Artistic Stained Glass

"Skin once broken ,can never be the same. Just like hearts once betrayed, struggle to beat again." ................................................... A broken piece of glass, a shattered heart. Was all that could define Ethan Lockwood's past. The heir to one of the biggest estates in the country, the most eligible bachelor as the tabloids said. With persona cold as ice and presence authoritative and terrifying ,he was making sure to not let anyone come close to him. Not giving anyone the right over him. Until he met her again. By hands of fate, the very girl he despised more than anything. The girl behind everything. But. What if the girl was no longer that beautiful confident rich man's daughter now? What if behind her beautiful smile she veil's a ugliness that made her insecure every night. What if she has been already punished in the worst way which resembled a nightmare. What if she was scarred beyond repair. Will he be able to see beyond her fascade? Does he have it in him to forgive her after everything? Circumstances change, people change and stereotypes break. But what remains is the beauty that lies within. And that's when my friends the journey of 'his not so beautiful wife 2 begins. *Could be read as a stand alone.

Marilyn Hayes had died a chilling and poisonous death, drinking from the very glass she toasted in celebration of her pregnancy for her billionaire husband, Walter Hayes. The haunting part? She had been poisoned by Walter himself! and along with her best friend Olivia,who happens to be his lover, they had planned to take everything from her. Her life, her baby and finally, her family's legacy. Marilyn is reborn, and this time, she is no longer the meek and trusting woman they knew her to be. She's strong, confident and determined with only one clear purpose. Revenge. This avenging-angel is willing to do everything in her power to carry out her revenge against the pair, however there's one obstacle- the handsome stranger, an enigmatic force of his own, who seems to be pulling Marilyn further into his world. Would she allow herself to love,after having been so deeply scarred? And if she does, can she still carry out her vengeance with this forbidden attraction? She discovers that the web of betrayal runs deeper than she could have ever imagined. "Reborn to Ruin the CEO" is an exciting tale of betrayal, revenge and forbidden passions all at play in a world where power is currency and love itself, is the most dangerous game of all.

The night before my fiancé, Soren, and I were supposed to leave for Northern Europe to start our new life, the sounds of a lively discussion drifted from his private club. "Christ, Boss, are you insane? Why the sudden marriage alliance with the Rosetti family to make a play for Italy? Didn't you say you were getting out of the life with Abby and heading north?" Soren leaned back into a leather sofa, his voice nonchalant and muffled by a cloud of smoke. "Plans change. Besides, remember, I'm the one who made her who she is." "Once she sees the new empire I'm building, that little canary will come flying right back to my cage. The woman can't live without me." I stood in the shadows of the club, a wine glass in my hand, a dull ache blooming in my chest. The anniversary gift I had so carefully chosen for Soren was still in my purse, waiting for me to give it to him. I slipped out of the smoke-filled club, tossed the gift into the nearest trash can, and booked a one-way ticket to Northern Europe. But what he didn't know was that just as he could betray our future for Monica, I could abandon him for mine. All those years we spent dancing with death were never just for his sake.

On the night of Christmas Eve, Finn Shore, my boyfriend of three years, has invited me to his place for an official family dinner. As soon as I sit down and drink a glass of water, I collapse immediately. It turns out that Finn has drugged the water. "I'm sorry, Rosaline. If I don't cough up the payment, they'll throw me behind bars. My debtor is already targeting me, so please help me out. "Don't blame me for this, Rosaline. You only have your own face to blame—after all, you look so similar to the woman Mr. Olson is deeply in love with! Hell, you two look far too similar! "Once I clear my debt, I'll be free! Who knows? You might be able to live a lavish life with Mr. Olson as your lover! Isn't this a win-win situation for us?" I end up getting delivered to an insanely familiar estate. When I open my eyes groggily, I notice my surroundings. Isn't this Uncle Wesley's home? My uncle, Wesley Olson, has never fallen for any woman except my mom. In fact, she's his weakness. To think that Finn actually brought me here… I wonder who's the unlucky one in this situation.

"Work Hard, Play Hard" Archie is never without a beautiful woman or a glass of good scotch in his hand, which drives his ultra-wealthy, conservative parents to distraction. To force him to take life more seriously, his father threatens to name his cousin the CEO of the company Archie helped build from the ground up if he doesn't marry a girl of their choosing. To appease his parents, Archie proposes to Leticia and gives her the family heirloom ring. Archie's best friend Josh thinks he's making a big mistake and invites him for a week's holiday in Ibiza, telling him it's a stag party. With his boyfriend Charlie, Josh aims to convince Archie to face his true self and his long-buried truth. Archie initially clashes with the outgoing, gregarious Charlie, but soon finds himself drawn to him as Charlie returns the attraction, pushing Archie to explore this connection even at the risk of losing Josh's friendship. But Archie's return to the real world makes him realize that his love for Charlie could cost him the CEO position and the love of his parents. Forced to choose between a chance at true love and familial loyalty, Archie makes the ultimate decision, but either one will destroy lives and hearts.

Rachel Larson was adamant about marrying me, and she spent ten years stealing my heart. On the night before our wedding, I overheard her conversation with her friend. "You're marrying Leonardo? What about your side piece?" A moment of silence later, Rachel answered, "That guy? He's just a cheap replacement. Leonardo's the real deal. Don't compare my side piece to him. If he stays put and keeps his mouth shut, I might let him stay around. Leonardo's a broad-minded man. He won't mind." The side piece did not stay put. In fact, he caused a scene at the wedding the next day. He shoved me off the stage, but the woman who was supposed to marry me darted over to his side instead. Why? He was holding a piece of broken glass against his throat. Gutturally, he roared, "Choose! Me or him?" Panicked, Rachel kicked me away despite my injuries, and she roared, "Get out of the way! I need to take him to the hospital! If anything happens to him, I'll kill you!" She didn't need to wait that long. My heart died right there and then. … That night, I bought a flight ticket that would take me abroad and left her.

He isn’t just twice my age, he’s also my best friend’s dad. And the man who appears in my steamy dreams every night and satisfies all my wild fantasies… The first time I saw Tony was on my 16th birthday, he was a tall glass of my favorite drink and the moment our eyes met, I was hooked. I wanted him. I yearned for him. But then, he was way out of my league. I was just a 16-year-old naive girl with no clue how to unravel the mystery around him. So I just stood there and watched another woman take him away from me. I thought I had lost him until three years later. I was standing in front of this huge house, and right in front of me was my mystery man. My fantasy s*x god who appears in my hot dreams every night is my best friend’s dad… I should have looked away immediately, I should have remembered the rules, the consequences, and the hurt. But how do you stop your heart from beating for the one it’s chosen? Everything changed with just one kiss. I crossed a line I shouldn’t have crossed, and I had to deal with a temptation too wild to resist.

One year had gone by since my husband got married to me. I went back to the company for a celebration party. I'd just taken my seat when a woman with a Cartier ring around her finger splashed a glass of red wine in my face. "That's the chairman's seat, you slut! Who are you? How dare you take his seat!" The guests surrounded me and grabbed my hands and feet. Someone even kicked me down to the ground. I held my fury back. "I'm the chairman's wife! Matthew Grayson is my husband!" The woman yanked my hair and sneered at me. "So, you're the bitch he's forced to marry. He's already generous enough, letting you marry him. You live on his money, and now you're trying to steal his place and be the boss. I know sluts like you know no shame! Guards, throw her out!" I laughed mirthlessly. The man who leeched off me thought he could call the shots now. Still, I kept my fury in check and called his number. "Hello, Matthew. Did you tell everyone I lived on your money and that you're the boss of the company?"

"Nina is that you. You look so beautiful" a guy said. "Have some drink" "No, she is leaving," said the harsh voice, and next thing I know champagne was all over my dress. I gasped as it stained it. Before I could react he grabbed me and dragged me to the pool area. I yanked my hand. "What the hell. You ruined my clothes" I half yelled. "What the fuck you are doing in my party looking like a slut" he yelled angrily while pinning me to the wall. Listening to his words my blood boiled. "Let me guess you came here to ruin my mood by showing your ugly face," he said letting me know his hate. "Stop giving so much importance to yourself. I'm here because of your mom. My face must be ugly but ugly souls like you are not even worth wasting my life's a single second" I said angrily pushed him but he didn't move. "I can hide my ugly soul behind this face but ugly ducklings like you carry their ugliness which can't even be hidden by beautiful dress because they stain everything around them with their ugliness," his words were hurting my soul but I won't cry. With all my power I pushed him making him fall in the pool. "Happy Birthday," I said with a smirk on my face but he didn't let me go. Things he did to me after it still send a shiver to my spine. One thing was clear on that day that I don't want to see his face again in this life. But I don't know what the hell I'm doing standing in front of him in Church wearing a wedding gown and looking at his angry victory smirk on his face with my glassy eyes.

Completely frozen and horrified, her watery eyes were staring at that bleeding dead body in front of her. She couldn't just believe he had just killed someone in front of her so brutally, just because she dared to talk to that person and not any person, but his own wife's brother. "Now, you will forever remember…never to get closer to any other man," she heard him whispering those words in her ear. His blood stained hands gripped her waist more firmly which made her finally look at him. "He was your wife's brother. H..he was your family," she stuttered, disgusted by this brutal monster on whose embrace she was captured now. A feral smirk ghosted on his face. "You needed to think about this before getting closer to him," he brought his face closer to her. Her glossy eyes filled with more disgust, hatred and anger for this barbaric animal before her. "You shouldn't have forgotten that…." Sensually grazing his lips against hers, he peered into her watery eyes. "You are my possession," his words made her fists her palms, especially when she felt his hand opening the zip of her gown. He would again taint her by claiming her body as his. "I am your sole possessor, cara mia," he grinned, sadistically before completely undoing her gown's zipper. She just helplessly stood in his embrace. "Now be a good girl and let me have you again…." hotly murmuring that, he captured her mouth in his and freed her from her clothes and she was not capable of doing anything to stop that sinner from committing that sin with her again because she was…..HIS SINFUL POSSESSION……. Why was she committing that sin of letting a married man have his sinful possession over her? Read to find out…