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She was the star football player at her school. Extremely beautiful, popular, a prankster, yet not bitchy. She is also very friendly, unless you get on her bad side. Never had any relationships in high school? There is a reason for that; read on to find out. She disappeared ten years ago, literally. She left no notes-nothing to get an idea of where she went. Sure, her father gave the school the excuse that, due to the family's difficult times, they were moving. But where? She also has the most unusual relationship with a guy named Nate (Nathaniel). They may know almost everything about each other; they may be the greatest friends, yet they were enemies. They were known to throw the ultimate type of prank on one another. NATHANIEL (NATE) MAISIE WILLIAMS He was the quarterback for his team. Every girl worshipped him for everything. The school's most popular boy changed girls' clothes. swoon-worthy body, perfect hair, and unusually beautiful eyes. You get it, don't you? Knew Sydney since he was four years old. Ultimate prankster. When Sid (Sydney) disappeared, he tried to search for her. His father was the highest-ranking employee at Williams Industries, so he had the power. But she was nowhere to be found. Fast forward ten years and he is now the CEO of the still highest earning/ranking Williams Industries, a no-strings type of guy who still manages to attract the most girls.
CHAPTER I
Sydney
I woke up with a nightmare again. AGAIN.
Those sleeping pills aren't working right. The nightmares are also going well, but they are more scary.
-the nightmare -
"You slut! How dare you show up at my house with your fucking friends again!" The man slapped me twice on my cheek. I could feel the tears pooling in my eyes again, but I wouldn't let them fall. I wouldn't give him satisfaction. The man glowered at me, took a fistful of my hair, and yanked it. That stings a lot. Then he pushed me to the ground and kicked me in the stomach twice.
"Please," I begged him to stop, "I won't let them come here again, I promise."
The man laughed wickedly and got up. He took my chin forcibly and made me look at him. He reeked of alcohol. "You're pathetic, you know that; you are just like your mom-a whore. There is no place on earth where you'll survive. Now repeat, what are you?" He looked at me. This was the routine: after he lost a game, he would beat me up and make me repeat what he had taught me since my mother died.
"Repeat!" he shouted, and he slapped me hard on the cheek again. I sobbed loudly and whispered, "I am a slut, just like mom." He smiled, satisfied, and then abruptly got up and went to the next room. Taking this as an opportunity, I ran up the stairs into my room and locked the door.
-nightmare ends-
Those were hard times. But it's in the past, of course. I miss my mom every day. She told me that I would get a better life; maybe I will, but only when I forget my past. But forgetting is the most difficult thing to do. I still remember the day perfectly. My friends, Lila and Nate, were walking me to the door. but I didn't let them in. It was always like that; I never invited them in when my father, the dreadful man, was there. My father must have seen them. I worked very hard for money, which could get me into a good college, but things didn't turn out well. You see-
My alarm snapped me out of my reverie. It's seven right now. I took a deep breath in and tried convincing myself, "It's the past, Sid. It will never come back." I got out of bed and dragged myself to the shower. Although it's the worst day of the week, Monday, it's like a new start for me. I have an interview today with the head of the HR department at Williams Industries. It's one of the highest-ranking industries in the world.
I let the warm water calm my nerves. Damn! I felt rejuvenated. Quickly, I put on my coat, suit, and heels. I used a little blush on my face and mascara to pop out my eyes. Although I am not Emma Stone or any other Emma, I won't deny that I am beautiful. No girl should ever do that, no matter how many times you are snubbed for being ugly or fat. Beauty always comes from within; my mom taught me that. She died when I was ten years old, leaving me with the monster. After finishing with my eyes, I grabbed my purse, reviewing myself one last time in the mirror.
***
Oh, my God! The building is huge. Sure, I saw many pictures in magazines and all. But they don't do any justice to this beautiful piece of architecture. The insides were so luxurious and elegant. Each and every person in there screamed money. Damn! Would I fit here?
I made my way towards the receptionist. She was taking calls and typing at the same time. I waited for her to finish her call.
"Hi, how can I help you?" she asked, putting the receiver down.
"Hi, I am here to meet Ms. Rachel Mitchell," I replied, but she cut me off.
"The PA interview?" she asked, and I nodded. "You are the final sixth one; here's the card; Lily will lead you." She nodded at the blonde sitting there nervously.
The blonde, who I assume was Lily, got up and told me to follow her. She led me to a waiting room and told me to wait until my name was called. Wow! sixth candidate-that must be tough competition. I looked around me; all four others were impeccably beautiful and well groomed. Not to mention how they didn't fall while walking in those stilettos. The room was white with blue furniture. Nice combination...
The microphone sprang to life, and a voice through it said, "Sydney Parker, you may come in now." I took a deep breath in as another candidate came out. I got up and walked in. The room was full of shelves on which neatly stacked folders rested. In the middle of the room sat an old woman, who must be in her mid-sixties, with a big smile on her face. She had a kind face and had no makeup on. I am starting to like her already.
"Good morning, Sydney; please take your seat," she said in a cheerful voice.
I murmured "good morning and took my seat. She started, "So, I am the head of the HR department, Finley Brooke, and I would be conducting your interview." She must be following some protocol since she is stating the obvious, I thought.
I nodded and waited for her to ask me questions. She asked some normal questions about my age, schooling, and college. I answered them articulately, praying she wouldn't ask me the question of why I started college two years late. Well, she did. Fuck my luck.
"Why did you start college two years later, Sydney?" I was tempted to say, "None of your business," but replied with a tight smile, "Family circumstances." She nodded, and she didn't ask me any further questions. After checking my portfolio one last time, she told me to wait outside.
She's his guilty pleasure. She is his forbidden fruit. And she is the wife of his brother. But fuck him to hell and back; he will have her in his bed, naked, sweating, and moaning his name. But how is he going to do that?
"Vexen, you know that I love you and I want the best of you, right?" he said. Even though I wondered what he was doing, I nodded. "You're already twenty-five and not getting any younger. And I'm old too. So I want to see you get married before I die." I swallowed. I don't think I'll like what Papà has to say to me. "And?" "I want you to marry the second son of the Mancini, he said, making my eyes widen. "I'm sorry, Papà. I must have heard wrong. Potrebbe ripetare per favore?" Can you please say that again? "Voglio che tu sposi il secondogenito dei Mancini." He repeated what he said, so I really stood up. "No! No, Papa. I won't marry him!" "Vexen! I already made a promise to Mr. Mancini that you would marry his second son!" I shook my head. What's the trick again? I will marry Mancini's slender son. Maybe instead of him protecting me, I will protect him! "No, Papa! I will not marry him!" "You will not embarrass me at the Mancini, Vexen!" I laughed. Why is it because he's making an agreement? He's not the one getting married! "All my life I've been following your orders, Papà! Even if it's dangerous for me! I followed your orders with no complaints, so please, just this once. Spare me just this once, Papà!" "No, Vexen! If you will not marry the second son of Mancini, then forget that you have a father! And I will forget you and treat you as a dead person if you say no again!" I couldn't believe I was looking at my father. I wanted to cry, but I was so surprised that he could tell me that. Just because I won't marry the Mancini family, will he forget that I'm his daughter? I laughed and shook my head, one after another. "No. I will not marry the Mancini, and if that's what you want, then I will forget that I have a father, too, I said before I left his office and went to my room.
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?”
Accused of murder, Sylvia Todd's mother was deemed a traitor by the entire pack, condeming Sylvia to live the rest of her life alone in humiliation as a lowly slave. All she wanted to do was to prove her mother's innocence somehow, but fate never seemed to be on the side of the traitor's daughter. Still, Sylvia never lost hope. As the future lycan king of all werewolves, Rufus Duncan possessed great power and status, but he had an inexplicable reputation for being cruel, bloodthirsty, and ruthless. Unbeknownst to everyone, he had been cursed long ago to transform into a killer monster on every full moon. Even though fate did not always look upon the two, it brought Sylvia and Rufus together as each other's destined mates. Will justice be served for Sylvia's mother? What about Rufus' secret? Can Sylvia and Rufus defy all societal norms and stay together? Will these two unlucky souls have their happy ending?
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.
Lindsey's fiancé was the devil's first son. Not only did he lie to her but he also slept with her stepmother, conspired to take away her family fortune, and then set her up to have sex with a total stranger. To get her lick back, Lindsey decided to find a man to disrupt her engagement party and humiliate the cheating bastard. Never did she imagine that she would bump into a strikingly handsome stranger who was all that she was currently looking for. At the engagement party, he boldly declared that she was his woman. Lindsey thought he was just a broke man who wanted to leech off her. But once they began their fake relationship, she realized that good luck kept coming her way. She thought they would part ways after the engagement party, but this man kept to her side. "We gotta stick together, Lindsey. Remember, I'm now your fiancé. " "Domenic, you're with me because of my money, aren't you?" Lindsey asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Domenic was taken aback by that accusation. How could he, the heir of the Walsh family and CEO of Vitality Group, be with her for money? He controlled more than half of the city's economy. Money wasn't a problem for him! The two got closer and closer. One day, Lindsey finally realized that Domenic was actually the stranger she had slept with months ago. Would this realization change things between them? For the better or worse?
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”
Sawyer, the world's top arms dealer, stunned everyone by falling for Maren—the worthless girl no one respected. People scoffed. Why chase a useless pretty face? But when powerful elites began gathering around her, jaws dropped. "She's not even married to him yet—already cashing in on his power?" they assumed. Curious eyes dug into Maren's past... only to find she was a scientific genius, a world-renowned medical expert, and heiress to a mafia empire. Later, Sawyer posted online. "My wife treats me like the enemy. Any advice?"