CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT: Another Wicked Woman

NICOLE’S POV:

Marriage into the Thorne family is my destiny, my rightful place.

Marius' voice rises in frustration, defying his parents with a conviction that both infuriates and fascinates me.

How could he resist me, Nicole Mendez, the supermodel who graced the covers of Vogue and walked the runways of Paris and Milan? I’ve turned down princes and billionaires, but here I am, facing rejection from a man whose own mother has sought me out.

Mrs. Betty Thorne first approached me at a gala in Dubai.

"You and Marius would be a formidable pair," she said, her tone leaving no room for doubt.

At first, I was just intrigued, so I agreed to meet Marius. But that meeting sealed my fate—his intellect, his charm, and that undercurrent of vulnerability he’s trying so hard to mask. Now, I want him. And I’m not used to being denied.

Mr. Pierce Thorne speaks, snatching me back to the current moment. And as he speaks, my confidence only grows. They’re on my side, backing me in this fight. Even my