Champagne Pronounce

On our seventh wedding anniversary, I was straddling my Mafia husband, Lucian, kissing him deeply. My fingers fumbled in the pocket of my expensive silk dress, searching for the pregnancy test I'd hidden there. I wanted to save the news of my unexpected pregnancy for the end of the evening. Lucian's right-hand man, Marco, asked with a suggestive smile in Italian: "Don, your new little canary, Sophia. How does she taste?" Lucian's mocking laughter vibrated through my chest, sending a chill down my spine. He replied, also in Italian: "Like an unripe peach. Fresh and tender." His hand was still caressing my waist, but his gaze was distant. "Just keep this between us. If my Donna finds out, I'm a dead man." His men chuckled knowingly, raising their glasses and swearing their silence. The warmth in my blood turned to ice, inch by inch. The one thing they didn’t know was that my grandmother was from Sicily, so I understood every word. I forced myself to remain calm, keeping the perfect smile of a Donna fixed in place, but the hand holding my champagne flute trembled. Instead of making a scene, I opened my phone, found the invitation I had received a few days ago for a private international medical research project, and tapped "Accept." In three days, I would disappear from Lucian's world completely.

On the aisle: "Look Kitten, you were supposed to be mine from the start. Now, you can't back off anymore. The times are up." He breathed sensually in her ears in his deep voice, making her feel a shiver run up her spine. She suppressed a whimper that was trying to escape her mouth when he covered her lips with his in a deep and passionate kiss. "I pronounce you two as husband and wife. Please, give your blessings to the new couple." "STOP! I was supposed to be the bride! How dare you Elina to even think about snatching my husband! You Whore!" Elina Saint James, an aspiring doctor, marries her would-be brother-in-law, Adrian Walker, the Casanova heir of the famous Walker Group of the country. She was the replacement bride of the man who was originally supposed to marry her sister Olivia Saint James. Maybe it was not in her destiny to live happily. Three years later: She had returned here after three long years, betrayal and hurt was clear in her hazel eyes. But she won't stay here for long, not when she knows he probably hates her now, not only he but her whole family too. What she didn't know was the person she was thinking about, was thinking about her too. Somewhere: "Sir, Mrs. Walker has just landed in the city. She is going towards Sinotley Hills." "Find out everything about her, from where she lives now to everything. I want her to remember everything she has done. I will make her remember me forever." On the other side in Saint James Residency, "How dare she come back after ruining my life. I will kill her." "Olivia calm down, we should be careful, you still are not Adrian's wife, wait for the correct chance, darling."

"Cleonne Marie Deigmen, do you accept Ashton Kleid Ditfreid as your lawful husband?" tanong ng pari habang nakatingin sa akin. Nakabibinging katahimikan ang umalingawngaw sa loob ng simbahan. Tila ba lahat sila ay takot na magsalita dahil alam nilang masama ang kahihinatnan niyon kung sakali. "I-I do..." garalgal ang boses ko na sumagot. Ramdam ko ang panginginig ng buong katawan ko habang nakatayo sa harap ng altar. Buong buhay ko, wala akong ibang pinangarap kundi magandang buhay para sa pamilya ko, at mahanap ang lalaking pakakasalan ko balang araw. Iyong lalaking makatatabi ko sa altar sa at kasama kong susumpa sa harap ng maykapal. Pero hindi ko akalaing ang araw ng kasal ko, ang siya ring magiging pinaka-masalimuot na araw sa buhay ko.... "I now pronounce you, husband and wife. Mr. Ditfreid, you may now kiss your bride." Ang panginginig ng buong katawan ko ay mas lalo pang nadagdagan nang sabihin iyon ng pari. Unti-unti ay humarap ako kay Ashton na seryosong nakatingin sa akin. Iniangat niya ang veil mula sa ulo ko at doon ko nakita ang mga mata niya. Hindi pagmamahal ang nakikita ko sa mga iyon, ang tanging nakikita ko lamang ay galit, poot, at paghihiganti. "You are mine now, Cleonne. At ito ang tatandaan mo, habang nabubuhay ako, hinding-hindi mo mararanasan ang salitang kaligayahan." bulong niya sa akin bago niya tuluyang ilapat ang labi niya sa mga labi ko. Magmula nang araw na iyon, alam kong ang buhay ko ay hindi na sa akin. Dahil magmula nang araw na iyon ay nakatali na ako sa lalaking hindi ko naman mahal, sa lalaking walang ibang gustong gawin kundi ang makapaghiganti sa akin, at iyon ay walang iba kundi si Ashton Kleid Ditfreid.

I never thought I'd end up severely injured and lose my baby on my wedding day. That day, I walked toward my husband full of excitement, only to watch him rush right past me and straight into the arms of his secretary. Confused, I turned around and saw someone in a wedding dress lying on the ground, blood pooling beneath her. It was his secretary, Quinn Fable. Steve York, my soon-to-be husband, panicked and scooped her up, but Quinn stared at me with tearful eyes, crying, “Summer, I ate the candy you gave me… Why would you want to hurt my baby? Please, Steve, save our child… please…” Steve was beside himself with rage. Without a second thought, he kicked me hard in the stomach. I collapsed into the champagne tower, shards of glass embedding into my skin. Blood poured from between my legs. Yet, they still clung to each other, crying bitterly as if I didn't exist. When the ambulance arrived, they didn't even hesitate to push me aside to save her first. “Forget about her!” Steve shouted. “Save Quinn! She's lost so much blood. She must be in terrible pain! As for Summer, that vicious witch… she deserves to die!” Due to the delay, I suffered a ruptured uterus and missed the window for proper treatment. And as if that wasn't enough, Steve personally announced that our marriage was null and void. He marched straight to the clerk's office with Quinn and made it official. On my ICU bed, I received a text from him. “Pack your things and get out. Quinn wants you out of her sight.”

Seigfreid Matthews has been in love with Leyla Jimenez since childhood. Hindi maalala ni Seig kung kailan iyon nagsimula, basta namulatan niya na may nararamdaman para sa nakababatang kapatid ng best friend niya. Seig and Ley grew up together, but for some reason, Ley dislikes Sig for his angst and bad boy image. Mas gusto ni Ley iyong lalaki na responsible at mapagkakatiwalaan, katulad ng kaniyang long-time crush na si Emerson Sandoval. In their elementary days, Ley rejected Seig. High school came, Ley hated him more. On their graduation day in college, Ley officially introduced Emerson as her boyfriend. Seig was devastated, but that only made him want her more. Call him obsessed, but he didn't care. He will make her his, and this time, he'll make sure she will say yes to him. "I now pronounce you, man and wife. You may kiss the bride." Matatalim na mga titig na ibinabato ni Ley kay Seig. She doesn't want to be his wife; she only wants Emerson to be the only man she will call her husband. "You should know that I only married you for Emerson. Siya ang dahilan kung bakit pumayag akong magpakasal sa'yo, I love him that much that I'm willing to sacrifice my life for him. Huwag mong kalilimutan iyan, siya ang mahal ko." He wanted her so much that he doesn't care if it will make his heart bleed to death. Basta ang alam niya ay gusto niyang makasama ang babae hanggang sa pagtanda nila. "You can say whatever you want, but you're my wife now. And I'll make you fall for me." He smirked as he stole a kiss from her lips, "Deep and hard. Huwag mong kalilimutan iyan, paiibigin kita, Mrs. Leyla Matthews" Without any warning, he pulled her and devoured her lips.

Seigfreid Matthews has been in love with Leyla Jimenez since childhood. Hindi maalala ni Seig kung kailan iyon nagsimula, basta namulatan niya na may nararamdaman para sa nakababatang kapatid ng best friend niya. Seig and Ley practically grew up together, but for some reason, Ley dislikes Sig for his angst and bad boy image. Mas gusto ni Ley iyong lalaki na responsible at mapagkakatiwalaan, katulad ng kaniyang long-time crush na si Emerson Sandoval. In their elementary days, Ley rejected Seig. High school came, Ley hated him more. On their graduation day in college, Ley officially introduced Emerson as her boyfriend. Seig's world collapsed when he heard the news, but that only made him want her more. Call him obsessed, but he didn’t care. He will make her his, and this time, he’ll make sure she will say yes to him. “I now pronounce you, man and wife. You may kiss the bride.” Matatalim na mga titig na ibinabato ni Ley kay Seig. She doesn’t want to be his wife; she only wants Emerson to be the only man she will call her husband. “You should know that I only married for Emerson. Siya ang dahilan kung bakit pumayag akong magpakasal sa’yo. Huwag mong kalilimutan iyan, siya ang mahal ko.” Bawat salita na lumalabas sa bibig ni Ley ay parang mga punyal na tumatarak sa puso ni Seig. He wanted her so much that he doesn’t care if it will make his heart bleed to death. He can deal with the heartaches later. “You can say whatever you want, but you’re my wife now. And I'll make you fall for me.” He smirked as he stole a kiss from her lips, “Deep and hard. Huwag mong kalilimutan iyan, paiibigin kita, Mrs. Leyla Matthews”

"I need you to smile, darling," Adrian whispers, his fingers digging into Isabella's waist as cameras flash. "Your father's business empire depends on it." The champagne in her glass trembles as Isabella forces herself to play the perfect mafia bride. She hasn't told him about the baby yet. Hasn't mentioned the way his eyes linger on the judge's daughter, Elena. Hasn't revealed that she knows about the poison they've planned for her "tragic accident." But Isabella Romano isn't going down without a fight. "Please," she whispers to Santa Muerte as poison burns through her veins. "Give me a chance to make them pay." Death has a price. Isabella awakens in the body of Valentina Salvatore—wife to Adrian's greatest rival and mother to twin girls who somehow see through her deception. She has 150 days to either claim vengeance or find true love. The clock is ticking, and Nicolas Salvatore, her new "husband," is proving dangerously easy to fall for. "You're not really her, are you?" Nicolas murmurs one night, his fingers tracing her jaw. "My Valentina never looked at me the way you do." But as Isabella navigates the deadly waters of rival crime families, she discovers Valentina had secrets of her own—secrets worth dying for. Now, with her father plotting a takeover, Adrian suspicious of her resurrection, and her borrowed body slowly rejecting her soul, Isabella must choose: the revenge she died for, or the love she never expected to find. In this dangerous game of second chances, some fates are worse than death. And some loves are worth dying for twice.

“If I say that I am not okay. Would you help me?” Ivan's peering gaze bored deep into Skylar's eyes, as his strong arms suddenly grabbed her tiny waist and pulled her close, causing her heart to skip and her eyes to widen in alarm. His deep mellifluous voice resonated in her ears, echoed in her mind, and sent tremor signals down her legs. Maybe it was the shots of champagne she had taken, or the secret desire for him that had never fed too much in her mind that took over at that moment, Skylar had no idea. However, staring at his gorgeous face which was extremely close to hers, gleaming and staring at her with intense hunger, she knew she was fucked. ‘This man was a walking temptation!’ ************ Just with one night of passion and pleasure with her boss, Skylar found herself torn between her professionalism and the dire need to act cool and pretend like nothing happened, all while being the best employee, to her cold, arrogant boss, Ivan Hamilton. She knew it was just any ordinary night, so obsessing over details could complicate things. However, things started to entangle more than she bargained for, when Ivan kept giving her reasons to confuse and question his actions. Just how would she keep the feelings she was beginning to harbor to herself, when the relationship between them had never exceeded the employer-employee contract? How would she deal with the truth that she was no longer immune to his endless charms which got her the job in the first place. And suddenly, Skylar was dropped from her pedestal of assumptions and fantasies, when reality dawned on her. Ivan Hamilton could never be the one for her. He was way out of her league. It was time to leave now.

I stare at the email on my screen, unable to move my fingers. Tomorrow is our company's crucial product launch, and I just learn that the patent for the algorithm I spent three years developing is now filed under Matthew Ashford's new assistant, Sophie Bennett. I storm into Matthew's office to confront him. Sophie sits on his desk with her legs crossed, looking completely innocent. She claims that she filled out the form by mistake. "It's just a clerical error. The patent still belongs to the company. What's the big deal?" Matthew stands up from his chair, positioning himself in front of Sophie. I can't believe what I am hearing. "Matthew, this is my research!" "Emma, you're thirty-five. Why are you picking a fight with a twenty-three-year-old intern?" He frowns. Then, he turns to Sophie. "Starting tomorrow, you're the new CTO. Emma needs… some time off." I'm utterly stunned. A decade of marriage and five years dedicated to building a company together have been shattered by a few casual words from him. Thirty minutes later, Sophie posts a photo on social media of herself sitting on Matthew's lap. They are both clinking champagne glasses. "So lucky to have the best boss ever. I'll make sure to be his loyal kitten." Below that, Matthew leaves a comment—three red heart emojis. I shut my laptop and pick up my phone. "Hello. Is this Mr. David Langley from Novara Group of Sundale Valley? This is Emma Whitmore. I've changed my mind. I'm ready to join you." I pause. "And by the way, about that unreleased algorithm upgrade, I have the complete technical blueprint. Make me an offer." Later, I fly to Tallisport with an eight-figure check in hand, while Matthew goes frantic trying to find me.

"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.