LOGINRoman—” I whispered, trying to shove him back, but he didn’t budge. His arms locked around me like iron, and before I could protest further, his mouth claimed the line of my throat. Slow. Claiming. Ruinous. A soft sound escaped me as the resistance drained from my body. His lips brushed the sensitive spot just beneath my ear, sending liquid heat racing down my spine. “Stop fighting this, Ava,” he murmured against my skin. “You don’t have to fight me.” My fingers shook where they still gripped the front of his shirt. God help me… *** When Ava catches her husband in bed with the woman she once trusted most, everything she thought she knew collapses. One impulsive night throws her into the path of a cold, magnetic stranger—only to learn he is Roman Vale, her ex-husband’s older brother: richer, harder, and far more dangerous. Roman has his own score to settle with the younger brother who betrayed them both. He makes Ava an unflinching proposition: marry him, give him a child, and together they will bring the man who destroyed their lives to his knees. But as the lines between their calculated arrangement and something far more real start to dissolve, Ava begins to fear she has bargained with the devil himself. And the secret she carries may already be bigger than either of them expected—because she is already pregnant with his child.
View MoreAvaThe engagement announcement hit the internet before the sun even rose.I woke up in the guest room of Roman’s mansion to my phone exploding with notifications. News sites, gossip blogs, social media—every single one of them was screaming the same headline:Roman Vale Engaged to Ex-Sister-in-Law After Scandalous Gala ProposalThere were photos of the ring on my finger. Photos of Roman’s arm around my waist. Photos of Tristan’s furious face in the background.I sat up slowly, the diamond still heavy on my hand. It felt like a brand.A soft knock came at the door. One of the housekeepers stepped in with a tray of coffee and toast, eyes carefully lowered.“Mr. Vale requested you join him for breakfast in the main dining room, Mrs. Vale.”Mrs. Vale. The title still felt foreign and sharp.I dressed in simple black trousers and a silk blouse—one of the few things I had left that still felt like me—and walked downstairs.Roman was already seated at the long table, reading something on
AvaI stared at him, my mind refusing to process everything all at once. Roman’s expression remained unreadable, as if he had just proposed a business deal rather than something that would alter the course of my entire life.I let out a shaky laugh, disbelief creeping into my voice. “You must be out of your mind.”Roman didn’t flinch. “On the contrary, Ava. I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life.”I shook my head, stepping back, needing distance. “Why? Why would you even suggest something like this?”Roman exhaled slowly, as if he had expected my reaction. His fingers grazed the rim of his whiskey glass before he set it down on the bar with a soft clink. “I need an heir.”I blinked. “And?”His sharp gaze locked onto mine. “My father has a legacy—a multi-billion-dollar empire that he intended for me to inherit. But there’s a catch. The board of directors refuses to recognize me as the rightful successor unless I prove I have a stable future. That means a wife a
AvaA text came in at sunset from the same number.Roman: You might want to wear something stunning. A car will pick you up at eight.I stared at the message, my fingers gripping the phone tighter than necessary. This was insane. Why had I agreed to this? Why had I accepted an invitation from a man I barely knew—one whose name I hadn’t even learned until this morning when the hotel concierge mentioned it?Roman. A powerful name. A commanding presence. A man whose touch had erased my pain for one reckless night.But that was all it was supposed to be—one night.And yet, here I was, standing in front of the vanity mirror, slipping into a dress I hadn’t worn since before my marriage crumbled. The deep red silk hugged my curves like a second skin, the thigh-high slit scandalous enough to turn heads. For once, I wanted to be seen. Not pitied. Not broken.I inhaled sharply, pushing down the nerves. Who was Roman? And why had he sought me out again? I intended to find out.Just then, the s
The first thing I noticed was the silence. and the quiet hum of the air conditioning. This isn't my bedroom.The second thing was the headache. A sharp, pulsing ache behind my eyes that screamed of too much alcohol and far too many regrets.I groaned and forced my heavy eyelids open. Morning light spilled through sheer curtains, soft and bright. Then reality slammed into me like a truck.This was not my bedroom.My breath caught. I sat up quickly, clutching the silk sheets to my chest. The room was sleek, modern, and clearly expensive—a penthouse suite. I turned my head. The other side of the bed was empty.For a moment I just sat there, heart hammering, trying to piece the night back together.The bar. The whiskey. The man with the dark eyes and quiet, dangerous confidence.Oh God. I had slept with a stranger.My stomach twisted. What the hell had I been thinking? I had been reeling from Tristan’s betrayal, desperate to feel anything other than the crushing pain. But this?












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