Beauty and the Alpha
Your Humble Ex-Wife Is Gone
Three years of marriage, and Jayson Mccormick never once looked at me the way he looks at my sister. I told myself he was just cold. That if I loved him hard enough, he'd eventually love me back. Then I crashed his secret wedding. The bride was Kate-the daughter my parents kept while I was lost. The guests? My entire family. They all knew. They all helped. "She's dying," Jayson said. "Let her have this." So I let her have it all. The husband. The family. The life they built around her. I walked away with nothing-because I knew I could make it all back. After years of silence, the legendary perfumer and the financial genius have returned. They think I have nothing. They don't know that, where they never bothered to look, I've already built an empire of my own. It's time to bury the obedient wife.
Chapter 1 The Secret Wedding
It was exactly seven o'clock in the evening.
The private manor, nestled on the outskirts of the city, was brilliantly illuminated, its grand facade glowing like a beacon against the darkening sky.
Corina Logan stood at the towering wrought-iron gates, her attire glaringly out of place. She wore a simple, unadorned plain dress, the kind one might wear for a quiet evening at home, standing in stark contrast to the opulence unfolding before her.
Just two hours ago, the illusion of her life had still been intact. Her husband, Jayson Mccormick, had called her, his voice carrying its usual clipped, authoritative tone. "There's a critical board meeting tonight that's going to run late," he had said through the receiver. "I won't be coming home. Go to sleep early, Corina."
Yet, here he was. Not in a boardroom surrounded by executives, but in this lavishly decorated estate, preparing to hold a wedding ceremony with another woman.
Through the grand windows of the manor's main hall, Corina could see the head table. Sitting there, adorned in their finest evening wear and beaming with pride, were her biological parents, Arthur and Eliza Logan, alongside her older brother, Oliver.
The guests mingling on the manicured lawns and inside the grand hall were a familiar crowd. They were the mutual friends, business associates, and extended family that made up the social circle she and Jayson shared.
Yet she, the lawful wife, had been kept entirely in the dark.
As Corina took a step closer, the evening breeze carried a scent that made her breath hitch. It was a complex, intoxicating fragrance-a masterful blend of deep, velvety rose intertwined with the rich, smoky notes of agarwood.
This specific perfume was named "Surrender." It was a unique, one-of-a-kind fragrance that Corina had personally formulated and blended as a wedding gift for Jayson three years ago. It was meant to symbolize a love that was absolute, a yielding of the heart.
Now, this very scent, representing possession and ultimate surrender, saturated the air of a wedding where her husband was the groom, and the bride was not her.
Her gaze traveled down the pristine white carpet that served as the aisle. At the end of it stood Jayson, looking breathtakingly impeccable in a custom-tailored, pure white high-fashion suit. His usually cold, calculating eyes were currently filled with a profound, melting affection as he looked at the woman standing opposite him.
The bride was Kate Logan.
Kate was the fake daughter who had occupied the Logan family's nest for over twenty years. Corina, on the other hand, was the true daughter, only found and brought back to the family a mere three years ago. Because their grandfather and the patriarch of the Mccormick family had been comrades in the trenches, they had arranged a marriage pact for their grandchildren.
When Corina returned to the family, she fulfilled that pact, marrying the heir to the Mccormick empire, Jayson. It felt like destiny to her, because Jayson was the man Corina had desperately, silently loved for seven long years. He was the man who had once pulled her out of the darkest abyss of her life.
She had truly believed this was a match made by fate, that she was destined to be the happiest woman in the world. But reality had just delivered a resounding, brutal slap across her face.
At this moment, Kate, draped in a voluminous, sparkling white wedding gown, leaned weakly against Jayson's chest, looking so fragile that a strong gust of wind might blow her away.
As Corina stepped fully into the light of the entrance, the melodious strains of the "Wedding March" suddenly warped. The musician had spotted her, and his fingers slipped, producing a harsh, piercingly discordant note that echoed across the lawn.
Instantly, every pair of eyes in the venue snapped toward Corina.
The joyous smiles on the faces of the Logan family froze, replaced by expressions of sheer panic and guilt.
Whispers erupted among the guests, spreading like wildfire.
"Is that... isn't that Corina? Why is she here?"
"I thought everyone agreed to keep this an absolute secret from her!"
"Who leaked the information? This is going to be a disaster."
The hushed voices were deafening. She was his actual wife, yet in this place, surrounded by her own family and friends, she was treated as an unwanted intruder.
When Jayson's eyes finally landed on her, a flash of genuine shock crossed his deep gaze, but it was almost instantly swallowed by his habitual, chilling composure.
He lowered his head, whispering a few soothing words to Kate, before gently handing the bride's hand over to a bridesmaid. He then stepped off the altar, his long legs eating up the distance as he strode purposefully toward Corina.
As he neared, the familiar, crisp scent of cedarwood that always clung to him enveloped Corina. It was the scent she had once been so hopelessly addicted to.
"What are you doing here?"
Those were his first words. Not an explanation, not an apology, but a cold, hard interrogation.
Corina looked up at the face she had loved for seven years. The sharp, aristocratic line of his brow, the thin, cool lips she had kissed a thousand times. Suddenly, she found the entire situation utterly laughable.
"Shouldn't I be here?" Corina's voice was incredibly soft, as casual as if she were inquiring about the weather. "My husband is getting married here today. Shouldn't I come to offer my congratulations?"
Jayson's brow furrowed deeply, a clear precursor to his impatience.
He took a sudden step forward, his large hand shooting out to clamp down hard on her slender wrist. Without another word, he dragged her away from the prying eyes of the crowd, pulling her into the shadows of a secluded stone corridor.
Once they were enveloped in the dim light of the corridor, he stopped and released her wrist.
"Corina, don't make a scene," he commanded, his voice tight.
"Kate... she doesn't have much time left." Jayson reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket, pulling out a silver cigarette case. He extracted a cigarette but didn't light it, instead rolling it restlessly between his long fingers, a sign of his internal agitation. "Late-stage liver cancer. The doctors have confirmed she has, at most, half a month left to live."
Corina stood perfectly still, her eyes locked onto his.
"And so?" she asked, her voice devoid of inflection.
"Her final, greatest wish in this life was to wear a wedding dress and marry me," Jayson said, meeting her gaze with a look that suggested his actions were the most logical, reasonable thing in the world. "This wedding is entirely fake. I am simply putting on a performance for her, allowing her to leave this world without any lingering regrets. Do you understand?"
He paused, taking a breath, and when he spoke again, his tone softened marginally, sounding like a king offering a generous concession to a peasant. "Corina, it is merely a ceremony. Why must you be so petty and hold a grudge against a dying woman?"
Petty? Holding a grudge?
Corina's gaze drifted past his broad shoulders, looking out toward the distant, brightly lit lawn where the guests were still murmuring, their faces painted with a mix of celebration and nervous anticipation.
Beauty and the Alpha Beast
An enchanted castle full of secrets, a rite of passage she cannot avoid, an arranged marriage she'll do anything to get out of. Bexley isn't like ordinary girls. She'd rather be studying animals than flirting with men. It's too bad her stepfather insists she pay attention to Garth, a meathead who o
Beauty And The Alpha Don
"You're mine Cassie, mind, body, and soul," he said with a dangerous growl, "I'm the prison you can't escape." ******* A cryptic letter from her father leads Cassie Michaelson directly into the path of Lorenzo Giovanni, an infamous Mafia boss. Lorenzo, initially targeting Cassie to draw out her
The Alpha and His Perfect Beauty
Rae East had always cast herself off as a girl not worthy of a Mate. Her past was filled with self-doubt, and the weight of broken dreams had shaped her view of the future as nothing more than a bleak, hopeless stretch of time. She never thought she would meet someone who would make her believe othe
Beauty and the Bad
What would you do, if you had the chance at a second life? Chloe Byrne has lived her life playing by the book, never stepping out of her comfort zone. Never partied. Never drank. Never kissed anyone. All that changes, when her father is taken from her in a fateful car accident. Chloe and her mot
Beauty And The Beta
Bailey seems to be never destined to fit in, a little geeky, but under it all, a hidden beauty that so many seem to miss, but still not what her pack Alpha is looking for in a fated mate... so he is determined to reject her and make her life hell. Bailey, knowing her life will likely never be the sa
BEAUTY AND THE TWINS
I am Nelly by name, I met a pretty damsel in school called beauty, her name was the true definition of her character. I loved her ever since I set my eyes on her, but my feelings for her were felt only by me and my imaginary love keeps creating a real scene in my dream. How will I
Beauty And The Werewolf
Annabel finds herself in the town of werewolves where humans were used as pets. She finds a sudden connection with Mackie a werewolf. A town where death of the human would be the punishment of their love. Can love really work between these two forbidden creations?.
The Daredevil and the beauty
Laroussa, who has learned to love day after day, is torn between her lover on one side and her father on the other, after revenge is kindled between them, she eventually has to choose to be with her lover, stand up against her father, or become her father's daughter and forget who she is. Writing a
Beauty and the Mafia Beast
Camilla Dawson never expected to see the sinfully hot stranger she once hooked up with in a public washroom ever again. But fate-or rather, a father she never knew existed-has other plans. Now, she's bound and delivered as payment for a debt, straight into the hands of none other than Zeke Russell-t
The Beast and His Beauty
We all have that one boy in high school who feels like the demi god of his grade, Elon used to be one of them until his curse. "So are we beginning a new relationship?" Xena asked as she saw Elon walk into the room with his towel hung loose on his waist and water dripping down his rock hard
Beauty And The Lycan Beast
"Beauty and the Lycan Beast" is a thrilling paranormal romance novel that follows the story of Sierra, a young woman who is chosen as the mate of a feared lycan beast named William. At first, Sierra is afraid of William and believes him to be a monster, but as she gets to know him, she discovers tha
Beauty And Beast
warning: mature content 18+ he is rumored to be the most cold and ruthless Mafia Don, an underworld mafia don who will slaughter his enemies without blinking an eye. Yet few has ever seen what lies beneath his armor.A broken man who needs to be saved. she is naive and ordinary girl, who is hurled in
Mafia's obsession; the beauty and the don
Welcome to the underworld where blood is law, loyalty is currency, and love? It's the deadliest sin of all. She was just trying to survive. He was born to rule. When a desperate young woman (Arianna Russo) takes a job at a mysterious nightclub to pay for her mother's hospital bills, she never expec
The Beauty And The Bad Boy
This is a story..of a girl who was deeply in love with a man she knew since birth. He was her role model, her crush, her devotion, her love.....her Adrick stone. The man who dedicated his whole life to hate the woman who loves him the most. For him she's a nuisance, something he's eager to get rid
The Alpha King Is A Sleeping Beauty
The first time Jade met the stunning white-haired prince of Skyspire, he threw her over the banister of a three storey building with one word. "Die." ******* When Jade, a desperate stripper with a painful past, flees her pack after a violent assault, she never expects to enter the opulent world o
Live Stream: Beauty And The Savage
She was famous for her live stream, where she was involved in many wilderness survival shows. However, when she tried to save a hunter in the show, she had a time travel and became a slave in the primitive society. He came to her rescue when she ran away from her master in the forest. She thought sh
ALPHA KING OF FIRE
“PYRO. That’s my name.” Fira was about to die at the hands of hunters when there was a man came to save her. This man had a cold emotion with his unusual strength, good at dodging, and a fighter who can prevent every strike of the opponent without looking at it. She was curious about the identity o
The Psychology of Beauty
This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not
The Beauty of Love
Fiona McGuire and Justin Carter both were forced to marry each other. This marriage is not exactly a business deal neither a contract marriage. Fiona is a simple and an independent woman, who also works as an employee in Carters’ Group of Industries. Whereas, Justin is the CEO of Carters' group of
