The rich Alexander Grayson has a son, which Natalie Reed has been keeping a huge secret for the past six years. After their brief affair ended abruptly, Natalie was devastated and made the decision to raise their child alone, away from Alexander's cruel world of betrayal and power. However, Alexander learns the truth-he has an heir-when fate brings their paths together once more. He desires a place in his son's life because he feels deceived and angry, but there are restrictions and issues attached. Secrets are revealed and old emotions are rekindled as Natalie and Alexander manage co-parenting. Although the barriers Alexander erected around his heart start to come down, Natalie is aware that danger still exists in his world. Can she risk her heart once more to defend her son? Natalie and Alexander must choose whether their family is worth fighting for or if their pasts will permanently separate them in this story of love, redemption, and second chances.
Sunlight streaming through the transparent curtains filled the little Brooklyn apartment with the aroma of cinnamon pancakes. As she flipped the final pancake onto a plate, Natalie Reed stood at the stove and looked at her six-year-old son Liam, who was lying on the floor of the living room. He rolled a toy vehicle down a makeshift racetrack of couch pillows, his dark locks bobbling.
With a gentle yet strong tone, Natalie said, "Liam, breakfast is ready."
As the automobile sped down the last stretch, he said, "Just one more lap, Mom!" with glowing green eyes.
After laughing and using a dish towel to wipe her hands, Natalie placed the plates on their tiny circular table. The flat was small, with well-worn, mismatched furnishings, but it was home. With Liam's crayon drawings pinned to the refrigerator, art materials on the counter, and a few framed pictures of the two of them strewn around, every nook and cranny represented their life together.
"The race is over. As she sat down and poured him a glass of orange juice, Natalie taunted, "Your pancakes might disappear if you don't hurry."
With a stumbling gait, Liam climbed into his chair and began to eat his stack of pancakes, smiling. "You wouldn't allow them to vanish, would you?"
She sipped her coffee and shrugged playfully, "Maybe."
Natalie's eyes strayed to the living room corner where a lone cardboard box was sitting while Liam was eating. Even though it was sealed, she knew what was inside-a collection of memories she had stored away years before-without having to open it. Letters, pictures, and one baby blanket. Things that made her think of the man she had once imagined spending the rest of her life with.
Grayson, Alexander.
The name itself made her heartache. She had put a lot of effort into burying the hurt and concentrating on raising Liam without allowing her past to interfere. She had been able to provide them with a steady, peaceful life for six years. Occasionally, however, the memories came back, persistent and unwanted.
"Mom?" She recoiled at Liam's voice. "After you finish working today, is it possible for us to visit the park?"
Natalie dismissed the ideas with a smile. "My dear. However, only if your assignment is completed beforehand.
Liam shoved another pancake mouthful into his lips while nodding and letting out a loud grunt.
After breakfast, Natalie arranged Liam at the little desk in the living room corner and washed the dishes. While she opened her laptop at the kitchen counter, he concentrated on spelling words with his pencil scratching the paper.
The majority of the emails that inundated her inbox were from clients who needed last-minute design adjustments or alterations. Although she was proud of the little graphic design company she had started from the ground up, there were days when it seemed like she was trying to balance too many things at once.
Her phone buzzed on the counter as she was in the middle of answering a client. Glancing at the notification, Natalie wiped her hands on a dish towel.
Her stomach churned. She had remembered that Alexander's business was one of her most important clients, of course, but it felt heavy to see his name in her email.
After a moment of hesitation, she opened the email.
To Ms. Reed,
In appreciation of your contributions to our branding campaign, we are pleased to extend an invitation to you to attend the Grayson Technologies Annual Charity Gala.
Natalie glanced over the facts, her heart pounding. The gala was Alexander's event, not simply another one. Her promotional materials, from the large digital banners to the elegant black-and-gold invites, were emblazoned with his name. She had been able to plan everything without ever giving him any thought, but suddenly she could feel her carefully constructed barriers coming down.
With a sharp exhale, Natalie leaned against the counter and closed the email. She was unable to go. She shouldn't leave.
Her gaze then strayed to the bills that were neatly piled next to her laptop. More than just a chance to network, the event offered the possibility to earn further work with Grayson Technologies, a customer whose contract covered Liam's tuition and kept them afloat.
"Are you okay, Mom?"
Natalie turned to see Liam observing her with an inquisitive tilt of his head. His big green eyes penetrated right through her, much like Alexander's.
She tried to grin. "I'm all right, my love. Simply considering a job.
"Work is boring," he said, turning back to his assignments.
Despite her quiet laughter, Natalie's chest continued to sag.
As promised, Natalie took Liam to the park once he completed his homework. As Natalie watched Liam go toward the playground, she found herself unwinding to the sound of youngsters laughing in the cold fall air. With limitless enthusiasm, he easily scaled the jungle gym.
Natalie took out her sketchpad, sat on a nearby bench, and started drawing absently. She was calmed by the sound of the pencil's familiar scrape on paper.
Her mind, however, kept returning to Alexander.
He used to stare at her as though she were the only one in the room, and she recalled that. His ambition had been addictive, and his charm had been magnetic. She hadn't realized the storm was coming until it was too late since she had fallen for him so deeply and carelessly.
She was left with nothing but heartache and a secret that would change her life when their relationship ended.
"Look, Mom!" Her daydreaming was interrupted by Liam's voice.
He was waving enthusiastically at the top of the slide when she looked up. "Look, buddy, I'm watching!"
Natalie felt love fill her heart as he slid down with a victorious laugh. Liam was her compass in any situation. She had worked so hard to restore her life, to make it secure and solid, because of him.
But a familiar uneasiness began to creep in as she watched him play. Could she hide her secret any longer? As he grew older, Liam's inquiries about his father increased. Furthermore, if Alexander ever learned the truth...
Natalie dismissed the idea with a shake of her head. She was unable to consider that at this time.
After playing all day, Liam was sound asleep on the couch when he got home. With her laptop open in front of her, Natalie sat at the kitchen table. From the screen, the gala invitation gazed back at her.
She was aware that she would eventually have to make the choice. She would run the chance of bumping into Alexander and revealing everything she had battled to keep safe if she attended. But she may miss her chance to give Liam the future she desires if she stays away.
As she hovered her fingers over the keyboard, she mentally formed the RSVP's wording.
With a sinking heart, she said to herself, "Yes."
After pressing the button, she shut down her laptop.
Ignorant of the tempest that was building inside of her, the city lights outside glowed against the night sky.
Powerful, unyielding, and cold-hearted, billionaire heiress Isabella Hamilton has never trusted a man-especially not after her father's tragic betrayal took her mother's life. Her life is a fortress, guarded by disdain for the opposite sex, and she shows no mercy to those who try to cross her. But when she humiliates a rich and arrogant businessman in front of the world, little does she know that her life is about to change forever. Devastated by the public embarrassment, Dominic West vows revenge. He hires a charming, attractive man, the perfect weapon to break Isabella's walls, steal her fortune, and crush her heart. But as the plan unfolds, things go awry. The hired man, Lucas Hart, finds himself falling for the very woman he's meant to destroy. Torn between duty and love, Lucas must make an impossible choice: complete his mission and break Isabella's heart, or risk everything to protect her from the vengeance that has already claimed so much. In a world of power, deception, and broken trust, will love survive? Or will revenge and regret tear them apart forever?
Her perfect life crumbled the moment she discovered her husband's betrayal. Fueled by heartbreak and rage, she sets her sights on revenge, determined to destroy the woman who shattered her marriage. But her plan takes an unexpected turn when she crosses paths with Nicholas, the woman's fiercely protective brother. Drawn together by a volatile mix of passion and animosity, she finds herself questioning everything she thought she wanted. As secrets unravel and danger looms, their connection deepens, challenging her desire for vengeance. Torn between love and retribution, she must make an impossible choice: risk everything for a chance at happiness or let the past consume her forever. Sweet Vengeance is a sizzling tale of betrayal, redemption, and love that defies all odds.
"Everyone has secrets in the glitzy world of the elite, but his could cost her everything." Emily Chase, a struggling writer, never anticipates being thrown into the perilous orbit of elusive tech magnate and billionaire Damien Blackwood once she discovers a clue about him. Damien, who has a reputation for charm and cool control, has defended his kingdom and his emotions from the outside world for many years. However, Emily finds herself torn between telling the truth and falling in love with the man behind the mask after learning of rumors of a past argument that could ruin him. Emily discovers that Damien's secrets are more complex than she initially thought, drawing her into a web of treachery, passion, and peril as enemies press in and her inquiry reveals even more sinister facts. Their unquestionable chemistry creates a bond that has the potential to either break her determination or bring about her redemption. However, each step she takes toward Damien puts her own weaknesses in jeopardy and forces her to face her worst fears. Emily has to choose how far she will go for love as the stakes are high and her allegiances are put to the test. Will she be freed by discovering the truth, or will everything she has battled to defend be destroyed?
Mia's life is spiraling out of control. Abandoned by her mother, bullied mercilessly at school, and thrown into a household of four dangerously attractive stepbrothers, she's desperate to find her footing. "You look absolutely edible," Sean growled, his eyes devouring her. Mia felt a rush of heat between her thighs "Oh, you think so?" she purred, turning to face him. She reached out and traced her fingers along the ribbon that wrapped around his waist. "Well, I've been waiting for this all day. And I'm starving." Sean's smile grew into a predatory grin. "Then let us feast," he said, and in a flash, the ribbon fell away, exposing his rock-hard length. He stepped closer, and Mia felt the warmth of his breath on her face as he whispered, "You're going to take every inch of us tonight, aren't you?" With Rolex's teasing smirk and Sean's quiet, hot stares, Mia doesn't know where to turn-or who to trust. Every glance, every touch leaves her breathless, confused, and craving more than she should. Will Mia survive their games, or will she lose herself in a dangerous world of secrets, seduction, and forbidden desire? One house. Four brothers. Endless temptation.
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!”
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?"
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
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."