Novels by Saeeda

Chapter Two Hundred and Sixty OneAria didn’t think anything of it at first.The day had been long, the kind that left her shoulders slightly tense even after she clocked out. One of the nurses had walked up to her just as she was about to leave, mentioning that there was a small gathering for one of the senior doctors in a private garden space not too far from the hospital. It wasn’t unusual. People celebrated things all the time, and she didn’t have a reason to question it.“Just come for a few minutes,” the nurse had insisted with a smile. “They asked for you.”Aria hesitated at first, glancing at her phone out of habit, half expecting a message from Damien. There wasn’t one yet. She thought about calling him, but then decided against it.It would only take a few minutes.“Fine,” she agreed, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. “I won’t stay long.”The nurse nodded quickly, almost too quickly, before leading the way.The walk there was quiet, the evening settling into that calm hour

Chapter Two Hundred and SixtyDays in Minnesota stopped feeling like separate days.They started blending into something softer, something that carried the same feeling no matter what hour it was.It could be a random evening where Damien pulled up in front of her house without telling her where they were going, just a small smile on his face as he stepped out to open the door for her. Or a quiet morning text from him before she even got out of bed, something simple like “Don’t skip breakfast today.” And somehow, she never did when he said it.They didn’t need plans anymore.Sometimes he picked her up just to drive around with no destination in mind, one of his hands resting loosely on the steering wheel while the other found its way to hers like it belonged there. She would sit beside him, talking about anything that came to her mind, and he would listen like nothing else mattered at that moment.Other days, they stayed out longer.Dinner would turn into a walk, and the walk would tu

Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty NineDamien didn’t just pull up and wait.He stepped out of the car and walked straight to her door like he had been thinking about this moment all day.Aria opened before he knocked.For a second, neither of them spoke.His eyes moved over her slowly, taking her in without hiding it. The dress, the way her hair fell, the effort she didn’t even try to pretend she didn’t make.“You kept me waiting,” she said, folding her arms lightly, but there was no real complaint in it.He stepped closer instead of answering, his hand lifting to her face as if it had already learned the place. His thumb brushed softly against her cheek, slow, familiar.“I needed a second,” he said quietly. “You look too good.”That caught her off guard, just enough for her eyes to soften.“Is that your excuse?”“It’s the truth.”She didn’t step back.Didn’t move away.Her hand came up to his wrist, holding it there where his touch rested on her skin.“You’re starting early today,” she m

Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty EightDays passed, but nothing between them faded.If anything, it became clearer.More present.More real in a way Aria hadn’t expected.It started quietly.The first evening after everything changed, she had stepped out of work expecting the usual—finding a cab, heading home, letting the day settle on its own.But he was there.Leaning against his car like it was the most normal thing in the world.Like he had always been part of her routine.She paused when she saw him, her steps slowing slightly as a small smile found its way to her face before she could stop it.“You’re here again?” she asked as she walked toward him, her bag still hanging loosely over her shoulder.Damien straightened, his eyes moving over her briefly before settling back on her face.“Of course,” he replied simply, like there was no other option.She shook her head a little, but she didn’t argue.That was the thing.She had stopped pushing him away.And he had stopped trying too ha

Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty SevenThe moment the tension in the room settled and the shock finally wore off, Damien let out a quiet laugh, the kind that came from relief more than anything else. He glanced toward her father, a small, knowing look passing between them before he spoke.“It was Dad’s idea.”For a second, Aria didn’t react.Then she turned slowly, her eyes moving from Damien to her father, who didn’t even try to hide his amusement. The old man chuckled, clearly pleased with himself, and that was all it took.Aria’s mouth fell open slightly.“You’re serious?” she asked, disbelief written all over her face.Her father only smiled wider.Damien didn’t hold back this time. He laughed, shaking his head as if he still couldn’t believe how everything had played out so perfectly.And just like that, she became the center of it.Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked between the two of them, her expression shifting from shock to something else entirely.“You both are unbelieva

Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty SixThe moment Aria stepped into the room, everything else stopped mattering.The world outside, the voices in the hallway, even her father standing somewhere behind her—none of it reached her anymore. Her eyes went straight to the bed.And there he was.Damien.Lying still.Too still.Bandages wrapped around his arm, across his shoulder, a faint mark just near his forehead. Machines were connected to him, their quiet sounds filling the room in a way that made her chest tighten.For a second, she couldn’t move.This wasn’t the Damien she had seen that morning.This wasn’t the man who told her to eat.This wasn’t the man who smiled at her like nothing else mattered.This… this didn’t make sense.Her steps slowed as she walked toward him, each one heavier than the last. By the time she reached the side of the bed, her vision had already blurred, tears slipping down before she even realized it.“Damien…” his name came out broken, barely holding together.He

Book 24“Fuck me,” Emma moaned softly in the passenger seat, the words escaping her lips in a breathless, jagged whisper as the sports car tore through the dark city streets. The fast-acting sedative seemed to spike even more with every passing minute, sending waves of intense heat straight to her core and completely obliterating her remaining cognitive control. Her small hands clawed weakly at the leather upholstery, her head rolling back against the headrest as her body burned with an unnatural, desperate franticness. Julian didn’t bother turning to her side to look at her, his jaw locked in a rigid line as his large hands gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckled intensity. He focused his entire attention strictly on the dark road ahead, pushing the vehicle to its absolute limits because getting her behind the secure gates of his estate was the only priority occupying his mind.As they arrived at the mansion, Cal was standing quietly at the counter of the butler’s pantry, org

Book 23The clock on the glass wall of the high-rise conference room read exactly 11:41 PM, the bright lights of Paris glowing through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows behind the assembled crowd. Julian sat at the head of the long mahogany table, surrounded by top-tier investors from all around the world who were deep in intense discussions regarding the final terms of the international merger. On the polished wood surface, Julian’s personal phone beeped softly, a muted sound he completely ignored because the device had been buzzing consistently since the very beginning of the late-night conference. He didn't bother checking it, keeping his attention fixed on a slide projecting financial logistics until the phone beeped three distinct times in rapid succession. The consistency of the alerts caught his eye, and he noticed the incoming messages were originating from a completely anonymous sender, an irregularity that finally prompted him to pick up the device. He swiped the screen

Book 22The porcelain cup rattled against the silver tray as Emma set it down, the last drops of the bitter herbal blend warm in her throat. Cal stepped into the shadows of the doorway just as the junior maid left, his eyes fixed on the girl’s retreating back before he turned his gaze entirely onto Emma. He watched from the entrance of Julian’s private study, a cold, toxic satisfaction settling deep in his chest as the first signs of the drug took hold. Emma’s fingers gripped the edge of the mahogany desk, her knuckles turning white as a sudden, violent dizziness hit her behind the eyes, making the massive room spin in blurred circles. She tried to stand, her legs turning to water beneath her, while an unexplainable, suffocating heat began to crawl under her skin, driving her heart into a frantic, erratic rhythm. She let out a soft, broken moan, her vision darkening as her upper body collapsed forward against the polished wood of the desk, completely paralyzed by the chemical fire b

Book 21Emma’s eyes opened slowly, her eyelids feeling thick and heavy from the deep sleep that had claimed her the previous night. As her vision gradually cleared, she found Julian already fully dressed in a crisp, dark tailored charcoal suit, standing near the edge of the bed while adjusting his silver cufflinks with practiced precision. The entire mansion was already buzzing with a quiet, tense energy because everyone knew the high stakes of the day ahead. Julian was scheduled to attend a massive, high-profile corporate international merger dinner that required his absolute presence, an elite gathering of global executives that would drag on through the evening and into the dead of night. He glanced down at her, his expression unreadable but his movements lacking the usual cold harshness that had defined their earliest interactions in this house.“I am leaving for the city now,” Julian said, his deep voice cutting through the morning quietude as he stopped adjusting his cuffs and

Book 20The oak door to the master suite turned silently on its hinges as Julian stepped back inside after spending hours in his private study. He moved with slow, deliberate caution, his eyes adjusting to the quiet layout of the room until they landed on the grand bed. Emma was lying completely still across the mattress, her eyes closed and her breathing rhythmic, appearing to be fast asleep after the emotional exhaustion of the evening. If this situation had occurred before, with any of the other countless women he had brought into this house all through the years, his behavior would have been entirely predictable and ruthless. In those past years, he would have walked over without a single word, brutally drawn her up by the hair until she completely satisfied his base desires, and then turned his back to sleep carelessly without giving her a second thought. To Julian, women had always been mere sex toys, disposable instruments meant for temporary entertainment and nothing more, e

Book 19Emma sat entirely alone on the edge of the massive, silk-sheeted bed, the silence of the master suite pressing against her ears. Julian had gone down to his private study to handle an urgent matter for the Voss Group, leaving her to stew in the remnants of his unexpected confession. Her hands were still trembling, her mind drowning in a deep, suffocating pool of regret as she stared blankly at the glass terrace doors. She felt sick to her stomach over the entire charade, wondering how a simple plan to humiliate Cal had spiraled into Julian holding her as if she were his salvation. The guilt was eating her alive, making her feel like a monster for using a man’s genuine vulnerability as a chess piece in a petty household war. She cradled her head in her hands, desperately wishing she could just pack her things and disappear from the mansion entirely.Miles away from the estate, entirely oblivious to Emma's torment, Stella and Bella were living a completely different reality. Th