"Where did you go?" He questioned, not bothering to adjust his unbuttoned shirt. I had run away but here I was coming to apologize for my actions. "You think you can come and go as you please?" His fingers pressed against my cheeks, firm but not painful, forcing me to meet his gaze. "No, I-I," I stammered, but before I could finish, his lips almost grazing mine, he interrupted, his tone ice-cold. "You will go home this instant," he spoke, his face dark. "And you'll stay there till I get back," he barked out his orders, his eyes boring into mine. "Who do you think you are to order me around," I thought to respond but my lips wouldn't make a sound. I didn't fight back. I couldn't. Without another word, I turned and walked away, his gaze searing into my back. ~~~~~~~~~~ After a steamy night with a sexy stranger, Elena finds out she is pregnant. She is sent abroad to study by her father. Unknown to her, when she comes back five years later her father arranged for her to marry Damien Landon, the illegitimate son of a powerful family. Feeling caged in a loveless marriage and finding out her husband has another woman, Elena decided to run away but the past she ran away from followed after her. Things get complicated when she meets her Ex Cornell Grey, who has now become a charming billionaire. He set his sights again on Elena, trying to win her back. Torn between the two powerful men asking for her back and haunted by secrets of her past, Elena must navigate love, betrayal, and the cost of a marriage built on lies.
Prologue.
Elena's POV
"Who's Elena Kingston?" The question hung in the air and my breath hitched. Why would the CEO's PA be looking for me? I wondered, getting quickly to my feet.
"Me," I raised my hand hurriedly, getting to my feet. I could feel my insides tangle into knots as everyone's eyes were on me.
"You're needed in the CEO's office," the PA, a slim haughty woman everyone called Clara said. "He's going to be taking over the 'Houston Project,' she revealed a piece of shocking news.
"I..." the words lodged in my throat and for a moment all I could do was stare. I quickly caught myself, rushing to pack the files I'd worked on through the night before I rushed out of the office behind her.
I clutched the project file tighter, and my fingers felt damp against the smooth leather as I followed the PA through a maze of glass walls and neutral décor.
One month. That's how long I'd been here-long enough to blend into the background, unnoticed, unbothered. Just the way I wanted it.
"His office," Clara said, stopping abruptly. "He'll be overseeing the project with you. He's waiting for you," she glanced at me.
I nodded, my throat tightening. I hadn't had reason to meet the CEO yet but whispers about his ruthlessness had reached every corner of the building.
I rolled my eyes secretly. Perfect. Exactly what I needed-a demanding boss breathing down my neck.
I pushed the door open.
He was seated in his chair with his back facing me, his eyes fixed on the impressive skyline view.
"Good afternoon, sir," I said, trying to make my voice sound as professional as I could.
Silence greeted me. Feeling awkward, I cleared my throat and stepped forward, placing the file on his desk. "This is the report on the-"
"Quiet," he snapped, cutting me off. I froze, my heart skipping a beat and I wondered if I'd done something wrong.
I saw him raise his cell phone to his ear, he was on a call? I hesitated for a moment before I turned to leave, not wanting to listen in on his conversation.
"Did I ask you to leave?" I paused, the familiar voice freezing me to the spot.
My breath caught as I turned. The chair rotated on its wheel, revealing the face of the CEO.
Him? The sight of him knocked the air out of my lungs and I could feel the blood drain from my face.
How could it be him? I wondered, my gaze fixed on him. The man I'd sworn to forget. The man I once called my husband.
What was he doing here? Last I remembered he was working at his father's company.
I quickly arranged my features to be cool and calm. I didn't want the fear and shock that gripped me to sip through my expressions. I was no longer the woman he knew months ago. "Your PA asked me to present the project details to you," I forced myself to meet his gaze squarely.
"You..." his eyes widened with shock. "What games are you trying to play, Elena?"
Before I could respond, he stood and rounded the desk, grabbing my wrist.
"Sir, what are you-"
"Do you have any idea how much trouble you caused me with your actions?" His voice was heavy with a bitterness I hadn't expected.
"I..." I hesitated for a split second contemplating what next to do before I yanked my hand back, my mask of calm slipping back into place.
My thoughts were a mess and in a state of panic, the words, "I don't know what you're talking about. We've never met before today," trailed off my lips instinctively as a means of self protection.
I had started a lie I had to see through to the end.
His lips twisted into a smirk, one that sent shivers down my spine. "Really?"
Before I could react, his lips crashed onto mine. The kiss was searing, infuriatingly familiar, and I bit down hard. He pulled back, wincing, and the sound of my palm striking his face echoed through the room.
"What are you doing?" I snapped, chest heaving. I was careful to keep my expression disgruntled but I secretly felt happy at the feeling of slapping him.
He deserved it... And more.
"What..." His expression faltered-confusion and disappointment flashing briefly before he masked it. "You really don't know who I am?"
"No," I moved away from him, wiping my lips. "Why did you do that sir?"
"You..." Damien shuddered, his expression changing. "You may leave," he said finally, his tone hollow.
"Yes," I turned quickly, relief washing over me as my hand gripped the door handle.
"Wait."
I froze, glancing back. His eyes were sharper now, calculating. "I want you in my office tomorrow morning with additional details on the project."
"Yes, sir."
I left without looking back, my mind a chaotic swirl of thoughts.
My pulse was still racing when I reached my desk. But I'd made up my mind. If my leaving had shaken something in him, I wouldn't let it affect me. He made his choice long ago, and I wasn't about to fall for him again.
I would keep up this act. I would act like I didn't know him.
But the lingering burn of his kiss and the look in his eyes told me this was far from over.
"Lucien, let's get a divorce," I said in a peremptory tone that was long overdue, the most decisive farewell to this absurd marriage. We had been married for exactly three years-three years that, for me, were filled with nothing but endless loneliness and torment. For three years, the husband who should have stood by my side through every storm, Lucien Sullivan, had completely disappeared from my life as if he had never existed. He vanished without a trace, leaving me alone to endure this empty, desolate marriage. Today, I finally received his message: "I'm back. Come pick me up at the airport." When I read his words, my heart leapt with joy, and I raced to the airport, thinking that he finally understood my love and was coming back to me. But his cruelty was far worse than I could have ever imagined-he was accompanied by a pregnant woman, and that woman was Carla, my closest and most trusted friend. In that moment, all of my previous excitement, all my hope, and all of our shared laughter and tears turned into the sharpest of daggers, stabbing into my heart and leaving me gasping for air. Now, all I want is to escape from this place that has left me so broken-to lick my wounds in solitude. Even if these wounds will remain with me for the rest of my life, I refuse to have anything to do with him ever again. He should know that it was his own hand that trampled our love underfoot, that his coldness and betrayal created this irreparable situation. But when he heard those words, he desperately clung to this broken, crumbling marriage, unwilling to let it end-almost as though doing so could rewind time and return everything to how it used to be. "Aurora, come back. I regret everything!" Regret? Those simple words stirred no emotion in me-only endless sadness and fury. My heart let out a frantic, desperate scream: It's too late for any of this!
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
Life was perfect until she met her boyfriend's big brother. There was a forbidden law in the Night Shade Pack that if the head Alpha rejected his mate, he would be stripped of his position. Sophia's life would get connected with the law. She was an Omega who was dating the head Alpha's younger brother. Bryan Morrison, the head Alpha, was not only a cold-blooded man but also a charming business tycoon. His name was enough to cause other packs to tremble. He was known as a ruthless man. What if, by some twist of destiny, Sophia's path were to intertwine with his?
Charlee was left at the altar and became a laughingstock. She tried to keep her head high, but ultimately lost it when she received a sex tape of her fiance and her half-sister. Devastated, she ended up spending a wild night with a hot stranger. It was supposed to be one-time thing, but he kept popping up, helping her with projects and revenge, all while flirting with her constantly. Charlee soon realized that it was nice having him around, until her ex suddenly appeared at her door, begging for another chance. Her tycoon lover asked, “Who will you choose? Think carefully before you answer.”
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
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?