Novels by Glory James

CHAPTER EIGHT Between Two Brothers Annie’s POVMy heartbeat hadn’t slowed since the moment Grey’s mother said, we’re proud of both of you.Not him.Both of us.And then there was the lie I had let slip so effortlessly.Oh no, ma’am. I’ve known he owned ApexLux before now.God forbid.I don't know him as the owner until fifteen minutes ago.The air in the hall felt too thick, too warm, too crowded with curious glances and approving smiles. Every gaze that landed on me now wasn’t Annie, the event marketer from Pleasure Hills. No. It was Annie, Grey’s girlfriend… the supposed woman who had known his secrets for years.My lungs constricted.I needed air.I slipped away before anyone could ask another question. The hallway felt quieter, darker, cooler—like a hand had released its grip on my chest.I leaned against the wall, pressed my palm over my heart.God.What had I done?Why did I lie? Why did Grey not correct it? Why did his parents accept it so easily? An

CHAPTER SEVEN Behind the Billionaire’s CurtainAnnie’s POVGrey’s words still hung in the air, thick and heavy:“Dad, I’m not interested in becoming the new CEO.”The room froze. Glasses stopped mid-air. A faint murmur ran through the crowd, quickly suppressed by curiosity and confusion. Diaman’s jaw tightened, his face twitching with disbelief, and something else I couldn’t yet name.I squeezed Grey’s hand instinctively, feeling the calm pulse of certainty under his skin. He wasn’t rattled. Not one flicker of hesitation. Unlike Diaman, he wasn’t performing for approval—he owned this moment, this room, this life.Diaman’s voice broke the silence, sharp as glass.“So… what exactly have you been doing in London for three years, huh? Sitting on your laurels?”Grey didn’t flinch. He released my hand just enough to adjust his cuff, posture immaculate, jawline sharp in the soft chandelier light.“I’ve been building something,” he said casually, voice smooth, almost

CHAPTER SIX The Return Annie’s POVIt was 9 a.m., yet it felt earlier—like morning hadn’t fully made up its mind. Clothes went into my box in uneven, clumsy folds. I wasn’t packing; I was tearing through my things like someone trying to outrun a burning house.Everything I touched pulsed with memory.My perfume bottle—small enough to fit into a clutch but heavy enough to squeeze my chest.My sandals.The green dress I hadn’t even worn yet.Everything suddenly felt too bright, too loud, too fast.I should have been relaxing. Swimming. Breathing.Not tossing my whole life into a bag because I was suddenly flying into a world I didn’t belong to—Grey’s world. His parents. His people. A life I was supposed to pretend my face fit into.Matteo had said he wasn’t returning yet. I could go. He’d see me when he was done with his vacation. He only told me to be careful.But being careful wasn’t something I could feel. Not with the anger from Diaman’s message st

CHAPTER FIVE His Terms Annie's POV Sunlight spilled across the lounge, glinting off the polished marble floor like tiny stars. Guests murmured softly around me—quiet laughter, clinking glasses, the soft scrape of cutlery—but everything felt far away, muffled, like I was underwater.The faint scent of fresh citrus lingered in the air, mixed with polished wood and warm daylight. It should have been calming, but my stomach churned with nerves. My palms were cold, pressed flat against my thighs as I waited.Then he arrived.Grey walked in with the steady confidence of someone who never had to wonder if he belonged. His presence shifted the room. He sat across from me like he owned not just the chair, but the air between us. The calm, controlled aura around him made it feel like he had already rehearsed everything he was about to say—down to the exact moment he would inhale.“We need rules,” he said. His voice was steady, expression unreadable. “If this is going to work, it has to be fl

CHAPTER FOURThe DealAnnie's POV I stirred as the soft morning light streamed softly into my bedroom window. The sunlight brushed against the curtains in warm, lazy streaks, glowing across the bedroom walls like gold dust. The first thing I became aware of, was the soreness in my body, a deep pulsing reminder of last night. A reminder I couldn't escape even if I tried.The second?Grey wasn't here.I looked around my room as if expecting a note, a trace, anything… but there was nothing. My cheeks felt hot, and I could still feel the numb ache of my womanhood humming with traces of his touch, reminding me of how wild he was last night.Annie, you didn't come here for all this, I scolded myself. You came to heal.But it had happened, and there was no undoing it now.Besides… it's not like I'd ever see him again.A knock pulled me out of my thoughts.“Annie, it's me, Matteo.”I opened the door and let him in. He sat beside me crossing his arms in that dramatic, exaggerated way he alway

CHAPTER THREE Temptation Under The Moonlight Annie's POV Two days later–after the blur of airports and shuttles, and a mind too tired to think—the resort unfolded before me like a painting brought to life. It was around 9pm. The sky was dark yet glowing, lit up by shiny stars sprinkled across it and the moon so bright.The beach was wild tonight —loud music, shouting voices, laughter drifting everywhere. A full night party. Bonfires rose up like flames reaching the sky, surrounded by bodies dancing, taking pictures, drinking like they wanted the night to swallow them whole.The DJ blasted afrobeats and summer pop, the speakers shaking with bass so deep that I felt it vibrate in my chest.Matteo was already shaking his head to the beat, his curls bouncing like he had no care in the world. “You need this break, Annie,” he yelled over the music. “Just breathe and forget everything!” he tugged me into the crowd. We danced for a while, but soon enough he got carried away, and drifted in