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When Hayley Winters meets an elderly woman on the beach, she has no idea the turn her life is about to take. The elderly woman turns out to be Helen Dominic, grandmother of billionaire Xander Dominic, one of the most gorgeous, sought after bachelors around. Having just found out she is unwell, Grandma Helen decides its time her playboy grandson settled down. Preferably with someone that would care for him more than his money. Hayley is her choice. Sparks fly between Hayley and Xander from the second they meet and a marriage of convenience soon turns into something more special than either of them could have envisioned. However external forces like ex's, backstabbing friends and personal insecurities all work together to try and cause a rift between the happy couple. With the odds stacked against them from the start, will their blossoming love and a grandmothers well wishes be enough to keep them together when the contract ends or will they give in to the forces working against them?
Prologue
Sometimes life has a way of wearing you down. You realize no-one is coming to rescue you and you're tired of being strong.
-Nicole Young.
Hayley
I keep dialing his number like a mad woman. It goes straight to voicemail. Despite the overwhelming evidence, my heart cannot comprehend what my mind is telling me to be true. That I've been played. That the last year of my life has been a lie. That the person that I thought loved me....doesn't.
An hour earlier....
"Hayley, I don't know how to tell you this but if it where me I would want to know." Says Callie, my work colleague.
"The guys have been talking about Keith, they say he's engaged to someone else".
"What?" I say uncomprehending.
Keith is my boyfriend of twelve months, we work for the same company in different departments. Work is where we met. We see each other almost everyday. Speak on the phone constantly when we're apart. How could what she's saying be true?
"Some of the guys have met her" she continues, "Look, I feel bad for you. We love you and you don't deserve to be treated like this. No women does and I'm sorry to be the one to tell you but I just had to. I couldn't stand it anymore."
My heart has stopped. As if it's on pause. Like it needs a timeout.
"No, I'm glad you came to me...please tell me everything you know." I say with a calmness I am far from feeling.
"Well...apparently they live together and ....and she's pregnant."
You can't be serious.
Knowing this conversation cannot wait, I ask Callie to cover for me while I try to find a quiet place to phone Keith. I end up in the store room and wedge myself between two rows of stacked boxes before I dial his number. "Hey babe" he answers.
"Hi" I reply
"What are you doing?"
"Actually, there's something I need to talk to you about. Do you think you can stop by today? It's important".
He must hear something in my voice because he answers apprehensively "I can't today babe. Can't you just tell me over the phone?"
"I would rather speak to you in person"
"Well I just said I can't make it Hayley so tell me what the matter is now?"
I'm feeling so emotional. I know I should wait until I see him but instead I burst out "Are you seeing someone else?"
The line goes silent for a minute. A minute too long.
"No. What are you talking about?"
"The guys at work say you're engaged to someone else, that you're living with her and she's pregnant" I say as the first tears make their trail down my face. "Why would they say that Keith?"
"I don't know, maybe they want to get into your pants" he says arrogantly. "Are you crying? Stop it. You're crying for no reason, I can't talk to you when you're like this. I'm hanging up now. I'll talk to you when you're calmer. Bye.
Before I can utter a response, the line goes dead.
Angus Smith is the most powerful president who controls the national economy, while Tammy Wood is a seriously disfigured lady who was exiled by her family. However, she had been loving him for over 15 years since she met him at the age of 5. Thus when he proposed a marriage, she was so happy that she expected a new life. However, the truth was that their marriage was totally a plot. Upon the truth being revealed, Tammy was almost torn to pieces and escaped from him with their baby. Four years later, she was stopped by Angus as soon as she came back. It seems that Angus has regretted what he had done. So he just holds Tammy in arms tightly and decides to love her forever and ever!
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
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."
After three secretive years of marriage, Eliana never met her enigmatic husband until she was served with divorce papers and learned of his extravagant pursuit of another. She snapped back to reality and secured a divorce. Thereafter, Eliana unveiled her various personas: an esteemed doctor, legendary secret agent, master hacker, celebrated designer, adept race car driver, and distinguished scientist. As her diverse talents became known, her ex-husband was consumed by remorse. Desperately, he pleaded, "Eliana, give me another chance! All my properties, even my life, are yours."
Bailey seems to be never destined to fit in, a little geeky, but under it all, a hidden beauty that so many seem to miss, but still not what her pack Alpha is looking for in a fated mate... so he is determined to reject her and make her life hell. Bailey, knowing her life will likely never be the same focuses on what she can control, her future, and heads off to study; becoming a teacher. Asher is the Beta of Autumn Valley Pack, a neighbouring pack. A broken man having suffered the loss of his mate after a rogue attack, Asher is slowly crumbling. Falling to pieces. A shadow of his former self, and not a man that anyone wants to be around anymore... Until, Autumn Valley Pack require a new teacher, and Bailey finds herself there and pushed together with the Beta. Is there a connection building or is that in their imaginations? And what will happen when Bailey's mate comes back to claim what is his?
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”