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A billionaire who hides his bleeding heart with a tough exterior and a soft, family oriented 24 year old woman. Who would have ever thought? Vanessa Higgins lives in constant reminder of how indebted she is to her aunt for taking she and her sister in when they lost their mum. But the ultimate favour was asked of her when she was asked to marry a man she barely knew to enable the family business. In an unexpected turn of events, she ends up marrying another man on that same day, a cold hearted billionaire who is willing to go to any length to have the debt he's owed paid back. Damien De Luca never imagined he'd be getting married when he woke up that morning. But after a look at Vanessa, he had to keep her around him, even if that meant entrapping her with her family's debt. He has married her alright, but not for the reason everyone thinks. What happens when his true reason dares to burst out, exposing the man in him whom he has spent so long trying to erase? A marriage based on a contract might not be so bad after all, but what of a marriage based on lies, warped truths and secrets?
The nervousness kicks in full time when my veil is placed atop my head. I open my eyes slowly and come face to face with my reflection in the brightly lit full length mirror. My stomach drops and I feel the tears spring into my eyes. The only thing I can think to myself as I take in my appearance is "ugly". This dress is ugly and I look ugly.
It's a pale ivory color, with a neckline so high it looks like I'm wearing a turtle neck. Layers of hideous, frothy lace line the bodice and sleeves and the bottom opens out in large swaths of even more lace. It's so heavy it's a wonder how I'm still standing. Camilla sighs from behind me and I know she's also not impressed.
"It's ugly, isn't it?". I ask, my voice thick with tears.
She looks up at me in alarm and takes in my watering eyes. "No no no.....what do you think you are doing?". She comes around to stand in front of me and yanks a tissue paper from the box on standby, pressing it gently onto my eyes to dab away my tears. "You look beautiful, Vanessa". I notice the way she avoids my eyes as she says that. She's never been good at lying. "Mum would have been proud to see you in her dress".
I doubt that, I think to myself as I glance at my reflection again. Mum had loved her dress alright but she of everyone also knew that just like the years, trends come and go. She would have wanted me to wear something very trendy this year, just like this dress had been back in the 80s.
"Dad will come and get you soon". She crumples the tissue paper in her hand and flashes me a quick, watery smile. "I can't believe you are getting married". She whispers.
I shake my head at the mirror. "I can't believe it too". And that's true. I hadn't even known I'd be getting married till three weeks ago. I had simply come down to the family house for a supposedly important family meeting and heard the news myself. I have only met my husband-to-be twice and both times, I was really not impressed. He talks with his mouth wide open, laughs like a clown, has an astonishingly shiny bald spot even though he's just 29, can't stop referring to his parents as "mummy" and "daddy", makes crude jokes about how impressive he's sure my "bedroom performances" will be.....Good Lord, I could write a whole book about everything that's wrong with Cody MacMillan. And that's not including the rumours I've heard, especially the most popular one about his erectile dysfunction. I'm not even eager to find out if that's true or not.
The door opens behind us and Dad walks in, a wide smile on his face. His eyes widen when he sees me. "Oh my.....you....you look beautiful, honey". I would have believed him if I didn't see the slight twitch of his mouth. My father has always been like this. Well built, handsome and packed with more than enough good humour to go around. He's that parent that laughs first when you fall before offering to help you up, the one who loves to play pranks, the one who laughs at your prom date's ill fitting suit right in his face.....that's until mum died. It's been almost 10 years and it's toll on him is still very clear. Even though he still laughs, his eyes no longer twinkle and more often than we would have liked, we catch him just staring emptily into space.
"Dad, not you too". I mumble grumpily.
He pauses for a little while before bursting into laughter. Even though I should feel bad, I find myself relieved that at least one person is being true to me. A small, amused smile spreads on my face too.
"Ness....Ness I'm so sorry". He's still laughing.
"Dad, you are being rude". Camilla chides. I bump her arm playfully.
"It's fine". I say, smiling. "The dress really is ugly after all".
My dad's face is red as he comes to stand before me, raising a hand to wipe away the tears on his face. "I never imagined that this same dress would look like this on you. Your mum looked so radiant when she wore it those many years ago". I smile at him. I'm happy that he now talks about mum casually more often. "I wonder what Ellie was thinking getting you into this dress. Setting up this marriage as a whole".
Dad is absolutely not impressed with this marriage or Aunt Ellie as a whole When Dad fell into a depression after mum died, Camilla and I ended up being sent to our mum's sister and she and her husband basically raised us ever since. Even when Dad had come back with the intentions of taking us back, she hadn't allowed him. I wish he had fought harder to take us. I wouldn't be here right now, marrying a complete stranger in the hopes of cementing the merger between two companies. Three weeks ago, my aunt had wasted no time reminding me of everything she's done for us and how 17-year old Camilla was still in their care and needed to be taken care of. She and Uncle's company needed the merger with Cody's parent's company and a marriage would speed up the process. So here I am, marrying to save my aunt's depreciating company.
"There was no time to shop for a dress". I say as I link my arm through dad's. We hear a small round of applause from behind the adjoining door and Camilla goes to peep. When she turns back around, her eyes are wide and her voice skippy with nervousness and excitement.
"They are calling you out". My heart skips a beat and I stand up straighter. Camilla grabs her bridesmaid bouquet and turns the door knob, flashing me a quick smile. "See you outside". She says and goes outside, launching my entrance. My father stands up straighter and with one last glance at each other, he opens the door and we step out into my wedding hall.
The guest list is small and intentionally made so. I'm not about to marry Cody in front of a huge crowd. I keep my eyes straight forward as my dad walks me down the aisle. Cody is at the other end and as we get closer, I see how wide his smile is. It takes all I have not to break down right here. I finally get to where he's standing and the ceremony begins, with me robotically repeating the words I'm told, not once looking my husband-to-be in the eye.
"We are all here today to witness and bless this conjugal bliss". The priest's voice rings out. "If there's anyone with any objections to this union, do speak now or forever hold your peace".
I stare down at our conjoined hands and the tears actually well up in my eyes this time. This is it, I'm marrying this man. It's true. After a few seconds, the priest turns back to us, a serene smile on his face.
"I hereby pronou.......".
"I do!!!!". My heart drops to my stomach.The door to the hall has bursted open and bright rays of sunlight stream in. And right through it comes a figure. He walks leisurely down the aisle in an expensive three suit piece suit, his eyes shaded with the darkest sun glasses ever. He stops in the middle of the aisle and faces the priest and us, a small smile on his face. "I do!!! I have an objection to this union".
The crowd gasps dramatically but all my attention is focused on this mysterious man. I have never seen him before in my life.
A fallen heiress. A broken alpha. A plot for revenge…..and an unexpected twist of fate. When calamity strikes her pack, Valeria does everything within her power to save her people. Even if it means begging for help from the arrogant alpha of the rival pack. But fate has other plans in store for her and when things take an interesting turn, she's left with two choices. Sign her life away to her unexpected mate, or watch her people die. Beneath the icy demeanor and long sleeved clothes of Draaven Ventura lies a den of secrets….and a vengeful heart. When his feisty mate comes breezing through his door, seeking for help, he doesn't hesitate to use the situation to his advantage. His long assembled plan for vengeance is finally coming together, and he has the perfect pawn to use in his game.
Kimberly Powers is a 28 year old artist and gallery owner who is all too familiar with the dark alleys of life. But if that's what she has to go through to protect her younger sister, so be it. Finally living the life she has always wanted, she knows it's only best for her to stash her ugly past away into the dark cellars of her mind, away from the woman she has become and all that surrounds her. With her daily interactions, she's had to hide the dead part of her soul and the internal mess she is from the world. She's determined to keep her demons in her head but exactly how much can the expensive three piece suits and sleek haircuts hide? Especially when she meets a man whose honey coloured eyes seem to unravel her being and pierce right through her soul. Will she finally be able to embark on the journey of self love? And when the shadows of her past begin to creep up into the open, will she be able to face her fears and let love lead?
A traitorous history. A vengeful spirit. A heart caught somewhere between love and hate. A story that tells it all. Marissa Randall's 20th birthday and awakening takes a turn she never saw coming. The alpha of her pack turns out to be her mate and her wolf is the exact replica of a woman whose name no one mentions. When the sins of a mother come back to haunt a child, how far must she go to free herself from the bondage? Alpha Lazarus is beyond elated to meet his mate after so many years of waiting. But what happens when his destined partner is the daughter of the biggest traitor in the history of the pack, whose treason cost the lives of his parents and many more loved ones? Will it really be that easy to put the past behind? Or....will the powerful drive for vengeance mark the beginning of the end? Let's find out.
"You feel it don't you?". He whispered. She gulped nervously and remained silent, her gaze holding his firmly. "You do feel it. You are my mate, Ariella". And before she could get a word out, his lips came crashing down on hers. Ariella has lived all her life in hiding among humans as a werewolf who could be killed if discovered. While she hates that her mother had been cast out of her pack, she's mostly content with her quiet life among mortals. But everything comes crashing down one day when her family is arrested for owing taxes. Right as things seem to take a turn for the worse for her and her family, a stranger appears and saves her. He's Draaven, her mate whom she would be meeting for the first time and alpha of the Lycans, a pack which has had a lifelong feud with the Cecils, her mother's birth pack. Draaven manages to save only Ella and while he realizes she should know the truth, he refuses to tell her for fear of losing her. Will their love be able to triumph over secrets, rivalry and pack wars? Will Ariella finally be able to own her wolf identity and take her rightful place in the same pack that her mother had betrayed? Read on.
Allison fell in love with Ethan Iversen, the soon-to-be Alpha of the Moonlight Crown pack. She always wanted him to notice her. Meanwhile, Ethan was an arrogant Alpha who thought a weak Omega could not be his companion. Ethan's cousin, Ryan Iversen, who came back from abroad and was the actual heir of the pack, never tried to get the position nor did he show any interest in it. He was a popular playboy Alpha but when he came back to the pack, one thing captured his eyes and that was Allison.
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
"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."
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry me?”
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.