My dream was simple: Build a quiet life with the person I adored after college. However, destiny had a different course in mind when my father revealed that I had to rescue my late mother's struggling business by marrying the merciless CEO, Alexander Blake. At first, life with Alexander appeared promising, but as the saying goes, nothing good lasts forever. That was until his childhood sweetheart barged in, shattering everything I held dear and leaving me with a whirlwind of shame, bitterness, and fury. I fled Texas for London, where I spent the next six years rebuilding my life. Now, I’m back in Texas with my son, Franklin, driven by a burning desire for revenge against everyone who has wronged me.
view moreKATHERINE'S POV
The thunder boomed outside, rattling the windows. A shiver ran down my spine—not from the storm, but from the heavy uncertainty as I sat glued to the TV, struggling to comprehend what I was seeing. This had to be some kind of nightmare. My words tumbled out, barely coherent, as the news headline hit me like a freight train. My heart felt utterly crushed as I watched Alex with his arm around her waist, both of them grinning, while I clutched the document in my hands. The doctor's voice echoed in my mind: “Congratulations, Mrs. Blake. You are pregnant.” All I wanted was to come home tonight and share the news with my husband, celebrating our first anniversary, only to be blindsided by this headline on the screen. “Is this really the return of the billionaire CEO's ex-girlfriend? A pregnancy for the CEO himself?” I muttered the headline to myself. Just then, I heard footsteps on the stairs. I looked up to see Alex and Astra laughing together, Astra wrapped in a towel and Alex shirtless. When they noticed me, Alex’s face changed, while Astra just rolled her eyes. I didn’t need anyone to explain; I could see exactly what was happening between them. “Alex, what is going on?” I asked, on the verge of tears, desperately wishing that what I had seen on TV was a cruel joke. “What does it look like to you?” Alex shot back, while Astra laughed like she’d just won a prize, which, of course, she had. For the past year, my focus had been on making Alexander Blake, my husband, happy. We got hitched through a marriage contract to support my late mom’s business—a decision that felt more like a transaction than a union of love. Yet, I promised to love him—and I truly fell for him. I poured my heart into our relationship, determined to show him what real love looks like, to prove I could be more than just a name on a contract. But now, just as I discovered I was pregnant, his ex-girlfriend had waltzed back into his life. The thunder outside felt like it was mocking me while I tried to hide the file behind my bag. I couldn't wrap my head around what went wrong. It was all a blur, a chaotic whirlwind of emotions that left me feeling lost. The audacity of both of them was infuriating. Neither seemed the least bit embarrassed, especially my husband. But why would he be? To him, this was just a business deal, and he could break the terms whenever he wanted. “You see, Katherine,” he said, striding over to Astra and kissing her, making my skin crawl. The sight of them together felt like a dagger to my heart. “This woman is the one I love, and you? You’re just a pawn. Now that she’s having my baby, I don’t need you around anymore.” His words hung in the air, suffocating me. I felt utterly betrayed. I should have realized Alexander Blake could only love himself and his ex-girlfriend; I was just the fool in this situation. “What do you mean? We’re married; we’re family,” I managed to say, my voice trembling as I held back the urge to reveal my baby news right in front of Astra. The weight of my secret felt like a boulder pressing down on my chest. “Family? No, we’re not. We’re just bound by a contract that’s about to expire,” Alex replied, his tone so casual it felt like a slap in the face. He was ignoring how much this was hurting us. I could see the glimmer of triumph in Astra’s eyes, and it made my stomach churn. “What do you mean, Alex? What do you mean… 'about to expire'?” I raised an eyebrow, feeling confused, hoping it wasn’t what I thought. “I want a divorce,” he said, his voice ringing out loud and clear. It felt like he’d just dropped a bombshell. My legs felt weak, and I quickly grabbed the couch to steady myself. “A divorce?” I stammered, completely taken aback, nervously glancing between him and Astra. “But she cheated on you! How can you take her back? How can you even think that baby is yours?” I managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper. “We had sex three weeks ago, and that’s how I ended up pregnant. We’re back together, and that’s that. Do you get it now?” Astra shot back angrily, pulling away just enough from his embrace to rest a hand on his arm. “That can’t be true, right?” “Nope, you heard her correctly. She’s two weeks pregnant. We’ve been working things out, and I’ve chosen to forgive her,” Alex explained, while Astra tried to hide a smug smile. I couldn’t believe Astra was really pregnant with his child. It felt like a total lie just to win him back. “Is it because of her baby?” My voice trembled as I asked, but he just scoffed. “No, it’s because you tricked me into marrying you. Don’t you see, Kathe? I love her. She’s the one I want to be with, not you.” I stared at him in shock. I felt a wave of disbelief wash over me as if I had plunged into icy water. The room spun slightly, and I struggled to process his words. “Tricked you? Alex, that’s not how it happened! I love you! I could never trick you!” My voice cracked, desperation creeping in as I searched his eyes for any hint of the man I once knew. Astra leaned in closer to him, her presence a stark reminder of the betrayal that had shattered my world. “You were never good enough for him, Katherine. You always knew he was meant for someone like me,” she taunted, her voice dripping with condescension. I chose to ignore her, focusing my attention on Alexander. “Alex, you really need to think this over. Don’t rush into a decision like this,” I pleaded, gripping the papers and my bag tightly. “I have something important to share, but—” I glanced at Alex. “I’d rather discuss it privately.” Alex waved me off, clearly uninterested. “Whatever you need to say, you can say it in front of Astra,” he shot back, and for a moment, I couldn’t believe this was the same guy I’d known for the past year. He was going to be the father of my child, but the excitement that had brought me here was gone. There was no way I could reveal something so crucial with Astra around, someone I didn’t trust. “Well?” Astra said impatiently, stroking Alex’s arm. “Just say it.” “Actually, I’ve changed my mind,” I said bitterly. “Since that’s settled, I expect you to leave my house by tomorrow morning. Thanks for your help, Kathe, but I won’t need it anymore.” I opened my mouth to respond, but he continued. “If you’re wondering about the settlement amount, after all, all you need is money, it’ll be in your account by the end of the day. And the divorce papers will be sent to you soon.” His tone was final, and he looked impatient. I struggled to swallow the lump in my throat. It was still hard to believe all of this was happening. “Alex, please. You can’t do this to me. Not now, not like this,” I pleaded, my lip trembling, but I refused to let tears fall in front of them. Instead, he just walked away with Astra trailing behind him. Before she left, though, she shot me a look that could kill. I shoved the papers into my bag and nodded, then turned to head out. All I had now was the little life growing inside me, and I would be damned if I let that slip away too. As I stormed out of the building, the only thing on my mind was the way Astra had shot me that nasty glare. I’m not one to back down easily, especially when it’s not every day someone looks at me with such blatant malice.ALEXANDER'S POVI shouldn't be surprised. Why did I assume that something was going to change between us just because we slept together?She must have just been out of her senses, and well, I was also.But even as I tried so hard to pretend like I wasn't that affected by the reaction she gave me, I still couldn't. A part of me hurts, my heart especially."You called for me?" Henry's voice interrupted my thoughts, and I lifted my head up to stare at him.Right now, all I could think of was how to get Katherine, how to discuss with her one on one.Ever since Susan's wedding, she hasn't shown up at work and refused to pick up my calls.It was pretty obvious that something was going on, but she wouldn't tell me what it was; heck, she refused to spare me an audience."Yes, please."He eyed me, his brows raised and that familiar worried look in his eyes.If there was anyone who would understand what I was going through, it was definitely him."You met with her."It was a statement, not a qu
KATHERINE'S POVI shouldn't have done that. His hurt eyes danced around in my mind, and I tried to push it out.I didn't know how to tell him the truth.That I was not only afraid, but I was also being blackmailed.But it was best that I kept silent about it, at least for both of us and our son's sake.The words that man said to me just before Alexander walked towards me rang in my ears."You're going to ruin your reputation again. This time, it'll be your fault. So choose, Katherine—your six-year-old son or your ex-husband?"I blinked back so hard to fight the tears that threatened to fall off my face as I walked towards my car.Why does this keep happening to us?Anytime I try to get close to Alex, anytime I get the slightest hint that we were going to be able to get back together, something happens.Now, after what happened upstairs, I get blackmailed to leave him alone.The man's face was not familiar, so it was hard to tell if he was a reporter or just someone sent by someone els
ALEXANDER'S POVI almost choked on my drink at her words, and I turned to face her with widened eyes.I didn't know that she was going to be this direct with what she knows, and that only made me more flustered."What..?" I asked as I used the back of my palm to wipe off the drink that had splattered on my face.She had that amused look on her face, one that showed that she knew and enjoyed what she was doing to me."I asked if Katherine had a good sleep also.""How would I know that? You invited her. Ask her if she did."She smiled."Yeah, right. You really need to be more subtle if you're really going to hide what happened from me."I let out a soft groan.Fuck! The disadvantage of having someone as your twin—you can't hide anything!"How did you know?"She smiled, her eyes dancing with triumph."You've been staring at her since you walked back in. Besides, I noticed when she went in after you. I'm pretty sure Kelvin also noticed it."I raised my brows.If he did, then he definitely
ALEXANDER’S POVKatherine lay beside me, her chest rising and falling, her skin glistening with a thin sheen of sweat. Her eyes were still half-lidded, lips swollen from our kisses, her body wrapped around mine like she never wanted to let go. And damn, I never wanted her to.I could still feel the way her body burned on me, the moans she screamed out as we made out some minutes ago.It was still echoing in my ears.But reality had a cruel way of creeping back in. The muffled sounds of music and laughter from downstairs seeped through the walls, a reminder of what awaited us.The wedding reception was still in full swing, a celebration happening just beneath us while we lay tangled in sheets, lost in our own world.A world that wasn’t supposed to exist anymore, at least, not after the fight we had back then at the hospital.This...I turned my head to admire her pale body and half-closed eyes.This wasn't supposed to happen.I swore to stay away from her, to respect her desires to be
KATHERINE'S POV My eyes closed as he pressed his lips to mine. Every inch of my brain screamed for me to leave, to push him away and exit the room but it was almost impossible. I didn't know how badly I wanted him until I felt the taste of his tongue in mine; the mixture of rum, coffee and something sweet. I missed him! He pulled me closer and I sighed softly, leaning more into his body and wrapping my arms around his neck. This wasn't what I planned to do. this shouldn't be happening. Alexander and I were over, what we had was in the past. But just for now. For today. I want to push everything away from my mind; the past, the pain and the revenge I planned. Everything. Only for today. He wrapped his arms tightly around my waist sending shivers down my spine at his touch and I let out a moan against his lips. I badly wanted him to take me and to claim me. My body burned with a different kind of heat, which only he can cure. But I couldn't say a single word, not while h
ALEXANDER'S POVThe house was bustling with activities, caterers arguing, event planners chattering, and the giggles of Susan and her girls.I was grateful for the distraction. It was enough to make me forget... at least for some time.For the past few weeks, I'd been actively avoiding Katherine, refusing to show up at the meetings and making sure that I didn't accidentally bump into her like I did the other day, and for what it's worth, it was successful enough.But I still had the jarring pain in my heart whenever I thought of her. I still dream about her, the words she said to me, the things she did, and the way she looked at me like I was nothing but trouble for her.Leaving her alone was the right decision to make, but it still hurts. Hearing her voice as I walk past the conference room, seeing her walk out of the lobby, and the torture of knowing that she was that close to me yet I couldn't approach her.I sighed heavily and walked out to the balcony of my room overlooking the g
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