JADEThe sound of my alarm forced my eyes open. I woke up and checked the time, it was 4: am. I went into my gym and worked out for thirty minutes.Afterward, I made breakfast for myself and my little kings before getting myself ready for my planned activities for the day."Good morning, Mum," Phyna and Ella greeted me in unison as they came out of their rooms."Good morning, Darlings," I beamed. "Welcome to a bright new day."I made them brush their teeth and take their bath before serving them breakfast."Mummy, when are we going to stop dressing like girls?" Phyna asked."Just wait a little longer, okay?" I replied."Are you going to see our sister today?" Ella asked.I sighed, "I'm not sure, but today I will take a step closer to her. I will introduce her to the both of you, eventually, okay?"They both nodded in unison.My sons were so understanding that sometimes I wondered how they got so mature. I told them everything when they started asking about their Daddy and ever since t
JADEFor some reason, my heart began to race the moment Max walked into the office.During the past five years, I had seen him on TV and read about him on blogs but none of those sites did justice to his look.Donning a black suit, he looked sharper and more handsome than ever. The youthful man from five years ago was gone, leaving behind a man who looked mature in appearance.His dimples flashed as he smiled and nodded when everyone greeted him and he exuded charm and wealth effortlessly.He looked at me and a surprised look appeared on his face before it disappeared. His gaze remained on me for a while and I found myself recalling our intimate moments. His kisses, his touch, and even his smell, all of it remained etched in my memory even though I wished otherwise."You must be Daisy Martins, our sales consultant from Madison," he suddenly said and I nodded in agreement."You're welcome," he told me."Thank you, Mr. Anderson," I replied, making sure my French accent was obvious.The
JADE"I'm still waiting for your answer," Max whispered, his breath fanning my face.I thought about it, I was willing to do anything to get close to Max but I had to use my head. If he had reverted to the habit of doing anything to have sex with whatever lady he fancied, then I could not give in to him easily.It was said that men love the chase as it keeps them interested. I had to do something similar to keep Max closer while rejecting his advances. I could try doing that until I got what I wanted.I took two steps back to create a gap between us, "If I say I want nothing from you, then what?"He shook his head, "I won't believe you. There must be something you really want and with the right amount of money, anything can be bought.""I'm afraid you can't give me what I want," I said calmly."Name it," he demanded. "I will surprise you "I regarded him for a while and replied, "Marriage.""What?" He stared at me in shock.I chuckled, "I thought as much, Mr. Anderson. You said you ar
MAXFive years ago, I lost almost everything. It was heartbreaking that I had just realized how much Jade meant to me when she disappeared with my sons.For days, I searched desperately for her in San José but could not find a clue. She seemed to have disappeared off the surface of the earth. I had sleepless nights as I worried how she would survive.After catching that skipper who had stolen her jewelry and pointing a gun at him, he had confessed that he got into her room at night while she was fast asleep and opened her bag.He had suspected she had more pieces of jewelry with her, considering that she had parted with an expensive one for his payment. He got into the room through a large, secret wooden window and after stealing, he hoped that she would not find out. He would have knocked her unconscious otherwise.After she left with her two babies, he followed behind her carefully and saw her shop for a few items before booking a room in a hotel. He didn't know if she would still be
JADE"I am all ears," Max replied.Pointing to the chair opposite mine, I offered him a seat and sat down too."Mr Anderson, I assure you that I'm not asking for too much," I began. "My first condition is that there will be no sexual activity or extreme intimacy between us until I get to know you better."I saw him furrow his brows but continued anyway, "Secondly, we will live separately as I intend for us to keep our marital relationship a secret since I am still your employee. We will reveal our relationship to the public when I am ready.Thirdly, your soon-to-be ex, whom I believe is named Stacy; keep her away from me. The decision to jilt her and get married to me is entirely yours, hence, she is not to approach me, under any circumstances to cause a scene about your breakup.These are my conditions. If you can agree to them all, then we can get married."He scoffed, "Are you for real? Every other thing you have said is understandable but prohibiting sex? What exactly are we getti
JADE"Forgive my manners," Henry gushed when I stared at him silently. I could tell he didn't recognize me from the way he stared at me as though he wanted to eat me up. "Like Max, does he find me familiar?" I wondered.He reached out his hand for a handshake and said proudly, "My name is Henry and I am the manager of this Pizzeria."I stared at his hand and said inwardly, "Perhaps, this is my opportunity to get the revenge I have always wanted."I shook his hand and smiled, "My name is Daisy and it's a pleasure to meet you, Henry.""Such a beautiful name....I must admit that you are exceptionally beautiful, Daisy." He told me.I didn't want to waste my valuable time chatting with him so, I quickly gave him my card and said with a wink, "Call me sometime.""I definitely will," he replied as I flashed him a smile and walked away.When I got into my car, my cheeks began to hurt from forcing myself to smile. I stared at Henry from where I sat and said, "If you dare to call me Henry, I w
JADEI arrived at the venue Max had picked out for our lunch date and saw that he was already waiting for me.He had changed into a grey suit and I didn't know why. Nevertheless, he looked as dashing as he did in the morning."I see you've reserved the entire restaurant," I remarked when I realized we were the only customers present.He smiled, "Yes I did. You are special to me and this is just one of the many ways I intend to let you know."I scoffed, "Aren't you just trying to stop gossip from spreading?"He smiled, "Don't you want that too?"I nodded, "Fair enough. Now let's get to the main reason why we are here. Tell me about your past, I mean your relationships, number of children and all that. I don't want any surprises after we get married.""There's actually not much to tell," he replied. "My father has always been wealthy, everyone knows that. I grew up without my mom and when I was in my twenties, I met Stacy, fell in love with her and we had a daughter together.That pretty
JADEMax and I left the restaurant after having lunch and agreeing to get married the next day.As we approached our different cars, I said, "Max, hold on. I promised my girls I would take them to the park tomorrow. Since we'll become a family by tomorrow, can you bring your daughter to the park?I want to get to know her better since I would be her stepmother. My daughters would also be happy to get a new friend and sister."He hesitated, "I don't think that would be possible or ideal."My heart began to race. If I couldn't get access to my daughter, then what was the need for everything I was doing?"I smiled, trying to hide my fear, "Why would it not be possible or ideal?""Her mom.....she might not be comfortable with her daughter spending time with the woman who took her place." He explained."But isn't Aurora your daughter as well?" I asked, trying to hide the irritation I felt because he wouldn't stop referring to my daughter as Stacy's."Once we get married tomorrow, it would m
TROY After two years, I was back in the Scandinavia, the place that took everything from me. I had rented the whole beach for the evening because I wanted to be alone. I stood by my once favorite beach in Oslo and closed my eyes as memories from the past flooded my mind; Her beautiful smile, and the warmth of her body, pressed against mine as we stared at the stars together. Aislinn was everything to me until she was snatched away so cruelly. I opened my eyes and stared at the water, hoping its calmness would soothe my turbulent heart. All of a sudden, something caught my attention. Floating and approaching from a distance, I tried to make out what it was. I took a few steps closer, dipping my legs into the water. I gasped when I realized it was a person; a woman, and judging by the way she looked, I knew she was dead. I turned and wanted to leave but a question struck my mind; what if she wasn't dead? What if Aislinn was in a similar situation and needed help? Would I have
MARIANNE If it weren't for the date and time stamp on the video, I would have thought Paula was lying to me. As I watched the video, everything began to piece together in my head. I recalled when Tony had first approached me for a relationship. I had refused his advances, especially since I had just clocked eighteen, but Britney kept encouraging me to give him a chance, claiming we were perfect for each other and would be together forever. Back then, I was amazed at how Tony and I had the same tastes, interests, and even fashion sense. I believed he was truly destined for me. Only after Paula's revelation did I realize that Britney had planted him in my life and told him about my likes and dislikes. No wonder he seemed so perfect in my eyes and I ended up falling in love with him. They deceived me for so long and plotted my downfall. The false testimonies from my secretary and Tony's sister finally made more sense to me. I felt so much anger surge within me and a deep yearn
MARIANNE Everything felt like a dream. Just like that, I had been condemned for something I never did. My only crime was being too kind and trusting the wrong people. As I was being transported by ship along with a few other prisoners, the judge's words echoed in my ears, "This court finds the accused; Mrs. Tony, guilty of first-degree murder and sentences her to life imprisonment with hard labor in the Norwegian Island Prison. I recalled the triumphant look on Britney's face as I was being taken away and could not understand what I ever did wrong to her. When I met her so many years ago, I had just finished high school. Being the daughter of the richest man in the city, I lived in affluence as opposed to her who was struggling to get by. I saw her working as a waiter at a party and took her side when a guest treated her disrespectfully. We got close from that night and I got to find out that she had no family. She was an orphan who had to work from a very young age just to
MARIANNE I sighed in relief as I thanked Britney repeatedly. "There's no need to thank me," she expressed. "You are my best friend and I will do anything for you." The next morning, just as my lawyer had promised, I was arraigned before a judge. I had been restless throughout the night as it was my first time being in a cell. I tried not to cry because I knew it wouldn't help my situation. I convinced myself that I was just unfortunate. I never should have married Tony. After the judge questioned me, I took a plea of not guilty. My attorney didn't seem pleased by that but I didn't care. No one was going to make me admit to something I never did. Since it was my first appearance, I expected that I would be granted bail and allowed to show up in court from the comfort of my home during the preliminary hearings. I planned to get the best lawyer for myself once I was released on bail and got access to my phone. However, nothing like that happened. The judge allowed a ten minut
MARIANNE At the police station, I was cuffed and kept in a dimly lit room with four chairs, one table, and a window. I was exhausted and my eyes were puffy from crying. Even though Tony cheated on me, he was the love of my life and I could not believe he was no more. In a flash, I had become a widow; the youngest I knew because I had just turned twenty, a month ago. The three policemen sat in front of me, questioning me as though I were a common criminal. "Don't you know who I am?" I asked. "I own foundations, charity organizations, and free hospitals. I help people, not hurt them. No matter what, I could never murder a man I loved with my life." "Stop beating around the bush and answer the damn question!" One of the policemen yelled at me, slapping his palms on the table. I didn't have to be a police officer or a lawyer to know that what the men were doing was not standard procedure. They were biased toward me and I had no idea why. "I won't speak any more until my lawye
MARIANNE I stepped on my brake pedal and gave myself a minute to catch my breath. My hands were shivering and I felt chilled to the bone. I still could not believe what I had just seen. I opened my phone and watched for the umpteenth time, the pornographic video that had been sent to me anonymously. My husband of almost two years was in bed, having sex with a woman that wasn't me. His face was revealed in the video, while hers was concealed. The only thing I could make of the woman was her slender wrist and the gold bracelet around it. It seemed oddly familiar but I could not remember where I had seen it. For two years, I believed my marriage was the best in the world because my husband, Tony adored me and worshipped the ground I walked on. I was the richest woman in the city and my company, RAY INDUSTRIES was the number one in the country, yet, my happiest moments were the ones spent with my husband. That was how much I loved him. How could he betray my trust? Hands still
SYNOPSIS "My husband walks about freely, lavishing my fortune, with his mistress by his side, while I am condemned to spend the rest of my life in an island prison for his death. If this is my fate, I will fight it until my last breath."~~~ MARIANNE Betrayed by the ones she trusted most, Marianne finds herself convicted for a crime she did not commit. In a desperate attempt to change her new reality, she ends up at the brink of death but gets a second chance in Troy; An unusually sexy billionaire willing to place the world at her feet. Marianne swears she is done with men and love, and her life's goal is revenge against those who wronged her. But why does her heart race uncontrollably at the sound of his voice? ***His hands reached out, framing my face as his fingers caressed my lips. I closed my eyes when he cupped my breasts and his lips settled on the crook of my neck, lavishing it with kisses until I was breathless and wet beyond control. "Troy," I panted and my eyes flung
In the morning, Ethan woke Cila up from his bed and calmly asked her to leave his bedroom and stay away from it. As she walked out of the room, she stood by the door, staring at Ethan who was watching her leave. She wished she could turn back the hands of time. If she hadn’t tried to take Laura’s place and planned for Laura to catch them in the act, Ethan would still be meeting her behind Laura’s back. She wouldn’t feel so alone. She would still have him—if only she hadn’t been so greedy for more. She had no clue Ethan was secretly seeing Laura again. He came home early, spent most of his free time with her. Little did she know, Ethan had been stealing moments with Laura during their lunch breaks, meeting at the small apartment he had rented temporarily for her. The joy of those stolen hours made time fly for them, but each day weighed heavier on Ethan’s heart. He kept counting down the days, marking them on his calendar, waiting for the moment he could bring Laura back home
"Shh......," Byron shushed Laura as he moved closer to her, cupping her face and attempting to kiss her once more. This time, however, he was met with a sharp slap across his face. The sting of it made him pause, his hand instinctively reaching for his cheek as he glared at her. "So, you’d rather sit here, pining away for a man who’s off fucking your best friend, instead of giving me a chance to make you happy?" he spat, his voice dripping with bitterness. "You know what, Laura? You deserve everything that’s happening to you. You’re foolish, indecisive, and weak. You deserve to be ditched by your husband and betrayed by your so-called best friend." The words cut through Laura like a blade, each one more painful than the last. Byron stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Laura remained standing, her legs suddenly too weak to hold her up. She sank to the floor, the weight of his words pressing down on her. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sobbed uncontrollably. "Do I reall