/0/75121/coverbig.jpg?v=78fa9f879e9c0b70c55bc60b6600d89e)
: Stella always knew that her boss, James had his eyes on her and would do anything to get her in his bed. But she refused to give in to his advances and drew the line between their CEO and secretary relationship. However, when James gets involved in a scandal with a famous model, and his mother forces him to get married, he has no choice but to turn to Stella for help to be his fake girlfriend.What started as a fake relationship and sparks of sexual attraction turned into something more when they were forced to get closer. James had secrets that could haunt Stella for the rest of her life and it's up to her to choose between her sanity and her attraction towards her boss.
CHAPTER ONE
STELLA'S POV
I could feel his eyes on me again, just like every other time. It was like a snake slithering up and down my body, causing me to shiver in response as I shifted from one foot to another.
"That brings us to the end of the meeting. Any questions?" I asked as I glanced around at my colleagues, who were busy writing things down in their books.
"Everyone can leave; the meeting has ended," James said as he stood up from his chair, and everyone filed out of the office except me.
"What else is on my schedule, Stella? I'm exhausted already." He muttered as he took off his coat and I took it from him before picking up his things.
"If I'm not mistaken, it's just nine am. Getting tired when it isn't noon yet is very suspicious. What did you do all night?" I asked, even though I knew better than to probe into his private life.
"You wanna know what I did? Sure, I'll tell you. I fucked with a pretty bimbo all night. Her energy was unmatched!" He replied with a grin and I froze in my tracks as he walked past me before he stopped and turned to look at me.
"Don't you think you should stop fucking around? You could get into trouble if the media finds out about this. Sleeping with a different girl every night doesn't make you a better man. You should settle down soon." I mumbled softly and he observed me for a while before a scoff of amusement escaped his lips.
"Wow. I would give you a round of applause, except I don't remember asking for your advice. You're just my secretary and you should keep your job as that. Moreover, if the media finds out about it, it's your job to deny it, isn't it? Unless... you're jealous and want to sleep with me too." He said with a smirk on his lips as he walked up to me but I quickly moved past him and walked to the door.
"Sorry, Mr James, but you're not my type," I mumbled as I walked out of the office, leaving him there with a look of fury and annoyance on his face.
What the hell did I just do? I could lose my job by saying those words to him. But I knew better.
He wanted me too. I couldn't help but feel like he slept with those girls and flirted with them just to get on my nerves.
I could feel it in the way his eyes undressed me all the time. The way he bit his bottom lip whenever I showed up at his office in a tight dress. He wanted me badly but I've never given him the green light.
Not because I didn't want him. No. But because...
"Stella? What are you zoning out for? Your phone has been ringing in your office all day." My best pal, Shayla, said as she shook me out of my reverie and I raised a brow at her.
"My phone? Who could that be?" I muttered under my breath as I walked to my office which was right beside James'.
He called it the perks of being his secretary. But it felt like hell to have our offices next to each other. Because he could bring in any girl and they'd go on for hours while I had to bear with the sound of the pleasures.
Being on the top floor had its advantages and disadvantages. But the disadvantages were more, given that there were only two offices on this floor: mine and James'.
"Let's talk during break; I have to get something done," Shayla said, and I nodded in response as I picked up my phone to see that it was James' mother who called.
The phone buzzed again and I quickly swiped on the green button.
"I didn't pay you to work beside my son so that you could ignore my calls!" She yelled in anger the moment I picked the call and I flinched even though she wasn't in front of me.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. I was in the meeting room. Is there anything I can do for you, ma'am?" I asked softly and she let out a heavy sigh.
"Tell James that I'm waiting for him downstairs. It's very important. He won't answer his calls and the security won't let me come upstairs!" Her voice was filled with exasperation as she spoke and I ran a hand through my hair in frustration.
"I'll get him to come to you now, ma'am. My apologies." I said and she hummed in response before hanging up. This family won't be the death of me.
I returned to James' office where he stood by the window, watching the traffic by the roadside.
"Mr James, your mother wants to speak with you."
"I don't want to speak to her. Go and tell her that."
He was such a child sometimes, I just wanted to grab him by the ear and pull him downstairs.
"What are you, a child? Avoiding your mother like you stole a cookie from her jar. If I tell her that, then I'll lose my job and no one would be able to handle your temper like me." I threatened and he turned to glare at me for a moment before he finally walked out of the office.
At least, he values my presence.
I returned to my office and sat down as I stared at the thin wall that separated my office from James'. I could hear everything that he did in there. Even when he touched himself while calling out my name, I heard everything.
And I knew that he knew that I heard it all.
He was so damn unfiltered that I sometimes wondered what went on in his head.
Minutes passed after he went downstairs and I decided to immerse myself in the paperwork sitting on my desk before it piled up.
My door suddenly barged open and James stepped in, causing me to shoot up from my seat as I glanced at him in confusion.
"What's wrong, Mr James?" I asked and he approached with an expression I couldn't read on his face.
"Do you have a boyfriend? Fiance? Husband?" He asked, but that only fueled my confusion even more as I shook my head, and he smirked in response.
"That's good." He said as he suddenly placed his hands on my face and pulled me close before kissing me deeply while I stood there frozen in shock.
•BLURB• My sole intention was to sabotage my arranged marriage by sparking a scandal. I slept with someone to make this work, expecting no consequences. However, fate had other plans.. I realized I was pregnant after we already parted ways. Years later, just when I resigned myself to solo parenthood, my paths crossed with his again but this time, he had no memories of me nor that night.. The twist? He's the lover my ruthless female boss has always been talking about. What's this crack in my heart?.. These butterflies in my belly whenever we meet?.. I have his baby, but he's getting married soon! Can love's complexity surpass this?..
Claire Fanie believed she and Jona Harrow were soulmates, destined to be together as the Luna and alpha of their pack. They represented hope and unity, meant to lead people towards strength and harmony. Everything changes in a moment. Then Jona rejects her love and breaks her forever, destroying Claire's world to pieces. Claire has been betrayed by the one she loved, and her best friend, Laura Jossie, and now finds herself in the wild, where she must battle her greatest fears alone. Free from her identity, by night and day she must wrestle with the darkness that threatens to swallow her spirit; she'll survive the brutal elements for eleven days. Wild beasts and the haunting echoes of her past test her resilience every day. The girl who had once so desperately wanted to be accepted becomes a fierce survivor. When she returns to the village, Claire isn't who she used to be, not just in appearance, but in the way she acts. She's been hardened by the trials in the wild and hardened her - scars visible and hidden. The home she returns to, however, is no longer welcoming. People hear whispers about her and rumors, and they poison the minds of those who used to be her family. Claire thinks she might get away, but it soon begins to unravel the truth and there are lies and betrayal at the core of it all. As she confronts the reality of her shattered relationships, she faces a pivotal question: will the weight of her past devour her completely, or will she regain her fate and the love she once believed to be set in her past? This is the story of Claire in a kingdom besieged by doubt, lies, and love across these lines. The lines between friend and foe are blurred, and she must learn how to truly become a Luna again. To do so, she must embrace the strength inside her first and face the darkness that lies ahead. Claire's story is all about her fascinating journey of self-discovery, love, and redemption, and every choice she makes could be for salvation or destruction.
The world of Kae Thompson shattered when Lucas Ross, who was supposed to be her true mate and future Alpha, rejected her on her 21st birthday. Kae was devastated, making decisions to leave the pack and build a new life in the city. Five years later, Kae thrives as a freelance journalist, but her werewolf nature remains dormant. Lucas, the alpha of the BloodMoon pack, appears with a revealing shocking truth. Lucas's rejection was forced by his father's dying wish, protecting her from an ancient prophecy: "The Alpha's Mate" will bring destruction or salvation". As Kae and Lucas navigate their growing feelings for each other they must confront the true meaning of the prophecy. Will Kae forgive Luca's past rejections and accept her destiny? And what secrets lie hidden in the prophecy? Will Kae's werewolf nature be her salvation or downfall? And what were the Alpha's mistakes?
In New Haven, emotions aren't just felt-they're controlled and sold. Kira, one of the city's top emotion engineers, makes her living by creating emotions for others, but her own heart feels empty. Everything changes when she crosses paths with Aether, a rebel who's determined to destroy the system that took everything from him.At first, their connection is full of hate. Kira sees Aether as a threat, and Aether blames people like Kira for turning emotions into a tool for control. But as they're forced to work together, their hatred starts to turn into something much deeper.However, in a world where feelings are manipulated, love is a dangerous thing. Kira's rival, Selene, will do anything to keep them apart, while the mysterious Puppet Master-the one pulling the strings behind New Haven's emotion trade-won't let anyone disrupt his control.Now, Kira and Aether must decide if their love can survive in a world where every emotion has a price, or if it will be shattered by the very forces they're fighting against.
JUST ONE RECORDED NIGHTSTAND WITH A STRANGER.. was all Adeline intended in using as a scandal for her arranged wedding to be called off.. However, fate had other plans.. She ended up getting pregnant for the stranger whom she already parted ways with.. Years later,Just when she resigned herself to solo parenthood, she meets her baby's father who now has no memories of her nor the nightstand.. But that's not the worst of it.. He turned out to be the lover her ruthless female boss was always talking about.. Passion re-ignites.. Secrets explode.. Rivalry intensifies.. Hatred darkens and Adeline's tangled emotions mirror the chaos.. Can love's complexity surpass this?..
Betrayed by her mate and sister on the eve of her wedding, Makenna was handed to the ruthless Lycan Princes as a lover, her indifferent father ignoring her plight. Determined to escape and seek revenge, she captured the interest of the three Lycan princes, who desired her exclusively amid many admirers. This complicated her plans, trapping her and making her a rival to the future Lycan queen. Entwined in jealousy and vindictiveness, could Makenna achieve her vengeance in the intricate dance with the three princes?
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!
Allison fell in love with Ethan Iversen, the soon-to-be Alpha of the Moonlight Crown pack. She always wanted him to notice her. Meanwhile, Ethan was an arrogant Alpha who thought a weak Omega could not be his companion. Ethan's cousin, Ryan Iversen, who came back from abroad and was the actual heir of the pack, never tried to get the position nor did he show any interest in it. He was a popular playboy Alpha but when he came back to the pack, one thing captured his eyes and that was Allison.
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
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."