48. “First place and winner of the 2023 Detroit Car show award goes to…" Darcel stepped forward with a smile on her face as she waited for her name to be called. “Salvador Group!” The chief judge announced, and Samantha was stunned. “What!” she exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock. “We won? We actually won?” she couldn't believe this. “I knew we could do this.” Aiden smiled. Samantha was so overwhelmed with happiness that she hugged him without realizing it. “Aiden, we did it!” she exclaimed and he smiled. Darcel's smile faltered, her eyes widening in shock too. “They won? How the fuck did they win?” “Samantha Salvador and Aiden Callymore, please come forward for your award!” Darcel's face turned red with rage as she stepped forward, her voice loud and shrill. “This is impossible! There's no way they could have won! I demand a recount!” The chief judge looked at her sternly. “I'm afraid there's no need for a recount, Darcel. The results are clear. The Salvador Group won fai
49.“You guys did it!” Linda exclaimed, embracing Samantha. “Congratulations!” she and Seth exclaimed at the same time.Samantha smiled and faced Aiden. “It’s all thanks to Aiden.” she said, and Linda shook hands with Aiden.“So, how about the next phase? When is it happening?” Linda asked excitedly.“Soon. For now, let’s go celebrate!” Samantha announced and Linda nodded.“You guys go ahead. I have something to take care of back in the hotel room.” Aiden declined, feeling a little exhausted.Samantha turned to look at him. “You're not coming with us?” she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.Aiden shook his head. “I'm not really up for celebrating right now. I need some time to myself.” he forced a smile, but Samantha could see the look on his face. He was… tired.Samantha's expression turned concerned as she walked to him. “Aiden, you can't skip out on celebrating after that amazing performance. And besides, you need to eat something after all that stress. Come on, let's go get some
50.Samantha was able to escape Aiden's grip and crossed her arms as she stared at him. Aiden stared back at her, looking so innocent that she couldn't help but scoff. “How can you look so innocent after what you just tried to do?” she questioned.Aiden shrugged, his expression smug. “What? I did nothing wrong. What's wrong in trying to kiss my wife?” he asked and she snorted.“Kiss? Your wife?” she sighed. “Is that why you faked being exhausted? You're quite a good actor. I could see it clearly on your face and can't believe I actually fell for it.” she rolled her eyes and took a seat on the bed.Aiden smiled and walked to where she sat, bending to her level. “I'm actually exhausted, wifey.”Samantha scoffed. “I'm not your wife, sir. We aren't even married yet, and you're acting like this. I wonder what's going to happen after we get engaged.” she shuddered and Aiden couldn't help but let out a chuckle.“You're about to become my wife, so you might as well get used to me calling you
51.Samantha’s eyes fluttered open the next morning, and she sat up with a yawn. She stretched and turned to see that Aiden was still fast asleep. She stared at him, subconsciously smiling to herself as she watched him breathe evenly. He used to be the first to wake up, but he was fast asleep as if he hadn’t slept in days. She figured it could be due to the stress he had gone through as a result of this car show.‘What a perfect man.’ she wondered.Her eyes went to his lips, and she recalled what happened the previous day. She had almost wondered what it would feel like to have those lips…“Samantha,” she muttered to herself and facepalmed, feeling so embarrassed with how dirty minded she didn’t realize she was. Her gaze further went to his long eyelashe and the way it fell gracefully, and she couldn’t stop herself from admiring them.This was the second time she was getting a close look at him. Aiden was indeed a fine man in and out. She bit her lower lip as the little girl within h
52. Samantha blinked at him severally and quickly brought his hands down from her shoulders. Before she could blush, she turned away from him. “Fine then. But only for today.” she said and rushed into the bathroom. Aiden chuckled and took his phone. He stepped out of the hotel room to give Chloe the chance to freshen up and get dressed comfortably. When he was out, he took in the scenery and took a deep breath with his hands tucked into his pockets. Coming to Detroit was a good idea. He could see that Samantha was beginning to warm up to him. During the days they’ve spent here, he had been able to draw closer to her. She was smiling more now and he wished this would continue after they returned home. He loved her and he couldn’t wait for the day she would be able to love him back. “Aiden,” He turned to where the voice came from and was surprised to see Darcel. He turned to face her, and she smiled at him, but he didn’t return it. She fiddled with her fingers as she stared at
53.“I told you it would be worth it,” he smiled, and Samantha beamed like a little kid as she looked around.“I feel like a kid,” she chuckled softly, taking in the view of the river and how the sun sparkled on the water. There was something about it that made her feel happy and at ease. Aiden chuckled and took her hand, leading her to a bench overlooking the river.“Sit down, wifey,” he said, smiling at her. “I want to tell you a story.”Samantha sat down, intrigued. “What kind of story?” she asked, looking up at him.Aiden sat down beside her, putting his arm around her shoulders and he was glad she didn’t seem to mind it. “A story about Detroit,” he said. “About its history, its people, and its heart.”Samantha leaned into him subconsciously, feeling comfortable and safe in his presence. “I'd love to hear it,” she said, smiling up at him.Aiden began to speak, his voice low and soothing. He told her about the city's struggles and triumphs, its music and art, its food and culture.
54.CALIFORNIA Samantha stared out of the window of the car as they drove to the company. She had a good time in Detroit, and she was happy to be back home too. “I got a call from the company, Aiden. California is on fire due to the demonstration at the car show. A lot of businessmen are interested in the self-driving feature. They want to know how you were able to do it. And that’s not all, sales have skyrocketed and believe me when I say, you have a lot of work waiting for you.” Seth announced and Aiden facepalmed.Samantha chuckled. “Seems Aiden got most of the workload.” she teased, and he looked at her.Linda laughed. “You’re faster than your shadow, sister,” she said and Samantha raised an eyebrow. “There are tons of work waiting for you too. Apparently, there are some offers Mr. James can’t accept until you give your consent.”Samantha sighed and facepalmed as well. “I had no idea this new model would get this much attention.” she shook her head.Aiden smiled and held her han
55.DETROIT THE RUSSELL FAMILY MANSIONDarcel arrived home and took a deep breath before turning the doorknob and opening the door. She walked into the spacious living room only to be greeted by the angry faces of her father and the rest of the family. She had been avoiding this and had stayed in a hotel, but she knew she couldn’t hide forever and had to come face her family.“Welcome back, sister.” Shawn, her little brother, smiled and was about to walk up to her but was stopped by her stepmother.“How dare you smile at her after the shame she has brought on herself and the family?” she snapped, glaring daggers at Darcel.Russell, her father, walked to where she stood, the expression of his face unreadable, causing Darcel to wonder if he was mad at her or not.He stopped in front of her, and she looked up at him. “Dad, I—” she didn’t get to complete her statement as his hands connected with her cheeks, giving her a hard slap that sent her to the floor.Darcel placed her palm on her
20.Lucas walked into his Aunt Mary's hospital ward, his heart shattered into a million pieces. The beeping of the machines and the antiseptic smell filled the air, but his senses were numb. He stared at his aunt's unconscious body, her frail form a stark reminder of his own vulnerability.Tears rolled down his cheeks as he recalled Janette's words: "Leave, Lucas." The finality in her voice still echoed in his mind. He felt like he was drowning in a sea of regret."Oh, Aunt Mary," he whispered, his voice cracking. "I've messed up so badly. I've lost her. I've lost Janette."He pulled up a chair and sat beside his aunt's bed, taking her limp hand in his. The warmth of her skin was a faint comfort."Why did I do it, Aunt Mary?" he asked aloud, his eyes welling up with tears. "Why did I cheat on her? Why did I lie to her?"The memories flooded his mind: Janette's laughter, her smile, her tears. He remembered the way she used to look at him, with love and adoration. Now, that same look wa
19.Lucas turned to look at Janette, his eyes filled with hurt. When she told him she had a fiancé, she thought it was all a ploy to get him to leave her alone since she was angry with him. He couldn’t believe she really had a fiancé.Janette looked at him, her expression unreadable. Well… that served him right. He needed to know his place anyway.“Jane,” he called, his voice low and unsteady. “It’s really true? Tell me he is joking.” he looked at Liam, who had a smirk on his face.“Why do you need to know if it’s true or not? Isn’t it obvious,” he walked to where Janette stood and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “She is going to be my wife soon. We are planning our wedding soon.”Lucas ignored Liam and faced Janette. “Tell me, Janette, tell me it’s not true.” he tried to touch her but she moved away from him.She intertwined her fingers with that of Liam and looked at Lucas. “It’s true, Lucas. Liam and I will soon get married.”Lucas felt like a thousand needles had just been
Marilyn chuckled darkly as she continued to pull Chloe's hair. “What does it look like I'm doing, Chloe?” She asked, the bitterness in her voice evident. “Wouldn't it be cool for Mr. Ethan to know that you were spying on him?”“Spying?” Chloe's eyes widened. “I wasn't spying on him. What are you even saying? Let go of my hair right now!” Chloe snapped at her. Marilyn smirked, pulled the hair one more time before letting go of it. Chloe swiftly turned to face Marilyn, her face holding nothing but the anger she was feeling right now. “What did you do that for?” she snapped, and Marilyn chuckled with her arms folded.“You were eavesdropping, so I had to put you in your place. Now let's hear what Mr. Ethan will have to say about it!” she snapped and didn't give Chloe the chance to talk before dragging her into Ethan's office, interrupting him and Alexis.Ethan raised an eyebrow.“Mr. Ethan, it would interest you to know that Chloe here was spying on you and your visitor.” she reported w
Chloe couldn't believe it. Her eyes scanned the variety of food displayed beautifully on the dining table. There was pasta with sauce and meatballs; he even added chopsticks which was her favorite cutlery for when she eats pasta, there was her favorite dessert and cheesecake alongside her favorite drink, strawberry smoothie.A soft music began playing in the background and Chloe felt like she was home. She could feel different emotions all at once; Love, gratitude and happiness. She couldn't believe Ethan went out of his way to do all these for her."Ethan, this is... Wow." she stuttered, her eyes shining with tears.Ethan smiled and led her to the table and pulled out a chair for her. "Sit down, my love," he said, his voice low and husky. Chloe sat down, her heart racing with excitement. Ethan took his place across from her and poured her a glass of strawberry smoothie. "I know how much you love this," he said, his eyes sparkling with love. Chloe took a sip, her eyes never leaving
She doesn't look happy, Easton. She keeps screaming and saying she wants out of here,” He replied, and I sighed, running my hands through my hair. “Can you tell me how you got the famous Nicole Brennan to become your wife?” He asked.“Let's just say we met coincidentally. She was drunk, I was in search of a bride, she proposed to me, I accepted and… here we are.” I narrated to him, and he chuckled, causing me to smile.Apart from Maven, Steve was the only person I could really open up to. He took care of me right from when I was a teenager. He has been my butler from when I was a kid, and whenever I went through a lot and asked him to find his way out of my life, so he wouldn't get hurt, he would always choose to stick with me. We've been through a lot together, and he knew my pains and how to help me manage them. He was like a father figure to me because he did things which my father refused to do for me.I'm lucky to have him.“But why did you accept her proposal? I know you to be a
The drive to his house was taking too long, and it was becoming boring staying inside the car and doing nothing. I turned to look at Easton, but he had a straight expression as he looked ahead.I sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind my ears. This wasn't how I pictured my life to be at all. I was supposed to be on my own, planning my revenge against those dimwits, but here I am, going to live in someone else's house as his wife. No one needs to tell me what can happen if this goes into the news.They'd probably say I seduced him and wanted to use his money to make a comeback.“Aren't we there yet?” I asked him.All I wanted right now was a place to rest my head and get rid of all these thoughts twirling in my head.Easton turned to look at me, his gaze softening. “What? Are you that excited to see where I live, wifey?” He asked and I became annoyed.“Stop calling me your wife, Mr. Easton.” I replied formally, but he shrugged and looked away from me.“You're my wife now, Nicole. Le
~CASSIUS POV~I knew she was going to come to her senses eventually, but I had no idea the tables would turn like this, and she would end up shocking the fucking hell out of me.I stared at her and couldn’t help wondering what changed and why she would announce that I was the one she wanted to get married to out of the blue.I could literally feel the rage emanating from Roman, and it filled me with a certain kind of joy. He had always been irresponsible, prompting the family business to come into my hands after my brother’s tragic death. I practically restructured and reorganized everything, and the company became even better than before. This made Roman hate me, and he was ready to do anything to bring me down.I have no interest in staying there for long since I had my own company, and it is one of the best in the country. I do better on my own, but I won’t watch what my brother built fall to the ground in the hands of his irresponsible son.When I see that he has man up, I will le
~SOPHIA’S POV~I gasped, my lungs burning as if they were desperate to burst free from my chest. Breath filled them like a tidal wave, threatening to drown me from the inside out. My chest heaved, straining against the weight of an invisible force pressing down on me. Panic set in, my heart racing like a runaway train.Suddenly, my eyes snapped open.A blur of colors and shapes swirled above me, slowly taking form. The first thing I noticed was his face – chiseled features, sharp jawline, and piercing gray eyes that seemed to bore into my very soul. Worry etched deep lines into his forehead, and his brows were furrowed in concern.Cassius? Was Cassius dead too? What’s going on?My mind cleared slightly, and I felt a mix of confusion and shock. I tore my gaze from him and looked around. The scent of medicine and antiseptic slid into my nostrils, bringing me to the realization that I was in a hospital. But how? What was I doing in a hospital when I should be dead? I’m sure I’m dead. Ro
My lips curved upwards immediately those words left her. I knew she was not going to refuse the offer, but I was still relieved that she met my expectations.In her eyes, I could see nothing but pain, sorrow, resentment, anger, and a thirst for revenge. The worst thing a man can ever do to a woman is to break her trust and her heart when all she had ever done was love him with all her heart and soul. Once that trust is broken, a woman can go to any length to make that man suffer for every single pain she experienced.Do not underestimate the power of an angry woman, thirsty for revenge.“I’m glad you accepted my proposal, Ms. Zander. Have a seat so we can go over the terms of the contract I have prepared for us.” I gestured to the chair in front of my desk and she sat down.“You knew I was going to come back to you, right? That was why you prepared the contract even before I said yes.” She looked at me, waiting for my answer, while I just smiled at her.Chloe Zander, she was always th