Novels by Empress koko

“Because you’re my wife,” Ethan said.Maya’s eyes widened. That was it? She almost got killed by a stranger, and he answered her like he was simply saying ice is cold and fire is hot.“What… what do you—”But Ethan was already looking at her with that blank, unreadable expression he always wore.“You must be tired,” he said simply. “You should go to sleep.”“To… to sleep?” Maya stammered, confused.He raised a brow. “Oh? Did you want to do something else rather than sleep tonight?”Her cheeks flamed instantly. “No! I…I wasn’t saying…no!”Before she could gather her thoughts, a knock came on the door.“Come in,” Ethan said flatly.The butler entered quietly. He didn’t speak; he simply moved to Ethan and carefully lifted him to the bed.Once Ethan was lying perfectly straight, he spoke. “Leave.”The butler bowed and stepped out.Silence returned.Maya swallowed hard and walked to a seat beside his bed. Her fingers twisted together anxiously. She didn’t even know how to move properly.He

Maya stared at the man on the floor with wide eyes. Her heart drummed so hard she thought it would burst.Ethan reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and turned to the man who’d let Wilson in.“You. You’re fired,” Ethan said quietly.“Sir…please,” the man stammered, going on his knees.Ethan didn’t raise his voice. He turned to Xander. “Check if he’s been paid for the month.” Then paused before adding “He hasn’t even stayed a month.”Xander cleared his throat. “He…he worked eleven days, I think—”“Pay him for that. Then he leaves.” Ethan’s fingers tapped the screen of his phone.Xander exhaled. “You heard him. I’ll sort it and transfer the payment by this evening. “Please…give me another chance. I’ll never let a stranger in again.” The man pleaded.Ethan looked at him coldly. “Listen, Xander’s cousin’s friend’s brother’s neighbour: don’t speak to me. You’re fired. Leave.” He nodded toward the two men standing by. “Escort him out.”The man fled before they reached him, stumbl

As Maya sat in the back seat of the car, her fingers fidgeted nervously. The makeup felt like it was blocking all her pores, and the dress made it hard to breathe. Everything felt too overwhelming. Her heart raced, and her mind spun. Ethan’s best man drove silently, while Ethan sat in the shotgun seat.Did her mother know about this? Did she even consent? Why had she just let her go like this? Maya barely managed to think straight. She didn’t even know her way back home to the countryside. This city was huge. She took a shaky breath, trying to calm herself.The car finally came to a stop. The man glanced at her. “We’re here.”Maya nodded slowly. Her stomach formed knots as she opened the back seat door and stepped out. She kept fidgeting with the folds of her dress. She glanced up at the building in front of her, and her mouth hung open. It was massive, more grand than anything she had ever seen in her life.The best man moved to help Ethan out of the car, and Maya stared at the mans

Ethan opened the box. “Will you marry me, Maya Sterling?”Maya’s eyes widened as she froze on the spot. What? Just like that? Her heart began to race, beating so loudly in her chest she could barely hear anything else. Her mind went blank. Her lips parted, but no words came out.“I’ll take your silence as a yes,” he said calmly.That was when she noticed he had already moved himself closer, stopping right in front of her. Before she could even react, he slipped the ring on her finger.She just stared at it, the diamond sparkling under the light.“Be ready tomorrow,” he said simply, closing the box with a soft click.***Maya woke up to the shock of cold water splashing across her face and body. She gasped loudly, jolting upright as the icy chill made her shiver. The air in the room was just as cold, fanning her soaked clothes.She shivered, instinctively hugging herself as droplets rolled down her arms. She looked up to find Nelly standing by the bed with an empty bucket dangling fr

Maya held her burning cheek where Mrs. Sterling had slapped her. It felt hot, and she could swear it was red. Her fingers trembled as she pressed them against the sting, her eyes wide with disbelief.Mr. Sterling sighed in his seat. “That was too far, don’t you think?” he said quietly, glancing at his wife.Mrs. Sterling scoffed, flicking her hair back as though the matter was nothing. “Oh, please, darling you saw the way she spoke to me. Such insolence should be corrected.”She casually walked back to her seat, while Maya just stood there, still frozen, holding her cheek.Mrs. Sterling then turned toward Ethan, who had remained calm and silent through the entire scene.“Mr. Ashford,” she began sweetly, “I am so sorry for her uncouth behavior. You see, she’s from the countryside so she lacks manners, proper training, and basic social grace. I sincerely apologize for that.”Ethan didn’t respond. His expression didn’t change even a little. He simply dabbed his mouth with his napkin, as

Maya choked on her drink instantly. The liquid burned up her throat and out through her nose as she coughed uncontrollably, her face flushing red.Ethan’s expression didn’t change. He just gave a single glance to one of his men standing silently behind him. The man moved, poured a glass of water, and handed it to Maya. She took it with trembling hands, gulping it down between coughs.“Thank you,” she managed to whisper.Nelly rolled her eyes dramatically. “Seriously…” she muttered under her breath, crossing her arms.Mrs. Sterling cleared her throat and continued as though nothing had happened. “I know this sounds… sudden,” she began, smiling. “And you may be wondering about our reason for this change.”Ethan didn’t even look up, he simply swirled his wine, his expression unreadable.Mrs. Sterling went on. “You see, Nelly is still in college, in her final year. And juggling marriage and studies would be… very stressful for her. So we thought it best that Maya takes her place instead.