Hazel's world is far from perfect. But, she’s happily married to the love of her life, Carter, a dashing billionaire and scion of the powerful Whitlock clan. Despite the raised eyebrows and skeptical glances from his elitist relatives, Hazel works tirelessly to be the perfect wife, striving to meet their lofty expectations. Carter's love is equally profound…. Or so she thought. On the day of their third anniversary, Hazel finds out she’s pregnant, and that Carter is having an affair with her best friend. Heartbroken and desperate, Hazel conceals her pregnancy and demands for a divorce, only to be met with Carter's ruthless ultimatum: stay and give him an heir or face financial ruin. With nowhere to turn, Hazel’s only hope is to seek the assistance of the best divorce lawyer in town - Marius Thorne. Little does she know that her relationship with her lawyer will turn out to be intimate and passionate, thus, making her enjoy all the perks of having him by her side.
View MoreHAZEL’S POV: I clench the handles of the heavy bags full of Sammy and my belongings. As I descend the staircase, I find Marius in the living area, his eyes red-rimmed and filled with an anguish that mirrors my own. Before I can utter a word of farewell or gratitude, he pulls me into a tight embrace. “I want you to stay,” Marius chokes out between sobs. “I really do, but I don’t wanna be selfish. Sammy needs you more than I do.” He pulls back slightly, cupping my face with trembling hands. “I promise, I’ll get you and Sammy back. You just wait.” His vow echoes my very desire. Yet, I shake my head. “It’s alright. I can endure everything as long as I’m with my son. You don’t have to ruin your future for us, but know that I truly appreciate every—” My words are cut off, my bags dropped, as Marius’ lips slam at mine in a sudden, desperate kiss. My mind screams at me to pull away, but my heart urges me to sink into the moment. In the end, I kiss him back, matching his passion. When we
MARIUS’ POV: Bang! The shattered pieces of the vase scatter on the tiled floor, almost hitting my feet. “Are you out of your mind?!” dad shouts, his face reddening. “You put everything you worked so hard for at risk just because of a woman?!” I remain nonchalant. I can’t argue ‘cause what I did is unarguably a crime.“Marius only did that to help Lilian,” mom says, casting a glare toward Lilian, who stands distressed in the corner.“Regardless!” dad counters. “He shouldn’t have switched Carter’s wife’s identity with a dead woman’s!”Dad closes the distance between us in a few quick strides, his hand latching onto my jaw, forcing me to meet his glare. I feel the sting of his grip but doesn’t waver.“I want you to back out from that woman’s divorce case,” he demands in a much calmer but still dangerous tone. “Let another lawyer do it for her.”“That’s not gonna happen. I’ll remain Hazel’s lawyer,” I say.Dad’s grip tightens painfully on my jaw. “If you disobey me, I’ll strip you of y
CARTER’S POV: This is an official declaration of war! I thought I could control them, but they’re proving to be more resilient than I’ve anticipated! My hands tremble slightly as I pick up the divorce papers I just received, the bold signature of Hazel and Marius as her divorce lawyer, glaring back at me. I crumple the papers and hurl them to the trash can. Hazel wants to play dirty? So be it! She couldn't and wouldn’t win. Not over me! I snatch my phone and call Attorney Culpo, the best lawyer I could ever think of. "I want all legal rights to search Marius' penthouse as soon as possible!" I bark, pacing my office. "I want to take my son from Hazel, and I want full custody… no matter what it takes!" -[“Mr. Whitlock, we need to be strategic about this. Barging in—"]- “I don’t care how you do it! Just make it happen!” I interrupt, before dropping the call. I storm out of my office, my bodyguards falling into step behind me. My first official battleground: the Thorne’s residen
LILIAN’S POV: Tonight, I wanna feel close to Carter again, to break down the walls between us that seem to be growing higher each day. After adjusting my lingerie, I make my way to Carter's bedroom. He’s sitting on the edge of the bed with a glass of bourbon in hand. His broad shoulders are tense, his gaze distant as he stares at the wall opposite. “Carter,” I say seductively. “I wanna make love with you. It’s been a week since the last time we did it.” “Yes, please. I need a stress reliever,” he replies with equal sultriness. I take the glass from his hand and set it on the nightstand. Then, I begin to undress him. Carter leans into my touch, his eyes closing briefly. But just as I undo the last button of his shirt, his phone rings. Carter's eyes snap open, and he pulls away from me, reaching for his phone with a frown. "Hello?" The previous warmth of his voice is replaced with a cold edge. "What?! Are you sure?!"He stands up and exits the bedroom. My frustration flares that
“Marius Thorne, I’ll give you twenty-four hours to surrender my wife and my child to me. Otherwise, you’ll lose everything you hold dear.” Carter and his bodyguards have left, but the threat of their return lingers. How much else can he do? Can he really destroy Marius, a man who also belongs from another powerful family? If Carter can find me here, in the supposed safe place of Marius, it means that I’ll never be truly safe anywhere else. Back in the penthouse, I sink on the sofa while Marius paces by the floor-to-ceiling window, his jaw set in a grim line. “Marius, I’m sorry that you were dragged into this,” I say. Marius moves to sit beside me, then takes my hand and squeezes it. “Don’t worry about me, Carter won’t dare harm me. If he will, I’ll make sure to retaliate. I’m not the only one who’s gonna go down, he will too.” “Will you really fight this battle with me?” I ask. Marius nods. There’s a determination in his gaze. I squeeze his hand back as I straighten my shou
Wow! This is all… so much!This place, with its panoramic views and opulent decor, is beyond anything I’ve ever imagined for me and my son. I only want a safe place to hide, but Marius offers so much more than that - a penthouse.I lay Sammy onto his bed. His own bedroom has medical equipment meticulously arranged, and a private, in-house nurse who’ll look after him. Betty and I also have our own bedrooms, though Betty is free to come and go home just as what stated in our contract.My eyes fall upon Marius to thank him. But, I utter no single word as I first notice the red mark on his cheek. Guilt gnaws at my insides. I’ve acted out of fear and misunderstanding, and Marius has responded with compassion and generosity.Night descends, Betty is asleep in her bedroom, while the nurse is with Sammy in Sammy’s bedroom. Marius is preparing to leave and go back to the capital."I can't thank you enough, Marius," I say softly, walking over to him with an ice bag. "For everything."Marius' s
HAZEL’S POV: My heart aches as I think of Sammy who has to remain at hospital for I have no idea how much longer. Our bills have already reached thousands of dollars since he became an in-patient just a few days ago. Without Marius’ help, we won’t be able to sustain it.I grab the bag, heavy with fresh clothes, and step out of my house. The sand crunches softly beneath my feet as I make my way to the bus stop. While waiting for the bus to arrive, the sound of an approaching BMW catches my attention. It glides by, followed by another, and then another. Then, a chill runs down my spine when I notice the plate numbers: WTL. T-that’s… The Whitlocks! What are they doing here?! Why do the people of my past keep reappearing now all of a sudden?!Men in black suits begin to emerge from the cars, their faces hard and menacing. Some of them I’ve seen, and even talked to before. They’re Carter’s bodyguards!Panic surges through me, and without thinking, I bolt towards the nearest convenienc
LILIAN’S POV: We had been so passionate, so in sync before Morgan came along. Now, it feels like Carter's attention is monopolized by Morgan, while I’m relegated to just an insignificant role. The only time I feel Carter's attention on me is when we’re in bed, and even that feels like it’s driven more by routine than passion. Elmyra’s voice pulls me out from my thoughts. "Is something bothering you?" she asks, her tone deceptively gentle.I sigh. "Carter. How can he not show some effort with our wedding when we've talked about this several times before, even when he was still married to Hazel?"Elmyra chuckles. The sound grates on my already frayed nerves, but I force myself to be calm. I’ve been trying my best not to make a bad impression on her, no matter how infuriating I find her.Elmyra leans closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Remember, once you're married to my son, you'll lose all the privilege to question his words and actions. You must follow him, an
CARTER’S POV: It’s been two years, but I’m still grieving my loss. I’m at the cemetery, standing in front of Hazel’s grave with a bouquet of her favorite white jasmine in hand. I make this pilgrimage countless times to appease my guilt for the cruel words and actions I hurled at her in her last moments. "If only I could turn back the time," I whisper. My fingers trace the engraved letters of her name and our unborn child’s that nobody got to utter except me in my nightmares, feeling the chill of the stone seeping into my skin. As I make my way back to my car, an unfamiliar, old couple walks towards Hazel’s grave. They‘re weeping, clutching each other. The man carries a bouquet of flowers, the woman a small, framed photograph of an unfamiliar younger woman. Who are they? I’m sure they’re not one of Hazel’s adoptive family members, Hazel also doesn’t have a friend except for Lilian. When I approach them, they gasp in fear as if I’m about to do something horrible to them. The wom
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