STEP ASIDE EX-HUSBAND: THE RISE OF LIANA
They said she was lucky to have married him. He had wealth, charm, a name with legacy and other women warming his bed.
She was "just" a scholarship girl with a gentle voice and no background.
So when Liana Davids divorced and parted from Dominic Smith, the world snickered.
"She'll be back in no time," they taunted. "He's irreplaceable."
Even Dominic smiled, betting on her return to his board of directors.
But Liana never came back.
Liana didn't just disappear, when she returned, she came back like a ghost.
A masked tech mogul, business guru and a headline queen.
The wife they discarded returned as the woman no one could touch.
Now, whispers say she's looking for a father figure for her daughter.
Powerful men line up, begging for a taste of the empire she built. But Dominic thinks he is not through yet.
He corners her, seething: "Your baby is mine, isn't it?"
She lifts her head, eyes colder than frost.
"That's none of your business. Now step aside, ex-husband before I bury you."
Basahin
Chapter: Chapter 133Liana's PovI stood in front of the mirror, barely recognizing myself. The dress was pristine white, simple and yet lovely, its lace sleeves brushing against my arms as though they were trying to remind me that I was finally allowed to live in light. My hair had been pulled into soft curls that covered my face, and the veil was pinned with precision. Behind me, my mother took a deep breath and I immediately turned towards her. Her eyes were gleaming and her lips curved in a tremulous smile."You look lovely, my darling," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I am so proud of you. For everything you've done, everything you've suffered. You've carried more burdens than anyone should, and today, you get to set them down finally.".Her tears failed me and I began to cry. I moved closer, taking her hands, and for a moment I wasn't a woman about to be married, but a daughter being told she had lived.The door opened suddenly Serena's friendly face broke in on our fragile moment. She was my ch
Huling Na-update: 2025-08-23
Chapter: Chapter 132 Dominics PovI sat rigidly in the leather chair, my arms folded across my chest, staring at the wall behind my lawyer’s head. The room felt like a cage and the air smelled faintly of dust, and the buzzing of red bulb shining right into my skull like a constant reminder that I didn’t belong here.He had been talking for the past ten minutes, circling the same points over and over, and I knew where he was going before he even said it.“You have to accept this deal, Dominic,” he said, his voice clipped but calm. “If you don’t, you will spend the rest of your life in prison. I don’t say this to scare you, I say it because it’s fact.”My jaw clenched. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees, glaring at him. “No. I am not pleading for them ro readdress. I didn’t kill Elia. I won’t stand there and let them paint me as something I’m not.”“But your boys did. Focus Dominic that isn’t even the main point” he replied, sliding a paper across the desk toward me. The document looked harmle
Huling Na-update: 2025-08-22
Chapter: Chapter 131 Serena's PovThe loud crack of the gavel echoed through the courtroom causing me to freeze for a moment."Order!" the judge bellowed, eyes sweeping the room.My legs trembled, but I pushed myself forward. For a moment, the faces blurred, Liana looked stunned, Stanley's mouth dropped and Dominic scowled frozen in surprise. My heart pounded in my ears, but I forced myself to breathe. "Serena?" Liana's voice cracked, incredulity and fear twisted in them. "What are you doing here?"I steadied myself on the back of the wooden chair before me. "Don't worry," I said, attempting to sound as composed as possible. "I've got this."The other lawyer sprang up immediately, his finger pointing at me as if I were a threat. "Your Honor, this is highly wrong! This lady does not belong here, she's unstable and unfit to testify."His words hurt, but I stood my ground.The judge's gaze landed on me, ominous and interrogative. "Ms. Serena… the court has been informed of your medical condition. Why are yo
Huling Na-update: 2025-08-22
Chapter: Chapter 130 Serena's PovI woke up with a heavy feeling in my chest.Not the type you shake off with a stretch or a yawn, but the type that clings to you like wet clothing, heavy and oppressive. My head throbbed but I managed to open my eyes.I slapped my hand against my temple and groaned. The room was too bright, the air too still everything was strangely disturbing. I shoved my legs off the bed and sat up. My throat was dry and my body was heavy, as if I hadn't slept in weeks. Fact was… I barely had. The night had been restless, my mind reliving pieces of thoughts that refused to come together. Today is the final hearing and my mind and peace had suddenly become sworn enemies. Caffeine. I needed caffeine desperately. So I pulled myself out of the room, running to the stairs. My bare feet pounded on the wood floor, my eyes half squinted and my mind already imagining the bitter taste of coffee. I held on to the railing, horridly running down the stairs in desperation. And then suddenly, the s
Huling Na-update: 2025-08-20
Chapter: Chapter 129 Liana's PovEveryone was gathered in my Z core office. The tension was palpable from the moment we all sat and the round table looked too small to handle what we were about to discuss. Stanley sat beside me, near enough that I could feel his arm brush against mine from time to time. Serena sat quietly, her hands folded in her lap, her face white but calm. My mother sat across from us, and the attorneys spread papers out in front of them, their glasses glinting in the light from above.Finally, Walter cleared his throat. "I know this is intimidating, Liana," he said gently, his voice carrying the kind of weight you could not ignore. "But I want you to remember that truth has a way of always emerging. What you are doing here is not only for you but for your daughter."I nodded in spite of the constriction in my throat."We've been through everything," another lawyer said as he tapped the papers. "The only missing link is evidence directly connected to Elia Torres. We also know he hit Se
Huling Na-update: 2025-08-19
Chapter: Chapter 128 Liana's PovI woke up to the soft clinking of a tray being placed on my nightstand. I could smell the scent of tea and buttered toast wafting in the air before I even opened my eyes. When I finally blushed into consciousness in the light of day, the first thing I saw was my mother leaning over me, her eyes wide with worried silence."Good morning, sweetie," she whispered softly, as though she didn't want to rouse me.But the moment I moved my head, a searing pain exploded behind my temples. I twitched and shut my eyes again. My head folded in as it banged like a drum."Migraine," my mother said softly, not even questioning. She knew, of course, she did. "I'm fine," I lied, though my voice was strained. I tried to push myself up, but the motion sent another spiral of agony through my head."Don't," she whispered softly, setting her hand against my shoulder. "Just lie back and rest.”She got up and reached for the small medicine bottle on the table and pushed two pills into my palm. "T
Huling Na-update: 2025-08-18
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.
Basahin
Chapter: Chapter 100 : The Silence There was silence in the apartment surrounded by the peaceful luxury of a Saturday morning. Slowly, Annabel awoke to soft, diffused light coming through her curtains. She stretched her muscles, still slightly tense from the previous night. The man downstairs was her first thought. She rolled out of bed and stepped onto the cool familiar floor. She wore jeans and a basic t-shirt and she pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail. At the top of the stairs, she stopped and inhaled deeply. She went down the short set of stairs. She was greeted by the heady aroma of sizzling bacon and coffee. She went to the kitchen and found Fred. As usual.Standing by the stove, he was flipping pancakes with a deliberate practiced motion. He had dark sweatpants and a gray hoodie on and his hair was a little wet from a recent shower. He looked grounded, solid and entirely different from the terrified man who had run from her room just hours before. She moved toward the counter. “Good morning.” Sh
Huling Na-update: 2025-09-25
Chapter: Chapter 99 : The Vague space Annabel was lying in bed with the heavy comforter pulled up to her chin but it didn't make her feel any better. In the quiet darkness, her mind was restless and sharp. She saw a replay of the recent events instead of plaster when she looked up at the ceiling. She caught a glimpse of Fred's face. A few inches off. His eyes had been the entire world in the abrupt, excruciating moment of her awakening and the moonlight had etched the sharp planes of his jaw and cheekbones. He was wide dark and displaying an emotion she had never seen him display before. There was no denying that it had been intense and pure yearning. She turned over on her side and punched the pillow several times. A slow, warm seep of certainty filled her stomach as she realized “He was going to kiss me.”When their eyes locked, there was no other reason why he had been positioned that way, why he had frozen, why his breath had faltered. Wiping something off her face was his weak excuse, a last-minute awkward at
Huling Na-update: 2025-09-25
Chapter: Chapter 98 : A different feeling Annabel opened her eyes a little. There was a glimmer of moonlight to break the darkness of the room. She blinked and as her eyesight gradually improved a face emerged. Fred. With his face a landscape of exquisite sharp shadows, he stood inches away from her. His wide eyes conveyed a mixture of surprise and an unidentified emotion. A humming and stretching silence pervaded the air. Her thoughts were a sleepy haze as she simply gazed at him. Then he drew back after a long moment. He stood up straight making slow methodical movements as he backed away. He made a nervous motion she recognized—running a hand through his hair. “I just wanted to wipe something off your face.” He said awkwardly.His voice was a low murmur.With the last remnants of sleep clinging to her, Annabel rubbed her eyes. Her head felt hazy. As she surveyed her room, the specifics gradually returned to her attention. The pictures, the bookshelf and the easel. The mattress had been pulled up to her chin as she
Huling Na-update: 2025-09-24
Chapter: Chapter 97 : A distinct type of dreamWhen Annabel got out of the car, the cool night air pricked her skin. She had a sweet drowsiness that clung to her and her limbs felt heavy. Fred's hand was there to steady her arm as she staggered a little still half asleep. “You alright?” he asked “Yes,” she said in a quiet whisper. “I'm just exhausted.”As they made their way to the entrance of their building, he continued to place a soft hand on her back.In addition to the familiar smell of the hallway—a blend of clean air and old brick—the quiet hum of the city was a faraway lullaby. After a gentle chime, the elevator doors opened and they entered. There was a blanket-like quietness throughout the ascent. She was already on her way to the couch when the doors opened. “Annabel,” Fred called. She sank onto the soft cushions, barely paying attention to his voice. Her bag fell to the ground from her lap. The last thing she remembered was how nice the couch felt and the rest of the world was a cozy gentle blur. Fred watched
Huling Na-update: 2025-09-24
Chapter: Chapter 96 : A Quiet Observation The world outside Annabel's office had faded into a far-off hum as she was absorbed in her work. A thousand tiny stars against the twilight sky, the city lights started to turn on one by one after the sun had long since set. Her office was now a cozy bright area against the fading scenery as the final orange ray of light vanished from the horizon. Her focus had been on the homepage layouts final design. The dance of colors, fonts and images captivated her mind as her stylus moved with a practiced ease. A tiny contented smile appeared on her lips as she completed a new section, a crisp contemporary layout that flawlessly reflected the business's new look. With her mind still racing with ideas, she stretched her arms above her head while leaning back in her chair. She was unaware of the late hour until she checked the clock on her computer. It was 10:47 p. m. She had forgotten the hours. She felt a slight panic. She had assured Fred that she wouldn't be late or at the very leas
Huling Na-update: 2025-09-23
Chapter: Chapter 95 : A New Rhythm As she walked out of Jude's office, Annabel felt a sense of purpose as the new title of partner weighed heavily on her. Her stride had changed and she now walked with confidence on the smooth marble floor. Outside, the city that had once been a bewildering overwhelming labyrinth seemed to hum with a common goal. In this place people built things, had dreams and realized those dreams. She was now a part of that. The elevator’s numbers flashed by as she descended to her floor resembling road signs. Her office's soft hum was a pleasant sound as the doors opened. It was her own world, a blank canvas. The cool leather of her chair was a familiar comfort as she sank back into it. On her desk, her laptop remained open, its screen a glowing canvas. The blinking cursor was still waiting for her to come back. The cool smooth metal of her stylus felt good against her fingertips as she picked it up. As she gazed at the tablet’s blank page, a profound sense of joy spread throughout her ch
Huling Na-update: 2025-09-23
Crown and Consequences- Falling for the hunted billionaire
"They say the rich live beyond consequence. That no one bleeds behind a billion-dollar smile. They've clearly never met Rico Zane."
Aria Lane didn't mean to sleep with a total stranger. Especially not the battered, bleeding man she pulled in off the sidewalk outside of an elite Manhattan nightclub. He had haunted eyes and a tempest brewing behind them. They had one night of weakness. One unforgettable mistake. And by morning, he'd vanished.
Months later, she's now pregnant and swimming in secrets, Aria's life takes another sharp turn when stumbles into the father of her child again. This time, he's not bleeding in the shadows, he's standing in light and power. Rico Zane is not just anyone. He's the cold, brilliant CEO of Zane Industries. A billionaire who built a dynasty from the ruins of treachery and smashes anyone who gets in his path. And Aria? She's unfortunately the daughter of the one man who tried to ruin his family.
To make matters more complicated, Rico's brother, who was presumed dead for years, returns to take the company and exact revenge on a past Aria is tied to by blood. While corporate wars rage and enemies loom in designer suits, Aria is swept up in a war of secrets, seduction, and strategy. She's both a pawn and a prize in a game of power where love is a liability… and trust a slow poison.
Now forced into Rico's dangerous world for the sake of her unborn child, Aria must make a decision: does she stay with the man who sees her as both his weakness and his salvation? Or does she become the woman capable of rewriting her fate one secret at a time?
Basahin
Chapter: CHAPTER FOUR Aria's POVAs much as I felt the adrenaline rush, I didn't go in right away. In all honesty, I was scared. Scared that there might be someone in there, waiting. I just stood there, immobile on the porch, staring at the open edge of my front door hanging. My keys were sgaking in my hand as I held them out, using the toe of my sneaker to push the door inward. The squeak of metal echoed louder than it ought to have and before I even stepped in, I came face to face with the havoc that had been done. Drawers were yanked out of their cabinets and tossed to the ground. Couch cushions overturned and my bookshelf turned over, paperbacks onto the tile. The scent of my vanilla candle still lingered, revoltingly sweet in the midst of the chaos.But it was what turned my stomach to knots and ties that wasn't the mess. And I rummaged through the mess, I realised a folder was missing. It was my hospital folder. It contained my ultrasound photos, clinic appointments, and blood work. EtcAnd it was
Huling Na-update: 2025-07-24
Chapter: CHAPTER THREE Aria's POVI felt his eyes bore into my spine even as I automatically wheeled around, grabbed my jacket and bag and almost pushed a confused waiter. I ran into the sidewalk in a sprint, my sneakers hitting the pavement mercilessly. My heart pounded over my footsteps. I heard him once, yelling after me. His voice deep and commanding. Oh, that voice. But I did not slow down. With the extra weight I now had, I tried to run faster but it wasn't possible. A block away, a hand grasped my arm and spun me around.I panted, fighting hard. "Let me go!""Woman," he growled, steel-gray eyes icy and cold. "We need to talk."I fought again, but his grip only tightened. "Let go of me or I scream!""You really want to cause a scene here?"“Try me.”“Why did you run off the moment you saw me?”Because I didn't want to see your ugly face. Can I go now?” He froze, short of words and then slowly, his eyes travelled to my stomach "Don't lie to me," he cut in, voice low and cold. "Is that my child?”I s
Huling Na-update: 2025-07-24
Chapter: CHAPTER TWO I stared at them as though if I blinked hard enough they would disappear, fade into an illusion, or vanish back into nothing but they didn't. They stayed, smug on the plastic stick in my trembling hand. Unwavering. Positive.I breathed. It was shaky and I felt empty. My heart pounded so loud it covered everything else- the whine of the broken bathroom fan, the traffic on the city streets in the distance, the soft thrum of my own thoughts… everything.I was pregnant. I laughed. One of those quiet, bitter laughs that were alien and deep.How? Oh who was I kidding? I knew how.One night. One stupid, hot, beautiful mistake. But it wasn't supposed to follow me. It wasn't supposed to cling to my insides like a secret I couldn't keep.I dropped the test in the sink. The sound it made was too definitive. My knees gave way beneath me and I fell across the edge of the tub and looked down at the cracked tile below me. The air clung heavy, stickily sticking to me like guilt and my throat burned
Huling Na-update: 2025-07-24
Chapter: CHAPTER ONE Aria's POVI saved a stranger from death and in return, he vanished with my heart and left me with his heir.It started like a mistake I wasn't supposed to make.It was supposed to be a typical night except that it wasn't. I had my headphones plugged in, hoodie up, and my mind set on the leftover sesame noodles in my freezer. The streets were too empty for a normal Manhattan street and maybe that was why I noticed him. Maybe that was why fate wouldn't let me walk.He was bent over in the alley, half-hidden in shadows and bleeding into the bricks like he was part of the night. I thought he was a corpse at first and I froze at the spot. My first impulse was to run but then he suddenly groaned. It was faint but enough to know he was alive and struggling. Everything within me screamed to simply turn a blind eye and walk away but I couldn't. As I stepped closer and my eyes adjusted to the darkness, something in his eyes pulled me in. They were glinting under the glow of a flickering stre
Huling Na-update: 2025-07-24
Chapter: Chapter : 15 Madam Estelle's Plans Madam Estelle povI sat at the long dining table, my back straight, my fingers resting lightly on the edge of my plate. The girl, Alina, moved about nervously, carrying bowls and dishes as if she wanted to impress me. Her hands shook a little when she set a bowl in front of me. She stood too careful, too eager, like a servant waiting for praise.I picked up my spoon without a word. I dipped it into the food and lifted it to my mouth. The taste surprised me. It was good, too good. The flavors were rich and soft on my tongue, better than I expected. I almost wanted to eat more, but I stopped myself. I could never let her see me pleased.I forced my face to remain hard. I made a sound in my throat, sharp and full of disgust. I dropped the spoon back onto the plate with a loud clatter that echoed across the room.“This food is unfit for humans,” I said in a cold voice.Sebastian, sitting across from me, lifted his head. His eyes met mine for a moment, but he did not speak. He only studied
Huling Na-update: 2025-08-20
Chapter: Chapter 14 : Return of Madam Estelle I reached home with a painful heart and the house, I quickly went and dropped my bag in my room and walked back to the sitting room as I paced around the sitting room. My hands shook and my mind was only on him.Minutes felt like hours until I heard the sound of the main door and I turned quickly.Sebastian walked in.And in his arms was Leo.“Leo!” I cried out and rushed to him.“Mommy!” Leo’s little voice broke into my chest like warm light. He jumped from Sebastian’s arms and ran to me.I dropped to my knees and quickly opened my arms wide. He fell into me, and I hugged him so tight that my tears wet his hair. I kept kissing his face again and again.“My baby… my baby…” I whispered, and I held him like I would never let go.Leo laughed softly and touched my cheek. “Mommy, don’t cry. I’m okay.”I nodded and held him tighter. “I missed you. I missed you so much.”At that moment, I felt something strange and I looked up. Sebastian was standing near the door, watching us. His face was
Huling Na-update: 2025-08-19
Chapter: Chapter 13 : Unreasonable Questions After work, I walked behind Sebastian as he went into his office.He did not walk slowly, he did not walk lightly. It looked almost like he was dragging the whole world with him, and the world was too heavy to carry.When we entered, the room felt quiet, but the quiet was not soft. It was the kind of quiet that made my heart beat louder in my own ears.Sebastian’s face was stiff, like stone. It did not bend, it did not change, it did not show any sign of rest. No smile, no kindness, not even a small softness. His jaw was tight, and his eyes were dark, as if they belonged to someone far away.Without a word, he pulled off his jacket. He did not fold it. He did not place it gently. He just threw it down on the chair, like the jacket meant nothing. The sound of it falling made me blink, because in that silence, even a soft thud felt loud.Then he sat down. His back was straight, his shoulders still hard. He leaned a little forward, his eyes dropping to the papers that lay on the desk. Hi
Huling Na-update: 2025-08-18
Chapter: Chapter 12 : The Return of Lila My phone shook in my hand and the screen lit up. The name there made my chest squeezed tight.Lila.I froze and my fingers turned weak, my breath felt stuck in my throat. Why is she calling me now? After all this time?I looked around the office and Claire sat at her desk, her hands moved on the keyboard, but her eyes were on me. Watching. She always watched. I pressed the phone against my chest and whispered, “Not here… please not here.”But I couldn’t stop myself. I pressed the green button and brought it to my ear. My voice shook when I said. “Hello?”Her voice came through at once and it was soft and sweet, like honey dripping, but it cut into me. “Alina, dear cousin. It had been too long.”I gripped the phone so hard that my hand hurts. “What do you want, Lila?”She laughed, lit and cruel. “Is that how you greet family? Come meet me. A cafe near your office. You know the one. I will be waiting.”The line went dead there and I was shocked how she got to know my office, the job I ju
Huling Na-update: 2025-08-17
Chapter: Chapter 11 : cornered Sebastian’s fingers turned the small flash drive slowly, it was like he was playing with it.Like he already knew everything.My heart banged in my chest and closed the door behind me.“Where did you get this?” His voice was low, and dangerous.I forced myself to breathe. “It’s not mine.”He tilted his head, and his eyes narrowed. “Really? Then why did I just see you walking in here holding it?”I shook my head. “I wasn’t…”“Don’t lie to me, Alina.” His voice cut through the room like a knife.I stepped back without meaning to. “I found it outside.”He took a slow step toward me. “Outside? On the street? Or from someone who wants to see you destroy yourself?”“I don’t know what’s on it,” I said quickly. “I didn’t even look.”“Of course you didn’t,” he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “But you still took it. You still brought it into my house.”“I wasn’t…”“Enough.” He threw the flash drive onto the desk with a sharp clatter. “I will ask you one more time. Who gave you this?”I s
Huling Na-update: 2025-08-15
Chapter: CHAPTER 10 : A Twist of Cruelty I was still holding the card in my hand when I heard voices in the hallway. Sebastian was calling and the door to my room was open just a little.And I heard the voices, his voice and the one echoing from his phone through the gap in my door.“She will not leave,” he said. His voice was calm, like he was stating some facts.Another man laughed softly. “And if she tries?”Sebastian’s voice changed totally, like the man said something that hurt him.“I will win custody of Leo and she will never ever set her eyes on him again.”My fingers held the card so hard that it even bent more in my hands and I could feel my nails pressed into the paper.My chest was tight, it was like something that was heavily pressed on it.The other man said, “You sound sure.”Sebastian answered right away.“I have more power than she thinks.”And then I heard the faint sound of shoes on the floor as he walked away.Their voices grew quieter until I couldn't hear them anymore.__I pushed the door closed very
Huling Na-update: 2025-08-13
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