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contractmarriage

Blackmail and roses

Excerpt... We were too close. I knew we were too close, but neither of us moved. The office was dark except for the glow of our laptops. It was past midnight. We'd been working for hours, building the case, connecting pieces, and somewhere along the way we'd ended up on the same side of the desk. Shoulders almost touching. Close enough that I could smell his cologne "This is a bad idea," I whispered. "I know." "We agreed. Fake engagement. Professional. No complications." "I remember." His eyes dropped to my mouth, lingered there. "Doesn't change the fact that I want to kiss you." My breath caught. "Roman..." "Tell me you don't want it too." His voice was rough, low. "Tell me I'm reading this wrong and I'll move. I'll go back to my side of the desk and we'll pretend this never happened." I should have said it. Should have lied. But I was so tired of lying. "I can't," I whispered. "Can't what?" "Tell you that you're wrong." Something flashed in his eyes, dark and hungry. He leaned in slowly, giving me time to pull away. I didn't. Journalist Amara Reyes has spent sixteen years chasing the truth about her father's death. Heart attack, they said. Case closed. Everyone moved on except Amara. Now someone is watching her every move, roses appear where they shouldn't, messages turn from warnings to threats, and the closer she gets to the truth about what really happened sixteen years ago, the more dangerous everything becomes. Roman Vale is a billionaire CEO who doesn't tolerate loose ends, cold and ruthless, the kind of man who can destroy you with a single phone call. When Amara starts digging into Vale Industries, he sees a problem that needs to be eliminated. But Amara isn't easy to eliminate. When blackmail forces them into a fake engagement, the line between enemies and allies disappears. She needs his resources, he needs her silence, but the deeper they dig, the more they realize their fathers' deaths sixteen years ago weren't coincidences but murders. Two fathers, two deaths, one killer who's been hiding in plain sight for over a decade. The threats are escalating, the stalker is getting bolder, and falling in love might be the most dangerous thing they've ever done because the person who killed their fathers is still watching, still waiting, and won't stop until both of them are dead.
Kathywrites · 4.7k Views

Billionaires' Regret: My Ex's Nemesis Fathering My Triplets

[Mature Content R18+] [Slow-Burn Dark Romance] Two days before my wedding, my fiancé told me he would marry my twin sister, because it was her dying wish. My family, his family, everyone dear to me, turned me into a villain for being defiant. The decision was final. The bride had changed. They forced me into a golden cage, waiting for my turn to be another substitute. Then he came. The man who should have been my enemy offered his hand. Led us into one wild night. "Be my wife. Six years. Let's have a contract for exactly that long." "You lost your mind. You promised-" "And I'll give you five years. You can be free. Do whatever you want with the Kingston name. I promised that." "Wh... what?" "But you must promise me, you will be back, and let's live like we burn for each other in that last year." "Rafael... what are you planning to?" "Get things back to their right place." I was tired of being anyone's pawn. So, I play my own game. Five years later, I am back. Revenge is an understatement. The price for my suffering is due. My children keep asking for their father. They'll meet him soon, but there's a problem:  I’m not sure who the real father is. "Viona... I never stop loving you. Tell me they are my flesh, right? I want you back. I want us back." My ex-fiancé shamelessly pleaded before me. "They are mine. The four of them are mine." And there he was, my contracted husband declared with a glare that was ready to burn the whole society down. This should be a simple game of power. But love always meddles between the players. ====== Author's Note: This Novel is a character-driven plot with slow-burn smut. Every character has their own motivation and is layered. Every choice has no easy way out. If you enjoy slow burn, this might be to your liking. Please read all the free chapters before you decide to continue or not. Thank you for giving this story a chance.
DP_RINN · 125.9k Views