Novels by adaezestephen21

Celine’s POVLucien only wants me at night — or whenever he’s in the mood for sex. That’s what I’ve been telling myself these past three nights. Today, however, was different. It was the first morning I woke up to find him still in bed beside me, his arm draped over my waist, his breath warm against my neck. Even when I tried to move, his grip tightened around me, making it impossible.He looked so peaceful, so utterly gorgeous when he slept.My heart is racing again, not because our bare bodies were pressed together, but because for a fleeting moment, I almost wanted to believe it was real. That this life, this touch, this man… belonged to me. That he was truly my husband and I was truly his wife.I really wanted to believe this was my reality, this part where we’re both in each other's arms. But I knew better.There’s no love-hate relationship between us like I once thought. Just him. And what he wants.“If you have something to say, say it,” his voice is raspy but clear. “Otherwise

Celine’s POVI’ve come to understand that there’s a love-hate relationship between Celeste and Lucien. One minute he’s all over me, and the next, he can’t stand me. I only confirmed it when he decided he had to humiliate me in front of his family.The Devereux estate looked like something out of a gothic dream—extravagant, breathtaking, almost unreal. The estate was a masterpiece of shadows and light—high, vaulted ceilings adorned with intricate chandeliers, tall windows draped in heavy velvet, and a few solemn ancestral portraits lining the walls. Every inch of the place whispered old money and power—the kind that made you feel small even when you stood tall.I did my best to mask my awe; my sister must have been here a dozen times and would have blended in as if it were her own. But damn, these people were swimming in opulence.Lucien walked beside me, his hand resting lightly at my lower back—a small gesture that felt anything but. To anyone watching, we were the perfect couple. I

Celine’s POVI woke up the next morning feeling like I’d been dropped from a five-story building—and then run over by a train. My body ached so badly that I wondered if last night had been my first ever night with a man. But it wasn’t that. Lucien was simply a monster.Water ran in the adjoining bathroom, and the sound made my stomach tighten. He was still here. Just then, the water stopped, and he walked out with a towel wrapped around the lower part of his waist. I couldn’t take my eyes off him, not even for a second.He looked unearthly, almost glistening as the rays of light from the windows danced across his hard body. I forced my eyes to his face as he dried his hair with the towel, muscles flexing with every movement.My mouth went dry when his cold grey eyes met mine. I quickly looked away and pretended to still be asleep.“We’ll be going to the estate tonight for a family dinner. Be ready,” he said. I pursed my lips and sat up slowly.“I understand,” I murmured, pulling the s

Celine’s POVThe ring on my finger didn’t belong to me.My pulse thudded beneath layers of lace and silk as the priest’s voice echoed through the cathedral. Every eye in the pews was fixed on me—or rather, on the woman they thought I was.Celeste Ward.The perfect bride.I forced a smile as the veil blurred my vision. My father’s words replayed in my head: You’ll wear her ring. You’ll walk down that aisle. No one will know.And when I had asked, “And if they do?”He’d looked so sure of himself when he replied, “You’ll make sure they don’t.”Across from me, Lucien Devereux stood as still as carved marble—tailored black suit, cold eyes, a face that gave nothing away. He was the most breathtaking man I’d ever seen, with dark, clever eyes that made my nerves fray and my heart race. When he finally lifted his gaze to mine, my breath turned uneven, and I was suddenly thankful for the veil hiding my face.Did he know? Could he tell I wasn’t her?“Do you, Celeste Ward, take Lucien Devereux…”

Celine’s POV If I’d known my sister would vanish three nights before her wedding—and that by morning I’d be wearing her ring—I never would have answered the call.“Come home now, Celine.”My mother’s voice trembled through the line, thin and shaky, as if it had to fight its way through static. “Your sister… she’s gone.”I froze, the phone pressed tight against my ear as the words sank in. Celeste doesn’t vanish. Celeste basks in attention—she lives for eyes on her, thrives under every spotlight. She wants it all, and she always gets it.But not this time.What happened to Celeste?The line went dead before I could answer.My mother had never been good at staying on the phone when things went wrong; she preferred to drop the bomb and hang up before the fallout hit her.Three hours later, I was standing in front of the Ward mansion, staring up at the house that had stopped feeling like home the day they told me to leave. The windows still glowed with that soft, golden light that made e