For years, 24-year-old Lily Harrington has endured life as the executive assistant to Damian Caldwell, the insufferably perfect 28-year-old Vice President of Caldwell Enterprises. With his impossible deadlines and complete lack of empathy, Damian has made every workday a battle. The only thing keeping Lily in this relentless job is the marketing manager promotion she's been chasing for years. When a make-or-break presentation for a high-profile client looms, Lily sees her chance to finally prove her worth. She just never expected that a business trip to Paris would be the turning point that changes everything.
Lily Harrington
I pressed my fingers against my temples, willing the tension away, but it was useless. My inbox overflowed with last-minute emails, my phone buzzed with relentless notifications, and the ever-growing stack of paperwork on my desk taunted me.
Damian Caldwell, the insufferable, impossible, perfect-in-every-wrong-way boss of mine, had just dropped another impossible task into my lap. A high-profile client meeting had been scheduled- without warning, of course-and it was my job to ensure everything was flawless. Not just acceptable, not just great, but lawless.
The worst part? The meeting wasn't even happening in the city. We were flying to Paris tomorrow morning.
I should have been excited. Paris- city of lights, romance, and the best croissants known to man, but excitement was the last thing I felt. Exhaustion, frustration, resentment- those emotions were alive and well.
"Lily, where's the revised proposal?" Damian's deep, authoritative voice cut through my thoughts.
I looked up from my computer screen, meeting his cold, steel-blue gaze. He stood in the doorway of my office, impeccably dressed in a charcoal suit, the picture of power and control. His expression was unreadable, as always.
"It's in your inbox," I said, keeping my voice level. "Sent it twenty minutes ago."
A muscle ticked in his jaw. He pulled out his phone, tapped the screen a few times, then nodded. "Good. We'll go over it on the plane."
The plane The private jet that would be flying us across the ocean together. In close quarters. For hours.
Fantastic.
"Anything else?" I asked, bracing for the inevitable.
"Yes. Pack appropriately. This isn't a vacation."
No kidding.
He turned and walked away before I could reply, leaving the scent of expensive cologne in his wake. The man was infuriating. Demanding. Completely unaware of the fact that I had a life outside of work.
Except... I didn't, really. Not anymore.
Once upon a time, I'd dreamed of more. Moving up the corporate ladder. Making a name for myself. But working under Damian had become all-consuming. He took and took, never acknowledging the sacrifices I made.
I grabbed my bag and powered down my laptop. If I had to spend the next several days trapped in his presence, I at least deserved a night of peace before the chaos.
Damian Caldwell
Work never stopped, not for me, not for anyone in my company. Excellence was not optional- it was expected.
I leaned back in my chair, rolling my sleeves up, scanning the proposal Lily had sent. It was good. No, it was great. She always delivered. The problem wasn't her competence-it was the distractions she allowed to creep in.
Lately, I'd noticed her hesitation. The brief moments of defiance in her eyes. The sighs when she thought I wasn't looking. Lily was slipping, and that couldn't happen.
The Paris deal was too important. If we landed this contract, Caldwell Enterprises would dominate the European market. Failure wasn't an option. That meant Lily needed to be at her best.
Dragging a hand through my hair, I glanced at the clock. Late. Too late to be at the office, but that didn't matter. Work was my life. It had been ever since I took over operations. There was no room for anything else.
Still, my mind drifted back to my assistant. Lily. The only person in this building who dared to challenge me, even subtly. She was sharp, dedicated, infuriatingly stubborn, and she was starting to pull away.
I didn't have time to deal with that. Not when the future of the company rested on this deal. She'd just have to keep up.
She always did.
Lily
Sleep was a luxury I rarely afforded myself, and tonight was no different. I tossed and turned, replaying every conversation, every look Damian had given me. His expectations weighed on me even in my dreams.
Morning came too soon. My alarm blared, dragging me back to reality. With a groan, I forced myself up, showered, and packed for the trip. Professional, sleek, businesslike-everything Damian would approve of.
The drive to the airport was quiet. Too quiet. The calm before the storm.
When I arrived at the private terminal, Damian was already there, standing near the jet with a cup of coffee in hand. He glanced at his watch, a silent reminder that I was precisely three minutes early-not good enough in his world.
Without a word, he handed me a folder. "Final itinerary."
I took it, skimming the details. Meetings, dinner with the clients, more meetings. No breathing room. Typical.
As we boarded, he gestured toward the plush leather seats. "Sit. We'll go over the presentation."
So much for easing into the flight.
The plane took off, and we worked in silence, tension thick between us.
Hours passed, then somewhere over the Atlantic, turbulence hit- sharp, and jarring. I gripped the armrest, with my heart racing.
Damian, on the other hand, barely reacted. He glanced at me, an eyebrow raised. "Nervous?"
"No," I lied, knuckles white against the leather.
His lips twitched, the closest thing to amusement I'd ever seen from him. "Relax. The odds of crashing are-"
"Don't. Even."
This trip was going to be a disaster. I could feel it.
After a wild night at a college party, Delilah wakes up with a hazy memory and a terrifying thought- she might have hurt someone. Desperate for answers, she tracks down the only person who seems to know what really happened: Theo, the university's star hockey player. But instead of finding trouble, she discovers something unexpected- Theo had actually saved her that night. Relief quickly turns into something more. There's an undeniable pull between them, a chemistry that sparks with every interaction. As they navigate late-night conversations, playful banter, and moments that make her heart race, Delilah realizes that this connection is deeper than she ever expected. Follow Delilah and Theo as they move from teasing flirtation to something real- something that just might last forever.
Terrified of loss, Xavier convinced himself that happiness was never meant for him. Instead, he chose misery, pushing everyone away- including Lena, whose warmth and innocence threatened the walls he had built. From the moment he saw her smile, he made it his mission to drive her away, yet she kept slipping through the cracks of his defenses. When Lena uncovers the pain that shaped him, her gentle persistence urges Xavier to confront his past and embrace life once more. Just as hope begins to take root, his darkest fears resurface, threatening to tear them apart. Now, Xavier must decide- will he let his past define him, or will he fight to keep the love he never expected to find?
"Love is blind!" Lucinda abandoned her beautiful and comfortable life because of a man. She married him and slaved off for him for three long years. One day, the scales finally fell off her eyes. She realized that all her efforts were in vain. Her husband, Nathaniel still treated her like shit. All he cared about was his lover. "Enough is enough! I quit wasting my years with an ungrateful man!" Lucinda's heart was shattered into many pieces, but she summoned up the courage to ask for a divorce. The news caused a stir online! A filthy rich young woman recently got divorced? She was a good catch! Countless CEOs and handsome young men immediately swarmed to her like bees to honey! Nathaniel couldn't take it anymore. He held a press conference and begged with teary eyes, "I love you, Lucinda. I can't live without you. Please come back to me." Would Lucinda give him a second chance? Read to find out!
Melanie married Ashton out of gratitude, but she quickly found herself entangled in a web of relentless challenges. Despite these struggles, she stayed true to her commitment to the marriage. In the hospital room, Ashton indifferently attempted to draw her blood, disregarding her discomfort. This callous act was a harsh revelation for Melanie, awakening her to the grim reality of their relationship. Resolved to prioritize her own welfare, she decided to sever ties. With newfound resolve, Melanie filed for divorce. In the process, she unveiled her concealed identities, leaving everyone in shock. Throughout these turbulent times, Melanie realized that Derek, Ashton’s uncle, had been discreetly protecting her all along.
Five years ago, Alessia La Rosa's life took a drastic turn when, suffering from memory loss, she wed to Dominic Carter under her grandfather's mysterious arrangement. But their marriage was a facade, bringing her only humiliation and heartache as Dominic showed no love, and she couldn't conceive. Upon discovering Dominic's infidelity, Alessia sought liberation through divorce. Yet, fate had more in store for her. Five years later, spurred by an anonymous email hinting at her lost child's whereabouts, she returns to the city with her twin babies in tow, determined to uncover the truth. As she navigates the tangled web of her past, a surprising twist awaits. Dominic, upon meeting her again, finds himself drawn to the woman she has become, unaware of her true identity as his former wife. Little does he know, the woman he's falling for is not only his ex-wife but also a powerful Doctor and Master Hacker.
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."
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.
Allison fell in love with Ethan Iversen, the soon-to-be Alpha of the Moonlight Crown pack. She always wanted him to notice her. Meanwhile, Ethan was an arrogant Alpha who thought a weak Omega could not be his companion. Ethan's cousin, Ryan Iversen, who came back from abroad and was the actual heir of the pack, never tried to get the position nor did he show any interest in it. He was a popular playboy Alpha but when he came back to the pack, one thing captured his eyes and that was Allison.