She was an heiress to one of the most prestigious luxury shipping lines in the world, a bi-product of nobility, by birthright, Aurora was meant to oversee multibillion properties and be in charge of the Cunard brand that was well-regarded in the world. But she chose to be an ordinary yet independent woman and pursued a life of service as a cardiothoracic surgeon. To safeguard her family's assets, her parents had to make a deal with someone capable of overseeing something as big and broad as Cunard Shipping while ensuring corporate ownership retains in their bloodline. There was only one way that it can be done. Aurora needed to marry. Not just anyone. She needed to marry someone capable, with a proven track record on managing multi-million properties across all continents, someone their family trusted, and powerful enough to wield authority in handling an inevitable merger. His name was Jared Rickford. Known in the business scene as a ruthless strategist, CEO, President of Rickford Hotels International. Also playboy, ex-military, and a womanizer of the first degree. He was the most unsuitable man Aurora could ever think to be her husband. But she had no choice. She could not play surgeon in the Board Room. She needed the man's expertise to ensure that her family's corporate assets are secured, and she would do anything in her power to safeguard her dying father's legacy. Including agreeing to be married to the devil.
View MoreAurora woke up earlier than usual the following morning. She was not able to sleep soundly, as her mind was constantly thinking about her husband, and their scam marriage. Really, she could not allow her mental health to be so affected by his sudden decision to not have a real marriage with her. She realized that it was her ego that was mostly injured and decided she would not let it affect her deeply. She can definitely control her reactions and her emotions, and it was up to her to make herself comfortable with the arrangement she is with now. Rising from her bed, she brushed her long hair and tied it in a clean pony tail, dressed in a green pullovers and white shorts. After brushing her teeth she went to the kitchen to prepare coffee and breakfast. She was checking the cupboards for the ingredients she was needing, when Penworth greeted her a good morning. “Good morning, my lady,” Penworth quipped. He was wearing his butler uniform and looked like he did not even sleep with how cle
She was getting ready for the gala when she got a call from Louise that she can’t make it due to stomach flu. Aurora knew that her stomach flu was a severe case and is medically diagnosed as GERD which makes her friend uncomfortable for hours in a day. It was not like Louise to cancel the last minute without real reason so Aurora definitely understood that there was real cause for it. She told Louise it was definitely alright and that she can go by herself at the gala. It was not something she was expecting being alone in a gala wherein she was to make her very first speech on behalf of Cunard. But there really was no choice. She had to muster her courage and pray that she would be able to pull it off tonight. She looked at her self in the mirror, her make-up smooth and classic with her dark red lips highlighting her fair skin and gold hair. She knew how to do her own make-up and hair and was satisfied with her job seeing herself in the mirror. Now she needed to dress. Her gown was
The sudden turn of events had her reeling, she had to hug herself in utter confusion. One moment he was being agreeable, affectionate even, flirting with her, asking her for a kiss then after a few minutes, he turned a 180 degree. She felt terrible. What was running on his mind, she did not know. Frankly, he was quite clear what made him change his mind. Being affectionate, teasing, flirting was not part of their arrangement. He realized that asking her to have sex with him was a breach of their marriage of convenience. He was here for a merger, not a marriage. And he was right, it will only complicate things between them. She knew he was not capable of giving her the love she wanted. He was also clear about that. Now that it was fully clear to her that he did not plan or intend to take things further with her, that he really did plan to divorce her after everything was settled in both companies, she needed to do her part as a wife while maintaining a healthy distance. That was what
Preparing for bed, she donned a black cotton tank top and cotton pajamas. She wasn’t wearing any bra so she wrapped herself with her bed robe before she opened her door and went in search for Jared and found him flipping through channels while seated in one of the comfortable couches in the living room, his face brooding as if deep in thoughts with worry and a mix of emotions which she cannot fully identify. As she sat beside him informally, sliding her left leg underneath her as she sat, Jared spoke with just a glance at her direction. “Am I allowed to take a shower?” looking at his bandaged hands. “Yes but you need to wrap your bandaged hands with plastic bag, and patches on the rest of the stitches in your shoulder blades and chest. They can’t get wet in the next 48 hours.” “Fucking unbelievable,” he complained. “I can’t even hold a glass to drink properly.” “It’s just for now,” she appeased. “At least the next 48 to 72 hours while the bandage supp
He arrived in New York earlier than she expected. She was in the kitchen when she heard the apartment door open and his six foot four frame walked in looking crisp and polished. The only deviation are the markings of tattoos in his upper arms that are now visible due to the folded sleeves of his white button down. He looked delicious and when she shifted her gaze to his dark grey eyes, she could not help but swallow a huge lump in her throat. He looked at her with so much intensity, she almost caught her breath. Those eyes were full of desire and she noticed that the man was walking purposefully towards her. She could not take her eyes off of him. She was brought back to her reality when she heard the pasta sauce boil and had to remove her gaze from her husband and focus on the task in front of her. “Flight okay?” she managed to croak. But before she could receive an answer, she felt his arm circle her waist and was pulled against him for a warm embrace. She decided to accep
She woke up with the continuous vibration of her iPhone which she left on the bedside table. They went home later than planned as Jared got waylaid by acquaintances. By the time they were on their way home, Aurora was feeling the signs of migraine and went directly to bed. She was now sitting up in the bed when she heard a knock on her door. “It’s open,” she called out while ensuring that she was covered by the blanket. She only wore her satin night gown and her breasts were evident in them. Jared came in looking fresh out of the shower, wearing a navy button down cleanly tucked under dark pants, and his casual Tod’s loafers. He looked good enough to eat, she realized. How can one man look so ruggedly good-looking, yet polished at the same time? Where is the justice in that? “Good morning,” she said in greeting thankful her voice was steady and firm despite feeling the opposite. He gave her a warm smile “Good morning. Rested well?” he said walking towards the settee located on the l
He had the rest of the afternoon for himself and was grateful for Renata that she did not add more meetings to his day for the first time. He let Sacha drive Aurora to her meetings, and informed Renata to just hire an external chauffeur for him for the day. After his visit to the site and further meetings with Herman and their construction team, he called it a day and decided to do some shopping. Earlier that day, he realized to his utter horror that he has never given Aurora a formal engagement ring, nor a wedding gift. He was not usually negligent with these matters but he had to admit their wedding, then the funeral, then the corporate transitions took a lot of his attention the past few months. It was not an excuse, he admitted and would simply just remedy it as soon as he can. Renata already made an appointment for him at Harry Winston and is a frequent client whenever he wanted to buy blings for his former girlfriends.Aurora was not a girlfriend and an engagement ring
Jared turned on the defensive. He folded his arm across his chest and leaned against the wall putting significant distance between them. “You already rejected me, based on our last conversation. I don’t force myself to someone who obviously does not have any interest in me.” “I did not reject you, I rejected your offer,” Aurora stressed. “Right, because you were asking for certainty that I cannot for the life of me even determine if I was capable of giving. Do you even know how relationships work, Aurora?” “Of course,” she replied strongly. Feeling insulted in his insinuation. “It should be built on a foundation of trust and friendship,” “Which we don’t have,” he pointed out. “What we do have is a genuine mutual attraction which I believe you still hate to admit. I may be wrong on that assumption but this marriage is unconventional in many ways that the wedding vows came first before forming anything of significance between us. There’s an even bigger
Aurora was not sure if she was doing the right thing. The past three weeks she has received numerous emails from the list of charities and organizations that Cunard Shipping Ltd was supporting and it was overwhelming. Their company, now hers and Jared’s has begun communicating to her the schedules of meetings, agenda, gala events and fund raisers stretching six months out into the calendar. Truth be told, she was having a birth pains to what she calls now her full time job. Her profession as a surgeon needed to be placed in the back seat as her focus has now shifted to continuing her late father’s legacy. It was a gift to her soul that Dr. Finnegan has decided and convinced the Board of Directors at Massachusetts General Hospital to keep her maybe not on full-time but as a visiting surgeon.For that she was grateful. Now she finds herself in New York having scheduled a series of luncheons, meetings, and dinners to formally welcome her as patron. She was grateful,
Looking down below from his eighty-six storey building provided him a bird’s eye view of downtown Boston. Skyscrapers stood side by side triumphantly creating vast scenery that can provoke insatiable eyes to experience a bit of envy to the man who was part of such a milieu. He continued to stare, as if examining every part of the city center and drawing them to him, possessing them, leaving a mark of his brilliance for having been able to come out victorious in an industry his father once dominated. A knock was heard and even though he heard it, he did not turn to acknowledge the person who was to enter. After all, there was only one person who was allowed to directly knock and enter his office without further ado. “Leave them at the table, Renata,” he said. He had a profound voice, which was unmistakably cultured and aristocratic. With his back on her, the woman whom he acknowledged as Renata gently placed the fastened folder of documents to the rose wood table. She
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