MasukValentine Stephens never believed in fairy tales, but during times as dire as these, one takes what he can. With her brother's life hanging by a thread and medical bills she could never, ever afford to pay, she makes an impulsive decision to marry Adrian Sebastian, the ruthless CEO and business tycoon, who needs a wife for only one purpose: to inherit his grandfather's billion-dollar fortune. The arrangement is simple. One year, no feelings or complications. Hard, cold Adrian makes his intentions clear from the start. He doesn't have faith in love, and Val is merely a pawn used in his game. Val's college experience is transformed into a nightmare when her billionaire husband is exposed, and she becomes the target of gossip, jealousy, and scandal. she's betrayed by her best friend, and stalked by an unknown enemy hell-bent on destroying her. His half-brother, Damian, is eager to get his hands on his inheritance and will do whatever it takes to destroy the marriage. And just as Val is beginning to believe she knows Adrian, she finds out a secret that shattered all she knew about him. Adrian hadn't chosen her at random. He had known her the whole time. And the real reason he married her? It is a secret so dangerous it was capable of killing them both. Trapped in a lie, Val is presented with an ultimatum: walk away and forfeit everything, or fight fire with fire against the man who holds her heart and liberty in his hands. But what if the biggest enemy she will have to fight against is the man she is starting to fall in love with? Find out in the book.
Lihat lebih banyakValentine's PovToday was one of those rare days when school didn’t feel like a battlefield. The sky had traded its usual gray nature for soft blue light, and the sun streamed in gentle rays through the tall windows of the main building. Even the hallways which were usually chaotic with slamming lockers and adolescent noise felt quieter and less occupied. It was the kind of day that felt like a blessing in disguise but looked like an abnormality. Sophia and I sat beneath the jacaranda tree at the far end of the school courtyard. The bark had peeled like sunburnt skin and it had low hanging branches that bent just enough to shelter us from the afternoon heat. The breeze carried the distant sounds of sneakers on concrete and the sound of someone’s laughter, but here, in our little corner, it felt like the world had finally slowed down. Well, it felt that way for me."You didn’t eat much," Sophia said, touching my lunch tray with a concerned but teasing smile. Her perfectly plaited b
Valentine's PovThe morning sun filtered gently through the silk curtains, bathing the room in a golden mist. At that moment between night and day, the world itself appeared to move more slowly, suspended in a gentle silence. Adrian's house, so often an exercise in power and glass and hard modern angles, was suspended now in light that softened all edges and made everything more human. The marble floors were pale gold, and the distant thrum of city traffic was hardly more than a breath.I turned over under the duvet, not ready to let go of the heat tied up around me. My face pressed into Adrian's chest, his racing heartbeat lulling me back to sleep. His arm was heavy and reminded me of safety as it laid over my waist and with every one of his breaths, my body floated upwards with his, as a wave rode on the tide.It would have been strange… that peacefulness,but it wasn't. It was frightfully familiar.For a fleeting moment, I permitted myself to release all. I wasn't a sister fighting
Valentine's PovI just stared at him. My brain short-circuited, trying to piece his words together like a puzzle that didn’t fit.“Come on, Adrian. Now is not the time to be a tease,” I said, half-laughing, half-nervous.“And who said I was teasing?” He didn’t laugh. He didn’t blink, he just stared at me, serious and sincere. It hit me then. The truth of it, the weight of who he really was. The calm, powerful way he carried himself suddenly made even more sense.I let out a laugh, nervous and shaky, and maybe a little too loud. It bubbled from somewhere deep in my chest and spilled out into the night because I couldn’t hold it in.“Of course you do,” I said, still laughing. “Of course.”He raised one brow and leaned back in his chair, smirking with that teasing glint in his eyes. “Is that a complain?”I looked at him and all I felt was warmth. My lips curled into a smile I couldn’t stop even if I tried. “No,” I said softly, “No complaints at all.”He reached for the wine, poured gen
Where are we going?" I asked for what felt like the tenth time and just like the other times, Adrian said nothing. He simply looked at me and smiled that slow, infuriating smile that always made him look like he knew the world's best kept secret and he was relishing every second of not telling.I wriggled in my seat, gazing at the road ahead. We'd already passed the turn that would bring us home ans we kept going. In fact, the direction he'd taken appeared to be going deeper into the city center."This isn't the way home," I persisted, suspicion crawling up my spine… "Are you lost? Or have you suddenly forgotten how directions work?"“Just wait and see where my directions take me," he said again, that infuriating calmness still present in his voice. My heart sped up, concern brewing in my chest like a storm about to break loose. I hated not knowing thing, I hated being kept in the dark. It made all of my insecurities flare up. But Adrian… he was enjoying this too much. And that anno
Adrian's PovThe sun had started to vanish when I pulled into the parking lot of the mall. Val looked up from her phone and then looked at me, confused, as I parked the car."Why are we stopping here?" she asked."Come down," I said simply, already stepping out of the car.She didn’t move at first.
Valentine's PovAdriam didn't move closer. He just stood there like he was afraid that I'd vanish if he blinkedand it made me quite uncomfortable, I could hardly catch my breath.My chest tightened around the weight of everything I'd been trying to hold back for days and my heart thumbed loudly as
Valentine's PovI stepped out of the Dean’s office with my chest in pains. The air outside the building felt colder and sharper, as though the entire world had turned against me. My feet moved on their own down the corridor, through the quiet halls of the administrative block exit ana honestly, I w
Adrian's PovI drove like a madman as I turned around and tore out of the hospital parking lot, tires screaming in protest. The city whizzed by in blurs of cold neon and blackness, but I saw little of it. My knuckles were pressed hard against the steering wheel, my jaw clenched so tight it hurt. My






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