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Almost losing the woman she thought was her mother, Cherry seeks many ways to pay for her Mother's surgery but couldn't get any help. She had no choice but to agree to go into a contract marriage with her boss, the ruthless and arrogant billionaire CEO of the Alphonso construction company, Leonard Alphonso. They fell in love within six months of the one-year contract and lived happily from that moment until Leonard offered her a divorce paper claiming he ran out of love for her; which she vehemently refused. Later on, she had no choice but to sign the divorce papers after Leonard had already put her in a tight condition. Being pregnant and helpless, she left his house and that was when she found out that she is the heiress to a billionaire fortune. Cherry becomes successful, powerful, and independent. Leonard eventually regretted his action and sought many ways to get her back. But will Cherry give Leonard a second chance after being betrayed by the first man she had ever loved?
Prologue (An office) The CEO of the Alphonso Construction company sat in his office with his mind busy with meditation rolling in circles on his swivel chair. He was lost in thought when a knock was heard on the door of his office.
"Yes ,who is it", Mr Alphonso asked.
"It's I, Cherry", the lovely tender voice of mine said.
"Come in", Mr. Alphonso said sternly.
"What is it? Have you handled the documents I gave you properly? And have you sent the mails I asked you to send to our clients?"
His whole face was covered with seriousness . My boss had always been strict from the day I had worked as his Secretary.
"How would I tell him what is on my mind."My thoughts were all occupied.
"Yes sir. I have done all of them. I just sent the emails to our clients yesterday night" I said with my smile almost looking invisible which was covering the fear I had after saying that.
"Just yesterday night!"He shouted with a strong frown on his face.
"How incompetent can you be? I gave you an mail to send to my clients in the evening and you just sent it in the night. Can you just imagine?"He yelled.
Mr Alphonso could be inconsiderate sometimes. The mail had just be sent to me the previous day during in the closing hours to send to his client which was at an ungodly hour. If he wanted the mail to be sent on time, he would have given me in the morning or during work hours not closing hours.
"Yes, what are you here for ?"Mr Alphonso asked. I thought to myself if I would be able to tell him what I had came into his office to tell him. I tried to summon courage thinking to myself that asking for whatever I wanted would not cause me to lose my life. The worst is that he would decline or maybe shout at me.
"Yes? Answer me on time. I don't have the whole day, please. "Mr. Alphonso spoke with his scary face. "Umm-mm" I stuttered .
"I just want to ask you for a favor, sir."
"Okay, what is the favor." He asked.
"I just want to ask you if you could pay me my salary in advance. I need money urgently. I have sought money from where I could, but I have not seen anyone who can render me any assistance. I need the money for my mother's kidney transplant." I said.
"She is the only one I have now because I no longer have a father and I don't want to be an orphan at this stage of my life." I said with tears covered all of my face.
"The money is just $32,000 to cover all of the expenses for her surgery and medications. I promise to work harder than I have ever worked. I wiped away my tears.
"Haha!", he laughed.
"You say "32,000".Where do you expect me to see such? Do you know how much the company needs to spend on expenses? You must be kidding me. I don't have money to give you ."
"Sir, Please I promise to pay you back from my salary or I will borrow from anyone I know to give you back. My mother is in a critical condition and it is so urgent." Mr Alphonso laughed again and stared at me while crying.
That was the first time I would ever see him smiling for the three years that I had worked as his Secretary. As he continued to smile, I felt excited that he was ready to assist me. "Cherry" he called out my name.
"Sir" I replied.
"Do you know you just made me laugh by what you just said?" he asked.
"It is the way the effrontery for you to say you would pay me back or borrow it. My question is; "How would you get it?"When you don't know who you would borrow from? And come to think of it; you only work for me or do you work for anyone else?" he asked and I gave a negative nod.
"You see, why I can't offer you any assistance?"He said with a smile while my eyes were covered with tears. I felt the smile was to make fun of my misery. I guess my boss must not only be arrogant but a sadist.
"But, sir....." I tried to talk before Mr Alphonso interrupted me on purpose.
"Make sure you help me to inform the members of the board office that we will be having a meeting this afternoon. I also want to give you some correspondence for you to handle for me. So that's all I want you to do .You can go now."He ordered.
"Okay sir."My face was covered up with tears. Nothing was pushing me to still beg him or ask for his assistance because I had lost all the courage I had.
"I would be taking my leave, sir." I said with tears almost well.
"Yeah, lock the door after going,please."All his attention was fixated on the file that was in his hands.I turned my back and was already leaving his office .
I cleaned my tears and catarrh I was that was coming out of my nose. I had already gotten close to the door. "Cherry!" I turned back and saw Mr Alphonso's serious face glaring at me. I was already shocked at the spot I was standing. I was already thinking of what I had done wrong.
"I am willing to offer you more than the $32,000 you need for your mother's treatment if you would do my biddings".After he said that, I had a smile on my face without asking what his biddings were.
"I want you to act as my wife for a year and I would pay you $35,000 for accepting my proposal. I just want you to see it as a fake marriage. After a year of the marriage, We would get a divorce. But during the marriage, there would not be any form of intimacy at all. So it would be a contract marriage. When it is already a year, I would give $150,000 by the time we are about to be divorced."
After he had said that already,the smile on my face dropped and tears began to fall out of my eyes.
"Why? Why do you have to offer me a contract marriage? Of all people why does it have to be me? This seems to be hard for me, sir." I whined.
"Are you kidding me right now? Where you not just crying and complaining about how you need help to save your mother from dying because you don't have money to take care of her. I am rendering you this offer, which is of mutual benefit and you are acting petty."I wondered within myself why he would ask for a contract marriage with someone like me.
"Or do you want your mother to die?" he asked with a smile. Mr. Alphonso is one hell of a mean person. He is a very ruthless and arrogant man. He is also one of every woman's choices in town like who would not want to be with a man like Leonard Alphonso, a wealthy and successful billionaire. Meanwhile, I had also had a crush on him which was because of his charming looks having a height of 6'4 inches and his charisma I would have considered it a dream being in a relationship or being married to Mr. Alphonso.
Chances were not left to me but to accept his proposal because of the risk of losing my mother.Since there is not going to be an intimacy of any such , I would have to accept this marriage proposal. Like.... I mean it's just a year.
" I have agreed to accept your marriage proposal,sir." My face was all squeezed up because I already knew what I was putting myself into something tough which was inevitable.
"Good girl. Now you are talking. I will call my lawyer tomorrow and he will bring the contract for you to sign tomorrow. I guess we have got ourselves a deal right" he said bringing out his hands for a shake. I shook his hand and accepted his offer.
After catching her boyfriend in bed with her high school bully, losing her job on the second day, and struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. Joana Angelou’s life is in shambles. Before she can even begin to pick up the pieces, she meets James Craig, a ruthless and arrogant billionaire who is inexplicably drawn to her. As she fights to revive her career, James becomes her unlikely ally and potential love interest. But can Joana trust her heart to a man who seems to be hiding the secrets of his owners?
Janice, the long-forgotten legitimate heiress, made her way back to her family, pouring her heart into winning their hearts. Yet, she had to relinquish her very identity, her academic credentials, and her creative works to her foster sister. In return for her sacrifices, she found no warmth, only deeper neglect. Resolute, Janice vowed to cut off all emotional bonds. Transformed, she now stood as a master of martial arts, adept in eight languages, an esteemed medical expert, and a celebrated designer. With newfound resolve, she declared, "From this day forward, no one in this family shall cross me."
Betrayed by her mate and sister on the eve of her wedding, Makenna was handed to the ruthless Lycan Princes as a lover, her indifferent father ignoring her plight. Determined to escape and seek revenge, she captured the interest of the three Lycan princes, who desired her exclusively amid many admirers. This complicated her plans, trapping her and making her a rival to the future Lycan queen. Entwined in jealousy and vindictiveness, could Makenna achieve her vengeance in the intricate dance with the three princes?
Lyric had spent her life being hated. Bullied for her scarred face and hated by everyone-including her own mate-she was always told she was ugly. Her mate only kept her around to gain territory, and the moment he got what he wanted, he rejected her, leaving her broken and alone. Then, she met him. The first man to call her beautiful. The first man to show her what it felt like to be loved. It was only one night, but it changed everything. For Lyric, he was a saint, a savior. For him, she was the only woman that had ever made him cum in bed-a problem he had been battling for years. Lyric thought her life would finally be different, but like everyone else in her life, he lied. And when she found out who he really was, she realized he wasn't just dangerous-he was the kind of man you don't escape from. Lyric wanted to run. She wanted freedom. But she desired to navigate her way and take back her respect, to rise above the ashes. Eventually, she was forced into a dark world she didn't wish to get involved with.
Amy didn't expect that her husband whom she had loved and trusted earnestly for many years would be cheating on her by having sex with his secretary. When she confronted him, he and his secretary mocked and ridiculed her, they called her barren to her face, afterall, she had not conceived for the past three years that she had been married to her husband, Callan. Terribly Heartbroken, she filed for divorce and left to the club, she picked a random gigolo, had a hot one night stand with him, paid him and dissapeared to a small city. She came back to the country six years later with three identical cute boys and three identical cute girls of the same age. She settled and got a job but soon find out that her CEO was the gigolo she had sex with six years back at the club. Will she be able to hide her six little cuties from her CEO, who happens to be the most powerful man in NorthHill and beleived to be infertile? Can Amy and the most powerful man in NorthHill get along considering the social gap between them.
Kara Martin was known as Miss Perfect. She was a beauty with good personality and successful career. Unfortunately, her life changed at one night. She was accused of adultery, losing her job, and abandoned by her fiance. The arrogant man who slept with her did not want to take responsibility. He even threatened to kill her if they met again. What's worse, Kara was pregnant with twins and she chose to give birth to them. Four and a half years later, Kara returned to work at a large company. As the secretary, she would frequently face their notorious CEO. Kara thought it wouldn't be a problem, but as it turned out ... the CEO was the father of the twins!
Belinda thought after divorce, they would part ways for good - he could live his life on his own terms, while she could indulge in the rest of hers. However, fate had other plans in store. "My darling, I was wrong. Would you please come back to me?" The man, whom she once loved deeply, lowered his once proud head humbly. "I beg you to return to me." Belinda coldly pushed away the bouquet of flowers he had offered her and coolly replied, "It's too late. The bridge has been burned, and the ashes have long since scattered to the wind!"