If it hadn't been for what transpired on that momentous night, Eva wouldn't have given birth to her son, Jason. The identity of the father, however, was unknown not only to Jason but also to his mother who didn't for sure who the father of her son was. Five years later, Eva returned to her hometown and landed a job as a designer at one of the biggest companies in the country, the Dolly Group. Her new fresh new job led her to meet Santosh, CEO of the Dolly Group, an iron-faced devil whose life was shrouded in mystery. On most occasions, he would find himself uninterested by women, but there was something different about Eva that caught his eye.
The airport was filled with people. Wearing a lacy white dress and holding her pink suitcase, Eva Xu walked towards the exit.
It had been five years since she left China, but it seemed that she was fated to return.
As she looked around, her lips formed a grim line.
Things had changed. It definitely wasn't the same as before when she left this place. "Mommy, where are we going?"
Dark lashes framed the little boy's large eyes as he stared up at her. He looked so adorable that anyone would swoon at the sight of him.
If it weren't for her actually holding his hand, Eva Xu wouldn't believe that she had been a mother at her young age.
Under Jason Xu's expectant eyes, Eva Xu smiled. "Jace, we'll arrive home shortly. Plus, it isn't necessary for you to speak English, okay? It's time for you to practice your Chinese," she instructed gently, ruffling his short hair.
"I know you want to see the ferris wheel. How about we'll go there after settling our luggage?"
'Jace' was a nickname she had given him ever since he was born. The only dream she had for him was that he would grow up to be happy and healthy.
Jason Xu nodded and warmly shook her hand. He then pointed at the huge ferris wheel overlooking the entire city and said excitedly, "Mommy, is that the place where you and Daddy first met?"
Eva Xu flushed at the question. When the little boy questioned her about his father, she had no choice but to make up a story. She had said that they met on the ferris wheel, when in all honesty, she didn't know who his father was. If it wasn't for that night five years ago, Jason Xu wouldn't even be born.
Of course, staring into her young boy, she didn't regret any of it.
As soon as they booked a room in a hotel, her phone rang. She answered only to hear a familiar voice from the other end of the line. He was Jake, her teacher while she was studying abroad. Although he was already getting old, his style had always followed the trends.
"Eva, you still haven't found a stable job, right?" he said in fluent Chinese.
Glancing at Jason Xu's sleeping figure, Eva Xu tucked him in and walked to the balcony silently. "No, why?"
"I happen to have a friend who needs another designer. The salary's really good, but the competition is fierce. However, since I'm the one who taught you, you're very qualified for the job."
Jake was the one who had taken care of her back then. That was why she was close to him. Eva Xu had no reason for her to doubt the company Jake had introduced, so she smiled and agreed. When she searched up the company that Jake had mentioned, she found that it was indeed a very famous company. Without another thought, Eva Xu quickly booked herself an interview on the second day.
However, Jake was right to say that the competition was fierce. It seemed that she was also going up against Julia Zhu, another excellent designer. Jake had warned her that Julia Zhu was very manipulative. However, at the sight of her innocent face, Eva Xu couldn't help but to strike a conversation with her.
"You must be outstanding for Jake to choose you as his student, Miss Xu. For sure, you're extra qualified for the position," Julia Zhu complimented.
Eva Xu smiled faintly. "I'm flattered. Thank you!"
"Please prepare your own design drawings."
A man with a beer belly walked into the room. Everyone stood up to show their respects.
Eva was so nervous that her palms were sweating. She had always been like this ever since she was a child. Her heart would beat so fast as if she had just ran a marathon. She didn't even know how she could take on the pressure in the designing field.
Finally, it was time for the interview. With an uneasy heart, she entered the door. There were around three or four people at the other side of the table. A young man was sitting in the middle. His eyes were sharp so she didn't dare look up.
"Are you Miss Xu? Are you sure you've sketched these by hand?"
His voice was loud and clear. "Yes, I guarantee that they're all designed by me," Eva quickly explained.
However, as soon as she opened her mouth, everyone except the young man burst into laughter.
Her heart sank.
"Miss Xu, please have a look."
She raised her head and found that the young man was very handsome. He had large eyes and extremely muscled arms, but that wasn't the point.
She stared at the sketches that he was holding, and her eyes widened in surprise.
"It seems that you have a special understanding with your design." Seeing her wide and innocent eyes, Santosh Qiu couldn't believe that such a beautiful lady would have such disgusting intentions in her mind.
"No– no..." Eva tried to explain. Her face flushed in embarrassment. The naked pictures weren't the ones that she had submitted for the company at all. In fact, they were far from it!
Before she could even explain, Santosh Qiu waved his hand. "That's it for the day, Miss Xu. You may go back and await our notice."
His words were said so firmly that everyone knew that he wasn't going to keep her.
However, Eva still felt a glimmer of hope as she walked out of the room. Although her face was extremely red, she plastered a smile on her face in hopes that she would still be chosen despite the mix-up.
After waiting for two days, no one had called her back. No matter how gullible she was, Eva knew for a fact that it meant that it was over for her. She was so sad that she stayed in her room and accompanied her son to watch Star Wars. "What happened in the interview, Mommy?" Jason asked innocently, knowing that it was the reason why she was so sad.
Jason was an incredibly gifted child. When he was in kindergarten, his teacher asked that he should be transferred to primary school. If it hadn't been for the age limit, he would've already been in Grade One
Once she explained to him, he stood up. He was wearing the suspenders that Eva had given him. Like an old man, he waved his fingers at her face. "You were framed!" he announced.
Puzzled, she stared at him. "What do you mean?"
"Mommy, your submission must've been changed. Did you leave before you went in for the interview?"
All of a sudden, something occurred to her. "I was so nervous that I went to the washroom. I gave my sketches to Julia Zhu and asked her to keep them for me."
"She's the one behind it! The bad woman doesn't want you to be hired!" he accused.
"Really? But she doesn't look like a bad person."
Jason kept silent for a while before sighing in frustration. "But you don't look like..."
Eva raised her eyebrows and ruffled his hair. "Of course, your Mommy is not a bad person!"
"I was about to say that you don't look like a fool."
In a twinkling of an eye, a week had already passed. With the pocket money left by her uncle, Eva rented a two bedroom apartment in the community for both of them. After all, the cost of living in the hotel was pretty high.
That day, Eva intended to cook a big meal for Jason, but when she went into his room to look for him, the young boy was nowhere to be seen.
She guessed that he must've gone downstairs to play. She smiled, put on her high heels, and walked downstairs to look for him.
What she didn't know was that Jason had gone to the Dolly Group alone. Seeing the dark circles under his mother's eyes, he couldn't bear it anymore. He searched the web and found that the company was actually very powerful in China.
He wanted to get justice for what had happened to his mother.
Unfortunately, because he was too young, the security guards didn't allow him to enter.
Jason went back to the community, sighing. When he heard that his mother was calling for him everywhere, he got out of the bushes and walked to her side.
"Where have you been? Let's go back for dinner, okay?"
Jason took her hand. "Mommy, the Dolly Group is a big brand in China. In fact, it monopolizes the clothing design industry."
Eva nodded. "That's the company that Jake recommended me, but they didn't want to hire me. I heard that Julia was the one that they've recruited, and her monthly salary is at least a hundred thousand dollars."
Eva was supposed to work for that company if it weren't for someone else's tricks.
Jason frowned. "If there's a chance for you to work for the Dolly Group, will you give it a try? I have a way to let people know what that woman has done."
A gleam flashed in his eyes. Seeing that his son was being particularly charming, Eva couldn't help but follow him to the Dolly Group's gates.
Jason knew for a fact that a large company such as this one would have hidden surveillance cameras around the vicinity. If Julia really switched Eva's drafts, then the company would have a video as proof. Then the Dolly Group would definitely fire Julia.
Today, Eva and Jason were going to act. After all, it wasn't easy to get a hold of those tapes.
With a fierce look, Eva stood in front of a security guard with Jason. Recognizing the young boy, he frowned. "Little boy, why are you here again?"
Eva straightened her back. "My son was robbed of an orange diamond! He saw that person walking into your company! How dare you stop him! Are you working for that man!"
The security guard didn't believe a word that she had said. It was apparent that the purpose of their arrival was to cause trouble. After all, it was impossible for a child to have a diamond in the first place.
The security guard winked at the other security guards and they all came over.
On the other side, Santosh Qiu walked towards the elevator. When he saw his staff, they all greeted him with a bow of their heads, but as he was waiting for the lift, he could see a group of guards standing by the company door. They seemed to be surrounding a woman and her son.
The dream of everyone with regards to marriage is to be able to find that special someone and settle down with them. Even arranged marriages grant you an opportunity to meet your partner briefly before the wedding. How will you feel about waking up in the morning with someone sleeping next to you who is not just anyone but your legally married partner yet with no memory of how that had happened in just a few hours of going out the previous day? This is the story of Jason Haward and Julia Harrison, two strangers trapped in a marriage they never planned. The quest to find out why led to the unfolding of a mystery which made them realize they are both living a lie. To find out more, read this amazing story of love, betrayal, revenge and murder.
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.
"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."
"Mr. Evans, please maintain some dignity. Don't forget I'm your brother's wife!" Having caught her husband and best friend together in the bed, Elena wanted nothing more than to exact revenge on the people she once called family. She refused to be a pitiful divorcee and vowed to make everyone who had once looked down on her beg for forgiveness. And to start with her newfound freedom, Elena indulges in a one-night stand with a stranger. However, what was meant to be a fleeting escape turns into a nightmare when she learns that the stranger is none other than her husband's older brother! Would Elena be free from the shackles of her marriage? Or would the mysterious stranger make her life a living hell since he seemed to have a personal vendetta against his family? [The story is 18+ and involves mature content.]
Natalie used to think she could melt Connor’s icy heart, but she was sorely mistaken. When at last she decided to leave, she discovered that she was pregnant. Even so, she chose to quietly leave his world, prompting Connor to mobilize all of his resources and expand his business to a global scale—all in a bid to find her. But there was no trace of Natalie. Connor slowly spiraled into madness, turning the city upside down and leaving chaos in his wake. Natalie finally surfaced years later, with wealth and power of her own, only to find herself entangled with Connor once again.
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."