LOGINShare
The Duke's Intrigue
Last Updated:
2025-05-16 20:06:12
Latest chapter
The Phoenix Bride Rises: Trust Was Her First Mistake The Heat of Jade
Arla-Rosa’s steps staggered as she reached the door labeled 809. Her fingers trembled as she slid the keycard through the slot. A soft click. The door opened.She barely managed to shut it behind her before leaning against it, breathing heavily. Her vision spun, her skin burned, and her heart galloped like a wild horse. A strange fire roared through her blood, coiling through her veins with merciless intensity.She didn’t know what was happening, only that she needed… something. Or someone. Then she saw him. A tall figure emerged from the shadows near the closet. Duke Fleming stepped into the dim light, his face tight with restrained fury and deeper, something that unsettled him.“Arla,” he said, reaching her in two strides. His hands braced her arms. “You’ve been drugged. That bastard....” “Duke…” Her voice was small, and strained. She looked up at him with glassy eyes full of confusion and heat. “Why… are you here? Why do you look so… good?”“Damn it,” he muttered. Her pupils were d
The Phoenix Bride Rises: Trust Was Her First Mistake Shadows on the Eighth Floor
The cold night air bit sharp at Duke Cedric Fleming’s cheeks as the sleek black helicopter touched down on the rooftop helipad of the Aurora Crown Hotel. Wind from the blades whipped his coat and tousled his hair, but he was already unbuckling and jumping out before the pilot fully powered down. There was no time to waste.He pulled out the secured fire escape passkey, known as the emergency stairwell access, and sprinted down the steel staircase, boots thudding softly against concrete. He had memorized the layout of this hotel during a past acquisition bid. His gut clenched tighter with every step, haunted by the warning his sources had given him: Seth isn’t throwing this engagement party just for show. Something’s planned, something sick.On the 9th floor landing, Duke came to an abrupt halt. There were voices. Rough, low, and reeking of smoke and ill intent. “…I’m telling you, bro, it’s a dream job! We get paid and we get to have some fun. First go’s mine.” “Bullsh*t! It’s my vial
The Phoenix Bride Rises: Trust Was Her First Mistake Roses, Wine, And Deception
The Celestine Pavilion glowed with quiet opulence, Jazz music floated softly through the ballroom as servers weaved expertly through the crowd, balancing crystal flutes and silver trays with hors d’oeuvres flown in from Les Sables, the finest culinary district in Virelia.Arla-Rosa stood at the center of it all, laughter bubbling in her chest as she toasted another well-wisher, one of Seth’s business allies from Luminaries Corp. Her smile was genuine, cheeks flushed with joy and fine wine, and tonight, her world felt untouched by shadows. A dream made real.Her hand was tucked safely in Seth’s, warm, possessive, admired. She’d greeted professors, mentors, fellow medical interns, and even a few celebrities from Brilliant City's elite circle. But none mattered more than this moment. I did it, she thought, glass brushing against her lips. I finally made it. A degree, a fiance, a future...As the string quartet switched to a lilting love ballad, Arla-Rosa caught sight of her reflection in
The Phoenix Bride Rises: Trust Was Her First Mistake The Warning She Rejected
Arla-Rosa stood by the hospital gates, her arms folded loosely over her white coat, her graduation medal glinting against the fabric. She should have been brimming with joy. The youngest graduate in the history of the Royal Medical University, offers flooding in from top hospitals across nations. Yet, here she was, caught in the uncertainty of a mysterious invitation.The message had come that morning. Hand-delivered. Sealed with the crest of the Fleming family. "Miss Arla-Rosa Hernandez, You are cordially invited to a private lunch with His Grace, Duke Cedric Fleming of Country D. Location: The Marquess Lounge, Grand Sterling Hotel. Noon.Sincerely,Alastair Graham, Secretary to His Grace."She'd read it three times, trying to make sense of it. Why would the Duke, one of the most powerful and enigmatic figures in Country D, seek her out personally? Her first instinct had been to decline. Seth wouldn't like this. But curiosity tugged harder. So now, standing before the opulent Grand S
The Phoenix Bride Rises: Trust Was Her First Mistake The Duke's Intrigue
During the graduation ceremony, Duke Cedric Fleming had stood at the back of the crowded auditorium, his posture as perfect and unyielding as the granite statues in the halls of his ancestral estate. He was the very image of power, tall, broad-shouldered, and sharply dressed in an impeccably tailored suit that seemed to command respect without a single word. His steel-gray eyes surveyed the scene with cold calculation, but something in them had flickered when he watched the young woman, Arla-Rosa Hernandez, stride across the stage to accept her degree. The whispers around him had been unmistakable. The youngest graduate in history. Unmatched intelligence. An absolute genius.He had heard of her before, of course. Her academic feats were the talk of not only Country L but whispers even reached his home in Country D, where the most prestigious medical minds and the wealthiest of the wealthy resided. But hearing about someone was one thing; seeing it firsthand was another.Cedric’s gaze
The Phoenix Bride Rises: Trust Was Her First Mistake A Crown of Laurels, A Chain of Promises
The auditorium buzzed with excitement,families, faculty, and a sea of proud graduates waiting for their moment under the spotlight. But no one shone brighter than Arla-Rosa Hernandez.At just twenty years old, she stood tall in her cap and gown, the youngest graduate to walk across the stage that day. Her name was whispered across the hallways with admiration, awe, and just a touch of envy. Prodigy.Genius. The youngest doctor our institution has ever seen. But Arla-Rosa didn’t hear any of it over the pounding of her own heart.Her gaze swept across the room, searching for the few familiar faces that mattered. There, near the front,Seth, smiling as if the world belonged to him. Her parents, Gerard and Almay, sat beside him, their expressions polite but distant, as always. Aretha waved from her seat, lips curved in a sugary smile that never quite reached her eyes.And in the far back, by the exit doors, stood Master Ye. Arms crossed, face unreadable, but his eyes shone with something so
The Phoenix Bride Rises: Trust Was Her First Mistake An Invitation Wrapped in Silk
The morning sunlight filtered through the tall windows, its golden rays spreading across the floor of Arla-Rosa’s modest apartment. She was arranging the bouquet Seth had brought her the previous night, a gesture she told herself meant he truly cared, when her phone buzzed.Seth's name flashed across the screen. She answered quickly, her heart lifting. "Good morning," she greeted warmly. "Morning, my rose," Seth’s voice crooned through the receiver, full of syrupy affection. "I was thinking... it’s been almost two months since we got engaged, sweetheart. How about we finally let the family in on the secret?"Arla hesitated, her fingers tightening around the flower stem. Her parents, Gerard and Almay Santon, had never been a source of comfort. And Aretha, well, the less said about her sister, the better. Still, Seth continued, sensing her reluctance. "I know you're worried," he said gently. "But trust me, Rosa. I'll be right there beside you. I'll protect you." His voice dipped into s
The Phoenix Bride Rises: Trust Was Her First Mistake Fate, A Silent Butcher
Arla-Rosa stepped into her new apartment, her heels clicking softly against the polished wooden floors. The sunlight streamed through wide windows, illuminating the delicate lace curtains and fresh flowers arranged neatly on the kitchen counter. It was modest but beautiful, a place she could call her own. And it was all thanks to Seth.On the dining table, a small card waited beside a slim leather wallet. She picked it up, her heart beating faster as she read the short message inside: "For my darling girl. Just a little something for your daily necessities. You deserve the world, Arla."Inside the wallet was a sleek platinum card. She swallowed hard when she checked the balance on her banking app, it was more money than she had seen in her account at once. Of course, she didn't know that for Seth, it was laughably little, not even close to what he dropped on Aretha’s whims each month.But for Arla-Rosa, it felt like a declaration. A symbol that he cared. Maybe... maybe she had been wr
The Phoenix Bride Rises: Trust Was Her First Mistake The Gentleman's Mask
The night was cool peaceful as Seth Robinson escorted Arla-Rosa back to her dormitory. Under the glow of the street lights, she looked almost ethereal in her new gown, the diamond on her finger catching every flicker of light.Seth smiled, that well-practiced, reassuring smile, and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. Arla-Rosa blushed, lowering her gaze shyly. "Thank you for tonight, Seth," she murmured, in a barely audible voice that carried a soft lilt in the darkness. Seth took her hand and kissed the back of it tenderly. "Anything for you, my rose."She smiled, that trusting, guileless smile he both adored and despised and slipped through the dormitory gates. Seth watched her disappear inside before his facade crumbled like sand.Without a backward glance, he turned and strode to his car, yanking the door open with more force than necessary. His fists clenched the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles whitened.Damn her! Even after a ring and a fairy-tale evening, she
You may also like
Bogus Billionaire
Shining Riviera772.3K viewsWhen His Eyes Opened
Simple Silence24.5M viewsBound to the CEO
wandering jedi671.1K viewsMy Ex-Wife and Kids Came In Like A Wrecking Ball
Likable1.3M viewsLove Unbreakable
Lana Mora39.0K viewsOne Night With Mr. Billionaire
Aishat_sd11.9K viewsAfter Divorce, My Wife Becomes The Boss Lady
Mysterrion1.3K viewsEntangled with the Imperious Billionaire
Frida writes136 views
