Arabella Winters made a desperate choice to save her father’s life: sabotage Sebastian Bancroft’s engagement to the Windsor heiress. Her mission was simple, create a scandal that would destroy his wedding plans. And she succeeded. But Sebastian Bancroft is no ordinary billionaire. As the ruthless head of the Bancroft mafia empire, he’s a man who never forgives betrayal. To make Arabella pay, he traps her in a dangerous game of revenge, a contract marriage designed to humiliate and control her at every turn. What starts as cold, calculated vengeance begins to turn into something darker and far more dangerous. The lines between hatred and desire blur as Arabella finds herself falling deeper into Sebastian’s complicated world. Now, she must decide whether to play and submit to his rules or risk everything to rewrite the game against the mafia billionaire who refuses to let her go. Excerpt: “Did you really think you could cross me, Arabella? That you could disrupt my plans and simply walk away unscathed?” Her voice faltered, though she tried to hold her ground. “I… I didn’t have a choice.” “Oh, you had every choice,” he murmured, stepping closer. His breath brushed against her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. “But now, my vixen, you’ll live with the consequences.” He tilted her chin up with a surprisingly gentle touch, though it only amplified the tension in the air. His tone dropped, low and dangerous. “You’re mine now.” Before she could respond, his lips claimed hers, not gently, but a claim. It wasn’t the kiss of a man seeking affection; it was the kiss of a man who wanted submission. And, despite every instinct telling her to resist, Arabella found herself unable to pull away…
View MoreArabella was startled when Sebastian suddenly grabbed her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers.“Don’t complain. Just play along if you don’t want your father to worry and overthink,” he said, his tone firm.She sighed but didn’t argue. He had a point.“Fine. Let’s act like real lovers,” she muttered.Before heading inside, she pulled him toward a quiet corner and gestured for him to sit.He frowned. “What are we doing here?”“I need to brief you on what I told my father,” she said, crossing her arms. “I told him the truth that we slept together since your scandal about being with a woman is still a hot topic. I said that woman was me. And then I spun a story about our whirlwind romance.”Sebastian leaned back, crossing one leg over the other. “I’m all ears.”She recounted everything, laying out the fabricated details of their supposed love story. When she finished, Sebastian let out a low chuckle. “Wow. So I’m completely head over heels for you, huh? I guess we’re going with the
Arabella and Sebastian finalized their discussion and signed the contract without much fanfare. His challenge was effective since she ended up proving she was confident and wouldn’t waver under his advances.As soon as they were done, she immediately requested to return to the hospital, knowing her father must be worried sick by now.Sebastian offered her a lift, and she didn’t bother arguing, especially since she had no money for a cab.The ride back was practically silent, but Arabella couldn’t ignore the strange tension in the air. Sitting beside him in the back seat, she was hyperaware of his presence. His scent, clean, crisp, and undeniably masculine, filled her senses. She liked it.Her eyes widened slightly at the realization, and she quickly shook her head to dismiss the thought. It was only natural to acknowledge that Sebastian was well-built and undeniably handsome. That was all. Nothing more.The man was dangerous, after all. Who knew how many women had fallen for his charm
“A contract, huh?” Sebastian mused, his gaze fixed on her.Arabella didn’t flinch, didn’t even blink.“Yes,” she stated firmly.Sebastian turned to Clay. “Get Brian here. Now.”Without hesitation, Clay hurried off to make the call.Sebastian took a step forward, then glanced back at her. “Follow me. Pick a bridal gown while we wait. No point in just standing around staring at each other.”Arabella followed without a word, watching as he instructed the boutique manager to bring her options.“Anything that fits me will do,” she told the manager simply.Sebastian wasn’t satisfied with that answer. He gestured for the manager to present a selection, then swiftly picked five designs.“Try them all. I want to see,” he ordered.Arabella didn’t argue. Trying on dresses was better than sitting in awkward silence with him while waiting for the lawyer.Sebastian sank into the couch, casually flipping through a magazine while a sales assistant helped her in the dressing room.A few minutes later,
Days passed, and Arabella felt like she was walking on eggshells after her encounter with Sebastian. It was as if he could appear and take her away at any moment. That kind of thing wouldn’t be impossible especially if he truly was part of a powerful syndicate.She recalled seeing his name on the news years ago when Sebastian was appointed as the head of the Bancroft Syndicate. At the time, she had been just twelve years old. She even remembered asking her father if they were bad people. Back then, the Bancroft Syndicate was everywhere in the headlines, especially after Gregory Bancroft, Sebastian’s father and the former head, died in a tragic accident.Her father had explained that, yes, the Bancroft Syndicate was a mafia organization, but unlike what most people assumed, they didn’t operate through outright illegal means. Instead, they functioned as a powerful, highly secretive elite group, controlling business empires, politics, and financial systems through legal yet morally gray
Two days passed, and news circulating about the canceled wedding between the Bancroft Family and the Monroe Family was still the hot topic in business news. Their family would always attract media attention because of him… the stubborn, hard-headed, and ruthless CEO of Bancroft Inc., a multinational corporation and technology company best known for its consumer electronics, software, and services.“What are you planning to do next? You do well know that this scandal is affecting your brother’s candidacy. His office keeps calling here, and-”“Zia,” Sebastian quickly cut off his executive assistant. “Stop stressing about it. Gavin knows well how to handle this.”Lucrezia took a deep breath and released a frustrated sigh before saying, “Fine, I’ll tell Venus to say that you will see him and discuss the matter privately with him.”He simply shrugged. Then Lucrezia dropped a few documents on his table and said, “I already reviewed these proposals, and I believe they are good to go. Give t
Arabella remained rooted to the spot where Sebastian had left her. It was only thanks to the wall behind her that she managed to stay upright, but after a minute, her strength gave out, and she weakly slumped to the floor.Sebastian had just left after declaring that she was his.“I’ll give you five days to look after your father, but after that, you’ll be bound to me, whether you like it or not. You ruined my plan, and you’ll need to pay for that. You’ll do exactly as I say, or you’ll rot in prison, and no one will take care of your father. Your life is practically mine now, Arabella Winters. Don’t try to escape, because I’ll find you… even if you hide in hell.”Before she could respond, his lips claimed hers… not gently, but as a declaration of dominance. It wasn’t the kiss of a man seeking affection; it was the kiss of a man demanding submission. Despite every instinct screaming at her to resist, Arabella found herself unable to pull away…She bit her lips, frowning at the strange
Arabella’s eyes widened, her body freezing momentarily as that strange sensation washed over her again. It was unsettling, unlike anything she had ever felt before, not even with her ex-boyfriend, Lyndon. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it though.‘What is wrong with me? she scolded herself, fighting to gather enough strength to push away the man who had now slipped his tongue into her mouth.“No!” she screamed internally, panic surging through her. Without wasting another second, she bit down on his lip as hard as she could, tasting a faint trace of blood. It worked. The moment his grip loosened, she shoved him with all her might and scrambled away.Sebastian smirked, licking the spot on his lip where she’d bitten him. “I guess the kitten bites, huh?”Fury burned in Arabella’s chest as she stood, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “Do you think this is funny? What you just did is harassment!” she snapped, glaring at him.His smirk deepened. “Funny? This is entertaining.
Arabella slowly raised her head and looked at the unfamiliar man in a suit standing before her.“Yes?” she stammered. “How can I help you?”He smiled suddenly, his expression soft and approachable, accentuated by the eyeglasses he wore. Then, he introduced himself, “I’m Clay Hudson,” bowing slightly. Arabella gave him a curt nod in return.Still smiling, he added, “Can you please come with me? My boss would like to talk to you.”Hearing the word “boss” made her heart race. “Boss?” she murmured.“Yes, Mr. Sebastian Bancroft, madam,” he said with a smile, as though mentioning his boss's name should bring her some sort of relief.Arabella’s face paled as she weakly muttered, “Can I not see him now? My father is still in the operating room, and I need to stay here.”“Hmm, I’m afraid that won’t do. I’ve been instructed to bring you to him by any means necessary if you’re unwilling to come,” Clay said with a sigh.Arabella bit her inner lip and glanced around. As if reading her thoughts, Cl
Arabella’s heart pounded as she held her father’s hand. Though worry and nervousness gripped her, she masked it with a warm, reassuring smile. She wanted him to believe everything would be fine.“You’ll be fine, Dad. You’ll see,” she said softly. “I’ll be here, waiting until your operation is finished.”Her voice wavered slightly, but she fought to hold back the tears threatening to spill.“We have to go,” one of the medical staff reminded her gently.Arabella took a deep breath, squeezing her father’s hand one last time. “Stay strong and fight to survive, or I’ll be mad at you,” she added with a playful pout. Her heart warmed when he managed a weak smile and nodded slightly.She released his hand and watched as the medical team wheeled his bed toward the operating room.“Ara, how about you go home first and get changed?” suggested Merly, their kind-hearted neighbor. “The operation will take hours. You’re still wearing the gown from last night.”Arabella released a relieved sigh. She
“I am so sorry,” Arabella muttered as she stared at the unconscious man before her. Her fingers trembled as she began undressing him.Biting her lip, she added, “It’s the only way to save my father. I will properly apologize to you and… pay for all the damages in the near future.”Her heart pounded loudly in her chest, the nervousness overwhelming her. The man was obviously drunk, but whatever he drank shouldn’t have been enough to make him pass out like this. They must have drugged him. She didn’t know who he was. Her only instruction was to come to this room, where she’d been handed an access card.Her job was clear: get this man and herself naked on the bed, looking as though something had happened between them.Arabella had managed to remove everything except for his underwear. Her face flushed bright red; she had never seen a naked man before.Clenching her eyes shut, she grabbed the waistband and tugged it down. There was no turning back now… if she stopped, her father would die...
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