes deal demands a fake marriage, Griffin offers a contract Ivy cannot refuse. Bound by the rules of their sham union, their twisted web of desire and mistrust gets tighter, revealing dangerous secrets that could destroy them both. As enemies close in and their feelings spin out of control, will Ivy find her strength and Griffin learn to trust again? Or will their love be crushed by the ghosts of their past?
Ivy's POV
My heels clattered on the wooden floor as I pulled the door open, making a creaking sound. "I'm home, Nathan!" With a voice tinged with fatigue, I called. I was met with silence. Normal. Most likely, my younger brother was once more lost in his books.
Nathan took his goal of getting into a prestigious university very seriously, and he had finals coming up.
I opened the mail after dropping my luggage on the kitchen counter. Bills. Bills. Additionally, there are more bills. Staring at the stack, each package a harsh reminder of how close we were to drowning, made my stomach turn. Even without Nathan's tuition, my salary as a secretary hardly covered the necessities. He had enough things to worry about, so I couldn't tell him how horrible it was.
"Ivy?" My thoughts were disrupted by Nathan's voice. His face was marked with worry, and his hair was disheveled as he stood in the doorway.
"Hey. How did your day go? Sliding the money under a magazine, I feigned a smile.
"All right. You appear worn out. He took a step toward me and gave me a suspicious look.
I said, "Long day at work," and brushed past him in the direction of the refrigerator. "I'm preparing pasta. Do you want some?
He folded his arms and remarked, "You're avoiding the question."
With a groan, I shut the refrigerator door. "I'm all right, Nathan. Please don't worry about me. Just concentrate on your study.
"You're overdoing it," he said. Perhaps I ought to take a year off. Put in some work-"
"Definitely not." I didn't mean for my tone to be so sharp. Nathan, you're attending college. The conversation is over.
He gave me a long look, concern shining in his eyes. "You know you're stubborn?"
"Comes from a family." I smiled weakly at him and returned my attention to the stove.
But, I was unable to get rid of the weight in my chest while I stirred the spaghetti. For the sake of both of us, I had to figure out how to make things work.
All week, the invitation to the gala sat tauntingly on my desk at work. I lacked the enthusiasm and time for a high-profile event. My best friend and office gossip queen, Sophia, But, had other ideas.
"You're leaving," she said, settling into my cubicle.
I objected, saying, "Sophia, I don't even have a dress."
"Excuses." She dismissedively waved her hand. "I have a gorgeous black number that will fit you like a glove. Ivy, hurry up. One evening. You must have this.
I whispered, "I need to sleep."
"No. For the first time in your life, you will let loose. Daring me to dispute, she crossed her arms.
So there I was, drinking champagne and trying not to feel totally out of place at the Blackwell Enterprises charity dinner. With the air heavy with wealth and influence, the room was a sea of glistening dresses and well-tailored suits.
Sophia nudged me and murmured, "Smile." "You look fantastic."
"I feel like a fake," I said as I pulled at the borrowed dress's hem.
"Well, pretend until you succeed." After giving a wink, she vanished into the throng.
In the hopes that a drink might help me relax, I strolled up to the bar. I sensed someone standing next to me while I waited for the bartender. I turned to look into the intense eyes of a man who made the room disappear.
"First time here?" he said in a rich, silky voice.
"That clear?" My cheeks flushed as I answered.
"Not at all." A little smile curved his lips. "You simply don't seem to be making an effort to win people over."
"Should I be?" I raised an eyebrow in challenge.
"No. It is revitalizing. He held out his hand. "Griffin."
I shook his hand and said, "Ivy." He held me tightly, and I felt a weird warmth from his touch.
"So, Ivy, what has led you to this point?"
Peer pressure, I acknowledged. "You?"
"Business. Always on the job. His brown eyes met mine as he leaned in closer. "But I'm willing to make an exception tonight."
His words lingered in the air, making my pulse skip a beat. If only for a brief instant, his mesmerizing presence helped me forget the seriousness of my obligations.
A cloud of stolen looks and muttered words engulfed the night. I was drawn in like a riptide by Griffin's irresistible presence. I immediately agreed with his suggestion that we leave the gala.
We finally arrived at his penthouse, a sleek, contemporary apartment that exuded wealth. My body had different thoughts than my intellect, which advised me to halt and consider this. My doubts were silenced by the way he gazed at me, as if I were the only person in the world.
"Are you certain?" he inquired in a quiet, reserved tone.
"Yes," I said in a tremulous but confident murmur.
A moment of vulnerability that felt liberating followed, a tornado of emotion. I let go of everything that was preventing me from moving forward for the first time in years.
The morning arrived too soon. It was almost painful, the sunlight pouring through the floor-to-ceiling windows. I blinked as I attempted to reconstruct what had happened the previous evening. Panic set in as reality set in.
Being cautious not to wake Griffin, I crept out of bed. I gathered my garments as quietly as I could. When I got to the door and put my hand on the knob, my heart was pounding.
"Going out without bidding farewell?" I was halted in my tracks by his voice.
He was resting against the doorway with a sheet loosely wrapped around his waist as I turned around. His hair was ruffled and his eyes were full of laughter, making him appear incredibly attractive.
Under his staring eyes, I stumbled, "I didn't want to... wake you."
His tone was informal when he offered, "Stay for breakfast," yet there was an intensity in his gaze that made it difficult to say no.
I retreated to the door and murmured, "I really can't."
After examining me for a while, he nodded. "All right. Be careful, Ivy.
His pronunciation of my name chilled me to the bone. I gave a brief nod and walked away with a disorganized mass of ideas.
The ride down in the elevator was a blur. I was already late for work by the time I got to the street. I secretly prayed that I would arrive on time when I called a cab.
I hardly had time to recover my breath when I got to the office before Sophia jumped in.
She looked at me suspiciously and remarked, "You look like you've seen a ghost."
I grumbled as I made my way to my desk, "Rough morning." A silence descended over the office before she could ask for more information. When I looked up, I saw the reason: Blackwell Enterprises CEO Griffin Blackwell strode across the room.
My heart stopped pounding. No. It isn't possible. But, the little smirk on his lips as our eyes locked validated my worst suspicion.
Last night, Griffin Blackwell was more than just a stranger.
My employer was him.
Blurb: "Make love to me, I'm no longer a child. I can give you an experience my mom could never provide, even in the afterlife." Adriana seductively declared, Luci dedicated her life to raising her only daughter, Adriana, after the tragic loss of her husband. She remained single, focusing all her love and attention on Adriana, until she finally found companionship in Francis Monroe, a successful businessman. But Luci's world comes crashing down when she discovers that her 17-year-old daughter is not only having an affair with Francis but is dangerously obsessed with him. Once sweet and innocent, Adriana has become manipulative, seductive, and willing to go to extreme lengths to get what she wants, even if it means hurting her own mother. At first, Luci is furious. Then, the truth unravels-Adriana's twisted desires are rooted in the horrific abuse she suffered as a child. The past she tried to bury has resurfaced most terrifyingly. Now, Luci faces an impossible choice. Will she turn her back on her daughter out of fear and betrayal? Or will she fight for justice and try to save Adriana from the darkness consuming her?
Elena Harper is a fiercely independent woman trying to navigate her career and life in the bustling city. Adrian Grant is a powerful, enigmatic CEO with a guarded heart. When their worlds collide by chance, an undeniable spark ignites between them. But love isn't simple. From corporate chaos to family dynamics and deeply buried insecurities, their journey is anything but smooth. As passion blooms into a love neither of them expected, they'll have to overcome the odds to prove that sometimes, love is worth the risk. Full of romance, humor, and heart, Against All Odds is a story about finding love when you least expect it and holding on through life's toughest challenges.
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
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."
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?
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
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!”
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.