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?
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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”THEONElle’s breathing slowed down as she curled against me the moment my back hit the foam. Her lashes fluttered softly as though she was fighting sleep due to exhaustion. Her bare skin was slick with sweat and warm against mine as her legs tangled with mine and the sheets.“Are you okay?” I murmured, placing a soft kiss on her forehead while wrapping my arms around her.“Mhmm, just tired,” she groaned against my skin, and pride bloomed in my chest.She was mine. Not just because of the contract we signed or because I forced her to.“I want to pick them up myself,” I whispered against her after a while, when my eyes caught the time.I leaned back, and her eyes opened as she stared at me with a frown, “Hm?”“The kids. I want to be the one to pick them up from school today. I want to tell them that we are going to be living together”I never imagined I would be one who was impatient, domesticated and eager for a family, but here I was, wanting everything I could get with Elle.She laug
ELLEMy heart pounded in my chest at his words. I should say no, but I couldn’t. Not with the way my body was burning with desire and the insane need to feel him all over me.Memories of what it felt like to have him buried in me had my thighs clenching together in anticipation. Theon’s eyes remained on me, waiting for me to either step back, but I didn’t. I claimed his lips again, and he groaned in reply. I looked at him through hooded eyes as my hands slid up his chest. I could feel his body vibrating with barely controlled restraint underneath my fingers.Theon said nothing but watched me as I unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off his shoulders. Every inch of his body was covered with muscles. I wrapped my hands around his neck and pulled him down, kissing him. Theon groaned into my mouth and lifted me. My legs wrapped around his waist and he carried me effortlessly to the bed before lying me down on it gently. “Say it with your words, baby,” He urged, his hands gripping my w
ELLEI never thought that I would see the day when my things would be moved to the one across the hall. The very one I had tried to avoid entering for almost a year since I had been living in the estate.I sat on my old bed quietly as I watched the maids carry my items one after the other to Theon’s room. No. It was our room now.“Do you want to take this as well?” One of the maids asked, pointing towards the potted plant by the window.“No. You can leave that here,” I told her with a flick of my wrist. Though I liked flowers, I wasn’t particularly obsessed with them. That one had been in the room when I came in, and I just let it be.“Are you thinking about changing your mind because I won’t let you?” Theon appeared, leaning against the door, arms folded and a smug grin on his lips like he had just won a prize.I rolled my eyes and got up to approach him “And if I do? What are you going to do about it?” I asked playfully with an arched brow.He walked out the doorway and into the hal
AUTHOR’S POVIsla could barely sit still. She had almost emptied the bottle of wine she had brought out to celebrate Elle’s downfall. Today was the last court hearing that would send that bitch to jail and Isla couldn’t keep the smile off her face for the tiniest second.She refreshed her phone again for the millionth time to check for updates and sighed when none came up.“How long does a court hearing take?” She muttered with a roll of her eyes. All she wanted was a sneak peek picture of Elle in cuffs. Was that too much to ask?Her grin returned as she pictured Elle, previously proud in cuffs while hiding her face. Isla chuckled wickedly, “Oh, I am going to stare at that photo for ages. I might even visit her with a copy in prison”, she giggled.Her phone chimed with a notification, and she snatched it up. She had placed a custom notification tone for Elle’s alert, and that was the sound that had just played, but as she refreshed the page, the grin disappeared, and she was on her fe
THEONI stood still for a few seconds, or was it minutes, after Amanda was taken away. Mira and Aiden left after, in the guise of being hurt and humiliated. The staff that had gathered to watch the small circus show disappeared one after the other until I was left alone with Elle.Elle had yet to say a word. I didn’t know if she was waiting for me to say something first. Slowly, I turned and walked into the house, passing the familiar hallways and heading straight to my grandfather’s study.It was mine now, but I couldn’t stop calling it his. My steps felt heavier, and I walked into the dark office, not bothering to draw the curtains open.I sank into a leather chair and leaned forward, burying my face into my hands. I didn’t know what to feel, how to react or the next step to take.Could I tell myself that I was blind? I couldn’t because I already suspected it, but everyone around me thought my delusions were in my head because I was still angry with Eleanor.Or maybe I was also at f
ELLE“Wh…wh…what are you talking about?” she sputtered, glancing between me and her parents “Are you blind? These are my parents” “Are they?” I challenged with a smirk and raised brows. “Are you going to stand there and lie that they are your parents and you are Eleanor Sterling?”Amanda pales even further and I saw the moment realisation set in as she realised I knew who she was and was about to reveal it.Sophie and Jeremy walked in, carrying all the documents we had kept for this day. Sophie was happy that we were finally getting rid of her. Theon touched me slightly on the arm, pulling my attention to him. “What are you talking about?” “She is a fake” I told him calmly, pointing at Amanda. “The stress from the embezzlement case must have set in because she is crazy. Now she is spewing rubbish and saying I am not myself” she forced a laugh, trying to salvage the situation.I didn’t pay any attention to her and kept Theon’s gaze. “This woman is not Eleanor Sterling. Her name is
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