She’s cold, calculating, and worth billions. He’s loyal, quiet, and ten years her junior. A marriage of convenience was supposed to solve Amelia Hayes’ problems not create new ones. But with a jealous ex-friend hellbent on revenge and a dead sister’s abusive husband circling like a vulture, Amelia and Adrian must fight not just for custody but for survival. And somewhere between the lies, the danger, and the late-night kisses… love might just be the biggest risk of all.
더 보기It took the greatest ounce of restraint in Amelia's body which stopped her from walking across the room and wiping the smug look on Gray's face.
The court proceedings were just concluded and amidst the mini chaos with reporters, paparazzi and flash lights, Gray Thompson decided to be Gray Thompson.
Amelia stared at the man which crazily turned out to be her nemesis with an incredulous look on her face.
She couldn't believe how poor her sister's test of men was , because why him of all people? Yikes!
" Excuse me? Did I hear you correctly?" Amelia whispered in his direction as she heard something absurd.
The two kept eye contact and even for a second, Amelia didn't blink.
The almost bald, grumpy looking fellow just shrugged his shoulders and stared her down with detest.
"Miss Amelia, you can't be a good parent to a child, especially because of your MARITAL status. Which I am sure is a result of your FAILED relationships. It's not my fault. What do you want me to do, send the poor child off with someone completely incompetent?" He answered, each word laced with sarcasm.
At this point her eyes rolled, her fists clenched and of course she could taste blood in her mouth.
This wasn't the first time she was receiving such cruel comments from Gray.
But she was taking it all because of one person. The one person she couldn't disappoint ever.
Amelia pressed her lips firmer and held her hand out to a tall, well built, fair guy with a dark undertone.
He in turn took her hand, leading her out of the place which was now clamouring with more people.
The young man stared Gray down for a few seconds, he said no words, but only the intensity in his glare made the smaller man shrink and swallow hard.
Amelia on the other hand held on to the young man's hands as they walked to the car.
However, even outside, a whole lot of people were waiting for her, with their cameras and intruding questions.
" Miss Amelia, are you really going to give up on the child?"
" Was the court proceedings in your favour? "
" Do you also --"
Before the other reporter could say another word, the tall intimidating figure beside Amelia shoved him off.
It happened so fast, no one saw the movement, but its impact was crystal clear.
A few people gasped, more people shifted and others practically worked away hurriedly.
Amelia's row of cars soon drove up to the entrance of the building.
Majestically she worked further with her eyes beaming and a sinister smile into the waiting vehicle
The car immediately sped off, leaving a long trail of dust as evidence of its existence.
Inside the black linx wagon, the atmosphere was thick and intense even mere breathing could not be heard.
Two heads popped up in the front row. At the back seat, Amelia sat, a bit curled up.
She had a phone in her hand , which occasionally glanced at and sighed.
Adrian, her bodyguard from earlier that morning could only stiffen as he heard a little sob coming from the back seat.
He's blood roared and his usually poised back seemed to sink back into the chair
The short drive which barely took twenty minutes and Amelia was more than glad to reach her home.
At the door, she wasn't surprised to see a usually sweet, charming and lovely face.
"Amelia! Oh my dear, I saw the news." The sweet feminine voice called out as she practically dragged her into the house and down to Amelia's bedroom.
Her lips held nothing but consoling words, but behind that thick mask, there was more.
*******
Adrian had a gleam look on his face as he walked down the dark paths which lead to his house. It was the late night hour.
His Boss, Amelia had been having an emotional struggle and somehow he felt helpless not knowing whether or not to say what he had been holding back for ages.
A secret he knew all too well could destroy everything
Would it even help if he did? He wondered.
Adrian shrugged and held on to his black cloak. Pressing his index finger firmly against the fabric.
Caught and soaked in his moment, he didn't notice the black SUV which had been following him for half an hour.
The car kept a safe distance from him, but the keen eyes of the driver cleaved to his soul.
The rider seemed to be having a joy ride, but was in some sort of internal distress.
However, Adrian took a third turn down the road and was soon at the gateway to the slums.
It was the darkest and scariest place to be in the whole of the city.
Because it was at this place the underground dealings were finalized and many dirty dealings were done.
Many people couldn't even bring themselves to walking on that street at that ungodly hour.
From a distance there was a loud screeching of tires and the sound of a speeding car.
At the sound of it, the driver of the SUV's eyes widened in shock.
The speeding car was heading right for Adrian, and crazily he seemed completely oblivious.
The Black SUV sped as fast as it could, heading towards the man.
A cold and small hand suddenly grabbed Adrian, out of a moving car .
He froze!
His jaw dropped and his eyes rolled back!
" Bo---"
" Get inside the car you dummy!" The voice yelled out pulling him equally.
The car sped up crazily , as it tried to avoid the other speeding car which clearly lost control.
The Black SUV barely passed before a loud explosion followed.
Adrian was still astonished as he looked at the face of his savior.
It was none other than Amelia Hayes, his boss.
Amelia's face was expressionless. Only her hazel eyes glittered in the twilight.
She had not expected things to go so bizarre.
It made her feel sick to her belly, but of course she was good at holding it all inside.
" Did I give the order that you could leave the house tonight?" Amelia asked with a deep frown..
Adrian's eye's slightly widened hearing her speak to him.
The both of them had never had a conversion.
" You said I could."
" Did I?"
" Yes ma'am you did."
Silence soon returned as Amelia turned the wheels a bit more recklessly towards the direction of Adrian's house.
Adrian almost bit his lower lip, wondering what he said wrong.
" I am giving you an offer that will change your life . Marry me. Agree to be my husband on paper, or you stand to lose your job. " Amelia suddenly blurted out of the blues.
Adrian looked at her incredulously, but she didn't budge.
Marriage?
" Your grandma has pending hospital bills, you're in debt up to your neck. This is your chance to be rich. I'll give you all the money you need. What is your price."
The atmosphere in the room became so thick and its weight so palpable.
Adrian felt his pride crushing under the weight of her Ego.
" I can't marry a woman like you." He whispered between gritted teeths. He swung the door of the moving vehicle open and hopped out.
The rain gently tapped against the windows, just a calming beat in the background. The storm from last night had blown over, but inside Amelia, things were still a bit chaotic. The walls of the new safehouse were stark white, quiet, maybe too quiet. It didn’t feel like home. Honestly, nothing had felt like home for ages.Adrian was somewhere in the kitchen, making sure the locks were secure again. He hadn’t slept much, and she could see it in the way his shoulders hung a bit lower today and how tense his jaw was when he thought no one was watching. Nora was finally snoozing on the couch, curled up with her stuffed rabbit. Her fever had dropped, but it had shaken Amelia more than she wanted to admit. Leaning by the window, she wrapped her arms around herself. Outside, everything looked normal, cars were driving by, and people were strolling along. But inside her head, the world felt different, and this time, she wasn’t sure if she could keep up.“You good?” Adrian asked softly.“Do yo
Adrian's POVThe storm had blown over, but you could still feel its vibe hanging around.The fireplace still had a hint of woodsmoke in the air. The wine glasses were left untouched from the night before, half-filled and still warm to the touch. Adrian hadn’t really moved for hours. He was perched on the edge of the couch, one hand casually resting across his lap while the other was close to Amelia's head as she curled up beside him. He knew she hadn’t meant to doze off, especially not in his arms, but she did, and it felt right.Amelia hadn’t meant to fall asleep. He could sense the tension still hanging onto her even in her sleep. Her fingers would twitch every now and then, and her breathing was shallow and a bit uneasy. Not a word was exchanged after the kiss—not when she pulled away, and not when he quietly pulled her back so she wouldn’t have to be alone.He didn’t bother trying to analyze what had just happened. Some moments were just too raw for logic. It was all about the hea
The storm blew in fast, thick clouds swallowing the sky while thunder rumbled overhead. The penthouse windows shook in the wind, and the lights flickered once, twice, before settling back into a cozy glow. Amelia stood in the living room, hugging herself tight as the wild weather matched her tumultuous feelings—chaotic, loud, and impossible to ignore.Adrian had just tucked Nora into bed when he heard his own soft footsteps approaching. He didn’t say anything as he walked in—just glanced at her with a quiet, unreadable look before heading to the kitchen. "Want anything?" he asked softly. "I'll have what you're having," Amelia replied. She watched him move through the shadows, calm and steady, and it made her chest tighten. The way he moved, how his long-sleeve shirt hugged his arms—what would it feel like to be wrapped up in those arms? But as soon as that thought crossed her mind, she shook it off. She can’t be thinking about him... Not like that. He came back with two gl
Adrian wasn’t really accustomed to this kind of quiet. It wasn’t the heavy kind that felt like a warning; instead, it wrapped around the room like a cozy blanket. It was the first time Amelia had left him alone with Nora for more than an hour. She had to go meet her lawyers to finalize some stuff for the custody case, barely making eye contact as she handed him Nora’s lunch schedule and allergy notes.“She likes her crusts cut off,” Amelia had said flatly, steering clear of his gaze. “And broccoli? Absolutely not. Don’t let her convince you to give her candy.”He nodded, taking the paper from her, feeling that invisible barrier still looming between them after their last chat. He had offered to go with her, but as usual, she shot him down and stormed out after dropping off the instructions for feeding Nora.He was getting tired of this back and forth, but he got that she needed her space. Still, how long could he hold on? She was pulling away once more, and he couldn’t really blame he
Amelia was trying to focus on work after getting back from the office, loaded with paperwork. "Here," Adrian said, plopping a plate of food and a glass of milk right in front of her. "Milk's for kids," she grumbled, taking a bite of the round, tasty treats. "And look who's been sulking around the house all week," he shot back before leaving. Almost half an hour later, she couldn’t shake off his little jab. Did he really suggest she was acting like a child? It all started with just a glance.Not the kind she was used to—those careful, calculated looks in boardrooms or courtrooms. This was different. She found herself watching Adrian.He was in the kitchen, helping Nora stir pancake batter, his sleeves rolled up and a soft smile on his face that he didn’t even realize he had. There was flour on his cheek, and Nora couldn't help but giggle every time he pulled a funny face. It was so ordinary, so homey, and for some reason, it made her heart ache.Amelia took a slow sip of her milk from
It's been what? Three days since that night, and Amelia is dodging Adrian like he’s the plague. He doesn’t even mind, he’s used to her moving one step forward and ten steps back. This morning, he woke up earlier than usual and decided to hang out with a long-time friend, Justin. “So, you’ve ditched boxing, dating, and jumped straight into married life, huh?” Justin chuckled, downing a glass of alcohol. Adrian forced a smile, regretting he even opened his mouth, but the news was everywhere, after all. “Come on, man. Spill the beans! Have you cracked the ice queen yet?” Justin laughed, but to be honest, that was getting under Adrian’s skin. He just wanted to hang out, not discuss her. “Can we just drop it?” he muttered, taking a swig of his drink. “Ouuu, someone’s got secrets!” Adrian shot him a glare, the urge to punch Justin rising with every moment. “I think I’m going to head out; this was a mistake,” he grumbled, setting down his glass. “Oh come on, man, it was just a joke!”
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