On the eve of her wedding, her fiancé told her the truth: “I don’t love you.” • • • • • Amara Elise Hale always dreamed of a fairytale love and she believed she had found it in Alexander Sterling—the magnetic billionaire heir who swept her off her feet in a whirlwind romance. Alexander never married Amara for love, behind his charm and lavish gestures was a man who only cared for his grandfather’s inheritance. To him, Amara wasn’t a wife, she was a trophy, a flawless ornament meant to stand elegantly at his side, stripping away her ambitions and freedom. When her heart begins to shatter, Amara finds solace in one man who truly sees and hears her—Julien Raines, Alexander’s half-brother but their secret affair comes at a dangerous price Amara can’t afford to risk. Unable to divorce Alexander and unwilling to endure his torment any longer, Amara makes a desperate choice: to fake her own death and vanish. Six years later, Amara returns stronger and fiercer with one goal— to burn the Sterling empire to ashes. He made her a trophy and now she’s back to become his ruin.
View MoreThe world around us narrowed to the sound of rain tapping on the umbrella above our heads. "I'm Julien." He said like we hadn't seen each other before, peering down at me with those inquisitive eyes, his lashes too pretty to belong on a man. "I know who you are." I shifted my gaze past him and he cocked his head slightly to the side, observing me like I was a puzzle, making the hairs on the back of my neck prickle. “Really?” He smiled with his nice set of white teeth. “My brother must love talking about me then.” "What do you want?" I stepped out of his umbrella and into the cold rain but he inched closer, close enough that the warmth of his body stitched to mine. "You—" He said and my breath hitched as he leaned in, my lips parting in confusion "—to get your car out of the road." He added. I sucked my lower lip between my teeth and walked away from him, sighting his McLaren sports car parked behind my Benz. There was clearly enough road for him to drive past but I chose to a
Ever since I married Alexander Sterling, it was impossible to visit public spaces without the scene turning into a small theater as going about my normal shopping routine seemed to put on an impressive performance for people. They stared and whispered from a distance, taking unauthorized photos, their eyes waiting for me to misstep or snap at the slightest inconvenience to make headlines. Good thing Alex hired one of the best bodyguards—Michael “Mick” Craver—who shadowed me everywhere, blocking their futile attempts to get closer. I wasn't even a singer or an actress, I was an ordinary wife. Pulling out two ties from a rack, I rubbed my thumb against the fabric to determine the better quality. “Which one would suit Alex?” I asked Sophia who stood next to me, our shopping bags multiplying with each store we entered. The first tie was olive green and the second was warm copper but I needed a color that would bring out his striking grey eyes. Sophia rolled her eyes, more annoyed
Mr. Richards drove through the gates of my father’s estate: The Hale Residence and I rolled down the window to stick my nose in the air, inhaling the nostalgic scent of freshly cut grass. Tall iron fences surrounded the vast property, bronze concrete pillars and olden cobblestones remained unchanged since my childhood. As the Bentley pulled into the courtyard, I realized how quiet everywhere had become without my father. On a normal day, he'd been roaming around the estate with his gardening tools to trim the hedges, or his plumbing equipment to repair the water fountain. Despite all his fortune, my father never spent a dime on hiring people to fix whatever was broken around the house. The old engineer always took great delight in his work but it was quite unfortunate when he couldn't mend his own lungs from collapsing. “You don’t have to wait,” I said to Mr. Richards “I’ll find my way home later.” I grabbed my purse and opened the door. “Are you sure, ma’am? Mr. Ster
I slipped my pearl earring into place and tucked my ivory blouse into my high-waist burgundy skirt, ensuring the collar was enough to cover the bruise on my neck. I was beautiful, elegant, and polished like a Sterling wife should look. There was never a time in my life that I didn’t have notable men asking to date me, some would go through my father or mother, some even as far as my distant cousins just to score points over my hand. Regardless of their efforts, none of them made me feel the way Alex’s mysterious demeanor magnetized me. He was handsome, particular about detail, and devoted to his family. Alexander was every woman’s first choice and I knew most of them carried envy in their hearts, even his mother acted like I was unworthy of her son but I had to keep him as mine. As I applied a rose-colored lipstick, I prayed it was enough to remind Alexander that I was still trying, still waiting for him to notice me and finally seal our marriage with a passionate night.
Morning sunlight poured through the white curtains but its golden rays didn't touch me as I curled under the thick duvet, burying my face into the sheets. “Why is it morning already?” I groaned as my entire body felt heavy, my muscles cramping with pains after yesterday’s misunderstanding with Alex. To worsen my ache, Alex spent the night at his family house, forsaking me in the emptiness of our matrimonial home and I hoped he’d soon find it in his heart to forgive me.Whenever I closed my eyes for a sort of relief, I hear my father's voice saying: “Amara, one day you'll build something of your own, something bigger than the Hale name, something bigger than me." I used to dream about establishing my own restaurant, a global franchise known for its inter -continental dishes from diverse cultures worldwide. The name—AmaDan's World of Taste—etched in bright neon lights across every city skyline, because food always brought people together in my family. I loved food, from the sourci
The chair scraped across the marble floor as the waiter struggled with its weight, hurrying to place it between Grandma Selene and Vivi. Everyone’s gaze was fixed on Julien Raines, everyone except me as I tried not to look, but my curiosity tugged at me. He was a few inches taller than Alexander, broader too with an ease to him, a deliberate arrogance in the way he leaned back in the chair as though the table belonged to him as much as it did to the rest of them. Beside me, Alex curled his hands into a tight fist, his knuckles turning white, the anger rolling off him in waves. “You shouldn’t be here,” Eleanor snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut through the chatter around us. Julien smirked, swirling the champagne flute the waiter had just placed before him. “And yet. . .here I am.” Her eyes narrowed. “You’ve embarrassed this family enough.” “Embarrassed?” Julien arched a brow. “What’s embarrassing is pretending I don’t exist.” Grandma Selene tried to ease the storm,
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