LOGINI discovered that my mother had remarried this dangerous man upon my return from abroad. The drastic shift blindsided me. The strict rules he imposed and my mother's constant defense of him made me want to run away. However, I am only nineteen years old. If I recklessly walk out, I will forfeit the entire inheritance left by my late father. Therefore, I plan to drive my stepfather out instead so that I will not have to lose anything. I began breaking his rules one by one. Until one night, while my mother was out of town on business, I broke his absolute strictest rule at a nightclub. It was not my mother who came to my rescue when my safety was threatened, it was Alexander. Under the influence of a spiked drink forced on me by a male friend, my sanity failed me, and I recklessly threw myself at his broad frame in a desperate search for warmth. The events of that night exposed a massive secret he had been keeping all along just to protect my family. My hatred is slowly crumbling, replaced by a dangerous fascination. Now, I am trapped in a forbidden attraction that could destroy everything. Should I run from this feeling, or should I surrender to the charm of the man who is still my mother's husband, the very man I am supposed to call my stepfather?
View More"That document from Clarissa's safe was just an old warehouse lease agreement, sir."Marcus's voice on the other end of the line made Alexander let out a long sigh. Alexander rested his back against the headboard, rubbing his exhausted face. The stranger who had called him a few minutes ago was merely one of Clarissa's henchmen, trying to pull off one last bluff before getting tossed into a holding cell."So it's really all over?" Alexander asked, switching off the speakerphone."Cleaned up completely, sir," Marcus answered steadily. "The police have closed this sabotage case. All of Clarissa's evidence has been seized, and our legal team is ensuring she won't be getting out anytime soon.""Good. Turn off your phone and don't contact me until the day after tomorrow, Marcus."Alexander turned off his phone and set it on the nightstand. He turned around, pulling Selena back into his arms. Selena smiled, resting her head against the warmth of Alexander's broad chest."Who was on the phon
"Are you here looking for the truth, or do you just need gossip to boost your circulation?"Selena's voice echoed firmly through the dozens of microphones lined up across the press conference podium. The main hall on the ground floor of the headquarters building fell instantly silent. Hundreds of camera flashes that had been firing relentlessly were now turned fully toward the woman standing gracefully beside Alexander.A male journalist wearing glasses in the front row raised his hand high. "Mrs. Selena, the altered documents stated that your marriage was merely a cover for an acquisition. Do you truly deny those allegations?"Selena stepped forward, looking straight into the main camera lenses. "My marriage is not a trade commodity. Alexander never forced me or seized my family's assets. The documents circulating in the media this morning were the result of Clarissa's manipulation, deliberately sold to the press to damage the company's stock price."A noisy murmur filled the room. S
"Our stock has dropped twelve percent in thirty minutes, sir!"Marcus hurried into Alexander's study, disregarding etiquette. He thrust forward a tablet displaying a sharp red graph plunging downward. At the top of the screen, a bold headline dominated the national business news portal.Asset Fraud Scandal: Utama Group CEO Allegedly Falsified Acquisition Documents and Exploited Marriage for Shares.Alexander stood up from the sofa, quickly adjusting his trousers. His face darkened as he read the headline. "Who leaked this to the public media?""The major news portals received those fake documents early this morning, sir," Marcus answered, his voice trembling under the strain. "Not only that. Rumors regarding an investigation by the authorities have already spread among key investors."Selena, still sitting on the sofa, pulled a thin blanket up to cover her chest. She stared at the tablet screen from a distance, then shifted her gaze to Alexander's expression. The tension that had brie
"Answer me, Alex! Don't just stand there staring at me like that!"Selena screamed, her shrill voice shattering the suffocating silence of the study. Her chest heaved unevenly. The tears she had been holding back finally broke free, streaming down cheeks flushed with anger and heartbreak.Alexander did not budge. His gaze remained locked on Selena’s glistening eyes. "I love you, Selena. God as my witness, not a single piece of paper in those files changes the fact that I've loved you from the very beginning.""Then why did you hide it?" Selena stepped forward, her palm striking Alexander's chest. The slap echoed sharply through the quiet room. "Why did you let me feel like an idiot for years? You bought those shares before proposing to me! You orchestrated everything!"Alexander took the blow without flinching, letting Selena vent her rage. "I hid it because I knew you would react like this. Your father begged me to save the company without letting you know. He didn't want you feeling
"He just wants to control my life, Mom! Why can't you see that?!"My voice shook as I fought back tears, pressing the phone hard against my ear. I paced back and forth across my bedroom, gripping the hem of my shirt with my free hand."Selena, listen to me. Alexander has your best interests at hear
"What the hell did you do to me?!"My voice shrilled, shattering the quiet of his study as I slammed the door hard enough to rattle against the wall.I stood in the doorway, bracing myself against the teak frame. I gripped the wood with everything I had. My head throbbed violently, as if hit by a b
"Where the hell is she?!" Alexander roared, his voice cutting through the study like a block of ice.The clock on the wall already read three in the morning. I had turned off my phone at midnight on purpose, forcing him to deploy his entire security detail to scour the city.Meanwhile, inside the d
"She is absolutely impossible, Alexander. I don't know what else to do about that stubborn attitude of hers,” Mother complained from the living room.I stopped in the hallway after quietly closing the front door behind me. It was already late at night. I had just returned from spending time with so












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