I stood in front of the full-length mirror as I glanced at the wedding dress on my body over and over again.It was a beautiful and luxurious white gown that had intricate designs and a very dramatic veil.I sighed deeply as I stared at my gloomy reflection in the mirror. My life is about to change in a few hours. I'm really getting married to a man I don't love. A man I have no iota of feelings for.I know it's just for a year but it's still hard for me. Yeah, you'd be saying he's rich and all that but I don't see it from that angle. I've always envisioned walking down the aisle with a bright and bubbly smile on my face, my eyes set on the one man my heart and soul yearns for but it seems fate has other plans.I was startled out of my thoughts when the door jolted open and Ava came into the dressing room."You said to give you five minutes, Ivory. It's ten minutes already. Aren't you done with the 'getting yourself together'?" I gave her a hard glare before turning back to look at t
The limousine entered a driveway till it stopped in front of a mansion. I stared in awe at the gigantic house that stood in front of me. I hadn't even realised that Alexander was already out of the car till the door on my side was opened.He offered me his hand but I totally ignored it and got down from the car by myself, though the wedding dress on my body made it so tedious. I looked to my side and saw up to five men dressed in black suits- from their demeanor I could tell they were bodyguards. To my left side, I saw three ladies and a man with their heads bowed a little. Alexander came and stood beside me as I stood staring at the mansion in front of me."Well, are you going to go in or you'd keep gawking at my house? Perhaps, you'd prefer standing here." I turned to look at him, the smirk on his face annoying me to the core. I'd probably do anything to smack it off his face."Perhaps not!" I replied him with a harsh glare, gathered the wedding dress in my hands, it is beginning t
Ava flung herself at me as soon as I got down from the last flight of the stairs, almost knocking me down.I gave her a weird look before glancing around the living room. I could see Mr Sebastian and Theresa, Mr Marco and his wife and Alexander could be seen talking to Clark. There were also some few faces that I couldn't recognize, the total number of people here wouldn't surpass fifteen."Woah, look at this place..." Ava said, drawing my attention back to her. She still clung unto me, while looking around the house in awe and admiration."This place is magnificent.""I had the same expression as you when I first got here," I replied, giving her a knowing smile. I could see Alexander's mom approaching us with a radiant smile on her face. "My beautiful daughter-in-law, welcome to the family." She engulfed me in a warm hug before pulling back after some minutes. "I can't even ask for more, you're such a blessing and a miracle." She caressed my face and hugged me again.Mmhm, she's ac
I yawned sleepily as I slowly opened my eyes but shut them tightly as the bright rays of sun burnt my eyes. I buried my head into the pillow and relaxed. This is the most blissful sleep I've had in a while.I sat up from the bed and opened my eyes which has now adjusted to the light. I looked up to see Claire standing upright at the foot of the bed, her head wasn't bowed this time.When did she get here? Basically I can't even remember how I got to my room and on my bed. All I can remember is, after my encounter with Alexander, I gathered myself and left the passageway to meet Ivory who was fuming - thanks to Clark. She handed me her drink which I didn't know contained alcohol. I gulped the whole content down because I really needed something to calm my insides down. After the drink, I don't even know what happened afterwards."Good morning, ma'am," Claire greeted and I gave her a small glare. "Ivory," she quickly corrected herself and I gave her a smile which quickly turned into a f
I stood in the living room with my arms folded under my chest as each of the workers introduced themselves. There were a total of twenty bodyguards who introduced themselves and I can't even remember the name of one person as they weren't any regular names. The other workers such as; the gardener, the cooks, the cleaners, including Claire went on to introduce themselves. They were all in their respective work uniforms and they're all so organized."Claire will give you a tour of the house ma'am, if you don't mind," the butler said in a regulated tone."That would be lovely," I replied simply as Claire stepped out and gestured for me to follow her.We first went to a separate wing that I didn't even know was part of the house, it belonged to the workers. After exploring their wing for some minutes, we went back to the main house. There were so many unused rooms downstairs which I guess might be for visitors. "That's master Alexander's room," Claire said pointing to a door that was n
I glared hard at him when his grip on my wrists tightened and his body lowered towards mine.His face inched closer and his hot breath fanned my face. He gave me a long stare, not uttering a single word before a sinister smile appeared on his perfect features.He gently touched my face with his free hand, caressing my cheeks softly that I almost shut my eyes at how calming his touch was but at the same time, my insides had started erupting with fire."I'm really going to go easy with you, so just cooperate with me by handing me the paper and I'll just walk away." His voice was strained and raspy, as if he was struggling to keep his voice calm."Or what?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. His grey eyes darkened at my challenge, he shut his eyes for a few seconds before opening them.His patience is running thin! Yes!I'm succeeding at getting on his nerves!This is fun!"I have something very important to you. Instead of you going down on your knees to beg, you're realistically pinning m
ALEXANDERShe's hard. She's really hard to deal with. She's stubborn. She's annoying. She always manages to get on my fucking nerves every damn time.At first, I thought she'd be easygoing but I thought wrong. If it were anybody else who had taken the contract, I'd make them regret it.But she still managed to get away and still made me kneel down to beg for it - something that belongs to me.And to think I willingly knelt down and did as she said. She always manages to get me riled up but I also tend to be very lenient with her. In as much as I hate to admit it, she's a safe haven.My safe haven! My miracle! My Angel!How my body doesn't react to her is still a mystery to me. I'm never letting her go, not now, not ever! She's stuck with me whether she likes it or not. She's now the bright light that has lightened up my dark life. Having to live in the shadows all my life, hiding away from people for the fear of losing my life over a touch from someone. It hasn't been easy, having
IVORY I stormed into the house fuming. That condescending brute! How can he refer to my clothes as rags. Well, not that the clothes are the classiest but at least, they're descent. And even if I don't need my old clothes, I still need to go get some of my few belongings - things that are the last memory I have of my parents. I paced the living room, still fuming at Alexander, wanting to chop his head off if I set my eyes on him. He's the most annoying human to ever grace this earth. I don't know if I'm the only one who thinks like that or others don't notice how annoying and arrogant he is. His devilish handsome face flashed in my head. His annoying but cute smirk that always have a way of riling me up beyond measures. He's actually fit to be the man of my dreams, in terms of appearance. Character wise? I don't think so. I think I'm attracted to him. There's this invisible magnet that seems to be forcefully pulling me towards him. My body reacts to him against my will. Despite ho
FIVE MONTHS LATER I clutched Alexander's hand, my nails digging deep into his skin as a contraction ripped through my body like a wave crashing on the shore. "It's time," I panted, my eyes locked onto his, my voice barely above a whisper. Alexander's face was etched with concern, but he smiled reassuringly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "We're almost there, my love. Just a few more minutes." He stroked my hair, his touch gentle and soothing. But I knew it was more than that. The pain was intensifying, like a fire burning brighter with each passing moment. I could feel the baby's head crowning, the pressure building. Suddenly, Theresa burst into the room, her face set with urgency. "It's time to go! We need to get her to the hospital, now!" she exclaimed, her voice firm but laced with worry. The next few minutes were a blur as Alexander scooped me up and rushed me to the car, Clark and Mr. Sebastian following close behind, their faces set with concern. Samantha and Mr. Marco b
As the black SUV came to a stop in front of Alexander's mansion, I felt a mix of emotions swirling inside me. Alexander got down and rounded the car to open the door for me, his eyes locked onto mine with a warm smile. I took his hand, and he helped me out of the car, his touch sending shivers down my spine.As I stepped out, I saw Theresa standing outside the patio with Mr. Sebastian, her tears-filled eyes fixed on me with a mixture of happiness and sadness. Samantha stood by the side with Mr. Marco, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Alexander's grandfather, stood with them, his eyes piercing as he gazed at me with a small smile on his lips.Alexander's hand tightened around mine as he led me towards them. Theresa immediately rushed towards me and engulfed me in a tight hug. Sobs racking through her body. My own eyes immediately clouded with tears as I hugged her back, feeling a deep sense of connection and love. I could feel her heart racing with excitement, her breath coming in s
IVORY'S POV It's been two days since I saw Ezekiel at the diner. And surprisingly, I haven't seen anything unusual. I had thought that they would've stormed here already, and I've been holding on to that small hope that Ezekiel was considerate enough not to tell Alexander my location. I've been living in this small, shabby apartment for months now, trying to lay low and avoid detection. It's been a lonely existence, but a necessary one. I've missed Alexander, missed him more than I thought possible. I never stopped loving him, but I couldn't go back to him, not to his world. It was too dangerous, too suffocating. As I looked around my apartment, I felt a pang of sadness. It was small and empty, except for the bed, a table, and a few other sparse furnishings. Joe had given it to me, and I was grateful for his kindness. At least I had a roof over my head, a place to call my own. But it was a far cry from the life I had left behind. I missed the luxury, the comfort, the sense of secur
ALEXANDER'S POVI sat in my dimly lit study, gazing out the window, surrounded by the shadows of my own despair. It had been four months since Ivory left, and I was no closer to finding her. Every lead, every hint, every rumor had turned out to be a dead end. I was starting to lose my grip on reality, my mind consumed by thoughts of her, of where she might be, of whether she was safe.I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep. I couldn't focus on anything except finding her. My business was suffering, my relationships were suffering, my very sanity was suffering. And yet, I couldn't stop. I couldn't rest until I found her.Because I loved her. I loved her more than life itself. I loved her more than I ever thought possible. She was my everything, my reason for being. And without her, I was nothing.And then, the news had come. She was pregnant. My baby was growing inside her, and I wasn't there to see it, to feel it, to be a part of it. The thought was almost too much to bear.I remembered the d
FOUR MONTHS LATER...I stood at the edge of the small town, my eyes fixed on the horizon. I had been on the move for months, never staying in one place for too long. I had to keep running, had to keep hiding. I couldn't let them find me.I had been living off the grid, using cash and fake IDs to survive. I had cut my hair short and dyed it brown, trying to blend in with the crowd. I had lost weight, my eyes sunken from lack of sleep.But despite the hardships, I felt free. I felt alive.I thought back to the night I escaped, the rain pounding against my face as I ran. I had never felt so alive, so exhilarated.I had made my way to Ravenwood, a small, quaint town nestled in the heart of Oregon, where I had managed to find a work as a waitress at a local diner. I kept to myself, never making friends or connections. I couldn't afford to get close to anyone.But as the months passed, I started to feel a sense of belonging. I started to feel like I could finally start over.I walked into t
As I watched Alexander leave my room, I roughly brushed away the tears that were streaming down my face, my hands shaking with anger and hurt. Damn him for reducing me to this state, for making me feel so vulnerable and weak. Damn him for making me love him so deeply, so completely, only to shatter my heart into a million pieces. Damn my body for always reacting to every of his touch. And, damn my heart for still loving him after his lies and betrayal. I slowly walked to the door and slammed it shut, hardly. But, just as I was about to turn, another knock sounded on the door. Angrily I opened it, ready to bark at Alexander for not wanting to leave me alone. "What part of get out don't you under..." My words hung in my throat, when my eyes met with Theresa's. Her face was glistening with tears, her eyes swollen and puffy. A look of hurt, guilt and sadness was etched on her beautiful face. My heart almost almost melted at her pitiful sight and I wanted nothing more than to go int
Laughter echoed in my mind, a cold, mirthless sound. I felt like a pawn in a game I didn't understand, used by everyone around me. My legs trembled beneath me as I reached the top of the stairs, my hand grasping for the door handle to my room.I flung the door open and stumbled inside, slamming it shut behind me. I leaned against the door, my heart racing, my mind spinning. I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare, with no escape.I slid down the door, my legs giving out beneath me. I buried my face in my hands, tears streaming down my face. I felt so alone, so lost. My hands wrapped around my stomach protectively, as if to protect the life growing inside me from the unknown danger surrounding me. A soft knock on the door broke the silence. "Angel, please let me in," Alexander's voice whispered through the door.I shook my head, even though he couldn't see me. "Go away," I whispered back.The knocking stopped, but I knew he wouldn't give up. He would keep trying to reach me, to expla
IVORY'S POVI stood frozen at the foot of the stairs, my eyes fixed on the scene before me as five pairs of eyes locked onto me, their gazes piercing and intense. Alexander's words hung in the air, a confession of secrets and lies that threatened to upend my entire world. My mind reeled, struggling to process the words he had just dropped, as if trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces.My head spun, a dizzying sensation washing over me like a wave, leaving me breathless and disoriented. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, the wind knocked out of me, leaving me gasping for air. My legs trembled beneath me, and I reached out for the stair railings, grasping for support as the room seemed to tilt around me.Alexander immediately took a step towards me, his eyes filled with concern, but I stopped him with a raised finger, my hand shaking with a mix of anger and fear. I shook my head at him, a silent warning to stay back, to give me space to process the chaos that was erupting in
ALEXANDER'S POVI paced back and forth in my dimly lit study, my mind consumed by the events of the past few days. If only I had arrived sooner, maybe Ava would still be alive. Maybe Ivory wouldn't be lying on a bed, her heart broken and her spirit shattered.Three days ago, our mission to rescue Ivory and Ava from the clutches of Russo and his brother had gone catastrophically wrong. We were racing against time to reach the docks where they were being held hostage, but fate had other plans. Russo's men ambushed us, and we found ourselves entangled in a fierce battle that seemed to have no end. Wave after wave of his henchmen attacked us, each one more relentless than the last. We fought valiantly, but the sheer number of opponents slowed us down, and precious minutes ticked by.As the fight dragged on for over two hours, my anxiety grew. Every second counted, and I knew that Ivory and Ava were running out of time. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, we emerged victorious, bu