Chapter: Chapter 288 Camilla’s POVThe office felt different that morning. Quiet, steady, normal in a way I hadn’t noticed for weeks. The storm of tension, manipulation, and subtle threats had passed, leaving a calm I almost didn’t trust. I arrived early, carrying a sense of anticipation mixed with relief. The weight that had pressed on my chest seemed lighter, and for the first time in a long while, I could breathe without the constant fear of escalation.Adrian was already there, his posture relaxed but focused, a rare smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he reviewed reports. Our eyes met briefly, and in that look, there was no pretense, no hesitation just the quiet understanding that we had survived, together. He was no longer just the man I cared for; he had become my partner in every sense of the word, both professionally and personally.I settled at my desk, trying to focus on the day’s work, but my mind kept drifting to the events of the past weeks. Isabella had left, her presence no longer
آخر تحديث: 2025-12-28
Chapter: Chapter 287 Camilla’s POVThe office was eerily quiet that morning, the usual chatter replaced by a tense stillness that made every step feel deliberate. I arrived early, heart tight with anticipation, knowing Isabella’s next move was imminent. She was clever, relentless, and I had no doubt she was planning something drastic. But today, I wasn’t alone. Adrian and I were aligned, ready to confront her fully, and for the first time, I felt the weight of control settling in my chest instead of fear.Adrian was already there, his eyes scanning reports with that measured intensity I had come to recognize as focus and strategy. When he noticed me, his gaze softened, a flicker of reassurance passing silently between us. I could feel the electricity in that simple exchange, the unspoken promise that we were a team, united against whatever Isabella planned.By mid-morning, the tension had become palpable. I could sense her presence before I even saw her, the subtle ripple of manipulation in the air. Isabe
آخر تحديث: 2025-12-28
Chapter: Chapter 286 Camilla’s POVThe message haunted me all morning. Every vibration of my phone made my pulse spike, every glance at the screen made my stomach twist. “You’re next.” It was short, cryptic, and chilling. Whoever had sent it knew how to provoke fear, and it was impossible to ignore. I had tried to focus on work, but the words clung to me like a shadow I could not shake.Adrian noticed my tension immediately. He had been reviewing the client report we had corrected, but his eyes kept flicking to me, a constant silent question: what was wrong? Finally, I could not hide it. I leaned close to him, voice low. “Adrian… I got a message last night. From someone unknown. It said… ‘You’re next.’”His eyes narrowed sharply, the intensity in them suddenly sharp, protective. He rose immediately, pulling me toward the private conference room. “Show me,” he said. My hand trembled as I unlocked the phone and passed it to him. He read it, his jaw tightening, and I could feel the familiar surge of Adrian’s
آخر تحديث: 2025-12-28
Chapter: Chapter 285 Camilla’s POVThe office smelled faintly of coffee and rain-soaked streets outside, but the atmosphere inside was thick with tension, like a storm pressing against the windows. From the moment I arrived, I could feel Isabella’s gaze slicing across the room, precise, calculated, predatory. She was already at her desk, reviewing papers with deliberate intensity, her posture immaculate, her smile quiet but sharp. Every move she made felt like an assertion of power.Adrian was at his desk, glancing briefly at me before returning to his reports. His jaw was tight, his posture taut, as if he could sense the undercurrents building around him. I knew he felt it too—the silent games, the provocations, the invisible war Isabella waged in subtle movements and carefully chosen words. He was preparing for conflict, and I was ready to face it alongside him.By mid-morning, the tension became unbearable. I watched Isabella lean toward Adrian under the guise of reviewing a project, her fingers brushi
آخر تحديث: 2025-12-28
Chapter: Chapter 284 Camilla’s POVThe morning air was crisp, carrying the faint smell of rain as I walked toward the office. Inside, the usual hum of activity felt sharper, more tense, as if the building itself could sense the undercurrents swirling between Adrian, Isabella, and me. Every glance I exchanged with Adrian the previous day lingered like an unspoken promise, yet I knew that the challenges were far from over. Isabella was clever, and cleverness was dangerous when combined with persistence.I entered the office to find her already there, seated at her desk with that calm, almost serene expression that hid her every intention. She didn’t greet anyone; she simply observed, her gaze sweeping the room like a predator assessing the territory. I felt my chest tighten, aware that today she would not leave things to chance. She would escalate. She always did.Adrian was already at his desk, flipping through documents with deliberate precision. I noticed the faint tension in his shoulders, the slight fu
آخر تحديث: 2025-12-28
Chapter: Chapter 283 Camilla’s POVBy Tuesday morning, the office felt like a battlefield. Every step, every glance, every interaction carried weight, and the tension between Adrian, Isabella, and me had reached a point where it was impossible to ignore. The air was heavy with unspoken words, subtle challenges, and the quiet knowledge that nothing would remain simple for long.I arrived early, as I had been doing all week, determined to assert my presence without giving Isabella any advantage. She was already there, as always, perfectly poised, her smile calm but calculating. The way she moved, the way she interacted with colleagues, the deliberate way she positioned herself near Adrian it was all strategy, and I could sense it like a faint pulse running through the office.Adrian was at his desk, reviewing reports with meticulous focus. But even from across the room, I could sense the strain in him, the tightness in his shoulders, the flicker in his eyes whenever Isabella’s movements caught his attention
آخر تحديث: 2025-12-28
Chapter: Chapter 42Alina's POVThe phone screen illuminated my face in the darkness of the bedroom, casting eerie shadows across the walls. 1:17 AM, the digital clock on the nightstand read. I wondered who it could be by that time.My fever had broken hours ago, but sleep remained elusive, and that was only because I couldn't get Lila’s visit off my mind.Whatever she had said to Leo and Sebastian weighed on my mind heavily. I wonder when next she would strike, but I know I wouldn't allow her to do that again. I picked up my phone from the nightstand and my blood turned ice on seeing the name displayed on the screen.Lila."How's your fever, Alina?" Lila's voice dripped with false concern, each syllable laced with mockery that made my skin crawl."Save your fake care," I snapped, my fingers tightening around the phone. “I'm not interested in whatever game you're playing."Her laugh tinkled through the speaker, light and airy, as if we were old friends sharing a joke. “Oh, but you should be intereste
آخر تحديث: 2025-12-19
Chapter: Chapter 41Alina’s povThe evening air was cool against my skin when I finally woke from my long nap, probably the aftermath of the fever. The fever had broken sometime during the noon, leaving me weak but clear-headed. I refused to go to the hospital with Sebastian because I wasn’t ready to face the outside world up until this moment. He was quick to call for a doctor seeing my resistance to go to the hospital.I could hear movement in the kitchen, the familiar sounds of dinner being prepared, and I forced myself out of bed despite my trembling legs.Sebastian had ordered takeout. I could smell the rich aroma of Italian food as I made my way to the dining room, steadying myself against the wall. He looked up when I entered, relief flooding his features.“You’re awake. How are you feeling?”“Better,” I managed, though my voice came out hoarse. “Much better.”Leo sat at the table, unusually still, his small hands folded in his lap. He didn’t run to me the way he normally would have. He didn’t
آخر تحديث: 2025-12-18
Chapter: Chapter 40Sebastian’s POVI watched Lila circle my office as she touched everything her hand could reach in a feathery touch. Her heels clicking against the polished marble floor. Each step was like she was purposely stepping on my nerves, and I drummed my fingers against my desk, fighting to maintain composure.“Just say what you have to say, Lila.”She stopped by the window, glancing outside for a moment,” the paparazzi aren't completely gone I guess” She must have seen someone lurking around the house. I made a mental note to send Viktor to send them off. I wonder if Lila was always this dramatic. The first time I met her, she was all over me, not minding Alina's presence.When she turned, her expression was sickeningly sweet.So shameless!“Leave her, Sebastian.”“Excuse me?”“Alina.” She said the name like it tasted bitter. “Leave her and marry me instead. I’m better than her in every way that matters. I have the pedigree, the connections, the understanding of your world that she’ll ne
آخر تحديث: 2025-12-17
Chapter: Chapter 39Sebastian POVAlina woke up one day with a fever. It was so bad that I wanted to take her to the hospital but she vehemently refused. I pressed my palm against Alina's forehead again, feeling the heat radiating from her skin. "We need to go to the hospital. This fever is too high.""No." Her voice was barely a whisper, but the fear in her eyes was sharp and clear. "Please, Sebastian. No hospitals.""Alina...""They'll recognize me." She gripped my wrist weakly. "After everything in the tabloids... I can't face those stares, those whispers. Please."My jaw tightened. The scandal from three weeks ago still followed us like a shadow, photographers, gossip columns, strangers with their cameras ready. I was still dealing with the aftermath in the company. It was obvious that Madam Estelle was bent on ascertaining her authority over the company.The thought of Alina vulnerable and feverish in a hospital waiting room, exposed to all of that, made my stomach turn."Fine," I relented. "I
آخر تحديث: 2025-12-16
Chapter: Chapter 38Sebastian's POVI watched Alina leave, her plea echoing in the sudden silence of my study. "Fix it…”If only it were that simple.I returned to my room to freshen up. I had a lot to do.My desk in my study had lot of of financial reports and legal documents that I had to go through. And that's how I spent my entire night, trying to fix it…I have barely had a single moment of rest since the scandal broke, I'd barely slept. Every phone call was another fire to put out, every email another problem demanding immediate attention.The company's stock had dropped like a stone, seventeen percent in a single trading day. I'd spent that entire night on calls with investors, with board members, with the PR team, desperately trying to stem the bleeding.Day two had been marginally better. I'd managed to stabilize things. Press releases more carefully crafted, statements and that seemed to do a bit of damage control.The paparazzi finally left the house premises completely, but Alina and Leo
آخر تحديث: 2025-12-15
Chapter: Chapter 37Alina’s PovI kept talking, trying to keep my voice as steady as I could. I didn't look at Sebastian in the eyes, if I did, I would shatter. "She admitted she created the scandal. Every photo, every story,it was all her. She's threatening to make our lives even more miserable if I don't comply. She called Leo hers, said he belongs to the family, to the legacy." My laugh was bitter, broken. "She's right about one thing. I have nothing. No power, no money, no way to fight her."Sebastian crossed the room, reaching for me, but I stepped back. I was too exhausted, too defeated to accept comfort that couldn't fix anything."She's not right," he said fiercely. "And we're going to fight this. Together."I looked down at Leo, at his tear-stained face pressed against my shoulder, and felt the weight of Madam Estelle's threat settling over us.Together.The word should have brought comfort. Instead, it just reminded me of how much we had to lose."Leo, can you go and set up the scribble game
آخر تحديث: 2025-12-13
The CEO'S SECRET BRIDE
I am ANNABEL DRAKE, a woman who has spent her entire life in the Shadows of others. A forgotten girl child ,and also an underestimated employee, in fact I am everything you can think of because I have been through a lot .
It started after my father was imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. My family lost everything: our fortune, our home, and most painfully, our dignity. My mother fell ill under the weight of disgrace, and I became the sole provider, fighting every day just to keep us alive .
When an unexpected job opportunity lands in my lap, I see it as an opening way out of poverty and struggle. Working as an executive assistant for Carson Clair, the almighty billionaire CEO of Sonclair Enterprises, isn't easy. He's rude , and unnecessarily leading over everyone in a bad manner, and I can tell you unapologetically that he's everything I despise in a man. But the paycheck is good, and I need it .
Then, the unimaginable happens after a few months. Carson makes me an offer I can't refuse because it is such a juicy offer. It was a contract marriage .
He needs a wife to secure a billion-dollar deal, and in exchange, he promises to clear my Father's name, pay off my mother's medical Bills, and set me up for life. It sounds like a dream... Until I realize I'm falling for him.
Just as I start to believe that maybe, just maybe, this arrangement could turn into something real, my world shatters again. I discovered a secret which was actually the truth and it changed everything. Carson isn't who I through he was. And neither is the man I've been secretly confiding in ...
Fred Mark.
قراءة
Chapter: Chapter 200 : Under the StarsThe night was cool and quiet, with a soft breeze brushing against the trees outside Annabelle’s home. The stars above shone brightly, scattered like diamonds across the dark sky. Annabelle had just returned from a long day at the office. Her heels clicked lightly against the path as she walked toward her front door, humming softly to herself. She looked peaceful—calm in a way she hadn’t been in years. But as she lifted her eyes, her steps slowed.Someone was waiting for her.Fred stood at the end of the path, half-hidden in the shadows. His hands were in his pockets, and his shoulders were tense. When he saw her, he straightened, his face filled with something she hadn’t seen in a long time—pain mixed with hope.“Annabelle,” he said quietly, his voice almost breaking.Annabelle froze for a moment. She hadn’t seen him since the trial, since everything fell apart. Memories rushed through her—his betrayal, her anger, the lies. But she also remembered the laughter they once shared, the w
آخر تحديث: 2025-10-30
Chapter: Chapter 199 : A Quiet OpeningThe morning sun filtered gently through the tall windows of Annabelle’s office. The city outside was already awake—cars moving, people hurrying—but inside her space, everything felt calm and steady. She liked it that way. Her desk was neatly arranged: a vase of white lilies, a stack of reports, and her favorite pen resting beside her planner. It was her little world, quiet and full of purpose.Annabelle had built a new routine—one that balanced work with peace. She worked hard during the day, meeting clients, reviewing projects, and checking on her teams. But when the sun went down, she made sure to leave it all behind. The woman who once carried the weight of every burden had learned how to breathe again.That morning, Clara entered with two cups of coffee. “Good morning, Annabelle,” she said cheerfully.“Good morning,” Annabelle replied, smiling as she took one of the cups. “You’re early today.”“I wanted to go over the partnership proposal before the meeting,” Clara said, taking a
آخر تحديث: 2025-10-30
Chapter: Chapter 198 : Building a New EmpireThe city skyline shimmered beneath the morning sun as Annabelle’s car pulled up in front of the tall glass building that once felt too heavy with memories. Her father’s company—now hers to lead. For a moment, she sat inside the car, watching the reflection of the world she was about to change. Then she took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and stepped out.The guard at the entrance smiled and greeted her respectfully. “Good morning, Miss Hayes.”“Good morning,” Annabelle replied with a calm smile, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she entered the grand lobby. The familiar scent of polished wood and coffee greeted her. Everything looked the same, yet everything felt different.She had come back not as a daughter protecting her father’s name, but as a woman ready to build something greater.Her father, Mr. Hayes, was waiting in his office upstairs. When she entered, he stood by the window, the morning light falling across his gray hair and gentle smile.“You look
آخر تحديث: 2025-10-30
Chapter: Chapter 197 : Solace in SolitudeThe sea was calm that morning, its soft rhythm brushing against the shore like a gentle whisper. Annabelle stood barefoot on the sand, the cool water curling around her toes. The salty breeze lifted her hair, and for the first time in a long while, she breathed without pain.The villa she rented sat high on a small hill overlooking the ocean. It was simple—white walls, wooden floors, wide windows that welcomed the sun. Every corner of it felt peaceful, untouched by the noise of the world she had left behind.Each morning, she rose early, long before the sun had fully claimed the sky. She would wrap a shawl around her shoulders, step outside, and listen. The waves. The birds. The silence. It was the kind of quiet that didn’t ask anything of her, the kind that allowed her to just exist.Her first few days there were spent doing nothing at all. She ate when she was hungry, slept when she was tired, and watched the horizon until the sun melted into the sea. Sometimes, tears came without w
آخر تحديث: 2025-10-30
Chapter: Chapter 196 : A Hardened HeartAnnabelle sat on the edge of her bed, the morning light streaming through the half-open curtains. The trial was over. Justice had been served. Her father was free at last. She should have felt victorious, but instead, her heart felt heavy. The courtroom’s noise still echoed in her ears—voices rising, papers shuffling, the judge’s gavel striking like thunder. It was all behind her now, yet it still clung to her like a shadow.Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, but she ignored it. For once, she wanted silence—no reporters, no calls, no pitying words. She needed air. Freedom. Peace.She stood and walked to the mirror. The woman who stared back didn’t look like the same Annabelle from months ago. The sparkle in her eyes had dimmed. Her smile had grown faint. Her once soft expression now held something cold, something distant. Victory had changed her, and not in the way she expected.She reached for her suitcase and began packing slowly. A light blue dress. A pair of sandals. Her journal
آخر تحديث: 2025-10-30
Chapter: Chapter 195 : Victoria’s HumiliationThe courtroom was packed once again, but this time, the air was different. The fear that had once followed Annabelle like a shadow was gone. In its place stood a quiet strength. She had won her father’s freedom, but now came the next battle — the one that would strip Victoria Carson of everything she had built through deceit.Annabelle arrived early, dressed in a simple black suit. She didn’t wear jewelry, didn’t smile for the cameras. This wasn’t about fame or triumph; it was about justice. Her lawyer, Mr. Graham, walked beside her, his voice calm but steady. “Today we finished it,” he said.“I know,” Annabelle answered softly. “No mercy.”Inside, Victoria Carson sat at the defendant’s table. Her once-perfect posture was gone. Her hair, once styled with precision, was loosely tied back. The woman who had commanded boardrooms and manipulated empires now looked smaller, thinner, and pale. Even her expensive clothes couldn’t hide the tremor in her hands.Her lawyers whispered urgently
آخر تحديث: 2025-10-29
Chapter: Chapter 51Aria's PovI don’t think I slept more than twenty minutes at a time. I kept tossing around, turning left and right and flipping my pillow in different directions but nothing helped the anxiety. My body was tired, but my mind refused to settle and every time I closed my eyes, my brain started running around. The sun felt like it took forever to go down, and when it finally did, my restlessness doubled . I swung my legs off the bed, slipped into the first comfortable outfit I found, and walked out of the room before I could convince myself to stay put. The house was quiet as I padded down the stairs, and before I even reached the bottom, I knew exactly where I was going.Rico’s study. His door was partially closed and light spilled from underneath it. I knocked twice and pushed it open when he said, “Come in.”He was at his desk, sleeves rolled up and glasses halfway down his nose. And he looked up at me immediately I stepped in.“Hey,” I said. “Hey.”“I’m ready,” He blinked. “For w
آخر تحديث: 2025-12-04
Chapter: Chapter 50Aria's povI watched the sleek black car rolled slowly down the driveway and out through the gates as it disappeared into the night. Rico's guest had finally left. I had been upstairs for the past hour pretending to read, but my eyes had kept drifting toward the door. Each minute had stretched agonisingly as I couldn't wait for him to finish. I stood from the bed before I could talk myself out of it, pressed my hands down my dress to smoothen it even though it didn’t need smoothing, and headed out of the study. The hallway felt strangely long and halfway through I almost turned back, but I forced myself to keep going.By the time I reached his office door, my palms were damp. Taking a deep breath, I lifted my hand and knocked twice, gently and a brief silence followed. “Come in.” He finally called. I pushed the door open first, peeked in. “Can I?”He looked up from the papers scattered across his desk. “Of course.”I stepped inside and closed the door carefully behind me.His of
آخر تحديث: 2025-12-04
Chapter: Chapter 49Aria's Pov.I didn’t want to stay upstairs and pretend I wasn’t hearing the low rumble of voices coming from Rico’s study. I didn't know who the third party was but I could definitely hear Dane. The three of them had been in there for almost an hour, and every time the house fell quiet, my stomach twisted and even though they weren't necessarily loud, I could tell it had to do with the case. “Okay,I need air” I said to myself and slipped out of the chair I had been trying to write. I went out into the hallway and down the stairs and out into the back garden. Immediately the cool breeze hit me, I was grateful I stepped out. In that moment, it felt like the only place in this house that wasn’t suffocating.I followed the path, dragging my fingers lightly over the hedge as I walked, the sound of the small fountain trickling somewhere behind me. I spotted a small stone bench tucked under one of the trees and decided to sat down and catch my breath. I closed my eyes for a moment and I le
آخر تحديث: 2025-12-04
Chapter: CHAPTER 48Ricos PovI barely slept and with the way Aria kept turning, I was sure she didn’t either. She drifted in and out, breathing unevenly and jerking awake every time she heard a door shut or someone’s footsteps in the hallway. And by the time the sun had risen fully, her eyes were swollen and red, and her fingers were still tangled with mine like she was afraid something would snatch me away if she let go.At eight-thirty, I got a call.“Hello, boss. There is a detective here for you,” Luca said from the hallway and Aria tensed immediately.I squeezed her hand. “You’re not doing this alone.”She nodded, but she looked like she was seconds away from getting sick.I helped her sit up and she pulled her knees close.“I can’t talk to strangers about this,” she whispered. “Rico, I can’t say those words again.”“You won’t,” I said. “Just answer what’s necessary and I’ll step in if it gets too heavy.”“But what if I freeze?”“You freeze, you stop and I will take over. I promised yout that, didn
آخر تحديث: 2025-12-04
Chapter: Chapter 47
Rico’s POVAria was sitting on the edge of the bed when I walked back into her room later that evening. The lights were dim and the curtains had been pulled down and she looked… tired. She had eye bags and wrinkles around her eyes and they weren't there before all of these. Her shoulders were stiff and her eyes distant as her fingers rubbed circles over her stomach.“You’re back early,” she murmured without looking up.“Yeah, I wanted to talk to you,” I said.That made her raise her head but her expression didn’t change even though I saw the hand still on her stomach like she was preparing for something heavy.I walked over and sat beside her and for a moment, I didn’t speak because I didn’t even know where to start from. Everything had been moving too fast around us and she was still trying to breathe through the trauma of what she’d seen so I had to be careful with my words.But if I didn’t say this now, I probably never would.“Aria…” My voice sounded rougher than I intended. “Th
آخر تحديث: 2025-12-04
Chapter: CHAPTER 46 Rico's Pov When I got back to the house, I contemplated checking on her but I didn't want to wake her. There was too much noise in my head and I needed to silence it so I went downstairs, poured myself a drink and sat there with it until it lost the cold feel and started getting warm in my hand.The night dragged and heavy, and every time I closed my eyes I saw Aria where I’d found her shaking, barely able to speak, covered in a kind of grief earlier. At five pm, I couldn't sit still any more so I went back upstairs to check on her. Luca stepped away from the wall when he saw me approaching the door. He didn’t say anything but his eyes flicked toward the handle like he was silently acknowledging that she was awake.I knocked once.“Come in.”Her voice sounded exhausted and I pushed the door open. She was curled up in the armchair by the window, her knees drawn up as far as the bump allowed and she was staring through the glass like it held answers. The sun was going down and the y
آخر تحديث: 2025-12-01
تسجيل الدخول
