Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

Chapter 1: The 72-Hour DealAmara Okoro had never begged in her life. Until today.The cold marble floor of Cole Towers chilled her bare feet. Her sandals had broken on the run from Obalende to Victoria Island. Her mother's hospital bill was crumpled in her fist: N10,350,000. Due in 72 hours."Mr. Cole does not see people without appointment," the receptionist said."He will see me," Amara said, her voice shaking.The elevator dinged. And he stepped out.Jayden Cole was more handsome in person than on Forbes Africa cover. Tall, broad-shouldered, in a black suit that cost more than her mother's hospital. But his eyes were cold and bored."Who let her in?" he asked.Amara stepped forward. "My name is Amara Okoro. My mother is dying at LUTH. Your foundation can help.""I don't run a charity," he said. "I run a business. Security.""Please! Just 10 million! I will work, I will clean your offices, I will pay back."Jayden stopped and looked at her. At the torn Ankara dress, the desperate e

Chapter 3: Meeting GrandfatherThe Cole estate in Ikoyi was not a house. It was a palace.The gates alone were taller than Amara's entire house in Yaba. As the G-Wagon drove inside, Amara saw three fountains, a garden full of white roses, and six cars parked in a perfect line. Everything shone. Everything whispered money.Amara held Jayden's hand so tight her nails dug into his skin. Her new designer dress felt too tight around her chest. The huge diamond ring on her finger felt too heavy, like it would pull her hand down."Relax," Jayden whispered as they walked into the massive living room. The marble floor was so clean she could see her own reflection. "You are squeezing the life out of me, Mrs. Cole.""I am scared," she whispered back. Her voice was shaking. "What if he knows I am lying? What if he knows I am just a market woman's daughter?""You should be scared," Jayden said, but his voice was softer now. "My grandfather built this empire from nothing. He started with one shop i

Chapter 5: The KissAmara woke up warm.Too warm.She opened her eyes slowly. Sunlight was coming through the curtains. And she was not on her side of the bed anymore.She was lying on Jayden's chest. His arm was around her waist. Her leg was thrown over his. His shirt was open and she could feel his heartbeat under her cheek.She gasped loudly.Jayden's eyes opened. He looked down at her, confused for a second, then his eyes widened."What are you doing?" he said, his morning voice deep and rough."I — I — you — we —" Amara scrambled back so fast she fell off the bed onto the floor with a loud thud. "You crossed the line! You said don't cross the line!""I did not cross anything. You were shivering. You rolled into me," he said, sitting up. His hair was messy. He looked less like a billionaire and more like a normal man. A very handsome normal man. "You were cold.""I was not —" Her face was red like tomato. She could not look at him. "This never happened. Do you hear me? This never

Chapter 7: The Ex ReturnsThe kiss in the elevator changed everything.For three whole days, Jayden and Amara did not talk about it. Not one word. But they both thought about it every second. It was in the air between them.Jayden became a different man. A softer man. He started bringing her breakfast in bed himself, not the maid. He asked about her mother, how she was doing in the new hospital. He even laughed — a real, deep, loud laugh — when she tried to learn how to use the expensive coffee machine in the kitchen and made coffee spill everywhere on the white floor.Amara laughed too. And every time he laughed, her heart did a funny thing. She was falling. She knew it. She was falling hard for her fake husband, her contract husband, the cold billionaire who was not so cold anymore. And it scared her more than anything.Then on Thursday afternoon, everything broke.They were having lunch together in Jayden's big office on the 40th floor. Amara was sitting on his desk, not on the cha

Chapter 9: The Real WeddingTwo weeks after the terrible accident, Amara was finally discharged from LUTH hospital. Her wounds had healed, her broken rib was better, but she still walked slowly. But Jayden did not let her walk alone at all. When the G-Wagon arrived at Banana Island, he opened the door and carried her from the car into the big mansion in his strong arms like a bride, like she weighed nothing."I can walk by myself, Mr. Cole, I am not a baby," she protested, laughing, hitting his chest lightly, but her arms were tight around his neck."You will not walk on this floor until I say you can walk, Mrs. Cole. Doctor said you must rest," he said, kissing her nose softly, carrying her up the stairs easily while the maids smiled and videoed them secretly.The house was completely different. It was not the cold, quiet, empty museum it used to be. There were fresh flowers everywhere, hundreds of white and red roses, balloons, and a big gold banner in the living room that said "WEL