The will read by the lawyer makes Vienna's life a nightmare. She never imagined that she would marry Ray - a cousin who was allegedly the son of her father's murderer. She wanted to run away from the harsh reality, but when she saw her mother her guts shrank and she ended up accepting the reality in front of her eyes. The girl vowed to avenge her father's death even at the expense of herself. Vienna's plan is certainly not easy considering that her cousin is also tough and has always been cold and cruel to her. Moreover, the man also has the support of a lover who is a partner of their family company. Who would have thought that love never chooses who it falls on. Vienna realizes that inside the hatred and resentment she nurtures, there are beautiful feelings for the man who has the title of her husband now. What will Vienna do this time? Will she continue her grudge or give up on Ray in the name of love?
The burial ground was still wet. Even the mourners were still at the funeral home. Still, the presence of a lawyer made the family members inevitably gather, including Vienna who left the crowd with hasty steps.
The girl walked half-run towards the living room. The place where the whole family was waiting for her. Her tanned eyes were fixed on her aunt's family who was only accompanied by her son. While the uncle who was the family's archenemy was not there. He obviously felt suspicious.
"One moment. Where did Uncle Zafar go?" interrupted Vienna before deciding to sit beside her mother.
Mrs. Farah bit her lower lip as she shook her head slowly. "Your uncle is out of town on an assignment, Win. He'll probably be back here the day after tomorrow. I'm sorry, son. There's something that can't be avoided."
"It's not because you're afraid that the contents of the will won't match your wishes, is it?" she asked.
"Vienna, watch your language!" snapped her mother, who immediately put a firm hand on her shoulder.
"Okay. Since everyone who is expected is already here, I, as the lawyer for the Bisma Kesuma family, will read out the will mandated by the deceased," the lawyer started his sentence. "Since Mr. Adi Kesuma, who is his son, has passed away as well, the remaining family is Mrs. Farah, his daughter," he continued.
Vienna's family and her aunt were still silent while listening to point-by-point about the division of her grandfather's family inheritance from her father's side. Until arriving at the very end, the middle-aged man who read the contents of the letter was silent for a moment.
"The distribution of shares worth 50 percent above will occur if ...," The speech was paused for a moment because the lawyer glanced at Mrs. Farah as the last family member left behind. " ..., one of the daughters of the late Mr. Adi marries Mr. Ray, who is Mrs. Farah's son," the lawyer continued.
Suddenly, everyone listening to the story was shocked. No wonder the arrival of Vienna, Ray, and their respective mothers was highly anticipated. It turned out to have something to do with them.
"Wait a minute, sir. Why do you have to read the will now? Why not after Grandpa dies?" protested Vienna with a sharp look in her eyes.
"Yes, sir," Ray replied a few seconds later.
"I'm sorry, this has been decided long ago. Your late Papa and Mrs. Farah also knew about the contents of the letter."
"What?" said Vienna and Ray simultaneously.
Within seconds, both of them glanced at Mrs. Farah, the living witness to the making of the will.
"Why did you and Uncle Adi agree, Mom?" asked Ray, already out of breath.
"I'm sorry, son. This is all your grandfather's decision. We love you so much that we couldn't refuse," Mrs. Farah replied, trying to calm her son down.
"So why is our family involved? Didn't you ever think about Rani's feelings?"
"Rani? Why does it have to be with Rani?" interrupted the lawyer with an astonished look on his face.
Mrs. Farah looked at Vienna with a surprised look. The next second she signaled Mrs. Arista Vienna's mother to give an explanation. Meanwhile, Wina who saw the scene looked at them in turn with a question mark on her head.
"There's no way Ray is marrying your sister Rani, Win. She's still in middle school. Even your father never said that," said her mother.
"You know that too, don't you? So why didn't I just set you up with Septi?" protested Vienna.
"It's not them, it's ... you."
No. That wasn't the answer Vienna wanted to hear. She swore that she still had a lot of dreams that certainly wouldn't be realized anytime soon. Her gaze now glanced at Ray who was still frozen in place.
"Me? Married to him?" she pointed at Ray with a sharp glance and a lopsided smile.
"Hey, arrogant girl. I wouldn't want to have a wife like you either. Not my type at all," Ray retorted, no less arrogant than the girl.
The two of them were at each other's throats with no one willing to budge. It left both their mothers and the lawyer shaking their heads. Meanwhile, the rest of the family excused themselves to greet the mourners who had returned to fill the front room. Leaving the chaotic situation behind.
"You can't do that, Mom. It's better to set him up with Rani. They're only ten years apart in age. Just like Mama and Papa when they got married."
"Your late Papa already made a decision. You were the one chosen to marry Ray," her mother explained.
"Why do I have to be the one who gets pounded? Is it because I often don't obey Papa and Mama's words?" asked Vienna with overwhelming emotion.
The lawyer who was there immediately got up from his seat. He excused himself because he felt he had done his job.
"I suggest the wedding take place immediately, madam," he told Madam Farah and Madam Arista. "In two weeks there will be an inaugural meeting of the elected directors following Mr. Adi's death. So before that happens, Mr. Ray should be able to lead the company after marrying Miss Vienna."
"I-yeah, sir. Thank you," Mrs. Arista said.
"You're welcome, ma'am. Excuse me."
Now it was just the four of them who began to look at each other in an awkward situation. Vienna was still adamant about her stance. The same was true for Ray. There was no agreement between them.
"Come on, kiddo. You have to help our family company. Don't let everything go to foreigners. We'll be the losers," Mrs. Arista said to Vienna.
"Yes, Ray. Your major is also in line with the company. Economic management. I'm sure you can do it," coaxed Mrs. Farah.
Both of them were still staring at each other indifferently. It had never occurred to Vienna that she would marry her own cousin. In 23 years of living in the world, she had never once reconciled with Fidell Ray Gautama. She was obviously in shock after hearing this strange decision.
"Mom, I'm going back home. I'm tired," Ray said, getting up from his seat.
"You can't do that, Ray. You have to say yes before you can disperse," snapped the mummy.
Vienna grunted in annoyance and searched for information on her phone screen. Her brain started surfing for ways to reject her strange arranged marriage. Until her eyes lit up when she found an article about inbreeding and the like.
Shortly after downloading the file, she showed it to her mother and aunt. Hoping her efforts would pay off.
"Have you seen it?" she said later. "We still have many ways to save the company. Ray can still lead the company without being married to me. After all, the proceeds can be shared equally."
The two middle-aged women turned to each other with bitter smiles. It made Vienna feel like there was something to hide. Meanwhile, Ray just stood there as if he knew what they were going to say.
"What do you think? Do you still love me and Ray? It's clearly written that marriages with cousins can give birth to offspring with abnormalities. Even though the incidence is small, it's still not good, right?" said Vienna.
Her mom shook her head slowly with a smile. "If that's the reason you don't have to worry, Win."
"Yes," agreed her aunt.
"Wait. What's that supposed to mean?" asked Vienna with her breath catching.
"Aziz? The stern man I've heard about from the neighbors' gossip? A 38-year-old widower with two teenage kids? Oh, it doesn't make any sense if it's really him." Alena couldn't wrap her head around her mother's order just now. She hoped it was just a dream, but unfortunately, it was about to become a reality soon. How could her peaceful life as a college student suddenly turn 180 degrees into a forced marriage with a widower?
"When are you coming home, baby?" "Do I have to answer that question?" If I could choose my destiny, I'd like to live a simple life as long as I could see my husband every day. However, regrets always come too late. Mas Ares will never be able to come home because...
The first marriage ended because the husband could not provide mental support. The second household was also forced to run aground due to a gambling case. Even after the third time as a wife, Namira could not feel happy. Moreover, the sad memories of that first night made her traumatized to reopen herself. So, how will she live her life again?
Amanda's return to the country was greeted by sad news. She lost her beloved sister. The grave was still wet, but her papa urged her to get married. Not with the man she loved. However, with a widower who was none other than her late sister's husband. She wanted to ask for his blessing to marry her lover, but the situation made things complicated. Amanda never expected to be presented with such a surprising request. Marry a former brother-in-law and become a birth mother to a month-old baby girl? It was both ridiculous and sad considering their ages. But how could she refuse? "Everywhere there is a sugar baby or sugar daddy, while I'm a sugar mommy. Radit is too young to be my husband. This is crazy!"
"I'm willing to be a daddy to your son, but don't ever expect me to treat you like a wife." To realize her son's dream of having a daddy, Lily is willing to enter into a contract marriage with Keenan, who also happens to be desperate to find a wife to inherit his family's company. An agreement was made where the relationship between the two would appear harmonious only in front of the child. However, they cannot resist the fate that has fostered unusual feelings. Unfortunately, the appearance of a past figure is also inevitable. Making it hard for both of them to go further. Will Lily and Keenan stay together? Or will each of them choose to give up when there is no more reason to survive?
After being diagnosed by a doctor that she got MRKH syndrome, the content of which is not getting pregnant and bearing a baby, Serena Queen Adhisty is going to be frustrated. She decided to go away from Barra, her boyfriend. And eleven years later destiny made Serena and Barra meet in the same company. She was shocked and did not know that her ex-boyfriend was the general manager there. Serena wants to move from the company. Unfortunately, she is trapped by Barra.
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”
Natalie used to think she could melt Connor’s icy heart, but she was sorely mistaken. When at last she decided to leave, she discovered that she was pregnant. Even so, she chose to quietly leave his world, prompting Connor to mobilize all of his resources and expand his business to a global scale—all in a bid to find her. But there was no trace of Natalie. Connor slowly spiraled into madness, turning the city upside down and leaving chaos in his wake. Natalie finally surfaced years later, with wealth and power of her own, only to find herself entangled with Connor once again.
For ten years, Daniela showered her ex-husband with unwavering devotion, only to discover she was just his biggest joke. Feeling humiliated yet determined, she finally divorced him. Three months later, Daniela returned in grand style. She was now the hidden CEO of a leading brand, a sought-after designer, and a wealthy mining mogul—her success unveiled at her triumphant comeback. Her ex-husband’s entire family rushed over, desperate to beg for forgiveness and plead for another chance. Yet Daniela, now cherished by the famed Mr. Phillips, regarded them with icy disdain. "I’m out of your league."
Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.
Trigger warning!!! Intended for mature readers who enjoy morally complex, slow-burn, poseesive, forbidden, dark romance that pushes boundaries. ***EXCERPT*** Blood everywhere. Trembling hands. "No!" My eyes blurred. His lifeless eyes stared back at me, his blood pooling at my feet. The man I loved-dead. Killed by the one person I could never escape - my stepbrother. *** Kasmine's life was never hers to begin with. Kester, her stepbrother, controlled and monitored her every move. At first, it was all sweet and brotherly until it began to turn into an obsession. Kester was the Alpha, and his word was law. No close friends. No boyfriends. No freedom. The only consolation Kasmine had was her twenty-first birthday, which was supposed to change everything. She dreamt of finding her mate, escaping the sickening control of Kester, and finally claiming her own life. But fate had other plans for her. On the night of her birthday, not only was she disappointed that she wasn't mated to the love of her life, but she found out that her mate was none other than him - Her tormentor. Her stepbrother. She'd rather die than be mated to a man whom she had known as her big brother all her life. A man who would do just anything to make sure she was his. But when love turns to obsession, and obsession turns to blood, how far can one girl run before she realizes there is nowhere else to run to?