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Xena's father, Mr Hayes, in a bid to reclaim his abandoned inheritance makes a deal with its current possessor, Mr Gustavo. In turn, Mr Gustavo places a non bargainable condition on it. What will happen when Xena and Maverick finds out about their unchallengeable union, will Xena play along when she finds out a criminal secret that could possibly get her out of the situation?.
Xena couldn't believe her ears as she stood in front of her Dad looking directly at him.
"So, what you mean is you were gone for weeks without notice, to go get a partnership with some junky rich man?" she half yelled.
"To get back our rightful property Xena" his voice was relaxed.
"Oh my God dad!" she caressed her forehead in frustration, her body still shaking from the initial shock. "Take a look around you, does this look right to you?" gesturing to the mansion they were standing in.
She still couldn't get over the shock of being half dragged from her workplace by strange able-bodied men to a strange location.
"And even if you wanted to go on with your stupid deal, you should have given I and mom a heads up first"
"If I had informed you two, you wouldn't have come-"
"And you wonder why?" Xena interrupted asking rhetorically.
Xena's father walked over to one of the massive sofas in the living room and sat down. She hadn't heard the worst part and she was already pulling her hair.
"Speaking of mom, where is she?" she folded her arms. "I bet they'll bundle her the way they bundled me right?"
"She'll be here any moment" he took out his buzzing phone from the inner pocket of his suit.
Xena couldn't help but stare, she couldn't believe how much her dad had changed in just a couple of weeks. He looked very polished and his aura felt different from what she used to know.
"Oh my god Xena dear" her mom rushed in, fear and worry written all over her face. Two body guards behind her.
Xena ran into her embrace but it was cut short when her mom sighted her dad.
"I knew you would still go on with this stupid idea even after we talked about it"
Xena's dad didn't reply, he just walked to an adjoining room to receive a call.
"You knew about this all along?"
"I tried talking him out of this but he wouldn't budge, believe me I tried" her voice was shaky. Xena looked at her mom's face. She looked...terrified.
What exactly was going on?
****
Xena was in her room trying to see if she could do some work on her laptop. Luckily she was able to carry her laptop with her while she was practically dragged out of her office.
She knew it was useless. They were just as good as billionaires, she didn't need the money.
There was a knock on her door.
She ignored it. She knew it was her mom who had been trying to talk to her without actually explaining what was going on.
The knock came again
"Urgh" she groaned as she went to the door and opened it.
"What now mo..." there was a hefty man in a suit at the door.
"Mr Hayes asked me to accompany you to the boutique" he spoke quickly
"But I don't need to go to the boutique, he already stocked up my wardrobe" Xena was looking up at him, his height was intimidating.
"He said you need to buy a dress" More of authority in his voice.
Xena couldn't object this time "o-kay, give me a minute" she went back inside and closed the door not knowing what to think.
She changed her clothes and headed out. The hefty man was the driver. The car smelt like it was just pulled out of the factory; fresh and new, it was intoxicating.
"Where are we headed?" She asked, to fill in the silence
No answer
"I'm guessing you're not to speak then" she said then turned to the window admiring the beautiful landscapes of the street. This was very different from the life she was used to.
They arrived at the boutique. She had never been to such a fancy boutique before, she had always done her clothes shopping at the mall. The atmosphere spelt luxury, one mind said finally she could afford everything she wanted. The other didn't want to accept reality.
She was in the dresses aisle indecisive of what to choose as there were so many options. Her driver was waiting at a far corner where he could watch over her directly.
"You would look really good in blue"
"You think?" She picked out a long blue off shoulder with a long slit at the right. She went to the mirror in front of the testing room and looked at it a little before entering to test the dress.
She came out carefully, watching her steps so she won't step on the dress and ruin it.
"Now that, is a damsel"
She looked up to the owner of the voice, she couldn't help but blush. It's not everyday you see a good looking man compliment you in a boutique.
"Thanks" she said, hoping he wouldn't notice the red on her cheeks.
She went back to face the mirror "I really do look good" she paused admiring herself "I guess blue must be my col-" she turned around but he was gone.
She just shrugged, picked out a few other things, the driver paid and they left.
She couldn't stop thinking of the male Cinderella she had met at the mall when she got back home. The way he looked at her showed genuineness in his complement.
A knock on her door disrupted her thoughts. She opened the door, it was her mom.
"Xena dear, how are you doing?" her mom asked when Xena had let her in.
"I'm fine mom" she replied reluctantly "You don't always have to check up on me, I'm a grown woman you know"
"I know, I know, I'm sorry" her mom apologised immediately. They were both now sitting on Xena's bed.
"I heard your dad asked you to get a dress"
"Yes, he did"
Her mom looked away. Visible worry on her face.
"Mom, do you have any idea why?" she asked, trying to peer into her mom's face.
"Um..not really, all I know is our presence will be needed at a gathering later this week" Xena knew she could ask no more questions as her mom knew no more or would rather not say more.
Xena was upstairs in her room that evening going through her social media pages when she heard a commotion downstairs.
She walked down the stairs gently, so as to not announce her presence. She got to the bottom of the stairs and halted in her tracks.
"And there she is," Her father announced.
The most icy set of blue eyes turned to meet hers.
"Ms. Crawford, it’s time for you to divorce Mr. Larsen and come home. You're the only heiress the Master's waiting for.” ~•~ For the sake of love, Amara accepted the arranged marriage with Tobias William Larsen. She did everything to gain her husband’s heart but when his old love returned, she realized that all her effort was all for naught. Tobias demanded a divorce on the night of their wedding anniversary, even at the price of threatening her. Heartbroken, she finally dropped all her illusions about him and returned home to be the heiress. The next time she met Tobias, they were no longer couples but opponents. "Mr. Larsen, should I remind you again? We've divorced." "Amara, that's the stupidest mistake I've ever made. Please come back to me."
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"
For a man whom she has spent 7 years with, married for 3, infertility was enough for him to cast her aside, replacing her with his mistress whom was already pregnant. But maybe getting cast aside was a blessing in disguise, Elisa returns home to regain her rightful place as the heiress of the Gilbert's house, and what follows after is the continuous regret of her Ex-husband. After all, the saying goes this way: You don't know the value of what you have until you lose it.
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
Ashley is burned alive by her half-sister, but she gets a second chance to undo all of her past. She was reborn ten years ago, and this time she is determined to find a strong backer for herself to take revenge. "I'll take revenge for everything you've done, and I'll make you all suffer!" Author's Note: This story was originally published under the same title on another platform. This version has been fully revised to improve grammar, clarity, and overall reading flow, but the plot remains unchanged. It is now released under a non-exclusive contract. Thank you for reading and supporting this refined edition!
Emberly, an esteemed scientist of the Imperial Federation, took her own life after completing important research. She was reborn, and just like in her first life, she was born into a wealthy family. She could’ve lived a carefree and prosperous life. However, the babies got mixed up in the hospital and she was taken home by another family from the countryside. Her foster parents later found out the truth and brought her to her real family, but they didn’t like her. Her evil adopted sister even loathed her. She was framed and ultimately, she died in prison. But in her next life, she refused to stay a coward and swore she would take revenge on all who wronged her. She would only care about those who were truly good to her and turn a blind eye to her heartless family. In one life, she had once experienced darkness and been trampled upon like an ant. In another, she had stood on top of the world. This time, she only wished to live for herself. As if a switch had gone on inside of her, she suddenly became the best at everything she put her mind to. He won the math contest, topped the college entrance exams, and solved an age old question... Later, she garnered countless scientific research achievements. People who had once slandered her and looked down on her cried bitterly and begged her for a patent authorization. She just sneered at them. No way! This was a world without faith, but the world put their faith in her. Austin, the heir to a powerful aristocratic family in the imperial capital, was cold-hearted and decisive. He scared anyone who laid eyes on him. Unbeknownst to everyone, he doted on one woman: Emberly. Nobody knew that his desire for her grew stronger with every passing day. She brought light to his originally dull and gloomy life.