Vivienne Sinclair married Caden Lawrence, hoping her love would melt his cold heart and that he would accept her as his wife sooner or later. But as they say about the best-laid plans, Caden never fell in love with her, nor did he accept her as his wife in front of the world. Three years later, Vivienne is hurt and broken, wanting nothing more than to break this toxic cycle of betrayal and constant rejection. She wants a divorce. “What gives you the right to ask me for a divorce?” he roars, looking angry. “It was you who seduced me! You who insisted on getting married. And now you want a divorce? I don’t think so.” But Vivi is tired of playing the role of a loving and obedient wife. She wants to live her life and explore other options. She wants to find the happiness and joy she was deprived of in her marriage. With the help of her friends and family, Vivi reveals her other identity as the world-class jewelry designer, Jasper Sterling, a name she had built after years of hard work during her failed marriage. She is strong, confident, and capable of living life on her own terms. And it’s time to let the whole world know. During one of the success parties, when Vivienne walks in with a handsome man by her side, everyone starts whispering. “Who is he?” people want to know. “Is she dating him?” Vivi and her new companion look good together. They make a perfect couple. But when Caden sees her with this mystery man, he can barely contain his rage. He pulls her aside and hisses. “You are making a mistake.” She laughs, kisses his cheek, and says, “No, darling. This is the start of my new life.”
View More[Vivienne]I wake up the next day only to find myself searching for my phone.Why? Because the first thought that rushes to my mind as soon as I open my eyes is how the night went for Rosita and Harvey.Strangely, I want all the details, and I know Rosita won’t be the one to give them to me.Mostly because if things went the way I think they did, I don’t want her to feel flustered or awkward.I mean, we’re talking about my brother here, and no matter how open-minded I try to be about his love life, there’s still a kind of ick factor I’d rather not let myself suffer through.I call the only person who was supposed to keep an eye on them while I was gone.Theo.He picks up on the second ring.“Hey, my very smart, very beautiful, and very pregnant cuz. How are you doing this fine morning?”He chirps over the phone, as if he had saved all that morning buzz just for me.I roll my eyes, ignoring his desire to waste precious time. “What happened after I left? Did Harvey even show up?”“Oh, h
I glare at him before stepping forward.Harvey lifts a hand. I hesitate—only for a second—before placing mine in his.The moment he pulls me in, it’s over.His grip is firm, his other hand landing on the small of my back, drawing me just close enough that I can feel the heat radiating off him. We move in sync, slow at first, testing, measuring. The air between us turns thick, charged, every shift of our bodies pushing against the tension neither of us wants to acknowledge.“This is a game, Rosita,” he says lowly, his breath grazing my cheek. “Try not to take it too seriously.”I let out a laugh—sharp, bitter. “Right. Because you never do.”His fingers flex against my waist. His jaw tightens.The music swells, and before I can react, he pulls me closer, his grip turning possessive, commanding. My breath catches.For a man who doesn’t do emotions, he’s holding me like he never wants to let go.And I have no idea what the hell to do about it.Unfortunately, the song changes again, and he
[Rosita]When Harvey enters the room, he’s instantly swarmed by his relatives and admirers.It’s no surprise. He’s probably the most handsome, humble, and sexiest man on earth.I swear to God, he’s like Eros himself. The god of love.Except Harvey doesn’t believe in love. I don’t even know if he’s ever loved someone, but I’ve always assumed that no person on this earth could be completely devoid of those emotions—unless, of course, they’re a psychopath or something. Right?Sadly, he never treated me as anything more than what he made clear our relationship would be. Sure, he never treated me badly either, but I wish we had something more. I’ve always had a ridiculous crush on him, and maybe that’s why, when he offered me what we had, I couldn’t say no. I wanted any part of him I could get. I couldn’t let the golden opportunity pass.Perhaps that’s why I don’t really blame Vivienne for what she did. She was in love with Caden, and she made whatever choices she had to just to keep him i
[Rosita]The moment we step into the ballroom, a wave of heat rushes over me.Not because the room is warm, but because every damn eye is suddenly on me.I should be used to this by now—the way people stare when I walk the runway with my models—but this feels different.At work, the gazes are filled with either admiration or jealousy.Here, it’s something else. Or at least, it feels different.Here, I feel like I’ve been placed under a magnifying glass.I resist the urge to adjust my dress, to check if something is out of place. I know it’s not. I look damn good tonight—I made sure of it. But still, the weight of their stares feels heavier than usual.“Relax,” a voice murmurs beside me.I glance up to find Grayson Calloway, a friend of Theo’s—one he conveniently lent me for the night.“I am relaxed,” I say, forcing a smile.He scoffs, then leans in, his breath warm against my ear. “Are you sure, darling? Because right now, it looks like you’ve got a damn rod shoved up your back. You’r
[Vivienne]Gabriella’s birthday celebration was taking place in the ballroom of a seven-star hotel. I had never been there before, but I wasn’t surprised by how exquisite the place looked.And why wouldn’t it be?Gabriella was the youngest in the family, and her parents adored her beyond measure. It was easy to see that she was spoiled to the core—perhaps even to the point where she misbehaved around people simply because she could… and got away with it.Not that it mattered much. Many kids in our family’s circle were spoiled brats, but that didn’t mean they were hopeless. I had seen plenty of people who started off as insufferable jerks but eventually became some of the most professional individuals I knew.“Vivi!”A childlike voice called from behind me, and I realized with absolute certainty that I had been spotted. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and only then turned around.Standing in front of me was none other than the birthday girl herself, dressed in a white, shimmering
[Vivienne]I’m still worried about Harvey and the fact that he’s about to make the biggest mistake of his life by breaking things off with Rosita when my phone rings, finally snapping me out of my looping thoughts.It’s Theo. I answer right away.“Hey, sorry I couldn’t get back to you yesterday. It was a hectic day for me.”“All good, Viv. No worries,” he says, and I sigh in relief.I hate making people wait.“I just called to invite you. My family is throwing a small party for my sister’s birthday. They’d love for you to come.”“Wait, it’s Gabriella’s birthday today? I completely forgot.”He chuckles. “Don’t worry. I’m not the one to take offense. But make time to come, or Gab’s definitely going to be offended.”“No way. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’ve already missed too many of these occasions—it’s not happening again.”“Sounds great. See you soon. I’ll text you the details. Don’t forget to check.”The call ends.I shake my head, exhaling. “Time to arrange a gift, I suppose.”
[Caden]“Good morning, Caden.”I groan internally. Just as I’m about to leave for work, I hear my name being called by the last person I want to deal with right now.Not that I can ignore her—not when she’s standing right in front of me.“Morning,” I say, hoping we can leave it at that.But of course, Sasha doesn’t agree.She sighs. “Look, Caden. Last night, you made yourself very clear. And I should probably thank you for not giving me any false hopes,” she says, but the way she says it makes me feel anything but relieved. She looks upset, heartbroken, and miserable all at once. Still, she continues. “But now that I’m staying here, I was hoping you wouldn’t give me the cold shoulder. I know you’re a private person, and I respect that. I’ll do everything I can to stay out of your way. But as long as I’m here, can’t we at least be how we used to be? Friends?” She pauses, her voice turning softer. “I mean… that’s the least you can do for me after what your brother did… right?”I don’t k
[Vivienne]When I wake up the next morning, Mimi is already dressed and ready for school.She wears a cute red skirt, a crisp white shirt, and an adorable little tie hanging neatly around her neck.At the dining table, she sits beside Harvey, though she seems to be the only one interested in eating.“Good morning, Auntie Viv! Did you sleep well?” Mimi beams at me the moment she sees me, and I can’t help but return her excitement.“Good morning, angel,” I say, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I slept great. How about you?”“I slept just like I do every day—good! Right, Daddy?”I laugh at her response and glance at Harvey, only to find him completely lost in his phone.Shaking my head, I poke his shoulder before taking the seat across from them.Harvey barely reacts at first, still scrolling through whatever has his attention. But after a moment, he sighs, sets his phone down, and finally looks up at me."Morning," he says, his voice groggy like he hasn't been awake long."Morning," I
[Rosita]I can’t read him.I can’t read him at all. Which, of course, means only one thing—I’m in big trouble.Shit. I should have never sneaked in like that.But what choice did I have? He wasn’t answering my calls, and I got worried.The last time he ignored me like this, his blood pressure had skyrocketed, and the doctors—along with his head maid—had taken his phone away for a day.I thought it might be the same this time.But obviously, that wasn’t the case.I shake my head, trying to ignore the way the knots in my stomach keep tightening, twisting over themselves, tighter and tighter.“You can breathe, Rosita. Don’t die on me before I get to say my piece.”I wince at his hard voice, finally peeling my gaze away from the dark scenery outside the moving car. “You’re mad.”“Really? What gave it away?”I wince again. Shit. I do not want to see his angry side. Harvey Richardson might be the only person on this earth who can make me shiver in fear and get wet with want at the same time
[Vivienne]The dinner at the table turned cold an hour ago but no sign of Caden.I check the time on the wall clock for the hundredth time perhaps, and try to suppress the hurt that once again rises to the surface like an angry volcano beneath my chest.It’s our third anniversary, and it’s almost midnight now, but like every single day in the past three years, he’s late as usual.I don’t know why I even try. My husband has dismissed me, rejected my efforts, and broken my heart so many times in the past, one would think I would have learned my lesson.But unfortunately, I have been cursed to be always hopeful.“Madam, should I reheat the dinner?” The head maid asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.I suck in the hurt and wipe away the tears from my eyes, not wanting to look as devastated as I feel.I smile at her like I always do.“No. That won’t be necessary,” I say and get up from the chair, pretending to yawn, hoping to look tired. “I think Caden got caught up in the meeting again,” b...
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