Vengeance is her's, not God's. Andrea Campbell's world is shattered when Thane, her ruthless CEO husband, divorces her. Left with nothing, she has no family, no money, no identity. But as fate would have it, she is reunited with her billionaire birth father, Mr. Campbell. Five years later, Andrea returns as a stunning, sassy businesswoman, fueled by a burning desire for revenge. She plans to pull Thane into a high-stakes business collaboration and then destroy him. Thane, consumed by his ex-wife's transformation, will stop at nothing to reclaim her. Unaware of their hidden twin children and Andrea's secret game. He becomes increasingly obsessed. As they dance around their explosive past, Andrea struggles to keep her emotions in check. Thane's determination ignites a risky game of cat and mouse, where old feelings resurface and new flames ignite. Will Thane's all-consuming love be enough to quench Andrea's fury, or will her thirst for revenge destroy them both? Can Andrea resist Thane's relentless chase, or will she succumb to the passion that once bound them?
Lihat lebih banyakAndrea's pov
The pen fell from my hands again. " Just sign the goddamn papers, would you? " Mother ordered, eyeing me with disgust as she did. " Andera can't even hold on to a pen, it's not surprising you couldn't hold your husband's heart, too. It's a wonder how my big brother tolerated you this long." Anna hissed. I took a look at the papers spread in front of me, one signature, and I'd be back to the place I was all those years ago. The place of helplessness. " I...I can't. " I stammered. They both groaned. The hate and disgust on their faces was palpable. I know they have always despised me but I couldn't do it. I would rather face their hatred than be alone on the streets. Hot tears trickled down my face; my body convulsed with my persistent sobs. " For the love of God, is that the only thing you can do Andera, cry? Yuck, look at your face; it's covered in snort; you're so disgusting. We don't want you as a part of our family anymore; so just get this divorce over with!" Imogen, the eldest of the siblings thundered. More than anything, I love Thane. He hasn't been the best of my husband, but the love I have for him runs deep in me; I've loved him from the first day I steeped my mud-covered shoes into this house. Thane walked back into the living room, and I got on my knees to beg him. "Thane, please don't do this to us. I love you, Thane. I don't have a life outside the one you've given me. Thane please, I'll do anything you want." Tears flowed from my eyes in torrents while I begged him on my knees. I prayed to every holy being that Thane would be compassionate with me today. Just today. " You can keep your useless love to yourself, Andera; it's done me no good. " He spat. Seems like there's no one willing to answer the prayers of an orphan today. I might as well help myself. " No Thane, I won't. Thane I......" The words were lost on my lips as he reached for my hair and pulled it roughly. So tight was his grip, my scalp hurt. My teary eyes met Thane's scornful stare; his gray eyes were filled with burning hatred. Not to be surprised though, he's never looked at me with anything but that in our two years of marriage. " Andrea, you should be lucky we're doing this the easy way. You preyed on my late father's weakness and forced your way into my life you cunning thief." He hissed, his words sliced through me. "No, I swear, Thane, I didn't steal your family heirloom." "Lair." Imogen cut me. " It was found in your bag, Andera." They were accusing me wrongly; I didn't steal anything. I'm not foolish enough to jeopardize my stand in this family. I would never steal. Pa Eugene raised me better than that. " if you could just check the security footage you'd find the real culprit. " I tried to convince Thane while his fingers still held their tight grip on my hair, staring daggers at me from those gray orbs " Andrea you disgusting b!tch! Now you're trying to accuse one of us? Just admit to your crimes and we won't turn you over to the police. " Anna, the youngest spat. " Oh Andrea, we won't put you in jail because of the blind love my husband had for you but don't test us. Sign the divorce papers and leave our family! Heaven's forbid my son would stay married to a thief! Just imagine if this gets on the News. The wife of the renowned CEO of Renihardt's infrastructures steals a family heirloom worth millions; that would be terrible; do you know all the setbacks that could cause us?! " Mother's words were enough to snap the last thread of Thane's patience. He had always been rough and aggressive in a way I found attractive, well, until now. He pulled my hair. My heart hammered in my chest, and a small voice in my head that kept repeating the same thing for two years spoke up again: 'You're nothing to him, a nobody. Did you believe Thane could love you?' I had thought that with time, my love would be reciprocated, but I was wrong. Thane pushed me forcefully towards the table, causing me to fall face flat on it. The fall sent a sharp pain coursing through me, but it was nowhere close to the damage done to my heart. If only his father hadn't died a month ago, we wouldn't be here. "You have ten seconds to sign these papers, Andrea. Ten seconds till I do my worst!" He seethed. My eyes burned. This level of hatred was something I never expected, he doesn't trust me, and all I've done is give him the entirety of myself! I held the pen again, my grip tighter this time; even if I had no one to go to, it was better than jail, and so I signed my divorce papers. Dropping the pen, I looked up at Thane. The man I dreamed about whenever I slept. The only man I let into my heart, the man who took my innocence. "Leave." He looked away from me as if the sight of me repulsed him. " We've packed your things already. " Anna announced happily. I didn't break my gaze from Thane, now my ex-husband. " You'll be happy, right? Now that I'm gone. " My voice quivered. " Yes, Andera, I feel like a burden has been taken away from me. " He answered dryly. Picking up my bags, I cast one last look at the four of them, the only family I've had for fourteen years. They had never seen me as family, and painfully, my marriage to Thane didn't make me one either. -- The emergency shelter is far from Thane's mansion, thirty minutes of walking has me weak and tired. My stomach started to churn. Barely three steps later, I fall to my knees and throw up, not before I see people hurrying towards me. Next thing I know, I'm waking up to a slow beeping sound by my side. It's so bright in here. "Where am I?" I asked weakly A woman dressed in an immaculate white gown walked to me, a big smile on her face. "You're in the hospital; you passed out, ma'am." "Hospital?" "Yes, ma'am, congratulations, you're three weeks pregnant." -- I'm Pregnant. There's a baby inside me. Thane's baby. It's all I can think about when I walk out of the hospital with nothing but a box of old clothes. Pregnant, with no home, no family, and no money but whatever I have to do to survive, I will for the sake of this child I'm already starting to love. " Miss, please wait up. " Someone calls. I turn around to see a man in a black suit running towards me. "Miss, there's someone who wants to see you." He points to the other side of the road. Another man steps out from a black Bugatti. The moment our eyes meet, he inhales loudly, and his hand flies to his chest. "My child. Andera."ASHLEY'S P. O. VKellan slowly turned his face and kissed the inside of my palm. My eyes stung. We had both come a long way from how we first met in Dallas. We fell in love, married, and we're supposed to live happily ever after like a cheesy fairytale, but life did us wrong. If there was ever a happy ending, it would have been me and Kellan, we started so well, so strong and passionate.God, it was the two of us against the world, our backs turned on everything and everyone.Where had that love gone?I tried to pull my hand away from Kellan's face, but he held my wrist tight like an anchor he was holding on to. Those green eyes that had stolen my breath away held mine pleadingly.“Why are you here?” I finally asked, but shook my head when I realized that was the wrong question.I looked around the empty lounge. It was just me and Kellan. No trace of my blind date. The vegan guy.... Gosh, I've forgotten his name.“How are you here and where's..?” I glanced around the empty lounge. I
ASHLEY'S P. O. VEIGHT YEARS AGO. There's something about the guy mowing the lawn that made my breath catch every single time. Mother thinks I skipped golf with her and father today because of my period cramps, she doesn't know it because I just want to sit at my window and watch him as he works. He paused to wipe sweat from his face with the back of his hand, and the muscles in his biceps flexed. My heart began beating fast, Is he going to do it again, take off his shirt and tuck it in his back pockets? I turned towards my bedroom door to make sure it was locked, I couldn't risk anyone coming in to meet me drooling over the man from Pleasure Grove. I held my breath and then....he peeled off his shirt.“Wow,” I whispered dreamily, nearly licking my window as I pressed my face against it. My chest rose and fell with my shallow breath.“Kellan,” I whispered his name with reverence. Months ago, I heard the cooks and helpers talking about him when I went to grab some fruit from the
ASHLEY'S P. O. VSurprisingly, Jackie was the only one who could sing among all of us, but she didn't mind as they sang off-key while she drove us in her jeep. Beulah was the one who hollered the call, while Gwendie, July, and Sydney like faithful minions, responded loudly, hair whipping with the wind rushing in from the jeep windows that were rolled down.“Who runs the world?”“GIRLS!”“Who rules the world?”“GIRLS!”“Who’s ready for cocktails and closure?” Beulah shouted. The girls all cheered.My stomach flipped. The dinner I had was threatening to resurface, but I hid my queasiness, the same way I hid all other strange things that had been happening to my body lately.I should have been concerned and visited a hospital, but I couldn't dare to go in there again, I wouldn't be able to bear it if I saw a nursing mother or an expecting mother. My mind had only just accepted my loss, going back there would be like going to my baby's graveyard.There was only so much I could hold up.
ASHLEY'S P. O. VA peal of laughter slipped out from someone, it took a second to realize it was mine.My laughter.I brought a hand to my lips in stunned silence, everyone paused what they were doing, July, who was going through different dresses, Beulah's hands that were deep into a make-up box stilled, Gwendie, who had been inspecting loop earnings, halted too.Only Jackie didn't freeze, she kept on eating her sushi.“You have a beautiful laughter, Ashley,” Gwen said with a soft smile. Jackie agreed with a muffled sound.I thanked her and looked back at the mirror where my hair was in rollers, courtesy of Beulah. The girls resumed their fussing.It's been eight days since I walked out of the hospital, eight days since I lost the life that was growing inside me. I'm not better yet, but I'm getting there, all thanks to this group of girls.They are loud, wild, and a tad crazy, but real. And they've been helping me ‘Move on’Although their idea of moving on and mine were two different
ASHLEY'S P. O. VIt was my first night in years watching movies with strangers, and oddly enough, it didn't feel as uncomfortable as I dreaded.July was right, I liked her friends, they made me feel less... alone. New friends. New life. One step towards not being Ashley Langston.My throat tightened. Technically, I was still Ashley Langston since Kellan was yet to sign the divorce papers my lawyer had served him.I gripped the edge of my shirt. It's been five days since I left the hospital, and I haven't heard from Kellan. This wasn't the absent Kellan's kind of silence I was used to, this was the tactical Kellan silence. The one where he coiled into himself, watching, planning, and aiming, waiting for the right time to strike like a viper. I fastened my dress tightly. Four days ago, I had a moving company move some of my things from Kellan's penthouse down to July's. I expected them to be interrupted or stopped by Kellan, but it was none of those. The headache that had been behin
ASHLEY'S P.O.V~~~~~“When Lockra makes the hit we're hoping for, and you make all that crazy money, what’s the first thing you’d buy, Kel?”I scratched my arm as I asked. It was one of those rare cold winters in Austin, I was wearing Kellan's oversized woolen sweater, mismatched socks, and even gloves because our home heater broke the night before.Kellan had his sleeves rolled up despite the cold, there were tools scattered beside him as he fiddled with the old unit. “Give me a second, Ashley, I almost got it,” he mumbled.Kellan had refused to call a technician like a normal person, he said he'd fix the heater by himself. I had rolled my eyes good-naturedly and stood by, watching him prove he was a young man raised in Pleasure Grove. The ‘Do it yourself’ kind of man.Watching him with tapes and all, a tutorial video playing on his phone, it made my heart full. I didn't mind the cold, because watching him work around the house kept me warm.“What is it you were asking, Love?” He ask
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