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When small town librarian Maryanne learns that she is the temporary guardian of her best friend's toddler, she is ready to take on the responsibility of parenthood. However, when she discovers that she must co-parent Riley with Max, the charming billionaire playboy who broke her heart all those years ago, she is horrified. They have one year to decide who will be the better guardian; Max has one year to prove his love to Maryanne. As Max and Maryanne work side by side to create a loving home, Maryanne will see a new side of Max and realize just how badly she wants to change the past. Her Billionaire and Her Baby is created by Sierra Christenson, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.
As the cold winter air rushes through the quiet library, rustling pages of a few open books, Maryanne shivers, her body tightening up. She presses the start button on her key fob to make sure her car is running. Shaking the chill off, she releases her tied up hair from her dark scrunchie, allowing her pale locks to fall down around her shoulders. After running her hands through her hair, she pulls on a black beanie and shrugs on her winter jacket.
Maryanne sighs, dreading the walk from the door to her warm car. After she places the strap of her purse around her shoulders and tries to pick up her car keys with her gloved hands, she walks away from her desk.
"Have a good night," Jessica calls out to her, her glasses slipping down her thin nose as she looks up from her paperwork.
"You too. Don't stay too long." Maryanne smiles softly before bracing herself against the mid-January air.
She all but bolts to her warm Toyota, groaning out a sigh once she is out of the freezing wonderland. She shakes her entire body, trying to warm up.
"I hate winter," she mumbles taking off her gloves in order to grab her phone from her pocket. She has three missed calls.
"That's odd."
Maryanne only ever leaves it on silent while she is at work, but rarely will she ever receive a call, especially not three. As she clicks on the voicemail, another call from the same number pops up.
"Oh," she slides the answer button to pick up the call and brings the cold phone to her ear. "Hello?"
"Maryanne Johnson? This is Edward. I am from the Edenville Hospital." The smooth voice on the other end of the line trembles, and Maryanne can sense anxiety that reverberates through her own body.
"Is everything okay?"
A large stone forms in her stomach and only continues to grow. She swallows passed the lump in her throat as her heart begins to quicken and her mind races.
Who could it be? Who does she even know nearby? Most of her family is on the other side of the country.
"I am so sorry. I am calling because you are listed as the emergency contact for Miss Lucy Morgan."
Maryanne's entire body turns upside down, flopping. Her vision blurs as her mind shuts down.
"Miss Lucy was involved in a head on collision with a drunk driver. Her and her passenger were dead on impact," the voice, Edward, continues solemnly.
No, no. "This can't be happening," Maryanne whimpers. Tears stream down her cheeks, but she tries to bite her lip in order to control herself.
Her entire body vibrates with the grief wracking her chest. A sob seeps through her defenses. Her only friend. The only one that understand her. She is gone. What is she going to do?
One thought rushes through her mind even as her car shuts off and the cold winter bites at her soul, "Where is Riley?"
>><<
Maryanne holds down tears for the hundredth time that day, gripping her steering wheel. She stares up at the apartment complex before her. She is not sure she is ready to venture into their home. Their space. Since neither of them have much family nearby, she was asked by Lucy's mother if she could box up all of her things and send them to her. Her mother did not want to cross the threshold of their apartment.
Well, neither did Maryanne, but she couldn't say no to the grieving mother.
Pausing before she drives away, she grabs her phone on the passenger seat that has begun to vibrate violently. Blinking away her tears, she reads the name on her screen before answering.
"Hello?"
The voice that echoes through the phone is soft and kind, "Good morning, this is Dianne from Social Services."
"Oh, good morning, how are you?"
"I am doing great, how are you?"
"Oh, holding up," she swallows passed the lump in her throat.
Dianne continues, but now her voice is more gentle, careful. "I was just calling to see if you have some time this afternoon to come in and sign some paperwork? There is some information we have to go over as well."
Maryanne's heart skips a beat. That's right, she will be signing for Riley today. Hopefully she will be able to bring her home. "Yes, of course. I am off today. I can come in."
"Perfect. There are some issues we have to figure out," Dianne states.
"Like what?" What could be an issue in this situation?
"Your name is not the only one in the will."
What? "Really? Who else would be written in?
"Greg wrote that he wanted his cousin to take care of Riley."
"Who?"
Wait, did Greg have a cousin nearby? Yes, he did. Lucy mentioned him before. What was his name?
"Max Ryder, the maternal cousin of Greg Ryder."
Maryanne's heart drops as memories fill her mind.
Max Ryder.
The billionaire cousin that owns an expanding company and lives in an expensive penthouse in the city. The one that Maryanne went out with five years ago, but very briefly. The man that broke her heart. He is the one that Greg chose to take care of Riley?
With the world crumbling apart during another war, Eliana is tasked to bring two nations together through marriage. Plans change drastically when her caravan is attacked by assassins and she is forced to go on the run. While fleeing assassins, Eliana will meet Jasper, a young werebear searching for the love of his mate. As Eliana discovers that her lineage holds a dangerous secret, she will be faced with the magnetic attraction she feels for Jasper, a member of the race responsible for killing her mother. The Princess and Her Werebear is created by Sierra Christenson, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.
"Sign the divorce papers and get out!" Leanna got married to pay a debt, but she was betrayed by her husband and shunned by her in-laws. Seeing that her efforts were in vain, she agreed to divorce and claimed her half of the properties. With her purse plump from the settlement, Leanna enjoyed her newfound freedom. The constant harassment from her ex's mistress never fazed her. She took back her identities as top hacker, champion racer, medical professor, and renowned jewelry designer. Then someone discovered her secret. Matthew smiled. "Will you have me as your next husband?"
The day Raina gave birth should have been the happiest of her life. Instead, it became her worst nightmare. Moments after delivering their twins, Alexander shattered her heart-divorcing her and forcing her to sign away custody of their son, Liam. With nothing but betrayal and heartbreak to her name, Raina disappeared, raising their daughter, Ava, on her own.Years later, fate comes knocking when Liam falls gravely ill. Desperate to save his son, Alexander is forced to seek out the one person he once cast aside. Alexander finds himself face to face with the woman he underestimated, pleading for a second chance-not just for himself, but for their son. But Raina is no longer the same broken woman who once loved him.No longer the woman he left behind. She has carved out a new life-one built on strength, wealth, and a long-buried legacy she expected to uncover.Raina has spent years learning to live without him.The question is... Will she risk reopening old wounds to save the son she never got to love? or has Alexander lost her forever?
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.
Blinded in a crash, Cary was rejected by every socialite—except Evelina, who married him without hesitation. Three years later, he regained his sight and ended their marriage. "We’ve already lost so many years. I won’t let her waste another one on me." Evelina signed the divorce papers without a word. Everyone mocked her fall—until they discovered that the miracle doctor, jewelry mogul, stock genius, top hacker, and the President's true daughter… were all her. When Cary came crawling back, a ruthless tycoon had him kicked out. "She's my wife now. Get lost."
"I ran. Ran as fast as my legs could go. Away. Away from him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hailey Pritchett loved her job as the secretary of Henry Caldwell, the CEO of the Caldwell Industries. She was a woman who liked safety, and stayed far away from danger. However, the company is bought by a ruthless businessman who is known as the Sniper. Theodore Benson is a ruthless billionaire, and is known as the Sniper in the business world. Because he kills his opponents without letting them know. He bows down to no one, and when he wants something, he does everything - whether legal or not - to possess it. When Hailey and Theodore aka the Sniper, come face to face, Hailey knows that Theodore is dangerous. So Hailey does what she does best in the face of danger. She runs. But will Theodore let her get away? Theodore wants Hailey Pritchett, and won't stop until he has her - in every possible way. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Zora was sick during the early days of her pregnancy, Ezrah was with his first love, Piper. When Zora got into an accident and called Ezrah, he said he was busy, when in actual fact, he was buying shoes for Piper. Zora lost her baby because of the accident, and throughout her stay at the hospital, Ezrah never showed up. She already knew that he didn't love her, but that was the last straw for the camel's back, and her fragile heart could not take it anymore. When Ezrah arrived home a few days after Zora was discharged from the hospital, he no longer met the woman who always greeted him with a smile and cared for him. Zora stood at the top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression, "Good news, Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us anymore, so let's get a divorce." The man who claimed not to have any feelings for Zora, being cold and distant towards her, and having asked her for a divorce twice, instantly panicked.