All Chapters of Secrets of a Hidden Marriage: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Allie Brooks was only five minutes late, but she ended up in the CEO’s office, facing his cold stare.He gave her a full hour of hell.When she finally stepped out, her cheeks were red, her eyes glossy and swollen, as if she’d been crushed.She looked like she’d been crying.Her coworkers at the office glanced at her with pity.Allie was just an intern, assigned the usual grunt work—filing, proofreading reports, even arranging meeting schedules.But for some reason, the CEO, Liam Hart, seemed to have it out for her.Every chance he got, he’d find a reason to summon her, to tear her down, to make her feel small.And every single time, Allie walked out of his office looking just like this.Allie collapsed into her chair, drained.Across the desk, her fellow intern, Jess, rolled over in her chair, shooting her a sympathetic look. “Liam’s too much. He’s acting like he owns your life.”Jess huffed, shaking her head. “So, spill. Did you do something to piss him off? The first thing he did

Cher rarely saw Allie look so distant, and it made her nervous. Her voice turned sharper. “So, you’re really not going to forgive me? You already have everything, Allie. Why are you still trying to take Nick from me? Do you just hate seeing me happy?”Allie stared at her in disbelief. Was Cher serious? She was the one who’d come between Allie and Nick, and now she was acting like she was the one who’d been wronged.With a calm tone, Allie replied, “Cher, there’s nothing left to say. I need to get back to work, so please, leave.”As Allie turned to go, Cher grabbed her arm. “Wait, there’s one more thing you should know…”“Cher, what are you doing here?”A tall figure appeared at the door.It was Nick, his expression clouded with irritation. He walked over quickly, clearly frustrated. “Cher, I’ve told you not to come to Allie like this.”Cher immediately shifted her tone, looking pitiful and helpless. “I only wanted to apologize to Allie. This was my fault, not yours. I’m just here to a

Allie stayed in Liam Hart’s office, not wanting to leave.She knew as soon as she stepped out, she would be the center of everyone’s gossip, and the thought of it made her want to hide inside, away from all the prying eyes.Liam, the man buried in his work, was the youngest CEO of the Hart Group. A global empire built by his grandfather, with investments spanning industries from tech to real estate. The Hart Group was untouchable, a name revered in the business world.Allie came from a family of influence as well—her father was the chairman of Crescent Media, one of the leading media conglomerates in the country. But even with her family’s power, the Hart Group outshone the Crescent name in every way, and the political ties that the Hart family had only added to their power.Her father had mentioned Liam a few times before, calling him a once-in-a-lifetime business genius. But what really intrigued Allie was Liam's mysterious background. Everyone knew that his father had passed away y

Allie’s father, David Brooks, walked over, taking her hand gently. “Allie,” he began, his voice full of concern, “why didn’t you tell me about the breakup with Nick?”Allie gave a small, resigned smile. “It’s nothing, Dad. Just... a breakup. It’s over.”Though she tried to sound indifferent, David knew his daughter too well. Allie and Nick had been inseparable since childhood, and the Brooks and Lawson families had practically seen them as destined for each other. The sudden turn of events surprised everyone.David sat down beside her, offering her a comforting smile. “You’re strong, Allie. And maybe this is for the best. Nick was never one to settle down. You deserve someone truly exceptional—someone worthy of my daughter.”With that, David pulled a small, embossed card from his coat pocket. “This,” he explained, holding it out to her, “is an invitation to Mr. Grant Hart’s 70th birthday party. Every prominent family in the city has one, and it specifically says each family can bring

When Allie burst into the lab, she found Chloe pinned to the test bench, her face contorted with fear as Felicity brandished a scalpel near her cheek.“You think you can cozy up to Adam?” Felicity sneered, tracing the blade’s edge dangerously close to Chloe’s skin. “I could make sure he never looks at you again.”Chloe tried to stay calm. “I wasn’t flirting with him! We’re in the same study group—it’s part of our coursework. Just because I talk to him doesn’t mean I’m interested. If I said you had doglike loyalty for following him around, would you agree?”Felicity’s face twisted in rage. “You think you can mouth off to me? You clearly don’t know who you’re dealing with.”She raised the scalpel, ready to make her point more literally.“Stop right there!” Allie’s voice echoed from the doorway.The group turned, momentarily stunned to see her standing there, unafraid. Allie had made quite a name for herself on campus—not only for her looks, which had earned her plenty of attention, but