WHO WE WERE
/1/127579/coverbig.jpg?v=2ea34f2e2c2f3053a637d5acfe2fbf25)
His Unwanted Wife, The Hidden Genius
I flew back to New York on my twenty-fifth birthday, carrying vintage gold cufflinks I spent weeks finding for my billionaire husband, Declan. But when I walked into our townhouse, I found him throwing a massive victory party with Sloane, a glamorous socialite, standing by his side as the proud hostess. "Don't cause a scene. Go upstairs." Declan coldly dismissed me in front of his guests. Even Poppy, the rookie player whose shattered ankle I had painstakingly rebuilt, rolled her eyes and ignored me to suck up to Sloane. Hiding in the shadows, I heard the maids gossiping that everyone thought Sloane was the future Mrs. Hartford. To make matters worse, I discovered Sloane had stolen my anonymous, groundbreaking medical algorithm and was planning to present it as her own. First my husband, then the girl I mentored like family, and now the scientific foundation I had built with my own hands. Declan even texted me to cancel our birthday breakfast without a single apology, treating me like an annoying afterthought. My tears vanished, replaced by a freezing clarity. I signed the divorce papers, leaving them on his desk with zero demands for his money. Then I packed my bags, booked a one-way ticket to Boston, and prepared to destroy them on the global stage.
Chapter 1
Aurelia Vance POV:
I had been married to Declan Hartford for three years.
Today was my twenty-fifth birthday, and I had flown back from Boston in secret, hoping for one quiet evening with my husband.
I'd spent a week carefully picking out a pair of gold cufflinks as a gift for my husband.
But the laughter spilling from the front door told me I was already too late: the woman who had taken my place at his side was already inside.
The heavy oak door swung open before I reached the porch. Three young players from the New York Titans, Declan's NHL franchise, stumbled out with crystal tumblers of scotch, laughing loudly. They barely glanced at me as they passed.
I stepped into the grand foyer. The heat hit me instantly,expensive champagne, roasted tenderloin, cigar smoke.
Dozens of people filled the double parlor: executives, scouts, wives in designer dresses.
In the center stood Declan, tall and broad in a bespoke charcoal suit. Beside him, laughing into his ear, was Sloane Whitfield, her backless silver dress catching the chandelier light. Her hand rested on his forearm like she belonged there.
Before I could take another breath, a blur of blonde hair darted past my elbow.
"Sloane!" Poppy Delacroix cried, throwing her arms around Sloane's slender waist. "You were completely right about the catering! This is literally the best victory party the team has ever had!"
Poppy is fourteen, a junior elite forward prospect.
I scouted her two years ago from a crumbling youth league, back when she was at her lowest.
Her parents had once shown me great kindness, and I knew they had already passed away, leaving her all alone in the world.
Declan and I adopted her together.
I rebuilt her shattered ankle with a custom rehabilitation plan.
I had always loved and cared for her as both a mother and a sister.
Now, she did not even glance in my direction.
Declan turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the crowd until his eyes locked onto mine. The easy grin on his sharp jaw vanished instantly. His brows drew together in a hard, irritated line.
He excused himself from Sloane, cutting through the throng of players with long, impatient strides.
"Aurelia," Declan said, stopping two feet in front of me. His voice carried zero warmth. "What are you doing here?"
My throat felt like sandpaper.
"I took the four o'clock flight from Boston," I whispered, clutching the strap of my bag until my knuckles turned white. "It is my birthday, Declan. I thought we could—"
"We are celebrating the division win," he cut in, his tone sharp enough to draw blood. "The board is here. The sponsors are here. Sloane spent four consecutive days coordinating this event so the organization could project stability."
He did not look at me. His gaze slid past my shoulder to the bar, like I was a waitress who had wandered into the wrong room.
"Don't cause a scene," he added quietly. "Go upstairs."
A soft, mocking murmur rippled through a cluster of players' wives standing near the grand staircase. Two women with platinum blowouts exchanged knowing glances over their flutes of Dom Pérignon.
"I didn't know," I said, my voice barely audible over the swelling music. "I am sorry."
I turned toward the staircase, my legs trembling beneath my wool trousers.
Near the landing, Poppy was adjusting her designer jacket in the hallway mirror.
"Poppy," I said softly, pausing beside her. "How is your ankle feeling after Thursday's third period? Did you complete the isometric sequence I sent?"
Poppy rolled her eyes, sighing loudly as she pulled out her phone.
"Aurelia, please, not right now," she muttered without looking at me. "Sloane is introducing me to a marketing director from one of our partners. I don't have time for your spreadsheets."
The dismissive edge in her voice hit me harder than Declan's coldness. I had stayed up until three in the morning reviewing her biomechanical scans while she was recovering from surgery, and now I was just an annoyance in the way of her social ascent.
I walked up the rest of the stairs and entered the primary suite—the massive, sterile bedroom allocated to me under our prenuptial agreement.
I sat on the edge of the mattress and pulled out the velvet box. The gold cufflinks gleamed under the bedside lamp, cold and useless.
Downstairs, cheers erupted. The sound vibrated through the floorboards.
I walked to the French doors overlooking the rear garden. Down on the illuminated patio, Sloane was directing two servers by an ice sculpture. Declan stood beside her, his head bent down as he listened to her speak, his hand casually brushing the small of her back.
They looked like the couple the city expected them to be.
My phone buzzed in my coat pocket. I pulled it out, hoping against hope.
It was an email notification.
"Happy Birthday, Aurelia. Remember that true science requires patience and solitude. You are meant for greater arenas than New York boardrooms. -Dr. Edmund Sterling."
My mentor at Harvard was the only person in the world who had remembered.
I typed a brief "Thank you, Professor" and shut off the screen.
Hours passed. The bass eventually quieted, replaced by the occasional clatter of glassware and slamming car doors. My throat burned with thirst.
At two in the morning, I padded downstairs in my stocking feet to fetch a glass of water from the butler's pantry.
As I rounded the corner near the service hallway, the voices of two newly hired catering maids stopped me dead in my tracks.
"Miss Whitfield is stunning," the first girl whispered, scraping dessert plates into a bin. "Mr. Hartford's girlfriend carries herself like royalty."
"A girlfriend?" the other asked, pausing. "But isn't Mr. Hartford rumored to be married? Is it inappropriate to be this close with Whitfield?"
"Married?Where did that come from? Even if there was one, they must have split long ago. I've worked three events here this month, and Miss Whitfield is the only woman hosting by his side. Everyone knows she's the future Mrs. Hartford."
I shrank back into the cold shadow of the archway, my blood turning to ice.
In the home where I held a legal marriage certificate, my presence had already been wiped clean.
/0/18360/coverbig.jpg?v=be9922397653591772d2c8b2f3e788d2)
Survivor: Where We Were
Emmett, Austin, Reuben, and Milo. Four inseparable friends. But everything changes one horrendous night. It was supposed to be Emmett's birthday party, but it all turned into a bloody rumpus. Thirteen died that night, many were injured and all that survived were left with tainted memories of the da
/0/29774/coverbig.jpg?v=e35b87e5282184394975632a1e7faba0)
While we were married
Marriage arrangements between two Elite families for their children. Jason Stuart,who is seen as an un serious Playboy and Annabelle a spoilt brat. They both go through their journey of love, deceit and hatred. Coupled with their close friends. Who had their different life
/0/84714/coverbig.jpg?v=577f3c30b5c194d3127a7068a5bf8a09)
The Way We Were
Ava and Jace have been inseparable since the first grade-a bond built on laughter, secrets, and unshakable loyalty. Through every childhood mishap and teenage heartbreak, they've always found their way back to each other. Now in college, with adulthood knocking and feelings growing deeper, Ava and
/1/122338/coverbig.jpg?v=b6be26853fa8661ee10563ebb7b394db)
Before We Were Us
When Isla Bennett lost her parents at ten, the Callahans gave her a home and Noah Callahan gave her a reason to stay. For eight years, they've been inseparable, an "anchor and ship" navigating life side-by-side. But senior year is changing math. As Noah's perfect relationship cracks, he's forced to
/0/61579/coverbig.jpg?v=39031000ceb974efbe232e274f241d33)
We were Born to Die
Carabella Falconetti, a headstrong mafia heiress, strives to prove herself beyond her troublesome reputation to her three powerful brothers who control the underworld. Her path collides with Enrico DiCaprio, a manipulative and suave mafia boss aiming for dominance in the escalating mafia hierarchy.
/0/99062/coverbig.jpg?v=8972c798a2911be862f59b59e3f1997d)
The things we almost were
"Kaelin, this feels wrong... we shouldn't be doing this," he muttered, his voice shaky, eyes darting away like he wasn't sure if he should even be here. "Relax... just trust me," I said quietly, trying to ease the tension in his shoulders. He sighed, still looking conflicted. "But I'm not gay," he
/0/24363/coverbig.jpg?v=f64030d947de1fa798bf156c495775db)
We were meant to be
Anya, the girl who fell for her best friend. But he already loves someone else and he is getting married in a month. She loves him to an extent that she can do anything to make him happy, even if his happiness lies in someone else...even if she has to let her heart break into tiny little pieces...
/0/18210/coverbig.jpg?v=2636fc838fedcd013d803ec541e5af91)
The Ones Who were Chosen
In a world where magic is a well kept secret, two brothers, two guardians able to wield magic, stumble across a creature more powerful than anything in the three known worlds. A girl, a philosophers stone. Frightened and lonely, they care for her, bringing her into their home, in so doing become tan
/0/2655/coverbig.jpg?v=f1d1979d959cbb86ef95215c510ce06a)
The Seven Who Were Hanged
To Count Leo N. Tolstoy This Book is Dedicated, by Leonid Andreyev The Translation of this Story Is Also Respectfully Inscribed to Count Leo N. Tolstoy by Herman Bernstein FOREWORD Leonid Andreyev, who was born in Oryol, in 1871, is the most popular, and next to Tolstoy, the most gifted writer in
/1/125685/coverbig.jpg?v=f3ac414ea3733b1ddabebdea71a8633a)
We Were Simply A Transient Presence In Each Other's Lives
I am Nancy Schultz. Five months into my relationship with Jere Lloyd, I had prepared two surprises for him. The first was that I had decided to stay in the country for him. The second was that I was pregnant. But when I arrived at the parking lot of his company, I saw Jere, my tall, broad-s
/0/32479/coverbig.jpg?v=a028f99cd80ddbcc1ccab727cc80201c)
The Were CEO's Secret
Synopsis: Nathan Squeal was a mysterious CEO who hardly came for meetings nor attended social gatherings and pack meetings. But his colleagues noticed things changing after he appointed a young miss to be his secretary. Even the Alpha saw it. All Stephanie needed was a job, not to become a be
/0/56806/coverbig.jpg?v=976b77909e30e0c0446466b0db540bd8)
The Were-Pire’s Human Mate
Selena Lupa, and her family were brutally killed in the 15th century, by the evil Alpha Damien. On the verge of death, she begged for a second chance to life, so she could take her revenge on everyone. The Moon Goddess granted her wish, and Selena reincarnated in the 21st century as a human girl, Ar
/0/39047/coverbig.jpg?v=42b422d3fff6cca0b15e70981c989c7a)
THE WERE-DRAGON MATE
“I, Trajan son of the late Alpha King Allen, reject you…” Grace jumped, holding her hand tight on Trajan's mouth to stop him from continuing to speak. And pulling Trajan in her chest into a tight hug. Pleading with him in tears. “Please don't do it. I am begging you not to reject me. Don't reject us
/0/2032/coverbig.jpg?v=70ed9304149deef13ff37438bdf75803)
/0/92332/coverbig.jpg?v=8e1c747ff472198744cf6da81a0d6537)
The Summer We Burned
They thought summer would be simple-sunlight, laughter, and long nights by the sea. But when a single reckless kiss turns into a wildfire of desire, nothing can ever go back to the way it was. Between stolen glances and forbidden touches, their love becomes a dangerous secret-too hot to hide, too d
/0/18156/coverbig.jpg?v=a420e2507169778b97b8d8ba1c6b831d)
Where We Belong
How does it feel to be accepted by your mate despite being an Omega? Accepted and yet he needs to marry someone else while you are secretly pregnant? Pregnant when you're a boy? Would you tell your mate despite having the consequences of your child being taken away? Or fool another Alpha
/1/120302/coverbig.jpg?v=d120edfc595220e29f599bab7a546f88)
What we shouldn't be
Getting drawn to your cousin was a taboo they said, but what happens when you can't handle the attraction and the feeling of wanting him to touch you always? To Dan and Kenz ,it was just mere sex and a few kisses but it was more than that. Feelings developed, cravings grew. Of course they knew it wa
/1/133074/coverbig.jpg?v=6c9dcdec21f5e3380e4f11fdca048d0a)
Everything We Never Said
Maya Clark has spent years proving that she is more than the tragedy her family left behind. At twenty-two, she is determined to protect Clark's Logistics & Import, the company inherited from her late parents. Independent, stubborn, and fiercely protective of the people she loves, Maya refuses to l
/0/64398/coverbig.jpg?v=7d626618e562143c3f69e1a4dc147add)
Who
In the glitzy world of fame and fortune, love is a dangerous game. Atticus Monroe, the world's biggest pop star, is used to living in the spotlight. His electrifying performances and heartthrob persona make him a global sensation, but behind the flashing cameras and screaming fans lies a broken hea
/0/513/coverbig.jpg?v=20171121193315)
All the Brothers Were Valiant
All the Brothers Were Valiant is a 1953 adventure drama film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), based on the 1919 novel All the Brothers Were Valiant by Ben Ames Williams. The 1953 MGM film is a remake of the 1923 silent film, made by Metro Pictures, a forerunner of MGM, and now considered lost, as
