Alexis, the sheltered daughter of a wealthy family, is engaged to Ryan, a charming but untrustworthy man. Her world shatters when an anonymous message leads her to discover Ryan’s affair with her best friend, Sophia. Torn and betrayed, Julian, a rival from another influential family, offers a lifeline, an unexpected proposal for a contract marriage.
View MoreThe following day, Elliot called her back, his tone unusually hesitant.“Sophia, I’ve scoured everything, his emails, phone records, financial transactions, even his personal devices,” Elliot said. “I can’t find a single link tying Ryan to the manuscript leak.”Sophia frowned, gripping the phone tighter. “That’s impossible. He had access to my credentials. He’s the only one who could’ve done it.”“I know what you’re saying,” Elliot replied. “But whoever orchestrated this was meticulous. If Ryan was involved, he didn’t leave any fingerprints. It’s almost like the work of someone who knew exactly how to erase their tracks.”Sophia’s stomach twisted.Elliot wasn’t someone who failed easily. If he couldn’t find anything, it meant the person behind this was not just clever but expertly so.“Are you saying I have no leads?” she asked, her frustration bubbling to the surface.Elliot hesitated. “Not entirely. I found traces of a third party encryption tool, something high level, professional
Inside the ward, Ryan turned to Sophia, his expression softening.“Are you okay?” he asked, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.Sophia nodded, her tears drying up almost instantly. “I’ll be fine,” she said, her voice steadier now.Ryan sighed, sitting down beside her. “I promise I’ll protect you and the baby. No one’s going to hurt you, not Alexis, not anyone.”Sophia’s eyes flickered with an emotion Ryan couldn’t quite place.She reached out to take his hand, her grip firm.“Thank you, Ryan,” she said softly. “I know I can count on you.”But as she lay back against the pillows, a small smirk played at the corners of her lips.Alexis may have walked out of the room, but Sophia knew she had won this round. And she wasn’t about to let anyone, or anything, take away the upper hand she had worked so hard to gain.As Ryan adjusted his jacket and prepared to leave Sophia’s hospital room, she cleared her throat, stopping him mid step.“Ryan,” she said, her voice sharper now, shedding
Julian paced the office, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. His mother, Ryan, Sophia, they had all played a part in this mess. But Alexis was the one paying the price."Julian," Victoria said, her voice softer now. "If I may, are you sure this is just about protecting Alexis? Or is there more to it than that?"Julian paused, turning to face her.For a moment, he said nothing, his expression unreadable. Then, he sighed. "I don’t know," he admitted. "It started as a game. A way to settle old scores. But somewhere along the way, it became more. She became more."Victoria studied him for a moment before nodding. "Then you know what you need to do."Julian didn’t reply. Instead, he picked up his phone and dialed a number, his jaw set with determination.Meanwhile, at Montgomery Group, Alexis just got in her office when her sister Sarah burst through the door, her face flushed with urgency."Alexis," Sarah said, holding up her phone. "You’re not going to believe this."Alexis looked up from
Julian didn’t respond immediately.Her words lingered in the air, challenging him in a way he hadn’t expected.Was he putting Alexis first?Or was he still driven by the ghosts of his past?For now, he pushed those thoughts aside. Protecting Alexis was his priority, everything else could wait.Evelyn rose from her chair, smoothing her skirt. "I’ll hold you to your word, Julian," she said, her tone formal but not unkind.He stood as well, offering a small nod. "You have my word."As he left the Montgomery residence, Julian felt a strange mix of emotions.Evelyn’s cautious approval was unexpected, but it only reinforced the weight of his responsibility. He couldn’t afford to falter, not now, not ever.Driving away, his mind was already racing with thoughts of his next move.Sophia and Ryan had crossed a line, and if protecting Alexis meant confronting his own conflicted feelings, then so be it.His focus was clear, uncover the truth, protect his wife, and ensure no one, especially the M
“Julian,” she finally said, her voice trembling slightly.He crossed the room in a few strides, pulling a chair close to sit in front of her. “I'm here.”Alexis looked down at her hands, her fingers twisting together nervously. “I didn’t push her, Julian. I swear I didn’t. She tripped, and I tried to catch her, but...” Her voice broke, and she shook her head. “It doesn’t matter what I say. No one’s going to believe me.”Julian reached out, taking her hands in his. “It matters to me,” he said firmly. “And I believe you.”Tears welled in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. “It’s a circus out there. Reporters are camped outside the gates, and social media is tearing me apart. My father is furious, my mother is worried, and I don’t know what to do.”“You’re not alone in this, Alexis,” Julian said, his tone gentle but resolute. “We’ll figure it out. I’ll make sure the truth comes out.”Alexis pulled her hands away, standing abruptly and walking to the other side of the room. “What
The hotel lobby had been bustling with late night travelers, but she had barely noticed them, her vision blurred by tears of anger and humiliation.Her feet had carried her to a nearby bar, one she had frequented before with her friends. The music had been loud, the lights dim, and the crowd rowdy. It was the perfect place to drown her frustration.That night, she hadn’t been alone for long. Two of her male friends, Lila and Ethan, had been there, already a few drinks in. They had waved her over, their faces lighting up when they saw her.“Sophia!” Lila had exclaimed, sliding a drink her way. “What’s a queen like you doing here alone?”She had smiled weakly, taking the drink and downing it in one go. “Just needed to get out. Ryan’s being... Ryan.”Lila and Ethan had exchanged knowing looks. They had never liked Ryan, always quick to point out his flaws whenever Sophia vented about him.“You deserve better,” Ethan had said, his tone serious despite the playful smirk on his lips. “Why d
The doctor looked between the two of them and then spoke calmly but firmly. “Miss Sophia, you’re pregnant. About eight weeks along, based on the results of your blood work.”The room fell silent, the words hanging heavily in the air. Sophia’s eyes widened in shock, her lips parting as if to say something, but no sound came out.Ryan’s expression shifted from confusion to disbelief. “Pregnant?” he echoed, his voice low and strained.Sophia finally managed to find her voice, though it was barely above a whisper. “That’s... that’s impossible. I mean... I...”The doctor raised a hand gently. “I understand this might be unexpected, but I recommend you start prenatal care as soon as possible. Rest is crucial, especially after today’s incident. I’ll give you some referrals for an OB GYN to follow up with.”He placed a pamphlet on the bedside table and left the room, leaving Ryan and Sophia to process the bombshell in stunned silence.Ryan ran a hand through his hair, pacing again. “Pregnant,
One thing was clear, Julian couldn’t let this slide.His mother and Ryan had crossed a line, and he wouldn’t stand by and let them hurt Alexis any further.The cafeteria buzzed with quiet conversations as Alexis sat at a corner table, her hands gripping the edge of her coffee cup.She had chosen the place carefully, a quaint café tucked away from the busy streets, offering a semblance of privacy.Her heart pounded as she waited for Sophia, the weight of the earlier meeting and the mounting suspicions gnawing at her.The bell above the door jingled, and Alexis looked up to see Sophia entering. Her expression was guarded, and her heels clicked sharply against the floor as she approached the table.“You wanted to meet?” Sophia said curtly, sliding into the chair opposite Alexis.Alexis didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “Thank you for coming. I wanted to talk about the logs.”Sophia arched a brow, her lips pressing into a thin line. “I already told you, I didn’t do anything. If this is
Alexis gestured for Ethan to sit, her focus sharpening.Ethan placed his laptop on the desk and opened a detailed report. “We’ve been combing through the access logs for the design server. So far, there’s no evidence of an external breach, which strongly suggests this was an internal issue.”Alexis frowned, leaning over the screen. “So, someone from the company leaked the manuscript?”Ethan nodded grimly. “It’s looking that way. Only a select group had access to this particular design file, yourself, the head designers, and a few key members of the marketing team. We’ve narrowed down the list of activity during the suspected timeframe.”He tapped a few keys, bringing up a chart. “Here are the access records from the last 48 hours. You’ll see that most logins were routine, except for one unusual activity early yesterday morning.”Alexis’s eyes scanned the chart, her pulse quickening when she noticed the flagged entry. “Whose login is this?”Ethan hesitated before replying. “Sophia’s.”
The world was exactly as it should be for Alexis Montgomery. At twenty five, she seemed to have it all, an enviable life wrapped in layers of wealth and luxury, one that sparkled with an untouchable gloss of privilege.Alexis, the only daughter of Henry Montgomery, was born into a legacy of riches and influence. Her father, a magnate in the real estate business, had built an empire that stretched across continents, and with it, a life for Alexis that most could only dream of.Her days were filled with the ease of someone who had never had to worry about where the next dollar would come from or how she would pay for anything.The mansion she lived in, nestled in the most exclusive neighborhood of the city, had been her playground since childhood.The sprawling gardens were perfectly manicured year round, and inside the house, rooms were filled with priceless art and antique furniture from across the globe.She had grown up surrounded by elegance, crystal chandeliers, velvet curtains, m...
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
Comments