The Knight and His Precious
/1/127579/coverbig.jpg?v=2ea34f2e2c2f3053a637d5acfe2fbf25)
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.
/0/57478/coverbig.jpg?v=20489874f8c28cfdc27399ca97d6ead3)
Precious And The Prince
"Precious was forced to live with her stepmother and stepsiblings, who despised everything she represented. In her own father's house, she was treated like an outsider and constantly threatened by her stepmother. Despite her beauty attracting many suitors after she finished school, none married her.
/1/124379/coverbig.jpg?v=b8a317001ebf41e4db23290e641df252)
Ari and the shadow knight
Ari and the Shadow Knight Ari has spent her whole life stealing food to survive in the slums. Then the Royal Guard takes her to the palace and reveals the truth. She is the last living heir to the throne. Now the palace has become the most dangerous place she has ever known. Every meal could be po
/0/13669/coverbig.jpg?v=f2b77f6fde86c09db49aff57a0b2112d)
Jaufry the Knight and the Fair Brunissende
Jaufry the Knight and the Fair Brunissende by Mary Lafon
/0/17977/coverbig.jpg?v=fdbfc94c0ddd70fcc1b125e7f2613c3e)
His Knight in High Heels
"You're mad? Then take your ass in the other room and calm the fuck down. Because there's never going to be any divorce in this fucking marriage."
/0/68926/coverbig.jpg?v=5850e08f391392f6c1906be87f53fbd8)
The Mafia's Precious Pet
"...Even after everything I do to you, you still want me?" he asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "More than you can imagine," I replied, breathless. His hand slid up my body, pausing at the back of my neck. He pulled me closer, his voice a low growl. "You do know what that means, right?" I s
/0/18465/coverbig.jpg?v=076f87927c32373a183be93609eac3d5)
The Alpha King's Claim
"Love me or hate me, either way I'm already on your mind. I win. You lose." *** As the Alpha King of all werewolves and lycans, Aero needed to be fair to all. He ruled with an iron fist, a steady head and a balanced emotion. He was perfect in everything except for one. He had issues with the o
/0/66124/coverbig.jpg?v=31a8a59a5239d5adecf691cf0ae427a7)
Precious Little Flower
"You're marrying well, Vera. Ivan's family is influential. Don't embarrass us." - Vera's Mother "But Mother, I don't love him. I don't even know him!" - Vera "Love is a luxury we can't afford. Your duty is to secure our family's future." - Vera's Mother But fate had other plans. "Who are you?" V
/0/35267/coverbig.jpg?v=7d29e9e99a8cec8e4e20d216a017a756)
CEO's Precious Assistant
"For me, you were nothing but a pawn. To her, you were a damsel in distress. You need to learn a lesson, your love means nothing.” ** After losing her taste bud for an unclear reason and with the gossip from everyone, Pearl Lane can’t stand it anymore and skips her hometown. She heads to Light City
/0/52137/coverbig.jpg?v=13b93e37f3d9fba389bc2b498c7d2439)
Warpath of the Knight
As Dimensions Clash, The Flames of War Burns. When the Wicked Tramples the Innocent, Comes Knights, Guardians or the Righteous! When the Merciless Slaughters the Desperate, Comes Magic, Bearing the Light of Hope! But in this World of the Strong, Only the Victorious May Rewrite History!
/0/2684/coverbig.jpg?v=574042550aa10bb55afaa69e1058facd)
The Tavern Knight
Rafael Sabatini an Italian writer best known for his historical romance novels in the early 20th century. Sabatini had many best-sellers including The Sea-Hawk, Scaramouche, and Captain Blood. This edition of The Tavern Knight includes a table of contents.
/0/52373/coverbig.jpg?v=d41e6adedb4841caf69c4f7b11fd6aa8)
THE DEVIL'S KNIGHT
Ophelia Allen is the youngest daughter of a well-known lawyer Ethan Allen and his elegant wife Scarlett Allen. Despite being from a rich background, Ophelia is far from the being a spoiled heiress. Instead, she is a bright, compassionate, hardworking young woman with aspirations to become a successf
/0/83662/coverbig.jpg?v=20ed0ad3b64b890a3402ef369acac2fd)
The Princess's Loyal Knight
What happens when a legendary assassin, trained in the shadows and feared by many, is assigned an unusual mission to become the personal bodyguard of a powerless princess? A princess so naive and fragile that she can't even recognize danger when it's right in front of her. Viviette Frerio The 16-ye
/0/50069/coverbig.jpg?v=1db6ab4c2879077a139388e582c17097)
BLOODHOUNDS #4: The Dark Knight
Who exactly is THE BLOODHOUNDS? Billionaires who are experts in the security and weapon field along with property. Involved with the mafia, sometimes they kill people if necessary. Control lots of organizations, helping them sometimes. They get involved with the mafia but on their good side. Let m
/0/53675/coverbig.jpg?v=69936ecc3b94448880cfded19e9aaa5b)
The Alpha King's Precious Rose
Paris is on the run from a mobster and her dangerous twin brother. She lands in a werewolf community meanwhile The Alpha King loses his mate sending him into a spiral of self-destruction and depression. Marcel, the prodigal son returns to claim the throne while his brother is unable to assume it. Ev
/0/8112/coverbig.jpg?v=0334dc6e7f1e5c8bc115741bd88c0e2c)
The Chemistry, Properties and Tests of Precious Stones
The Chemistry, Properties and Tests of Precious Stones by John Mastin
/0/57784/coverbig.jpg?v=fde994d139117e226d627d2e0e27df03)
The Return of Alexander Knight
Alexander Knightdale is a renowned pauper who is always met with misfortune no matter where he goes. After an unfortunate incident that cost him the life of his best friend, the affection of his beloved wife and the termination of his job; he finally had enough of his life of poverty. He goes back t
/0/9390/coverbig.jpg?v=97f07c1a31f24061861a6e214ba1005b)
Bayard: the Good Knight Without Fear and Without Reproach
This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preservin
/0/77307/coverbig.jpg?v=7f2be7f3df11a6f9ba4c0f564599fcdc)
Alpha Knight & the Cursed Witch
In the world of Quailsham live various creatures, from Dragons to Werewolves. Knight Sin GrimDaleward, a werewolf and heir to the throne, has his life set for him: protect the Elderwood Clan, find his Mate, and live happily ever after. But when the Night Howler, the most sacred artifact of their kin
/0/39415/coverbig.jpg?v=1439b847d0208d58efa753dab41fc36d)
Her Dark Knight
Hyena, a college degree student feels a strange attraction towards her classmate, Darren, a cold, handsome and mysterious boy. Darren feels the same attraction towards her but he holds himself back due to his dark secret, however destiny has started to take turn and they have started to come close t
/0/37439/coverbig.jpg?v=8ae5459abb6ce6ebbdbca8bcb1c7c591)
The Alpha and His Pet
My mother was killed right in front of me by the werewolf pack's alpha. Before I found out she wasn't my biological mother, I buried my animosity toward him and blamed him for everything bad that had ever happened to me. But that doesn't make him a saint, especially since he's the one who's decided
