Elena's POV
Standing in front of the altar, my heart boomed with excitement. I was getting married today and most importantly to the one I love, Pete. Nothing excites me more than having the thought of being with him for the rest of my life. He didn't have much but he was more than what I could ever ask for. I loved him regardless and now, I was about to be his bride. The night he had proposed was the happiest I had ever been. It felt like all my dreams were finally coming true, at once. The cake, decorations and scenery of the place gave it all, everything was so perfect. When he bent down on one knee with his hands stretched out holding the ring, I couldn't contain the amount of excitement bubbling within me. I didn't wait for him to even find his words before shouting “yes” After five years of being together he finally proposed. It felt like my world stopped. The church decor wasn't dreamy or exquisitely luxurious but it was just the perfect fix for me. Simple but tasty. There weren't many people that attended, in fact it was just me and some other random people I didn't know, which was obviously Pete who invited them. The night my parents died was the darkest, seeing their lifeless, cold bodies being dragged out of the ambulance into the operating ward was an image I would never forget. The shock of the accident had left a new void growing inside me,to the extent that I shut out my friends, work colleague and anyone who cared for me My life became meaningless, always gloomy and distant. Not until Pete came in and rekindled the lit out fire inside me. There was a new zeal to live again, to survive. A new purpose to live for. It had been over an hour since the wedding ceremony had started. He should have been here by now. I looked sideways checking if Pete had arrived, but he wasn't there yet. Minutes ticked by, each one heavier than the last. The guests were already getting impatient and had started leaving little by little, leaving only a few people seated. An hour had passed, my heart began to sink, watching as my perfectly planned imaginary wedding was slowly turning into a nightmare. Where was he? I swiftly unlocked my phone calling Pete but he wasn't answering the call, his calls were always diverting to voicemail with every attempt to reach him. Doubts and worry began to knot in my stomach, making it hard to ignore the twisting feeling sinking inside my chest. I looked up apologetically at the priest who was already frowning. I couldn't bring myself to blame him. It wasn't his fault, he must have grown tired of the endless delay. “I'm sorry, please, a little more time,” I pleaded with the priest. Few minutes later, his patients grew thinner and he left the church leaving only me standing at the altar. As seconds grew and the day at its peak, my anxiety grew. Tears flickered in my eyes rolling down with every second that passed. I refused to accept the reality that I was abandoned on the altar by the love of my life.The man I thought I would spend the rest of my life with. Finally defeated by the intensity of my situation I decided to stop sulking and go home for a nice coffee. That's the least I could do. I checked my call log history on my cell phone one more time, maybe he called but I missed it but there was none just the millions of times she had called and texted him but no reply. Suddenly just as all hope was lost, the sound of the church door being open filled the room. My eyes abruptly stared up at the big church door as Pete walked in. Relieve washed over me, as I quickly ran towards him. I didn't even have the strength to lash out on him right now, I just wanted to hug him and let him reassure me that everything was alright. “ Oh Pete” I cried out running down the altar towards him “ where have you been, you made me worried sick. I have been calling on and on but you -” I stopped on track as a blonde lady emerged from behind him. Holding his hand and placing her other hand on his chest seductively. My eyes watered in confusion as a smile crept up on the beauty's face. She wore a cream-colored flare gown and a sparkling necklace that looked quite expensive. She was indeed a beauty that everyone would die for. They looked perfect standing together but the question was, what was she doing with Pete on our wedding day when he's supposed to be with me. I just hope he had a better explanation for this. “Pete? Who is she?” Not wanting to assume or overthink “Why is she putting her hand on your chest? T…te…tell me who she is Pete!!!” I stretched my hands attempting to remove the blonde hand from his chest when he said “ let her be she's my fiance” What! I stopped mid air. My hands slowly dropped to my side. it felt like a ton of needles pricked into my heart, piercing deeply. Everything was starting to fall apart and I could sense this. I stood there fixated on his face searching for clarity but there was none. No expression or sign of guilt at all. Nothing, just an emotionless face. His eyes that looked at me with so much affection were staring straight at me cold as ice. “Pete, do you know what day today is? ” I exclaimed “ it's our wedding day Pete, please don't do this to me” my voice wavering as I tried to hold back the already falling tears Pete jerked my hands off hugging the blonde tightly. “ I'm sorry Elena, but there was never anything between us and will never be” After all those times we shared together, how could he say there was nothing between us so plainly. He turned about to leave when I vigorously turned him in my direction. He wasn't going anywhere until he explained what's going on. “ Why?” I asked “ I want to know how long you've been cheating on me with this cheap slu-” a slap landed on my face that landed her on the icy floor. “ don't you ever touch him again, you bitch” she said. Her voice stinging deep inside. The slap was just a mere touch, nothing compared to the emotionless and disgusting expression on Pete's face. He didn't even stop or do anything; he just stood there looking at me. Tears choked my throat and rolled down my cheeks as I watched the man that I had loved for many years slip out of my hands into another. I couldn't take the humiliation anymore and ran out of the church hastily trying so hard to escape whatever it is that just happened. Just in one day I was happy thinking about my happily ever after but now that had turned into a nightmare. Tears rolled down uncontrollably as I ran through the streets to the unknown destination. If only he had just come up with a better excuse than that he had displayed, maybe things would have been different.Dear Reader, Thank you for choosing to read my work. Please note that there may be some grammatical errors in some parts. I am continually working to improve my writing, and I appreciate your patience and understanding. I hope these minor mistakes do not detract from your enjoyment of the story. Happy reading!
Alex POV The VIP chamber boomed with echoes of laughter, energy and music from the bar downstairs. I drummed my fingers impatiently on my lap as I stared at the exit door of the chamber awaiting the arrival of Catherine. A glass of barley whiskey with a white paper written boldly on it, Marriage Certificate, rested on the table beside me but I wasn't in the mood to drink. I wasn't one who condoled lateness. I hated it more than anything. Catherine was supposed to be here before me waiting for me but now it's the other way round. “ Where the hell is she?”I glared coldly at Peter, my bodyguard who had no clue. “ Sir, I'll go get her,” he replied, still not knowing what to do. He quickly exited the club and almost immediately as he existed did the door swing open with a loud crash. My attention quickly shifted to the door, “ what kept-” instead of Catherine, a drunk woman in a white wedding dress stumbled into the room. Her long, blonde hair roughly playing on her face, her ey
I walked aimlessly on the almost empty street. My chest tightens as tears roll down silently on my cheeks. The early morning rays of sunshine played gently on my skin, caressing it softly. I wasn't sure if I was going in the right direction to my house. All I just wanted right now was to hide myself away from all the chaos surrounding me. How could I have imagined that my seemingly perfect life was now the opposite of what I had feared. In my entire life with Pete I had never anticipated that he would do such things to me. Was I this blinded by the love and affection I so long craved that I ignored the signs even the obvious ones?. The street blurred against my vision as I fought so hard to keep the tears from falling but I couldn't, the pain of betrayal and abandonment by the one person that I could actually turn to was too much for me. Tears of pain kept rolling down as I tried to figure out where everything all started. How it all began, where it all began? These questions
I sat on a bench just outside my apartment staring blankly at nothing. Drifting over the streets but found nothing to hold onto. Nothing was left of me anymore, no place to lay my head, no food, and worst part no money. A breeze playing with my hair strands, scattering it all over my face but I don't care. it didn't matter anymore. When I had seen those frantic texts earlier, my heart raced in my chest in a million marathon. I blinked seeing the figure being withdrawn from my bank account. I opened the bank app hoping it was all a lie, but the numbers remain stubbornly low. Pete and I, life savings were all gone with nothing remaining. A cold sweat broke on my forehead, my hands trembled, unable to hold the phone steady. I knew that when he suggested eagerly to open a joint account for the both of us claiming it was for our future, there was more to it. But I was so blinded with the delusion of being in love. A very stupid choice to make that I regret so dearly now. When t
“We need to talk” The message appeared boldly on my phone screen. I stared intensely at it. My heartbeat was pounding in my ears a little bit louder. I knew who the sender was. Alexander Donovan, one of the most eligible bachelors in the country. A cold and aloof business man, a tyrant in the business world. So does the magazine I always read, says. The stranger I had signed a marriage certificate with forcefully. Being occupied with my feelings for Pete made me forget something this important. A heavy sigh escaped from my mouth. Having nowhere else to go and not wanting to go back to that coven to be dealt with by the memories of Pete, I decided to face this music once and for all. “ Driver, turn the car” I sighed “ take me to blue orchid restaurant” The blue orchid was dimly lit. Filled with exquisite people that screamed wealth and power. As I stepped in, I instantly felt out of place. With my dressing and worn out sneakers, it surely made me stand out. But does It matter,
Elena POV Stepping into Alexander Donovan's world was like consciously stepping into a trap. I knew things would never be the same again but I had no choice, did I?This was my only chance to get back everything that was stolen by Pete and repay him with what he left me.A spineless nobody.I had no one, no family to turn to, so when an opportunity like this was brought to me in a platter of gold, of course, I couldn't allow it to slip from my hands.This was a chance to make things right and if worse comes to worse, I would just face it head-on. A soft knock on the door brought me back to reality. I tucked back a strand of my hair behind my ear as I shoved the last piece of clothes I had.Opening the door, I found a man dressed in a black and white suit with dark shades who took my bags without a word and headed downstairs, leaving me to follow behind, mentally preparing myself for what was to come.We had to live together to make it believable that we were a couple enough. As far
Dear Reader, Thank you for choosing to read my work. Please note that there may be some grammatical errors in some parts. I am continually working to improve my writing, and I appreciate your patience and understanding. I hope these minor mistakes do not detract from your enjoyment of the story. Happy reading!
Elena's POV I woke up feeling sore all over, my eyes still closed, unwilling to face another day in this cage. Exhaling, I massaged my neck before standing up and heading into the bathroom.It's been a week since my pretend marriage with Alex, and it's been hell. I knew I would regret my decisions one way or another, but I never thought it would be this soon.Every day was a different problem. Sometimes, I wish that I wouldn't wake up. It was either a function or a charity event or something I didn't even know that rich people do and now I was under an obligation by the contract not to leave on my own will.I sighed, standing in front of the mirror which revealed a figure I couldn't unrecognize. I could barely recognise myself. Tired, swollen black eyes with no sense of confidence. I look no different from when I was in the hotel. I ran my hand in my hair trying to regain some sense of confidence if I had one. You signed the contract, Elena; you agreed to this It didn't matter how
“ Can I hear two thousand?” I shifted on my seat, my heart pounding loudly in my chest drowning out everything else.Why was my house on display? Didn't Pete sell it to some agency? That shouldn't be my focus now but those questions clouded my thoughts.My nails dug into my skin as I tightened my fist. I had no money to compete with these rich dogs that screamed of arrogance.All I could do was watch helplessly as my house was auctioned off. UnlessI glanced at Alex, who looked uninterested in what was going on. I bit my lower lips mustering up the courage before my last chance slipped away. “ Alex,” I tugged at his arm.He shifted his gaze to me and I gulped. He was my only option if I wanted to get my house back. This was my chance and I wouldn't waste it“ Alex, can you bid for this house, it's very important to me” he didn't say anything but just stared at me as the bidding fee got higher. “ Please”, my voice raised impatiently.“ I don't waste money on unimportant things,” he
Elena POV Nick “I thought you had left?” I whispered while walking to him.“ Left? Well I was supposed to buy them. His majesty had important documents to sort out and I had to help even though I'm not his assistant. He really needs one don't you think?” He smirked at me and I pulled him away from the door.“ Com’on I'm hungry, wanna eat?” Without allowing him to respond, I dragged him all the way down to the kitchen. Once I was in the kitchen I let out a breath that I was holding all the way through. Some part of me thanked God it wasn't Alex because what could I have done.How could I have reacted? What could I have said?I opened the refrigerator trying to get something to fix myself and Nick when he suddenly said, “ don't you think you should also fix some for Alex he seems to want it more than I do”I took a bottle of orange juice and a half eaten cake out of the fridge turning to him with a glare. “ When you're done making me seem like a bad person, make sure to cut me some
Elena POV “ She’s our mother,”he said quietly, his voice almost too soft to hear.Another bombshell. I froze.“What?”Nick’s jaw tightened, and for the first time, he looked genuinely uncomfortable. “The woman you saw with Alex. She’s not his wife. She’s our mother.”My brain couldn’t process the words. It felt like the floor had been ripped out from under me.“Wait… what?”Nick sighed, running a hand down his face. “I was going to tell you but I didn't think it was necessary at that point but now I feel like you should know since it's going to affect something dear to you.”I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest. “You’re serious?”“Yeah,” he said. “Dead serious.”For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. My mind was racing, trying to piece everything together, but it wasn’t making sense.Alex had told me that she was dead so how was is it possible that she was alive and healthy? This all doesn't make sense.“After you disappeared, I had no choice but to go back to the Donovan
The moment those words left my mouth I knew I would regret it. He stood up staring at me, his expression unreadable. The room, which had already been deathly silent, now felt dangerously dead. I heard the sharp inhale of breath from someone—Jane, maybe. The sound of shifting bodies. But my attention was locked on Alex. He didn’t move. Didn’t react. Just stood there, staring at me, his expression unreadable. The tension was suffocating. I should have felt victorious. But for some reason, I felt like I had just stepped too close to the edge of a cliff. My head was spinning, my vision getting blurrier. I wanted to steady myself but I couldn't hold it anymore so I placed my hands on the table too. Then— Alex turned. Just like that. Without a single word, he straightened, adjusting his cufflinks with precise, measured movements then he looked at Grace. "Take her home," he said. His tone was calm—too calm. One that's distant and sent a shiver through my bones. Grace hesitated
Elena POV Laughter bubbled around the table in the private suite that Alex of course arranged. The low hum of chatter and clicking glasses filling the dimly lit room.Right on the table on front of me were grilled meat and expensive whiskey. That's not all cause they were varieties of foods lined up on the table too. Even though everybody were busy chattering away and having the time of their life I couldn't ignore the cold presence and piercing eyes boring into me.Alex sat directly across from me. He was quite an unreasonable expression plastered on his face. Jos arms stretched to the sofa leaning on it his head tilted back.Even though I didn't want our eyes to met, my gaze flickeredbtowards him every minute but he's didn't. He was watching me - no studying me - like he wanted to devour me.My fingers tightened under the table. I bit my lower lips forcing myself to be distracted and not think about him. I refuse to give him that satisfaction.As I was deep in my thoughts Jane sn
Elena POV He studied me for a moment before speaking. “ Here” he pushed a box of food to my front. “You didn't eat lunch today.” I stiffened, caught off guard by the unexpected shift but my face remained unfazed. “I did.” His brow lifted slightly. “You barely left your office.” I looked away, not wanting to meet his eyes as irritation flaring in my chest. “I wasn’t hungry and I'm not now.” Silence stretched between us. When I finally glanced back at him, his gray eyes were unreadable, his dark eyes making my heart clench. He looked slightly disheveled but still had a God-like appearance. Looking at him closer you would see the dark circles that had formed under his eyes. I clenched the hem of my shirt biting my lips. Why was he looking like this? Doesn't he rest? No, Alex cares about his appearance as he does about his business, just a mere argument between us won't affect him. “Elena…” His voice was softer now, but before he could say anything else that would make me chan
Elena POV “ Madam?” The maid called softly at the other side of the door.I stood up without responding and walked towards the door. “ Yes?”I opened it to reveal the maid with a trolley and on it the exact same food I saw in Alex's study.“ What is all this?” I asked, my eye brow knitting in confusion“ Mr Alex said to bring this to you as he noticed you've been in your room and probably haven't had anything yet to eat.” She said with a smile on her face.“ and I have microwaved it, ma’am”"This is ridiculous," I muttered under my breath, staring at the food for a while before stepping aside for her to take it inside the room.I sat in front of the food not knowing whether to eat or not. Not like there's something wrong with the food.As a matter of fact I was so famished but for what reason, because I didn't want to face the woman that I sat in her position with.I was ashamed of myself even after knowing he had a wife. I still stayed and allowed myself to fall for him.No.It's al
Elena POV Silence spread throughout the room like wildfire. It took a while before I could look up at Alex again.I looked at him waiting, searching and anticipating his reaction. He just tilted his head back, the before amusement leaving his eyes and replaced with a sudden chill that could suppress me whole.I couldn't tell from his reaction what he was thinking. He just looked at me with a calm expressionless face like the words I said didn't border him.I steadied my nerves, biting my lips “ last night…”“ What happened last night?” He asked, his voice echoing like a beating drum.“ Last night we..” I paused, coming to a realisation. “ Mr Alex, I don't need to remind you of what occured between us last night. It was a mistake that won't happen again”I tried sounding as nonchalant as possible even though inside me was raging for no apparent reason. It's not like we did something intense yesterday night.We're adults, aren't we?I could see the muscle in his jaw tick, but he remain
Elena's POV For the rest of the day I stayed in my room, not wanting to come face to face with his wife.I'm sure she must have heard of me taking her position and must have some disdainful thoughts towards me but that's less of my worries right now.Infact I shouldn't be even thinking about it too much. All I should do now is secure my exit from this place so I won't get hurt too much.Whatever happened between me and Alex was far from anything meaningful. It was nothing. A mistake that shouldn't have happened. Normally I thought that him showing some care after that incident at the club would account that he has feelings for me or the night that he held me shielding me from the horrifying sounds of thunder, I thought he might have some feelings for me.Whether he did or didn't, it doesn't matter. Nothing matters now that his real wife is back with his child.Everything we've shared, all memories, would be gone within a twinkle of an eye.I wasn't from his world but I came into it
Elena POV The next morning, a light tickling sensation on my face stirred me from sleep. Without opening my eyes, I instinctively swatted at it, unwilling to wake up just yet. A comforting warmth surrounded me, unfamiliar yet oddly familiar, pulling me deeper into its embrace. It was so soothing that I instinctively snuggled closer, seeking more of it. As I nestled into the warmth, a strong hand suddenly wrapped around me, pulling me in completely. My cheek rested against a firm, warm surface, and curiosity made my fingers trail over it absentmindedly—until a deep, rumbling hum cut through the silence. “ Haven't had enough, cupcakes?” My eyes flew open, and my body went rigid. I was lying on top of Alex's shirtless chest! What the hell? Realization hit me like a shockwave, and I immediately tried to pull away. But before I could move, his arms tightened around me, holding me in place. He bent his head slightly, his lips brushing against my collarbone, sending an unexpecte