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Thirty Four

Author: Nova Blaq
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-12 19:10:19
Raven sat on the couch in her living room, her legs tucked beneath her, as she sipped her coffee. She had been working nonstop on her new collection and decided to take a break. It's been two weeks since Mason asked for space, and since then, she moved into the house he had gotten her when their marriage was still an arrangement. She decided not to fight him on his decision. She couldn’t bear to see the distrust in his eyes. When he said he couldn’t look at her, those words shattered her heart into a million pieces. And right now, all she wanted was to focus on herself. The Raven Prescott before Mason Barrett had always been self-reliant, and she was determined to find that part of herself again. The one who didn't need to beg to be loved.

"At least I have my fashion studio now, that should keep my mind off him." She murmured to herself, glancing toward the dining room table, which was littered with sketches and fabric pieces. The office for her studio was finally ready, and her first
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  • Billionaire's Unlikely Bride    Thirty Five

    The time was 10 pm and Mason remained adamant. He wasn’t going back without his wife. Raven looked outside her bedroom window and found him still standing there. It was cold out there, why wouldn't he just leave? "Go home Mason, or you'll freeze to death." She yelled. "Then I'd rather freeze out here than return without my wife." He said, sounding so determined. "There's no home without you, Raven. I know I was wrong for not trusting you, and I'll never do that again. I love you, Raven. More than I've ever loved anyone else." "I found the evidence you wanted, I'll---" "I don't care about any evidence to know you'd never cheat. I trust you, completely." Mason said, cutting her off. Raven went downstairs, and as she passed the living room, Julie glanced at her, giggling silently. Raven paused in her steps. "It's late... and it's cold. I don't want him to get sick." Julie smirked, knowing her bestie couldn’t wait any longer to be in Mason’s arms. "Yeah, right." Raven hurriedly ope

    Last Updated : 2024-10-14
  • Billionaire's Unlikely Bride    Thirty Six

    Mason and Raven walked into the living room, hand in hand, only to be met with a chaotic scene. Candice and Julie were arguing, and Damon held Julie back before she could attack Candice. Julie’s voice was filled with so much anger. "You're full of it! Mason would never cheat on Raven, my brother's not that kind of person." Julie shouted, her fists clenched at her sides. Justin, who stood beside Blair, smirked as he turned towards Mason and Raven. "Well, here he is! Why don't we ask him himself?" Mason's grip on Raven’s hand, tightened. His eyes narrowed as he glanced at Justin and then Candice. "What the hell is going on here? And what are you two doing here?" Justin smiled, feigning innocence. "I came to visit Uncle Charles, of course. Oh, and to also introduce you all to my girlfriend, Blair." Justin said, wrapping his arm around Blair’s waist. "Uncle and I were having a good chat, when Candice came in requesting to see you." Mason's jaw clenched, while Raven's attention immedia

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  • Billionaire's Unlikely Bride    Thirty Seven

    Raven's world crumbled around her. Tears threatened to spill as she looked at the man she had trusted, the man she had fallen for. "So you've admitted that you slept with her? You cheated on me because you thought I did the same thing to you?" She asked, her voice trembling slightly. "You're a hypocrite, Mason. You said you couldn't look at me; you kicked me out for cheating when you had just done the same thing. You couldn't wait to run back into her arms, so you used my mess as an opportunity, right?" "Raven, I'm sorry. I was drunk and things went out of control." Mason reached for her, but Raven stepped back, shaking her head. "I don't remember much from that night, that's why I didn’t say anything." "You used me to get over her, but you weren't truly over her, were you? You both deserve each other," she spat, turning on her heel to leave. Mason grabbed her arm, desperation in his eyes. "Raven, please believe me. I never wanted any of this." "Then send her away, tell her to neve

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  • Billionaire's Unlikely Bride    Thirty Eight

    Raven sat quietly at the breakfast table, picking at the corner of her toast. The chatter around her felt distant as if she were inside a bubble. Julie, who was sitting beside her, was laughing with her friends, Kyle and Emily. It was Julie's idea to come here after the chaos yesterday, and Raven had no energy to refuse. Julie turned to Raven, pulling her from her trance. "Raven, I didn’t get the chance to properly introduce you to my friends yesterday." She said, smiling apologetically. "This is Kyle, and this is Kyle's sister, Emily. Yesterday was a bit, huh?" Raven forced a smile. "Yeah, just a little." Kyle, a tall guy with blonde hair, reached across the table, offering his hand. "Nice to officially meet you, Raven. Julie’s told us a bit about you." "Umm, you mean a lot. Julie won't shut up about you." Emily said. "I guess I can't blame her for that, you're... pretty." Emily sounded a bit off to Raven, but she didn't comment on it. Raven shook Kyle's hand and nodded. "It's n

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  • Billionaire's Unlikely Bride    Thirty Nine

    Charles chuckled softly. "I knew you've been wanting to ask that for a long time. It's something our families have wanted for generations. The Prescotts and the Barretts have been friends since I can remember. I can't remember a time when there ever was a Barrett without a Prescott." Charles continued. "But neither of us had daughters for the longest time, but when your father told me that his wife was having a girl, we saw it as an opportunity to unite our families. Your father wanted to ensure your safety and happiness, Raven. He wanted to secure your future. And he trusted me to keep you safe." "I think you mean Blair’s happiness and future," Raven said, smiling sadly. "There were complications that even I don't understand," Charles replied. "But that’s a story for another time." Raven listened quietly, trying to process his words. "What if I don't want this alliance, and I just want to be free?" Raven said, her heart ached in her chest. Charles furrowed his brow. "Free? What

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  • Billionaire's Unlikely Bride    Fourty

    Mason sat in his mini bar, staring at the divorce papers in disbelief. It had been two weeks since Raven left, and though he tried to convince himself she just needed some space, seeing her signature on those documents shattered every hope he had left. His heart broke as he flipped through the pages, seeing her signature at the bottom of every document was a cruel reminder that she truly had left him. He reached for his phone and dialed his father’s number. Charles picked up after a few rings. "Tell me you didn't know about this, Dad." Mason's voice was filled with desperation. "Raven just served me with divorce papers. She's left me for good, I don't know what to do anymore." There was a brief pause on the other end before Charles spoke. "All I can say now, Mason, is that you need to let her go. Raven has made her decision. She signed her part, and now it's time for you to sign yours." "You knew about this. How could you let this happen, Dad? You knew and you didn't try to stop h

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  • Billionaire's Unlikely Bride    Fourty One

    Raven's POV The sound of passengers exiting the plane surrounded me as I stepped into the terminal at Perth International Airport. The long flight left me feeling drained, but as soon as I stepped out of the plane, the unfamiliar air of Australia made me suddenly excited. It was warmer than I had expected, even with all the reading I had done about the place. But there was something fresh in the air that surprised me for a city as busy as Perth – but then again, it wouldn’t have been New York, it would be too loud and too smoky. But this? This was a new start, away from all the troubles behind me. Finally some peace of mind. It was exciting, starting up in a place where nobody knew anything about me. I could be whoever I wanted to be! I could finally live my life without any expectations, without any resentment that filled any room I moved into. As I pushed my luggage cart, my eyes scanned the crowd for a sign. Charles had told me someone would pick me up, and I was expecting a driv

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  • Billionaire's Unlikely Bride    Fourty Two

    Brian chuckled, parking the car and stepping out. "Yep. Penthouse suite, courtesy of Charles. I can’t believe you expected anything less from him." "I just thought, since I'm staying alone, it wouldn't be so... big." My jaw dropped as we walked into the lobby, and by the time I stepped into the penthouse, I was speechless. The place was massive! It didn’t have a key, it had a fingerprint scanner! And a key, but only for emergencies. I've never lived alone before, but I could get used to this. "This place is incredible," I whispered, still in awe. I've lived in a mansion all my life but this, this is different. It's a place I could call home. Just a drama-free life. My eyes widened when I saw an entertaining area outside – with a swimming pool! Brian grinned. "Charles wanted to make sure you were comfortable. He said you needed a fresh start.” Brian told her, putting my luggage beside the most beautiful, clearly comfortable, couch I have ever seen. “Speaking of fresh starts, there

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Latest chapter

  • Billionaire's Unlikely Bride    Epilogue

    One Year Later The Barrett estate was filled with life, laughter, and warmth. It was the twins’ first birthday, and the garden had been transformed into a magical wonderland with twinkling lights, pastel-colored balloons, and flowers. The scent of freshly baked cakes and savory treats prepared for the celebration filled the air. Raven stood in front of a large mirror in her bedroom, adjusting the delicate lace dress she wore. The gown hugged her figure in all the right places, a testament to how well she'd recovered after giving birth. She had lost some of her confidence after having the babies – her body had gone through so many changes, and she had hated looking in the mirror for a long time until Mason wouldn't allow her to anymore. The thing she was most self-conscious of was the scar from the surgery she had had to have after the babies were delivered. Mason bought matching lingerie and sexy sleepwear and refused to let her question how stunning she was. Every time he saw her h

  • Billionaire's Unlikely Bride    One hundred and seven

    When they returned to the mansion that evening, the house was eerily quiet."What’s going on?" Raven asked. "Where'd everyone go?""What's that over there?" Blair pointed to a small bouquet on the table. Attached to it was a note that read, Come to the garden.Raven’s heart skipped a beat. She followed the note’s instructions, and when she stepped into the garden, her breath caught.The garden was transformed into a romantic paradise. Twinkling fairy lights adorned the trees, and a path of rose petals led to a small table surrounded by candles."Mason did this," Raven whispered, her heart swelling. Suddenly her aching feet had disappeared, the back pain that had hit her while they were in Victoria’s Secret and signalled the end of the trip. Her exhaustion was gone and she was smiling so much her cheeks hurt. She was already close to tears as she took it all in.Just as she took a step forward, looking for Mason, a sharp pain shot through her abdomen. She grabbed her stomach and cried

  • Billionaire's Unlikely Bride    One hundred and six

    Later that night, Raven was on a call with Blair, discussing the transformation of Lenora’s modeling agency."I was thinking we could add a design department," Raven suggested. "That way, we can focus on both modeling and fashion."Blair’s excitement knew no bounds. "That’s a great idea! I’ll handle the modeling side, and you can oversee the designs.""Deal," Raven said.After a brief pause, Blair asked, "You sound a bit down, not yourself. What’s wrong?"Raven hesitated. "Nothing, I’m worried about Mason.""Why? You two have been great lately, you’re perfect for each other. You’re even closer than before."Raven bit her lip. "I thought he’d ask me to marry him again by now. But he hasn’t mentioned it and I'm starting to get anxious. What if he doesn’t want me? What if the babies are scaring him off? What if he thinks I’ll be like Candice? What if-"“Raven, breathe. Have you talked to him about it?" Blair asked."No. That’s not something you can just bring up," Raven said.Blair chuck

  • Billionaire's Unlikely Bride    One hundred and five

    The dining table was filled with different breakfast dishes: fluffy pancakes topped with berries and syrup, scrambled eggs with herbs, smoked salmon on toast, and fresh fruit bowls. In front of Raven was a large bowl full of bacon, strawberry jam, and chocolate sauce – her strangest and most intense craving.Mason sipped his coffee, stealing glances at Raven as she hummed softly, her hand occasionally resting on her baby bump. He had become more attentive than before – which was already overboard according to Julie. He was more proud, more focused, and a lot more protective. Watching her scoff down her food now, still looking as sexy as ever, made his chest hurt a little. So much had happened; she had been through so much; he just wished the worst of it hadn’t been because of him.She sighed and looked up at him, offering him a genuine smile.“What are you looking at?” she asked, but all he could do was shake his head and smile back at her. “Well, you’re being very strange.”“Yeah, bu

  • Billionaire's Unlikely Bride    One hundred and four

    Justin found Mason sitting quietly in Charles’s office. He didn’t sit at the desk, rather, he sat at the sofa to the side where they had argued so many times. He stared at his father's desk as if he could still see him sitting and working as they watched when they were children. It was the only thing he and Mason had ever been able to do together without fighting. Thinking back to those moments, Justin couldn't understand why he always felt like he had to one-up Mason, why they couldn't have been friends.He turned to leave him in peace when Mason spoke up.“Remember when we'd just sit here and watched Dad working?” he asked as if he had sensed his presence.“I was just thinking about that.”Mason looked up at him with tears in his eyes, shocking Justin with the vulnerability in the other man's eyes.“Did he suffer?” Mason asked softly, trying to hide the sob that threatened.“No,” Justin said, sitting in the seat across from him. “He just sort of… went.”Mason turned back to look at

  • Billionaire's Unlikely Bride    One hundred and three

    Mason pulled up to the Barrett mansion early that morning. He had deliberately left his penthouse early, avoiding Candice while she packed her belongings. The last thing he wanted was another confrontation. He wanted no part in her theatrics, they just made his headaches even worse than the blinding migraines he often suffered with.He exited the car and made his way inside.He had barely entered the living room when he spotted Justin coming down the stairs as if he owned the place. He looked… smug.Smug?Or something else?Mason couldn’t quite place it, but it rubbed him the wrong way to see him in his father's house. Justin had never been anything more than a snake in the grass, always waiting to take what Mason had."What the hell are you doing here?" Mason demanded, narrowing his eyes and letting the door close louder than necessary behind him. "Here to gloat about your little affair with Candice? Or measuring the curtains – you know you’re not inheriting the place, right? I’m sti

  • Billionaire's Unlikely Bride    One Hundred and two

    Mason hesitated."Did you and Damon?"Raven shook her head as tears sprung to her eyes."He wanted to wait, to make sure I was thinking about him, not you.""Oh," Mason muttered. "I’m… I’m sorry.""You don’t have anything to apologize for," Raven said, hurt and… anger filling her voice. "We’re not married, anymore. And… you are in a relationship with her. I should have expected-""Raven, stop. You’re going to pass out if you don’t breathe!"Raven took a deep breath, steadying herself."I need to go," she whispered, getting to her feet. Before she left, though, she made a decision. “Mason... would you like to come to the ultrasound? We’ll find out the sex of the babies.”He smiled at the thought of being part of the moment. "I’d love to.""Okay, I'll text you the details."Raven left.~~~When Raven returned home, her mind a racing with emotions. Damon was waiting for her in the living room, his expression unreadable as she walked in."How did it go?" he asked.She sank into the couch,

  • Billionaire's Unlikely Bride    One Hundred and one

    Taking a deep breath, Raven stepped out of the car. Damon watched her until she disappeared inside. Before he drove away, he spotted Mason waiting for her. He wanted to run inside and stake his claim on her but he couldn’t. He took a deep, shaky breath and pulled out into traffic, leaving her to face the man who had once been her everything. The soft chime of the door announced her arrival, and Mason looked up from his seat. His breath caught in his throat as he saw her surprised at how radiant she looked, her pregnancy giving her an ethereal glow that left him momentarily speechless. He was pretty sure there was more to his feelings than how she looked, but he wasn’t ready to explore that right now; he still had Candice at home, waiting for him. "Hi," she said, her voice tentative as she approached him. Mason stood and pulled out a chair for her, his movements stiff but courteous. "Hi." She smiled faintly and sat down. "Thank you." They placed their orders, the silence between t

  • Billionaire's Unlikely Bride    One Hundred

    The sound of Damon’s car filled the silence between them as they drove toward the Barrett mansion. Raven stared out the window, watching the city blur past, her hands resting on her growing belly. Damon occasionally glanced her way. He wanted nothing more than to take her pain away and regretted the decision he had made. Their conversation broke his heart and he wanted nothing more than to crawl inside and beat the crap out of himself for being such a dick. He knew he had done the best thing for Raven and the babies, but it made him wish he could have been more selfish and held onto her."Are you sure about this?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.Damon nodded, his hands steady on the wheel. "Mason agreed to meet with you, this is what you wanted. It’s what you need to do.""What about what you want?" she pressed, turning to face him, tears shimmering on her cheeks. "Don’t you want to be with me?"He sighed, his gaze fixed ahead, and reached across to hold her hand. "Of cou

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