Elise Stanton has one dream: to study medicine. When she earns a coveted spot in medical school, her future seems bright—until her parents present her with an ultimatum. The only way they’ll pay her tuition is if she marries Alejandro Mendoza, the disabled heir to a powerful family. “Marry a stranger for money? Is that the price of my freedom?” Elise protests, her voice trembling with frustration. “Clara gets her luxuries handed to her, but I have to sell my life to pursue my dream?” In her family’s eyes, she is always second-best, a shadow to her younger sister, Clara. Left with no other choice, Elise agrees to her parents’ condition. Then she meets Alejandro Mendoza. Confined to a wheelchair, Alejandro is bitter and guarded, his piercing gaze a wall against the world. But when Elise examines his condition, her sharp medical instincts kick in. “The doctors had a wrong diagnosis,” she insists. “Your condition is reversible.” Alejandro narrows his eyes. “Why are you doing this? What do you want?” Her answer is simple: “I’ll help you recover, and when you can walk again, this marriage ends.”
View MoreThe voice was very familiar, so much so that it sparked an ache through Elise’s chest. And before she lifted her face, she was almost silently praying that it belonged to her. The moment her gaze settled on the lady in front of her, the words, “You?” escaped her lips unrestrained. Lena stood still, shocked too on seeing Elise. It was almost a decade since she last sent her eyes on her, a decision that she had to take for good. For a moment, uncertainty filled her mind on seeing Elise, she had to choose between staying back, pretending that everything was okay, or bolting out of the door. Which in itself would have made her seem stupid.Elise stared at her with the warmth that clouded her eyes as she took in the features of the lady who had loved her and cared for her while she worked as their housekeeper, Lena. She had a petite size that seemed cute with her brown eyes, the same as Elise remembered, and her very dark hair that was neatly parked into a bun.After a very long time, E
Hours had passed and Elise was done with breakfast, left with nothing else to do. She had browsed through some things online and had ordered a chessboard that she planned to use to keep herself busy while being in Alejandro’s place. Her mind still circled around the thought of seeing Clara at the event later in the day, and somehow she panicked, but her resolve was much firmer now. Diane had taken care of her laundry, and while Elise sat on the edge of the bed staring at nothing in particular, a knock came on the door. Before she could stand, Diane who had been folding some clothes rushed to it. “I’ll get it.”As soon as she opened, one of the workers came into view holding a black box wrapped with a silver ribbon and another fancy bag. “A package came in for the Madam.”“Oh, thank you.” Diane nodded, then took it from the staff before closing the door behind her.“I guess it’s the dress he mentioned,” Elise whispered to only her hearing then reached for it. The way Diane smiled, i
Actively, Elise had never craved the thought of being Alejandro’s wife. That was never part of the plan, even when her parents did their own thing. Call her selfish but she had agreed to their marriage mainly to secure her future as a doctor and buy her freedom from her family that had never truly cared for her. It was a simple plan, one in which she completely did her part. But did it really turn out simple?Because no matter how much Elise told herself that this arrangement was temporary and that she was only here for her goals even as Alejandro was refusing to let her go, she couldn’t deny the tangled emotions creeping into her heart.Which only came alive again as Diane talked of the ladies that flocked around Alejandro. She really should not care about those things. The thought of stepping into a grand event like the company’s dinner at Alejandro’s side, as his wife made her stomach churn. What unsettled her most was not clear yet. Elise was not sure if it was being by his sid
It was not up to ten minutes after Alejandro stepped out that Diane entered with a wide smile and a tray that held a glass of a smoothie. “Good morning Ma’am.”“Good morning.” Elise nodded in response, trying to shift her thought away from the discussion that she had with Alejandro earlier. Thankfully, she had managed to raise herself and slipped into a light gown that covered her. She reached for the glass and after gulping down the drink, went through her usual routine with Diane. Which basically was to prepare her bath water, dress up, and clean her room. Once they were done, Diane probed. “Should I bring your food over here?”Elise furrowed her brows for a moment before answering. “Let’s go to the dining room instead.”Diane’s eyes widened slightly but she quickly recovered. “Of course, Ma’am.”Just the previous day, Elise had mentioned that she wanted to sit in the garden, and now she was going to eat in the dining room. Something that she had never seen her do since she mov
Elise stirred, her body adjusting to the presence by her side. Warmth radiated all about her, coupled with the minor sores that ran from her thighs to her limbs. Slowly, her eyes opened and as she stared into the space in front of her, it became more clear to her that Alejandro’s arm was draped over her. Quickly she turned to her side to meet his eyes wide open as he stared at her.He stayed beside her, his gaze fixed on her with a smile on his lips that made her swallow, especially as every memory that they shared the previous night was clear in her head. The morning light that seeped in through the curtains highlighted his features making him more irresistible to her, or maybe she was still under the effect of his touch.“Good morning, Lily. I hope you slept well.” His voice was deep, and seductive which made her wonder if he had slept at all.When it dawned on her how close she was to him, her first instinct was to jerk away and create some distance between them. But as soon as
Her breath came in short gasps after Alejandro’s statement. She looked at him barely unable to form any words. Alejandro’s lips rushed back to her neck, trailing kisses from her neck down towards her chest. And every one of his actions sent a chill through her, causing her toes to curl.Her hands, which had initially rested on his shirt, tightened. His presence was too intoxicating and even as she was not certain what she wanted, it was much difficult to resist.“Elise,” he murmured, with his breath getting hotter against her skin. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”“I don’t do anything.” She replied softly, moving her eyes away. Alejandro chuckled slightly. “Oh, you don’t know.”Her pulse fluttered as he kissed the center of her neck, staying there for a moment before trailing lower. His fingers brushed against her jaw, coaxing her to look at him. When she did, the intensity of his dark gaze made her stomach tighten. “I want you.”She gulped.Alejandro’s lips continued clai
Quietly, Alejandro sat in his lounge which was only lighted by the estate’s walkway light that seeped in. He had been sitting there for the longest time with his fingers wrapped loosely around the stem of his wine glass. The pale-colored liquid in it swirled slowly as Alejandro tilted it, his gaze focused on nothing in particular. His parents’ visit had brought back memories that he did not exactly appreciate to him.Alejandro exhaled, placing the glass back down on the table that was in front of him. As soon as his mother stepped out, his father’s request had been straightforward. “We need you back at the company.”He leaned back against the couch he sat on, his fingers softly massaging his temples. From what his father had said, Alejandro’s uncle and his cousin had been doing their best to take ownership of the company especially as it was a family business. When Alejandro had been in charge even as it was for a short period, they had stayed away. But just after his accident, his
Elise stood still, her fingers tightening around the fabric of her dress. Alejandro’s mother looked at her with a kind of amusement that made her seem like an insignificant object. Her lips were barely curved in what could hardly be called a smile.The words she had spoken settled between them. It seemed soft, like her question was out of care but the cruel undertone pricked Elise so much and tightened her chest. For so long, she had felt like this was how everyone saw her. A woman who was sold off by her family because she really meant nothing to them and had no choice over her life. But hearing it said outrightly, especially by Alejandro’s mother opened a wound in her chest that she thought had sealed off. For a brief moment, Elise hesitated, unsure of how to respond. In a very normal situation, she would lash out and speak of how that situation did not exactly define her, but with Alejandro’s mother, it was a more difficult task. Who knew if Alejandro’s harshness on her would w
Earlier in the day…A sharp knock echoed through the room. Alejandro stirred, his eyes flickering open, adjusting to the dim glow filtering through the curtains. Elise was still nestled against him, her breathing soft and even.He had held her through the night, her quiet sobs muffled against his chest until exhaustion finally claimed her.He tried to ignore it, but the knock came again, this time more insistent. He exhaled, already thinking about who it might be. Alejandro did not want Elise to be disturbed, and staying back or untangling himself from her could wake her up either way.Carefully, he freed himself from her grasp, running a hand through his tousled hair as he walked to the door.When he got there, his brows furrowed as he saw who it was from the small opening in the door. Slowly, he opened it and stepped out to meet his aide—one of the few men he trusted. The man was tall, already dressed in black trousers and a shirt, even as early as it was.“Good morning, sir.” He ga
“Mom, Dad… please. The admissions are open, and I passed. Please help me with $20,000 so I can pay my school fees and secure my admission spot,” Elise said, her voice trembling as she knelt on the cold, tiled floor of the living room. Her clasped hands and pleading eyes showed how much she needed their help. Margaret, her mother, barely looked up from her magazine, as she continued flipping a page with a bored expression. Her father’s gaze shifted briefly to her, but the indifference in his eyes felt worse than outrightly saying no. “We’ll give you the money,” her father, Charles, said at last, setting down his coffee cup. Relief washed over Elise, but it was fleeting and only for a moment. “On one condition,” he added, his voice sharp. “You’ll marry Alejandro Mendoza.” The words hit Elise like a slap. She froze, her heart sinking as she processed what he’d said. “What are you saying, Father?” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “Marry? But I don’t even know him! Father, d...
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