"My mom was always right, you're a cheap whore who sells her body for money!" Richard yelled in anger Gabriella's easygoing life takes a turn for the worse when her boyfriend catches her in bed with another man who turns out to be his arch nemesis and the most powerful CEO, Simeon Grey. No one including her boyfriend believes her innocence and Simon takes advantage of this and forces her to be his wife against her wishes with no way of escape. What happens when Gabriella finds out that she is just a pawn in Simon's game to destroy Richard? Will she be able to escape Simon's clutches or does fate have other plans in store for her?
****
In a dimly lit room, two individuals, an eighteen-year-old boy and a fifteen-year-old girl, were seated on the floor. The atmosphere was tense and heavy, filled with sorrow.
"I do not want you to go, Richard. What am I going to do without you around?" Gabriella said.
"Please stay," she pleaded with tears in her eyes. She had thought she would be strong, but she realized that she needed him as the fear of him leaving overwhelmed her.
Richard sighed deeply, feeling the same way about his departure as Gabriella.
Then he said to her, holding her in his arms, "I also do not want to leave, but my mom doesn't want me to stay, and she has convinced my dad to send me to London, and there is no way I can go against his decision. You know how my father is."
Gabriella sniffed, wiping away her tears and nodded in agreement as she realized, Richard was right that his father was the one who had the final say in their family, and once he made a decision, it was difficult to change it.
"She doesn't like me, and that's why she is sending you away," she pointed out.
Richard couldn't deny that fact. Because he was aware that his mother didn't approve of Gabriella and constantly tried to turn him against her.
Simply because Gabriella came from a lower-class background, and his mother believed she wasn't suitable for him. However, Gabriella needed the assurance that Richard would always stand by her, regardless of what his mother or anyone else said.
With that he held her hands and gazed deeply into her eyes as he declared "No matter what my mom does, I will never forget you, my sweet Gabriella,"
Saying that, he leaned in and passionately kissed her, conveying his every emotion in that moment. Breaking the kiss, he rested his head on her shoulder.
"Promise me you'll wait for me," Richard requested. Though, he knew he didn't have to ask Gabriella that. Because he knew she would always wait for him, no matter how long it took for him to return to her.
"Richard! I promise I'll wait for you, no matter how long it takes for you to come back. I'll wait for you," Gabriella promised. Richard smiled, comforted by Gabriella's words.
"I love you, Gabriella."
"I love you, Richard," she replied and kissed him.
****
Gabriella and Richard grew up together as best friends since they were children. Richard was the son of a billionaire, who shared everything with Gabriella.
They played together and did everything together. However, as time went on, romantic feelings began to develop between them.
The way he stared at her and how she responded to his advances made their feelings obvious.
Despite the three-year age difference, Gabriella couldn't help but love him. She cared for him deeply, and he was willing to risk everything for her, even going against his mother's wishes.
Richard's mother, Rosella, detested Gabriella because her mother worked as a helper for Richard's family. And Rosella considered associating with the daughter of a helper to be unacceptable.
She attempted to separate them several times, even going as far as trying to fire Gabriella's mother. However, her husband refused to allow it, which left Rosella frustrated. Every effort to come between them failed, and this made her increasingly agitated.
When Rosella witnessed Richard and Gabriella kissing, her suspicions were confirmed and her anger reached its peak. She stormed into the room filled with rage, and the other helpers quickly fled. Concerned, Roberto, Richard's father, left his bedroom and approached Rosella. He tried to calm her down and find out what had upset her so much. However, Rosella remained silent.
Roberto persisted, asking if she wanted to talk about it. Out of nowhere, Rosella demanded that Richard be sent to London. Confused, Roberto questioned her sudden request and asked if their son had done something wrong. Rosella explained that she had caught him being romantic with Gabriella, whom she viewed as beneath their social status.
Roberto disagreed, believing that one mistake should not result in their only child being sent away. Rosella stubbornly threatened to take matters into her own hands if he didn't comply. With that, she stormed out of the room, leaving Roberto feeling defeated and sighing heavily.
The following morning arrived, Roberto called Richard into the study room, and they both sat down. "Hey dad, do you want to talk?" Richard asked.
"Yes! Can you tell me about your true relationship with your best friend?" Roberto asked, getting straight to the point. "You mean Gabriella?" Richard asked.
"Yes, Gabriella," Roberto responded. "She is my girlfriend," Richard answered honestly. There was no point in hiding it. The truth would come out sooner or later.
Roberto sighed deeply. It seemed like his wife was right all along. Richard was in a romantic relationship with Gabriella. "Your girlfriend! Alright then, get ready to leave for London soon," Roberto said.
"But dad!" Richard exclaimed. "Do not argue, Richard. You are going, and that's final," Roberto said with command laced in his tone, leaving no room for arguments.
"Fine, DAD. I know this is all mom's doing," Richard said as he stormed out in anger leaving his dad on seat.
As the sun rose on the day of his departure, the villa was filled with silence. Then he woke up by the sound of his alarm, which he obviously hated. So he stood up to take his bath as he reluctantly prepared for his forced journey to London.
Meanwhile, Rosella was in the sitting room, getting everything ready for Richard's departure.
A few minutes later, Richard was fully prepared and he descended the stairs to find everything ready. This made him sad, as he had to leave behind everything he loved and go to a place where he knew no one.
But above all, he had no choice than to obey his parents. He gathered his bags and took one last look at the villa, reminiscing on the memories he had there. Thoughts of Gabriella flashed through his mind.
Taking a deep breath, he hugged his parents tightly, as he wiped his tears, and got into the car. Knowing that one day he would return and make Gabriella his wife, but for now, he had to fulfill his parents' wishes.
Betrayed by her fiancé and abandoned by her family, Mandy Gates was ready to disappear-until Damian Black, her ex's powerful billionaire uncle, makes a bold offer to help her seek her revenge. Though it started as a calculated alliance but it quickly ignites into something neither of them expected. However, in a world of secrets and betrayal surrounding them, can they trust the fire between them, or will it consume them both? Find out in this thrilling story.
*"I had a one-night stand with a stranger who turned out to be my boss, oh my goodness what have I done,"* Valerie Skye is a young and hardworking woman, who finds herself entangled in a web of love, lies, and unexpected twists, after getting dumped by her ex-lover. She ends up having a one-night stand with a total stranger, Dante Blaze, who turns out to be her boss. This becomes complicated for Valerie, as she tries every possible way to avoid Dante. But as a charming playboy and her boss, Dante takes this as a challenge to clip Valerie's wings and make her his. Will she be able to stand his charm? Will he succeed in making her submit? Will love end up overruling Dante's Playboy's nature? Or will Valerie continuously live in shame of her night with him?
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
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?
Charlee was left at the altar and became a laughingstock. She tried to keep her head high, but ultimately lost it when she received a sex tape of her fiance and her half-sister. Devastated, she ended up spending a wild night with a hot stranger. It was supposed to be one-time thing, but he kept popping up, helping her with projects and revenge, all while flirting with her constantly. Charlee soon realized that it was nice having him around, until her ex suddenly appeared at her door, begging for another chance. Her tycoon lover asked, “Who will you choose? Think carefully before you answer.”
“Do I want a taste?” his voice deeper than he had ever spoken. His eyes pinned on me like I was the only thing that fascinated him. “What do I do?” I thought to myself as he moved closer to me, I wanted to run away, to resist him but I was pinned to the wall by him. “Gosh I hate this man so much” his scent, his body, his beautiful green eyes, he was driving me crazy. I know this is wrong, he has a fiancee and all but that makes me want him even more. “Get on the bed and spread your legs” his cold voice woke me up and then I remembered I was just a maid to him. “Yes master”.
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
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.