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In the Heat of Desire
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2024-11-06 23:17:26Related chapters
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Hospital visit
Despite resting for several days, Elara’s symptoms persisted. The waves of nausea that hit her each morning were becoming impossible to ignore, and even her favorite coffee now turned her stomach.The medicine she’d been taking barely touched the edges of her discomfort. Every morning, she found herself rushing to the bathroom, grateful that her private office suite had its own facilities.“You should really see a doctor,” Mia, her assistant, said one morning after finding Elara hunched over her desk. “You’ve been pale as a ghost all week. And don’t think I haven’t noticed you skipping your morning meetings.”She waved off her concern, though her hands trembled slightly. “I’m fine. It’s probably just stress from the Morrison merger.”“You’ve never let stress affect you like this before,” Mia pressed, setting a cup of ginger tea on Elara’s desk. “And you haven’t touched coffee in days. That’s not like you at all.”Later that afternoon, as she stared at her calendar and counted backwards
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Away from everything
The next morning, Elara waited patiently as Damian got ready for work. She’d told him she wasn’t feeling well and would stay home to rest today. As he leaned down to kiss her forehead goodbye, guilt twisted in her stomach at the deception.“Are you sure you’ll be okay alone?” Damian asked, his dark eyes filled with concern. “I can work from home today if you need me.”Elara managed a weak smile, pulling the covers up higher. “No, you go ahead. I just need some sleep. I’ll be fine by the time you get back.”After Damian finally left, Elara sprang into action. She rushed through her morning routine, her hands trembling slightly as she applied her makeup. The pearl necklace Damian had given her caught her eye in the mirror, and she touched it gently, drawing strength from what it represented.She chose her outfit carefully. A tailored navy blue suit that projected both confidence and respectability. If she was going to confront Serena Blackwood, she needed every advantage she could get.—
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Left
Rain pelted against the windows of Elara’s car as she sped toward the hospital. Her mother had been admitted there for months.“James?” Elara called her younger brother as she parked. “Pack your essentials and Mom’s medication. We’re leaving Texas today.”“What? Elara, what’s going on?” Her twenty-year-old brother’s voice was thick with confusion.“I’ll explain everything later. Just do as I say. And James? Don’t tell anyone where you’re going.”She rushed through the familiar corridors to her mother’s room. Rose sat in bed looking frail, but better than she had in days. James was already there, his confused eyes meeting Elara’s as she entered.“Elara?” Rose reached for her daughter’s hand. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”“Mom, we need to leave. Now.” Elara began gathering her mother’s belongings. “I’ve booked us flights to California. We leave in three hours.”“Flights? But Mom is still recovering,” James protested.“Your sister wouldn’t do this without reason,” Rose said quietly, studyin
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Searching
Damian Blackwood stood in his empty office, staring at his phone for the hundredth time that day. No calls. No messages. No trace of Elara since yesterday. The evening sun cast long shadows across the marble floors, highlighting the emptiness of the space that had felt so alive just days ago when Elara’s laughter filled these rooms.A half-empty wine glass sat on the coffee table – Victoria’s lipstick staining its rim. The sight of it made his stomach turn. He grabbed the glass and hurled it against the wall, watching it shatter into a thousand glittering pieces. Like his life. Like his heart.“She’s not coming back, is she?” Victoria’s voice cut through his thoughts. She lingered in the doorway, fully dressed now in her designer suit, her expression unreadable. The confidence she’d worn like armor earlier had cracked, revealing uncertainty beneath.“Get out.” His voice was ice, each word precisely chosen and delivered with deadly calm. “And give me back that key.”“Damian, please. Let
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Damian
The California sun mocked Damian as he stepped out of his third meeting that week with yet another dead-end private investigator. Five months of searching, and Elara’s trail had gone cold after LAX.The medical transport company’s records indicated that Rose Hart had been discharged to a private residence, but the address led to an empty vacation rental in Malibu. He loosened his tie, feeling the familiar weight of exhaustion settling over him.The manila folder in his hand contained photos of a dozen different women who matched Elara’s description, none of them her. His investigators had checked every high-end medical facility within a hundred miles of Los Angeles, every private OB-GYN practice that might cater to someone seeking discretion.His phone buzzed – Marcus.“Sir, we found James Hart.”Damian’s heart rate spiked. “Where?”“Seattle. He’s working as a software engineer for a startup. But...” Marcus hesitated. “It’s as if he knew we were coming. By the time our team arrived at
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Serena
The Vancouver lead had been another dead end. Maria Santos disappeared into the labyrinth of the city’s suburbs, leaving Damian with nothing but more questions and a growing sense of unease. Yet, it was the doctor’s name from the ultrasound that kept him awake at night, haunting him with its familiarity.Dr. Sarah Chen.He sat in his temporary Vancouver apartment, surrounded by papers and laptop screens.“Marcus,” he barked into his phone. “Find everything you can on Dr. Sarah Chen.”Within an hour, his security chief had compiled a preliminary report. Sarah Chen, now a respected OB-GYN in San Francisco, had maintained a low profile over the years. No social media presence, no public records beyond her medical license, and a modest condo purchase three years ago.Too low of a profile.“Sir,” Marcus’s voice crackled through the speaker. “There’s something else. Dr. Chen’s condo? It was purchased through a shell corporation. The same structure used by some of your mother’s smaller holdi
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Mother
Damian’s eyes fluttered open to a blinding white light. His head pounded, and his shoulder ached with a dull, throbbing pain. As his vision cleared, he found himself in an unfamiliar room - sterile and clinical; the kind found in a hospital.“Welcome back, Mr. Blackwood.” A woman in a pristine white coat stepped into his line of sight, her expression neutral. “I’m Dr. Novak, the attending physician. How are you feeling?”Damian tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness swept over him. “What happened? Where am I?”Dr. Novak approached the bed, her movements measured. “You were involved in an accident, Mr. Blackwood. You sustained a gunshot wound to your shoulder. We’ve treated the injury, but you’ve been unconscious for the past three days.”Accident? Gunshot wound? Damian’s mind raced, but the details remained elusive, like trying to grasp at wisps of smoke. “I don’t... I don’t remember.”“That’s not unexpected,” Dr. Novak said. “The trauma to your head caused some temporary memory los
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Rest well son
Serena watched impassively as the doctor tended to Damian, her mind racing with a mixture of triumph and bitter resentment. After all these years, her carefully constructed web of lies had finally come to light.Elizabeth. The mere thought of that name sent a spike of pure venom through Serena’s heart. Her sister, the golden child of their father, and the beloved wife of Richard Blackwood. The woman who had stolen Serena’s chance at a life of luxury and privilege.Serena’s lips curled into a sardonic smile as she recalled the cruel twists of fate that had shaped her destiny. While Elizabeth had married the dashing, wealthy heir, she had been forced to settle for an aging man. She could have been satisfied if he was rich, but he wasn’t. He was just a poor old man. Status, luxury— those were all she had always craved with a desperation that bordered on madness.“If only you knew, Damian,” she murmured, her gaze fixed on her son’s pale, unconscious face. “If only you knew how much I hate
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The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Vera
The tension in the room intensified as Vera broke away from the kiss, her gaze fixed on Jackson’s face. His expression was gentle and vulnerable, just as she had hoped. She reached out to touch his cheek, a deliberate move to draw him further into her grasp.“I’ve been so lost without you,” she whispered. “There’s something I need to tell you, something important.” She led him to sit beside her on the plush sofa, her movements deliberately hesitant. “It’s about Elara.”Jackson stiffened at the name. “What about her?”“I’ve heard... troubling things.” Vera’s voice trembled perfectly. “About her connection to certain criminal elements. People who’ve been released from prison recently.” She watched his expression shift, doubt creeping in like a shadow.“She isn’t the type.”“Are you accusing me of lying, Jack?" she interrupted, cutting him off. “You’ve known me since we were kids.”“Vera.”“You don’t trust me, do you?” She stopped. “Or do you still believe I have feelings for Damian and
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Out
Daniel Regars stood outside the towering iron gates, a free man for the first time in years. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the crisp air of freedom, but it did little to soothe the rage simmering beneath his calm facade. Freedom meant nothing to him, not when his family was shattered, his father dead behind prison walls.He didn’t know why he was released so soon, but he could take this opportunity to destroy both of them.Daniel clenched his fists, a dark smile flickering at the corners of his mouth. “They’ll pay,” he murmured to himself. “For my father, for my family. They will both pay.”He didn’t know when or how, but vengeance had been his only thought, the one idea keeping him alive in that cell, counting down the days to his release. Who knew he could be released sooner? Now he was out, and nothing would stand between him and retribution.Daniel didn’t waste time. He knew he would need allies, someone who shared his hatred for Elara and Damian. His mind circled back
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Elizabeth
Elizabeth’s living room settled into a delicate quiet, broken only by the baby’s soft coos and the gentle tick of an antique clock on the mantel. Her hands trembled slightly as she smoothed her skirt, decades of stolen life weighing heavily in the air between them.“You must have so many questions,” Elizabeth said, her voice carrying the weight of unbearable loss. “About what really happened. About her.”Damian sat on the couch beside Elara, who was still cradling their son. His eyes hadn’t left the baby’s face, as if memorizing every detail he’d missed. “Start from the beginning,” he said, his voice tight. “Start with how Serena stole everything.”Elizabeth’s composed demeanor cracked, revealing raw pain beneath. “She was Father’s illegitimate daughter. My half-sister. But being Father’s secret child wasn’t enough for her – she wanted everything. My life. My identity.” She paused, struggling with the memories. “The day you were born, son... the happiest day of my life became my worst
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Mother
Damian’s car wound through the quiet streets of the suburban neighborhood, each turn bringing them closer to the address Ghost had provided.Elara’s fingers drummed restlessly against her thigh, her heart pounding in her chest with each passing moment. The sun cast long shadows across the pavement, a reminder of how their world had shifted since Nina’s revelation just days ago.“It’s just around this corner,” Damian said, his voice tight with an emotion Elara couldn’t quite place. He had been unusually quiet since they’d left the house, lost in thoughts he seemed reluctant to share. His knuckles were white against the steering wheel, betraying the tension coursing through him.The car slowed to a stop before a modest two-story home, its white exterior pristine against the backdrop of a well-maintained garden. Rose bushes lined the walkway, their blooms adding splashes of color to the serene setting. Elara reached for the door handle, but Damian’s hand caught her wrist, stopping her.“
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride My child
Elara felt Damian tense beside her, his hand tightening around hers.“The baby,” Nina said, her voice barely above a whisper. “The one my mother had killed... he’s alive.”The words hung in the air, seeming to suck the breath from Elara’s lungs. Alive? How could that be possible? She had mourned that child, had borne the devastating grief of his loss for months.“What are you saying?” Damian asked, his voice tinged with a desperate hope that Elara dared not give in to.“I overheard her,” Nina explained, her gaze fixed on the ground. “Giving instructions to the assassin, Ghost... she wanted the baby dead, to sever the last tie between you and Elara. But I... I couldn’t let him do it. I begged him, pleaded with him, until he agreed to spare the child’s life.”Elara felt the world tilt on its axis, her heart racing as the implications of Nina’s words sank in. Their child, the one they had been robbed of, was alive. Alive and out there, somewhere, all this time.“Where is he?” she demande
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride The truth
“Nina, my daughter,” Serena called as she spoke softly to her. “Thank you for coming.”Nina smirked, studying the frail woman before her with cold eyes. She hadn’t come out of concern or love. The only reason she was here was her mother’s manipulative threat of self-harm. The text message still burned in her mind: Come see me, or I’ll end it all. Another one of her mother’s desperate plays for attention.A bitter smirk twisted Nina’s lips. She may have been forced here, but that didn’t mean she had to pretend this was a happy reunion.“What do you want?” she asked, her tone sharp and irritable.“I know you must be angry with me, my dear daughter,” Serena said.She cut her off. “What do you want?”Serena drew a theatrical sigh, her shoulders slumping. “Please forgive me,” she whispered, her voice honeyed with practiced remorse. Her fingers clutched at the fabric of her sleeve. “You need to get me out of this place. I don’t belong here.” Her eyes darted around the stark walls before fix
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Healing the Blackwood name
After the trial, the city of Blackwood experienced a sense of relief, as if it had finally escaped the shadow of the Blackwood dynasty. The streets, once under the family’s influence, were now vibrant with a renewed energy and hope for a brighter future.Damian, driven by his own painful past, assumed leadership at Blackwood Industries, spearheading a transformation with Elara and their loyal allies. Together, they tackled the challenging mission of rooting out the long-standing corruption within the company.“It’s going to take time, but we’re committed to making this right,” Damian told a gathering of employees, his voice steady and resolute. “Serena’s crimes may have shattered the Blackwood name, but we’re going to rebuild it - piece by piece, if necessary - into something this city can be proud of once more.”The road ahead was not an easy one. Restoring the company’s reputation, repairing the damage done to its financial standing, and regaining the trust of both customers and sha
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride Ashes of the Empire
In the days following Serena Blackwood’s arrest, the city seemed to hold its breath, awaiting each new revelation that would shake the Blackwood empire to its core. The carefully crafted public image Serena had cultivated for decades had crumbled, and now the full extent of her crimes was being laid bare.At the center of the unfolding scandal was Detective Morrison, the man who had worked tirelessly to bring Serena down. As the FBI sifted through the trove of evidence seized from Blackwood Tower, Morrison began piecing together the connections that would ultimately unravel Serena’s web of deceit.One name kept surfacing in the financial records and encrypted files— Travis Blackwood, Richard’s younger brother. “We always suspected there was more to Travis’s role than simply being Richard’s brother,” Morrison told reporters, his stern expression betraying none of the triumph he surely felt. “But the depth of his involvement in the Blackwood family’s downfall is staggering.”According to
The Billionaire’s Reluctant Bride The truth
The morning dawned cold and gray over the city, a fitting backdrop for the day that would shatter the foundations of one of its most powerful dynasties. The first news alert came at 6:47 AM: “BREAKING: FBI RAIDS BLACKWOOD TOWER.” By 7:15, every major network had camera crews positioned around the gleaming skyscraper that had long stood as a monument to Serena Blackwood’s power.They were all there to witness her fall.Inside her penthouse office, Serena stood perfectly still as federal agents swept through the room, methodically dismantling the careful façade she’d maintained for thirty-one years. Her signature pearls – Elizabeth’s pearls, really – lay in an evidence bag, along with the contents of her private safe: passports, birth certificates, and a single, faded photograph of two sisters smiling on a Swiss mountainside.“Sarah Winters,” the lead FBI agent read from her warrant, “you are under arrest for identity theft, conspiracy to commit murder, fraud...”The list continued, but
