This was the worst night of Elena Matthews’ life.She sat in the dim theater, fingers drumming the armrest as the screen lit up with some sappy love story. Normally, she’d lose herself in the drama, but tonight, her mind was a million miles away. Then her phone buzzed.Elena dug it out of her purse. Unknown number. The message hit like a punch to the gut:Hotel Sunset. Room 721.Her hands shook uncontrollably as she brought the device up to her face, reading the last text once again.This wasn’t just a text—it was proof. Proof of the affair she’d suspected for months but refused to believe.Cold rage flooded her veins. She shoved the phone against her chest, heart hammering. No way could she sit here now. She bolted from the theater, ignoring the stares.She could explain to Danika later. Her best friend’s new movie screening was important, but it paled in comparison to the chaos now unfolding in her life. Outside, Elena orders at her driver. “Hotel Sunset. Now.” As the car tore thro
"You did this!" Her mother-in-law's shrill voice cut through the hospital corridor. "Look what you've done to my son!"The slap burned across Elena's cheek, but she bit down hard on her tongue instead of fighting back.Not here. Not now.Elena couldn't argue. That part was true.If it weren’t for the rage that blinded her, she wouldn’t have struck her husband with the largest vase in the room. And she certainly wouldn’t have stood there, watching him bleed to death after the blow to his head.Thankfully, Cecelia knew what to do, the same step-sister her husband had been fucking for God knows how long. Even the thought of his betrayal brought a bitter taste to her mouth, shot a piercing pain through her chest.The irony? Cecelia was the one who called 911.“I didn’t mean…I didn’t mean for it to happen like that. I just…I just wanted…” she tried to explain, feeling as though everyone in the hospital lobby was glaring accusingly at her, as if she had deliberately caused the situation."L
The Aristocrat Health Institute was one of the best private hospitals in the world. Not only was it the most prestigious, but not everyone could afford to pay its exorbitant fees. Despite this, many people high on the social ladder, including powerful politicians, bureaucrats, and business tycoons, sought medical treatment here. The highly trained and experienced doctors and nurses working there were always ready to go the extra mile for their patients. The Aristocrat Health Institute was also owned by the Matthews and Sons Group. Elena barely remembered parking. She burst through the automatic doors, heading straight for reception when a familiar hand gripped her shoulder. She turned to find Mr Jones standing with a taut expression on his old face. “This way,” Elena swallowed thickly and nodded. Her hands wouldn't stop shaking. She clenched them into fists as the elevator climbed, each floor lighting up like a countdown to disaster. "Just tell me what's happening," she demanded
Eighteen Months LaterNew York International Airport“The car is ready, ma’am.” Betty Adams told Elena, as she stepped out of the airport and glanced around the familiar city.New York had been her home for more than a decade, but after Richard’s betrayal and the accident that shattered her once-perfect life into millions of painful pieces, she couldn’t stay any longer. She needed a break. A change in the scenery. And so did Caleb. The boy had lost his mother and had almost lost his father, too, if not for Elena who refused to pull the plug.Elena nodded and adjusted the sunglasses on her face.She was tired, jetlagged, and hungry.After spending a year and a half in Milan, Italy, she was finally back home.Betty, her trusted personal assistant, led the way towards the awaiting car.Elena followed her, her mind drifting to everything that had happened over the past year and a half.It was still hard to believe that her brother had been in a coma for so long. She thought he would wake u
The next morning, as Elena barely stepped out of the car on her way to the NYC office, a beautiful woman in an equally stunning designer dress stood in front of her, blocking her way.Elena frowned, her four guards mere microseconds away from pushing the woman aside, when Elena’s gaze fell on the woman’s face, and a smile, full of surprise, cracked across her lips.“Danika?” Elena chuckled, silently gesturing her guards to stand back as a familiar face smiled brightly at her.“You slut!” Danika grinned, throwing her arms around her best friend. “You’re actually back, and the first thing you do is head for work? What kind of joke is that? Get on that phone and cancel all your plans. Today, you’re all mine. We are getting shit-faced drunk, and you’re telling me EVERYTHING. Is that understood?”Elena hugged her friend before pulling away. “Don’t you think it’s too early to get drunk?”Danika laughed heartily, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Not early enough to not have a good time now
Simon Walsh gazed at the transparent hologram of the old artefact revolving in the air, his deep and dark eyes glistering in deep contemplation.This was going to be the next treasure in his collection.He could finally tell where the crown came from: Byzantine, and once belonged to a concubine who lived in the early 400. The last three red rubies dangling between two white pearl strands were carefully wrapped in platinum chains, making a dazzling decoration, just like any royalty jewels.And to think about how lucky he was for the final negotiation to be able to buy the crown?Simon let out a self-deprecating grin, remembering how many times he nearly lost the item, with his secret rival throwing hundreds of bidders between the table to completely confuse the entire market.Despite losing her nearly thrice, Simon would soon have the crown in the palm of his hand. He was certain of it, for no other jeweller in the States could afford that beauty with the price he had settled down at.T
Paris - One Year AgoThe clock struck midnight when Elena finally pushed through the glass doors of her office building. Twelve straight hours of negotiations had left her spine fused into the shape of her chair. Parisian air—thick with cigarette smoke and diesel fumes—never smelled so good. She leaned against the cold stone facade, rolling her stiff shoulders. Finally. Fucking. Quiet.Then reality sucker-punched her.Caleb's sleepover meant an empty apartment. No sticky fingerprints on her tablet. No marathon debates about whether velociraptors could beat T-rexes in a fight. Just her, a half-empty fridge, and the ghost of a marriage that had blown up spectacularly.She'd tried the dating scene. Three disasters masquerading as men:1. The finance bro who ugly-cried when she mentioned commitment.2. The "ethically non-monogamous" sculptor who wanted her to meet his wife.3. The baby-faced barista who kept calling her "mommy" during sex.Work became her rebound relationship. Mergers did
"So," he murmured, twirling a loose curl around his finger before giving it a playful tug. "Wanna get out of here?"Elena blinked. She hadn’t even told him her name, yet here he was, looking at her like he already knew her. And honestly? She wasn’t complaining. She’d come to this bar for exactly this—someone hot, someone who knew what they were doing. And damn, did he ever."I don’t know," she lied, biting her lip.He leaned in, his breath warm against her ear. "Yeah, you do."A shiver ran down her spine. It had been way too long since she’d felt this kind of heat.Before she could overthink it, his hand slid into hers, pulling her between his legs. His lips brushed her neck, slow and teasing, and she let out a soft sigh. His mouth moved lower, tracing her collarbone, his tongue flicking against her skin just enough to make her gasp."Mm, you like that?" he murmured, nipping at her earlobe.Elena’s breath hitched. "Oh—""More?" His hands slid down to her ass, gripping just enough to m
Hey lovely readers,First of all, I would like to say a huge thank you if you’ve made it to the end. It wasn’t an easy journey, I know, but you stayed, and that means everything to me. :)Secondly, let me get straight to what I said I would be talking about in this note.I know a lot of you (probabl
“Ahh!” She cried out as Simon moved down and kissed the space between her breasts, before taking a nipple in his mouth.“Oh fuck! Oh God!” She moaned. Her back arched off the bed when he began sucking on them hard while his fingers tweaked the other nipple, causing her to let out a cry of ecstasy.“
After their little party was over and everyone went back to the guest rooms to rest, Elena laid their sleeping daughter in her crib and tucked her nicely.A pair of warm hands slid around her waist from behind, a kiss landed on her shoulder. “Thank you for today. How long have you been planning all
Simon woke up in the middle of the night, his heart racing.He looked around himself, patting his hand around in search of the person he was hoping to find. But to his dismay, there was no one else on the bed with him.“Elena?” he said out loud, frowning at the darkness.His hand patted the sheets a
Elena stood outside the doors, clutching the bouquet tightly in her hands. She was shaking, and she knew that anyone who could see her right now would notice, including her brother, Josh.“You’re not a very confident bride, are you?” he teased.She rolled her eyes, wanting to punch him but refrainin
Richard whistled, and Danika watched as Greg, standing outside the room, appeared and uncuffed him.“What the fuck?” Danika was shocked. “How did you… How did you do that?” She turned to face Greg. “You… you work for me, not him! Cuff him back to the door, you giant imbecile!”“Sorry, miss,” Greg sa
“Is everything set up?” the first man who carried the unconscious bride asked.“Yes,” Greg, who stood outside the operating theater, nodded. “The room is ready. All the equipment is working fine. Just leave her inside, and that woman will handle the rest.”“Sounds good to me,” the other man said, wi
Danika was so damn ready for the final stage of her revenge.She had planned everything meticulously, and now all her efforts were coming to fruition. She was smiling to herself when the phone rang, and she picked it up, already aware of what she was about to hear.“We got her,” the man with the dee
Simon was pacing outside the bridal suite, restless and nervous. One of the servers had informed him that Elena wasn’t feeling well, and he had dropped everything he was doing to rush over and see if she was okay, or if they needed to cancel the wedding. Because he totally could. Nothing was more im