Pak!
A loud, furious sound reverberated in the large hall, silencing everyone present.
Nina held her stinging cheek in disbelief. A bright red print had appeared on her fair skin, looking especially eye-catching.
Her eyes turned cold as she swept them across the people in front of her.
Her so-called Father who had just hit her without caring about the occasion, her stepmother who looked at her accusingly, and lastly at her younger step-sister who wept uncontrollably in her mother’s arm.
She could only laugh bitterly to herself.
“You are so young, but already so vicious. How could I have a daughter like you? To steal your sister’s endorsement, you tampered with her makeup?” William Santiago, Nina’s father, pointed his finger at her angrily. The disappointment in his tone was apparent.
Hiss!
The guests immediately broke out into loud murmurs.
Nina met her father’s enraged gaze and felt an inexplicable chill in her heart.
Today was her stepsister, Alyson’s eighteenth birthday banquet and the Santiago house has been bustling in excitement since the morning.
The guests had only arrived when they heard a shrill scream and saw Alyson running down the stairs, covering her face.
Her face, originally soft and pale, had turned scarlet red because of an allergic reaction, and not a single spot was left clean.
“It was sister,” Alyson whimpered, her shoulders trembling pitifully. “She put something in my makeup.”
And the first thing her father did was not take her to the hospital immediately but humiliate Nina in front of the crowd.
“Nina, I know I’m not your biological mom, but ask yourself, have I ever treated you poorly? Is this how you repay us?” Her stepmother’s worried and disappointed voice came through as she protected Alyson in her arms.
“That’s because she’s never seen us as her family.” William hollered. “Beauty is a woman’s biggest asset, and your sister is about to enter the entertainment industry. You destroyed her career before it even started! Immediately apologize to her or else don’t blame me for kicking you out.”
An incredulous look appeared on her face. “Are you sure it was me? Where’s your evidence?” Nina retorted composedly. Even after being held in a tight position, she did not lose her cool.
“Evidence? You still have the cheek to ask for evidence? Can’t you see how badly you’ve disfigured Alyson’s face?”
Being called out, Alyson once again cried loudly.
Nina took a deep breath and stared at Alyson sharply. “I’ll ask you one more time. Are you sure it was me?”
Alyson’s eyes flickered slightly, and she avoided her gaze. “Sis, I know you’ve been upset because I passed the auditions. If you wanted the endorsement so badly, you should’ve told me about it. How could you…” She did not complete the sentence, but it was apparent what she was trying to say.
The younger sister had passed the auditions for a very reputed endorsement deal. The eldest sister, on the other hand, couldn’t accept it, and out of jealousy, she ruined her younger sister’s face!
The crowd sucked in a sharp breath.
Heavens! A woman’s jealousy was the most terrifying thing in the world.
“Stop with your crap,” Nina snapped at her. “Alyson, you know best what kind of person you are. You guard your things even from your mother. Are you that generous to let me touch your things?”
Alyson panicked and denied it vehemently. “But it was you who collected the package this morning. There’s also your sign on the delivery package.”
Nina felt something amis and tried recalling today’s events.
She did collect a delivery box this morning, but that was it. She did not even know what was inside, so how could she tamper with them?
But knowing Alyson’s personality, she knew she wasn’t the type to inflict harm on herself just to frame her.
The makeup might have expired or not suited her skin, but she insisted on tearing the bill on her.
Mr. Santiago barked in anger. “Are you still trying to deny it? Apologize immediately.”
Looking at the family of three that sang the same tune, Nina did not want to waste her breath on these unreasonable people.
What hurt her was not their attitude but her father’s accusations. He, who was supposed to be her closest family, who should’ve held up the mountain and protected her, was now staring at her with eyes that looked like poisoned steeled needles.
At this moment, she only felt numb all over. She took a step back, the blood in her cold. “Unless you provide concrete evidence that I was the one who disfigured her, I won’t apologize.”
It was pointless to stay and explain herself since these people were dead set to throw her under the bus.
Hence, she turned around and left. As she climbed up the stairs, she remembered something and looked over her shoulders.
“Also, Dad… My major in college is fashion design. As my father, I should at least remind you.”
Ironically, despite staying under the same roof, her father did not even know what major she was studying at the college.
“You bastard child,” Mr. Santiago’s face darkened, and he wanted to rush after her, but Mrs. Santiago stopped him. “Dear, now is not the time to run after her. The guests are still waiting. We can teach her a lesson later.”
It was only then that he realized they were in the middle of the banquet.
He immediately straightened his clothes and put on a gentlemanly smile, totally in contrast with the shrew he was just a moment ago. “Distinguished guests, I am sorry you had to witness such a scene. I’m extremely ashamed because of my elder daughter. Please don’t hold it against us and enjoy the party.”
---
Nina shut the door and leaned against it, sliding down on the floor. Inside the dark room, her small petite figure was huddled up with her arms wrapped around her knees.
Her parents divorced when she was five and she grew up in a single-parent house with her mother.
Nina's mother was a promiscuous woman who had destroyed countless marriages because she couldn’t bear to be poor and lonely. As a result, Nina was bullied terribly at school and was often labeled as a prostitute’s daughter.
When the wives of those rich men with whom her mother slept came knocking at their door, they would beat Nina up instead when they couldn't get hold of her mother.
It wasn’t until she turned fourteen, her mother was crazy enough to send her to accompany a middle-aged pedophile who had taken a fancy to her.
Even a vicious tiger won’t hurt its cub, but her mother, who was blinded by greed, did not hesitate once to throw her to the wolves.
“That is what you owe me. I gave birth to you, and it is only normal for you to sacrifice for me. Even if I ask for your life, you should consider it as your good fortune.”
This was what her mother would tell her every time she was beaten up brutally.
Nina had to clean up after her mess and do all the household chores ever since she was five. To support her mother, she even had to take multiple part-time jobs.
Even her tuition fees were earned by herself and through various scholarships.
Every night was a torment for her and every day she lived in the hope that maybe one day, her mother would feel pity on her and turn over a new leaf. But in the end, all that she got was endless despair.
When she had had enough of her mother’s abuse, she plucked some courage and ran away from her clutches to Spring City to look for her father.
By the time she found him, she realized her father had already remarried and had a small family of his own.
On a cold winter night, she stood in front of their entrance, covered in snow. Nina would never forget that day.
In an unfamiliar city, surrounded by strangers, she felt fear and helplessness at the same time. Because she was in a hurry to find her father, Nina did not have time to eat. Hence, on an empty stomach, she squatted in front of their house for an entire night, begging them to take her in.
When the morning rays touched the surface, the door finally opened. Perhaps her father still had some conscience left, and with great reluctance, he finally took her in.
After her parent’s divorce, her father quickly married his mistress and brought in his illegitimate daughter, much to her surprise, who was only a year younger than her.
Her stepmother had a beautiful appearance, but she paled terribly compared to her mother.
On the surface, she looked gentle and dignified, but only Nina knew how black-hearted she was.
Although they had agreed to let her stay in the house, she was treated no differently than a maid.
However, to Nina, nothing else really mattered as long as she did not have to live worrying about her meals and had a roof over her head. Everything was worthwhile.
Over time, she accepted that her father did not have any feelings towards her. Still, her heart could not help but fill with disappointment and grief at his blatant favoritism.
Hello dear readers! I'm back with a brand new billionaire romance story. Hope you all enjoy and don't forget to leave your votes and reviews at the end of the chapters.
It was unknown when Nina had fallen asleep. When she woke up, her body was already sore from sitting in the same position the entire night. After massaging her limbs, she stood up and pulled open the curtains on the windows. Her eyes rested upon the golden arcing rays that illuminated outside. The sunlight conjured the most brilliant of mosaics, reflecting from each leaf and cloud. As if it were happy to create art where it shone, warm and steady. But unlike the joy in the light, there was only darkness in Nina’s life. After she freshened up, she entered the kitchen and prepared breakfast for everyone. Although the Santiagos were considered slightly well-off, they did not have any helpers. But they did have her though, the unofficial maid. She was solely in charge of all the household chores, including laundry, cooking, cleaning, and so on. By the time she was done preparing the food, everyone had gathered at the dining table. The family of three was discussing something ferve
In the hotel room, a figure was sprawled across the bed. The straps of her dress had fallen, revealing her thin and slender shoulders. The person by the bed grabbed her delicate face to check if she had fainted. Good, that she’s unconscious. The man took out his cell phone and made a call. “Hello? Yes, I’ve already sent her to your room. When will you be arriving? Hahaha. Mr. Henry, don’t worry. My daughter is still a virgin and had never even been in a relationship before.” “Also, can you tell me when can my company sign the contract papers? Sure, it’d be best if we do it tomorrow.” “Then I won’t take much of your time. Please enjoy!” The man turned around cheerfully and left. After the door to the room closed, the girl on the bed slowly opened her eyes. Yes, the person earlier was none other than her biological father who had set her up! No wonder her so-called family had suddenly turned so affectionate towards her at the dinner. Turned out they were planning such a conspirac
Blood drained from Nina’s face. Just as their hands were about to touch her clothes, with her trembling lips, she managed to shout. “I agree.” Silence. The surrounding area seemed to have immediately quietened down upon hearing her voice. The man who had left her to fend for herself stopped in his tracks. Shaking his head, he knew that it was going to be a long night. Footsteps could be heard in the eerie night, and the man appeared in front of her. With his impressive height, he looked down at her miserable self and sneered. Her long hair was plastered to her delicate neck and the right side of her face had started to swell. It was a ghastly sight. The guard did not hold himself back while slapping her. “But I don’t want to help you now.” His low, monotonous voice rang in her ears. “I had given you a chance, but you did not cherish it. You must have thought I was too easy to talk to. Want me to help you? Sure, but first beg me.” Nina shut her eyes, and two streams of tears roll
Nina felt as though she heard an absurd joke. “What does his company have got to do with me? Do I own a share in it, or has anyone ever considered me a part of this family? Who gave you the confidence that I’ll agree?” So many years had passed, and they still thought she would obey whatever they said. Mrs. Santiago’s face darkened. She took off all the pretense and pointed at Nina tersely. “We aren’t asking for your opinion. If not for us feeling pity on you that day, you’d probably be begging on the streets by now. This is what you owe us for taking care of you all these years!” “I don’t owe you guys shit.” Nina roared. “I’m grateful to you for giving me a roof to cover my head and giving me two times a meal. If not for that, I would have already called the cops by now.” Everyone’s expression changed drastically. “I didn’t come back to reconcile with your family. If you’re that desperate to save the company, go spread your legs yourself. From today onwards, I, Nina, have nothin
After they left the mall, Jayden and Nina drove straight to the civil affairs bureau to get their marriage certificates. Nina felt a series of complicated emotions as she stared at the certificates in her hand. In the blink of an eye, she was already married at the age of twenty. The car drove along the villa areas in the Feron district area. As they passed the entrance gate, the guard recognized the license plate and greeted them politely. Nina had read this place was where Spring City’s wealthiest and most influential people lived. The housing price in this area was extremely high and unless you had a certain status, you could not purchase a property here. Did she just hit the jackpot? The car stopped in front of the villa. “Let’s go.” The cold voice pulled her back to reality. Jayden walked out of the car and went inside. Nina followed behind him silently. Inside the villa, several servants lined up in a row and bowed respectfully at Jayden. “Welcome home, master.” Jayden
The room was cloaked in darkness, with a faint light streaming through the night lamp. As the bed beside her sunk, her fingers subconsciously tightened around the bedsheets. A faint fragrance of sandalwood suddenly invaded her senses, and Jayden pressed her under him. Nina was pretending to be asleep, but after being crushed under his weight, her eyes flew wide open. “Not pretending anymore?” He looked at her with his two good-looking eyes. “W-What are you doing?” Nina felt she must be stupid to ask such an obvious question. Jayden’s body was pressed against hers, and she could feel the changes in his body. A light chuckle escaped from the man’s thin lips and his low, seductive voice rang in her ears. “Something that adults do.” He bowed his head and just as he was about to kiss her, Nina evaded it and his lips landed on her cheek. Jayden squinted his eyes and lifted her chin. He did not give her time to move, and his lips landed on hers. Her lips were soft and as sweet as he
Furious, Nina stood up angrily and pointed at him. “Could you please listen to me first? I’m not running away from you or this marriage. This place is located on the outskirts of the city and is almost a few hours away from the college. There are no taxis or cabs available nearby either. Next month I would enter the internship period. Do you expect me to spend my entire day traveling back and forth?” “There are dozens of cars parked in the garage. Take whichever you want with you.” “How’s it the same? Do you have any idea how much time would it take me to travel?” “Not my business.” Nina was speechless. “Then don’t even bother about where I live. Also, I’ve agreed on this marriage because I’m grateful to you for saving me and want to give this marriage a try. But that does not mean you can intimidate me or boss me around. If you want this marriage to work, then you should learn to respect your partner, too. If you can’t even do the bare minimum, then don’t blame me for pushing you
Jayden felt that his little wife could eat well. Even though she looked thin, her appetite was unbelievably good. Thinking of something, he pulled out a platinum card and pushed it toward her. “If I don’t get a transaction message from the bank, I’ll keep on adding ten thousand dollars every day.” He said. “Cough.” Nina choked on the soup, hearing his domineering words. Before she could comprehend, the doorbell rang. Rick walked towards the dining area, greeting the couple. “Master, Madam, good morning!” “Good morning,” Nina replied. Jayden stood up and took his suit jacket from Ms. Eva. “Let’s go. I’ll drive you to school.” Nina wanted to decline, but Jayden had already walked toward the door. Helpless, she could only grab her bag and follow behind. IDU was only a twenty minutes drive from their apartment. When they drove into the campus area, Nina suddenly asked him to stop. Rick pressed the brakes and pulled over at the side. Nina turned to look at him and said. “Thank you f