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Bad Decision
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
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The Rich and the Loved Partial Win
The next ten or twenty minutes were a blur. I vaguely remember trying to wipe my phone and save it from the sweet and sticky liquor that flooded it. I remember Grant shouting and cursing me as if I were the one who spiked his drink, not the other way around. I recall the police taking him away…I watched it all happen like I was watching some bad movie. My heart kept hammering, and the dull, constant tone in my ears blocked out most of the noises and voices of the people surrounding me. I kept squeezing my phone, pressing it tightly to my chest, like I was holding a remedy for all evil.“Miss, we will need your testimony.” The policeman standing in front of me tore through my bewilderment.I drew a trembling breath and tugged a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. Then I opened my mouth but wasn't sure if I was able to come up with any words.“You do want to testify against that man, don't you?” the policeman urged when I stayed silent for more than a few seconds.“She does,” answer
Last Updated : 2024-10-29The Rich and the Loved Resist Him
Finding Nicolas Rogers's former patients wasn't as easy as Raven and I initially thought. Four of them moved out, and it was impossible to track them without hiring a private investigator. The fifth was in the mental institution, and the final one refused to talk about her miscarriage, threatening she would call the police if Raven or I mentioned it again.But I didn't give up. I hired that damn investigator and found a guy specializing in clearing the recorded sound. Now I could only wait for the results… which was the hardest thing to do. I wanted to see Nicolas Rogers behind bars. He destroyed enough lives, and he needed to pay, preferably immediately.Unfortunately, everything required time, and I had to shift my attention to my work and the new vaccine project. With all the reagents delivered to the lab, the tests began, and while my genius team was busy developing the product, I spent long hours researching and analyzing costs.I could hardly notice the passing days, and I only
Last Updated : 2024-10-29The Rich and the Loved A Day Off
I stormed out of Darren's office and then out of the club. I hated his arrogance. I hated that he looked down on me. But, most of all, I hated that he was right. I was nothing but a tool for his revenge on my father. He wanted me to suffer. Getting close to him would only bring me harm. It would have been only natural if I found him repulsive. So why did my body betray me every time I was close to him? Why did my heart pound so madly? Why did I want to be in his arms? I craved his touch, his kisses, his body on mine, him inside me... There had to be something seriously wrong with me, and I should probably ask my team to develop some kind of cure for that disease.I sat behind the wheel in my Porsche and drew several long breaths to calm down. “Lilly, you gave him that damn jacket. You don't have to see him anymore. You will avoid him. You will focus on work, and everything will be fine,” I told myself. It sounded like a good plan. I forced myself to smile and went back home.For the n
Last Updated : 2024-10-29The Rich and the Loved Fair Play
“Ms. Hayes, you and your team, please follow me,” said Mr. Stephenson, who welcomed us at the entrance.I couldn't believe that we had just walked inside the Pentagon. My heart pounded in excitement as we passed the labyrinth of corridors. Finally, we found ourselves on the third floor, where we were asked to wait in front of something resembling a conference room. My restlessness grew as I stared at the door.“Do you think the other team is already inside?” I asked softly as I sat on one of the sofas in the hall.“My guess would have been yes,” Sakura replied, sitting next to me. “We can only hope that we figured out something more efficient and clever than they did.”Suraj and Tim sat in armchairs in front of us. “I doubt that they figured out something more clever than our fabulous cocktail.” Suraj grinned. It was a contagious grin that caused my lips to stretch, mirroring it.“I just wanted you to know that I'm proud of you. You've done an amazing job, no matter if we get that con
Last Updated : 2024-10-29The Rich and the Loved Hate and Want
I stood in the empty meeting room, staring at the side door. My blood was boiling. The knuckles on my clenched fists turned white. My team and I had spent weeks trying to design the best possible mix of vaccines. Our product worked against more than twenty different diseases. We should have won that stupid contract, not Darren and his team!Suddenly, the side door opened, and Darren appeared on the threshold. His eyes met mine, and a cold smile parted his lips. I gritted my teeth as I stared at him, regretting I didn't hold any heavy objects I could have thrown at him. I glanced behind him, but Captain Marcus was gone, and Darren quickly closed the door as he stepped inside the room.“You cheated,” I bit out.“You heard,” he acknowledged, his smile faltering. “Well, that doesn't change anything.” With a shrug, he walked past me, turning to the corridor.“Doesn't change anything?!” I rushed after him. “You didn't even follow the brief!”He stopped and pivoted to face me. “The brief was
Last Updated : 2024-10-29The Rich and the Loved The Darren Problem
“So… this Darren got the unfair leverage and landed the contract?” Raven raised one brow, repeating what I had told her.“Yes,” I confirmed, refilling our glasses with wine. It was one of these rare evenings when she and I had a day off. We were sitting on one of the terraces in our residence, eating, drinking, and gossiping.Raven snatched her wine glass and continued, “Then he used a few sorry-ass arguments to justify his actions, the elevator stopped, and you almost had sex with him?”My lips twisted wryly. “The way you say it, you make it sound as if I've gone mad.”“I won't lie. Sending you to a specialist crossed my mind more than once,” she grunted, shaking her head.“I don't know what's wrong with me,” I admitted. “I should have learned my lesson from Kenneth. I should have been more immune to good-looking men. But every time I'm around Darren, I'm just drawn to him. I'm aware that he hates my family. I know how wicked and dangerous he is, and still…” I trailed off, instantly
Last Updated : 2024-10-29The Rich and the Loved My Aching Heart
I stared at the tall and slender woman standing in front of me with her arms crossed over her chest. She wore a black fitted gown with gold accessories. Her honey-blond hair was tied up in a high ponytail, exposing all the ideally symmetrical details of her face. She certainly looked as if she had just returned from the catwalk. A few years ago, I would have felt stripped of all confidence in her presence, but now, not so much… “I'm afraid you'll have to wait,” I told her. Her brows rose. “And why is that?” I breathed out a chuckle. “Because I've come here to deal with a certain physiologic need.” Her lips twisted into an uncomfortable grimace. “Fine,” she muttered. “I'll wait for you on the balcony at the end of this corridor.” With a soft huff, she pivoted to the door and marched out of the ladies' room. I sighed. I had no idea what Mia Darroze wanted from me, but I could bet that it was about Darren. I had seen her eyes on him. It hadn't escaped my attention that she hadn't loo
Last Updated : 2024-10-29The Rich and the Loved The Truth
The next day, I stayed in bed until ten o'clock, which meant that I got up four hours later than I usually did, even on the weekends. It was hard to drag myself from under a comforting blanket and stand on my own two feet. Father didn't try to shorten my rest, not after he had seen me once I had returned home from the gala. His eyes were filled with deep concern and fear. He asked me about what had happened, but I didn't have the strength to explain. I might have tossed something like, “I'll deal with it on my own,” before heading straight to bed.I took a cool shower and got dressed. My chest was still tightened as if I were wearing a mental corset, three sizes too small to accommodate my body. Processing what I had learned was nearly unbearable. Darren had known my true identity. He had tried to use me, manipulate me, trick me...I sucked in a sharp breath, air scratching my lungs like broken glass. I shuddered at the thought of what would have happened if I hadn't read those letter
Last Updated : 2024-10-29
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The Rich and the Loved The Wealth of Love
LILLY Four Months Later “One more signature at the bottom, Ms. Hayes.” The smiling lawyer pointed at the empty dotted line on the last page. “Of course.” I drew a deep breath and signed my name where he wanted me to. Then I rose to my feet, and so did the man sitting in front of me—Doctor John Pearson. “Congratulations,” he said, not without a hint of sadness in his voice, before extending his hand toward me. “The clinic is officially yours.” “Thank you, Doctor Pearson. I promise I will take good care of this facility,” I told him. A soft smile appeared on his lips. “I do not doubt that you will.” I still couldn't believe it happened. John Pearson Clinic—soon Lillian Hayes Clinic—finally belonged to me. Of course, it was going to take a while before I would implement my plan and make the necessary changes, but I was already madly excited… and so was Raven. “I've never been friends with my boss before.” She chuckled, catching me as soon as I walked out of the meeting room where
The Rich and the Loved For Her
DARRENI didn't want to believe what that son of a bitch had told me. I had to trust that Lilly was alive. Nonetheless, after Almarri's confession, I told Chris to leave the room. I gave Almarri a moment to recollect himself until I beat the shit out of him, breaking at least five of six of his bones in the process. He was still breathing until I left the room. Chris had friends in the CIA, and we promised to try delivering Almarri to them in exchange for covering whatever was going to happen at his casino. It took most of my willpower to stop myself before I delivered the final blow. It had nothing to do with being merciful; Chris assured me that the CIA had no intention of granting him anything but torment.Once I wiped Almarri's blood off my knuckles, I stormed through the long corridors. I swore that I would find Lilly, and only seeing her lifeless body would have stopped me from burning everything in my way to get to her.Chris caught me at the end of one of the corridors. “We ch
The Rich and the Loved Run
LILLYI couldn't move. My body's exhaustion turned opening my eyes into an almost unbearable struggle. It took me a while before I lifted my eyelids and instantly winced at the light filling the room. I blinked several times before I established what I was looking at… Ceiling. A bright, well-lit ceiling.I needed an additional minute or two to acknowledge that this wasn't a dream. I was lying on a bed with an IV drip connected to my arm. The bed had multiple pillows and fluffy sheets, as if someone cruelly decided to give me a moment of questionable luxury before turning me into a slave.Another white cotton dress replaced the old, stained one. My body had been cleaned from all the sweat and dirt. I didn't have the strength to wonder who bathed me and dressed me. I felt violated enough without acknowledging how many hands touched my body.I could have died. Perhaps it would have been a blessing if that had happened. Now I was lying numbly on a bed, waiting for more torment to come. Sl
The Rich and the Loved Rage
DARREN I paced around the hotel room in Doha, waiting for Naila to arrive and deliver what she promised. The adrenaline kept pumping in my veins, increasing the restlessness that kept me awake the entire night. Unlike me, Lucien was napping on the sofa whenever he found a moment of silence. I couldn't even close my eyes without seeing Lilly locked up somewhere, tormented, scared… “God…” I dragged my hands down my face before glancing at the time. It was seven in the morning, which meant that we had fourteen hours before the auction started. I kept telling myself that they needed her alive and unharmed to sell her, but what if I was wrong? Those what-ifs were driving me insane, and I couldn't shake off the feeling that, even at that moment, she was greatly suffering. The soft knocking on the door snapped my head toward it. Lucien's opened his eyes and instantly leaped to his feet. He nodded my way and cautiously opened the door. Naila silently sneaked inside, and he closed it behind
The Rich and the Loved Agony
I lost count of how many times I had been stabbed with a needle, and I wasn't sure my veins could withstand another injection. I quickly realized how pathetic my relief was after Callan told me I wouldn't be beaten, cut, or burned. The torture he had designed for me went far beyond the physical pain…Every inch of my body burned from within. My blood turned into a living flame, scorching my veins. My skin covered with an itching rash I couldn't scratch. It lasted for hours. I didn't want to give Callan satisfaction, so I remained silent, biting my lips until they bled. But the third or fourth dose of the drug broke the final restraint… A scream tore through my throat, and I kept screaming until my vocal cords gave up. I quietly begged Callan to stop. I thought he would if I told him I was ready to give him what he wanted. I thought that if I pretended I wanted to cooperate, he would give my tormented body a break… He didn't. He just walked closer and served me another drug dose.I los
The Rich and the Loved On His Mercy
LILLY“Wake up, sleepyhead.” The voice I heard filled me with nausea, and the soft laughter that followed sent chills down my spine.Slowly, I opened my eyes, blinking until the sight adjusted to the dim light. Every inch of my body felt sore, and I quickly realized why. I was sitting on a chair with my legs tied with a rope to its wooden ones and my hands restrained at the back. Another rope was tied around my waist, keeping me in a still position most likely through the long hours I had been unconscious.I was cold. The freezing concrete hurt my bare feet with the slightest touch and the simple cotton dress resembling a cheap nightgown formed no barrier against the low temperature and humidity of the room I was in. I didn't even want to think who dressed me and if I was naked underneath…Drawing a shaky breath, I looked to the sides. This place must have been some kind of a basement. The room seemed to be nearly empty, or at least I couldn't see any furniture from my limited perspec
The Rich and the Loved Running Out of Time
DARRENMy lungs filled with a greedy push of air. My eyes opened wide and roamed around, hectically trying to process my situation. The car, I was inside the car… My car was upside down, and I…Everything hurt, including my weak attempts to breathe, but I knew I had to ignore the pain. I had to live. I had to get out of there.My consciousness gathered the pieces of memory together. Someone had rammed me, pushing me off the road while I had been driving to the residence. The fuckers had chosen a part of a perfectly secluded road to do it. Perhaps it was fortunate that they hadn't been as thorough as to check whether I had been dead or not.My limbs weren't broken, although at least one of my ribs was. I clenched my teeth and crawled out through the broken side window. My car lay in a ditch on the side of the road, with not a single building around.How long had I been out cold? The returning memories painted an ominous picture that slowly filled me with dread. Lilly had been waiting f
The Rich and the Loved Trapped
LILLYIt had been three days since Uncle Norton's funeral and the fight with my father. My heart still ached whenever I thought about it, but I finally felt that my chest had loosened, allowing me to breathe.Darren's presence had become my remedy. His touch and warmth soothed me, healed me, and filled the hollowness that appeared after Uncle Norton's death. I didn't even want to think about what I would have become without having him close.Since the danger had become more palpable than ever, each member of my team was assigned their own security team. Of course, Darren organized two new bodyguards for me as well. I hadn't protested, even if I hated buying groceries accompanied by two men in black suits.My mood significantly improved after Kenneth's and Doctor Rogers's trials finally ended. Kenneth had been sentenced to fifteen years in prison for assault and attempting murder, and another five years for terminating the pregnancy against my will. For all his deeds, Rogers received t
The Rich and the Loved Her Anchor
DARRENI found Lilly sitting in the precinct's corridor, staring down at her hands that limply rested on her lap. Dried blood covered the sides of her palms and fingertips. My chest tightened as I saw her in her numb state. I rushed forward, pushing through the policemen standing in the way, until I pulled her up from her seat and wrapped her in my arms. Only then did she start crying, and her tears kept falling long after I brought her back to the penthouse.Rage filled every inch of me. I wanted to kill everyone responsible for Lilly's state. If only I could get to New York sooner. If only I could somehow prevent this, protect her better, spare her from the pain and anguish...I left Lucien in Qatar to deal with our end of the bargain with Naila. He wasn't happy about it, but I gathered enough people and resources for him to plan a flawless rescue mission. Getting Naila's brother out of Almarri's residence wasn't going to be easy, but I knew that Lucien would figure out how to do it
