Five years ago, Eleanor Sterling lost everything: her family, fortune and dignity all because of the man she was engaged to. Framed for a crime she knew nothing about, she was cast out of high society, abandoned and left to fend for herself while carrying his child. Now, she is back. Not as the weak and naive girl she once was, but as Elle Davenport, a woman of power and secrets. Her first move? Accepting the marriage proposal of the very man who destroyed her. Theon Blackwell needs a wife to secure his inheritance so when the mysterious Elle Davenport accepts his proposal, he doesn’t realize he has just welcomed his biggest enemy into his home. Elle’s plan is simple: make him fall and then crush him. But as passion ignites and the truth is revealed, she must face a question she never thought about: What if he was never her real enemy?
Lihat lebih banyakELEANOR
The soft rustling of silk and lace filled the air as I twirled softly for the second time to admire the wedding dress I had on in front of the mirror. The dress clung to me in all the right places, accentuating my slender frame before cascading to the floor. I was currently in the private show room of Bridal Dreams, a shop owned by the renowned Lisabelle Jones, the most sought-after bridal dress designer in the country and this was my fourth fitting so far. My wedding was going to be happening in less than a week and I couldn’t wait. Every move I made was filled with nerves as though something would go wrong but it’s so close now and I couldn’t wait any more. It still felt like a dream even though I knew it wasn’t. I was finally going to be the bride I always dreamed of. I turned to my best friend, Isla who was sitting on the couch behind me. “So, what do you think?” I asked, my voice edged with excitement and nervousness. Isla Crawford, my best friend since childhood, leaned back against the couch, a glass of champagne in her manicured fingers with a smile on her lips. “You look perfect, Elle. Just like everything else in your life” I titled my head, confused about her reaction. She didn’t seem to share the same excitement as I did. “What do you mean?” Isla let out a soft laugh and rolled her eyes playfully “Come on, Elle. Don’t play dumb.” she took a sip of her champagne before she set it down on the table beside her and got up. She walked until she stopped in front of me “You are getting married to Theon Blackwell. The Theon Blackwell. Women would kill to be in your shoes. The heir to the Blackwell group, filthy rich, drop-dead handsome...” “And the love of my life” I cut her before she could say more “He is not just a billionaire with a limitless pocket but the love of my life” Isla rolled her eyes again and something flickered in them, but it was unreadable. “If you say so” I wanted to push but Miss Violet, the consultant came running with a smile “Miss Sterling, is there anything you’ll like to change?” “No, Miss Violet. It’s perfect” I replied with a small smile and gave her my attention instead. We fixed a few other things before Isla, and I went to the nearest cafe to take a break. We had been shopping for my wedding, and it was a not so easy task to run around multiple shops in a day. I took a deep breath, allowing the warm and comforting aroma of the freshly brewed coffee and pastries around us to soothe my nerves. I leaned back and watched Isla. She had not said a word since we left the bridal shop, and it was making me worry because this was not the Isla I knew. She was startled when she lifted her head and saw me watching her. “So,” she began, plastering a teasing smile on her face “How does it feel to be marrying into the wealthiest family in the country?” “Isla” I sighed “You’ve got to stop bringing up the Blackwell’s wealth every time we are in the room together. It’s almost as if I won a lottery when I’m just marrying a man I fell in love with” Isla smirked “Oh come on” she scoffed “You can’t ignore the fact that this wedding is what the media has tagged the wedding of the year. People are talking. They want to know what you are wearing and how stunning you’ll look. Not even A-list actors and actresses get talked about this much” "It’s all because of Theon. They wouldn’t pay me any attention on a normal day” I brushed her words off. “But they are talking more than just the wedding and how lucky you are” I frowned “What do you mean?” Isla leaned in slightly, her voice dropping low “Some say it’s a business marriage” I scoffed “That’s ridiculous and I’m mad that you even believe those gossip” “But is it ridiculous?” She pressed, her tone casual but sharp “Everyone knows that Theon is ruthless in business, and he only makes moves that he stands to gain. Your family has a fair share of influence” I frowned, getting irritated with the direction the discussion was heading. “Theon has more wealth and power than my parents. He doesn’t need me for that. He loves me” Isla raised a delicate brow, her lips curving slightly “Of course, Elle. If you say so” I eyed her with distaste, wondering why she was acting this way “I don’t like the way you’ve been acting. Are you mad at me or something?” Her eyes widened with surprise, and she chuckled nervously “Elle, what are you saying? I was just telling you what people are saying” “Why today of all days? I thought you would be happy for me, but you’ve been acting like I forced you to come with me. If you didn’t feel like it, you should have told me” “You are the one not acting fair and treating me like I am some villain” she chuckled nervously. “I don’t think so. I’m going home” I told her and paid for the coffee. “Maybe you can call me when you stop being a bitch” “Eleanor” She gasped “Why are you overreacting?” I turned to her with a sharp look “Am I really overreacting? If you think so, then I'm sorry but my mood is bad so I don’t think I will be able to get anything done today. I’m leaving” “Eleanor” Isla called after me as I walked out but I didn’t bother to turn back. She had spoilt my mood, and I needed to leave else I would say thing I regret to her. I stepped out of the cafe and the cool afternoon breeze lifted the strands of my golden-brown hair. Just as I reached for my car keys, my phone vibrated with a text message. I suspected it was either a text from my mother asking about the shopping or Theon wanting to know where I was, so I quickly pulled my phone out with a grin, already feeling better while hoping the text was from Theon. But as soon as I unlocked the phone, my breath caught when I saw the message. It was from an unknown number, and it was just a single text message. “Do you really think he loves you? You won’t be making it down that isle”ELLEEliza’s laughter rang through the garden as she scrambled away from my tickling fingers. We had set up a small picnic in the middle of the garden with the blanket on the grass and a basket with all her favourite food.“You are not playing fair, Ellie” she pointed an accusing but short finger at me as a pout framed her face after she recovered from the tickles. I raised both hand innocently as a chuckle escaped my lips “But I am a villain. Bad people don’t play fair”She giggled and threw herself at me “I guess so” she flashed me a bigger smile “but I won this time since you cheated” “Nope” I shook my head “I won fair and square. There were no rules” Eliza huffed and plopped down beside me. She reached for her juice and took a bit sip before handing the cup back to me. I groaned as she wrapped her sticky hands around me then giggled mischievously because she knew she had just stained my dress. “You little brat” I laughed “I thought you were a princess? Princesses don’t cheat”
ELLEA tired yawn left my lips as I stepped out of the bathroom, with the steam from my hot shower escaping into the room before I closed the door. I pulled the towel I had draped over my head out of my face and stopped in my tracks when I came faced with a surprise sight that I should be used to by now. Theon was in my bed again. He didn’t wait for an invitation or ask like he usually does. He was just splayed comfortably on my bed like it was the most natural thing in the world. He had one arm behind his head, shirtless, his legs crossed while he scrolled through his phone with a bored expression on his face. “Seriously?” I asked with a narrowed gaze and an irritated expression on my face “Do you want to explain what you are doing in my bed?”He looked up at me with a lazy smile on his lips and shrugged “I thought we’ve gone past me needing a reason to get into your bed?” “No, we didn’t besides it was a one time thing” I argued. “It’s happened too many times for it to be a on
ELLE I was waiting for the private investigator to get me more information on Amanda and Isla, but so far, he has not given me anything noteworthy. I hoped that meant she wasn’t planning anything more but that would be a wistful thinking. I knew she had not backed down since it was obvious that she was hell bent on defeating me. I had to admit that she scared me a little. It was one of the reasons I had avoided going to the house to see Milo. I moved Jeremy and Milo from the house they were at before since Theon had followed me once. I couldn’t take the risk if he decided to go back to see Milo even though Eliza was here now. Also, I couldn’t risk Amanda getting her hands on something that would hurt me. I would never risk exposing Milo’s existence to her. I didn’t even want to imagine what she would do when she finds out that I had such a weakness. Sophie entered my office and shut the door behind her. “We’ve been here a lot lately.” “I know” I closed my laptop with a
THEONI once again disappeared into my grandfather’s study, which was now my own. Since it was buried deep inside the estate’s mansion, it became very silent in the evenings, allowing me to bury myself in thoughts. My fingers tightened around the whiskey glass in my hand as I stood by the window, looking out into the compound of the estate that was getting dark. My jaw clenched as I remembered dinner earlier and Eleanor’s demand. Her voice replayed in my head like an irritating echo, and I couldn’t stop it. “I want to manage the mall chain. I know you gave it to Elle, but she already has her hands full with the Microfinance bank, the hotel shares you gifted her, her investment firm, and she has no child to give them to”Those were the exact words she spoke. She had grown audacious, and the moves she took made me mad. I know children were never in the contract, but that line rubbed me the wrong way. It felt like she was accusing Elle of not being able to have a child. Mocking her e
ELLE I don’t even know why I keep making efforts to eat at the big dining hall when it was always quiet, even though everyone was present. It was another boring morning breakfast, and everyone looked like they had better things to do than to sit here and pretend we wanted to eat together like a normal family. My eyes were on Amanda. She looked better today, less nervous, and I was worrying my brain to think why. She must have found a solution, and I somehow suspected that I wouldn’t like it. Theon was on his tablet, reviewing documents and was yet to touch the plate of food in front of him and I knew he was going to leave for work without touching the food. Victoria, on the other hand, sipped her tea quietly. I wasn’t comfortable with how quiet she had gotten since I took the mall from her. I knew she was brewing something, and that was why I had someone following her. I wouldn’t let her take me unaware. My attention was dragged back to Amanda. She was on her phone, and the
ELLE I knew the moment Amanda found out that Diamond had been arrested. If it wasn’t the scream I heard from her room yesterday, then it was the way her bloodshot eyes kept watching everyone like she was expecting them to call her out for something. She was scared. She was making mistakes. She was unravelling. It was amusing to watch her fight not to show how much the plan she thought she had in control spiralled. Jeremy showed me the news yesterday. Though the pictures were blurred, I knew it was Diamond and Lara. After all, we sent those pictures to the police and the media. I also instructed the private investigator to watch her always. I told him to make sure nothing she does escapes him. I wasn’t doing this just for evidence, but for my own safety. If Amanda could kill someone, then I wasn’t going to take any chances with her. I needed to be extremely careful, like Jeremy had insisted. I sat in the living room, pretending to be scrolling through my phone while she sa
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