“Next,” A sultry feminine voice called out from the office opposite the sitting area, with a shiny metal plate, bearing the words, ``Conference room, attached to the closed door. Amelia Ross’s eyes darted to the end of the sitting area, to see a woman who appeared to be in her early twenties, rise up from the plush sofa, with her sleek leather bag hanging from her shoulder and a file in her grasp. Quickly, she sauntered towards the door, her seven inches stilettos clicking against the marbled floor, as though she was announcing her entrance. Amelia tried peeking into the conference room, but she was too far away to see anything besides a set of chairs before the door was closed once again.Ducking back her head, she counted about seven more women before her. A hot breath expelled from her lips as she forced herself to settle into the sofa, in a bid to calm her erratically beating heart. It was her first time applying for a job, after recently graduating from college. As a fresh coll
It’s been five months since Amelia moved in with the CEO, Ryan Davidson. After proper consideration of the benefits of the contract, she’d gone ahead to sign it without second thoughts. It wasn’t like she had much of a chance to reject it. Apart from being a fresh college graduate at that time, the possibility of finding a well-paying job that could actively settle all of her bills and student loans was close to zero. She saw Ryan’s offer as a means to an end and a new beginning. Hence, she’d taken it after much deliberation, proceeding to sign the contract that pronounced her as his wife for twelve months.At first, it had been hard to wrap her head around the scenario and to fit into the role perfectly, considering she knew nothing about the man. It was as though she was sharing a home with a stranger, but with time, she got used to it as Ryan also dedicated his time to making her feel open and comfortable around him. She quickly learned that beneath his hard exterior, there was act
“A room for the week,” Amelia said to the man behind the counter, who she assumed was the motel’s manager. “That’ll be three hundred dollars,” the slightly obese man behind the counter spoke up, adjusting the glasses resting on his nose to look up at Amelia.Without uttering more words, she handed him her credit card to pay for the room, and he gave her the key and the room number after she’d filled out the visitors' form.“Have a wonderful stay,” he called out to her but she was already on her way out to locate her room.Amelia was easily able to locate her room, inserting the key into the keyhole to open the door before stepping in with her luggage. As soon as she was in, she locked the door from the inside, her eyes quickly roving around the room to see it was clean and neatly arranged with white beddings covering the small bed, and a mini tv hanging on the wall directly opposite the bed. Releasing a breath, she pushed away from the door and headed towards the other door in the ro
The ringing of the alarm clock jolted Amelia from her sleep, as she quickly reached for it to turn it off, not wanting it to disturb her toddler. Groaning with the need to get back to her peaceful slumber, she pulled the covers over her head, hoping to catch a few more minutes of sleep before rising up to begin her day, but her attempts were futile, as her busy mind was already awake. Her eyes popped open and were greeted by the dull light streaming from the windows as it was the early hours of the morning. She stayed in bed for a short moment before rising to her feet to begin her day. Her first destination was the kitchen to get her usual dose of morning coffee. She’d never been a morning person, nor did she like drinking coffee. But as a mom, with a job and a daughter to prepare for school, the caffeine helped her get through her mornings without the constant feeling of laziness that always threatens to drag her back to her comfortable bed.While she brewed coffee from the coffee
When Amelia had accepted to get lunch with James, she’d expected them to merely take a walk to the restaurant a few blocks away from their office building but James had shocked her by walking her to his car.“Aren’t we going for lunch?” she questioned with a furrow in her brows.“Yes, we are, but in a better place where they make heavenly meals,” he winked at her before opening the door to the passenger side of the car for her. Amelia got in, wondering where he could be taking her before he jogged around and got behind the driver’s seat, pulling out of the parking lot.They drove in comfortable silence for about ten minutes before they came to a stop at a five-star restaurant.“James…” she glanced at her, half-smiling.He only responded with a smile, winking at her.“I don’t know when you’ll give me this chance again, so let me enjoy it, will you?”“Very well then, dazzle me,”“I plan to, my lady,”Getting out of the car, he walked round to get her door for her but she was already out
Amelia couldn’t remember a time in her life that she’d ever felt so positive and at peace with herself, and the direction her life was taking. These new feelings of inner happiness and glow had her feeling like she was living every day of her life on cloud nine, with no worries of the future constantly nagging at her. Choosing to have James in her life was truly the best decision she’s made in a while. As usual, it was a Friday afternoon and they’d closed early from work, as was the norm. James had driven home with Amelia, intending to spend the rest of the day with her and Dora. While Dora was still in school, they decided to have some quiet time to themselves before the toddler arrived. “What do you wanna do?” James asked, wrapping his arms around Amelia’s waist, and gently pulling her against him. They’d just stepped into her home. “You have something in mind?” she questioned, glancing up at him, but he reached for a stray strand of her luscious brown hair and tucked it behind he
Amelia’s initial shock and horror wore off the moment the man standing in front of her spoke. “Hello, Princess,” he smirked. But his words only ignited the fury that had been brewing in her, her face turning a darker shade with her heart thudding loudly. “Babe, we have to leave early…” James popped out from behind Amelia, his words dying on his lips when his eyes landed on Dora and the strange man holding her. Before Amelia could quickly rectify the situation, Dora’s eyes lit up the moment she saw James. “This is my dad. He’s back,” the toddler innocently informed James in a cheerful voice. Amelia saw the sudden change in Ryan’s facial expression, an amusing glint flashing in his eyes as they raked over James, before returning to rest on her. For some reason, she could read the mockery in his look and that only infuriated her more. Apart from having the nerves to show up at her apartment like they were old friends, he had the guts to show himself to a child he had no claims to, e
The next morning was a Saturday and Amelia’s plans of sleeping in were destroyed by the loud ringing of the doorbell. She tried ignoring the visitor but they only kept disrupting her sleep by continuously ringing the bell. Annoyed by whoever it was, she marched out of her room towards the living room with a deep scowl etched on her face. But her anger only increased when she threw the door open to see Ryan standing there, impeccably dressed in a suit even at that ungodly hour of the morning. A hiss of annoyance slipped out of her lips. Coupled with the sudden rage that descended upon her at his sight, she resorted to slamming the door against him but Ryan was quick to grab onto it, successfully wielding his arm between the door and its frame while forcefully shoving it open, despite Amelia’s hold on it.She was so shocked by his sudden intrusion that she stood still, staring at her with wide eyes and an open mouth.“Good morning, Princess,” he said in a voice too cheerful for Amelia’
OCTOBER 26TH, 2022 Hello lovelies, Thank you so much for coming this far and for giving my book a chance. I'm glad to announce that this is the end of Amelia and Ryan's story, but their journey will still commence a bit in the next book that'll solely be Cookie and James' story. Also, if you'd like to know Sylvia's secret, it'll be in the next book, titled PLEASING THE BILLIONAIRE, set to release on NOVEMBER 26, 2022. Insight into the series: TITTLE: The Ruthless Billionaires Book One: A Contract with the Billionaire (exclusively available on Goodnovel and completed) Book Two: Pleasing the Billionaire (upcoming) Book Three: (still a work in progress) Also, don’t forget to vote with gems and leave your comments and reviews on the book’s page. They help me grow as an author.
Epilogue: A new beginning?Amelia stood at the entrance of the magnificent church building, dressed in her flowing wedding dress, with the transparent lacy material of her veil covering her face, and Liu holding onto her arm.Two months after her visit to his home, he got well and the preparations for her second wedding ceremony began. She’d asked him to walk her down the aisle and Liu had been honored.“Ready?” he asked, flashing her a loving smile and Amelia grinned in response.“Always,” Surprising her, he leaned in and gently brushed his lips to her temple.“I’m glad I made it to this day, and that you asked me to do this,”Tears welled up in her eyes, amidst her smile but she blinked them away. Deep down, she wished her mom was there too but it was all in the past now and she had a bright future ahead of her and intended to fully enjoy it without her past holding her back.“I’m glad too,” she breathed out in a barely audible voice but Liu headed in and he gently patted her back.
“Are you sure you’re ready to do this?” Ryan asked Amelia for the umpteenth time as they drove through the gates of Liu’s estate in Beijing.After the incident with Lara and Benjamin, and after Ryan settled with his family, Amelia thought it was finally time to hear her father out. She recalled the words Jian spoke to her when she’d run away from Ryan after Selena showed up to destroy their wedding and she decided to give Liu a chance to explain himself. But by the time she called to set up a meeting with him in Jian’s home, her stepbrother informed her that their father was very sick and couldn’t leave his home in Beijing where he was receiving intense care from one of the renowned medical practitioners in the world. Amelia felt terrible that he was ill and they still hadn’t settled their differences. Thus, she’d insisted on seeing him, if he was up for it and she also wanted to finally introduce him to Dora.“I’m ready,” she breathed out, smiling weakly at Ryan. As if he could under
It’s been two months since Ryan began the search for Alan Masters, yet no traces of him have been found. At a point, his family had given up on the search and had decided to move forward. With Benjamin in prison and Ryan out of the family, there was no one to run the family’s business and no one was ready to take over because they weren’t ready to start another feud that may end terribly. Left with no option, a meeting was held and Ryan and Amelia were invited. The sole aim of the meeting was to plead with Ryan to return to the family and take up his old position as the heir and the CEO of DCL Inc.At first, Ryan had flat out refused their offer because his new business was flourishing well and he had no intentions of still working for his family or even being the sole heir of the Davidson’s empire but after many pleas from the family and Amelia, who thought he should give them a second chance to right their wrongs, he finally made a decision.He informed them that he’d take up the af
Jian pushed Lara into the living room, where Amelia and Ryan were waiting for her. He stopped beside one of the sofas directly opposite the one Amelia and Ryan were seated on and tried carrying Lara from the wheelchair, to sit on the sofa but she waved him off, offering him a little smile.“Are you sure?” he arched a brow at her and she nodded.“It’s fine,”Jian exhaled and left her, taking the sofa closest to her.It’s been two months since Benjamin was apprehended and in all of that time, Lara was slowly slipping out of her pills-induced state. Although her injuries hadn’t properly healed, she was now aware of the happenings around her and was often awake for a few hours, during which she could speak with people. After the incident with Benjamin, no one was allowed in the home, except Amelia, Ryan, and the doctor who treated her.The first time she’d woken up, she’d been confused, but after her head was clear of the haziness, she told Jian of her last conversation with Benjamin, whe
It was already evening by the time Benjamin returned to the hospital. He walked into the waiting room and was about to head to Lara’s room when the nurse at the counter called him.“Hello, Mr. Davidson,”Benjamin glanced at her, annoyance radiating off him but he managed to keep it hidden, schooling his features into a concerned expression.“Are you here to see Miss Zhang again?” the nurse inquired and he stepped towards her. “Sure,”“Oh well, she’s been moved. She’s no longer here,”Benjamin’s brows furrowed and he stared at her as though she’d just sprouted a second head. The nurse saw the confused expression etched on his face and went on to clarify her words to him.“After you left in the morning, her sister and brother came to move her away. I suggest you ask them about her new location,”Benjamin tensed, his jaw clenching hard. He nodded curtly.“Thank you,”He stormed out of the hospital, his annoyance doubling as he inwardly cursed at Amelia for destroying his plans. If it wa
Amelia was singing cheerfully, swaying her hips and trying to dance to the song she was singing as she prepared breakfast. The rays of the bright morning sun streamed into the kitchen, lighting up the entire place, considering it was still early. She was preparing Dora’s breakfast. She’d woken up early to prepare her breakfast and lunch and to also prepare her for school. After Ryan had healed, they’d quickly moved out of his Manhattan penthouse and had moved over to Brooklyn, away from his family, to start up their lives and his new business. It’s been two months and things were going well for them. For now, she was just a stay-at-home mom, but she’d never been happier, with her fiance and their child. They were living a simple life, with no family members swamping them or even calling for unnecessary meetings. She’d also heard of Benjamin’s immediate take over of the Davidson’s empire on the news and she was glad that Ryan wasn’t concerned. His new business venture was going well,
Ryan was still shocked and trying to wrap his head around what the maid, Mia, had revealed to them. By the time they got home, Dora was already fast asleep. Amelia took her to bed while Ryan retired to their bedroom to prepare for bed, but all he did was stand beside the floor-to-ceiling window of his bedroom, overlooking the city below as he replayed Mia’s words over and over again in his head.He was so lost in his head that he didn’t hear Amelia walk into the room until she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her body hat tightly to his back.“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” she whispered, trailing one of her hands to his chest and patting him lightly. “We’re not sure if it’s true. It might just be a misunderstanding,”Ryan let out a deep breath.“What if it's true?”Amelia was quiet, not knowing what to say.“We’re no longer safe in their midst,”“What do you want to do?” her hands fell off him and he turned around, staring intently at her.“I think we need to leave this
It’s been a week since Ryan was discharged from the hospital. He’d returned to his home with Amelia and Jian had stopped by to drop Dora off and to also say hello to Ryan. Some of his family members, even Lara, Benjamin, and Adeline had also stopped by to check on them. After that week of his recovery, he decided to call a family meeting to inform them of his plans. Just like he’d told Amelia at the hospital, he’d meant it and as soon as he was discharged, they’d been secretly making plans.It was the weekend and all of the Davidson family were gathered at Clifford’s home to hear Ryan out. He’d informed them that he had some important message to pass on to them. Benjamin and Adeline were also there, and so were Amelia and his daughter. Everyone wondered what he could possibly want to tell them, even his parents but only Amelia was aware of his plans.As soon as the meeting was ready to kick start, Adeline was the first to signify that she had something to say. Li na glared at her. Le