MY BEST FRIEND
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THREE-YEARS CONTRACT MARRIAGE WITH THE HOT BILLIONAIRE
"Sign the contract, or lose everything." I stared at the papers that would seal my fate-a three-year marriage to Julian Blackwood, the ruthless billionaire they call the Ice King. My family didn't ask. They demanded. My father's company was drowning, my stepsister's engagement had exploded, and I was the replacement bride they could sacrifice. Just another transaction. Julian made it clear on our wedding day: "Don't expect affection. Don't expect companionship. Certainly don't expect love." He refused to kiss me at the altar. He gave me a bedroom down the hall and told me to stay out of his way. I was Mrs. Blackwood in name only-a contract, a convenience, a means to an end. I accepted it. I had survived twelve years of abuse in my own home. I could survive three years of indifference in his. But then Nate, Julian's best friend, showed me kindness, and suddenly my cold husband became possessive. When my sister attacked me, he became protective. Now the man who promised me nothing is fighting his own father to keep me. The marriage that was supposed to be fake is becoming terrifyingly real and the secrets about my mother's death are threatening to destroy everything. They said Julian Blackwood destroys everything he touches. What they didn't tell me... is that sometimes destruction is exactly what you need to be reborn. With a pregnancy involved, how was I going to end this three-year marriage peacefully?
Chapter 1 The Invisible Daughter
Lena.
I refilled the champagne glasses carefully, weaving through clusters of glittering guests who looked through me rather than at me. The black dress I wore, the same one I'd worn to every family event for the past three years had a small tear at the hem that no one had noticed. No one ever noticed.
"More champagne here," a woman in diamonds called out, snapping her fingers without bothering to look at my face.
I moved to her, my footsteps silent on the marble floor of the Carter mansion's ballroom. Cassie's engagement party was in full swing, two hundred guests celebrating my stepsister's upcoming marriage to Liam Whitley, heir to a pharmaceutical fortune. A string quartet played in the corner. The air smelled of expensive perfume and imported flowers.
I belonged to none of it.
But in exactly seven days, none of this would matter anymore.
Seven days until I had enough money saved. Seven days until my interview at the marketing firm in Boston. Seven days until I could disappear from this house and never look back.
I touched the envelope hidden in my bra-my mother's death certificate, the one document I would need to access the small trust fund she had left me. The lawyer's appointment was scheduled for Monday morning. After three years of hiding money in my mattress, working secret jobs Bridget didn't know about, I finally had enough for a security deposit and first month's rent on a tiny studio apartment five hours away.
Freedom was seven days away.
"The hors d'oeuvres are running low on the west table." Bridget's sharp voice cut through my thoughts. My stepmother appeared at my elbow, her perfectly painted lips pressed into a thin line. "Were you planning to let our guests starve?"
"I'll refill them now," I said quietly.
"You should have done it ten minutes ago." Her manicured nails dug into my arm. "Must I do everything myself? Go. And try not to look so pathetic. You're embarrassing us."
Just seven more days, I reminded myself. Seven more days of this, then I'd never have to hear her voice again.
I hurried toward the kitchen, my cheeks burning. Behind me, I heard Bridget's laugh as she greeted another guest. The transformation was instant, like flipping a switch.
In the kitchen, I loaded canapés onto a silver tray, my hands moving automatically. The catering staff gave me sympathetic looks but said nothing. They knew better than to interfere in family matters.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I checked it quickly, it as a text from Landon, my manager at the coffee shop where I worked early mornings before anyone in this house woke up.
"Your last paycheck is ready. $340. That puts you at your goal, right?"
My heart soared. I didn't need to wait seven more days. I had enough now. I could leave tomorrow if I wanted to.
I typed back quickly: "Yes. Thank you for everything."
"Good luck in Boston. You deserve better than this."
I deleted the conversation and pocketed my phone, my hands shaking with suppressed excitement. Tomorrow. I could leave tomorrow, right after the lawyer's appointment. I had already packed a small bag and hidden it in the garden shed. I had bus tickets purchased under a fake name. I had...
"Lena!" Cassie's voice shattered my planning. "Come here for a second."
I returned to the ballroom, a tray balanced in my hands. Cassie stood at the center of a group of her friends, her engagement ring catching the light with every dramatic gesture. She looked beautiful in her rose-gold gown, her blonde hair swept into an elegant updo, her laugh was musical and confident.
Everything I wasn't. Everything I had stopped trying to be.
"I just wanted to introduce you to everyone," Cassie said sweetly as I approached. "This is my stepsister, Lena. She's been so helpful tonight, playing servant." She leaned closer, as if sharing a secret. "She really commits to the role, doesn't she?"
Her friends tittered. I stood frozen, the familiar burn of humiliation spreading through my chest.
Tomorrow, I reminded myself. Just get through tonight.
"Actually, I think she enjoys it," one of them said. "Some people just know their place."
Cassie reached for a glass of wine from a passing waiter. She turned back to me, smiling. "Oh, how clumsy of me!"
The red wine hit my dress in a splash of burgundy, soaking through the fabric. The wine was cold against my skin, and for a moment, I felt the envelope in my bra getting damp. Panic shot through me, if the death certificate was ruined, I would have to order another one, which would take weeks.
I set down the tray with shaking hands and hurried toward the bathroom, Cassie's laughter following me down the hall. In the bathroom, I carefully extracted the envelope. The certificate was fine, protected by the envelope's thick paper. Relief flooded through me.
I looked at my reflection: wine-stained, exhausted, invisible. Tomorrow, this version of Lena Carter would cease to exist.
I slipped out the side door into the garden, needing air, needing to see the one place in this house that still felt like home. My mother had planted these roses herself, back when she was alive, back when this house held warmth and laughter. I had hidden my escape bag behind the largest rose bush, wrapped in plastic.
I knelt beside it now, checking to make sure it was still there. Everything was intact-clothes, documents, the small amount of jewelry my mother had left me that Bridget didn't know about.
"I'm leaving tomorrow, Mom," I whispered to the roses. "I'm finally getting out."
A crash from inside the house shattered the moment. Then shouting, loud enough to carry through the walls.
My escape would have to wait a few more hours. I stood, brushing dirt from my ruined dress, and returned to find chaos.
A crash from inside the house shattered the quiet. Then shouting, loud enough to carry through the walls. I stood, brushing dirt from my ruined dress.
When I returned to the ballroom, it was chaotic. Cassie stood in the center of the room, her face blotchy with tears, while Liam Whitley faced her with crossed arms.
"I'm done," he said loud enough for everyone to hear. "I can't marry someone so spoiled, so entitled. My family won't allow it anyway, your father's company is hemorrhaging money. This engagement is over."
He pulled the ring from his pocket...Cassie must have thrown it at him and set it on a nearby table. Then he walked out.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Cassie's scream pierced the air. She grabbed the nearest vase and hurled it at the wall, where it shattered into a thousand pieces. "How dare he! How dare he embarrass me like this!"
Guests began making hurried exits, murmuring apologies and excuses. Within minutes, the ballroom had emptied except for family and staff.
Bridget's hand connected with my cheek before I saw it coming. The slap echoed through the nearly empty room.
"This is your fault," she hissed. "Looking like trash in front of our guests, bringing bad luck to this family. You've embarrassed us for the last time."
I pressed my hand to my stinging cheek but said nothing. My father stood in the corner, avoiding my eyes.
"Get out of my sight," Bridget said. "And clean up this mess before you go to bed."
I spent the next two hours picking up broken glass and discarded napkins while the caterers packed up around me. My father and Bridget had disappeared into his study. I could hear their voices, through the heavy door.
By the time I finished cleaning, it was past midnight. I was heading toward the stairs when my father's voice stopped me cold.
"The company is failing. We'll be bankrupt within six months."
I froze outside his study door, my heart pounding.
"Then we need the Blackwood deal," Bridget said. "It's our only option."
"Julian Blackwood wants a marriage alliance. His father insisted on it."
"Then we give them a bride."
No. No, no, no.
"Cassie's engagement just ended publicly," my father said. "The Blackwoods won't want damaged goods."
"They've never met Cassie in person. They've only seen photos. We'll give them Lena instead."
The trash bag slipped from my hands.
"Lena?" My father sounded uncertain.
"She's useless here anyway. At least this way she'll finally contribute something to this family."
I pressed myself against the wall, my carefully constructed escape plan crumbling around me.
"Lena!" My father's sharp voice cut through my panic. "Get in here. Now."
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Alpha's Last Minute Bride
Evangeline was blackmailed to marry a ruthless Alpha in replacement of her sister. Anything she hated in her life was the werewolves. She had seen her father leaving her mother for another she-wolf. Why? Because her mother was a human and so is she!! Though her father loved her a lot despite her being a human, she never forgave him for the things which he did to her mother and stayed away from pack and werewolves community. Little did she know that she had to marry an Alpha just because her sister ran away from her wedding at the last moment. Daniel Grint was the ruthless, heartless and fearless Alpha. He never believed in mate or mate bond because of the circumstances he faced in his life. But he had to marry a stupid alpha daughter to strengthen his pack. He hated that idea from the beginning but he agreed for the sake of his pack. He was finding himself hard to control his anger and frustration when he came to know that his stupid bride flew away before the wedding and he was offered a human as his last minute bride, who also happened to be an Alpha’s daughter and…..his mate.
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The Rebel
"Lower your eyes mate" He said with a hint of warning in his tone. She didn't flinch under his cold fingers coiled around her neck, instead with a smirk on her bruised lips,she looks back at him. Daring to defy him. "Submit!" He growled at her this time, frustrated with her ability to infuriate him to the extent of forcing him to hurt her. "Many have tried mate" The word mate leaving her lips sounded more of a mockery, making his grip on her neck to tighten slightly. "I am not others Vera. I am your mate. Your superior. Submit this instant!" She again smiled, managing to roll her eyes at him. "You can try . But remember,you will never succeed in it" He could end her with just a little more pressure on her neck, having the fate as many others who have dared to defy him,but something in those eyes was stopping him. He wanted to extinguish that fire in them., to see them rolling over as he thrusted inside her, to see them begining him to continue as he denied her. He wanted her to submit.Badly. Completely to him in all respects. Body and soul both. To let him be her protector,her punisher, her dominant,her lover her mate. Her everything. But little did he knew that his mate was not an ordinary Luna who happily submits to her mate's whims and needs. She was who they all popularly call as "The rebel" The mysterious protector of good and savior of women. The man who gives justice to the inequality created by men. If only they knew he was a women instead. .................................................... "The day I submit to a man will be the last day of my life mate. Vera Red was born as a rebel, will live as a rebel and will also die as a Rebel. With or without a cause"
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My Baby's Daddy Is Mr CEO
It was Valentine`s day; the day of love. Arianna had gone out with for a date with her boyfriend, she was expecting him to pop the question tonight but instead, he did the exact opposite. He announced that the relationship was not working and he couldn't push on anymore. So he walked out of her life and out of the country as well. She was broken, ended up in a bar where she intended to drink away her sorrows. She got tipsy and that's when Mr. handsome stranger showed up. The both ended up in a hotel room and the next morning before she could wake up, he was gone. Only if she knew that the one night stand would lead to an unexpected pregnancy. She was pregnant for someone whose name she didn't even know, a complete stranger. Six months later, she bumps into a magazine with his picture "Oliver Gomez; Business man of the year" That's when she realizes that her Baby`s Daddy Is Mr. CEO!! She confronts him but the billionaire CEO denies it, however she is not going to give up, not without a fight.
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Billionaire's Regret: CEO Wants Mother Of Twin Back
Lily was the wife of the richest and most powerful man in the continent, but because she couldn't conceive an heir for her husband, everyone treated her without respect including her husband. After five years, she finally conceived but her husband, Drake Bell believed her pregnancy was a result of an affair she has because he never had any intimacy with her ever since his childhood sweetheart returned back to his life and that was a year ago. Hence, he took Lily to the hospital and enforce an abortion on her pregnancy eventhough it was against her will. Broken, battered and wasted, Lily dropped a divorce paper on the table and left her husband's villa. The wife of the richest man in the continent ended up being homeless and sleeping on the street but two weeks later, she started experiencing strange symptoms. On visiting the hospital, she was told she was pregnant. Many years later, Drake Bell knelt before Lily and begged her and her twin to come to him but Lily was already a top designer with enough money in her account, she has more than enough to take care of herself and her kids, as for Drake Bell, she told him to rot in hell. But destiny can be tricky, could there a possibility of love between Drake Bell and Lily considering Drake Bell's unforgivable act in the past?
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The Alpha King's Hated Slave
Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms once at peace. The kingdom of Salem and the kingdom of Mombana... Until the day, the king of Mombana passed away and a new monarch took over, Prince Cone. Prince Cone, has always been hungry for more power and more and more. After his coronation, he attacked Salem. The attack was so unexpected, Salem never prepared for it. They were caught off guard. The king and Queen was killed, the prince was taken into slavery. The people of Salem that survived the war was enslaved, their land taken from them. Their women were made sex slaves. They lost everything, including their land. Evil befall the land of Salem in form of Prince Cone, and the prince of Salem in his slavery was filled with so much rage. The prince of Salem, Prince Lucien swore revenge. 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 Ten years later, thirty-years old Lucien and his people raided a coup and escaped slavery. They went into hiding and recuperated. They trained day and night under the leadership of the fearless and cold Lucien who was driven with everything in him to get back their land, and take Mombana land too. It took them five years before they ambushed and attacked Mombana. They killed Prince Cone and reclaimed everything. As they screamed out their victory, Lucien's eyes found and pinned the proud princess of Mombana. Princess Danika. The daughter of Prince Cone. As Lucien stared at her with the coldest eyes anyone can ever possess, he felt victory for the first time. He walked to the princess with the slave collar he'd won for ten years rattling in his hand as he walked. He reached close to her and with a swift movement, he collared her neck. Then, he tilted her chin up, staring into the bluest eyes and the most beautiful face ever created, he gave her a cold smile. "You are my acquisition. My slave. My sex slave. My property. I will pay you in spades, everything you and your father ever did to me and my people." He stated curtly. Pure hatred, coldness and victory was the only emotion on his face. .
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Royally Desired
Twelve years after the death of her best friend and also future alpha of Eclipse pack, Tiana Aldridge finds herself mated to his twin brother, Jordan Walker, but he doesn’t want her. Her pack hates her and everyone blames her for the death that happened twelve years ago. She grows up an outcast and Jordan wastes no time rejecting her, all her hopes of ever finding happiness come crashing. Tiana only has one wish; an opportunity to leave Eclipse pack for good. The former Alpha King passes on, and her alpha gladly gives her out in tribute to the king. What he doesn’t know is karma is coming back in the deadliest way he least expects. ** As the first Alpha Prince and also next in line to be king, Ryder Cadwalder is used to getting what he wants. He is surly, overly possessive, and outrightly arrogant. Past experience with his ex-mate taught him to have little trust for the opposite sex and when he finds out he has a second chance mate, he takes no chances with her. His past still haunts him, but he must find a way to move on from it. Fate takes him to Eclipse pack, and as the Alpha prince tries to solve the riddle that has hunted the werewolf kingdom for years, secrets are being unraveled and truths unfolded. What happens when the Eclipse pack is at the mercy of the alpha prince’s mate? Would Tiana forgive? Or would she have her revenge on those that caused her pain all her life?
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Bestfriends Shouldn't Know How You Taste
Ashley Grey knows better than to get involved with her bestfriend that's in a relationship. She has been keeping her feelings for him a secret for years. Until one day they are dared to kiss each other. Then everything is flipped between them. Stolen kisses, touches and a whole lot of tension. These two go on a journey that will either drift them apart or pull them even closer. " I can't be your friend Ley when I know how you taste."
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Mated to my best friend
We wouldn't have done anything. You are an Omega, and I'm an Alpha. There's a huge difference in where we stand in this pack, we could never be together, understand that!” He snapped as he got up from the bed. “So you're going to take my dignity away and just leave? Have you lost your mind, Aegon?
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My Best Friend, My Wife, My Betrayal
As an Austin IT guy, I bore the crushing guilt of my supposed infertility, convinced I was failing my influencer wife, Jess, and her dream of a family. Our marriage had grown cold, dominated by her career, and the weight of my perceived inadequacy was immense. But then, I stumbled upon a secret: bir
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OBEYING MY BEST FRIEND'S FATHER
She broke the rules. Now, she's his to punish. Ava Montgomery is young, untouched, and full of secrets. All her life, she's followed the rules-until one night, she steps into the room of the one man she should've stayed far away from. Dante Wolfe. Forty-two. Cold. Ruthless. Her best friend's fat
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Craving My Best Friend's Dad
This is an age-gap, forbidden romance book loaded with delicious tension and plenty of steamy chapters. Get ready, you're in for a ride! - "You little whore." He rolled his hips with vigor, every thrust a reminder of how insanely his cock had craved her since their last time together. "So wet for d
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OFF LIMITS MY BEST FRIEND'S
Mia has secretly wanted her best friend's father, Alexander Voss, for years. To him, she was always just a kid. But right after she turns 18, her best friend Lily invites her on a luxury family vacation at a private beach resort. When Alexander steps out of the pool, dripping wet and more attractive
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My Best Friend's Father
Would risk it all for pleasure? Brandi and Gio were never meant to happen and should not have happened but....one fateful night it happened and for them, there was no turning back. His daughter's best friend to the woman in his bed., Giovanni will have a hard time accepting Brandi is no longer the
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My Best Friend's Boyfriend.
Beside her rich, spoiled best friend, Siobhan, Bianca Davis has always come second. She was not as pretty as Siobhan, her parents were not as rich, she didn't get the boys...but she was intelligent! That counts! But regardless of their differences both girls were the bestest friends right from chil
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Framed by My Best Friend
My life was finally mending after the nightmare that shattered everything. I was rebuilding my academic career, my family was recovering, and my fiancé, David, and I were slowly piecing our lives back together. Then, a text message flashed across my phone, sending a shot of ice through my veins: a
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Cursed by My Best Friend
Savannah stood at my desk, her smile unsettlingly bright, holding a tiny antique bottle. "For you, Chloe," she purred, her voice dripping with fake sweetness, "a special family recipe for good fortune." But a chill ran down my spine the moment I saw it. The bottle. The smell. The lie. It all came
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My Wife, My Best Friend, Their Deceit
My best friend Kevin invited me to his dad' s 60th birthday, a big celebration because his dad had terminal cancer. My wife, Olivia, couldn't make it; she was on a two-week work trip in Europe, a crucial conference for her career. But when I arrived at the party, I saw Olivia, kneeling before Mr. a
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Marrying My Best Friend Brother
"Shany, are you okay? Is there something wrong with you? Did Zack scare you?" aunt asked "My back hurts" I guess last night it was annoying "Ohh my honey my suspicion was right" said aunt then looked at uncle "Zack you need to marry Shany as soon as possible" tsh just marry? Huh? "Yes?" I scream
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I Accidentally Kissed My Best Friend
I would admit I'm not the type that admire guys, but his looks were one I could never take out of my mind. "You look astonishing." He commented on my looks. "Thank you?" I replied, not sincere whether he meant that. He walked closer to me, making me shiver a little. He was too close, unlike the
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I'M IN LOVE WITH MY BEST FRIEND
Heidi never imagined she would grow up one day only to fall for her best friend, Lucas. She is deeply in love with him, and there's nothing she could do about it. Just when she was gonna tell her best friend about her feelings, Lucas announces that he has found himself a girlfriend! What!! Heidi
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In Love With My Best Friend.
Ayumi Clark always dreamed of a happy life filled with love and a supportive family. She achieved her goals of having a home, a career, and true friendships. However, her search for love led her into an abusive relationship, leaving her fighting for survival. As Ayumi endures physical and emotional
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My Best Friend's Ex, My Career's End
My NFL dream was within reach. I’d just led my team to a State Championship, and a scout from the Dallas Cowboys wanted to meet me. Life felt perfect. Then Sophia called. Not to congratulate me, but to demand I attend her ex-fiancé, Lucas Sterling’s, "recovery party." He, a supposedly paralyzed rac
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Wanting My Best Friend's Brother
***WARNING: This book contains some +18 scenes that are consensual between both characters who are also above eighteen and are comfortable with their sexual preferences.*** Please give it a try! ——————————— "Kneel, August. Give me my due," she said and at that moment, I was ready to give her any
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Marrying My Best Friend's Dad
This is completely a forbidden desire!!! Donita Parker's life is turned upside down when she finds herself falling for Oscar Sebastian, the wealthy and handsome father of her best friend, Erica. The age gap is undeniable, 25 years!!! But the chemistry is amazing. When Erica begs Donita to marry
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Sleeping with My Best Friend's Alpha Father
I wasn't supposed to be here. Girls like me don't belong to Alpha parties. I came as a favor. As a waitress. As the poor best friend nobody notices. Until he noticed me. Fresh from the shower. Bare chest. Water sliding down hard muscle. Eyes like a predator that already chose its prey. My best
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Confessions from my Best Friends' Diaries
When dating goes horribly wrong, single girls grab a bottle of wine and tell it to their best friends. Everyone loves a good love story, but sometimes it's the things that happen before, that make life interesting.
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Divorced Him, Married My Best Friend's Brother
Chloe Beaumont was the flawless Mrs. Santana, the envy of New York's high society. For three years, she played the perfect, radiant wife to her wealthy husband, Elliott. But at a glamorous Met gala, the illusion shattered. She found Elliott hiding in a secluded lounge, passionately kissing his "lon
