Nothing can be compared to the feeling of being hated and despised by the very person you love. Ayla would do anything to make CEO Jaxon love her and change his opinion about her but nothing seemed to change him. Forced to perform her wifely duties even though he didn't love her, Ayla was getting fed up of lying to herself that she could change him and that he would love her if she kept trying. " I can't do this anymore," she cried silently as she rubbed the bump on her stomach. She knew she had reached her limits when she became pregnant with his children, that only meant their divorce was around the corner. Choosing not to be dumped and separated from her children, she flees to give them a better life while doing the thing she loves most. She was no longer going to sacrifice her life to please anyone else, only then does the stern CEO realize the value of what he had lost. Now, he has to win her back.
I walked through the long corridor of the hospital, my steps tired, my shoulders were drooped in exhaustion and my face held worry unconcealed. I hated hospitals but I had to be here, for her sake. She was family. My family and a little girl. She did not deserve to be alone.
I had just returned from work and had come down here as soon as I had finished for the day. I opened the door to the room she was put in, I watched her small frame lying on the bed, ridden by tubes and IVs.
Oh, Hailey. Tears blurred my vision.
I walked quietly and took my position by her side, holding her still hands. "Hello, Hailey."
The steady beeping of her heart was the only response I got. The evidence that she was still alive. Barely.
My eyes trailed the lines of transparent wires infused into her skin, the liquid treatment trickling from the bag that held the drug into her veins. "Please find a way to fight this, Hailey. Please come back to us alive. Come back to me alive."
I paused to comport myself, I did not want her to hear the tears. The doctor had said she could hear us but she was unable to respond. I wiped my eyes. "I miss you, Hailey." I whispered, gently caressing her hair, careful not to upset the position she'd been put in. "You're strong, Hailey. You can fight through this. Please, fight through, okay?"
I leaned in to place a kiss on her right brow, a shaky, watery smile leaving my lips as I remembered how sweet she used to be. Oh God, let her survive this. She was too young to be going through this pain.
The door opened' I cast my eyes to see who had come in. It was the doctor. Sitting up straight and fully giving him my attention, I waited with bated breath for him to give me any kind of update concerning her health status.
"Good evening, doctor." I mustered a confident smile to outweigh the fear that was choking my insides.
"Good day, Ayla." He responded with a professional smile of his.
"Uhm.." I glanced at Hailey, and stared back at him. "H-how is she?"
"Still the same."
I could not continue the smile, it turned pallid instantly. Still the same. No improvement, and I could guess why. "Is it because of the surgery, doctor?"
"Yes, Ayla. She needs the surgery as soon as possible. Also, her bills are increasing. We will need some deposit to continue to keep her here, Ayla."
Some deposit. My heart dropped from its natural position to my stomach. I was fraught with nerves and fear. I did not have the money.
"Okay doctor. I'll try to get some."
He nodded, checked Hailey's vitals and left the room. After he was gone, I sighed and slumped on the chair. I took her small hands. "I'll make sure nothing happens to you, okay? Just please, try to fight. Don't let it win." I stood up after gently placing her hand back on the bed beside her. "I'll be back." I gave her a small kiss on her cheek and left the room in tears.
By the time I got home, I was dead tired. I walked into the living room to see my aunt and uncle, they were my foster parents too and Hailey's biological parents, coming down the stairs laughing and being all merry, anger and disbelief trembled my exhausted frame. The irresponsibility of these people!
"Good evening." I greeted them.
"Evening Ayla." My aunt greeted.
"Anything the matter?" My uncle who had noticed my sour feature asked.
"Where are you going all dressed?" I asked.
"And who fed you doses of audacity?" My aunt eyed me in annoyance.
"This is not about the issue of being audacious. Your daughter is in the hospital, does that not mean anything to you?" I was trying to control my anger. Even though they were not the nicest persons on earth, they had taken me in, they deserved some respect.
"And so? She's in the best medical hands, we're not doctors, Ayla." My uncle responded nonchalantly.
"Exactly." His wife supported.
My jaw dropped. Were these people for real?
"What are you both saying? Hailey is your daughter and she's just fourteen. Fourteen!" I emphasized, in case they had forgotten.
"Your point is?" My aunt inquired, looking quite irritated.
"That girl needs you. She needs her parents." I could not believe they were saying this.
"But you always go to visit her." The tone in my uncle's voice was angry.
"Yes, I do. But the doctor said she needs to be spoken to, I can speak to her but she needs her parents." I insisted. I was getting aggravated by their I-don't-care attitude.
"We have somewhere to be, Ayla. Make sure to do the dishes and prepare dinner before we return."
I sighed. "The doctor said the bills are increasing, and the surgery needs to be done." It was futile trying to talk to both of them. If they would not see her, the least they could do was contribute financially to her medical bills.
"And where do you want us to get the money from, Ayla?" That question came from my aunt.
I could only stare at both of them in disbelief.
"So she should remain in that critical situation?" My voice broke, the image of Hailey lying on that bed looking so vulnerable flashed in my mind.
They exchanged stares. Then they looked at me, mischievous smiles playing on both their lips, I frowned, instantly suspicious.
"If you really love Hailey, you can help her." My aunt said.
"I don't understand. How do you mean?" Something told me I was not going to like what was coming.
"You can get married to CEO of XM company, I hear he's open to marriage."
"What?!" I knew of the CEO of XM company. Everyone knew the man, and the power and wealth his family wielded.
"Yes, Ayla. If you truly love Hailey and want to save her, please marry him." My aunt's face morphed into a placating one.
"No, I won't." I out rightly rejected. "I can not believe you two. I'd rather work to pay her medical bills." I spat and angrily stormed out of their sight.
Power, wealth, and control are the driving forces in Rasmus Dahlgren's world, but they are all powerless to stop his dying grandfather from giving him an Ultimatum: get married and have a child within a year, or else you will lose everything and I'll hand it over to your cousin. Rasmus makes a bargain with Natalie Sandstrom, a poor single mother, in an attempt to protect the family riches and inheritance. He proposed a one year agreement with Natalie, have one child, no affection and I'll give you financial security in return. Natalie accepts his proposal despite her secrets, a hidden past life and the fact that she is unable to conceive after Elliot's birth. Rasmus is pulled to Natalie and her son as their arrangement makes it difficult to distinguish between business and emotion. He never imagined that things could turn around so quickly. However, as the one year contract draws to a close a startling revelation surfaces: he finds out he is the father of her child from a forgotten one-night stand seven years ago. In order to recover the love he never believed he wanted, Rasmus must now face the mysteries and betrayals that tie them both before it's too late.
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”
"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."
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
The dream of everyone with regards to marriage is to be able to find that special someone and settle down with them. Even arranged marriages grant you an opportunity to meet your partner briefly before the wedding. How will you feel about waking up in the morning with someone sleeping next to you who is not just anyone but your legally married partner yet with no memory of how that had happened in just a few hours of going out the previous day? This is the story of Jason Haward and Julia Harrison, two strangers trapped in a marriage they never planned. The quest to find out why led to the unfolding of a mystery which made them realize they are both living a lie. To find out more, read this amazing story of love, betrayal, revenge and murder.
Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."