Novels by thomasgrace289

I waited in my room the next day for Elsie. I needed someone to talk to. Not about the kiss. Good heavens, I could never bring that up. That was the kind of thing Don would never want a house staff to know. OMG Don!I felt sorry for him. He was my husband after all. I clutched my chest, hoping the waiter did not see anything last night. Were the house staff already talking about the kiss?“Good morning, Cassie,” Elsie knocked on the door and opened it, not waiting for me to call her in.I studied her. “Hey.”She strode to the windows and pulled up the shutters humming all the way there.“Someone is in a good mood this morning.”“Of course. The boss was so impressed by everyone’s work yesterday that he has agreed to add a bonus to our salaries this month.”“Oh.”“He said you looked ravishing and he told the kitchen staff that the meals were spot on.”“He said that?”“Yes, didn’t you like the herb crusted salmon?”“Not that,” I said. “Did Don really say I looked ravishing?”She scratch

The first weeks of our marriage passed in a cold, unspoken routine.Don kissed me only when cameras were flashing. Paparazzi lingered outside the estate, eager for a glimpse of the perfect couple. But the moment the lenses turned away, so did he.At night, I lay in the vast bedroom alone, staring at the ceiling, listening for any sign that he was in the house. I never saw him after dinner. I never heard him come to bed. He existed in his own world, and I was a ghost haunting the periphery.I learned quickly that there were rules even concerning the houseworkers.The maids were to tend to my every need. I was not to work. I was not to cook. I was to remain in my room unless summoned. But I refused to be a prisoner in my own home.The first time I defied him, I waited until I was certain he had left for the day. Then I padded down to the kitchen, my silk robe trailing behind me. The chefs froze when they saw me."Mrs. Raymond—""Cassie," I corrected. "And I want to make my own breakfast

Diane and Nina were standing, holding flowers and gifts behind the door.“We flew in a day early to be with you before your big day.”“Yeah, we know mum will be stressing you out, so we came as soon as we received the invite.” Diane said. She was a taller, more tanned version of me. Her black hair was two shades darker than mine and that was because fashion trends these days were jet black hair with no trace of blond. Nina on the other hand had a short brown bob with fringes. She has clearly fit into the French streetwear style. “So, who is the man, and how is he?”I slouched and slumped into my bed immediately I got into my room. “It’s Don Raymond. Don’t tell me mother forgot to put that in the invitation card.”“Isn’t he like that self absorbed, fancy billionaire with the tv station and the rugby club, and the many many real estate houses?”“And the construction company, and the wicked law firm-” Nina squealed, in addition.“Okay guys, I get it. He is very rich. But very cold towa

“Welcome again, Mr. Raymond.” My mother welcomed the guest.The same burly man was in my living room again. He filled up the velvet armchair with his terse behind. The seat on which only my father sat. Mother was perched at the edge of her chair, wiggling her buttocks on the corner like a dog scratched on its neck. How could she let this man defy my father? Dad was never around when this big and intimidating man visited.The first time I saw Don Raymond, I understood why people feared him.He stood at the far end of the grand hall, dressed in a dark suit so perfectly tailored it looked like a second skin. Everything about him was polished—his sooth hair slicked back without a strand out of place, his sharp jaw set in stone. His presence filled the room without effort.When he turned to me, I felt it. His gaze on me was cold, unreadable. I caught my mother’s eye when the man made me turn around for his inspection. Then without another word, he nodded to her and made his way into the fa