"You still smell the same… You must like this cologne that much." Alex whispered behind her ear, his warm breath sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. "You don’t remember me," he murmurs, his fingers tilting her chin until their eyes locked. "But I never forgot you." Ariel’s breath hitches. His touch is hauntingly familiar. Then he leans in again, his voice a dark whisper. "I assumed only I could make you feel this way." Ariel Richmond’s life was shattered the night she was betrayed. Drugged by her fiancé and sister, she woke up to a reality she had never chosen—humiliated, abandoned, and unknowingly carrying the child of a stranger. Fleeing to Spain, she built a new life, determined to leave the past behind. Alexander Lucas never forgot her. The ruthless billionaire, known for his cold detachment, spent years searching for the woman who vanished after their one fateful night. Fate brings them back together in the cruelest way possible—Ariel, desperate to save her son, enters a contract marriage with Johny Lucas… only to discover that his stepbrother is Alexander. Now, trapped between the man who unknowingly changed her life and the husband she never wanted, Ariel must navigate a tangled web of secrets, power, and a past that refuses to stay buried.
View More“How dare you speak to me like that?' The woman lashed out at Ariel.
“Madam, don't get the wrong impression, I was only following the rules given to us.” Ariel smile, trying her possible best to hide her fear. “I'm going to test these heels, and there's nothing you will do about it!” The woman tried to poke Ariel with the heels of the stiletto. "Ma'am." Ariel held onto the shoes. "You can't put them on." “What's happening here?” A voice came from behind the scene. A slender model-like figure appeared. Her pink blazers spoke well of her position. “Are you the manager here?” The woman asked in a furious tone. "Where is the manager?" “Yes ma'am, Good day, what's the problem?” The boss asked with a bright and delightful smile. “i want to make a purchase but your rude worker won't let me test them out! “Madam, I was only trying to follow-” “You have no right to speak when a customer is in the middle of her complaint!” The boss cut her off, giving Ariel a deadly glare, her tone sharp and cautious. She turned her attention to the customer. “Madam, I am so sorry for any inconvenience.” Ariel's boss lamented as she bowed her head for the woman. The woman glared at Ariel and she dropped the shoes noisily. "I'm not buying, good day." She stormed out of the store. Amongst the crowd was a young man standing at approximately 6’2 tall, his ocean blue eyes, and his lustrous black trimmed hair, spoke well of him. His two huge bodyguards beside him. All these while, He had his eyes on Ariel who was been humiliated publicly for something she had no fault in. “Meet me in my office now, you this useless stinky thing!” Ariel's boss spatted as she strode out of the scene. Her tone was huffy and commanding. The man was still there; he didn't move an inch. He scanned Ariel with his emotionless eyes as he was mesmerized by Ariel's beauty “Hmmm…….this beauty should not be treated like trash.” He murmured to himself. He then signaled one of his bodyguards and whispered in his ear. “Give her my card.” He commanded. As the guard approached her, She wheeled her head up to see the huge masculinity in front of her. “Reach out if you want a life-changing opportunity, you have four days to think it through.” The bodyguard said and left a confused Ariel who couldn't stop staring at him. Ariel tucked the card away and went up to her boss' office. Would she ever have peace in the store? Her boss disliked her, any little chance to punish her, she won't let it slide. Each step she took reminded her of how loathsome her boss was. "Knock knock." Ariel summoned up courage. “Come in,” Ariel's boss voiced from the inside. Ariel entered and stood at her boss's table. Her hands at her back as she folded them tightly as if she was about to receive a death sentence. Her boss stared at her silently without uttering a word. “My sincere apolo—” “Do not speak!” Her boss was pissed. "We lost a valuable customer." "Ma—" Ariel's statement was cut short in her throat as her boss shushed her up. Leaving her no room for continuation. “Ariel…..I have warned you several times not to get on my nerves. Do you not want this job anymore?” Her boss asked. Her tone was calm yet cautious. “Ma'am please forgive me, it won't happen again.” Ariel pleaded. Desperately praying silently for her boss's mercy. “Don't beg me Ariel, you chased one of our best customers, how do you want to make it up to the loss you've caused my store!?” “I am—” “No paycheck this month, now get out of my office.” Ariel's intended statement was cut short in her throat as she heard her boss's decision. She stood there, not moving an inch, hoping to find any lingering favor in her boss's eyes. “Do you have gums in your ears? Leave my office, I want fresh air!?” Her boss said, glaring at her like her presence was a contagious virus. Ariel wheeled around without uttering a word. Outside was Anya who had been eavesdropping the whole time. As Ariel came out with teary eyes, Anya hugged her tightly. “It's okay…it's fine…” “How am I supposed to take care of my child if things continue like this? I have been saving up to pay for his tuition fees, but everything seems to be going wrong.” Ariel lamented as she sobbed on her friend's shoulder. “It's okay girl…I'm here for you, you're not alone in this.” Anya comforted her as she rubbed her back for ease. “Let's go, it's closing hour.” Anya said as she picked their bags from the locker. They changed into their casual outfit and left the store. Ariel got home with her last strength, hoping to dive and sink in her bed. However, her legs crumbled as she was welcomed with a more disheartening scene. Two men in the company of the caretaker had made their way into her room. "What are you doing?" She rushed to them, trying to stop them from throwing her belongings away. "Leave that! "Your rent has been overdue for two fucking years! The caretaker flung her hand away. She reeked of poverty. "You're leaving this house today." All her pleas fell on deaf ears, they kept taking out her belongings until the room was empty. The caretaker out a big lock on the door. "When you have your money, let me know.”Alexander sat in his office, the Vegas skyline stretched out behind him, bathed in the orange hue of the setting sun. But the view did little to calm the storm in his mind.Dario.The name had re-emerged like a stain that refused to wash off, spreading deeper into his world with every passing hour. The man was a ghost—a shadow he thought he’d buried long ago. And now he was here, in Vegas, walking on his turf. But not only that, he's now fully involved max in this. That single name carried the weight of everything.His newly discovered son, his own blood had been taken and kept by a man like Dario. And worst of all, Alexander had been too consumed with empire building to see any of it coming. The guilt gnawed at him, quiet but relentless.He rubbed his temple, mind spinning with variables. He didn’t want a war. But if Dario forced his hand…Just then, the phone rang.He picked it up without checking the ID. “Yes?”“Sir,” his assistant said, voice hesitant, “We have an issue down
The day dragged on like wet cement for Luis. He could only stick to his daily routine, that is, patrolling the perimeter he was assigned to, checking in with security post and that was it. But his mind wasn’t on the job, it never was.Every hallway he passed and every face that he saw and greeted… they all blurred behind the steady, gnawing thought of Ariel. Johnny’s presence in the building had sent a jolt of energy through everyone. Everyone did their job with an extra energy than usual. But now the sun was dipping, the building’s rhythm slowing with each passing hour. And finally, it was time to leave. Luis dressed back to his casual wear and headed for the exit. He tapped out by the door and then signed the end-of-day register with a pen that shook faintly in his grip. “Enjoy your night.” The security assigned there remarked. Luis only nodded once then went through the door. He slipped out, as the crisp evening air hit him. The sky was painted in hues of deep orange and
The sun was out when Luis stepped out of his hotel room in a hurry. He was late for work today, but better that, than to have a footage of him leaving his boss’ office. Lucky for him, he managed to take care of it to the best he could. He stepped out of the hotel and waved down a taxi at once. The taxi after a few minutes pulled up in front of the Lucas Enterprises. Luis stepped into the lobby of the large and sleek office building, his shoulders squared and his uniform well dressed. He was safe and undiscovered for now. He'd buried the footage and wiped his tracks just enough to buy himself time, but that wouldn’t hold forever—not with Johnny’s reach.So, he had to take the next step. Just then, he noticed the lobby was humming more than usual this morning. There was a certain quiet buzz of whispers between security personnel and assistants and basically all the staff members. What was happening? Luis slowed down, subtly angling his path toward the security desk as he pulled
Johnny slammed Ariel’s door hard behind him, the echo reverberating down the hallway like a gunshot. His fists clenched at his sides, his jaw grinding as he stormed down the corridor of the penthouse.That call to Alexander, all of people. His fucking brother, that.. it wasn’t just betrayal. It felt like a slap in the face.She didn’t trust him.No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried to keep her away from the mess, to protect her, she always went running to his brother, just like everyone else. Alexander the calm. Alexander the capable. Alexander the one who always showed up right when Johnny’s grip started to slip. The one fit to inherit the Lucas Empire. He hated it.He yanked his coat off the hook by the elevator, shrugging it on with angry, jerky movements.The elevator doors opened with a soft chime, and he stepped in, hitting the ground floor button hard enough that the panel beeped in protest.By the time he got to the front entrance of the building, one of his d
The bright morning sun of a new day filtered in through the curtains of Ariel’s room. She was already up, she couldn't get much sleep anyway, not with all that was going on right now. She stepped out of her room, her movements slow and uncertain. The silence that stretched through Johnny’s penthouse was heavy, almost suffocating. Morning light also filtered through the tall windows of the hallway, casting long shadows across the floors. Her stomach churned, not from hunger, but from tension that had lingered since last night’s confrontation.She moved barefoot toward the dining area where the scent of fresh coffee hung in the air. Johnny was already there, seated at the head of the table, a black mug in his hand. He didn’t look up as she entered. His jaw was tightened and the veins in his forearm were prominent from the tight grip he had on the cup. Even by just looking at him, Ariel could feel the anger still brewing in him. Ariel swallowed and moved to pour herself a cup of
The walls of his private study were soundproof, but it still felt like the air around him was humming with pressure. Alexander sat at the head of the king oak table, his thoughts swirling. Just then, he heard a soft knock on the door. Then with a soft creak, Kelvin pushed the door open and stepped in. “I'm here boss.” He said, his tone firm. Alexander didn't respond, he just nodded once. Kelvin moved from the door and stood across the table.He stood firm, his shoulders straight, his usual calm seen in his eyes.Alexander tossed the folder onto the table, the same one he'd given Kelvin yesterday when he first arrived. “You’ve gone through it in detail, I believe?”Kelvin nodded. “Yes. Twice actually. It's a shell company that Dario used to funnel property funds through—it's cleaner than I expected.The company had absolutely zero trails leading directly back to him. But, I did more digging about the company and I found something.”He paused, catching Alexander's gaze. “Go on.” Al
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