In her hope that real love would blossom free from the shadow of her wealthy and strong family background, Demi Perez had to subtly hide her own identity from her husband, Jeff Ortega. And for the past five years of marriage, all that she ever did was pour all that she has to offer into their marriage, only to be met with cold indifference—and divorce papers that would end things between them. With Demi’s beauty and brains along with her wealth, she had completely conquered the corporate world and made some great impressions everywhere she went, and that includes dominating the failing company of her ex-husband. And in just a year after her divorce, Demi came back powerful and famous. No longer was she the once naive ex-wife that Jeff left behind, because right now, Demi has once again reclaimed her status as the elite and powerful heiress of the Perez clan. “Do you really have to play this dirty game to take revenge on me, Demi?" her ex-husband asked at last. And Demi grinned with such seductive power. “Oh no, It’s not a game, Jeff. It’s just giving you the same doze of your own medicine.” she replied. But as their old flames rekindle, Jeff wasn’t sure if he still wanted retribution or if he wanted her back. While Demi, on the other hand, has to decide whether she would finish what she started, or risk her heart all over again.
Lihat lebih banyakI spent the next few days rewriting the contract, making sure every clause benefited me instead of Nolan. If he wanted me as part of his empire, he would have to do it on my terms.But I knew one thing—Nolan wasn’t stupid.He wouldn’t accept these changes without a fight.And that fight was coming.⋆⋆⋆The moment I walked into Nolan’s office, his eyes locked onto me.“Demi.” His voice was smooth, but there was a sharp edge beneath it. “I was beginning to think you were avoiding me.”I tossed the contract onto his desk. “I made some changes.”Nolan arched a brow and leaned back in his chair. “Changes?”I folded my arms. “Read it.”His eyes darkened with intrigue as he picked up the papers. Silence filled the room as he skimmed the pages, his expression unreadable.Then, after a long pause, he let out a low chuckle.“You’re bolder than I expected.”I lifted my chin. “You thought I’d just roll over and accept your terms?”His smirk widened. “I hoped.”I clenched my jaw. “You wanted contr
I didn’t sleep that night.Instead, I sat in my office, my fingers tracing the edges of Nolan’s contract as if the ink itself could burn me.Four weeks.That was all I had.And the longer I waited, the more suffocating the inevitability became.I was running out of time.The thought made my stomach twist as I reached for my phone, scrolling through my contacts until I landed on the one name I had been avoiding for weeks.Jeff.My pulse quickened. I knew this was reckless. Stupid. But I needed answers.I needed to understand why he had resurfaced. Why he was suddenly lurking in the shadows of my life again, like a ghost refusing to be forgotten.Before I could second-guess myself, I pressed call.The line rang once. Twice.Then, he picked up.“Well, well,” Jeff’s voice dripped with amusement. “I was beginning to think you’d never call.”I swallowed hard, gripping my phone tighter. “We need to talk.”A pause. Then—“Are you sure about that, Demi?” he asked, his tone laced with something
The moment Nolan hung up, I dropped my phone onto my desk and let out a slow, shaky breath.Two weeks.That was all the time he’d given me.It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.For now, I needed to focus on my father.Everything else—Nolan, the engagement, the contract—I’d deal with later.—I spent the rest of the morning at the hospital.My father was awake but still weak, his body slowly recovering from the weeks spent in a coma.Even so, his sharp mind was still intact.And it didn’t take him long to notice something was off.“You’re distracted,” he commented, watching me over the rim of his coffee cup.I forced a smile. “Just tired.”He hummed, unconvinced. “Chelsea’s worried about you.”Of course, she was.Chelsea had spent the entire night pestering me, demanding to know what Nolan had said when I called him.When I told her he’d agreed to wait, she was relieved.But she also knew it was only temporary.“I’m fine,” I assured him. “I just have a lot on my plate.”My f
I should have walked away.After that dance, after the way he held me like he was proving a point, I should have put as much distance between us as possible.But Nolan had other plans.And unfortunately, so did Anthony Carter.***After the dance, Nolan guided me toward a private lounge tucked away from the main gala. Plush velvet seating, dim lighting, and a bar stocked with the rarest liquors.Anthony Carter was already there, lounging in one of the leather chairs, a glass of whiskey in his hand.I shot Nolan a sharp look. “What is this?”“A conversation.” His smirk was infuriating. “Sit.”I didn’t. Instead, I crossed my arms. “If you think I’m going to sit through whatever twisted plan you two have—”“Demi.”The way Nolan said my name made my stomach twist. Not with fear, but with something worse.Something dangerous.Anthony chuckled, swirling his drink. “You’ve got fire, I’ll give you that.” His gaze flicked to Nolan. “I can see why you like her.”I clenched my fists. “Get to the
The second my lips brushed against his, I knew I had made a mistake.A terrible, reckless, unforgivable mistake.Because the moment it happened, Nolan took over.He didn’t hesitate. Didn’t second-guess.His hand slid around the back of my neck, fingers curling into my hair as he tilted my head, deepening the kiss without an ounce of restraint. His other hand gripped my waist, pulling me flush against him, trapping me in the heat of his body.I gasped against his mouth, and he took full advantage, pressing deeper, his tongue brushing against mine in a slow, deliberate stroke that sent a shiver all the way down to my toes.Damn him.Damn me.I knew better. I knew what he was capable of—how he twisted things, how he played these games like he always won because he did always win.And yet…I didn’t pull away.Not when I should have. Not when I had every reason to.Instead, my fingers curled into the lapels of his suit, gripping him like he was the only thing keeping me standing.I hated h
I let the word hang in the air. Mine.Possessive. Confident. A declaration.The man—someone from a hedge fund, I vaguely recalled—chuckled as he shook Nolan’s hand. “Of course she is,” he mused, his gaze lingering on me a beat too long. “You always did know how to pick them.”Nolan’s grip on my waist tightened slightly, just enough to make a point. A warning.I played my part, tilting my head toward him like a woman perfectly comfortable in his grasp. “He’s very persuasive,” I said smoothly, watching Nolan’s reaction from the corner of my eye.His smirk deepened. “She’s a quick learner.”The man laughed, clearly entertained. “Well, I won’t keep you. Enjoy your evening.”As soon as he walked away, I turned to Nolan, my voice sickly sweet. “Mine?”He didn’t look the least bit regretful. “Would you rather I introduce you as the woman who owes me a favor?”My jaw tightened. “I would rather you not introduce me at all.”He smiled like I had just said something amusing. “But that would be a
I barely heard the sound of my own heels clicking against the hospital’s tiled floors as I rushed toward my father’s room. My heart pounded so hard in my chest that it felt like it might burst.He was awake.That single thought drowned out everything else.Pushing open the door, I found him sitting up slightly, his face pale but his eyes alert. Relief surged through me so fast that I had to grip the doorframe to steady myself.“Dad…” My voice cracked.His gaze lifted to mine, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I saw warmth in his eyes.“Demi.” His voice was hoarse, weaker than I remembered. But he was awake. He was speaking. And that was all that mattered.I rushed to his side, grabbing his hand. “How are you feeling?”He let out a dry chuckle. “Like I got hit by a truck… and then the damn truck decided to back up and hit me again.”A laugh bubbled in my throat, but it quickly turned into something else—something raw. I squeezed his hand tighter, afraid that if I let go
I barely slept that night.My father was awake. That should have been good news—great news—but instead, my mind was in turmoil.I had been seconds away from signing that contract with Nolan. Seconds away from locking myself into a deal I desperately didn’t want.And now?Now, I had a chance to delay it. Maybe even stop it completely.But how?I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at my phone, my fingers hovering over Nolan’s number.I had to call him. Had to tell him that I wasn’t signing anything yet.But that meant going against him. And I knew how he played this game.I had agreed to this deal. If I backed out now, even temporarily, he’d make me regret it.Still, I had no choice.Taking a deep breath, I dialed his number.He picked up on the first ring, like he had been expecting my call.“Demi,” Nolan’s voice was smooth, but there was a hint of amusement there. “I was wondering when you’d call.”I gripped the phone tightly. “I need to delay the agreement.”A pause.Then—“Excuse me
I barely made it to my car before my hands started shaking.Damn it.I gripped the steering wheel tightly, trying to steady my breath.Nolan’s words echoed in my mind."I want you to marry me.""If you refuse, I can always bring Lorenzo back into the picture."I closed my eyes, frustration bubbling in my chest.I had worked so hard to keep Lorenzo from completely taking over my father’s company. And now, Nolan—the one who had helped me get rid of him—was using the same threat against me.I should have seen it coming.I should have never trusted him.A bitter laugh escaped me.I was an idiot.***I didn’t go home right away.Instead, I found myself driving aimlessly around the city, my thoughts a tangled mess.I knew Nolan wasn’t bluffing.If I refused him, he would absolutely bring Lorenzo back just to pressure me further.And I couldn’t let that happen.I had barely regained control of the company. The shareholders were finally regaining confidence. If Lorenzo came back into the pict
(Demi’s POV)The divorce papers were glaring back at me from the mahogany table like some sort of a nasty reminder of my shortcomings as housewife. My trembling fingers brushed over the ink where my husband, Jeff Ortega’s, signature glared at me, bold and resolute. His decision was final, and it was unyielding just as the man himself.However, Jeff was standing in front of the window even as I turn and witnessed how the soft afternoon light shining on his erect figure. His eyes were as cold and far away as before, and his sharp facial features were etched with resolve. The distance between us was heightened by his coldness, even with his back facing my direction. “I’ve already signed the papers. You should hurry and sign them too,” he said, his tone devoid of emotion. “I want everything finalized before Stella returns.”Stella. The name cut through me like a blade. My throat tightened as I fought back tears.Jeff didn’t even glance in my direction. “We’ve agreed on the partition of ...
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