Lena's eyes locked onto Grayson's, her voice trembling, barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you away like that. I...I made a mistake." Grayson's cold laughter cut through the air, sharp and unforgiving. He closed the space between them, his towering presence suffocating. "A mistake?" His voice was low, dangerous. "No, Lena. Dropping a glass is a mistake. What you did..." He leaned closer, his breath brushing against her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. "That was a choice." Lena flinched, her chest tightening. "I didn't know. .." "You knew exactly what you were doing," he interrupted, his tone like ice. He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his piercing gaze. "And now you're here, begging for something. What is it this time? Redemption? Love?" His lips curled into a cruel smirk. "Don't insult me." "I don't want anything from you," Lena shot back, though her voice faltered under his scrutiny. Grayson laughed softly, the sound mocking. "You always want something, Lena. What is it now?" His voice dropped to a lethal whisper. "A second chance to ruin me?" Her heart pounded in her chest, her words stuck in her throat. Lena watched him, her stomach twisting. The man before her was powerful, untouchable...everything she had once dreamed of. And now, she feared she had lost him forever. *** Lena made a choice, a selfish, cold decision she thought was best for her future. She married Grayson, a struggling man she believed she could manipulate to secure her family's fortune. But once the deal was sealed, she cast him aside without remorse. Later, regret weighed heavily on her heart. Grayson, the man she thought she'd discarded, has returned, but he's no longer the desperate man she once knew. He's powerful, ruthless, and unrecognizable. And worse? He's made it clear he wants nothing to do with her. Now, Lena must decide how far she's willing to go to mend what she broke. But Grayson's world has no room for second chances, or does it? Why did Lena suddenly want him back? Is it love, guilt, or something far more dangerous? And will Grayson forgive her, or destroy her?
The pen Lena held trembled in her hands as she sat on the kitchen table, the dim light casted a faint shadow over the dirvoce papers spread out before her.
She found it hard to breath as she weight of her decision pressed down on her chest. She used her free hand to rub her temples as she set down the pen she held earlier.
Lena had spent the last one hour and thirty minutes staring at the dirvoce papers, reading through the jargons stated on it that she barely understood. The only thing she understood was that if she signed it, it would be the end of her marriage. Why now? When she was finally becoming happy with him?
She glanced through the papers again, the words blurry in her eyes. Could she really do this?
Slowly, her eyes drifted to the wall clock. It was almost eight PM and Grayson was yet to come home. He had called her earlier telling her that the restaurant was busier than usual.
She imagined him there, sleeves rolled up, his hands dusted with flour, focused and determined. That image of him was one of the first things she'd fallen for, back when she thought falling wasn't part of her plan.
But the plan had changed.
Her phone buzzed on the table, the screen flashing with a single message:
'You know what's at stake. Don't make me remind you!'
Lena's stomach churned, her hands curling into fists. She locked the phone, shoving it face-down on the table as if that would silence the persistent fear that had followed her for weeks. She couldn't crumble now.
The faint sound of the front door creaking open pulled Lena's attention. Footsteps echoed in the hallway, accompanied by the soft rustle of a bag being placed on the floor.
"Lena?" Grayson called out, warmth evidence in his calm voice.
Her breath hitched. She quickly folded the divorce papers and slid them into a drawer before standing. "I'm in here." she replied lowly but loud enough for him to hear her.
Grayson appeared in the doorway a moment later, his dark hair slightly mussed, his shirt wrinkled from a long day. He looked tired but still managed a small smile when his eyes landed on her.
"Sorry I'm late," he said, dropping his keys onto the counter. "Things got crazy tonight." He said giving her a quick kiss on her forehead.
"It's okay," Lena replied, her voice quieter than she intended.
He stepped closer, his brow furrowing as he studied her face. "You've been waiting up for me, haven't you?" He asked with raised brows.
"No," she quickly lied.
Grayson looked like he didn't believe her but he decided not to push the situation any further.
"You look like something's on your mind. What's going on?" He asked quietly as he leaned against the counter.
Lena swallowed hard, fiddling with her hands. She wanted to tell him everything, to finally unburden herself of the truth. But the words wouldn't come. She forced herself to look away, her gaze landing on the darkened window instead.
"Nothing. Just tired," she lied again.
Grayson frowned. "You've been saying that a lot lately. Did something happen?" He asked moving closer towards her and holding her hands.
"No," she said, shaking her head. "I'm fine." she said, stylishly removing her hands from his which Grayson didn't fail to notice.
"I'll be going to bed now." Lena said, making her way out of the kitchen.
Grayson nodded slowly as he stared at her retreating figure wondering what the problem might be. Was there a problem in her company? What could be bothering her? He thought.
Reaching the room they shared, Lena laid down on the edge of the bed and faced the wall. She couldn't bring herself to sleep as different thoughts ran through her mind.
Telling Grayson would only put him in more danger, maybe this was for the best. When she heard the sound of the room door creaking open, she quickly closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.
When she knew that Grayson had entered the bathroom, she slowly opened her eyes and turned to glance at the bathroom door. She sighed, turning back to her former position.
Who would she run to for help right now? Was her decision the best? She was clouded in her thoughts that she didn't notice when Grayson came out of the bathroom till he laid down beside her.
Lena stiffened for a moment as she knew what his next actions would be. As if on cue, Grayson held her by her waist and pulled her closer to him, till he was now hugging her.
He leaned closer into her neck as he sniffed in her scent. Lena wasn't surprised, Grayson had been doing so since they got married. On a normal day, Lena would have turned around and hugged him, but now, she couldn't stop the tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks.
Soon, she felt his soft breath on her skin. He must have been so tired to have fallen asleep so easily, Lena thought.
She tried to move away from his hold, but his hands were firm against her waist as if he was scared that she'd run away. Lena sighed quietly, knowing that if she tried anymore that he'd wake up from his sleep, and she didn't want that.
Lena turned around on the bed to face Grayson, careful not to wake him up. She stared at his handsome face and her eyes slowly moved down to his lips that looked inviting, she was tempted to kiss his lips, but she didn't, she just kept staring at his face.
Her heart clenched in hurt at her thoughts. Was she really going to be making this wrong decision? Yes, she knew that it was a wrong decision, but what choice did she have? It was the final straw, she couldn't take it anymore!
"Why? Just why?!" Her lips quivered, as she clenched her chest, "Why can't you reciprocate my feelings? I loved you Riccardo, or was my sincerity a crime?!" She concluded, her gaze casted on the man standing before her, whose face bore no emotion. Vanessa Rodriguez had always loved Riccardo Gonzalez right from the day she saw him. It was love at first sight. When she got the chance to get married to him, she didn't think twice even though her parents were against it. She thought that it was a chance to finally show Riccardo how much she loved him. But sadly even after their marriage he couldn't love her back instead after three years of marriage he presented divorce papers for her to sign. With shattered heart, she signs the divorce papers and leaves the country. Five years later, she's back in the country, ready to take over her father's new company, with her twins by her side and they look exactly like her ex husband. The problem now is that Riccardo Gonzalez wants her back!
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
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."
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."
Anabel found out she was pregnant and dialed her husband's number to share the good news to him. They have been married for two years without a child. Desmond's mother had been accusing her of being barren and unproductive. When the call was picked, she was flabbergasted and broken. She was hearing a loud moan of feminine voice. "Ohh! Yeah! Don't stop fucking me! Fuck me harder baby!" accompanied with sound of skins slapping against the other. She went home to confront her husband and end up receiving a divorce paper. Desmond divorced him for a lady his mother was rooting. Few months later when he found out that his ex-wife is a billionaire heiress and she is pregnant with twins, he went crazy!