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Jessica Collins never imagined her dream of love and freedom would turn into a nightmare. Sold into marriage to the ruthless billionaire Raymond Shaw, she becomes a prisoner in his dangerous world of power, betrayal, and obsession. He is cold, possessive, and impossible to escape. Trapped between her past lover and a husband who both captivates and destroys her, Jessica fights to reclaim her life. But when she discovers she's pregnant, running away becomes her only option. Furious and heartbroken, Raymond will stop at nothing to bring her back. But is it love that drives him or the need to control? In a story of passion, revenge, and sacrifice, will Jessica break free, or will she fall for the man who was never meant to love her?
Jessica's POV
The traffic light turned green.
I gripped my bag tighter and rushed across the road, my heart pounding with excitement. Today was special; I had purchased my ticket weeks before to explore the Vincent Galleria Museum, one of the city's oldest and most renowned art museums. Art has consistently been my escape, a world where I could freely communicate my emotions. The idea of witnessing iconic masterpieces in person excited me greatly.
Upon arriving at the majestic entrance, the soaring columns and detailed designs on the building's exterior left me in awe. I entered, welcomed by the subtle aroma of worn canvas and polished wood. The gentle murmur of subdued talks resonated throughout the large corridors.
I reached the security checkpoint, presented my ticket, and received a visitor badge. My fingertips grazed the plastic, anchoring me in the present. This was it.
As soon as I entered the exhibition hall, my eyes opened wide in amazement. Wall-mounted paintings of varying sizes decorated the space, each narrating a tale that transcended language. Some were lively, overflowing with color, whereas others were shadowy and enigmatic. They communicated with me in a manner I couldn't explain.
I walked slowly, taking in every detail, stopping every few moments to capture images of the ones that intrigued me the most. I longed to paint-my fingers itched to express the feelings I felt merely by observing them.
While I examined a strikingly lovely portrait of a woman with mournful eyes, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
I pulled it out and smiled when I saw the caller ID. Timothy.
"Hey," I answered, my voice soft as I continued to gaze at the painting.
"Hey, babe. Just checking in. How's it going?" Timothy's warm voice came through the speaker.
I turned away from the painting and walked toward a quieter corner. "It's amazing, Tim. Honestly, the ticket was worth every penny. I've never seen anything this breathtaking before."
He chuckled. "I can hear the excitement in your voice. I'm glad you're having fun. Listen, I want you to get ready tonight-I'm taking you out on a date."
I grinned, my heart skipping a beat. "Really? Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise," he teased. "But dress your best, okay?"
I let out a small squeal. "Okay, I will!"
"That's my girl. I'll pick you up at seven. Love you."
"Love you too," I said before ending the call.
I placed my phone back in my pocket, feeling more unburdened than ever. Today was looking to be ideal.
I spent an additional hour appreciating the artwork before finally choosing to go home. As I went outside, the sky had dimmed a little, an indication of evening approaching. I called a taxi and leaned against the window, fantasizing about my date with Timothy.
When I arrived home, something felt... wrong.
The usual warmth of our home was absent. The television was silent, and there was no aroma of my mom's cooking coming from the kitchen.
It was eerily silent.
I frowned, stepping inside and closing the door behind me. "Mom? Dad?" I called out. No response.
A heaviness filled my chest as I entered the living room; it was empty.
I ignored the heaviness and took my bag to my room before going to my parents' bedroom. I knocked gently before pushing the door open a little.
What I witnessed caused my stomach to churn.
My father sat on the bed, smiling as if he had won the lottery, while my mother sat next to him, her face pale and her eyes swollen.
"Dad? Mom?" I proceeded cautiously. "What's going on?"
My father's smile grew bigger. "Jessica, darling, please take a seat. We need to tell you something important."
I looked at my mom, but she turned her eyes away from me. My heart was pounding as I slowly took a seat next to her.
She inhaled deeply, her hands shaking as she extended them toward mine. "Jessica... you're getting married tomorrow."
The words struck me hard as if I had been punched in the stomach.
I blinked. My mind went blank.
"I'm...marrying? What?" My voice came out in a whisper, my throat tightening.
"You're getting married," my father repeated, his tone firm.
I let out a shaky laugh. "That's not funny, Dad."
My mom squeezed my hand, and I turned to her in disbelief. "Mom?"
Tears welled in her eyes, but she didn't say anything.
"You don't understand, sweetheart," my father said, his voice filled with excitement. "You're marrying a billionaire. Raymond Shaw."
My chest tightened, and the room felt smaller like the walls were closing in. "What the hell are you talking about?"
My father's expression didn't change. He looked... proud. Like he had accomplished something great.
"You see, Jessica," he continued, leaning forward, "your mother and I took a loan from Shaw Enterprises years ago. We used it to raise you, to keep this family going. But we couldn't pay it back."
I froze.
No. No, no, no.
My mother finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "We tried, Jessica. But the debt kept growing. We had no choice."
I shook my head, refusing to believe what I was hearing. "So what? You sold me off like some object?" My voice cracked.
My father laughed, actually laughed, as if this was some kind of joke. "It's not like that. It's a business deal. And we're getting more than just clearing our debt-we'll be wealthy for life!"
A strangled sob escaped my throat. "Are you serious?"
"Jessica-"
"Don't," I snapped, standing up so fast the chair screeched against the floor. "You sold me! To a man, I don't even know!"
"You should be grateful!" my father said, his voice sharp now. "Do you have any idea how lucky you are? Women would kill to be in your position!"
I stared at him, horrified. "You're insane."
My mother stood up, reaching for me, but I pulled away.
"Jessica, please-"
I shook my head, tears blurring my vision. "No. No, this can't be real."
But deep down, I knew it was.
My father was smiling. My mother was crying and tomorrow... I was getting married.
To a stranger.
To Raymond Shaw.
Mary Marshall never expected her life to turn into a nightmare. When a ruthless millionaire demands she marry him to erase her family's debt, she does the only thing she can-she runs. Desperate and with nowhere to turn, she finds herself face-to-face with Thomas Randolph-the billionaire CEO known for his cold heart and even colder business deals. He offers her a lifeline: Marry him instead. A contract marriage that will protect her, help him keep custody of his son, and end in one year. No feelings. No strings attached. But living under the same roof changes everything. Thomas isn't just a ruthless businessman-he's a devoted father, a man haunted by betrayal, and dangerously irresistible. The lines between their arrangement and reality blur with every lingering touch, every heated glance... and one unexpected kiss that neither of them can forget. Just when Mary begins to believe in their love, her past comes crashing back. A vengeful enemy, a shocking betrayal, and a life-altering secret force her to make the ultimate sacrifice-walking away from Thomas forever. But Thomas isn't a man who gives up easily. And when he discovers the truth, he will stop at nothing to bring his wife-and the mother of his unborn child-back where she belongs. A steamy, suspenseful billionaire romance full of passion, betrayal, and second chances. Will their love survive the ultimate test, or will their contract marriage end in heartbreak?
Maria Callo never imagined her job as Wesley Thompson's secretary would entangle her in the brutal world of the mafia. Cold, powerful, and dangerously irresistible, Wesley is the feared leader of the Redstar gang-one she knows better than to fall for. But when an ambush threatens his empire, Maria becomes his unexpected lifeline. Forced into an arranged marriage for power, Wesley refuses to let Maria go, binding her to him in a world of violence, loyalty, and deadly secrets. As betrayals mount and war brews with their enemies, Maria must decide if she can trust the man who owns her heart-or if loving him will be her ruin.
With hatred for her step-sister and family generally, Piper Snow finds herself in a bar wallowing in alcohol after finding out her boyfriend…No, her ex-boyfriend cheats on her with her step-sister. She gets drunk and passes out on her way home in front of a moving vehicle. *** Davis Kingston, a 27-year-old cold and handsome billionaire who commands so much power and respect, owns probably more than half of the businesses existing in the country but he is betrothed to a sassy, rude, and arrogant rich missy, camela white. What happens when Davis Kingston meets piper? What made Davis so cold? Will she be able to melt his cold heart? Can Camela stand losing Davis?
Cursed with the worst luck in the whole universe, Stacy Reeves holds on to the last piece of hope she has for a perhaps better life. This too comes crashing down after a very reckless night with a stranger at a nightclub who turns out to be a popularly dangerous Italian billionaire, Andre Rosello which leads to an unexpected and unwanted pregnancy. *** Andre Rosello is a 27-year-old billionaire with barely any good memories in his life. His father had been in the mafia all his life and had trained him to be just like them - the ruthless beatings and starvation all in the name of boosting his endurance. His childhood was not quite a bed of roses and his adulthood was far from it. Much to his father's disdain, Andre doesn't end up following his line of work, instead, he builds his own company from scratch and makes a name for himself defying his father for the very first time. Pressured with a thousand and one responsibilities, Andre just had to let his mind be free for a while. A baby was not on his mind when he took the enthralling and sexy woman he met at the nightclub to his bed. When hit with reality, Andre doesn't know what to do. He wasn't ready to be a father, he didn't think he would ever be fit enough to be a good father. He wanted to be better than his father but he didn't know how to. So when threatened by Stacy's sister to take responsibility for his seed or have his hard-earned name ruined, Andre has no other choice than to accept this new responsibility, even if it meant getting married to her with a 6-year contract and even if it meant defying his father again and making an enemy out of him. What happens to Stacy now? Will her life take a better turn or would it get even worse? Will Andre give fatherhood a chance and love as a whole? Will these two grow to love each other or will they leave each other after 6 years runs out? If they do decide to stay, will Stacy and her child be safe with the mafia Andre had refused to be part of coming back to take revenge and his father still bitter from his son defying him decides to resort to violence like he always did, only this time, more extreme?
Blinded in a crash, Cary was rejected by every socialite—except Evelina, who married him without hesitation. Three years later, he regained his sight and ended their marriage. "We’ve already lost so many years. I won’t let her waste another one on me." Evelina signed the divorce papers without a word. Everyone mocked her fall—until they discovered that the miracle doctor, jewelry mogul, stock genius, top hacker, and the President's true daughter… were all her. When Cary came crawling back, a ruthless tycoon had him kicked out. "She's my wife now. Get lost."
He told her to call him Daddy. Not because he earned it, but because he fucking owned her. The moment she signed that contract, she stopped being a woman with dignity and became his filthy little plaything. His holes to use. His mess to ruin. He didn't just fuck her, he rewired her. Stripped her clean of boundaries and filled her with sin. Every punishment made her scream. Every game dragged her deeper into his twisted world. And the way he praised her... Good girl. She should've run the first time he said it. But Daddy doesn't let his toys leave. He breaks them until they beg to stay. ** Mia's life changed the night she let a stranger ruin her. One night. She never expected to see him again. Until she walked into her new job... and her boss turned around. Ace.Her one-night sin in a thousand-dollar suit. Only this time, he wasn't asking her to be his assistant. She was to be his wife.
“Do I want a taste?” his voice deeper than he had ever spoken. His eyes pinned on me like I was the only thing that fascinated him. “What do I do?” I thought to myself as he moved closer to me, I wanted to run away, to resist him but I was pinned to the wall by him. “Gosh I hate this man so much” his scent, his body, his beautiful green eyes, he was driving me crazy. I know this is wrong, he has a fiancee and all but that makes me want him even more. “Get on the bed and spread your legs” his cold voice woke me up and then I remembered I was just a maid to him. “Yes master”.
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
The dream of everyone with regards to marriage is to be able to find that special someone and settle down with them. Even arranged marriages grant you an opportunity to meet your partner briefly before the wedding. How will you feel about waking up in the morning with someone sleeping next to you who is not just anyone but your legally married partner yet with no memory of how that had happened in just a few hours of going out the previous day? This is the story of Jason Haward and Julia Harrison, two strangers trapped in a marriage they never planned. The quest to find out why led to the unfolding of a mystery which made them realize they are both living a lie. To find out more, read this amazing story of love, betrayal, revenge and murder.