Champagne Pronounce

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”

“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.

Marrying Sebastian Romano had felt like a wish granted too perfectly to be real… until reality crushed it. For two years, Jasmine lived in a blur of champagne, penthouse lights, and a husband who looked at her like she was his entire future. In the third year, the silence arrived. The kisses turned into calendar appointments. The marriage shrank into handshakes and small talk. Then Jasmine found the truth. Sweet messages that were not for her. Hotel bookings that did not include her name. A blonde secretary who did not know shame. Jasmine walked out without looking back. She left her ring, the signed divorce papers, and her ruined heart on their ridiculous king-size bed. What she did not know was that another life had already started inside her. Five years later, Jasmine lived small on purpose. Quiet. Safe. Her child grew up without drama, without the weight of the Romano name. Jasmine promised herself it would stay that way. Until Adrian. Adrian was nothing like the men who used to own her world. Calm where they were cruel, clever without being cruel, steady in a way that felt dangerous only because she wanted to trust it. With him, Jasmine finally stopped feeling like a problem to fix and started feeling like a person to keep. When Adrian dropped to one knee at a glittering Monte Carlo...Jasmine did something she had sworn never to do again. She thought about forever. Then she saw him. Sebastian Romano. The man she had loved, left, and learned to hate in the exact same lifetime. Those cold eyes. That unreadable face. The past she thought she had buried standing three steps away from her fresh start. “Interesting,” Sebastian said. “Your fiancé… happens to be my brother.”

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.

Le jour de notre septième anniversaire de mariage, j'étais à califourchon sur mon mari mafieux, Lucien, et je l'embrassais profondément. Mes doigts fouillaient dans la poche de ma robe de soie hors de prix, à la recherche du test de grossesse que j'y avais caché. Je voulais garder la nouvelle de ma grossesse inattendue pour la fin de la soirée. Marc, le second de Lucian, a demandé avec un sourire suggestif en italien : « Don, ton nouveau petit canari, Sophie. Comment est-elle ? » Le rire moqueur de Lucien a vibré sur ma poitrine et m'a fait froid dans le dos. Il a répondu, toujours en italien : « Comme une pêche pas mûre, fraîche et tendre. » Sa main caressait toujours ma taille, mais son regard était distant. « Garde ça entre nous. Si ma Donna le découvre, je suis un homme mort. » L'homme a gloussé d'un air entendu, levant son verre et jurant de garder le silence. La chaleur de mon sang s'est transformée progressivement pour devenir glaciale. La seule chose qu'ils ignoraient, c'était que ma grand-mère était originaire de Sicile, et que je comprenais donc chaque mot. Je me forçais de rester calme, fixant sur mon visage le sourire parfait de Donna, mais la main qui tenait ma flûte de champagne a tremblé. Au lieu de faire une scène, j'ai ouvert mon téléphone, trouvé l'invitation que j'avais reçue il y a quelques jours pour un projet international privé de recherche médicale, et j'ai tapé « Accepter ». Dans trois jours, je disparaîtrais complètement du monde de Lucien.

Je suis entrée en fauteuil roulant dans le salon de réception que Wells avait préparé pour mon anniversaire, l'immense salle, qui bourdonnait d'animation quelques instants plus tôt, s'est figée quand ils m'ont aperçue. Ils sont tous venus ici pour leurs propres raisons, mais certainement pas pour célébrer mon anniversaire. « Voilà donc la fiancée handicapée du président Wells, mademoiselle Joy ? » « Oui, mais le vrai amour n'existe qu'entre Wells et Anna, je les ai vus s'embrasser dans un coin à l'instant. » Ils dissimulaient leurs murmures derrière leurs coupes de champagne, persuadés que j'étais toujours cette ancienne invalide muette et sourde. Mais ce qu'ils ne savaient pas que, depuis la semaine dernière, j'ai recouvré l'ouïe, aujourd'hui, je perçois chacune de leurs railleries. Mon fiancé, Wells, se tenait à l'écart sans rien faire pour défendre mon honneur. Il avait semblé oublier que c'est pour le protéger que j'ai sacrifié ma mobilité, le jour de l'accident, c'est moi qui l'ai écarté de la trajectoire de la voiture, me jetant sous ses roues. Lorsqu'on m'a ramenée à la vie, Wells avait juré de rester à mes côtés pour prendre soin de moi pour toujours. Mais après trois ans, tout a changé. Mon téléphone a vibré. « Mademoiselle Joy, la réplique de votre corps est prête. Répondez 'CONFIRMER' pour activer immédiatement le service de fausse mort. Nous livrerons la dépouille à votre noce avec Monsieur Wells dans cinq jours.  » Sans hésiter, j'ai tapé « CONFIRMER  ». Wells, je te souhaite un merveilleux jour de noces.