“Is trusting you a sin?” Hannah asked. “It wouldn't have been a sin if you were nothing but sand under my feet. You’ve always had it all—the grades, the charm, the spotlight. Teachers adored you. Boys wanted you. Even James, the only one I ever looked at like that, fell for you despite your boring look.” Her best friend’s laugh was dry. Cruel. Hannah’s heart squeezed, her breath catching in her throat. “You think you’ve won?” she said, voice shaking. “Because you slept with my husband and fed him lies?” “I don’t think, Hannah. I won.” “You didn’t win. You settled. You crawled into my leftovers and tried to wear my skin like it would turn you into something better—but it didn’t.” --- On her first wedding anniversary, Hannah Reyes was drugged—by her husband and her best friend. The betrayal shattered her world, and cost her the one thing she was holding onto: her unborn child. The next day, still lying in a hospital bed, her husband handed her divorce papers... then ordered her thrown out. Lost, bleeding, and alone, she was hit by a car. But fate wasn’t done with her yet. The driver? Matthew DeLacruz—her husband’s former friend, now bitter enemy, and a man he once scammed. And Matthew made her an offer she couldn’t ignore: "Be my vice president, and I’ll help you destroy him." What began as revenge turned into something else, something thrilling, empowering, and dangerously beautiful. And just when she thought she had nothing left to lose, Matthew made her a different offer: Marriage. Now Hannah must ask herself: Can she truly trust again? Or will this new beginning become just another ending?
View MoreHannah’s heart pounded against her ribs. Her knees threatened to give way she wanted to drop, to beg, to cry.But Matthew didn’t let her. He caught her before she fell and gently lowered her onto the nearest chair, placing her down like she might shatter.He let out a long, frustrated breath, his gaze fixed on the woman before him bold some hours ago, now crumbling in his presence.“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “I shouldn’t have slapped you. Please… let me go. I have somewhere to stay. My parents' house is still there..”Matthew’s chest tightened. She’s still thinking about the slap?Her sudden submission, the terror in her eyes, the way her words tumbled out it annoyed and disarmed him.He didn’t know whether to comfort her or command her to be quiet. The guilt and disbelief tangled inside him like wires. He thought if she had seen him as Matthew Delacruz in the first place, she wouldn't have cowered like this.He clenched his fists at his sides.Shouting would only
Hannah stirred.Her eyelashes fluttered before her eyes blinked open slowly, hazy. The ceiling above her came into focus: white. She stretched. No pain. She felt alive.Slowly, her gaze drifted sideways and there he was. Matthew. Matthew sat in a chair by her bedside, his legs crossed, his expression stoic as if he was lost in thought. He wore a dark shirt, sleeves rolled up, there was a tattoo drawn on his arm and he looked… exhausted. His expression shifted the moment their eyes locked. Hannah quickly looked away.She blinked again, adjusting to the light.“You came back…” Her voice was a dry whisper, hoarse from disuse.“I didn’t even know when I dozed off.” she said.Matthew’s lips curved into a lazy smirk, his voice low and smooth.“Dozed off? You’ve been asleep for three days.”Her brows lifted in disbelief. A flush crept up her cheeks. Three days? And she had the nerve to call it dozing off?The only thing she could remember was the commotion of the nurses after he left. She
Lyrah Tried to rekindle the old flames between her and James that night, and they had intimacy. Since then, it had been consistent that James never wanted to see Hannah again, but because of the scandal that leaving her would cause, he managed to keep her and tortured her.End of Flashback.James drove recklessly into the compound, slammed the car door, and made his way toward the house. Just as he reached for the handle, he froze. He remembered how messy everything was the sight of blood still vivid in his mind. Spinning around, he barked toward the gate.“Jarus! Is the house cleaned?” His voice was sharp, the anger barely contained.“No, sir,” the gateman stammered. “I didn’t have money to call the cleaning service.”James’s eyes narrowed. “Are you stupid or just plain daft? You should’ve sent the bill to me!”“But, sir… Madam always handled the home expenses. You never responded to the ones I sent before — for the garden, even,” Jarus mumbled, but it wasn’t low enough to escape Ja
After revenge... what next?James should have felt on top of the world, triumphant in his victory. But none of that came.Instead, Hannah’s words echoed in his mind, making his heart waver. Regret and fear gnawed at him as bitterness coiled in his chest."Could she have been telling the truth?""No—no. It wasn’t Lyra who exposed her. I saw the proof myself on her phone. She can’t manipulate me. Not when all the evidence pointed to her."His hands tightened around the steering wheel as his mind drifted—flashing back to their wedding day.## FLASHBACK ##The celebration was winding down when James’s parents made an unexpected announcement—they were heading to South Ohio that very night.James offered to drive them to the airport. He handed Hannah the key to their suite and told her to wait for him there.As he got to the airport, he helped his parents to check every necessary detail required for their boarding; this took him more time than he had expected.But the moment they cleared se
Hannah’s eyes followed the man as he walked out of the room; the sudden shift in his demeanour had shaken her. He had been cold, commanding, and completely in control.If she didn’t already know Matthew Delacruz from pictures, she might have believed it was truly him.But the way the doctor bowed his head like an obedient dog made her question her instincts.Still, she frowned.Why would a man be so obsessed with someone else’s life — enough to live under their identity?It didn’t add up. She was certain Matthew didn’t even live in Ohio. That fact alone solidified her belief: this man was an impostor.“Maybe he bribed the doctor to act submissive,” she thought, turning her face to the wall. “But why? What does he gain from pretending to be Matthew Delacruz? I’m not even important.”Hannah couldn’t understand it. Why would anyone go to such lengths — for her?She didn’t see herself as someone worth deceiving or impressing. Not enough to impersonate a man like Matthew Delacruz.The door
Hannah’s eyes widened. Disbelief clutched her chest as she stared at the man before her, a stranger, really. He barely knew anything about her. Just the surface. Just the broken edges she'd let slip.And yet… he was ready to stand in for her.Why?She clenched her fists at her sides. No. She wouldn’t drag anyone else into her mess. Especially not someone she didn't know.Her gaze flicked to his wristwatch: sleek, heavy, expensive. She thought the man had power, clearly. Maybe he had connections. Getting her a job and accommodations wouldn't be difficult for him; that would be enough. “If you want to help, just get me a shelter and a job,” she said quietly, almost testing him.Without blinking, he said, “Shelter done. As for the job, you won’t need it.”She frowned, Why?”A slow smirk crept across his face. “Because I create jobs.”A sneer escaped Hannah's lips, causing the pain she was feeling to intensify.She wanted to talk to the man she considered a clown before her, but the word
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