Masks and Motives

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• One Night Stand With My Ex’s Uncle    The Lie Between Us

  Anna's POV William's face lit up instantly. "Perfect timing! Bring it here, please." The butler handed him the tablet and discreetly withdrew. William adjusted his position on the bench, patting the seat beside him. "Come sit, Annie. Let's see what my wayward son is up to." I hesitated, suddenly feeling like an intruder. "Maybe I should give you some privacy? I can wait inside_" "Nonsense," William interrupted, already tapping the screen to accept the call. "Marcus would want to see you too." Before I could protest further, the screen fickered to life, revealing Marcus sitting in what appeared to be a luxurious hotel room. His hair was damp, and he wore only a black silk robe loosely tied at the waist. He'd clearly just stepped out of the shower. "Marcus!" William's voice boomed with delight. "Finally remembering your poor old father, are you?" Marcus's expression remained impassive, though I detected a subtle softening around his eyes. "Father. You look well." "And you loo

• One Night Stand With My Ex’s Uncle    The Breaking Point

  Jack's POV I stood in the living room of Rosa Villa, the door still vibrating from the force with which it had closed behind Anna. The message couldn't have been clearer if she'd painted it on the wall— she didn't care enough to even offer an explanation. The utter dismissal left me feeling hollow, like I'd become nothing more than a nuisance to be brushed aside. "Jack... I turned to see Lucy standing behind me, her eyes filled with unmistakable sympathy. I hadn't even noticed her following me here. "Anna's already gone, Jack," she said softly. "She doesn't care about you anymore." Her words pierced through me like shards of glass. My ears rang with denial, my mind refusing to process what she was saying. This can't be happening. Not Anna. Not like this. How could the woman who once pledged herself to me at the altar change so completely? The Anna I knew would have at least offered an explanation, would have cared enough to clear up a misunderstanding. We had built a life togeth

• One Night Stand With My Ex’s Uncle    Still the Queen

  Anna's POV At the mention of Lucy's name, I took the tablet from Rachel's hands and carefully scrolled through the photos again. The angles were deliberately misleading—in one, Samuel appeared to be whispering intimately in my ear; in another, a dismissive glance I'd thrown his way had been captured in a way that made it look like a coy smile. "It must be her," I agreed, a cold laugh escaping my lips. "Look at these camera angles—in this one, Samuel's face is practically pressed against mine. And this one? I never smiled at him like that. That was clearly a dismissive smirk." I scrolled through the comments, each one more vicious than the last. They speculated wildly about my "relationship" with Samuel, suggesting I was desperate to align myself with Heritage Group. Some even implied I'd orchestrated my divorce from Jack to pursue wealthier, more powerful men. The comments made my blood boil, but I refused to let it show. Instead, I exited that trending topic and clicked on the

• One Night Stand With My Ex’s Uncle    Framed in the Dark

  Rachel's POV I stood in the hospital room watching Samuel Griffin. The doctors had treated the aphrodisiac in his system. His face was no longer red, his breathing normal, but fury filled his eyes. "Your boss made a mistake," Samuel said, glaring at me from the bed. "Tell Anna Shaw I won't forget tonight." I met his gaze. "Mr. Griffin, the doctors say you'll recover fully. This ended well for everyone." His jaw clenched. "I can't have sex for a month. Do you know what that means for someone like me?" "Medical advice should be taken seriously," I replied. "Ms. Shaw brought you to the hospital immediately. You should thank her." I picked up my purse. "We did what anyone would do. No need for thanks." The comment silenced him. I turned, and walked to the door. I crossed the parking lot. Ms. Shaw waited in her car near the entrance. When I opened the door, she reclined in the driver's seat with eyes closed. "Let's go," she said without looking. "I'm dead tired." I got in, stu

• One Night Stand With My Ex’s Uncle    Not Yours to Touch

  Samuel's POV "You're still here?" I asked irritably, bracing one hand against the wall, effectively caging her between my body and the wallpaper. I knew I reeked of alcohol and sweat, but the uncontrollable fire coursing through my body was far worse. Seeing Anna pressed against the wall trying to escape gave me a twisted sense of satisfaction. "When I leave is none of your business, Mr. Griffin," she responded, feigning composure though her pulse visibly raced at her throat. "You really are... asking for trouble," I managed through gritted teeth, fighting against the raging inferno inside me. I could feel veins pulsing at my temples, my vision swimming with need. Her eyes narrowed, scanning my face. "Are you drunk or have you been... drugged?" The question cut through my haze momentarily. Drugged? The possibility hadn't even occurred to me, but it made sense. I didn't want to admit I'd been caught off guard, but I was in too much discomfort to maintain the pretense. I'd only

• One Night Stand With My Ex’s Uncle    Polite Society

  Anna's POV My lips twitched with the effort not to smile. Trust Catherine to come charging to my defense like an avenging angel in heels. Lucy immediately pivoted to her favorite role the victim. "Catherine, I'm just here with Jack," she said, eyes widening in feigned innocence. "Charity events like this are meant for established families-it's not my place as a young woman to take the lead." Her friends closed ranks around her. "Miss Murphy, everyone knows you're close with Anna Shaw," one of them said, indignation coloring her voice. "Even if you want to stand up for her, you shouldn't bully Lucy." "That's right," another added. "Anna is already divorced from Jack Simpson, and Jack is going to marry Lucy. Lucy is your cousin's future wife, after all.Did you donate money?" I watched Catherine fold her arms across her chest, her expression one of pure disdain. Someone from the crowd, apparently checking the donation display, whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear: "Cathe