A Love That Shouldnt Be
His Unwanted Wife, The Hidden Genius
I flew back to New York on my twenty-fifth birthday, carrying vintage gold cufflinks I spent weeks finding for my billionaire husband, Declan. But when I walked into our townhouse, I found him throwing a massive victory party with Sloane, a glamorous socialite, standing by his side as the proud hostess. "Don't cause a scene. Go upstairs." Declan coldly dismissed me in front of his guests. Even Poppy, the rookie player whose shattered ankle I had painstakingly rebuilt, rolled her eyes and ignored me to suck up to Sloane. Hiding in the shadows, I heard the maids gossiping that everyone thought Sloane was the future Mrs. Hartford. To make matters worse, I discovered Sloane had stolen my anonymous, groundbreaking medical algorithm and was planning to present it as her own. First my husband, then the girl I mentored like family, and now the scientific foundation I had built with my own hands. Declan even texted me to cancel our birthday breakfast without a single apology, treating me like an annoying afterthought. My tears vanished, replaced by a freezing clarity. I signed the divorce papers, leaving them on his desk with zero demands for his money. Then I packed my bags, booked a one-way ticket to Boston, and prepared to destroy them on the global stage.
Chapter 1
Aurelia Vance POV:
I had been married to Declan Hartford for three years.
Today was my twenty-fifth birthday, and I had flown back from Boston in secret, hoping for one quiet evening with my husband.
I'd spent a week carefully picking out a pair of gold cufflinks as a gift for my husband.
But the laughter spilling from the front door told me I was already too late: the woman who had taken my place at his side was already inside.
The heavy oak door swung open before I reached the porch. Three young players from the New York Titans, Declan's NHL franchise, stumbled out with crystal tumblers of scotch, laughing loudly. They barely glanced at me as they passed.
I stepped into the grand foyer. The heat hit me instantly,expensive champagne, roasted tenderloin, cigar smoke.
Dozens of people filled the double parlor: executives, scouts, wives in designer dresses.
In the center stood Declan, tall and broad in a bespoke charcoal suit. Beside him, laughing into his ear, was Sloane Whitfield, her backless silver dress catching the chandelier light. Her hand rested on his forearm like she belonged there.
Before I could take another breath, a blur of blonde hair darted past my elbow.
"Sloane!" Poppy Delacroix cried, throwing her arms around Sloane's slender waist. "You were completely right about the catering! This is literally the best victory party the team has ever had!"
Poppy is fourteen, a junior elite forward prospect.
I scouted her two years ago from a crumbling youth league, back when she was at her lowest.
Her parents had once shown me great kindness, and I knew they had already passed away, leaving her all alone in the world.
Declan and I adopted her together.
I rebuilt her shattered ankle with a custom rehabilitation plan.
I had always loved and cared for her as both a mother and a sister.
Now, she did not even glance in my direction.
Declan turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the crowd until his eyes locked onto mine. The easy grin on his sharp jaw vanished instantly. His brows drew together in a hard, irritated line.
He excused himself from Sloane, cutting through the throng of players with long, impatient strides.
"Aurelia," Declan said, stopping two feet in front of me. His voice carried zero warmth. "What are you doing here?"
My throat felt like sandpaper.
"I took the four o'clock flight from Boston," I whispered, clutching the strap of my bag until my knuckles turned white. "It is my birthday, Declan. I thought we could—"
"We are celebrating the division win," he cut in, his tone sharp enough to draw blood. "The board is here. The sponsors are here. Sloane spent four consecutive days coordinating this event so the organization could project stability."
He did not look at me. His gaze slid past my shoulder to the bar, like I was a waitress who had wandered into the wrong room.
"Don't cause a scene," he added quietly. "Go upstairs."
A soft, mocking murmur rippled through a cluster of players' wives standing near the grand staircase. Two women with platinum blowouts exchanged knowing glances over their flutes of Dom Pérignon.
"I didn't know," I said, my voice barely audible over the swelling music. "I am sorry."
I turned toward the staircase, my legs trembling beneath my wool trousers.
Near the landing, Poppy was adjusting her designer jacket in the hallway mirror.
"Poppy," I said softly, pausing beside her. "How is your ankle feeling after Thursday's third period? Did you complete the isometric sequence I sent?"
Poppy rolled her eyes, sighing loudly as she pulled out her phone.
"Aurelia, please, not right now," she muttered without looking at me. "Sloane is introducing me to a marketing director from one of our partners. I don't have time for your spreadsheets."
The dismissive edge in her voice hit me harder than Declan's coldness. I had stayed up until three in the morning reviewing her biomechanical scans while she was recovering from surgery, and now I was just an annoyance in the way of her social ascent.
I walked up the rest of the stairs and entered the primary suite—the massive, sterile bedroom allocated to me under our prenuptial agreement.
I sat on the edge of the mattress and pulled out the velvet box. The gold cufflinks gleamed under the bedside lamp, cold and useless.
Downstairs, cheers erupted. The sound vibrated through the floorboards.
I walked to the French doors overlooking the rear garden. Down on the illuminated patio, Sloane was directing two servers by an ice sculpture. Declan stood beside her, his head bent down as he listened to her speak, his hand casually brushing the small of her back.
They looked like the couple the city expected them to be.
My phone buzzed in my coat pocket. I pulled it out, hoping against hope.
It was an email notification.
"Happy Birthday, Aurelia. Remember that true science requires patience and solitude. You are meant for greater arenas than New York boardrooms. -Dr. Edmund Sterling."
My mentor at Harvard was the only person in the world who had remembered.
I typed a brief "Thank you, Professor" and shut off the screen.
Hours passed. The bass eventually quieted, replaced by the occasional clatter of glassware and slamming car doors. My throat burned with thirst.
At two in the morning, I padded downstairs in my stocking feet to fetch a glass of water from the butler's pantry.
As I rounded the corner near the service hallway, the voices of two newly hired catering maids stopped me dead in my tracks.
"Miss Whitfield is stunning," the first girl whispered, scraping dessert plates into a bin. "Mr. Hartford's girlfriend carries herself like royalty."
"A girlfriend?" the other asked, pausing. "But isn't Mr. Hartford rumored to be married? Is it inappropriate to be this close with Whitfield?"
"Married?Where did that come from? Even if there was one, they must have split long ago. I've worked three events here this month, and Miss Whitfield is the only woman hosting by his side. Everyone knows she's the future Mrs. Hartford."
I shrank back into the cold shadow of the archway, my blood turning to ice.
In the home where I held a legal marriage certificate, my presence had already been wiped clean.
A Love That Shouldn't Be
Mike always thought the voice in his head was just a part of him-an inner whisper guiding his darkest cravings. But when that voice starts urging him toward the one temptation he knows he shouldn't want, resisting becomes impossible. His sisters have always been his safe place-and desire coils betw
A Love That Never Was
I was a brilliant scientist, but in my family, I was always the shadow to my perfect, manipulative sister, Jetta. On the day I was set to receive the prestigious Harrison Award, my family was only focused on her graduation party, dismissing my life's work as a mere hobby. That same day, I was bruta
A Love That WS Sacrificed
The love that Calysta once held so dearly suddenly shattered-replaced by a burning hatred that consumed every bit of hope she had left. She swore she would make Lucien regret every wound he had inflicted on her. But who would have thought that vow would become nothing more than a hollow dream after
Warcraft that will be upgraded
No matter how famous your sword masters, magic gods, holy beasts, and giant dragons are outside, in my eyes, you are just a group of 'weirds' giving away experience.
A Love That Waited In Silence
Once a legendary healer capable of miracles, she sacrificed her hands to save the man she loved. Now, as her mother lay dying, that same man offered a cruel bargain-marry him and raise another woman's child in exchange for the medicine. With trembling fingers, she typed one final line of code,
Love that lasts
Casanova, bad boy, innovator, heartless man, ruthless, perfectionist... Aryan Kapoor was called many things. Success followed him and girls chased him, thanks to the heady mix of his brilliant mind, devilish charm and hunky body. Love, commitment and happily ever after... These were not meant for
LOVE THAT TANGLES
Leila is a Nigerian girl, who moves to the United States to further her education and achieve her dreams. On the line, she gets tangled up with Liam, a boy who has been broken from childhood. The Tangles between two causes a huge turn in their lives.
LOVE THAT NEVER DIES
Jaden Finn, an arrogant billionaire heir, and Chloe Anderson, his smart, gorgeous assistant, are stuck in a contract marriage. Sparks fly as they clash and connect, all while battling a sneaky rival. Can their fake marriage turn into real love? Find out in this sizzling billionaire office romance!
LOVE CAN BE COMPLEX
What happens when a girl who wants to be in love and in a relationship meets a guy who likes to flirt but thinks relationships are bothersome? That’s how it is for Tahti Lee and Aydemir Wilson, two art students who meet in college and develop a strong connection. Despite the two’s different viewpoin
The Love that Passed
In a twist of fate, Jared is coerced into a marriage with Colleen, a fragile soul battling against time. With a long-term girlfriend, Stacey, already in his heart, Jared finds himself trapped in a web of emotions he never expected. As Colleen faces a life-threatening illness, Claire, Jared's mother
That thing Called Love
Narcia Daniels, an orphan. She lost her parents at a tender age, the sad part is that she was a witness to her parent’s murder. A few years down the lane, her best friend died from a hit and run accident to which she witnesses again. A witness to both incidents made her traumatised and the nightmare
Love That Destroys
Turvi Ahuja is a girl who only has two dreams one to become a famous dancer another is to marry Aashank Raichand whom she love. Her life was perfect but as we know nothing is perfect or nothing stays perfect for long.Join the journey of Turvi to know who destroyed her perfect life how love destroyed
Love That Never Fail
Nathan never should have gotten in that truck. That he knew for sure, but something animalistic, something sexy, something almost magnetic drew him to the mysterious brooding man who beckoned for him to get in and so he did. What ensues is a night Nathan will never forget, filled with intrigue, pa
Love Makes Me Wanna Be a Killer
Zia never made anyone end their life. However, due to a misunderstanding in the past, Zia had to suffer a terrible fate. Her husband, James, and best friend betrayed and lied to her. James' plan for revenge was to make Zia suffer so much that she would want to end her own life. And that was the peak
Be my love forever
"Are you not wondering why there are no taxis stopping here? That they are just passing by?" the young man asked, surprising Trixie with his sudden remark. His voice is deep and sexy, and turns out he's an English speaker. Impressive. "Because we are already wet from the rain, and they don't want
Be my naked Love
After the death of his wife in a ghastly accident, Having no options left after forced retirement, Lance, a father of two opts to take loan but as time ran out he could not pay back. Vanessa, his eldest child opts become a stripper in a lavish club just to make ends meet and pay off her fathers debt
LOVE CAN'T BE SAID
Love Can't Be Said By Stenniey Knowles Reiji Takamura was born to follow the script-perfect son, political heir, engaged to the ideal woman. But his carefully rehearsed life unravels the night he sees a stranger under a streetlight... and can't look away. Akira Tsukino lives in shadows-an undergro
COULD THIS BE LOVE
COULD THIS BE LOVE? is a true life love story of Alex and precious, a true-life story which explains the fantasy of love
A LOVE THAT NEVER FADES (A MAFIA ROMANCE)
When Sofia Fernando storms out after a heated argument with her parents, she takes on a night of rebellion with her best friend Gabriella. Unfortunately the night takes an unfavorable turn. Drugged by a stranger at the club, the evening spirals into danger-until David, the ruthless leader of the Ca
The Prank That Shattered Love
The world came back in a rush of white. White ceiling, white sheets, the sterile smell of antiseptic. My head throbbed. I was in a hospital. My fiancé, Cameron, rushed to my bedside, his face creased with worry. I decided to play a prank, pretending I had amnesia. "Who... who are you?" I whispered.
