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The Lesser Evil
Last Updated:
2023-10-08 19:19:35
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From One Night to Love Mistake
SARAHMore than an hour had passed since I talked with Alex. I kept glancing out the window and squeezing the phone in my hand. He didn't come like he said he would. A part of me was missed, but a much bigger part grew anxious. Calling him and finding out that his phone was out of reach didn't help me calm down either. I debated whether or not I should call him on his “normal” phone instead. It was almost two in the morning, so I figured that it would be less probable for Jeanette to answer the phone instead of him. Sucking a deep breath, I made the call. This time I heard a signal, but there was still no one to answer…My heart began to thunder. Something was wrong. I could feel it in every inch of my tense muscles, twisting guts, and churning stomach. I paced around the room like a mad woman, trying to figure out a miraculous solution that would help me contact him.What if something had happened to him? What if he had an accident? Of course, it was more probable that there had been
Last Updated : 2023-10-09From One Night to Love Numb
I didn't cry. My self-preservation instincts formed an immediate shell around me. It sucked out all the emotions, leaving me numb. After I walked away from Jeanette, ignoring her taunting laughter, I entered the elevator car and went down to the ground floor. Jun appeared beside me at some point. He didn't say a word, and I was grateful that he didn't. He just led me out of the hospital and drove me to the museum.I didn't remember how I had gotten through the day. I vaguely recalled correcting a few details at one of the museum halls. I might have been talking to Oliver a few times. He came to ask me if I was OK, and I summoned my best acting skills to lie to him while keeping a smile on my face.Lying in front of my son was harder. Fortunately, he had an exciting day at school, and I was grateful that telling me about it devoured his entire attention. That's how I survived.My shell turned out to be more resilient than I thought. Not a single crack formed even when I sat alone on Jo
Last Updated : 2023-10-09From One Night to Love Tough Recovery
ALEXI felt like a complete piece of shit. Of course, that state neatly assimilated with concussion, two broken ribs, and more than two dozen bruises all over my body. Unfortunately, the painkillers took away only the physical pain, leaving all the guilt untouched. After some fucker killed my driver and almost killed me, I thought that my situation couldn't get any worse, but I changed my mind as soon as I woke up in the hospital. Of all the hospitals in New York City, they had to take me to the one generously founded by the Duncans. What a fucking coincidence! I would have laughed if it weren't for the fact that, at that moment, laughing hurt.Triggered by a subconscious instinct, I had vaguely woken up just to witness Jeanette placing a little device by the bedside table lamp and another little black something inside the cabinet. It happened a few hours after I had been brought in. This fragile moment of awareness lasted less than a minute, but it was enough for me to find out that
Last Updated : 2023-10-10From One Night to Love Naïve
SARAHMy heart kept pounding like a mad drum long after I ended the call with Alex. He called me. He contacted me. That mere fact parted my lips into a wide, hopeful smile. Joy would have surely rolled her eyes if she had seen my dumb happiness, but I couldn't help it. I felt happy and relieved.Of course, the voice at the back of my head told me that I shouldn't. This wasn't the kind of explanation and apology I expected of him. I needed more. I deserved more, but those little fluttering butterflies in my stomach decided that it was enough—for now.“Friday, I will see him on Friday,” I muttered under my breath as I headed to bed. “He will explain this situation. He will apologize like he should…”What could I say? I was filled with hope. I wanted to believe him. For once, I wanted my fairy tale to have a happy ending.I walked into the room where Liam slept. I stopped by his side of the bed and felt my chest tightening. What if trusting Alex was a mistake? I could handle a broken hea
Last Updated : 2023-10-11From One Night to Love Lesson
I stared at Eleonor Ravenford, trying to shake off my flusteredness. My cheeks were coated with a thick layer of heat. Never in a million years would I have thought that she would help me be with Alex. I was yet to determine if I could fully trust her. For now, I decided that blurting out that Liam was Alex's son was out of the question. She was a rather impulsive old lady. God only knew what she was capable of doing if she learned that Liam was her great-grandson.“Let me state this clearly: I don't want Alex and Jeanette Duncan to marry. I believe that the merger between Ravenford Corporation and Duncan Light Industries would be a mistake, and marriage between the two of our families would be an even bigger mistake,” Eleonor stated, gracefully lifting the coffee cup to her lips.“I apologize for my bluntness, but I thought that it was the family that is forcing Alex to marry Jeanette, is it not?” I smiled a little sheepishly.Eleonor sighed. “In the final years of my husband's life,
Last Updated : 2023-10-11From One Night to Love Complications
ALEXMoving hurt. Breathing hurt. At first, I was swallowing painkillers like candy, but I quickly realized that with my pain gone, so was my concentration. I had to be focused. I had to keep my head in the game and act cautiously.My ribs were still broken, muscles still strained, and bruises still visible. There was no position I could shift my body into and feel comfortable in, but I couldn't allow myself to dull my mind. Not now.Gregory Duncan promised to present an offer from the Dourado Insurance Group in less than a week. The problem was, I needed that offer immediately. Viento Insurance Company—which insured most of Ravenford Corporation's investments—still awaited my answer to their demand. My father and the Duncans were most likely certain that I had already rejected every proposal I'd received from them. I didn't. I stalled for time. Aside from the bitch move they made, our cooperation had been rather flawless for many years. Unfortunately, companies like theirs tended to
Last Updated : 2023-10-12From One Night to Love Disappointment
SARAHAs my job at the museum almost came to an end, I spent most of each day in my apartment, which was currently a nearly completely empty apartment. While waiting for the new furniture set to arrive, I sat on the floor with my laptop and tried to learn as much as I could about the Duncans.After my conversation with Eleonor, I was more than aware that I couldn't act like a damsel in distress, and I surely wasn't going to let Jeanette humiliate me again. Repeating that knowledge is power, I shoved a slice of pizza into my mouth and read another boring article about what a wonderful family the Duncans were. Of course, I nearly threw up a few times already, wondering how much Duncans paid the reporters to write such ridiculous praises. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought that Mr. Duncan had been secretly working as Santa Claus and that his wife was the new version of Mother Theresa. In those articles, Jeanette was presented as an elegant and intelligent businesswoman, but h
Last Updated : 2023-10-13From One Night to Love Neighbor
My new neighbor stood with his extended hand while I froze for more than several heartbeats. I wasn't sure what made me react this way. Perhaps it was Jun's recent words telling me that I had nothing to fear from my neighbors. Well, this statement needed to be corrected because Mr. Matt Wallace looked like the exact opposite of the word “safe.”Once I shoved away the initial shock, I shook his hand and cleared my throat. “Sarah Hill. Pleasure to meet you. Now you need to excuse me; I need to—"“You live here alone?” His eyes carefully studied every inch of my face, and I could feel myself blushing.“No,” I choked out, grabbing the door handle of my apartment.“Is there a husband I should worry about?"My mouth dropped open. Was he trying to flirt with me?! I met him like ten seconds ago! My hands fisted, and I drew a deep breath, preparing to give him a biting response, but he spoke first.“I'm sorry.” He raised his hands in surrender, but he didn't sound even remotely apologetic. “Th
Last Updated : 2023-10-14
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From One Night to Love Epilogue – Loving Her
ALEX Four and a half years later I opened my eyes to see Sarah's gorgeous sleeping face, and my lips instantly stretched into a wide smile. God, I would never have enough of watching her sleep. There were only two other faces I loved more: her face when she smiled and the blushing face that appeared shortly after she reached her climax. Actually, I would gladly work to see that blushing face right now, but I couldn't risk being late today. This day was going to be perfect. I dipped my head to brush my lips against hers. I did it carefully so as not to wake her up. Then I slid out of bed and quietly walked out of our bedroom. Of course, it was way easier to sneak out of our room than to pass Liam's bedroom, and passing the twins' bedroom without them waking up or noticing was nearly mission impossible. Fortunately, none of them decided to wake up at six in the morning on Saturday, and two minutes later, I successfully entered the kitchen. Usually, this place belonged to Sarah. It wa
From One Night to Love The Rest Of Our Lives
I vaguely recalled what had happened in the last few hours. I remember Jun calling my name as he all but tore me away from Alex, taking over the reanimation until the paramedics appeared. Then the words “temporary stable” rang in my head as they transported Alex to the hospital in Nassau. I refused to leave his side. I held his hand almost until he had been taken to the operating room. Philip and Jun dragged me away so that doctors could patch me, even though I said I didn't need it. They insisted, and Jun might have even said something about knocking me out if I'd refused. The doctors asked me if I needed painkillers. When I said I wasn't sure, they asked me if I needed something to soothe my nerves. I took neither. I didn't want anything that could dull my senses as I waited for Alex's operation to be over. The surgeon said that the bullet vaguely missed the heart but also that removing it would be complicated. Still, there was a chance. There was hope that he would survive. He had
From One Night to Love Don't Die
I heard two gunshots, yet there was no pain. Well, there was no new kind of pain, and I could feel the heart pounding in my chest… But dead people shouldn't have a heartbeat, should they? My mind was struggling to process what was happening. My eyes snapped open just in time to see two guards fall to the ground, exposing the one who stood on the threshold. Alex.My breath caught in my throat as our eyes met, but my relief lasted less than a second. In my peripheral vision, I saw Lucius reaching for his gun and shifting his stance to shoot. “No!” I screamed for a split second before he aimed his gun at Alex and pulled the trigger.Alex leaped into the corridor and hid behind the door. “Sarah, get down!” he thundered, and that was what I did. I jumped to the side before Lucius could grab me and use me as a shield, and I dove behind the bed, lying face-down on the floor. Lucius roared like a wild animal, and more shots came. “I'll kill you, Ravenford!” he bellowed.I flinched every time
From One Night to Love Surviving
SARAHThree days passed since I had woken up in my luxurious prison. My ribs still hurt, but at least I could move on my own… more or less. The bruises I found all over my body were slowly fading. The worst were those on my shoulder, which, according to Lucius, had been dislocated. Once the mass of sedatives and painkillers left my system, the pain had become almost unbearable, but now I learned to function despite it.Lucius had been showing up in my room at least three times a day. Each time, he brought me food or snacks. It might have been his twisted definition of caring about me. Never had he raised his voice on me, but I knew better than to trust his fragile kindness. The cold glow in his eyes remained, and the smiles he had often given me betrayed cruelty. I couldn't let my guard down around him. I had to put on my best act, even though his slightest touch filled me with sheer disgust. It terrified me that he became more daring. He enjoyed tracing every bruise on my neck and sh
From One Night to Love Sleepless
ALEXI was sitting in my office and trying to focus my eyes on the screen. My current struggle had nothing to do with Ravenford Corporation. I was tracing the old metro plans, hoping to find that one place we had missed.“You shouldn't stay here all night again.” Grayson sighed before grabbing a chair and sitting in front of my desk. “Staring at those plans won't bring her back.”“She is not dead, Grayson,” I hissed.“You don't know that,” he argued but raised his hands in surrender as soon as he met my glare.“I know that because we haven't found her body.” Anger raised the volume of my voice, but that only made Grayson look at me with more pity.“If you're convinced that she's not dead, then why not call off the search inside the tunnels?” His brows rose. “It has been more than a week now. Even if she survived the fall, she must have been injured and lying there alone—”“Shut. The fuck. Up.” The knuckles in my fisted hands bleached.“I don't want to see you torture yourself,” he sai
From One Night to Love Possession
SARAHI heard myself drawing a breath into my lungs. It was a wheezing sound, and the movement of my chest came with a great deal of pain. Then I heard something else—voices. I couldn't understand what they were saying… It was… Chinese?The realization triggered an alarm that spread throughout my aching body. Fear clung around me tightly, forming a thick, almost material cover, nearly as real as the sheets on my body. Then I heard one voice I recognized. The sound doubled the terror consuming me. Lucius. He and someone else were arguing about… something. Their voices were raised, their edges sharp, their tones cold…I opened my eyes and blinked, trying to adjust my sight, but it remained blurry no matter how hard I tried to focus. I struggled for another few seconds before I could see more clearly. Wherever I was, it looked like an enormous bedroom. The bed I was lying in was double the size I had in my penthouse. A huge window was several feet to the left of the bed, and the palm tre
From One Night to Love The Greatest Fear
The outer corridor had been completely annihilated by the explosives, and more than four of our men had lost their lives. Their bloodied bodies lay close enough for some of the guests to see, and the cries and screams became unstoppable in seconds. The alarms went off, and an automated steel shield quickly covered every glass wall. At the same time, the recorded voice announced that the main hall had been secured and separated until the situation was under control. That, of course, didn't lessen the panic devouring almost everyone inside.My eyes shifted to Sarah and Liam. They were still standing on the round podium in the middle of the hall while some of the terrified guests ran in every direction, ineptly trying to find the way out, as if it weren't obvious that they could get shot if they did. Sarah hugged Liam tightly, moving to the center of the dais, trying to stay away from the crowd of panicked people. My first instinct was to get them far away from that podium, but with the
From One Night to Love Waiting for Their Move
ALEXI was sitting by my desk, rubbing my thumb over my still-swollen knuckles. Well, that's what you get after punching the wall hard enough to stain it with your blood. Let's just say that I hadn't taken the news about Natasha Collins well. Not only did she betray our family—the family she had been working for for years—but she had nearly killed my grandmother. Perhaps it was fortunate that it was Sarah and her bodyguards who exposed her. If it had been me, I would have snapped her neck before I could have willed myself to exhibit reasonable behavior.“I thought you would be celebrating.” Grayson eyed me as he entered my office. “With all the accusations, the Duncans will sure as hell end up in jail.”“They found Marisol Martinez dead this morning. Someone slit her throat,” I said, rubbing my knuckles again as I struggled to contain my rising anger. “It's obvious to think that someone did it to silence her, but I somehow doubt that Gregory Duncan was behind this. Her testimony would
From One Night to Love Growing Restlessness
“I still can't believe that I can officially meet with Alex without hiding,” I said softly, holding Eleonor's hand. “Of course, that doesn't mean that everything's OK between us, but I cannot deny that he's trying.” I couldn't stop the smile from parting my lips as I thought of all the roses he had sent to my apartment. I was probably blushing, and Eleonor would have laughed if she had seen me looking like this… I missed her laugh and her remarks. Every day, I prayed that she would finally wake up. My chest tightened at the thought that she might never—No. I couldn't think about it. She was going to wake up. I had to believe she would. I sucked in a shaky breath and cleared my throat. “Anyway,” I continued. “Alex officially announced that he and Jeanette Duncan are no longer engaged. He said that they parted due to insurmountable differences. That, of course, doesn't change the fact that Jeanette is pregnant and that the child is Alex's.” I sighed and brushed a strand of hair off Ele
