Victorian Housekeeper

What does the underboss of an infamous crime family have in common with a spirited primary school teacher? Absolutely nothing, except a marriage of convenience, of course. When Lionel Tyson defaults on a gambling debt and offers his most prized possession as collateral, Austin Hawthorne is underwhelmed. But in desperate need of a housekeeper and permanent child minder, he knows he’d be an idiot to look a gift horse in the mouth. So, against his better judgement, he accepts an offer he should absolutely refuse. Marybeth Tyson is horrified to learn that not only is her father wanted by loan sharks, but he has also sold her off to a mafia boss. Bound by duty and pushed by guilt, she agrees to give Austin Hawthorne one year of her life, despite common sense screaming at her to run the other way. After all, how hard can pretending to be madly in love with someone be? It’s all fun and games until play pretend becomes all too real, and an earth-shattering secret from Austin’s past comes to light, threatening to destroy his second chance at love with his dogged pursuit for answers. Betrayal, especially at the hands of his older brother Blake and long-time friend, Andrei Ivanov, is a bitter pill to swallow for Austin, and letting them off scot-free is not an option. Driven by his unquenchable thirst for revenge, Austin will stop at nothing to get to the truth, even if it means destroying decade-old friendships and fragile ties to The Corporation. 2022 Val Sims. All rights reserved. No part of this novel may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author and publishers.

"So much fire, so much fury, but I knew you for ten years, and I never once saw it. Why?" Burke spat. "Because then I loved you.” Silver snapped, trying to push away from him, but Burke wasn't ready to let go. He jerked her closer. "And now?” He breathed against her lips. “Now I don't." She whispered, struggling to breath. He darted his tongue out and swept it over her lower lip. She shuddered, struggling to keep still. He nipped at the wet lip, and a moan escaped her mouth. Her eyes closed as she allowed herself surrender. Just this once. “Liar," He whispered, pushing her away. He stood up and towered over her with a mocking smile. “I'm all you'll ever love. The rest are just simple fuck and fruitless attempts to get over me, but you never will. I'm embedded in your soul. But go ahead, keep fooling yourself.” *********** Silver Loraine was just the housekeeper’s daughter until she married the billionaire heir, Burke Carrington. A year into the marriage, Burke divorces her in a fit of rage, believing she seduced his powerful father. Humiliated, heartbroken, and unknowingly pregnant, Silver disappears. Three years later, she returns as the surprise heiress to half of Carrington Enterprises, thanks to the very man who ruined her life: Bartholomew Carrington. His will has two conditions: Silver must live under the same roof with her ex-husband for 90days and also work side by side with him… or forfeit everything. To make matters worse, her son bears an uncanny resemblance to the late patriarch

Lyana Dela Merced grew up with nothing but grit and determination. Life had never been kind to her. From abandoned by her lover, and later losing her only child to illness, she learned the hard way that pain doesn’t pause for anyone. But even when the world kept breaking her heart, she refused to stay down. Her younger brother, who battled mental illness, depended on her strength, and that was enough reason for Lyana to keep fighting. From one side job to another, Lyana took on every decent work she could find just to survive. Cleaning houses, waiting tables, running errands—name it, she’s done it. So when her doctor friend one night offered her a stable job with the wealthy Tejada family, she didn’t think twice. But what she didn’t expect was that the job came with a shocking twist. Instead of being hired as a simple housekeeper, the Tejadas wanted her to be their surrogate mother. They couldn’t have a child of their own, and they wanted Lyana to carry the baby for them. Torn between desperation and morality, she faced an impossible choice: become the billionaire’s baby maker, or walk away from the one chance that could change her family’s life forever. Years later, fate plays its hand again. The widowed Preston Tejada crosses paths with Lyana Dela Merced, the woman who once carried his child. Old secrets resurface, hearts begin to stir, and both must confront a past that refuses to stay buried. Can Lyana right the wrongs she once made with the Tejada family? Or will she find herself falling for the very man she was never meant to love?

"I need you to fuck me," she sighs. "But we both know that's not happening." If she keeps this up, I might just change my mind. I'm really close to violating my terms and taking her right here. "Sunshine, I'm not going to fuck you right now and you know it," I answer. "I'm going to fuck you all the way to the moon and back in due time, just not now." As if to persuade me, her hand cups my erect cock, and I turn my head to groan. The towel is barely hiding it at this point. Frankly, I'm surprised it hasn't fallen from around my waist. I desperately want her to feel it, to hold it, to lick it, to kiss it, to suck it. She keeps this up, she'll at least get to do two out of the five things. Elias Ford Vance Dabney-Aparo has never been the relationship type. Building a multi-billion-dollar hotel empire left little room for love—or for anyone who could keep up with his pace. But a routine visit to one of his properties turns anything but routine when he meets Cora Eldredge, a housekeeper and part-time model trying to find her footing in a world that keeps underestimating her. Cora’s always felt like an outsider, even at the hotel her uncle manages. But one unexpected encounter with Elias changes everything. He’s older, polished, and completely out of her league—and yet, when he looks at her, she feels seen for the first time. The spark between them is undeniable, but so are the complications: their worlds don’t mix, and the age gap isn’t small. Still, what they’ve found feels real—something warmer than either of them expected. Can they bridge the distance between status and circumstance… or will they both walk away before love has the chance to begin?

Two years ago, my entire family boarded a luxury cruise ship for an ocean getaway, only to be ambushed by abductors. My parents and younger brother were all murdered. Meanwhile, I leaped into the sea, fighting for my life. Nigel Heath was the one who saved me from the water. Before my family's bodies were even recovered, my relatives rushed in, trying to seize control of the company. Again, it was Nigel who helped me hold onto everything. He stood by me, supported me, and eventually proposed to me. I agreed with tears in my eyes. Two years have passed since we got married. One day, I catch Nigel fooling around with the housekeeper he's hired for a high sum. "When are you going to make me your wife, Nigel? When can I enter your room without having to sneak around?" He kisses her and laughs. "Running out of patience?" She complains, "Her company's almost yours, so what are you waiting for? Aren't you worried you'll lose everything when she finds out you killed her parents?" He immediately grips her neck tightly, his gaze turning frosty as he growls, "She won't know as long as you keep your mouth shut. Her father killed mine, so I'm going to keep her by my side forever and torment her for life. "I'll give you what you want once she transfers the final patent to me. Step a toe out of line, and you're getting nothing." I stand outside the door as tears silently stream down my face. My husband killed my parents and is even plotting to steal the company they established! The murderer has been by my side this whole time! My parents and brother died so horribly. How can I let Nigel get what he wants?

When Alex, a twenty-one year old girl from a poor family, made a financial decision that made her family almost poor. Now her mother suffers from a deadly stroke that leaves her paralyzed and her younger sister, Emily, has gotten admission into the prestigious university of Greenville. Alex is confused and scared. She doesn't want to loose her mom and she also doesn't want her sister to loose her admission slot. But when a job offer comes in as a house keeper in the billionaire Beverly's Mansion, Alex is relieved. Until she finds out the being a male is the main criteria for the job. Alex is desperate, so she agrees. Find out as Alex copes with tying her boobs every morning with a bandage and developing feelings for her boss,the Billionaire Logan Beverly. *** *Snippet* I shift my suspicion aside and continued watching. Alex removed the baggy jeans he wore and was left in a lacy panty I scoffed loudly. My male housekeeper wore panties? I shook my head in confusion. Was he one of those men that had a weird kind of sexual kink? The he stalked into the bathroom. I was tempted to stop. Why was I even bothering watching him undress? It felt weird. But I wanted to know more about that bandage around him. What if he brought in a weapon and concealed it underneath the bandage? I needed to find out. My jaws dropped at what I saw. Alex had boobs! I wiped my eyes to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. How is it possible for a man to have boobs? What's going on here? Alex finally removed the last piece of clothing he had on. And only then did it dawn on me that Alex was in fact, a 'she'.

Lumaki sa hirap si Lyana Dela Merced kaya't maaga siyang namulat sa realidad. Hindi siya pinanagutan ng dating karelasyon at kapagkuwan ay namatay din ang anak niya dahil sa sakit. Mahirap mang tanggapin ang pagkamatay ng anak, pinilit pa rin ni Lyana na bumangon at huwag malugmok sa lungkot dahil sa kaniya umaasa ang kapatid na may sakit sa pag-iisip. Raket dito, raket doon-- lahat na ng trabahong maaari niyang mapagkuhanan ng pera sa legal na paraan ay natanggap na niya. Kaya naman nang isang gabi ay alukin siya ng kaibigang doktor ng trabaho para sa pamilya ng mga Tejada, agad niya itong tinanggap. Subalit mukhang nabahag ang buntot ni Lyana nang malamang hindi lamang simpleng trabaho ang inio-offer ng mga ito sa kaniya. Instead of being just a normal housekeeper, they want her to be a surrogate mother. Ayon sa kaibigang doktor, hindi magkaanak ang mag-asawa kaya't gusto siya ng mga itong kuhanin bilang surrogate. Would she accept the offer and be the billionaire's baby maker or just let the opportunity slip away because she's still longing for her child? Paano kung makalipas ang ilang taon ay muling pagtagpuin ng tadhana ang biyudong si Preston Tejada at ang naging surrogate ng anak nito na si Lyana Dela Merced? Maitatama kaya ni Lyana ang maling ginawa niya noon sa pamilya ng mga Tejada o unti-unti lamang mahuhulog ang loob niya sa binata?

The housekeeper’s daughter, Selena Greene, deliberately chose to get married on the same day, at the same hotel as me. When our cars passed each other on the way to our weddings, she rolled down her window and asked to switch my bridal bouquet with hers. My bouquet, however, wasn’t just any bouquet. It was hand-carved from priceless jadeite by my grandfather himself—a one-of-a-kind heirloom and his blessing for my wedding day. “Trish,” she pleaded softly, “please. I’ve sacrificed so much for this wedding. I just want it to be perfect. I’ll give it back to you as soon as we get out of the cars.” My heart softened. Against my better judgment, I handed her my bouquet and took her cheap, plastic flowers instead. However, when we stepped out of our cars, she refused to return it. Worse still, during her ceremony, she tossed my jade bouquet onto the floor, shattering it into countless pieces. That bouquet had been my grandfather’s way of being present at my wedding. It was all I had left of him. Yet, in front of everyone, Selena put on an innocent act and accused me, “Who takes back a bouquet after a switch? A glass bouquet like this is all over online shopping platforms for ten bucks. I’ll just pay you back. Trish, you’ve made my life hard enough on normal days. Do you have to humiliate me on the most important day of my life, too?” Furious, I confronted her, but she ducked behind my fiancé and my brother, wiping at her eyes like the victim. My fiancé immediately went to comfort her, leaving me standing alone at the ceremony, humiliated and ridiculed by everyone. My brother, too, called me cruel and heartless. He cut me off financially and threw me out of the family home. Selena’s husband, having quickly risen to success with the help of powerful backers, unleashed his relentless revenge on the now penniless and alone me. In the dead of winter, hired thugs found me and brutalized me to death. And Selena? She became their princess, adored by all three of them. I sank into darkness, full of rage and regret. However, when I opened my eyes again, I was transported back to the day of the wedding.