LOGINSloane Madden has spent her entire life fixing her twin sister's mistakes while remaining invisible for all the right reasons. When her reckless sister disappears forty-eight hours before a high-profile wedding, Sloane is forced to walk down the aisle in her place or lose the only home her family has left and the medical care her younger brother desperately needs. Declan Shaw, billionaire CEO of Shaw Industries, notices immediately that the woman standing beside him is not the one he proposed to. He marries her anyway. Their marriage is supposed to be temporary. Three months. Public appearances. Separate rooms. No emotions. But Sloane becomes dangerously good at solving Declan's problems, protecting his empire, and seeing parts of him no one else can reach. Then he humiliates her in front of the entire world. And this time, Sloane doesn't stay. She disappears with a secret that could destroy everything Declan thought he controlled. Years later, the woman he underestimated walks back into his life more powerful than he remembers and far less willing to forgive. The question is: what happens when a man realizes he destroyed the only woman he was never supposed to lose?
View More"Miss Melanie Gomez, where's your notebook?"
The 18 year old swallowed, hearing her teacher. She again checked her school bag but her notebook wasn't in it. She had put her notebook in her bag last night after completing her assignment then where the hell it went. "Am I audible to you, Miss Gomez?" "Yes, Ms. Wilson," She answered, politely. "Then take out your assignment," Her teacher raised her voice. Downcasting her hazel eyes, she replied. "I'm sorry, Ms. Wilson but it's not in my bag," "Then where is it?" Ms. Wilson sounded annoyed. "I don't know," Her teacher's brows furrowed at her answer. "You don't know? Really? Did your notebook grow legs that it decided to walk away from you?" The other students laughed at their teacher's remark which made her feel embarrassed. "Silence," Ms. Wilson shushed everyone and focused her eyes on Melanie. "So, Ms. Gomez, you have something else to defend yourself more?" She shook her head slowly in her reply. "One hour of detention after school," She snapped her hazel eyes up and looked at her teacher, shocked. "But Ms… . " "Do you want me to make it two hours, Miss Gomez?" Melanie clenched her fist and looked down. "I'm sorry, Ms., " "Bring your assignment tomorrow or else I'll take you to the principal's office " Saying that, Ms. Wilson turned around and walked back to her place. "Okay students, that's enough for today's class. Don't forget to bring your assignments tomorrow and I definitely don't want to hear some lame excuses from anyone again about your notebook walking away from you," The students giggled whereas Melanie chewed her inner cheek at her teacher's remark on her. "Aww.. Gomez, did your notebook fly away?"One of the boys of her class uttered, chuckling, after the teacher left. "F#ck off," Melanie snarled while glaring at her classmate, who rolled his eyes at her. She again started checking her bag. "Where the hell is that damn notebook? I put it in my bag last night," She slammed her bag on the desk. "Are you sure you've put it in your bag?" "I'm more sure than Ms. Wilson's life that I had put it in my bag, Cara," She answered her friend, while scowling. "Then how could it be gone on its own?" "I don't know," Melanie pressed her head over the desk and sighed until something caught her mind. She immediately leaned back and got up on her feet. Melanie clenched her jaw while staring at nothing particularly. Her friend's brows wiggled in confusion when she started walking away. "Hey! Where are you going, Mel?" Her friend shouted, halting Melanie at the door. She turned around and yelled back, growling. "I'm going to kill that f#cker, Adrian Salvatore," Is all she said before dashing out of her classroom. ............ Clad in a black leather jacket and ripped jeans, he was striding like a ruler on his territory. A sharp jaw, straight nose and burly muscular body were the epitome of manliness of that 20 year old, boy. His jet black hairs were messy which were slightly falling on his pale forehead, making him look more endearing. Some were looking at him afraid, some jealous and some with desires, and he knew about it very well which made his emerald eyes fill with pride and satisfaction. The whispers of the students about his presence were echoing against the walls of the corridor of the high school's locker room until. "F#cking stop there, Salvatore," His steps halted hearing that loud angry voice, which turned everyone silent. He didn't need to turn around to know who was the owner of that voice, who had the audacity to address him like that… Melanie Gomez.. She stormed towards him and stood in front of him. Her hazel eyes met with those green eyes and by watching the anger boiling in her eyes, he already knew the reason behind it which made him smirk. "To what do I owe the pleasure of getting approached by Miss Gomez today?" She scoffed at his mocking words and teasing smirk. "Where the hell is my notebook, Salvatore?" She spat, making him puckered out his lips. "Am I your school bag, that I would have your notebook, Gomez ?" He answered, showing his fake innocence. "Don't make me rip out these ugly eyes of yours, Salvatore. Give me back my notebook or else I'll tell aunt Melissa about this," She warned him. Melanie knew he had stolen her notebook because she had ratted to his mother about him that he was arguing with the teachers yesterday. They both were in their last year of high school. His face hardened at her threat. He threateningly stepped closer to her and peered at her hazel eyes. "That's what you're capable of doing only. Ratting about me to my Mum," He blurted out, glaring at her. "And I'll do it again if you don't give me back my notebook," She snapped, matching his deadly glare. Everyone was watching and enjoying them barking at each other. Some even looked at them bored because that wasn't something new. They both almost fought everyday in school. He tightened his jaw and bowed his head a bit to match her face level. She wasn't short but neither was too long to match his tall height. "Go and do what the f#ck you're capable of doing, Gomez. I'm not giving you back your notebook," He uttered with his lowered warning tone. He had stolen her assignment, early in the morning from her room when she was bathing. He leaned back and turned around to leave until "Because of you, I got detention and even got insulted in front of the whole class," He tossed around and saw her boiling with anger. It was just because of her blessed tanned skin otherwise her burning cheeks would've been visible to everyone. "They all were laughing at me just because of you, Rian," She called him by his nickname which only she and his mother used to address him. Melanie saw his green eyes softened at her words. He came back to her and leaned his face closer to her. "So my doll got detention today," He rasped, turning her suspicious. "Well, I thought she would throw you out of her class but never mind," He smirked. Melanie stomped her feet and growled. "I'll slit your damn throat, you as#hole," He laughed at her cursing. "Only if you were able to reach my neck, my little doll," He taunted. That was it. Her patience left her at his comment on her height. "You're so dead, Adrian Salvatore," She was about to attack him but a hand gripped her arm and stopped her. She turned around and her blazing gaze fell on the owner of that hand. "Let it be, Mel. Everyone is looking," "But he has stolen my notebook for which Ms. Wilson scolded me and gave me detention, Evan," She told her best friend. Evan sighed and looked at Adrian who was looking at both of them with a boring expression. "Give her back her notebook, Adrian," Adrian rolled his eyes and spat. "And what are you? Her lawyer, Davis?" Melanie palmed her fist, hearing him insulting her best friend. "You.. " She was about to blast on him but Evan held her back. "I don't have any more time for this shit, so take care, Melanie and her lawyer," He chuckled and then turned around to walk. "And your notebook is in your dressing table's drawer," Is all he said, without turning around and then walking away from there. Melanie, who was boring daggers in his back, sighed hearing Evan. "Let it be, Mel. You know he's like this. He loves to trouble everyone. He's just sick minded," Evan uttered. Melanie looked in that direction,he had disappeared and then with a sigh, she also walked away from there with Evan. "Well you don't seem very fond of him, Melanie?" "Fond? I'll choke him to death the very second I get the chance of it," Melanie snapped, sipping on her cold drink. Her friend, Cara, chuckled and asked. "But why do you both hate each other so much? Why don't you both try to be friends? I mean you both have been living under the same roof for the past 10 years and yet you both are always behind each other's neck?" "Because that green eyes pain in the a#s hates me because aunt Melissa loves me more than him," She stated, feeling proud and grateful for getting loved by his mother. "I had tried to be his friend when I met him for the first time in my house but that f#cker had turned me speechless that day," FLASHBACK 8 years old, Melanie was playing with her doll. Sitting on a sofa, wearing a light pink frock which was alluringly complimenting her beautiful tanned skin, she was combing her doll's hair. "Melanie, look who's here to meet you," She took her doe hazel eyes up and saw her father walking towards her but the person who was coming behind him, had made her eyes widened.. "Aunty Lissa," She jumped in excitement and ran towards them. She hugged her aunty Melissa's legs and spoke.. "I missed you so much, aunty Lissa," Her aunt, Melissa picked her tiny frame up in her arms and kissed her cheek. "I missed you too, my baby, " Melissa was Melanie's personal caretaker. After Melanie's mother died, her father had appointed Melissa to take care of his little daughter. Melissa was taking care of Melanie from when she was just a 3 years old toddler. Their bond was just like a mother and daughter's bond, just like their similar sounding names. Melanie had always felt her mother's warmth in Melissa's arms and she was missing her badly because Melissa had gone for a week to her home for some personal reasons but now she was back. "You won't leave again, right?" The 8 year old asked with hope in her big doe eyes. Melissa's green eyes warmed up. She again kissed her forehead and answered. "No, never. Now, I'll stay with my Anie forever," Melanie giggled and hugged her, until her eyes fell on another pair of green eyes which were practically glaring at her. Little Melanie gaped into those displeased eyes for a while. "Adrian, come here and say hello to Melanie," Melissa uttered, dropping Melanie carefully on her feet. That 10 year old boy didn't seem pleased with Melanie. He didn't approach her but little Melanie was curious to meet him. She walked towards him with her tiny steps and gaped at his pink cheeks and blood red lips. Melanie's eyes lightened up in happiness "Dad, he looks like my doll. She also has pink cheeks like him," Melanie giggled and squeezed his pink cheeks, turning his porcelain skin more red. Her father and Melissa chuckled. "From now on, he and your aunt Melissa will stay with us," Her dad told her. Her father used to treat Melissa as his elder sister and after Melissa's husband died, he suggested that Melissa take her son with her and start living in his house. Melanie's happiness knew no boundary after hearing her father. She had forever wanted to live with her aunt Melissa. Her father smiled while watching his daughter so happy. "Okay, I'm going to work, Melanie. Don't trouble your aunt Lissa too much, okay?" Melanie immediately nodded and hugged her father's knees. Her father bent and kissed her forehead and then left after patting Adrian's head. "Ok kiddos, you both play and I'll get something for you to eat," Melissa said, earning a nod from Melanie. Melissa also left and now little Melanie left with her human doll. She walked towards him, excited and then grabbed his arm. "Let's go, we will play with my doll," She tried to tug him with her but he didn't move. Melanie pouted and poked his cheek. "Let's go," But he still didn't move. Giving up to his stubbornness, Melanie decided to grab her doll and showed it to him. "Look, she's so beautiful," She told him, who was still glaring at her but after hearing her, his emerald eyes looked down at her doll. He took her doll from her, making Melanie happy that he was going to play with her. But her eyes widened when he ripped her doll's head out of her body. Her hazel eyes immediately watered at his action. He laughed watching her crying and then threw the broken doll's pieces on the ground. "Now it's looking less ugly," He spoke, gazing and laughing at her broken doll. Melanie kneeled and collected her broken doll's pieces. Her tears turned more abrupt. "Why did you break it?" She asked him, shedding her tears. "Because she was ugly just like you," the 10 year old replied. Little Melanie got up and yelled at him. "You're bad. I'll tell aunty Lissa that you broke my doll," She said and turned around to walk but he grabbed her arm. "If you told mum about this then we'll leave from here forever," He blurted out Her eyes filled with more tears at his words. She couldn't lose her aunt Lissa again. Melanie teared up more badly and then snatched her arm from his grip. She pushed him away with her tiny force and spoke out, gazing into his emerald eyes. "One day, I'll also break your doll," Saying that, she ran away from there and he just stared at her disappearing figure. FLASHBACK ENDS .................................. Disclaimer: This book is a work of fiction. All the characters, names, places, businesses, events and settings are either made up from the author's imagination or are used in a fictional manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locales or events, is purely coincidental. Thank you so much for reading and supporting my book. Take care.Declan's POV---Declan locked the door himself.Not because he needed privacy from his own staff. Because this particular conference room was the only space in Shaw Tower with no active surveillance. He had built it that way intentionally, years ago, for conversations that could not be documented. He had used it twice. Both times to end something.He turned from the door.Sloane stood at the far end of the table. She had not sat down. She had not touched the water he placed near her when she walked in. She was watching him the way she watched everything, quietly, from a position that gave her the most information and cost her the least exposure."Sit down," he said."I am fine standing."He pulled out the chair across from his own and left it there. Then he sat, opened the file Preston had compiled, and began from the beginning."The Boston wire transfer. Walk me through it.""I already explained the Boston transfer.""Explain it again."She exhaled once. Then she did. The same accou
Sloane's POVThe transit board placed Declan's authorization code on the main screen before the meeting had officially begun.Sloane saw it the moment she walked in. A single line of text projected onto the display behind the chairman's seat, timestamped, logged, and waiting for someone to explain it. The room was already full. Board members in their assigned positions, legal observers along the east wall, junior executives standing where chairs had run out. No one was looking at the screen. They were all looking at Declan.He was already seated at the head of the table. His posture was exactly what it always was. Controlled. Deliberate. The kind of stillness that was not calm but rather the thing that existed just before a decision became irreversible.Sloane took her seat three chairs down and did not look at him again.The meeting opened with procedure. The chairman spoke for four minutes about governance standards and fiduciary responsibility and the importance of transparent reco
POV: Declan"You're making a mistake with the timeline, Declan," Sloane said, her voice dropping into that flat, counting register she used when checking a balance sheet.Declan didn't release her arm. His fingers remained clamped around her sleeve, his thumb pressing into the wool just above her bare wrist. "The log doesn't lie, Sloane. The signature on the Vance logistics server matches the one on your charity revision down to the pixel.""Bridget has my digital key," she said, her chest moving in short, controlled breaths. "She took the token from my desk the night of the investor dinner.""The token requires a biometric backup," Declan said, his tone flattening as he stepped closer, crowding her against the concrete pillar of the service garage. "A thumbprint, Sloane. Your thumbprint.""I was asleep," she whispered, her gaze locked onto his cold, unblinking eyes. "The medication the house physician gave me for the migraine... I didn't wake up until six in the morning. Bridget was
POV: Sloane"You're tracking the wrong sister," Sloane said, stepping into the dim corridor outside Bridget's bedroom.Bridget froze halfway down the stairs, her fingers gripping the banister. She wasn't wearing the red dress anymore. She was in an oversized gray sweater that made her look small, almost fragile, if Sloane didn't know better. "What are you doing here?""I live here when I'm not playing the part of Declan's perfect acquisition," Sloane said, walking down the steps until she stood one tier above her sister. "The phone from Harbor Row. The one registered under my name. Who gave it to you, Bridget?"Bridget looked toward the kitchen, where Jamie's pencil was still scratching against the wooden table. "Lower your voice.""No," Sloane said, her voice dropping into that flat, dangerous rhythm she had used in Declan's office. "The time for lowering voices ended when Declan started looking at the garage logs. He knows the car left the perimeter. He knows about the transit tolls
POV: DeclanDeclan read the supplier resolution report for the fourth time. The numbers were clean. The timeline was tight. The execution was handled with an efficiency that should have looked routine.It was not routine.He set the tablet on his desk and looked out over the city. Glass, steel, and
POV: Sloane"Sloane Madden? I am Celeste Vane, Belladonna Events. There has been a complication with the catering reroute you requested."The woman at the door stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, her heels clicking sharply against the worn floorboards of the entryway.Sloane kept her
POV: Bridget"Tell them the venue changed."Bridget stood on the upstairs landing, half hidden behind the heavy curtain, watching Declan Shaw leave."No," she said into the phone, keeping her voice light. "Do not call Sloane. I am handling it."Declan had just reached the bottom of the front steps.
"We need concessions or we walk, Bridget. Your father is in no position to dictate our margins anymore."The supplier didn't bother with greetings, his voice raspy and sharp through the phone speaker.Sloane let the silence sit. She leaned against the chipped kitchen counter, letting the man stew i












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