“What are you talking about?” Grace asked, shooting her a curious stare.Hannah looked disturbed, there was no easy way to say this. She knew what Grace’s reaction would be the minute she told her that she had gotten married. “Well say it already Hannah? What is it?” Grace interrupted her train of thought.Hannah heaved a deep sigh, stood from the bed, and walked toward her bedroom window with a troubled expression. Looking outside, she wished this could all go away. Her life had completely changed in just a few hours and she was losing control.The worst part of this is that she knew she was trapped. There was nothing else to do, and even if there was, she had already signed the marriage contract and had just a few hours to hand it over to Ethan, and with Alfred Wolfe now after her, all her hopes of getting her life back had slithered away. If she refused to marry Ethan Ford, surely it wouldn’t take long for Alfred to find her. But on the other hand, if she went ahead with this sha
Hannah pulled out of the hug and walked away uncomfortably without saying a word.She still felt hesitant to tell Grace about who her new husband was. “Who is it, Hannah? Who did you marry?” Grace asked again.“Ethan…” Hannah muttered.“What was that?” Grace asked, straining her ears.“Ethan, Grace. I’m married to Ethan Ford.” She finally blurted.Immediately Grace heard the name, she almost broke into laughter. The Fords were the most powerful family in the city of Davenport, owning multiple small chain businesses, shares, and properties that made them almost like the original settlers of that city, and Ethan was the poster boy for how influential and ruthless the Fords could be. Certainly, there was no way, Hannah would have agreed to marry that ruthless cold bastard, Grace thought.However, seeing the sad unhinged look on Hannah’s face, she could tell that her friend was serious. “Wait, so the man that you married is Ethan Ford?” Grace asked again, seeking confirmation.However,
Author's POVHannah slumped to the floor and wept bitterly after Grace walked out. Everything was happening all at once and she did not know how to handle it. In a few days, she had lost almost everything and now she had just sent the only person she could rely on, out the door.However, right at that moment, her phone suddenly beeped. Hannah glanced at it and saw a text with the directions from the same number that called earlier. Wiping away her tears, she stood up and rushed to the bathroom for a quick bath and after a few minutes she was done. She quickly dressed up, grabbed her things, and stood in front of the mirror.Taking a deep breath, she began, “You got this Hannah. Just go there and amaze them. You know you already have all that it takes and credible knowledge. This might be your last chance, so go and get it.” She said, trying to spark up her confidence.After this, Hannah quickly glanced at the text again, confirming the address, and then quickly stepped out.She rushe
Author's POV“Who are you?” Hannah managed to ask, shielding her face away from the man’s piercing gaze.The man in question was Alfred’s right-hand man, Dillon Chambers. He had a visible scar on the side of his face, one that Hannah could tell was from a knife wound. But his terrifying face was in contrast to his complete appearance. He wore a beige suit that showcased his intimidating figure, matching his dark blonde hair, with a wrist chain with a scorpion emblem on it.The emblem caught Hannah’s attention. She had heard of many mob groups in the city who associated their groups with various animals, bullhorns, snakes, scorpions, spiders, and more, but never had she come across one.As this thought crossed her mind, she felt even more frightened.Dillon had been rescued by Alfred some years ago from a group of gamblers he had been indebted to, and since then he had been in charge of Alfred’s underground dealings. Drug trafficking, mobbing, covering up his fraud charges, and anythin
Author’s POV“You have no idea what you are stepping into, do you?” Dillon said, his voice low and taunting.Nonetheless, the man did not flinch, “Let her go.” He said, moving closer.Dillon glanced at the other man still holding Hannah and shifted his gaze around seeing they were overpowered. He shrugged as if it were all a game,“Do it.” He said defeatedly.The rest of his men exchanged puzzled gazes. They’d been with the man, working under him for a long time, and never had they seen Dillon back away from a fight.“Did you not hear me?” Dillon sneered, shooting a cold gaze at the man still holding Hannah.Slowly, the man’s grip on Hannah’s arm loosened, and she stumbled forward, instinctively running towards the men in black, her legs shaky but determined.As she reached them, the man with the jet-black hair grabbed her arm gently, shielding her from Dillon and his men.He gestured to one of his men and quickly, they rushed towards him and took Hannah to one of their trucks, guardi
Author’s POVHannah’s breath caught in her throat as Nicolas’ words sank in, in confusion. If he didn’t save her, then who did and why? She shifted her gaze away, looking around and scratching her head in confusion. She glanced back at him, searching his face for answers. However, seeing how calm he was made her nerves flare even more.“You didn’t save me?” Hannah asked with a raised brow.“Then why are you here? What is this?” Hannah asked, a sudden fear creeping up her bones.She couldn’t trust anyone, least of all, anyone with a huge status as the Cranes.Nicolas’ expression remained composed, although there was a flicker of emotion in his eyes, a look of understanding. He raised his hands, approaching Hannah cautiously,“It’s okay Ms. Young, you don’t have to be afraid anymore. You’re safe with us.” He said assuredly.Hannah shot him a cautious yet softened gaze as Nicolas continued, “I didn’t save you,” he repeated, his tone gentler, “because it wasn’t an act of rescue, it was a
Author’s POVNicolas’ expression hardened as he heard this. Immediately a frown appeared on his face, “Freedom?” He recoiled and scoffed.“You think freedom is an option right now Hannah?”“Ethan’s playing a bigger game than you realize. And whether you like it or not, you’re in the middle of it. Wolfe is just one piece of the puzzle.”Hannah’s expression sank defeatedly. Her eyes darted to the direction where Dillon and his men had disappeared, and she couldn’t deny the danger that Alfred Wolfe posed. However, being under Ethan’s control felt no better.“What does Ethan really want?” Hannah asked, her voice breaking with desperation. “Why won’t he just let me go? Why have I done to him to deserve all this?”A brief silence escaped between them. Nicolas hesitated for some moments, his face filled with reluctance, “There are things that Ethan hasn’t told you or wants you to know.”“What things?” Hannah recoiled instantly. “What does he want from me?”Nicolas hesitated his face tight w
Author’s POVHannah stared at the message, her heart pounding in her chest. “I know where Lily is.” Those words shattered everything around her. Her hand shook as she held the phone. It couldn’t be real, could it? After all this time, someone finally knew where her sister was. The one person who ruined her life. The one that she had been trying to forget, but couldn’t. Nicolas noticed her change in expression. His eyes narrowed, “What’s wrong?” He asked, his tone laced with suspicion. Immediately, Hannah’s mind raced, but she couldn’t tell him, not yet. If Nicolas found out someone knew where Lily was, he would certainly tell it to Ethan and things could spiral out of control faster than she could handle. But she needed answers. She needed revenge. “Nothing,” Hannah said quickly, slipping her phone back into her pocket slowly.“Just a reminder about something.”Nicolas didn’t seem to buy it, but before he could say anything, the two men from the SUV reached them. They looked as col
Author’s POV“You want me to do what?!” Hannah exclaimed, the weight of the words still hanging in the air.She could feel her heart racing already from the thought of it. Her relationship with Ethan was already rocky enough as it was, the last thing she wanted to do was to complicate that with a kiss. “Come on, Hannah, this shouldn’t be difficult to do. All I’m asking is that you kiss your husband. How difficult could that be?” He replied with a hint of sarcasm.Hannah paced around the room frantically. She was afraid when she came to this party, knowing she’d have to act unnaturally close to Ethan to sell off their act as a real married couple, but she never expected that she’d have to kiss him.Things had just escalated quickly. “I can’t do it. I won’t.” Hannah replied sharply.A deep sigh returned on the other end of the line, and then went silent for a while. “Hannah, look we both have to do things we don’t want to do to get what we want. You of all people should know that. Yo
Author’s POV“You want me to do what?!” Hannah exclaimed, the weight of the words still hanging in the air.She could feel her heart racing already from the thought of it. Her relationship with Ethan was already rocky enough as it was, the last thing she wanted to do was to complicate that with a kiss. “Come on, Hannah, this shouldn’t be difficult to do. All I’m asking is that you kiss your husband. How difficult could that be?” He replied with a hint of sarcasm.Hannah paced around the room frantically. She was afraid when she came to this party, knowing she’d have to act unnaturally close to Ethan to sell off their act as a real married couple, but she never expected that she’d have to kiss him.Things had just escalated quickly. “I can’t do it. I won’t.” Hannah replied sharply.A deep sigh returned on the other end of the line, and then went silent for a while. “Hannah, look we both have to do things we don’t want to do to get what we want. You of all people should know that. Yo
Author’s POV“How do you know Liam?” Hannah repeated, sensing a hidden truth there. Julienne hesitated for a while, and then said, “Liam? He’s just my brother’s annoying old friend.” She replied.Hannah was not convinced but she accepted Julienne’s explanation.“What did you say Ethan was doing?” Julienne asked curiously.“He has been staring at his old friend as if he wants to drill a hole through his head, and he’s not subtle about how he feels about Liam either. I’m afraid he’s going to ruin this deal he’s trying to sign, and spend the rest of the trip making it uncomfortable for everyone, which just so happens to be only me,” Hannah complained.“Can you talk to him, get him to bury this Liam thing before the party? It’s in a couple of hours and I’ll appreciate if Ethan isn’t cranky the whole time.”Julienne remained quiet for a while, as if thinking over it, and then said “Alright. I’ll see how I can help.” But before Hannah could say anything, she quickly added, “Do you know wha
Author’s POV“Okay, what’s this thing with you and Liam?” Hannah asked as soon as they stepped inside.“Can we not talk about it? I’m not really in the mood.” Ethan said dismissively.“We can drop it if you stop acting like a jerk around him.” She sneered.Ethan took one look at her and threw up his arms in frustration, “How do you even know that loser?”“What? Liam? He worked with me at the Nightclub.” Hannah replied.When Ethan heard this, his eyes widened in surprise. “Did you say he worked with you at the nightclub?” He repeated.“Yes, what’s the matter?” “Nothing,” Ethan gave in and went to the room, grabbed another duvet, and brought it back to the living room. “Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day. You should get some rest, Hannah.” Ethan said and laid on the couch. Hannah remained frozen, staring at him for a while, and then sighed and walked away.She returned to the room and looked without checking her phone, she went back to bed.***The next morning, Ethan was awoken by th
Author’s POVHannah stormed out of the room with no hesitation. Her mind was racing uncontrollably, and all she wanted was a little break to just process everything. She strode towards the balcony, overlooking the view of the river behind it. Liam stood at the corner of the hallway, watching her intently, and then summoned a smile, and slowly approached her.Hannah gasped in shock when she suddenly saw him,“Liam,” she exhaled.“What are you doing here?” Liam ignored her and just slowly approached her with a smile on his face,“Sorry, Hannah. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He paused and stared at her deeply as if trying to note something.“Why are you looking at me like that?” Hannah’s brow raised uncomfortably as she looked at him.“Does he know?” Liam asked with curiosity.Hannah shot her gaze away, confused by what Liam was asking. Seeing her perplexed expression, Liam smirked and stepped closer to the balcony, tracing his fingers along the cold metal rail.“Your husband, Ethan. I
Author’s POV“Liam?” Hannah called, still in shock. “What are you doing here?” She added as Liam suddenly stopped in front of her. “It’s nice to see you again Hannah, you didn’t even inform us at the nightclub that you were quitting your job,” Liam said teasingly.Hannah look flustered. She still couldn’t believe that Liam was standing in front of her. How did he even get into an exclusive event like this?‘Liam must have scored a very sweet gig here.’ She thought, looking around the place again.“I’m sorry Liam, it all just kind of happened so fast,” Hannah said and quickly added, changing the conversation, “So are you here on a job?” She asked and a wry smile appeared across Liam’s face. However, just as he was about to say something, Ethan emerged from the other end of the hallway and became instantly furious, “You!” He sneered angrily, approaching Liam.Immediately Hannah saw the stern expression on Ethan’s face she could tell something was wrong. She quickly got out of the way,
Author’s POV“Allow me to show you the inside,” Ethan said and led Hannah into the jet.After they entered the jet, Ethan gestured and the air hostesses brought a bottle of champagne.Ethan shifted his gaze to Hannah again and a smile flashed on his face. He could sense the shift in tension and the ease that was quickly settling in between them.“I know this week has been tense and difficult, but can we try to be relaxed around each other? We might just have a good time if we give it a try.” Ethan said earnestly.Hannah hesitated for a while, unsure what to say. Ethan drove a good bargain – the jet, the expensive wine. If she didn’t know better she would think that he was flirting with her. Hannah decided to temporarily ignore the rift between them, at least for the entirety of their flight. Surprisingly, the atmosphere of the jet suddenly changed. Hannah and Ethan engaged frequently in casual conversations, Hannah occasionally taking notes of certain things she liked about it.The w
Author’s POVThe moment they had both dreaded the whole week had arrived. Today was the departure date for the merger party and contract signing in Vienna. Hannah and Ethan had avoided each other for the rest of the week since Hannah’s bold accusations, which Ethan found too true, and ended up feeling mocked.That morning Clint packed their necessary luggage and pulled the car over to the front entrance, waiting nervously for Ethan and Hannah.Evidence of their tension was visible enough for everybody to see, and no one dared to interfere.Hannah descended the stairs with regular pants and a shirt, looking shabby. When all the maids saw this, they feared that Ethan was going to blow over, however, as they stood around, waiting for his reaction, they were surprised. Ethan just heaved a sigh and ignored Hannah. He already had too much on his mind and did not need another reason just to pick a fight with her. For all he cared, Hannah could wear sweatpants and he wouldn’t mind.The maids
Author’s POV“Ethan?” Hannah called, “What are you doing here?” She asked startled to see him there. Ethan walked slowly towards her, wearing a bland expression, “I’m sorry I startled you, I just came here to get some time away. Julienne has been stressing me out since the time she got here.” Ethan sighed heavily.Hannah approached with caution, a slight frown on her face. Frankly, she could attest to what Ethan was saying, Julienne was becoming a real pain in the ass and needed to go. Hannah reached her hands up, “Why don’t you just throw her out? I got to give it to you Ethan, I thought you were the most annoying person I’ve ever met, but now I’ve seen your sister and I stand corrected. I can understand why you barely talk about her. My God, she’s annoying.” Hannah blurted.“You don’t think I’ve known that?” Ethan replied, and for a brief moment, they chuckled.“I didn’t know you love to read.” Ethan started, changing the conversation. He brushed past Hannah slightly and reached ou