I glared at him, my voice steady and cold. "Yes, I slept with your father. And guess what? We're married now, which makes me your stepmother. So get used to calling me mom." ””” After catching her boyfriend, Ethan, in bed with her best friend, Sophia is heartbroken and desperate to escape. A spontaneous trip to the Maldives with her sister seems like the perfect distraction. But when she runs into Nathaniel James, a successful billionaire she shared an unforgettable connection with, their chemistry is undeniable. One wild night leads to an impulsive wedding, but what seemed like a fresh start quickly turns complicated. Sophia discovers that Nathaniel is Ethan’s estranged father, and the past she’s been running from is suddenly inescapably tied to her present. To make matters worse, Sophia’s hidden daughter, Lily, unknowingly to her, is Nathaniel's child, the same man who rejected both of them years ago. As the truth comes out, secrets, lies, and betrayal threaten to tear everything apart. Can their love survive the truth, or will the past destroy everything they’ve built?
Lihat lebih banyak~SophiaI stormed into my room, slamming the door behind me, my chest rising and falling rapidly. My fingers trembled as I wiped my lips furiously, as if trying to erase the sensation of Ethan’s kiss. How dare he? How dare he put his lips on mine as if he still had the right? I let out a sharp breath, pacing back and forth, my mind spinning. My heart was hammering so fast I could hear it in my ears. It wasn’t just anger. It was something else—something far more dangerous. The kiss had reminded me of the past. I swallowed hard, my hands clenching at my sides. I closed my eyes, gripping the edge of the dresser for support. The way his lips felt against mine—it wasn’t foreign. It wasn’t something I had forgotten. No. It had felt… familiar. The heat, the roughness, the way he held me for that fleeting moment—it was the same as before. And a part of me—damn it—a part of me had enjoyed it. I let out a choked gasp, my hands flying to my face as my eyes burned. Tears spilled
~EthanThe whiskey burned my throat as I took another swig, my fingers tightening around the glass. The garden was quiet except for the chirping of crickets and the occasional rustling of leaves in the night breeze. The same garden where, years ago, I used to sit with Sophia, laughing, planning a future together—one I’d thrown away for Sarah. I scoffed bitterly at the memory, shaking my head. I deserved this. I deserved every ounce of pain Sarah had put me through. I had left Sophia, shattered her heart, and for what? A woman who was now carrying another man’s child. My best friend’s child. I closed my eyes, trying to drown out the memories, but they came rushing back, stronger than ever. Sophia. I had loved her—deeply, foolishly. She had been my safe place, the one person who truly saw me. And I had betrayed her. Sarah had been nothing more than a temptation, a sin I had indulged in. She had known exactly how to lure me in—her touches, her whispers, her games. At first, it
~EthanThe car was quiet as we drove back from the church, the weight of the upcoming wedding pressing on me. A week. Just one week, and I'd be married to Sarah. It wasn't a decision born out of love. Hell, if anything, it was born out of obligation, something to fix the mess we’d gotten ourselves into. She was pregnant. And marriage was supposed to be about love, not just some fix for a problem. Was I doing the right thing? Was I really going to marry her?I glanced at Sarah as she sat next to me, her hand resting on her stomach. The same stomach that carried a child—our child, at least, that’s what I had thought. But now, with my mother’s words ringing in my ears, I wasn’t so sure.She caught my eye and smiled, snapping me out of my spiraling thoughts. "The priest said everything is set for next week. We'll sign the documents, and it’s official. You’ll be my husband, and I’ll be your wife."I smiled weakly back at her, but the words didn’t hold the warmth I’d hoped they'd have. "Yea
~Sophia The moment I stepped out of the car, I could feel the shift in the air. The towering glass building stood tall and imposing, gleaming under the morning sun. Nathaniel’s empire. And for now, I was the one running it. The security at the entrance straightened the moment they saw me, greeting me politely. “Good morning, Mrs. James.” I gave them a nod and walked in, my heels clicking against the marble floor. Employees moved swiftly around the spacious lobby, some engaged in quiet conversations, others hurrying to their destinations. As I made my way to the elevators, heads turned, whispers followed, but I ignored them. My personal assistant, Laura, was already waiting for me by the elevators, holding my briefcase. “Good morning, Mrs. James,” she said with a bright smile. I nodded. “Morning, Laura. Let’s go.” She followed me into the elevator, pressing the button for the top floor. “Everything is set for you,” Laura informed me as the elevator doors closed. “Your o
~Sophia“Hey, baby.”“Hey,” Nathaniel replied, his voice warm. “How’s everything? Is everything okay?”I smiled, though it didn’t reach my eyes. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Just a few little things to deal with. Nothing you need to worry about.”“Alright,” he said, and there was a slight pause. “I can’t wait to come home. I miss you.”“I miss you too,” I said, a genuine smile on my face. “How’s everything on your end?” I asked, my fingers absentmindedly tapping against the kitchen counter as I waited for his to reply. “Everything’s good,” he replied, his voice smooth. “The issue is getting sorted, the team is handling it. We should have everything under control by next week. What about you? How’s Lilly? And the house? Everything alright?”I couldn’t help but smile at his concern. It was one of the things I loved most about him. Despite everything, despite all the days of distance, he still cared. “Lilly’s good. We’re both good, just... trying to keep everything running smoothly here.
~EthanI sat next to Sarah on the bed in my mother’s room, her small, warm hand in mine. The tension in the room was thick enough to slice with a knife. For the past two hours since we returned home, my mother hadn’t said a word. She had been pacing back and forth, her glasses perched on the tip of her nose, deep in thought, completely ignoring us.Sarah, her patience running thin, turned to me with a worried frown. “Is everything alright, Ethan? What’s going on? Why’s she acting like this?” I squeezed her hand, trying to comfort her. “Shh, it’s just... it’s how she is when she’s thinking. You know how she can be. Don’t disturb her. Just let her do her thing.”But even as I said it, I wasn’t sure if I was comforting her or myself. My mind was all over the place. My mother had been acting strange lately, and I couldn’t figure out why she was so insistent on getting me back home tonight.Suddenly, my mother stopped pacing, turned around sharply, and fixed her gaze on Sarah. Her sharp
~EthanI lay there in the dark, staring at the glow of my phone screen. It was late, but I couldn’t sleep. The light from my phone cast strange shadows on the walls of the room. My mind kept racing, replaying everything that had happened over the past few weeks.The phone buzzed in my hand, an incoming message from one of my buddies at the gym. I barely noticed it. My eyes kept flicking back to Sarah, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding her phone up to her ear, arranging something. She’d been acting distant lately, and I hated that feeling of not knowing what was going on with her. Her voice, soft but sharp, broke my thoughts. “Yes, the makeup artist is confirmed. Just make sure she’s there at least two hours before the ceremony. The last thing I need is someone messing up my makeup on my wedding day.” I clenched my jaw, my gaze narrowing as I studied her from across the room. I didn’t know what was bothering me more—the fact that she was so busy with wedding preparati
~NathanielThe boardroom was tense. The air felt thick with unspoken frustration as I sat at the head of the long glass table, my fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished surface. Across from me sat one of our biggest investors, Richard Whitmore, a man in his late fifties with sharp eyes that had seen decades of corporate battles. He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his expression unreadable but impatient. “This is a serious issue, Nathaniel,” Richard said, his voice calm but firm. “We’ve got a supply chain crisis on our hands. Our factories in Mexico are experiencing severe delays. If we don’t fix this, we’re looking at millions in losses and possible contract terminations.” I exhaled sharply, already aware of the problem but hating to hear it spoken aloud. “We anticipated some delays, but nothing of this magnitude. What exactly is the holdup?” Richard slid a folder across the table. “Materials. The shipments from our suppliers aren’t making it through customs f
~SophiaThe warm water sloshed gently as I poured it over Lily’s tiny shoulders, watching as it trickled down her soft skin. She giggled, splashing her hands against the water’s surface, making tiny ripples in the tub. "Mommy, look! The water is dancing!" she exclaimed, eyes twinkling with delight. I smiled, amused by her imagination. "It sure is, sweetheart. But let’s try not to get it all over the floor, okay?" She grinned mischievously, then picked up her rubber duck and held it up dramatically. "Sir Quacksalot is on a mission! He must save the princess from the evil sea monster!" I chuckled, shaking my head. "Oh no, not the sea monster again! Where did it come from this time?" Lily’s eyes widened as she pointed to a floating shampoo bottle. "It lives in the deep, dark ocean and steals all the bubbles!" "Well, we can’t let that happen, can we?" I dipped my hand into the water and swirled it around, creating more bubbles. "Here, Sir Quacksalot, take these magical bubbles
~ Sophia I drove like a madwoman, my eyes glued to the road, heart pounding in my chest, and my hands gripping the steering wheel with a death grip. The sound of the engine roaring as I sped down the highway matched the frantic thumping of my pulse. Ethan's birthday gifts were stacked precariously in the back seat, swaying with every sharp turn and swerve I made. The cake, that perfectly frosted masterpiece, wobbled dangerously close to the edge, threatening to plunge onto the floor at any moment.I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the cake tilting, dangerously close to disaster. Without thinking, I reached back with one hand, my fingers barely brushing the edge of the cake box, trying to pull it closer to the seat. My focus wavered, eyes flicking between the road and the back seat, anxiety bubbling in my chest. That was when it happened.I heard the screeching of tires, the high-pitched squeal that sent my stomach plummeting. The jarring impact followed immediately, throwing ...
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
Komen