Michael leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming rhythmically against his huge office desk. His patience had run out.It had been a month since that night—a night that should never have happened.When he woke up the next morning, the bed beside him was empty. The only thing left behind was the unmistakable stain of blood on the sheets, a sight that had sent a sharp pang of guilt through him.He had been drugged, his control stolen from him. Yet, what consoled him—what silenced the darkest of his fears—was the way she had moaned his name in pleasure. It told him everything he needed to know.It was consensual.A sharp knock at the door broke him from his thoughts. His secretary, Ryan, stepped inside, holding a tablet."Sir, we found the woman who drugged you that night."Michael’s grey eyes darkened instantly as he leaned forward, his presence chilling the air. He had spent the last month searching for the culprit, turning over every stone, replacing the entire management at th
Vivian groaned, blinking her eyes open as the smell of antiseptic filled her nostrils. White walls, a heart monitor beeping steadily beside her, and the sight of a very annoyed-looking handsome man sitting in the chair next to her bed."You," she muttered, pointing a weak finger at Michael. Her head was pounding."Me," he replied dryly, arms crossed.He didn't know what to say to her. So he waited to see if she could remember him from that night. She groaned again. "I should sue you. You hit me with your fancy car."Michael arched a brow. "I brought you to the hospital."Vivian snorted. "Yeah, out of guilt. Doesn't erase the fact that you hit me."He sighed, rubbing his temple. "I’ll compensate you. How much do you want?"She tilted her head, pretending to think. Then, with a completely serious expression, she said, "Well, considering you knocked me off my bike and made me pregnant, I’d say marriage is the only fair compensation."Michael’s expression went blank. "Excuse me?"Vivi
Vivian barely made it through the door before her stepmother’s sneer cut through the air like a knife.“Where the hell have you been?” Mary’s voice dripped with contempt as she crossed her arms, her cold gaze raking over Vivian.“You didn’t complete the deliveries, and your phone was off. If you couldn’t manage, why did you insist on doing it?” Her father, Jackson, stood abruptly from his chair, his face a mask of fury.Vivian blinked, stunned.She didn’t insist. She was forced. And she had been hit by a fucking car! Couldn’t they see the bandages?“Can’t you see I’m hurt, Dad?” she asked, her voice trembling, tears pricking her eyes.Jackson scoffed. “You probably thought faking an injury would get you out of this mess. You will earn back every dime you lost today!” His face turned red as his anger rose.“You think I'm faking this?” She asked in disbelief.“Well it's not past you.” Mary rolled her eyes.Anna smirked, stepping closer, her voice a mockery of sympathy. “I bet she has ju
Vivian’s breath hitched as Mary stormed into the room, her eyes blazing with suspicion. She shoved the door open so forcefully that it banged against the wall, making Vivian flinch."What the hell do you think you’re doing?" Mary’s voice was sharp as a blade, her gaze instantly locking onto the phone clutched in Vivian’s trembling hands.Panic surged through Vivian. Without thinking, she pressed send and quickly hid the phone beneath her pillow, but it was too late.Mary’s eyes narrowed. “Give me that.”Vivian clutched her pillow tighter, shaking her head. "No."Mary lunged forward, yanking the pillow away and grabbing the phone. Her face twisted into a sneer as she scanned the screen.Her expression darkened. "Michael Black? You really are a delusional little whore, aren’t you?" She turned the phone toward Jackson, who had just entered the room, his face set in a stony mask.Vivian’s heart pounded. Jackson snatched the phone, his eyes skimming over the message. Slowly, his jaw clenc
Dragging herself to the bathroom, she undressed and stepped into the cold shower, letting the water wash over her as she fought back the sobs rising in her throat. Her life had never been easy, but this being sold like cattle to a man she had never met was the final cruelty.As she walked out of the bathroom, towel wrapped tightly around her, she froze.There, sitting with her legs crossed on her bed, was a woman she had never seen before. She had pink hair, tied in a neat bun and what looked like a baby blue jumpsuit, and her beauty was almost otherworldly. Her presence was unexpected, yet she exuded confidence as if she belonged there.Vivian took a hesitant step forward. “Who are you?”The woman turned her piercing gaze on her and smirked. “Your future husband sent me.”Vivian scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Right. As if he cares.”The woman said nothing, merely standing and gesturing toward the dressing mirror “Sit.”Something about her presence was calming, authoritative even.
Easton Kade Black, CEO of Black Enterprise, sat in his chair, Ocean blue eyes giving nothing away as he listened to Kai present to him the biggest plan of the quarter.“This fashion design competition, sir, will be the talk of the town for a long time. It will also gain us many followers as we stream the final day because we’ve designed it to attract a wide pool of fresh, innovative designers to work with us. The publicity we will generate will be like nothing we have seen so far.” Kai continued, pushing his round reading glasses up the bridge of his nose.Easton listened attentively, his long fingers drumming against the table. “Go on.” He urged Kai who nodded and gave Amanda a go-ahead to present her part of the plan. The rest of the employees followed keenly as they waited anxiously to see his reaction. Easton was extremely picky and he usually left his right hand, Kai, to review most of the plans and only present to him final drafts due to how busy his schedule was.But for som
“Mama, this is beautiful!” Jasmine’s eyes brightened as she looked at the dress Scarlet was holding up.“You think so?” Scarlet smiled, her heart warming at her little cheerleader. Jasmine nodded vigorously, her brown eyes widening even more, “Your clothes are always the best!”‘Hopefully, my clients love them too. We really need the money.’ Scarlet thought internally as she smiled at her daughter walking up to her and kissing her head before walking back to her sewing machine.Scarlet spent the hours that followed focused on making more and more designs so she could sell them at a cheaper price to help their financial situation. She had just placed the piece she was working on, on the table when her phone vibrated and her heart froze.Fear gripped her as she wondered if it was her Landlord again, ‘But it’s only been a day.’ She mumbled to herself as she watched the phone ring, afraid of checking the ID.“Mama? Your phone is ringing.” Jasmine pointed out.Scarlet sighed, as she lean
“How are we doing?” Easton asked Kai.Kai pulled down his tie slightly as he looked up at his boss. “Overwhelming. We have hundreds of applicants. We made sure word reached every corner of the country as you wanted, Sir.”Easton nodded, “Good. Have Amanda hand over all the designs to you, I need to take a look.” He instructed.“Yes sir,” Kai responded.And overwhelming it was indeed. Every person in the country applied. It was the talk of the city and the first thing the media talked about each morning. From talented to aspiring designers, they all wanted to work for the Black Enterprises knowing that would change their lives forever. Even cleaners and cooks earned more than an average person in Bayern so you can only imagine how much a designer would make. Seeing that everything was falling into place, Easton turned to walk towards his office. His heart couldn’t help but feel a little anxious. He was getting closer to finding her.But had she seen the advert?What if she didn’t
Dragging herself to the bathroom, she undressed and stepped into the cold shower, letting the water wash over her as she fought back the sobs rising in her throat. Her life had never been easy, but this being sold like cattle to a man she had never met was the final cruelty.As she walked out of the bathroom, towel wrapped tightly around her, she froze.There, sitting with her legs crossed on her bed, was a woman she had never seen before. She had pink hair, tied in a neat bun and what looked like a baby blue jumpsuit, and her beauty was almost otherworldly. Her presence was unexpected, yet she exuded confidence as if she belonged there.Vivian took a hesitant step forward. “Who are you?”The woman turned her piercing gaze on her and smirked. “Your future husband sent me.”Vivian scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Right. As if he cares.”The woman said nothing, merely standing and gesturing toward the dressing mirror “Sit.”Something about her presence was calming, authoritative even.
Vivian’s breath hitched as Mary stormed into the room, her eyes blazing with suspicion. She shoved the door open so forcefully that it banged against the wall, making Vivian flinch."What the hell do you think you’re doing?" Mary’s voice was sharp as a blade, her gaze instantly locking onto the phone clutched in Vivian’s trembling hands.Panic surged through Vivian. Without thinking, she pressed send and quickly hid the phone beneath her pillow, but it was too late.Mary’s eyes narrowed. “Give me that.”Vivian clutched her pillow tighter, shaking her head. "No."Mary lunged forward, yanking the pillow away and grabbing the phone. Her face twisted into a sneer as she scanned the screen.Her expression darkened. "Michael Black? You really are a delusional little whore, aren’t you?" She turned the phone toward Jackson, who had just entered the room, his face set in a stony mask.Vivian’s heart pounded. Jackson snatched the phone, his eyes skimming over the message. Slowly, his jaw clenc
Vivian barely made it through the door before her stepmother’s sneer cut through the air like a knife.“Where the hell have you been?” Mary’s voice dripped with contempt as she crossed her arms, her cold gaze raking over Vivian.“You didn’t complete the deliveries, and your phone was off. If you couldn’t manage, why did you insist on doing it?” Her father, Jackson, stood abruptly from his chair, his face a mask of fury.Vivian blinked, stunned.She didn’t insist. She was forced. And she had been hit by a fucking car! Couldn’t they see the bandages?“Can’t you see I’m hurt, Dad?” she asked, her voice trembling, tears pricking her eyes.Jackson scoffed. “You probably thought faking an injury would get you out of this mess. You will earn back every dime you lost today!” His face turned red as his anger rose.“You think I'm faking this?” She asked in disbelief.“Well it's not past you.” Mary rolled her eyes.Anna smirked, stepping closer, her voice a mockery of sympathy. “I bet she has ju
Vivian groaned, blinking her eyes open as the smell of antiseptic filled her nostrils. White walls, a heart monitor beeping steadily beside her, and the sight of a very annoyed-looking handsome man sitting in the chair next to her bed."You," she muttered, pointing a weak finger at Michael. Her head was pounding."Me," he replied dryly, arms crossed.He didn't know what to say to her. So he waited to see if she could remember him from that night. She groaned again. "I should sue you. You hit me with your fancy car."Michael arched a brow. "I brought you to the hospital."Vivian snorted. "Yeah, out of guilt. Doesn't erase the fact that you hit me."He sighed, rubbing his temple. "I’ll compensate you. How much do you want?"She tilted her head, pretending to think. Then, with a completely serious expression, she said, "Well, considering you knocked me off my bike and made me pregnant, I’d say marriage is the only fair compensation."Michael’s expression went blank. "Excuse me?"Vivi
Michael leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming rhythmically against his huge office desk. His patience had run out.It had been a month since that night—a night that should never have happened.When he woke up the next morning, the bed beside him was empty. The only thing left behind was the unmistakable stain of blood on the sheets, a sight that had sent a sharp pang of guilt through him.He had been drugged, his control stolen from him. Yet, what consoled him—what silenced the darkest of his fears—was the way she had moaned his name in pleasure. It told him everything he needed to know.It was consensual.A sharp knock at the door broke him from his thoughts. His secretary, Ryan, stepped inside, holding a tablet."Sir, we found the woman who drugged you that night."Michael’s grey eyes darkened instantly as he leaned forward, his presence chilling the air. He had spent the last month searching for the culprit, turning over every stone, replacing the entire management at th
“Oh, shit!” Vivian’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest as she jolted awake, clutching the blanket to her body. Her breath came in short, panicked gasps as she took in her surroundings—a dimly lit hotel room, the faint scent of expensive cologne lingering in the air. Swallowing hard, she slowly peeked under the blanket, her stomach twisting into knots."Oh my God!"She was completely naked. Turning her head to the side, her pulse skyrocketed at the sight of the man lying next to her. He was huge—broad shoulders, toned muscles, and a face so annoyingly perfect it made her want to scream.But that wasn’t the worst part. Her legs ached. A dull soreness throbbed between them, and when she shifted slightly, her eyes widened in horror. Blood stained the crisp white sheets beneath her. Her hand flew to her mouth. “Did I just go through with this?” she whispered, her voice barely audible. Memories of last night flooded in—the way her hands had trembled when she agreed, the weigh
Scarlet stared at him for a long moment. She couldn’t believe her ears, and even Easton was taken aback. Because if Henry was one thing, it was unapologetic. “Well,” she said finally, her voice still laced with sarcasm, though softer now, “I suppose miracles really do happen.” She let out a sigh, shaking her head. “Look, Mr. Black, I’m not sure what kind of response you’re hoping for here. But I’ll say this, actions speak louder than words. So, if you’re serious about this apology, start showing it. Not just to me, but to Easton. To Jasmine. To all the people you’ve hurt.”Henry nodded slowly, his shoulders sagging with relief. “I will,” he promised.Scarlet studied him for a moment longer before glancing at Easton, who gave her an encouraging nod.“Fine,” she said, her tone softening just a little. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a family to celebrate with. You can stick around and watch if you want, but don’t expect me to roll out the red carpet just yet.”Henry laughed. “A s
As the applause faded, many cheered and shouted excitedly, urging Scarlet to say yes. Her heart was about to burst with joy as she nodded her head. “Yes!”“So beautiful!” People clapped. “Awww what a real-life fairytale!” Scarlet smiled at that as she pulled Easton up, “Haven't we ruined Jasmine’s dance?”Guilt was etched on her face. As much as she was happy she was about to marry the love of her life, ruining her daughter's dance wasn’t what she wanted. Easton saw her mood change and placed a kiss on top of her head. “No baby, I organized this dance for the proposal and everyone was happy to help me.” “Really? That's so sweet thank you. I loved it!” “And I love you!”“Oh my God! You’re getting married!” Aria squealed, practically vibrating with excitement. She pulled back just enough to shake Scarlet’s shoulders. “I knew it! I knew he was going to propose soon!”Scarlet laughed, still dazed. “Did you know about this?”Aria smirked. “Of course! Do you think Easton would propos
Scarlet hurried alongside Easton, gripping his hand as they made their way from the parking lot to the auditorium. Her breath came in shallow gasps from their quick pace, and she tugged lightly at his arm. “Easton, slow down,” she said, laughing between breaths. “We’re not late yet.” He glanced at her, his lips curving into a faint smirk. “You’re the one who said you didn’t want to miss anything.” Scarlet rolled her eyes, though her smile lingered as they slowed their steps. She smoothed down her sundress, the soft fabric swishing lightly against her legs as they neared the building. She felt her nerves increase because it had been so long since she was here and it made her heart ache.“I’m such a terrible mother.” She whispered making Easton turn to face her, “Darling, you’re the best mother in the world, and believe me when I say that because I had a wonderful mother. You’ve been through so much shit, so don’t dwell on those feelings. Focus on how much Jas and I love you.” “