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Alexander Wolfe is a man who wins. So, when Isabelle Laurent forces her way into his office, believing she is the one who is entitled to justice for her family, he knows he has an opportunity to settle an old score once and for all. He offers her one thing in return - marriage. Alexander is cold, calculative, and ruthless. He controls everything and everyone - including his new wife. But as their arranged marriage begins to unravel secrets about them both, Isabelle finds herself caught in the middle of a battle that is much larger than either business or family. The danger closes in from all sides - and a betrayal lurks closer than they both realize. When it is all said and done, will they come to find their love in the end - or find it was their undoing?
Isabelle's POV
The numbers were what they were. They wouldn't lie to me.
I glanced at the screen, my breath constricting as I flipped through my financial reports one last time, hoping-praying-we had made a mistake somewhere in our calculations. But, for the seventh time, even double-checking the math left me in the same predicament.
Laurent Enterprises was going under.
I pushed back from my mother's desk, my disbelief turned into thumping pressure against my skull.
Cecelia Laurent, my mom, built this company from the ground up. She clawed her way up through the ranks in a world of men in pricey suits, until it grew to be respected in the luxury fashion space over many years, blood, sweat, and tears.
And now, after all of that hard work, it was falling apart in front of my eyes.
I pulled at some of my hair, still confused by the numbers.
The losses were significant. Unpaid bills, supplier cancellations, and lawsuits. Something worse than mismanagement was going on.
This wasn't just misfortune.
This was sabotage.
The door creaked open, and in walked my mother.
No matter what this time brought, she still seemed to maintain her poise, every move purposeful. I noticed the exhaustion in her eyes, the weight resting on her shoulders.
"Isabelle," she said softly. "What are you still doing here?"
I moved the screen toward her. "Mom, what the hell is happening?
I was looking at the financials, and it is a disaster. Why didn't you ever tell me?"
She let out a slow breath and went to the window, looking out at the skyline of the city. "Because I didn't want you to worry."
"Not worry?" My voice crackled.
"Mom, our company is bleeding out! The accounts are basically drained, the investors are pulling out, and the board-"
"The board is preparing to vote me out." She said this casually, and I thought it should be anything but a casual death sentence.
I jumped to my feet. "What?"
She faced me; her expression was unreadable.
"They think I am too much of a risk. The recent losses, the scandal with the suppliers, the lawsuit--everything!"
"They want to bring in someone who can take control and they would believe is stronger."
I felt sick to my stomach.
"Someone stronger? That's such bullshit. You built this company! For the sake of god, who the hell can run it better than you?"
She took too long to consider. A heartbeat too long. That's how I knew.
"You know already don't you?" I whispered. "Who?"
A shadow crossed her face. "Alexander Wolfe."
The name struck me like I had been slapped. I stumbled backwards, catching myself against the desk.
"Alexander Wolfe." I said again with disbelief in my voice. "The billionaire?"
"The one and only."
I swallowed, trying to clear the bitter taste from my mouth.
Everyone in the business world knew Alexander Wolfe. He was vicious and brilliant in his ruthlessness. And he didn't simply buy companies; he consumed them, disassembling them part by part and leaving nothing left when he was finished.
My mother's company, my family's legacy, and he wanted to take it all.
"Mom, this can't happen." I said with panic rising in my chest. "We have to fight."
My mother offered me a small, sad smile. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, Belle, but we don't have a lot of options left."
I would not accept that. "Then I will find one."
Her smile faltered. "Isabelle -"
"I'm not giving up, Mom." I took my coat off the back of the chair, grabbed my purse from the desk and was headed out of the office. "I will go to him."
She blinked. "What?"
"I will make an appointment to talk to him." I said firmly. "I will make him listen."
A hollow laugh fell from her lips.
"Honey, Alexander Wolfe doesn't listen to reason, he listens to money and power - neither of which we have."
"Then I will make him listen." I hiked my chin. "He hasn't met me yet."
My mother sighed, her eyes reflecting an emotion I couldn't identify. "Be careful, Belle."
I chose not to respond. My brain had already moved on to what I would do next.
Because if Alexander Wolfe thought he could take everything away from my family, he was in for one hell of a fight.
Blinded in a crash, Cary was rejected by every socialite—except Evelina, who married him without hesitation. Three years later, he regained his sight and ended their marriage. "We’ve already lost so many years. I won’t let her waste another one on me." Evelina signed the divorce papers without a word. Everyone mocked her fall—until they discovered that the miracle doctor, jewelry mogul, stock genius, top hacker, and the President's true daughter… were all her. When Cary came crawling back, a ruthless tycoon had him kicked out. "She's my wife now. Get lost."
The dream of everyone with regards to marriage is to be able to find that special someone and settle down with them. Even arranged marriages grant you an opportunity to meet your partner briefly before the wedding. How will you feel about waking up in the morning with someone sleeping next to you who is not just anyone but your legally married partner yet with no memory of how that had happened in just a few hours of going out the previous day? This is the story of Jason Haward and Julia Harrison, two strangers trapped in a marriage they never planned. The quest to find out why led to the unfolding of a mystery which made them realize they are both living a lie. To find out more, read this amazing story of love, betrayal, revenge and murder.
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!
It's true what they say about marriage: one partner's always happier than the other. ~~~ Julie's world is shattered when her husband, Ryan, reveals that he wants an open marriage. His reason: he needs a child as they've been unable to have one. Julie reluctantly agrees to save her marriage. The next day, Ryan returns home with his secretary, confirming Julie's long-held suspicion that their affair was taking place behind her back. Julie, heartbroken and enraged, seeks solace in a bar, where she meets a fascinating stranger named Luke, who changes the game. Julie confides in Luke over drinks, and he proposes a risky plan: he will act as her "boyfriend" to turn the tables on Ryan. Julie agrees, setting off a chain of events that will challenge everything she thought she knew about love, loyalty, and herself.
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”