Nadia was unable to express herself as she looked into the mirror. She hadn't looked so beautiful since she became a mother.
Frozen in her stance—in front of the full-length mirror—she let the maids, who had been ordered to dress her, do whatever they wanted. She couldn't be bothered because she wasn't feeling their brushing, rubbing, patting, or spraying. All she could feel was her shock.Nadia was blinded and deafened by the extent of her own beauty. She wished she was exaggerating.She had on a black embellished off-shoulder dress that had been split up from her thigh. The black stilettos on her feet were the most expensive thing she'd worn in forever. Her diamond-drop earrings were a force to be reckoned with.She didn't know what she'd do if she accidentally misplaced one. Her short, beautiful, light auburn hair had been adorned with the prettiest-shaped diamonds, making her look like a fucking goddess.Her bare neck had the most gorgeous diNadia slipped her hand in Russell's as he helped her out of the car, except this time she wasn't looking at him. Nadia marveled at the beautiful view of extravagant comfort and overflowing riches around her.Her breath was taken away by just how affluent the entrance of the mansion looked. Russell's own was big and beautiful, but this... this was whole 'nother level."Don't worry," Russell said, as Nadia transferred her attention to him. "This will be ours as soon as the old man dies." Nadia furrowed her eyebrows. Was she being so obvious, or was Russell just too good of a reader? "Smile, darling. The show's starting."She did as told.As they walked into the premises of the closest place to heaven, if not hell, Nadia left behind Nadia Wilde—a girl who had only known suffering for the past six years of her life—to embrace Nadia Lane—the sweet and wealthy daughter of a business tycoon who had known nothing but riches since the day she was born.
"Do you plan to inherit your father's business? I heard he has a very successful construction company," Indiana asked, cutting her knife through a steak that got Nadia's mouth watering.Russell had stabbed her in the back by announcing that she was vegetarian. She forced herself to savor the sad salad on her plate as if it were the most delicious thing ever, all the while longing for some juicy steak.Nadia loved meat. She loved it so much that she would resort to eating humans if every animal in the world just happened to disappear one day."I plan to sell the company and donate the money to charity," Nadia said, munching on cow food.Everyone stopped dead to look at her, like she had said the craziest thing ever. Even Russell choked. She looked at them, instantly laughing it off and turning it into a joke that they all went along with. "My father taught me never to reveal business plans. Anyone not for us is against us."Literally. Her actual father litera
"Would you help Granny get the door, sweetheart?" Kaia, her grandmother, who reminded her so much of her late mother, requested as Nadia walked out of the kitchen."Sure, grandma," Nadia said, smiling at the wonderful woman who she'd been living with for a few months now.She loosened the apron around her waist and the messy hair bun she had uptied her long flowing hair in as she rushed towards the door, wondering who it could be as her grandmother's house barely ever got any visitors.This was less than six years ago, when Nadia's life had fallen into hell, but the warmth of her grandma's love had kept her going. Before she discovered she was pregnant. Before her father died. Before she learned that the worst was yet to be over.Nadia looked through the peephole but could see nothing except a recognizable hairpin surrounded by chestnut brown hair. Wait a fucking minute.Guessing who it was, Nadia swung the door open to realize that she was right. She hated
Nadia could only guess why Chloe was fighting outside the gate of a mansion she just so happened to be in.Was she related to someone here? She hoped not.Russell paid no attention to the rabid woman. It was more like he didn't want to see her or her to notice him, which bothered Nadia.Indiana stood, dropping her napkin. "Staying any longer would keep me at a loss." Her eyes shifted to Russell. "You know how sick that makes me. Now, if you would please excuse me, I've got better places to be. I appreciated the stake."Indiana picked up her handbag, giving Nadia a clear 'this isn't over look' before walking away from the setting."Pardon her, father. She's just a bit worked up from adjusting to the new situation."Situation? Yes, that would properly describe Nadia's surfacing.She turned to look at the gate and saw that the condition had calmed down. Looking away when Russell grabbed her hand on the table, he got on his feet, alongside Nadia, and s
They were in a moving car, with a chauffeur in the driver's seat. Definitely not alone, but Russell wasn't giving a shit about it.It didn't matter if someone else was around; Nadia could never be safe with him.She couldn't control her desperate, flithy noises as he found the right spot behind her ear, her earring dropping to the ground as Russell let his insanity rip through.His intense nibbling and kissing made Nadia realize that she had been so touch-deprived. She wanted to hold back her moaning, but couldn't.He transferred his lips to her as Nadia's heart exploded in pleasure, their kiss instantly deepening. Russell was fast on her. A speed bumb was enough to break her out of the illusion, and he wasn't taking any chances.Above everything else, Russell loved how Nadia always acted like she could fight him back when he advanced on her, until he had her pinned down with his lips.Nadia grabbed his jacket, pulling him closer as heat coursed through
Nadia remained in the car, horrified, as Russell pulled his jacket over her, leaving to head out for the mansion without so much as a look back at her.Nadia didn't move for a while, trying to process the dangerous piece of information she'd just learned.Chloe was Russell's ex-girlfriend? Unbelievable. She could already imagine how everything took place as she connected the dots.Russell was still going to pay for running away as soon as he saw her shocked face. No better way to do that than to meet the man he hates most tomorrow.She'd be having lunch with Lucas, whether he liked it or not. Nadia's ultimate clue was that day, five years ago, when Chloe barged into her grandmother's house.She must've figured out who the man she ended up with was. Back then, Russell was the son of one of the biggest industries in the US and the most likely heir to the business. She must've rushed to her house immediately when she learned that. Was that why that bitch though
Russell's actions from last night stuck with Nadia until the next day. He was a sneaky bastard, but he had made so many surprising moves on her that Nadia had gotten used to it. The man's been astounding her since the very first time they met.Russell left for the company as soon as she had woken up because she heard the car leave, so that meant that no one, not even her whiny twins, could stop her from meeting her best friend, Lucas.She'd dressed simply and casually, as she didn't want to give the impression that she was enjoying her time with the rich CEO. But it was also hard to not give Lucas something to nitpick over if she went looking like a haggard princess.The driver, not the one she talked to last night, insisted he take her. Nadia didn't want to rub Lucas in the wrong way by pulling up in a fancy chauffer-driven car, but she'd agreed on the condition that the car stay out of Lucas's line of sight.She'd wondered where the chauffer she talked to yeste
Nadia ditched the car for a cab on her ride back home. She was suffocated enough as it is and couldn't stand the thought of sitting in one of his cars for even a second.She just needed some time to think.Nadia had stayed at the cafe with Lucas for an extra hour, even though she'd wanted to leave as soon as Lucas disclosed that news to her. She felt so guilty for betraying Lucas like that. Nadia didn't even want to breathe the same air as him, thoughtless of being so close to him.Nadia had no idea that their feud was that bad. She wished she knew, as it would've influenced so many of her decisions.Lucas told her that the event took place ten years ago, and though Russell had just been a teenager then, it didn't mean he could be completely excluded from it, and she was afraid that he could've had a hand in it.She hadn't known Russell long enough to make decisions about what and what couldn't have happened then. It was ten freaking years ago.Could he really have