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Liar
Last Updated:
2025-01-05 04:23:52
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A Marriage of Convenience The perfect husband
“James,” Marina coos, “Baby, they won’t let me through.”Her voice grates against my eardrums and I fight the rising anger that simmers beneath my skin.“What are you doing here?” James’ tone is lethal, startling even to me. I’ve never heard him speak to Marina in such a tone, but I won’t lie when I say it filled me with satisfaction.Her pale blue eyes shift to me sitting in the front seat, narrowing for a fraction of a second before she returns her gaze to James. Her bottom lip trembles, and I watch as the actress puts on the perfect performance, “I came to check on you and Raslind,” she whispered, pronouncing my name incorrectly. “I came by the hospital, but you weren’t there. She didn’t tell you?”James ran his hands through his hair, and I was desperate to know what was going through his mind. I knew from experience that once he started showing his nervous tic, I was never sure what was going to come next.“I made it very clear that you weren’t welcome here any longer,” James sur
Last Updated : 2025-01-06A Marriage of Convenience Blood Loss
“What were you thinking, Rosie?” Shawn easily scooped me up, carrying me to his bathroom, and carefully deposited me onto the porcelain countertop.I feel the warm sticky sensation of blood against my foot, and I know my wound is worse than I initially thought.Shawn squats down, his large frame crowding the bathroom despite the fact that it’s the size of a small bedroom. He removed my shoe first, reaching beneath me to dig out a first aid kit, and dug out scissors.Our eyes met, his asking for permission, to which I nodded, and he cut a line down the seam of my leggings, revealing my very bloody leg.“Shit, Rosie,” he mutters, “This might be something you need to go back to the hospital for.”I grimaced at the thought. I knew for a fact that would be one of the few places James would check in his search for where I’d gone. Unless he already knows I’m here, which would be really bad for Shawn.“Nonsense,” I grit my teeth, the adrenaline of stealing James’ car wearing off, and allowing
Last Updated : 2025-01-08A Marriage of Convenience Moments
One of my leggings was cut to the knee and the other was soaking wet, clinging to my thigh like a second skin. Normally, I’d use the opposite leg for leverage, but at the risk of popping my fresh stitches, I fall back onto the bed.Shawn returns with the scissors, moving to kneel in front of me for the third time today before our eyes lock and he offers me a small smile, “I won’t look.”My chest flutters as I stare into eyes I’ve known all my life.“It’s not like you haven’t seen me before, Shawn.”He chuckles, “That’s fair. But I know you, and I won’t look.”The backs of my eyes burn with unshed tears, and I pull my teeth between my lips, nodding.Shawn grips my pants at my ankle, carefully sliding the sharp end of the scissors beneath the hem. An involuntary shiver sends goosebumps spreading across my skin.His brows pinch together with concern as his movements halt, “I didn’t poke you, did I?”“The scissors are just cold.”Shawn lets out a relieved chuckle, “Once we get you out of
Last Updated : 2025-01-10A Marriage of Convenience Something is up(James POV)
Confusion swims in my gut.Marina smells intoxicating, her scent swirling around me as fresh as the day I’d turned eighteen. I’m fighting the war inside my mind to keep my distance, but I’m weak, and Onyx feels trapped.Rosalind is watching our interaction, and the combination is making my head throb.“I don’t get it,” Marina whispers, shaking her head. Her pale blue eyes shimmer, and I know she’s hurting. The urge to wrap my arms around her is compelling, but I fight that too.“Rosalind is my mate. I have no doubt in my mind. Neither of you are willing to share, so I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place.”The engine to my Audi roars to life, and before I can fully process what’s happening, my eyes widen on Rosa’s tear-filled gaze in the driver’s seat.Gravel flies in every direction, some hitting my shin, but I don’t give a fuck. I’m chasing the car, “Rosa, wait!”“James!” Marina shouts at my back, her voice laced with fear, when Rosalind almost hits me putting the car in drive.I
Last Updated : 2025-01-10A Marriage of Convenience Why did you stay?
“Are you sure about this?” Shawn pinned me with a look that said he’d lock his doors and leave James standing in the elevator if I asked.“You probably think I’m stupid,” I shook my head, a dull throbbing beginning against my temple.Shawn looked as if I’d smacked him, “Rosie,” he stepped closer to me, and like a gravitational pull, my face lifted to look into his eyes. “You are a hopeless romantic and the most stubborn person I’ve ever met. Possibly the most stubborn person in the world,” we shared a collective laugh, “But that doesn’t make you stupid.”“I feel pathetic,” I shook my head, the damp strands of my hair clumping together, “I don’t want to be anyone’s second choice, and yet I find myself in this vicious cycle with James.”“You should never be a second choice, and if that’s how you feel with James,” Shawn looked up at the ceiling, calculating his words, “Then he’s not right for you Rosie.”The elevator pinged, alerting us that James was here, and a trickle of fear slithere
Last Updated : 2025-01-12A Marriage of Convenience Baby
“Aren’t you meant to be at work?” I stretch, losing my balance, but Shawn is already at my side.“I called off,” he shrugged, helping me to the couch, “I made some coffee.”“Yes, please.”Shawn quickly deposits a perfectly made cup of coffee, and I feel tears sting my eyes at the sight.My life is a mess.I’ve spent years wishing that James could be the man I’ve always dreamed he could be, and I keep getting glimpses, and yet as I sit here staring at this cup of coffee, I realize that I don’t even know if he knows how I take my coffee.It’s such a simple thing, but does he know how Marina takes her coffee? Or is it tea… She gives me the vibe that she’d be a tea drinker, and not of the sweet iced Georgian variety.“Why does your face look like that?” Shawn has his lips pulled between his teeth, fighting a smile.“Like what?” I blink, cooling my expression.“Kind of looked like that time you got constipated for three weeks when you were ten,” his eyes widened as the memory of what happe
Last Updated : 2025-01-13A Marriage of Convenience Father-in-law(James POV)
Twenty-four fucking hours she’s been gone.And I’ve been watching her location, so I know she’s still at Shawn’s apartment, which makes my blood boil.‘Might I remind you of my offer,’ Onyx adds unhelpfully.‘No, you may fucking not,’ I snap, ‘While I’ve considered it more times that you might believe. It’s not an option.’He doesn’t understand.Rosalind would hate us if we hurt him, and the last thing I need right now is for her to have any more reason to push us away.I need her like I need oxygen. Every second that passes without knowing that she’s still mine makes my chest feel like it’s going to explode.My phone rings, and I snatched it up without looking at the caller ID, “Baby,” I whisper, but my relief is short lived, “Mr. Wood,” my assistant speaks nervously, “I have Jeremy Red in the lobby asking for a meeting with you. Do you want me to send him away?” there is a pause, “I see that you have your schedule blacked out for today.”The muscles in my jaw are set tight, and my t
Last Updated : 2025-01-14A Marriage of Convenience Timing is a cruel b*tch
My phone has so many notifications, it’s glitching out.The background photo of James and me on our wedding day is covered by a string of green phone and text notifications. Most are from James, a few from Chris, and one from my mother.“That thing hasn’t stopped going off all day,” Shawn’s leaned against his island countertop on his elbows, ordering food for us from his phone.“James doesn’t like to take no for an answer,” I sigh. Embarrassment quickly settles beneath my skin. I’d done a good job hiding the reality of my relationship for the last three years with everyone around me.I could win an award for my fake smile and loving body language. No one questioned us except for my father, and I think that boiled down to a general dislike of James, and not because he actually cared if I was happy or not.Shawn let out a low growl, his phone clattering to the granite, before banging his fist against the surface. It wasn’t angry, but more out of frustration. “Can we pretend for a moment
Last Updated : 2025-01-15
Latest chapter
A Marriage of Convenience Escape(Shawn POV)
I’ve never wanted to kill anyone. Not once in my life had the thought crossed my mind.Until now.I fucked up keeping my heart sealed away from Rosie. I thought I was doing her a favor by keeping my distance. I loved her with so much depth, that I let her go, and I’m going to regret that decision until the end of my life.Rosie was a Red. She was royalty to the world. An heiress. A billionaire. Her namesake was a given, and me? I was Shawn Pierce, son of two drug addicts that didn’t want him, and a hoard of mental issues that were never discussed.I lived with them through my childhood until Jeremy Red found me huddled in a closet one day with my hands over my ears, rocking back and forth. I was sobbing uncontrollably, and my heart felt like it was going to explode.Instead of dragging me out of there and telling me to man up as my father had done in the past, he rushed a doctor to the residence and had me diagnosed with anxiety. I was prescribed medication, that Mr. Red paid for, and
A Marriage of Convenience On fire
Searing pain rolls through my body. My back arches against the pole, and I feel myself ripping at the restraints.A scream echoes around the warehouse, but I’m not even sure if it’s mine.Everything hurts and I feel as if I have lava swimming through my veins.“Rosie!” Shawn’s voice shouts. “What’s happening?”“It…. IT HURTS,” I scream again, unable to contain it.I’ve experienced pain. In the last year I’ve not only been bitten by a shark, but also a werewolf. Both of which hurt more than I care to admit, but I’d get eaten alive by a shark slowly over this.“JUST KILL ME,” I scream at the flashing light bulb in the corner.“Rosie, what is happening?” I hear him grunt. Something keeps hitting my fingers, but I can’t tell if I’m doing it or if Shawn is.“Please,” I sob as the pain tears through my chest. “It’s too much.”My vision tunnels, and I feel weaker by the second, but the pain eases up, and I finally fill my lungs with a sharp inhale.“Everything hurts, Shawn,” I whimper, feeli
A Marriage of Convenience I'm not leaving you
“Are they off our backs?” Marina practically chased James down as he calmly walked us back into the warehouse.She scoffed when she saw me untied and with free will, “You can be so foolish, James Wood,” her voice echoed around me, but I spun on my heel, pinning her with a glare, “I followed through on my end of the deal. Shawn needs food and pain killers.”Marina let out a low growl, stomping towards me, but James stopped her, “A deal is a deal, Marina. Go. I’ll stay here.”“You can’t be serious,” Marina moved in front of James, shoulder checking me.“Dead. Serious,” he snarled, and out of my peripherals, I saw her spine straighten.Good. She deserves that tiny ounce of fear, and so much more if I had my say.The heavy thudding of her boots as she stomped out of the warehouse was like music to my ears.“There are rags and soap in the bathroom. You can clean him up, but he stays restrained,” James walks away, disappearing out of sight.I practically bolt around to see Shawn sleeping, h
A Marriage of Convenience Hopes and lies
“Rosa, dear,” Joanne grabbed me, pulling me in for a tight hug. Her embrace was warm, and for the second time in the last ten minutes, I wanted to collapse. “How are you doing?” She pulled my body away just enough to look me in my eyes, “And don’t you lie to me. My nephew can be a real pain in the ass.”I snorted at that.She had no idea. “I’m good,” I plaster on a fake smile, “Wishing I had another piece of your apple pie.”“Darlin’,” she winks, “You come on over anytime for a piece of that pie.”“Better be careful,” James’ voice holds a playful tone, “She might visit every day with a promise like that.”Joanne winked again, “And you tell me how that would be a problem?”She released me, walking right up to James and wrapping her arms around him. He was stiff at first before realizing he was meant to be acting and wrapped his arms around her with a quick pat on her back.How do I make it clear that I’m not here by my own free will? I silently wished I had abilities like they do to s
A Marriage of Convenience Illusions
“Try any tricks, and I’ve got a prepared message to Marina to end pretty boys’ life,” James snarled as we approached Joanne’s pub.It looks just as I remember, minus the heavy number of cars filling the now empty spaces in the parking lot.Why I agreed to this meeting, I have no idea. My nerves have been haywire since I stepped out of the shower and James thrust a new cardigan at me in the event that it was possible we were photographed leaving the bank.I’d considered the fact that maybe he’d gone insane, but when he does something as calculated as having me wear a different outfit based solely on the fact that someone possibly snapped our photo, I squash that thought like an unwanted bug.James is too cold. Too calculated for this to be fake, and each moment that passes by trapped in this hell with him pushes me further and further from the feelings that captivated me for so long.The man I’d loved was fake. An illusion meant to lure me in like a Venus fly trap. His words were like
A Marriage of Convenience If we make it out
My breath catches in my throat, eyes wide, as I stare at James and Marina.James’ skin is flushed, and his hair looks as if he’s spent the last thirty minutes running his fingers through it.Such a simple act used to bring a smile to my face, but now, it only makes me angry that I ever saw it as anything more. For years, I overlooked everything about James that was… unfavorable because there was a tiny voice in the back of my mind telling me that he was the one.The Goddess…. His Goddess paired my soul with his. Separated one into two, and what I thought was fate brought us together. I’d ignored the hateful look in his eyes when I’d work on Marina. I’d shielded myself from the words he’d spewed, hoping that someday, the gentleness that he’d whispered into Marina’s ear would be directed at me.I was foolish. I’d accepted years of mistreatment, and dare I say abuse, for a man that was never going to see me as anything more than a revenge plot.I’d given him everything, and for a moment,
A Marriage of Convenience We have a problem
“Hey,” I whisper, “Just tell me if I’m moving too fast.”Shawn lets out a frustrated sigh, his honeyed eyes freezing my movements. It’s clear that he hates the fact that I’m being forced to spoon feed him like this or take care of him at all. I can’t think of a time growing up when I ever remember him allowing anyone to take care of him. When he was sick, he’d fake it, telling my mother that it wasn’t that bad, even when he could barely get himself to the bathroom.“Stop,” I whisper, pleading with my eyes, “Let me take care of you without you feeling like I shouldn’t. You’re weak, and I need to know that you’re going to be okay. Food will help you heal.”“You shouldn’t have bargained with him,” Shawn gritted his teeth. “I would rather have died strapped to this pole than to know that he did you a favor.”“I don’t care about any of that, Shawn,” I protest, but he cuts me off, “I do,” and then growls out a sound that mimics pain.I stuff the spoonful of soup into his mouth, knowing that
A Marriage of Convenience Worried(Chris POV)
Another day, another bottle. Glancing around my apartment, I internally cringe at the mess. Am I fucked up? Is that even a question anymore? I snort at my own thoughts. I’m definitely fucked up. As I go to stand, my head swims with dizziness, sending me hurdling back onto the couch where I’d fallen asleep last night. My back aches like nobody’s business considering I’m six foot four, and around two-hundred twenty pound. Couches aren’t made for men like me. I peer over the back of the couch to my kitchen. The digital numbers on the microwave sway from side to side, two of them merging into one. It’s twelve thirty. Practically another day gone. I’ve been here before. Years ago, I ended up with a short stint in rehab. I’d paid my dues, said all the things I needed to say, convinced the doctors with a good old fashion lie, and boom, I was all better they said. I’d say the jokes on them, but really, the only joke is me. Rosalind was always the star in our household. I didn’t hate
A Marriage of Convenience The letter
“Did she complete the task?” Marina speaks through gritted teeth as James walks me back inside the warehouse blindfolded. He didn’t bother zip tying my wrists, as I was being cooperative. “Flawlessly,” James purred, and I heard a relieved sigh fall from Marina’s lips. “What is with that necklace?” I question now that we’re no longer at the bank. Not only that, but James’ mood tanked after three separate people asked for photographs with him as we left the bank, so I didn’t bother asking on the ride home. “Nothing that concerns you,” Marina snapped, and I heard her step closer, grabbing James and planting a sloppy kiss on his lips. The act was intentional to grate on my nerves, and I wanted to claw her eyes out. I wasn’t jealous any longer, but it still stung having your failures rubbed in your face. “My father thought it concerned me,” I interrupted their make-out fest, causing James to let out a groan, “I don’t remember you talking this much.”“My talking didn’t seem to bother y
