Edward married Sophia to fulfill all righteousness and look good in the eyes of the public. But deep down he hates women and their prejudice.
Edward married Sophia to fulfill all righteousness and look good in the eyes of the public. But deep down he hates women and their prejudice.
The sound of glass clinking against polished wood echoed in the grand study, where Edward Blackwell, with his perfectly tailored suit and cold, calculating eyes, stared out at the sprawling skyline of the city below. The lights twinkled like stars-stars he once thought he was above. In the silence of the room, his fingers traced the rim of the glass, as though searching for something to steady the chaos inside him.
Outside, the world adored him-captivated by the genius of his wealth, the sharpness of his mind, and the effortless charm that poured from his lips. He had the empire, the mansion, and the life that others could only dream of. But at the heart of it all, there was something he couldn't shake: a disgust, a loathing of the people who surrounded him, the ones who held his name in reverence. And, most of all, the woman who slept in the bed beside him each night-Sophia, his wife.
She was beautiful. Brilliant, even. She was everything society had told him to desire. But to Edward, she was nothing more than a delicate ornament-her grace, her smile, her intellect all just parts of a perfect façade he had been forced to construct. His father had arranged this marriage, pushing him into it with an iron fist, demanding he marry Sophia to ensure their family's legacy. "A man like you can't afford to be seen alone," his father had said, his voice devoid of warmth, like a machine running on ancient, inherited rules.
In the early days, Edward had believed the marriage would be simple. He would play the part, maintain the image, and walk away when the time came. But he hadn't counted on the growing irritation-Sophia's soft voice in the morning, her quiet suggestions in meetings, the way she tried to carve out a place for herself in a world that had no intention of letting her in. Every word she spoke to him felt like a challenge to his control, every glance a reminder that she was not just a reflection of his success, but a person with thoughts, ambitions, and desires of her own.
And yet, even now, when he knew the truth-that he had never loved her, that he had married her as a means to an end-he still found himself trapped in the gilded cage of their life together. He couldn't divorce her; not yet. The scandal would be too much, the public too unforgiving. So, he tolerated her, his words cutting sharper with each passing day. But in the stillness of the night, when his thoughts ran unchecked, the true ugliness of his soul surfaced: he despised her.
There was a truth he couldn't deny: Edward Blackwell was a man who had everything, and yet, he was terrified of losing it all.
He remembers how it all started.
Edward stands before his father, a towering figure of authority in the opulent study, his polished shoes clicking sharply against the marble floor. The weight of his father's gaze is suffocating, as if every decision in his life has been mapped out long before his birth. The old man's voice cuts through the air, firm and commanding.
"You will marry Sophia Davenport. It's time for us to secure our legacy," his father demands, the words leaving no room for objection.
Edward's stomach tightens, a flicker of rage crossing his face, but he keeps it hidden behind his cold exterior. He can already feel the pressure to maintain his family's public image and status. His father has never understood him, never cared about his desires. Marriage is nothing more than a business transaction-a way to present the perfect image of a successful, upstanding man.
Edward forces a smile, suppressing the anger building in his chest. "Of course, Father. Whatever you say."
The arranged marriage to Sophia, a woman of grace and beauty, will shield him from the whispers of society. But as he stares at the photograph of her in his hands, he feels nothing but disdain. She's just another piece of the puzzle in his carefully crafted life. He wonders if she even knows how hollow it all feels.
He recalls how they met and immediately regrets accepting his father's decision because left for him he wouldn't even think of marriage but it was for the best so he thought.
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."
"You don't belong here. Get out!" Hanna, the rightful Wheeler daughter, came back only to be expelled by her family. Her fiancé cheated on her with the fake daughter, her brothers looked down on her, and her father ignored her. Then, she crossed paths with Chris, the formidable leader of the Willis family and her fiancé's uncle. "Let's pretend it never happened." Despite Hanna's hope to part ways, Chris insisted she be responsible. He threatened to reveal Hanna's true talents as an outstanding doctor, a brilliant screenwriter, and the brains behind a famous design studio, forcing her into marriage. Chris was once asked to protect someone. Destiny reunited them in tricky circumstances. He had planned to keep his promise and provide a safe haven, only to find Hanna was far from the delicate woman she seemed. She was witty and cunning...
I died on a Tuesday. It wasn't a quick death. It was slow, cold, and meticulously planned by the man who called himself my father. I was twenty years old. He needed my kidney to save my sister. The spare part for the golden child. I remember the blinding lights of the operating theater, the sterile smell of betrayal, and the phantom pain of a surgeon's scalpel carving into my flesh while my screams echoed unheard. I remember looking through the observation glass and seeing him-my father, Giovanni Vitiello, the Don of the Chicago Outfit-watching me die with the same detached expression he used when signing a death warrant. He chose her. He always chose her. And then, I woke up. Not in heaven. Not in hell. But in my own bed, a year before my scheduled execution. My body was whole, unscarred. The timeline had reset, a glitch in the cruel matrix of my existence, giving me a second chance I never asked for. This time, when my father handed me a one-way ticket to London-an exile disguised as a severance package-I didn't cry. I didn't beg. My heart, once a bleeding wound, was now a block of ice. He didn't know he was talking to a ghost. He didn't know I had already lived through his ultimate betrayal. He also didn't know that six months ago, during the city's brutal territory wars, I was the one who saved his most valuable asset. In a secret safe house, I stitched up the wounds of a blinded soldier, a man whose life hung by a thread. He never saw my face. He only knew my voice, the scent of vanilla, and the steady touch of my hands. He called me Sette. Seven. For the seven stitches I put in his shoulder. That man was Dante Moretti. The Ruthless Capo. The man my sister, Isabella, is now set to marry. She stole my story. She claimed my actions, my voice, my scent. And Dante, the man who could spot a lie from a mile away, believed the beautiful deception because he wanted it to be true. He wanted the golden girl to be his savior, not the invisible sister who was only ever good for her spare parts. So I took the ticket. In my past life, I fought them, and they silenced me on an operating table. This time, I will let them have their perfect, gilded lie. I will go to London. I will disappear. I will let Seraphina Vitiello die on that plane. But I will not be a victim. This time, I will not be the lamb led to slaughter. This time, from the shadows of my exile, I will be the one holding the match. And I will wait, with the patience of the dead, to watch their entire world burn. Because a ghost has nothing to lose, and a queen of ashes has an empire to gain.
Nadine reunited with her family, convinced she'd been discarded, rage simmering-only to find collapse: her mother unstable, her father poisoned; a pianist brother trapped in a sham marriage, a detective brother framed and jailed, the youngest dragged into a gang. While the fake daughter mocked and colluded, Nadine moved in secret-healing her mother, curing her father, ending the union, clearing charges, and lifting the youngest to leader. Rumors said she rode coattails, unworthy of Rhys, the unmatched magnate. Few knew she was a renowned healer, legendary assassin, mysterious tycoon... Rhys knelt. "Marry me! The entire empire is yours for the taking!"
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.
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?"
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