Stained
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My Accidental Billionaire husband
They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, mine didn't. I came back with a marriage certificate bearing a stranger's name, a ring worth more than my parents' love ever was, and a son whose father I've never seen, never known, never remembered. I went to Vegas for a racing competition. I won. I celebrated. And somewhere between the victory and the sunrise, my life changed forever. For six years, I've lived with the consequences of one reckless night. I built an empire. I raised my son. And I searched for the man who changed my life without even knowing it. Then fate laughed in my face. My sister married my ex-fiancé-the man I was promised to since childhood. The man I was supposed to become Mrs. Windsor for. The man who now wears my family name... and looks far too much like my child. Every time I'm near him, the past presses closer. Every glance feels like a question I'm terrified to ask. I shouldn't notice him. I shouldn't feel anything. He is my sister's husband. But some secrets refuse to stay buried. Because the truth about Vegas isn't just in the ring on my finger or the child in my arms. It's standing right in front of me. And when it finally comes out, it won't just destroy a marriage, it will burn an empire to the ground.
Chapter 1 The Arrangement
Katia
I woke up to the sound of people singing badly.
"Happy birthday to you..." I blinked hard against the sunlight filtering through the curtains, my brain slow to reboot. The voices were getting louder, and for a second, I thought I was dreaming. A really weird, off-key dream.
"Happy birthday, dear Katia..."
My bedroom door flung open. I sat up so fast the blanket tangled around my legs like a trap. My vision adjusted just in time to see a small parade entering my room, Delia leading the way with a cupcake on a tray; Dad trailing behind her, holding a phone like he was filming a hostage video; and then, my mother, smiling. I nearly choked because my mom has never smiled at me.
"Happy birthday, sweetheart," she said; her voice was smooth and artificial, like she'd sprayed it with perfume before letting it out of her mouth.
I stared at her like she'd grown a second head. Because here's the thing: Martha didn't do birthdays. Not mine, anyway. Delia got birthdays. Princess themes, balloons, new dresses, and a chorus of relatives pretending they liked each other. I got awkward silences and last-minute gas station cards. I once got a vacuum cleaner. I was twelve.
So this? This felt like a setup.
"Um... thanks?" I said, my voice rough from sleep and suspicion.
Delia plopped the tray down in my lap like she was presenting a peace offering. "I made the cupcake myself," she said sweetly, which meant the maid probably did it while Delia supervised with a glass of wine.
I looked down at it. Vanilla with white frosting and one lonely candle jammed in the center like a warning flare.
"Blow it out," my dad said cheerfully, but his eyes were doing that thing they always did when he was nervous, darting around like they were looking for an exit.
I narrowed my eyes. "Okay, seriously. What's going on?"
My mom gave a soft laugh, as if I was being silly for having the correct instincts. She sat down on the edge of the bed, smoothing the comforter as if she'd ever touched it before.
"You're twenty now," she said gently. "That's a very important age."
"Cool," I said, unimpressed. "Should I be bracing for a tax seminar or something?"
Delia giggled. Dad coughed.
Mom kept going, undeterred. "You're a woman now, Katia. And your father and I have something very exciting and important to tell you."
There it was. The sting in the frosting. The trap under the ribbon.
I sat up straighter. "Okay..."
She looked at me like she was about to hand me a tiara. "You've been chosen to marry Julian Windsor."
The room didn't go quiet; it went hollow.
For a second, I couldn't even process the words. I stared at her, waiting for a punchline, a camera crew, or something.
"Who?" I asked, even though I'd heard her perfectly.
"Julian Windsor," she repeated, like I was the dumb one. "The Windsor heir. Their family has been interested in an alliance for years. You were betrothed when you were sixteen."
I blinked. "What?!"
Dad gave me a sheepish look. "We didn't want to overwhelm you at the time."
"At the time? You mean when I was sixteen?!"
Mom's smile never wavered. "It was a strategic match. His family is very private. Very powerful. This is a good thing, Katia. You're incredibly lucky."
Lucky?
Like this was some kind of prize.
Like I should've been jumping up and down because I was the golden ticket in a billionaire breeding lottery.
"I've never even met him," I said, still struggling to wrap my head around the casual horror of what she'd just dropped on me like it was a brunch topic.
"Neither has Delia," she replied smoothly. "But if things had gone differently, she would've married him instead. You should be grateful it's you."
"Wow," I muttered. "How generous of you, Mother."
Delia leaned against the bedpost, swirling her hair around her finger. "He's supposed to be really handsome. And rich. Like... rich rich. The Windsors own, like, everything. Casinos. Oil. Maybe a spaceship? I don't know. They're super secretive."
"Oh great," I snapped. "So I'm marrying a ghost with a trust fund, and you know this how?"
My mom's eyes hardened, just for a second. "Don't be dramatic. He's real. And they chose you. That should mean something."
"No," I said. "What means something is that you waited four years to tell me I was promised to a complete stranger like this is a medieval auction."
My dad cleared his throat. "We thought we'd wait until the Windsors reached out. And... they have."
I stared at him. "You mean this is happening now?"
"They've arranged to meet in a few weeks," my mother said. "There will be dinner. Formalities. You'll get to know each other before the engagement becomes public."
Public? Right. Because this wasn't a relationship. It was a press release waiting to happen.
"I can't believe this," I said, my voice flat. "You didn't even ask me."
"You don't ask about opportunities like this," she said firmly. "You accept them."
That was her tone now. The mask was slipping. She wasn't the smiling mother with a cupcake anymore. She was the CEO of this family, and I was a failed acquisition being forced into a merger.
I got out of bed, shoving the tray off my lap. The cupcake toppled sideways, the candle smearing frosting across the blanket like a smear of white lies.
"I need air," I said.
Mom stood up. "Katia, don't be ridiculous-"
"No. I need to think. I'm going to Vegas."
That caught her off guard. "Vegas?"
"Just a weekend," I lied. "To clear my head. You want me to marry a stranger? Fine. But let me have one moment of freedom first."
She looked like she wanted to argue, but Dad touched her arm. "Let her go. She'll come around."
I watched the silent war play out in her expression. In the end, control won. Because she thought she already had it.
"Fine," she said, that awful smile returning. "Go. Take some time. But don't forget what's waiting when you come back."
I didn't answer.
I was already packing the second the door closed.
They thought they were giving me space. What they didn't know was that I wasn't going to Vegas for air. I was going for speed.
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Alpha's Last Minute Bride
Evangeline was blackmailed to marry a ruthless Alpha in replacement of her sister. Anything she hated in her life was the werewolves. She had seen her father leaving her mother for another she-wolf. Why? Because her mother was a human and so is she!! Though her father loved her a lot despite her being a human, she never forgave him for the things which he did to her mother and stayed away from pack and werewolves community. Little did she know that she had to marry an Alpha just because her sister ran away from her wedding at the last moment. Daniel Grint was the ruthless, heartless and fearless Alpha. He never believed in mate or mate bond because of the circumstances he faced in his life. But he had to marry a stupid alpha daughter to strengthen his pack. He hated that idea from the beginning but he agreed for the sake of his pack. He was finding himself hard to control his anger and frustration when he came to know that his stupid bride flew away before the wedding and he was offered a human as his last minute bride, who also happened to be an Alpha’s daughter and…..his mate.
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The Rebel
"Lower your eyes mate" He said with a hint of warning in his tone. She didn't flinch under his cold fingers coiled around her neck, instead with a smirk on her bruised lips,she looks back at him. Daring to defy him. "Submit!" He growled at her this time, frustrated with her ability to infuriate him to the extent of forcing him to hurt her. "Many have tried mate" The word mate leaving her lips sounded more of a mockery, making his grip on her neck to tighten slightly. "I am not others Vera. I am your mate. Your superior. Submit this instant!" She again smiled, managing to roll her eyes at him. "You can try . But remember,you will never succeed in it" He could end her with just a little more pressure on her neck, having the fate as many others who have dared to defy him,but something in those eyes was stopping him. He wanted to extinguish that fire in them., to see them rolling over as he thrusted inside her, to see them begining him to continue as he denied her. He wanted her to submit.Badly. Completely to him in all respects. Body and soul both. To let him be her protector,her punisher, her dominant,her lover her mate. Her everything. But little did he knew that his mate was not an ordinary Luna who happily submits to her mate's whims and needs. She was who they all popularly call as "The rebel" The mysterious protector of good and savior of women. The man who gives justice to the inequality created by men. If only they knew he was a women instead. .................................................... "The day I submit to a man will be the last day of my life mate. Vera Red was born as a rebel, will live as a rebel and will also die as a Rebel. With or without a cause"
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MY INDIAN WIFE
Never in her wildest dreams did Mishka imagine that her life would be turned upside down as soon as she stepped into London. "Marry my grandson!" Grandpa Leo's demand threw her off guard. Marriage was not part of her plans, yet she accepted the proposal to marry the most eligible bachelor in London, leaving her dreams behind. Christian had everything planned out in advance. He intended to propose to his girlfriend right after securing the position of CEO at the Knight Group, but a woman derailed all his plans. "If you want to become the CEO of Knight Group, you must marry the girl I have chosen for you!" Grandpa Leo's firm decision put Christian's future at risk, but he quickly devised a plan. "Sign these papers!" Christian demanded in a deep, authoritative tone, extending the file towards Mishka. "What is this?" She narrowed her eyes, taking the file. "Read and I'll explain everything," Christian answered. His cold eyes stared at her, and as soon as Mishka opened the file, her face lost all colour reading the bold letters. "CONTRACT MARRIAGE" Will she give into Christian's demand, or will her masterstroke change the dynamics of the trap he set for her? What will happen when Christian and Mishka's entirely different worlds crash? Will love find its way through the web of lies, deception and mysteries? Let's find out in the story! COPYRIGHT ©️ 2020 AUTHOR ANIKA ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Love Slave to the Mafia Boss's Passion
[WARNING: MATURE CONTENT] "Each time you break a rule; I'll claim a part of your body as mine" Forced to marry the heir of the largest mafia syndicate to pay for her parent's debt and her grandmother's hospital bills. "Live with my son for 30 days, if you don't fall in love with him, I'll cancel this contract." Can Malissa live with the handsome, hot and dominating Hayden for 30 days without falling for his charms? However, there are rules to living with this lusty monster and as Malissa breaks them, she learns of pleasures that she never knew existed. As his touches set her on fire, her heart starts to melt. But does the two have a future together when Hayden is in love with someone else and Malissa cannot get over her ex-boyfriend? READ NOW to find out!
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Through stained glass
This collection of lively Q&A interviews with key contemporary female religious leaders focuses not only on the discrimination faced by some of the most important women in religion, but documents the emerging leadership of women in several ...
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Wine Stained Lips
Calla Grayson mother's has just been diagnosed with lung cancer. Devastated by this news she breaks down thinking of where to get money for her mother's treatment. Luckily,a French wine company called in her work to present a proposal for an event in Paris in summer. During the interview, billionair
