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The Wrong Choice
Last Updated:
2024-01-20 19:25:02
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The Rich and the Loved Honesty
LILLYSomeone installed a hammer inside my head. It kept hitting the same spot over and over again. Waves of nausea rose and fell, threatening to erupt. I tried to kill the dryness in my throat, gulping down the glass I suddenly found within my reach, but it could hardly satiate the thirst I felt. I groaned, rolling over on the bed—I froze. This was NOT my bed. This definitely was NOT my bedroom. And the scent I kept inhaling...“Shit,” I breathed out and heard a soft chuckle in response. I pushed through the brutal headache and looked around the room. Dread chilled my bones as my eyes zeroed in on the bedroom's owner.“Good morning,” came Darren's cheerful reply. He stood a few feet away from the bed… shirtless.A reflex forced my eyes to the sheets as if to check my clothing. Thankfully—or not—underneath the sheets, I was still dressed in my yesterday's clothes, a black button-up shirt, and a pair of jeans.“You may not remember, but you were drunk yesterday,” he explained, slowly
Last Updated : 2024-01-21The Rich and the Loved His Dark Side
I had shut down my emotions, most of them. I had never thought it could be possible, but I had done it somehow. I had been waking up and going to work as if nothing had happened, but I had begun to resemble a shadow of myself. I stopped smiling. I stopped reacting to things that were supposed to be funny. I just… was.I spent my days swimming in the sea of data, making analyses, and preparing new contracts and then returned home only to take a shower and get some sleep. The logical part of me kept pointing out that my behavior was ridiculous. I wasn't some stupid teenager who suffered from an unfortunate crash. I was supposed to act like a mature woman who could face her problems and deal with them. Well, my “mature woman” mode clearly malfunctioned.Darren had called me three times last week. Callan had called six times. I'd blocked them both out of my life. Maybe I just couldn't stand more drama. My heart couldn't handle more, not now. Kenneth's first trial—the one concerning assaul
Last Updated : 2024-01-21The Rich and the Loved Fix What's Broken
DARRENMore than two weeks had passed since I brought Lilly to my apartment. More than two weeks since I heard her confession and decided to ignore it. And almost two weeks of feeling like the world's greatest asshole.Of course, there was a moment—a brief one—when I thought I was doing the right thing by pushing her away. That belief died quickly… right by the time I walked to my bedroom and realized I could still feel her scent. I didn't want it to fade away. I wanted to keep it there—keep her by my side.Idiot. I should have said something. I should have stopped her. She had taken me by surprise, and I decided to ignore what had happened, creating all kinds of excuses for it. I told myself that she had been too drunk to remember or that she hadn't been aware of what she had confessed to me. It made everything easier—easier for me. That way, I didn't have to analyze what was going on between us or wonder how I should describe what I felt in her presence.“I've got news for you, but
Last Updated : 2024-01-22The Rich and the Loved The Debt
I cautiously looked around the corner and cursed. Holloway and Nassar were gone. They must have headed somewhere they could talk in private. Trying to spy on anyone wasn't my style, but this was different. Or at least that was what I told myself to justify doing something I would have normally found worthy of disdain.Certainly, my sudden need to prove that Callan Holloway was no angel had nothing to do with being noble and everything to do with increasing my chances with Lilly. I had to find out who I was dealing with, and my gut feeling told me that Holloway was hiding more than a few dark secrets.I strode forward, paying attention to every sound and hoping to hear that fucker's voice. The hallway I was currently passing had several doors, each leading to a small conference room, and those two could have been inside any of them. I walked to the end of the hall but still heard nothing. Fuck.I was about to give up and turn around when I noticed glass doors leading to a terrace. I gl
Last Updated : 2024-01-23The Rich and the Loved In the Family
LILLYThree days ago, my team and I had finally met Josie Lacroix, Kathrine's three-year-old daughter. I tried hard to ignore the fact that she was Kenneth's daughter as well. I struggled even more not to think that the child that Kenneth had killed would have been her age and could have looked just as lovely as Josie did. But the hardest part was to quit seeing the little, lovable girl and only notice the patient with a terrible illness—put in an indifference filter.Two of the best oncologists working for the Hayes Clinic and one more genetic engineer joined our team to help us design the treatment. Leukemia, for me, was like entering uncharted waters. I spent more than a week learning everything I could to fully understand what we were dealing with and then read a decade-worth of studies describing all the possible treatments. Certainly, transplanting the bone marrow from the right donor would have been the most efficient solution, but there was no donor for Josie, and she didn't h
Last Updated : 2024-01-24The Rich and the Loved The Price
I stared at Callan in utter disbelief. He couldn't be serious. My father was well aware that I would never agree to marry anyone I didn't have feelings for. My stomach twisted, and the wave of nausea nearly knocked me off my feet. I stumbled, my back crashing against the wall.“Lilly?” Callan extended his hand, his brows knitted with worry.“No,” I bit out.He stepped closer. “Lilly, calm down. Let's just talk about this.”“No,” I snarled, pushing him away and storming back to the dining room where my father still sat by the table. “We need to talk,” I demanded coldly. “Now.”My father fisted his hands, his body tensing as he looked at me. Then he rose from his seat without a word and started walking to his study. I followed him. Neither of us said a word before the door behind us closed.I walked to the middle of the room and locked my eyes on him. “Mind telling me what's going on in here?”He sat behind his desk and sighed. “I need to plan ahead, Lilly, think about the future.”I gr
Last Updated : 2024-01-24The Rich and the Loved Independence
My father hadn't shown up when I was packing my things, but Callan had the guts to wait outside as I walked out of the residence, a single suitcase in hand. I told him to get the hell out of my way, and he mentioned something about my irrational behavior. I debated using one of the moves I had learned from Mr. Harada on him. He turned out to be wise enough not to stop me as I got into the cab. He only stared at me with his hands fisted, watching me drive away.I thought that I would fall apart shortly after I walked into my hotel room—my new temporary home. Strangely, that didn't happen. I was sad, disappointed, but calm. I processed everything that had happened in silence, without tears viciously falling from my eyes or urges to crash everything around me. I felt the pain, but I didn't let it overwhelm me. I knew that I would get through this. I would be OK. I could make it without anyone's help. I would be fine on my own.The next day, I was called to Uncle Norton's office as soon a
Last Updated : 2024-01-25The Rich and the Loved Sue Me
I didn't have to wait long for Callan's move. My father called me to his office three days later. Certainly, it was his secretary who made the call, as if he were trying to emphasize that this had nothing to do with me being his daughter. But that was all right. I expected that much.My father wasn't alone when I entered his office. Callan was there as well, leaning against the front of my father's desk with his arms crossed. Gone was the pleasant smile he had offered me during our dates or even during Sunday dinner at the residence. The Callan standing before me was a calculated businessman, prepared for a fight. Well, I was also ready for a battle.“Two against one, I see?” I sneered at my father and saw his throat working on a swallow."Why don't we all sit down,” proposed my father, his voice strangled.I gave him and Callan a look before sitting comfortably on a sofa. My father and Callan took the armchairs on either side of my seat. A faint smirk tugged at my lips as I turned to
Last Updated : 2024-01-26
Latest chapter
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
