Novels by Alessia

When we walked into the room, Vivian was already sitting there, legs crossed across each other. She smiled when her eyes fell on me and an even wider smile when she saw the tall and handsome specimen standing behind me.“I didn't know you were going to take it this far" she said in a low voice, “There's no way Nathan's ego is going to take this. He's much finer than Nathan will ever be" Although she was right, I refused to dabble in the idea. This was to teach the other man a lesson, nothing more than that. “Are the lawyers here?" On second thought I had told Julian I needed a full clad contract to hold us together. Just in case he decided to play games with me and for his protection as well, so I didn't just go back on my words. He had agreed readily. Behind me, he stood with his hands folded in front of him. “This way" Vivian led us through the small room to the open conference room on the other side. Two lawyers sat there, clad in black that shone with an aura of wealth from t

I reached the master suite, grabbed the brass handle, and threw the door wide open.The sight inside rendered me paralyzed.Nathan was reclined against the silk pillows, fully stripped to his waist, while two stunning, half-dressed women draped themselves across his chest and lap. Empty champagne bottles littered the antique nightstands.All three of them whipped their heads toward the door.Nathan didn't even flinch. A slow, razor-thin smirk spread across his face. He casually slid a heavy arm around the waist of the brunette beside him, his eyes dancing with cruel amusement.“Audrey,” he drawled, his voice thick with alcohol. “Meet the newest additions to our open arrangement. I figured I’d start early.”My throat locked up. A cold sweat broke out along the nape of my neck, and for three agonizing seconds, my vision blurred with red hot rage. My heart hammered against my ribs so violently I could feel it in my teeth.Then, like a switch flipping in my mind, Vivian’s voice cut throug

Before I realized it, the sky outside my floor-to-ceiling windows had turned a bruised violet. The glowing clock on my desk read exactly 6:00 p.m.I packed up my laptop, grabbed my leather handbag, and crossed the room. Just as my fingers reached for the brass handle, the door swung open from the outside. Julian stepped in, bringing with him a faint scent of cedarwood and crisp linen, and gently clicked the door shut behind him.“Mrs. Hayes, I was just coming to remind you that the executive floor is closing,” he said, glancing down at the silver timepiece on his wrist before locking his dark eyes back onto mine. “You also have the preliminary audit meeting with the board at eight tomorrow morning.”“Thank you, Mr. Vance. I’ll go over the risk projections tonight.” I reached past him to turn the heavy brass doorknob.It didn't budge.I twisted it harder, putting my weight into it, but the handle remained deadlocked. My jaw tightened.“Is there a problem, Mrs. Hayes?” Julian stepped cl

The blinding glare of the morning sun reflected through the floor-to-ceiling windows pulled me awake. I blinked against the brightness, a sharp pain shooting through my temples as a dull, thumping ache settled right behind my eyes. I groaned, reaching out blindly with a stiff arm for my phone on the glass side table.The glowing screen read 10:14 AM.My heart instantly dropped into my stomach, dropping like lead. "Shit!"I bolted upright so fast my head spun, a sudden wave of dizziness making the room tilt. Vivian was still fast asleep under a plush throw blanket nearby, completely undisturbed. Throwing off the covers, I hurried into her guest bathroom, splashing freezing cold water onto my face to wash away the dried tears and soothe my swollen eyelids. I pulled on an off-white, two-piece tailored suit I borrowed from her closet. The fabric was crisp, fitting snugly across my shoulders and pulling my posture upright whether I wanted it to or not.Fifteen minutes later, my knuckles w

“You’re unbelievable.” A bitter, broken laugh escaped my chest as hot tears finally spilled over my lashes, blurring the sight of him. “Are you even listening to yourself? The great billionaire Nathan Hayes wants an open marriage just so he can parade his escorts without consequences.”My lips curled into a disdainful smile, though my hands trembled so violently at my sides that my nails bit deep into my palms, the sharp bite of pain doing nothing to ground the sickening spin of the room.“Audrey!” Nathan roared. His jaw clenched, a thick muscle pulsing dangerously under his smooth skin as his dark eyes flashed with warning. The sheer volume of his voice vibrated in my sternum, making my throat tighten so hard I could barely draw air.“Don’t you dare raise your voice at me!” I shot back, pointing a trembling, accuseful finger straight at his chest. Blood rushed to my face, and my eyes watered, while the rest of my body felt utterly numb. “You lost the right to speak my name the second

The first sign that something was wrong wasn’t the red lipstick on his collar. It was the silence.I stepped out of my sports car and paused on the wide stone driveway. Usually, the three-story marble mansion was humming with life. I should have heard the staff polishing the grand foyer, low classical music filtering from the garden speakers, or Nathan’s deep voice echoing down the hall as he closed another million-dollar deal.Tonight, there was nothing.I checked the glowing screen of my phone. Exactly 8:00 p.m.My eyebrows pulled together. I looked toward the private garage and spotted Nathan’s custom sleek black Ferrari. Why was he home? He had told me his board meeting would run until ten.I had spent the afternoon planning a quiet, high-end catered dinner, hoping to fix the cold distance that had grown between us over the last year. I had trusted his word.I pushed open the heavy mahogany front door. It swung back with a quiet click. Sighing, I tossed my designer shopping bags o