Craved By My Husband's Best Friend
Marissa was the perfect wife. She gave up her high powered corporate career to build a beautiful life supporting her husband, Ethan—home cooked meals, a curated home, and unwavering loyalty. But her world shatters when Ethan confesses to a four-month affair, not out of guilt, but because his mistress is blackmailing him for $300 million.
His solution is as cold as his betrayal: “Cheat back. Get even. Stay married.”
Fueled by rage and humiliation, Marissa agrees. Determined to reclaim her power, she steps into the night seeking one reckless moment to erase the sting of his betrayal. It leads her to an exclusive masquerade club, where identities are hidden and desire rules. Behind a mask, she meets a commanding stranger—mysterious, intoxicating, and unlike anyone she has ever known.
For one night, he sees her not as a wife, but as a woman with fire still burning inside her. Their connection is intense, unforgettable. By morning, Marissa disappears, intending to leave it as nothing more than a calculated act of revenge.
But some secrets refuse to stay buried.
When she returns to the corporate world, Marissa comes face to face with the man behind the mask....Xavier Sterling, her former boss, a ruthless billionaire CEO… and Ethan’s best friend.
Xavier recognizes her. He knows her in ways no one else does and he knows exactly what Ethan did.
Now, Marissa is trapped in a dangerous web. Her husband is desperate to keep her, his mistress wants her gone, and Xavier is determined to claim the one woman he was never meant to touch.
As power, betrayal, and desire collide, Marissa must decide....will she remain a pawn in their game or become the one who controls it?
قراءة
Chapter: 28. I DeclineXavier POVThe luxury sedan glided away from Marissa’s driveway, the quiet hum of the engine doing nothing to soothe the sudden restlessness in my chest. I stared at the silver mask resting on the leather seat beside me. For a few hours, I had been just a man catching the breath of a woman who challenged me. But the moment the car turned onto the main highway, reality slammed back into place.My personal phone buzzed in my pocket. I didn't even need to look at the screen to know who it was.The Chairman. My father.I let it ring, throwing the device onto the seat next to the mask. He had called four times today. My mother had called three. I had ignored every single one of them, burying myself in Sterling Holdings' quarterly financials and the intoxicating distraction of Marissa’s blue eyes. I don't have the patience for family politics right now.But a second later, my corporate phone flashed. This time, it was Charles, my newly appointed male secretary. I slid the Bluetooth earpiec
آخر تحديث: 2026-05-21
Chapter: 27. Classic ChoiceXavier POV Marissa froze. Her eyes widened slightly, and a gorgeous, heavy flush immediately crept up her neck, coloring her cheeks a brilliant shade of crimson. She quickly looked down, smoothing out the fabric of her emerald dress to hide her shaking fingers.Did she suspect? I wondered, a thrill of danger racing through my veins. Did she connect the dots to the office this morning?"It's a classic choice," she managed to say, her voice smooth as glass, completely recovering her outer poise."I didn't realize you paid such close attention to detail.""I pay attention to everything that matters," I responded smoothly as the car glided to a halt in front of Le Petit Oiseau.The dinner was a masterful dance of deception and desire. We were ushered past the crowded main floor straight to the private, velvet draped booth Julian had secured. As the waiter poured two glasses of an incredibly vintage red wine, I watched her relax, her movements graceful and fluid."This place is beautiful,
آخر تحديث: 2026-05-21
Chapter: 26. DinnerXavier POVA sharp knock at the door broke my concentration. I slipped my phone back into my pocket just as Charles, my executive secretary, stepped into the room. Charles was a meticulous man in his early thirties, always dressed in an impeccably pressed charcoal suit, holding a tablet like it was an extension of his own arm."Mr. Sterling," Julian began, his voice crisp and devoid of any emotion."Your schedule for the rest of the day is locked in. You have the quarterly financial review with the department heads at eleven, followed by a working lunch with the board of directors. At three, you have the final sign off on the luxury jewelry pavilion blueprints, and at five, the legal team needs you for the compliance brief."I walked back behind my desk and threw myself into my leather chair. "Clear anything after six."Julian paused, his fingers hovering over the tablet screen. He blinked, a rare crack in his professional facade showing. "Sir? You have a tentative dinner meeting wit
آخر تحديث: 2026-05-21
Chapter: 225. 𝙀𝙑𝙀𝙍Xavier POVI sat at the expansive mahogany desk in my study, the glow from my laptop screen casting sharp shadows across the room. It was nearly 3:00 AM, but sleep was a luxury I had long discarded. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, eyes fixed on the digital chat window that had consumed my entire evening.𝘔𝘦: 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 35 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘡𝘢𝘪𝘬𝘢.𝘔𝘦: 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘸.𝘔𝘦: 𝘛𝘸𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱... 𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳I leaned back, a dark, self deprecating smile pulling at my lips. If any of the shareholders or board members at Sterling Holdings could see me right now, they would think I’d lost my mind.The ruthless, untouchable Xavier Sterling, reduced to counting the minutes between unread messages from a woman he’d met in the hazy, tequila sc
آخر تحديث: 2026-05-21
Chapter: 24. Le Petit OiseauMarissa POV "Ah Nothing is bothering me. Vanilla and Sander wood is a classic choice," I managed to say, my voice smooth as glass. "I didn't realize you paid such close attention to detail.""I pay attention to everything that matters," he responded smoothly as the car glided to a halt.The driver opened the door, and I stepped out onto the polished pavement of Le Petit Oiseau. The restaurant was stunning. Gas lanterns flickered outside, and a grand crystal chandelier cast a golden glow through the massive glass front. The hostess immediately bowed when she saw my companion, ushering us past the crowded main floor straight to a private, secluded booth hidden behind velvet drapes.Once we were seated and the waiter had poured two glasses of an incredibly vintage red wine, I finally let myself relax a little."This place is beautiful," I noted, taking a delicate sip of the wine. "I hear reservations are nearly impossible to get.""For some, perhaps," he said, swirling the dark liquid
آخر تحديث: 2026-05-21
Chapter: 23. Vanilla And SanderwoodMarissa POVI stood in front of the full length mirror, taking a slow, steadying breath as I smoothed down the fabric of my dress. I had chosen a deep emerald silk midi dress elegant, sophisticated, and entirely different from the corporate armor I had worn earlier today. I paired it with gold strappy heels and let my hair fall in soft, polished waves around my shoulders. A swipe of nude lipstick completed the look.I looked expensive. I looked like a woman who was taking control of her life, not a wife hiding from the ruins of her marriage.Checking my phone, the digital clock read 9:52 PM. Eight minutes.My heart did a nervous little flutter against my ribs. I grabbed my clutch, slipped my phone inside, and walked toward my bedroom door. The real challenge wasn't just the mysterious billionaire waiting for me outside.. it was the ghost currently occupying my downstairs.I unlocked the door as quietly as possible and padded down the stairs. The house was dimly lit, the soft glow fr
آخر تحديث: 2026-05-21
Chapter: 41. Stand DownIVORY POVThe ride went on for hours and hours, stretching on and on until the constant motion felt like a punishment.Just when I thought the nightmare had to be over, the driver Marco happily announced from the front seat that we had only just covered half of the journey.That was the breaking point for my body.A sudden wave of nausea hit me so hard that I couldn't breathe, and I violently emptied my stomach contents into a small trash bag Marco tossed to the back. My head pounded, and my skin felt clammy and cold. Seeing me look so pale, Mom reached into a bag and pulled out a light snack of crackers and a juice box. I forced them down, completely exhausted. Slowly, the rocking of the van caught up to me, and my eyelids started to get droopy.Darkness blinded my vision. As the world faded, I fell fast asleep, with the agonizing thoughts of Daniel still lingering on my mind. Where was he? Was he looking for me? Did he think I ran away from him?A light tap on my shoulders rudely s
آخر تحديث: 2026-05-19
Chapter: 40. Marco FasterIVORY POV"What? Mom, you cannot be serious? He is literally my boyfriend!" My voice cracked as I shouted over the sound of the engine. The golden glow of the prom was fading, replaced by the harsh, clinical orange of the streetlights."What do you mean 'stay away from him'? You might as well tell us to break up!""Ivory, you have to listen to me! Just do as I say and everything will be fine," she snapped, her eyes fixed on the road, her knuckles white."Even when you are wrong? Even when you speak like you’re slowly losing your mind?" I felt the sting of hot tears. I couldn't wrap my head around it. "I can’t believe you are saying this after you treated Daniel like your literal favorite son! You beamed at him! You trusted him!"The argument didn't stop. It raged all the way to our front door....a bitter, ugly back-and-forth that felt like tearing a seam. I was desperate to defend the boy who had just crowned me his queen, and she was desperate to lock me in a cage built of ghost sto
آخر تحديث: 2026-05-03
Chapter: 39. Faster MarcoIVORY POV The morning sun filtered through my curtains, stinging my eyes and pulling me out of a heavy, dreamless sleep. My hand instinctively reached for the empty space beside me before I remembered I was in my own room, not the sprawling, silk-covered bed at the Connor mansion. I groaned as I rolled over, feeling a sharp twinge in my lower back and a dull ache in my thighs. My phone buzzed on the nightstand a string of notifications that made my heart do a little somersault. 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍: 𝑫𝒊𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍, 𝑴𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆? 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍: 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕. 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒔. 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍: 𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒆? 𝑰 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒂 𝒃𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆. 𝑨𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒆. I bit my lip, a heat creeping up my neck that had nothing to do with the morning sun. I typed back a quick, “I’m perfectly fine, stop worrying,” but
آخر تحديث: 2026-05-03
Chapter: 38. You Have To Believe MeIVORY POV The drive back from Daniel’s felt like floating through a dream. My skin still felt the ghost of his touch, and the air in the car seemed to hum with the memory of his voice. I pulled into our driveway at the exact minute Mom had demanded....midnight sharp. I didn't want to give her any reason to fuel her new, strange paranoia. The house was dark, save for a single light flickering from the upstairs landing. I let myself in, the click of the lock sounding like a gunshot in the silence. "Mom? Mom? Mom!" I called out, my voice echoing as I climbed the stairs. I headed straight for her bedroom, my heels clicking softly on the floorboards. "Mom, I am back!" I stopped just outside her door. It was slightly ajar, casting a thin, sharp line of light across the hallway. I was about to push it open, but the sound of her voice stopped me. It wasn't her "Mom" voice—the one she used to ask about my day. It was frantic. Cold. I peered through the crack. She was prancing around the
آخر تحديث: 2026-05-03
Chapter: 37. UpstairsIVORY POVThe theater was a blur of shadows and the flickering blue light of the TV, but I couldn't have told you what was happening on the screen if my life depended on it. All I could feel was Daniel. He was a mountain of heat behind me, his breath fanning against the shell of my ear. The air in the mansion had grown heavy, thick with the scent of his expensive cologne and the raw, electric tension that had been humming between us since the night we met in that dark alleyway.His hand, large and calloused, slid slowly up the silk of my green dress. He didn't just touch me; he claimed me. His fingers traced the line of my thigh, hitching the fabric higher and higher, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake."You have no idea how long I have been wanting to do this, Ivory," he whispered, his voice dropping into a register so low it made my toes curl.I shivered, my head falling back against his shoulder. "Really... bad boy?" I asked in a tiny, breathless voice. I tried to sound
آخر تحديث: 2026-05-02
Chapter: 36. Aprons and AlliesIVORY POVThe kitchen was a sprawling expanse of stainless steel and white marble, looking more like a set from a cooking show than a home. Before I could even find my footing, Daniel reached out. His hands found my waist, and with a strength that always caught me off guard, he carefully guided me to the center island and gently lifted me up, seating me right on the kitchen counter.I immediately panicked, my heart thudding against my ribs like a trapped bird. Being at eye level with him was dangerous; those deep blue eyes were peering right into mine, and his closeness was literally making me lose my senses."What are you doing?" I squeaked, my hands bracing against the cold marble."Relax, Ma belle," he murmured, his voice a low vibration that I felt in my bones. He reached behind me, grabbing something from a hook. "I just wanted to help you put on your apron. We wouldn't want your gorgeous dress stained, would we?"I cleared my throat, praying for my words to come out eloquent an
آخر تحديث: 2026-05-02
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