Share

 CEO's Forbidden Love
CEO's Forbidden Love
Author: Jule

CHAPTER ONE

Author: Jule
last update Last Updated: 2025-04-08 20:08:19

The hospital waiting room smelled like antiseptic and stale coffee. Angelie sat on the cold plastic chair, her fingers clenched around the fraying strap of her handbag.

Her eyes hadn’t left the doctor’s office door since he’d gone in with Tim’s latest test results. Her twin brother was down the hall, unconscious again. Pale. Fading.

“Angelie?”

She stood so fast the strap snapped off her bag. She didn’t even look at it.

Dr. Harrow’s expression told her everything before he said a word.

“It’s progressed faster than we hoped,” he said gently. “Tim’s kidneys are failing. Completely this time. We need a transplant. Soon.”

She blinked. “How soon is ‘soon’?”

He hesitated. “Two weeks. Maybe less.”

Angelie felt the ground slip out from under her. “We don’t have that kind of money.”

“I know. But there’s a donor. A private one. The procedure would happen at St. Nicholas. They can do it quickly if the financial part is handled.”

“How much?”

“Three hundred and fifty thousand.”

She felt like he’d punched her in the chest. She nodded, numbly, and left before he could say anything else.

She barely remembered getting home. Her apartment felt too quiet without Tim's jokes echoing through it. She dropped her bag on the floor, walked straight into her tiny kitchen, and filled a glass with tap water. Her hand shook as she drank.

Angelie had a job, sure. Two. A receptionist at a dentist's office by day, waitress by night. And yet, she barely made rent. There was no family to call. Just her and Tim, ever since that car crash six years ago ripped their parents out of their lives.

She pulled out her phone and opened the contact she hadn’t touched in a long time: Jeffery Lu.

She didn’t even have a photo saved, just his name.

They weren’t an item. Just a few shared moments that clung to her memory like perfume on an old shirt. She’d worked at the Lu Corp front desk for six months before she left to care for Tim. That was where she'd met Jeffery.

Once, she’d spilled hot coffee on his suit. He’d looked furious, but handed her a clean napkin before security could react. Another time, he’d asked her if she was okay when she’d shown up to work with puffy eyes.

And then there was that night. The night it rained, the night she’d cried in the elevator because she thought Tim might die even then. He’d stepped in just as the doors closed. No words, just silence and the soft hum of descending floors.

But when the doors opened, he’d turned her to face him and pressed a kiss to her forehead, then her lips. Like it meant something. Then he walked away.

And she’d never forgotten.

She called.

The phone rang once. Twice.

Then a voice message. Jeffery Lu is currently overseas for business and unavailable until further notice.

Gone.

Angelie sank onto the floor.

Who else could she ask?

She didn’t know she’d been crying until the knock at her door startled her.

Lucas Lu looked like Jeffery, almost . Same sharp jaw, same tall frame. But where Jeffery was composed, quiet power, Lucas was... calculated.

He smiled when she opened the door, his eyes scanning the mess of her expression.

“Rough night?” he asked.

“What do you want?” Angelie asked, not in the mood for games.

“Came to offer my condolences. I heard about your brother.”

Her throat tightened.

He walked in without being invited, like he owned the place. His cologne filled the room. The same scent Jeffery used to wear. It made her stomach turn.

“I assume you’ve tried reaching my brother?” he asked, casually inspecting her fridge magnet collection. “He’s always had a soft spot for you.”

“He’s not picking up.”

“Well, lucky for you... I don’t have to fly twelve hours to make miracles happen.”

Angelie narrowed her eyes. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I can pay for your brother’s surgery. All of it. And the best aftercare. You’d never have to worry about a bill again.”

It sounded too easy. Too rehearsed.

“What’s the catch?”

Lucas turned. His smile deepened. “Marry me.”

Angelie stared at him, stunned. “Excuse me?”

“Fourteen days from now. You and I, A public ceremony. My lawyers will handle everything. Your brother lives, you walk away married to a Lu.”

“And Jeffery?

“Won’t be a problem. He’s halfway across the world, and besides…” Lucas stepped closer, voice low. “He had his chance. He never took it.”

Angelie backed away. “Why would you want to marry me?”

Lucas didn’t answer right away. Just watched her. Then he said, “Because it’ll kill him.”

The air left the room.

“You’re using me to hurt your brother.”

“I’m giving you a choice, sweetheart.” He walked past her toward the door, pausing before opening it. “Two weeks. Clock’s ticking. Your brother’s life or your pride.”

And then he was gone.

******

Angelie sat in the darkness long after Lucas left.

It wasn’t just about pride.

It was about love. About heartbreak. About dignity. About being forced to choose between someone you love and someone who would only use you.

But as she lay awake that night, staring at the ceiling, all she could see was Tim’s pale face in that hospital bed. All she could hear was the beeping monitor and the doctor’s voice.

“Two weeks. Maybe less.”

She clutched her pillow and sobbed into it until morning.

*********

Four days later, she stood outside the Lu family gate.

The gates were taller than she remembered. The guards recognized her. One of them looked at her like he wanted to ask why she was here, but he didn’t.

Lucas met her at the front door with a satisfied smirk.

“I hope you brought your size,” he said, gesturing to a box behind him. “The ring’s already being resized.”

Angelie didn’t smile.

“Let’s get this over with.”

Lucas raised a brow. “No cold feet?

Her voice was steady. “Just cold hands.”

As Lucas led her inside, his phone buzzed. He pulled it out and frowned

Then smiled.

“It’s Jeffery,” he said, slipping it back into his pocket. “Looks like he’s coming back early.”

Angelie froze.

Her heart dropped into her stomach.

Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Comments (2)
goodnovel comment avatar
Jule
Thank you Sophey...
goodnovel comment avatar
Sophey
Oh i really liked ur way of writing magical
VIEW ALL COMMENTS

Latest chapter

  • CEO's Forbidden Love   CHAPTER 175

    Amaya sat on her bed with a soft pillow resting against her lower back. Her eyes were wet with emotion, but her lips carried a smile. She looked at the three grown adults in front of her, Lucas, Bella, and Jeff, her children, and her heart was full."You know I still can't believe it," she said with a small laugh, wiping her face. "I'm a mother of three full-grown adults. You, Lucas, really went too far." She reached out and pulled his cheek playfully. Lucas laughed, not pulling away."I’m sorry," she said, her voice dropping. "I know I haven’t been the best mum anyone would ask for. But I’m here now, and I want to make things right."Jeff moved closer and gently wiped her tears. "Mum," he said, "when you were in a coma, I realised how stupid I had been all this time. I thought about everything. I can't keep living my life holding on to past pain. I’ve let it go, I love you, Mum. I forgave you a long time ago."That was it.Amaya broke down, but this time, it was from joy. She stretche

  • CEO's Forbidden Love   CHAPTER 174

    Now sitting down, Grandpa Lu looked around the room, then turned his eyes back to Pat.. “I should have done this earlier,” he began. “Maybe the guilt hasn’t left me all these years. You still sent your people to help us, even when you didn’t have to. That means something to me.”Pat folded her arms. “I did it for my child. Angelie’s happiness is my priority, and Jeff… well, he happens to be part of that happiness. So, I just did what any mother would do. It’s nothing.”Grandpa Lu gave her a long look, his eyes showing more appreciation than words could express. “I know, but I’m still thankful. Uriel, your anger is justifiable. I won’t take that from you. But I need to make something clear. I didn’t ask those men in prison to kill your husband. That wasn’t my plan. Yes, I set him up, I won’t deny that. I wanted to scare him a little, make him come back to the company. It was a mistake, one I regret deeply. He was like a son to me, I didn’t plan for it to go that far.”Pat’s eyes narrow

  • CEO's Forbidden Love   CHAPTER 173

    Jeff was still covered in blood. The red stains had dried on his clothes, but he didn’t seem to notice. He sat quietly, not saying a word to anyone. His face looked blank, but the pain was written all over it. Fred had spoken to him a few times, trying to get a reaction, but Jeff just kept staring into space.Grandpa Lu was lying on a hospital bed nearby, connected to a drip. He needed fluids and strength. He hadn’t spoken much since they brought him in. He was alive, and that alone was enough to calm Morris a little. But still, Morris couldn’t believe what he had seen: Lucas, standing tall, alive, and without a single scratch. It felt like a dream, but he also knew this wasn’t the right time to start asking questions. Right now, his only concern was Amaya. She was the one he couldn’t stop thinking about.He kept pacing the hospital waiting area, walking back and forth like a man who was being chased. Pat had told him Amaya would be okay, that the doctors were doing their best. But th

  • CEO's Forbidden Love   CHAPTER 172

    "Come, come, I can see you are enjoying my house," Lucas said while smiling. He walked slowly across the room, brushing his fingers over the surface of the table, and frowned. "I hate dusty places, Jimmy. You haven’t changed at all, same old dirty habits."Jimmy stood in the middle of the room, his legs feeling weak. His eyes grew wide, and his lips trembled. He took a small step back, pointing at Lucas with a shaky finger. "You... you’re dead," he stammered. "This can’t be real. Is someone trying to mess with my head? Were you cloned? What is happening to me right now?"Lucas walked up to him and gently tapped his cheek. "It's me, Jimmy, your boss. I’m not a ghost. I’m very much alive, and to be honest, I feel stronger than ever."Jimmy’s eyes went to the orange knife lying near the armchair. He moved slowly, hoping Lucas wouldn’t notice, but Lucas was faster. In a quick move, Lucas grabbed Jimmy’s arm, twisted it behind him, and spun him around. With a low whisper close to his ear,

  • CEO's Forbidden Love   CHAPTER 171

    Jeff blinked, confused by what he was seeing. "Wait… what are you doing here?" he asked, his voice shaky.Amaya stepped out fully now, and in that second, it clicked for Jeff, the noise from earlier, the strange movement by the kitchen window, it was her. She had overheard them, and now she had followed him.Amaya stepped forward, speaking directly to the masked man, her voice trembling, but clear. "Please... let him go. Take me instead. You can do whatever you want to me. I’ll give you all the money I’ve saved. Just... please, leave him alone."Her voice was close to breaking as she reached for the man’s trousers, almost kneeling to plead. But before she could touch him, he kicked her so hard that she staggered backward. She would have hit the ground, but Jeff was quick. He caught her in time."You animal," Jeff growled, his voice low and deadly. He turned his face to the masked man with rage, "Don’t even think about hurting my mother. If you do, I’ll cut off your balls and throw the

  • CEO's Forbidden Love   CHAPTER 170

    Jeff leaned closer to Fred, his voice low and careful. "We can’t talk about this here," he said, glancing upstairs. "Let’s meet at home in the next three hours. I don’t want to take chances. Angelie is here, and she might overhear us."Fred gave a short nod, his expression serious. "Okay, I’ll be there."Just then, Angelie’s cheerful voice floated down from upstairs. "Come, my love! I want to show you the magic I’ve created."Jeff gave Fred a small pat on the shoulder. "Duty calls," he said with a half-smile. "I have to attend to my woman now."Fred gave a soft chuckle as Jeff walked away.************Samson opened the door, and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw Antonia standing there. She wasn’t in her usual pink. Instead, she wore a long black gown that made her look somber and different."Hey… you’re here," he said softly.She walked in slowly, her eyes unsure. "How are you? I heard about Lucas. I’m so sorry, Sam. That must’ve been hard for you.""It’s fine," Samson replied

More Chapters
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status