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 She picked up the phone with excitement clearly showing on her face as her eyes sparkled.“ Oh I forgot! Alex, you and Elena, dear,” she took my hand, “will be going on a vacation to Sweden.” her excitement bubbling more “ I have reserved a nice place for you guys to bond”I didn't know what to feel. I just looked at Alex, hoping he would refuse this, and he didn't fail.“ Nana, no one's going anywhere “ he said “ I am busy and I still have to”“ I have cancelled all your appointments and your schedules, so you have no excuse,” she interrupted. “ But Nana”“ No buts, you're going whether you like it or not,” she demanded, shooting him a death glare “Wonder why she fell in love with you” she teased“ Just as you fell in love with Grandpa”, he shot back, making her stand, dragging his ears, and cursing him.I just smiled, looking down. There was something about their relationship I wish I had. The love they shared for each other was undeniable and It made me feel a little b
Elena POV I stepped back, not wanting him close. My back hit the wall behind me, letting him close the distance between us, leaving us in a breath of space.“ Then what are you doing walking in front of my study at this time of the night” he leaned in, his voice dropped to a murmur, low and chilling.A jolt of pain shot through my body as my legs stepped on the broken vase, a gasp escaping my lips “ Ouch,” I hissed, glancing down to see blood beginning to pool beneath my bare foot.Alex's gaze shifted instantly, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the blood. In one swift move, he dropped his cold demeanour, replacing it with concern.“ You're bleeding” he muttered, his voice laced with concern. Without a word, he scooped me up in a bridal style.“I'm fine” I protested, my cheeks flushing at the sudden closeness. Forgetting that I was in the hands of someone who was threatening to kill someone a while ago. But he ignored me, walking towards our room.He lay me on the bed gently, grabbi
Elena POV Both of our attention turned to where the sound came from. It turns out it was just a maid being reckless. Alex, on the other hand, didn't want to leave me alone. He just stood there with his back facing me. After several failed attempts to convince him, I gave upI decided to bathe with him there, making it the most uncomfortable and the longest bath I’d ever had.After bathing he scooped me up as usual, in a bridal style, then carried me to the dresser. “ I can walk, you know” I insisted.“ And I can see that” he replied teasingly, setting me on the chair to face the mirror. I thought he was going to leave me now but he took the hair dryer and began using it on my hair.His hand tangled with my hair making me flench a little. I could hear my heartbeat reverberating in my ear, quickening with every second.As much as I liked this treatment it wasn't something I was used to. Pete never had time to do these things or even think of doing them.This attention, this care, none
Elena's POV Would I call what I was feeling jealous? No. I refuse to feel that way even though it was disappointing to know that he had a family. Nana wasn't aware of it as far as I'm concerned, or was she? For the past two weeks, I had tried my best to keep my distance, reminding myself that what I had felt before was just an illusion. It was a fleeting mistake that I thought there were men like him, after all, who had hearts behind those cold demeanours. But I was wrong. What if I was the one in her position? I wouldn't like it. With everything I had gone through, I felt and understood her pain. Even though I knew nothing about their relationship, that night when I overheard him talking to someone threateningly, it kept playing on my mind. Maybe she was the other one at the end of the call. Maybe not. Either way, I shouldn't care. As a matter of fact, I shouldn't be giving a shit about his private life. Keep it low and simple. My work here was simple: to only be his
Elena's POV " Wha…what are you doing here?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.Nick Jackson, my good old friend from high school. I never thought I'd see anyone from high school as I shut everyone out of my life.I totally disconnected myself from the outside world., My life was just based on going to work, coming back home, eating, sleeping, and then doing it all again.There was nothing special about my life back then. Well…not until you know who came. I guess because of the depressed state I was in, I took my illusions way beyond making me blind to reality.Nick and I weren't very close back at school, but we had a history. He was always this kind of nerdy guy in class, and I was his seat partner.But why was he here with someone like Alex? Nick's eyes darted nervously, his glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose like they always do back in school.He pushed them back up, smiling. Alex stood there, radiating confidence. I could feel his gaze on me but I didn't care.“
Elena POV “ Elena” Alex called“ I'll get ready for the dinner party shortly.” I wiggled my hands in his grip but the more I struggled, the more they became tighter.“ Elena,” he called again, his voice low.This time I turned but didn't look at him. I didn't want him to see my eyes swollen and filled with tears. I didn't want him to know I was crying earlier. That might make him feel more mighty and self-important.“ Look at me” he said, raising my face to look at him, but I averted my eyes the other way. I didn't want to see him or talk to him.One other rule that I had forgotten in the contract was not to get too close, or else I'd get burnt. But I did get close and now I'm burnt. “ Please,” and I did. His eyes were beautiful as ever holding a hint of calmness and vulnerability. It was different from the last time he consoled me. More earnest, almost charming.I stayed locked on them for a while before looking away again. “ Mr Donovan,” I locked eyes with him once again, tryin
Elena POV I took my phone dashing out of the house so pissed that the death glares I gave Mike and James, the two body guards, didn't dare to stop me.As soon as I was out of that bombshell I sat down near a fountain at the park still fuming with anger that the reason wasn't best known to me.“ How dare he” I said, talking to myself, “ darling?” I huffed repeating what the unknown person said “ more like devil”He couldn't even excuse himself before taking the call, answering it in front of me like it was nothing.Of course, what was I annoyed about? It was nothing after all. I'm so stupid to think this would be something between us. Maybe we could have grown something between us.Argh, what am I saying? Jeez, I knew from the beginning that whatever was between us would always be a business proposal, it's not like he would even think of me in that direction.I mean, look at me, I'm broke with nothing to claim account for, I can't even match his status one bit or even be as prettier a
Elena POV After our breakfast, Alex went to the balcony to answer a business call while I cleaned up the dishes. Once I was through with the dishes I decided to take a nap. As I walked towards the room I glanced back at Alex, his back facing me, the sun shining on him like it was a stage show.His broad shoulders and godly figure attracted me the most. I bit my lower lips slightly, unconsciously staring at every motion he made while still on the call.In my eyes everything he did was in slow motion like in those movies where a mysteric being from another universe, every effect it made was what I was seeing.His hair was rough and unstyled, bare chest with six or eight packs I couldn't care less, with his lower body covered in joggers.I exhaled unknowingly. He looked like a damn demi god. I leaned on the handrail of the staircase daydreaming and smiling sheepishly into nothing.I heard a faint distant voice calling out my name and couldn't seem to fathom where the distant voice cam
Elena POV I stood in front of the counter, slicing my veggies for the omelet. I wonder if Alex would also want one. This looked familiar, oh yes, I used to make this for Pete back in those times when I was stupidly in love. I chuckled, crazy, cause after taking my time to make him breakfast every morning he skips it and when he doesn't he finds fault in it.It's either it wasn't cooked properly or it doesn't have enough salt or veggies. This made me so unconfident about my cooking skills.Not knowing he was sleeping around with another woman only for me to be cooking for him and sheltering him. Wasn't I ever enough for him? Does our relationship, the time we spent together, didn't they mean anything to him before he thought of leaving me for that blondie?I wonder if I was ever going to find him and get my father's house back? So many questions that I kept asking myself and haven't been answered yet.And what scares me the most are these tingling feelings I feel towards Alex that
Elena's POV I woke up feeling all wasted. My head felt like tons of bricks were thrown on it.“ Argh” I exclaimed, sitting up slowly as I held my head. I rubbed my temples thinking it would ease the pain, my eyes darting around till I spotted Alex half naked with his shirts off on the bed.My eyes widened, my throat hinged, my chest pounding as I imagined all the fantasies that must have happened last night.Suddenly I screamed, grabbing the pillow beside me and chucked it at his head.“Alex!”“Hmmm” Alex groaned, tugging at the pillow like it was an annoying flu and shifting uncomfortably to face me. “ Why can't you just let me sleep this morning?” he complained, his deep voice echoed and if I wasn't freaking out I would have found it attractive.First off, “ Why are you here?” I asked tugging him to open his eyes. “ omg did we?”“ You don't remember last night?” He asked, looking at me.I clutch my blanket tightly to my chest trying to make sense of the situation.My clothes were
Alex POV Running around the streets like a lunatic following a lunatic. If any paparazzi saw this right now, I could be headlined Alexander Donovan caught running with his drunk wife in the night or even worse.“ Elena!” I shouted her name “ stop right there” but she didn't. It was as if she was aiming for a particular destination I wasn't sure about. If I had known, I would have taken the car or better still never have brought her out for a drink and let her drink this much.Suddenly, after what seemed to be an endless race finally stopped.I bent to catch my breath before walking to her. As I walked over to her now on the floor sleeping, I noticed my car just a few metres away from where we were.“ What the fuck!”Wait, did she just make me race with her all round just to end up back at the same place?I sighed, gritting my teeth as I looked at the already asleep Elena on the cold concrete floor.“ Come on, let's get you home”I carried her in one lift and soon got to the car and
Elena POV His phone vibrated in his pocket interrupting him. He turned to pick it up. “ What!?” he exclaimed aloud. “ Listen,” he looked back at me then forward which made me curious because he stepped a foot further from me. I wonder why he always hide himself from everybody like he had some secret that he enclosed and kept away from anyone and it would be hard to pry into his life. The noise of the children and excitement clouded what he was saying on the phone and I couldn't hear anything. A few minutes passed and he was done with this mysterious call. He walked back to me like nothing happened. “ What was it?” I asked as he was now near me. “ It was nothing, just Nick having trouble with the company” he answered. “Okay” I nodded, not wanting it to seem like I'm interested in anything related to him. “ Ok, so, do you want to join me at the bar?” A few drinks wouldn't hurt at all. In fact I needed it to clear my head from everything that had happened in these weeks.
Elena's POV The line for the rides was long, and Alex stood next to me, hands stuffed in his pockets, looking around like he was trying to figure out what to do with himself.“So,” he said after a while, his tone casual. “When’s the last time you did something like this?”I crossed my arms and looked ahead at the people waiting. “I don’t know. Maybe when I was a kid.”He nodded like that made sense. “Same. My parents didn’t really do amusement parks.”I turned to him, caught off guard by how real he sounded. “And now you’re here? Why?”He shrugged, a small grin forming. “Thought it’d be fun. And maybe you’d like it.”I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I didn’t. We just stood there quietly until it was finally our turn to get on the roller coaster.The attendant checked the harness on me, and we both entered the carbin. The attendant closed the door and the ride started, climbing higher and higher. My heart was in my throat as I stared down at how far up we were going.I glance
Alex POV “ Hey” I said softly.She looked up at me, her eyes tired for some reason. “ Hey”I walked over, my left hand in my pocket while the other loosened my tie, I gulped, “ Would you like to go out with me?”She blinked, confused. “What?”“To the amusement park,” I said quickly. “Just… a friendly date. We could go on the rides and just have fun. Normal things, nothing more.”She hesitated, biting her lip. “ Why should I do that? ”she asked.“ I just want us to get along well that's all” I said, trying to sound convincing. “ You can't stay at home and not go out. But if you don't want to it's fine”She looked at me for a few seconds as if trying to measure the possible danger if she'd go out with me.“Okay,” she whispered, after what seemed like eternity.“Okay,” I said, smiling a little.It wasn’t much, but it was a start._______________________________________Elena POV I watched Alex as he loosened his tie, looking less like the icy CEO I was used to and more…human. He seemed
Elena POV My heart was pounding very fast, I looked around feeling a little bit suffocated, my body heavy as I felt goosebumps on my skin. My hand racked my hair as I held my head feeling headache building up. He had left me again. He promised, he promised he wouldn't leave me alone and now he had. Lucas, Lucas what if he finds me here, what if he comes to get me and do those stuff he did to me that night. Tears stinging my eyes as I felt my chest become heavy. I need to get out of here, I need to leave this place before he finds me. I rushed to the door, opening it. Two black men in suits, one with dark sunglasses on and the other without one. They both turned to my direction “ Ma’am please get inside” the one with glasses said, approaching me. I stepped back looking at them frantically. Who were they? Are they here to take me back to Lucas? No, I will not surrender to them “ I will not” I shouted rushing past them but his second grabbed me while I struggled to release m