Reluctant Hero Novels & Stories

Relentless. “What if she’s not the enemy?”

© 2026 Aridah. All rights reserved. This work is protected by copyright. No part of this story may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without permission from the author. Author’s Note ✨ Welcome to The Reluctant Daddy CEO. This is a slow-burn romance built on tension, vulnerability, and growth. It’s not just about love. It's about healing, responsibility, and the choices we make when life doesn’t go as planned. Thank you for giving this story a chance. I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Cedric stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Janet. There was a trace of grievance in his eyes as he looked at me. "Eleanor, why are you pretending to be Janet?" More comments flickered across my vision. [The male lead is protecting his girl now–so sweet.] [Wow, our heroine is amazing. She turned the situation around instantly.] [Is this the power of the protagonist's halo? Total reversal.] [Wait, why does the male lead's gaze look kind of off?]

She tilts her head to the side and raises her brows too, also daring me. I smirked. Why does she like going against me? I thought her B&B (Biker Bitch) character is gone but turns out it hasn't. Hmm, two can play this game. I folded my arms and nod towards my trunk, silently telling her to go on. Few seconds passed, my smile widens when I saw her hesitating.

"It was choosing to believe that people can change if they want it badly enough." "And look where that hope got me." He finally turned and his face was different somehow, harder than it had been yesterday. "Shot and broken and missing sixteen years of my life because I apparently decided to play hero." "You didn't play hero, you were a hero." I was getting tired of this argument. "You saved people and protected the vulnerable and stood up to your father when everyone else was too scared to try."

“So here’s what I’ll do. I’ll drop it… one percent.” My eyes widened. “Lucian…” He lifted a hand to silence me. “I’ll spare the traitor and his family. That’s what you get—for me trying to play the hero in your life.” Hero? That word lit a fuse in me. “You’re no hero,” I said, teeth gritted. He smirked wickedly. “And you’re no savior.” His words struck. Not just for what he said, but how he said it. Like we were two broken things trying to pretend we could fix something together.

"Sir?" a voice from the cockpit said. Noah Magellan, rock star and reluctant actor, had been perusing the script for his latest movie. He hated everything about it, but his agent had convinced him to take it on. Noah sighed and he suspected that he would be doing that a lot. The film was a superhero film and Noah didn't consider himself capable of that genre, but they were hot right now so his agent had strong-armed him into signing the contract. Noah suspected it was the giant paycheck that his agent would receive from the movie whether it did well or not.

I assured in a calm voice, patting him slowly. He hummed his answer, accompanied by a tired head nod. I could swear that my heart swooned at such simple act. Aiden was Alpha, basically the most powerful man in the land and watching him become this vulnerable pulled at my heart string, it did things to my own thick resolve, slowly cutting and burning down all the barriers I had set up. "Why don't you tell me what is going on Aiden? It obviously is taking a toll on you." I continued, my fingers now running through his silky soft, styled hair.

He said hopefully, but he was not so sure, his Commander could get himself out of this asides marrying Mary, it was an order, it had to be obeyed, it was the soldier’s way. Mrs Stone burst into tears, gripping the arm of the young man next to her, “ Why must it be so? Since when has saving somone’s life being a crime, why must they bring sadness into his life. This is Mike he is not Jared, Mike is passionate and kind, he is a very nice soldier and full of mercy, he does not deserve to be troubled, he would not marry that Mary and I know it,” She said amidst tears

He leaned his shoulder against the wall, arms crossed loosely over his chest, voice lazy. “So… does this mean the retreat’s cancelled?” I looked at Coach Dennis. He turned toward me, brows lifted, expression unreadable. Then he nodded once. “You decide,” he said. “You’re the hero here.” The title caught me off guard. Hero. I didn’t feel like one. I felt like I’d barely kept it together. Like I’d been holding a cracked dam with my bare hands. Still, I squared my shoulders. “They still need it,” I said. “By all means necessary.”