Get the APP hot

My Sweet Surrender Aftermath Series 1

His Unwanted Wife, The Hidden Genius

His Unwanted Wife, The Hidden Genius

Modern

4.5

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.

Continue Reading
SURRENDER

SURRENDER

Mafia

5.0

After being unwillingly pulled into the underworld of the mafia and seduction, Alessia's forced marriage to Leonardo Reigns also known as the Devil' their marriage soon becomes a deadly waltz of lust and deception. But as they circle each other, secrets and temptation fuel the flames. With every su

Abducted (Dominant Series 1)

Abducted (Dominant Series 1)

Billionaires

5.0

"You can run, but you can never hide." Cuhen Malcogn. Cuhen Malcogn was considered an eagle by those around him. His presence frightens everyone. When he kidnapped and hid Don Hernandez's daughter on his private island, the woman was terrified of him. Fighting a Malcogn is wrong because he will

Triplets Goddesses Series 1

Triplets Goddesses Series 1

Fantasy

5.0

The novel follows non-identical triplet sisters, Xiandrellyn, Crimson, and Sharlene, who live in the mortal world while hiding their immense powers and goddess-like beauty. Facing numerous challenges, they grow stronger but adopt a wicked demeanor, using masks to conceal their beauty and instill fea

A Paradise in My World : Series #1

A Paradise in My World : Series #1

Romance

5.0

A story of an extraordinary girl from the Island of Siargao. All about her life experiences, her feelings, and her sacrifices. She focuses on her family, but one day her priorities were changed. She experienced more of a life that she felt like living on with it and not just barely surviving. Would

Enticing Series 1: Nightmare

Enticing Series 1: Nightmare

Billionaires

5.0

Asper Reign Dahlia ran away from home when she learned that her father wanted her to marry a cruel prince. She then had an unbelievable encounter with a dangerous mafia boss, Caspian Jyn in the city where she was hiding. Slowly, they became friends without her knowing his real identity. But what h

SWEET SURRENDER: A COLLECTION OF SPICY STORIES

SWEET SURRENDER: A COLLECTION OF SPICY STORIES

Romance

5.0

Some moments you plan for while most of the good ones, you don't. Sweet Surrender is a collection of stories about the moments right before everything changes. It's a storm that leaves two strangers with nowhere to run, a work trip that blurs every line that was supposed to stay straight, a weddin

Escort Girl Series #1  COMPROMISED

Escort Girl Series #1 COMPROMISED

Billionaires

5.0

Alondra Thomas. She is attractive and seductive. Despite her good looks hides a bitter mark of poverty. Who would have thought that her life revolved around just one place? Along with various men who defiled her character, men are the reason she got herself out of poverty as long as she can only gi

The Galaxii Series Omnibus 1

The Galaxii Series Omnibus 1

Sci-fi

4.7

Just think about it. As frontiers go, this is probably the most final of them all, not because it may be the last frontier, but because as long as we try to cross it and explore it, we take it with us. No matter how far we go, the frontier will always be just that much ahead of us, tantal

Aftermath: Inception

Aftermath: Inception

Modern

5.0

A top SSC field agent, Adam finds himself without a home or country after a failed mission in France. He was sent on a mission to assassinate an Arabian prince who was believed to have ties with a terrorist organization, known as the Halo. Instead, Adam killed another Nigerian who was an ambassador

M. Exclusive Island Series 1: Innocent Love

M. Exclusive Island Series 1: Innocent Love

Billionaires

4.9

"Love that's dead is easier than love that's concealed." - Meira Kadia "I am willing to be hurt, just to see you in a happy ending." - Chira Kadia "If loving you is a mistake then I am willing to accept and claim it, wholeheartedly." - Acerlon Monterealez __________ Photo cover isn't mine, cr

Invisible Mate ( Mate Series Book 1)

Invisible Mate ( Mate Series Book 1)

Werewolf

5.0

Adele Green was a werewolf in the Silverlake pack born to an Alpha family. She trained with her father and brother from a young age and became the pack head warrior at the age of 18. She was a very skilled warrior and also very intelligent with good leadership qualities. When she was 20, she found o

Agercia Series 1: Her Finest Betrayal

Agercia Series 1: Her Finest Betrayal

Others

5.0

An old organization that started in the dark ages desperately wants to be overthrown by the Triad. In the conflict between the two organizations, Agatha's parents had to quit their job to keep her away from a dangerous life. But even if they break away, the life they left behind is still chasing the

My Sweet Love

My Sweet Love

Romance

5.0

Malinda Kristen is an orphan who lost her parents when she was young in a car accident, she was sent to an orphanage home where she grew up, she later left the orphanage home in search of a job and got a job as a maid in a wealthy man mansion, since she had no other qualifications to get a better jo

My Sweet Seduction

My Sweet Seduction

Romance

4.9

Margaux 's world collapsed when her fiancé left her alone at the altar. Lester was her first love-her first boyfriend, first kiss, and first heartbreak. When she was ready to give it her all, she was left hanging in the air. Meanwhile, all the women are ready to kneel before Lawrence if he wants

Nephilim (Angels, Gods & Demons series 1)

Nephilim (Angels, Gods & Demons series 1)

Romance

4.9

All my life, I've been thinking about the same thing...that because of who I was, I was destined to be alone forever... But who would've thought, that I was actually destined to be bound to Death himself? "His fingers went under my chin, coaxing me to look back up at h

Billionaires' Secret Series 1: Uncontrol Love

Billionaires' Secret Series 1: Uncontrol Love

Romance

5.0

"You're just like your father who is vulnerable to temptation, so stop denying that this woman you're disgusted with, is a good kisser. Forget that I'm your father's mistress." The mocking words of Jennifer Garcia, known by those who are considered her enemies, by the name, Kailani Monuz. No one wa

My Sweet, Silent Revenge

My Sweet, Silent Revenge

Modern

5.0

My marriage was crumbling, not because of a cheating husband, but because of his mother – my mother-in-law, Brenda. She was a compulsive thief, but her family called it eccentric. Until the day she framed me for grand larceny, planting stolen heirlooms and stacks of cash in my purse right before a

Death's Embrace, Love's Aftermath

Death's Embrace, Love's Aftermath

Horror

5.0

The cold, sterile air in the office bit at my prison uniform, a cruel reminder of the past three years. I knelt on the polished floor, my gaze fixed on Daniel Miller' s expensive shoes, a man I once loved for five years. "A convicted felon, trying to seduce me?" his voice, low and laced with fam

My Sweet Hyacinth

My Sweet Hyacinth

Romance

5.0

4th Book of 'My Mysterious President' The story of the son of Sandra Lei and the daughter of Mark Lee in Young and Beautiful. She, a transferee from London but a native Brent girl. He, a Math Wizard but not a geek. They had met a couple of times faces both covered. She called him 'The Rider', he ca

My Sweet Poor Joel

My Sweet Poor Joel

Romance

5.0

As a football champion in high school, Joel was loved for his talents and abilities but, unknown to the watchful eyes, he was Poor. Estelle, the girl from a wealthy home never cared. But what happens when her wealthy family disowns her because of him, and someone from the past comes in, coupled with

MoboReader