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Alice a billionaire heiress wakes up from coma, to a world of betrayal from her very own husband. Her husband Malcom married to her best friend and had taken everything that she owns...
CHAPTER ONE September, 2007.
The crackling of the nearby fire spoke to Alice, informing her that this was a night she would never forget or even if she did, it would not be in a hurry. Her eyes fleeted between the fire and Malcom who was on one knee, his arms outstretched in askance. He held a clear cut, diamond ring which glistened under the fire, drawing her attention. She stared between Malcolm and the ring, various questions running through her head.
"Alice, I know your life is already beautiful but let me be a part of it and make it heavenly. I cannot imagine a life without you. I've tried..." He let out a small laugh, shook his head as if the words surprised him too.
"I've tried to live without you but each time, I fail. Please, marry me." The skip of her heart was all the conviction she needed to know what her response would be.
She was in love with the guy. Has been since she was fifteen. He was her first love and like all first loves, she dreamed of spending her entire life with him.
Yet, here he was, on bended knee, asking for her hand in marriage but for some reason, an uncertainty lurks in her head. Perhaps because she has plenty of dreams which she believes have to be fulfilled outside marriage or maybe because she thinks they are still growing and hence are not old enough to make such decisions.
Malcom was a good five years older than her but it never proved to be a problem to her. He was her protector, her guardian and her lover - everything she was not opportuned to have as a child. Maybe that was why she considered herself lucky to have him.
"Do you want children, Malcom?" She asked. The smile on his lips and eyes slowly transform into a frown.
He gently dropped his hands to his sides, rose from the ground and stood to his full height. She stared up at him, maintaining the same blank look on her face despite the turmoil building in her heart.
"What? Why do you ask that, Alice?"
"It is a very simple question. Do you want children or not?" The confusion on his face was clear but she was determined to give nothing away. As important as the topic was, they never discussed it.
She didn't know Malcom would ask her to marry him on her eighteenth birthday. "Well..." He cleared his throat. "...the prospect of having children is not something I have completely cancelled out. Maybe not now but in years to come, I want to. I love the concept of fatherhood."
Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits as she looked up at him. The glow from the fire kissed his brown hair, giving it an exotic, orange look. She did not miss the word he used - concept. She wasn't sure what that meant but it left a bitter taste in her mouth.
"Concept of fatherhood? What does that mean, Malcom? What happens when you cease being thrilled by this...concept?" The words fell from her mouth with the same bitterness she felt.
"That won't happen" He responded, shaking his head and scrunching his nose in disgust as if the mere thought of her words irritated him.
"Malcom, I do not want children...ever" She added the last part when a hopeful look appeared on his face. He clenched the box containing the ring tightly in his palm, looked at the fire then back at Alice. Her face was set in a cold expression, one he had never seen on her before.
"Fine. We will do whatever you want. I'm ready to compromise" He assured her. Her head fell back in surprise. Compromise? Malcom never used the word 'compromise'. It sounded strange falling from his lips.
"How long will this compromise hold for?" She made quotations around "compromise" with her fingers.
He clicked his tongue, ran a frustrated hand down his hair and pressed his lips into a thin line. Forcing an exasperated sigh, he said, "Alice, will you marry me or not? I'm forced to say these questions are largely influenced by those books you've been reading and that makes no sense. This decision is about your life not some author's."
"This has nothing to do with the books I read" She responded in equal irritation. So many questions ran through her head. Would she be making the right decision by marrying Malcom now? She had an empire to build. She was okay with being in love with the young man but actually marrying him? That was a huge step. Would she regret it?
"I would like to discuss this with my grandmother. If she agrees, we'll get married" She said, finally looking away. Malcom blinked in disbelief.
"What? What does your grandmother have to do with this? You can make these decisions yourself. You are an adult now, Alice" He pressured.
"I insist" She snapped, pushing herself up and walking towards him. She stopped right in front of him and poked his chest harshly.
"You are twenty-three, Malcom. You are certain about what you want in life. I'm still sorting mine out. Let me..."
"You have a bloody inheritance" He yelled, interrupting her. She blinked once, twice, then a scoff followed. As if realizing his slip, Malcom shook his head and tried to touch her but she took her hands back.
2017
"Alice, are you ready?" Malcom's voice came from the door, breaking her out of her thoughts. She stared at his reflection in her mirror and the corner of her lips curve into a smile.
He walked into the room and stopped behind her. He gently squeezed her shoulders and she placed her left palm on the hand on her shoulder.
"The guests are here. You look divine" He complimented, kissing her forehead. Her smile broadened and she nodded in appreciation.
"We don't want to keep them waiting" She said, pushing the seat backwards and rising up. She straightened her black sequin jumpsuit, lifted her jaw, squared her shoulders and began making her way out of the room with Malcom walking closely behind her.
Who would have thought that a kidnapped princess, turned slave, would one day have the power to choose the next Alpha of the clan she hates with every pint of blood in her bones. The moon goddess had made what I would love to call, *A glorious mistake.* I Racheal Quill a slave of the crimson park is mated to the sons(quadruplets) of Alpha Blackwood (my oppressor) and because Alpha Blackwood loves to be entertained.... He created a contest, that whoever I choose to be my mate.. would automatically be next in-line to be crowned king and Alpha of Crimson Pack. Now who do I choose, Justin, Jake, Jackson, or Jared?
My mother was a lot of things but I never knew she would dare leave her Billionaire husband on the Alter stranded. My soon to be step-father was a lot of things, but he wasn't one to accept humiliation. And for that reason he made me Amelia, the daughter of my runaway mother to take her place on the alter.
Alexa dreaded her eighteenth birthday, why? On her eighteenth birthday she would officially be Alpha Diaz's Bedwarmer. Living as his slave was one thing but warming his bed every night was another... How could she warm the bed of the man who proclaimed her father a traitor, the one who is responsible for her family death. To others he might be a savior but to her, he is the one she hates with every spit on her tongue. But just on her eighteenth birthday, she was rescued... By an Hybrid Alpha, who turns out to be her mate.
Anastasia would never had believe that dragons were real, until a blue eye guy appeared into her life with the most unrealistic story ever. Not only did he say dragons were real, but that they become men by night and dragon by day. And now, she's the witch the dragon clan has been searching and waiting for...., for over a decade. The only way the spell could be broken was for Anastasia to travel back in time, to unleash her full power with the help of Arkalis her Ancestors. But What Anastasia didn't know is that to break the spell she had to pay a heavy and costly price. Her life or her newly found lover… (Christian, the blue eye guy)
In other to give her kids a better life, Aurora White had to go into a contractual relationship with Xander Fernando, while hiding the truth that her kids were an actual result of a one night stand they had years ago.
Juliet had never received love from anyone. Not from her parents or her twin sister. She had always been the ugly twin, the fat one. Finally getting love from someone, not just anyone but a wealthy handsome guy… felt impossibly real to Juliet. Was there a reason for the marriage, the young C.E.O proposed to her? Was it for money? Or is there something more??
“You need a bride, I need a groom. Why don’t we get married?” Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. “She keeps asking for a divorce, but I don’t want that! What should I do?”
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
Trigger warning!!! Intended for mature readers who enjoy morally complex, slow-burn, poseesive, forbidden, dark romance that pushes boundaries. ***EXCERPT*** Blood everywhere. Trembling hands. "No!" My eyes blurred. His lifeless eyes stared back at me, his blood pooling at my feet. The man I loved-dead. Killed by the one person I could never escape - my stepbrother. *** Kasmine's life was never hers to begin with. Kester, her stepbrother, controlled and monitored her every move. At first, it was all sweet and brotherly until it began to turn into an obsession. Kester was the Alpha, and his word was law. No close friends. No boyfriends. No freedom. The only consolation Kasmine had was her twenty-first birthday, which was supposed to change everything. She dreamt of finding her mate, escaping the sickening control of Kester, and finally claiming her own life. But fate had other plans for her. On the night of her birthday, not only was she disappointed that she wasn't mated to the love of her life, but she found out that her mate was none other than him - Her tormentor. Her stepbrother. She'd rather die than be mated to a man whom she had known as her big brother all her life. A man who would do just anything to make sure she was his. But when love turns to obsession, and obsession turns to blood, how far can one girl run before she realizes there is nowhere else to run to?
"Is it considered betrayal to develop feelings for your best friend's boyfriend? What about when fate intervenes, and he turns out to be your destined mate? You might think it's luck and thank the moon goddess for such a twist of fate. That's what I believed until the love of my life uttered those dreaded words: 'I want a divorce!' As I stared at the pregnancy test in my hands, I realized it was better to keep my secret to myself. My name is Violet, and this is my story."
If there was something very significant the Aquila's were known for, it is the ability to get whatever they set their eyes on. Fate has been cruel to them recently since the diagnosis of an ailment on the heir of the Aquila family's , Enzo Aquila, leading to the impromptu blind date organized by his mother for him to an unknown girl, Camila, a young vibrant college drop out residing with her grandmother since the death of her parents. Life hasn't been fair to her either, so when her grandmother comes home one day and announces to her about a blind date with a certain wealthy goon, she knew she had no choice but to accept or risk being thrown out of her comfort zone. What has fate designed for these two people who met due to unfortunate incidents thrust at them by fate? And how are they going to endure to break down every barrier to reach their happy ever after?
"You're pathetic!" Brenden sneered, each word cutting deep into Corinna's heart. Years of emotional wounds had drained every ounce of love she once held. "I've wasted enough time on you. If there's a next life, I hope we never meet again." Her words severed the bond between them like a blade. From that moment on, Brenden was haunted by her absence—unable to sleep, longing for the warmth he took for granted.