Joan is a girl who's struggling to make ends meet and to pay for her mother's medical bills. A glimmer of hope appears when she gets invited for a job interview to work as a maid for the Stonewood family. Derrick Stonewood is a name that's well known. He's a billionaire and America's most eligible bachelor. However, he has a secret to his wealth. What happens when these two cross paths? Will they be able to keep their hands off each other? More over, what's the end result when business is mixed with pleasure?
View MoreDERRICK’S POVThe moment I stepped off the ballroom floor, I could still feel the ghost of Joan’s touch on my skin. Her warmth, her softness—it lingered, and I hated it. I clenched my fists, shoving past the crowd as I stormed out of the ballroom.The air outside was cool, but it did nothing to stop the fire burning inside me. I needed to get away from her, from the way she made me feel—like I was on the edge of losing control.Damn it.I leaned against a pillar in the hallway, inhaling sharply. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t supposed to feel anything. I had vowed to never let another woman under my skin again. Love was a liability, a weakness I couldn't afford. Not in my world. Not as a mafia boss. If my enemies caught even a whiff of something—of someone—I cared about, they’d exploit it. They’d use her against me. And Joan... Joan was already too close.Besides, a woman had hurt me before and I’d be damned if I let it happen again.Women. They were all the same. They’d act
DERRICKS’ POVI stood near the balcony, holding a cigar in my hands. I needed it to calm me down.I took a long drag, inhaling deep, letting the nicotine burn its way through my chest. It was the only thing keeping my nerves in check. Antonio had made his threat clear—he would stand against me at the table, and that was not something I could afford. He had a name that carried weight. His father had once been one of the godfathers. That legacy alone made the old men at the table listen to him, respect him. And now, with my seat hanging by a thread, I could not let him turn them against me.I exhaled, watching the smoke curl into the night air. Losing my place wasn’t an option. It was my father’s legacy, something I had bled for, killed for. Everything I had worked for would be undone if the godfathers saw me as weak, as incompetent. I would never get the chance to be the next Don. And Henry, my bastard of a stepbrother, was already waiting like a vulture, ready to take what was mine.W
DERRICK’S POVThe gala was in full swing. Laughter and the clinking of champagne glasses filled the air, but I barely noticed. My attention was elsewhere—on the delicate hand entwined with my own. Joan’s fingers were smaller than mine, softer. Her touch sent heat racing through my veins.Damn it.I tried to ignore it, to dismiss the sensation as insignificant, but my body betrayed me. My pulse quickened, and my grip involuntarily tightened around hers for the briefest second before I forced myself to relax. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t supposed to feel anything. Not after what my ex had done to me. I had vowed never to let another woman past my defenses again.But Joan…She was different, wasn’t she?“Did you hear me?” Joan’s voice cut through my thoughts.I blinked and turned my head slightly, meeting her warm brown eyes. I adjusted my features into their usual neutral mask. “What?”She smiled. Her genuine expression made something in my chest twist painfully. “I said yo
DERRICK’S POVI stood in my office. My fingers curled around the stress ball Joan had given me.Another shipment gone wrong. Another goddamn failure.Someone was sabotaging me from the inside.My jaw clenched, and I rolled the ball in my palm, squeezing it so tightly my knuckles turned white. This had happened too many times to be a coincidence. I thought I had gotten rid of the mole, but it seemed like there was another rat scurrying in my team.A hundred million. Gone. The godfathers would be furious. They’d question my competence, whisper among themselves that I was slipping. And if they decided I was no longer fit to lead, they’d strip me of my power and hand it over to Henry, that snake, who had been eyeing my position for years.I couldn’t let that happen.Behind me, Santi and Ace stood stiffly. They knew what this meant, how deep this betrayal cut. But I wasn’t in the mood to hear their excuses.“Who the fuck is it?” My voice was filled with annoyance “Who the fuck keeps doing
JOAN’S POVThe sun shone through the windows of the kitchen. I was standing near the stove, overseeing the staff, just as I always did. The morning routine was the same as every other, but the air felt thick today. I could hear it. everyone could. Whispers, too quiet to catch, but loud enough to make the staff’s movements hesitant, almost self-conscious. There was an interrogation ongoing. Because of the incident last night, saff members were being questioned and everyone was scared. The weight of it all was heavy on my shoulders, and I couldn’t help but feel that I was at the center of it all, the reason for all this chaos. If it weren’t for the attack on me, none of this would be happening. I hated that it had all come down to this.Emily’s voice broke through my thoughts.“They're letting a lot of people go,” she muttered, her eyes scanning the kitchen “Can’t say they didn’t deserve it, but…”I finished for her with a sigh “It’s because of me, isn’t it?”She nodded, biting her lip.
JOAN’S POVThe incident with the masked man left me shaken. No matter how much I tried to push it from my mind, the memory clung to me. Every creak of the floorboards, every flicker of movement in my peripheral vision, made my heart hammer in my chest. I found myself growing paranoid, constantly looking over my shoulder as if the masked man would come out from the darkness at any moment.Later that night, as I sat curled up on my bed, hugging my knees, my bedroom door creaked open. My pulse spiked, and I held my breath until I saw Derrick step into the room. His presence filled the space, commanding as always, but tonight, something else lingered in his gaze—concern."Are you okay?" he asked. His voice was softer and lower than usual, as if he was afraid he’d startle me.I nodded, forcing a small smile, even though my hands trembled slightly against my arms. "I'm fine. And… thank you. For saving me."He studied me carefully. His blue eyes scanned my face as though searching for a lie.
JOAN’S POVThe evening was busy but I didn’t mind. I wanted everything to be perfect. After everything Derrick did for me, I wanted to do something for him too.I stood in the kitchen as I supervised the activities around me. Pans sizzled, knives chopped and I ticked all the boxes of everything we need.“It’s going well, isn’t it?” Ms Sullivan asked with a smile as she walked out of the kitchen.“Sure is” I called after her. Tonight’s dinner had to be perfect, and I was determined to make it so.“Careful with the sauce, Emily,” I said, pointing at the simmering pot on the stove. “It needs to thicken just a little more.”Emily nodded as she stirred. The chef gave me a quick thumbs-up as he continued cooking. I laughed. When everything was finally prepared, I helped Emily and Sarah set the long dining table in the dining room. I made sure everything looked alluring to the eye. I even decorated the table with flowers.“Thank you, everyone,” I said with a grateful smile once the table w
JOAN’S POVI had spent the last few days sewing in my sewing room. My mind was focused only on the fabrics and my designs. I had never felt happier.I was sewing again! I was actually sewing again. And this time, I had everything I ever needed and even more. Designing again was a breath of fresh air for me. It was the one place where I felt in control.But that morning, as I adjusted a piece of fabric, Emily entered the room with a smile."Joan," she said "Sir Derrick has called for you."I froze, the needle halting mid-stitch. Derrick? It had been days since I last saw him. I hadn’t seen him since the engagement. Irene told me he had gone on a business trip."Really?" I blinked, trying to hide the excitement I felt. "I—of course. I’ll go right away."Emily smiled at me, and I could see the curiosity in her eyes. "He’s in his study. And, Joan... I’ve been meaning to tell you—your pieces, they’re incredible. You have such a talent."I looked at the mannequins that were now clothed in t
JOAN’S POVThe next day, I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at my phone. Notifications flooded the screen. My phone buzzed so much I thought it might actually explode. My name was plastered across every news article, headline, and gossip column: The mysterious Joan Hathaway—The Cinderella Bride of Derrick Stonewood.It felt surreal. A part of me wanted to smile, to feel special, but the amount of hate pouring into my inbox shattered any feeling of happiness I wanted to have. I got a lot of hate messages in my I*******m message box. Don’t even get me started on the comments.“You don’t deserve him.” “Gold digger.” “He could do so much better.”And the worst—death threats.I sighed and opened I*******m, immediately setting my page to private again. The comments there were worse. I received a lot of rage from strangers who thought they knew me.A knock on the door startled me.“Come in,” I called, quickly putting my phone down.The door opened and Emily popped her head in. Her face li
JOAN'S POV Sadness. Confusion. These were the emotions that filled my heart as I sat in the hospital room. My heart felt like a heavy weight in my chest, and my mind swirled with so many thoughts and emotions. I had no idea what to do. The beeping of the heart monitor filled the room. It was a reminder of my mother’s fragile state. Each beep was a signal that she was still here, but only just. I watched her, my heart breaking at the sight. Tubes and wires were attached to her limp body, her chest rising and falling shallowly. Her face, once so full of life, was now pale. Her lips were colorless, as she lay motionless in the hospital bed. It felt like only moments ago that I was job hunting and them the call came. The panic in the nurse’s voice told me everything before the words even registered. My mother had suffered a heart attack. The ambulance had rushed her here, but she had slipped into a coma. A lump formed in my throat as I gazed at her. She had always been my rock. Now, ...
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