After being betrayed by her stepsister, Cathleen left the country and went abroad. However, on the day she returned to NYC, she was asked to marry the same man she caught sleeping with her stepsister 3 years ago. Cathleen agreed, as she was marrying the man to save her grandmother and wanted revenge, as well as to cut ties with her family. To her surprise, the man she married wasn't the man who betrayed her 3 years ago; it was a different man she had never seen. What happened to Finn? How will she get her revenge? Her stepmother and stepsister found out that Finn wasn't the owner of Knight Group, so they devised a plan to make Cathleen marry the lapdog while they found out who owned Knight Group. But with Finn on the run, who then did Cathleen marry? Xavier was dimmed to be a cousin from the farm; little did the mother-and-daughter pair know that he was the big shot they had been looking for.
View MoreDon't forget to read yesterday's chapter, it has been corrected. Thank you for your patience. *****Cathleen's fingers clawed at the cool marble on the counter, her knuckles whitening with the grip. Her breath came out in ragged pants, betraying the tumultuous storm raging within her. She was trembling, every nerve ending screaming for release—a release only Xavier could grant. His touch—those hands that had charted every inch of her skin—knew precisely how to shatter her composure and make her unravel."Damn it," she cursed under her breath, a venomous whisper that spoke volumes of her internal conflict. This dalliance with Xavier was spiraling out of control, threatening the ordered life she'd so meticulously built. Cathleen Devereaux, a celebrity lawyer, unshakable and formidable—now unsteady, craving the very thing that was undoing her.She despised the transformation—the way she'd become pliant under his command. It was antithetical to her nature; she wasn't designed to be anyon
Cathleen's heels clicked against the porch as she left the sanctuary of the shaded swing, the afternoon sun casting long shadows on the ground. The house loomed before her, its windows like judgmental eyes watching her every move. She exhaled sharply, squaring her shoulders against whatever awaited inside. This was just an accusation, and it’s not like I was pregnant. The thought was almost amusing to her. As she pushed through the door, the coolness of the interior wrapped around her like a shroud. Her gaze landed on Xavier, his back turned, his movements meticulous as he cleared the remnants of their breakfast dispute from the table; everyone else was gone. Cathleen sighed. This wasn't the Xavier she knew—the one who lounged and left messes in his wake for others to clean. This man before her was doing dishes, handling China with care. "There you are," Xavier said without turning, his voice echoing slightly off the tile. He dried a plate with a towel, the muscles of his forearms fl
The porcelain plate squealed against the glossy mahogany as Cathleen pushed her chair back, its legs protesting as much as the raging anger building in her chest. Not pausing to look at the faces stopped mid-chew, her fury was stoked by their conjectural muttering about her purported illness. The thought alone—the foolishness of believing she was pregnant—caused a gut reaction she was unable to fully process.Outside, everything was unlike the world she knew; it was Xavier's haven, a place she had never ventured into. As she marched across the lawn covered in dew, the sheer loveliness of it took her by surprise and clashed with her frustration. Lush shades of green and colorful blossoms surrounded her like a vibrant work of art, showcasing Xavier's hidden softness.Her fingertips trailing over the beautiful petals of a rosebush, she murmured, "Damn him." The softness, an unwanted respite from the storm inside, calmed her jangled nerves. Here there was quiet, no critical looks, no crud
The morning light spilled into the grand dining room, casting a judgmental glare on Cathleen as the guests streamed in. Eyes darted her way, and whispers hung in the air unspoken. The tousled hair, the flush on her cheeks, the slight disarray of her silk robe—all silent testimonies to the stormy scene that just happened a few moments ago before Xavier opened that door. Cathleen's gaze flickered toward the bathroom door, longing for a minute to collect herself and wash away the evidence. But Xavier was there; his presence was a wall she could not bypass. His hand, firm on her lower back, made a claim that spoke volumes. Cathleen could feel the spill of Xavier’s sperm as she shifted a bit. Xavier knew she was uncomfortable, but he wanted everyone to know she was his and didn’t want to hide that they were now fucking just like every couple should. "Baby, I would like to start my day with your butternut soup." Xavier's voice, smooth and demanding, broke through the murmurs. His father, i
The dawn had barely broken when Xavier's voice cut through the stillness of the manor. "Take the day," he instructed the household staff, his tone brooking no argument. They dispersed with quiet nods, leaving the mansion to its master and mistress.Retreating to his quarters, Xavier stripped away the remnants of the night, the water cascading down his body in rivulets as he showered. Each drop seemed to invigorate him, fueling the anticipation of how the new day would unfold.Freshened up and dressed in crisp casuals, Xavier descended the grand staircase. The scent of something being prepared wafted from the kitchen, guiding him. There, he found Cathleen, her silhouette accentuated by a dress clinging to her curves beneath an apron. Desire surged within him, unbidden yet undeniable."What are you making?" he queried, stepping into the kitchen, his eyes drinking in her form.Silence answered him; a wall of resentment built from the night before hung between them. Her focus remained on
"Xavier," she managed her voice a husky whisper that belied the steel in her gaze. "This isn't a game.""Isn't it, though?" He stepped closer, each movement calculated to rattle her composure. "You keep running. I keep chasing. It seems like a game to me, Cat. We both know how much you love to play."Her throat tightened, and words lodged like shrapnel. This man, this infuriatingly irresistible force, knew just how to wield control and manipulate the tension between them until it sang like a plucked string."Stop this," she said, her command brittle. But even as she uttered the words, Cathleen knew they were fuel on the fire of his desire—an invitation scrawled across the distance that separated them."Make me," he dared, twisting those sinful lips with a half-smirk.The room contracted, the air heavy, charged with the electricity of their silent standoff. Here stood Cathleen, a woman who bent courtrooms to her will, now teetering on the precipice, one push from tumbling into the abys
Cathleen's fingers hovered over the collection of leather-bound tomes that lined her study, the silence broken by a buzzing phone against the rich mahogany desk. She snatched it up, her eyes narrowing at the caller ID—her father-in-law's name lit up on the screen. A rush of thoughts flooded her mind: had Xavier told his father that she wasn’t at their matrimonial house? But as she answered the call, his gruff and demanding voice surprised her with a request for a family lunch the following day. Cathleen ended the call with a sharp nod and a heavy sigh, dreading the inevitable awkwardness of the gathering."Damn you, Xavier," she muttered, the very thought of him igniting a wildfire within her. The scent of his skin, the strength of his hands—they haunted her, a ghostly caress that left her reeling. Yet the image of him entwined with another, especially Olivia seeped poison into the fantasy. It was the fear of becoming just another conquest in his gallery of women that kept Cathleen at
Xavier paced the length of his dim-lit study, each step a silent drumbeat echoing the tumult in his mind. Two full months had passed since that night with Cathleen—his wife, his supposed perfect sub—and now there was nothing but silence. Ridiculous. His fingers ached for his phone again, to try her number just once more, but he knew it was futile. She wasn't picking up; she was gone."Fuck!" The word erupted from him as he spun on his heel, whiskey sloshing against the sides of its glass prison. He slammed the drink down onto the rich mahogany on the table and fixed his gaze on the framed photo. Their wedding day. A mockery.He sneered at the image, at the smiling faces that seemed to mock him from across the chasm of these past weeks. "Why the fuck did I fall for her after just one night of fucking? One fucking night, and I was a fucking goner!" Xavier's voice was a growl, self-loathing threading through the question like poison.His hand closed around the glass again, the liquid fir
Xavier's mood was unusually upbeat as he strolled into the grand foyer of his family's estate. He greeted everyone with a genuine smile, a marked difference from his usual indifferent demeanor as he walked past the imposing marble columns and ancestral paintings. The staff looked at each other in confusion; their usually stoic young master was acting out of character today, and his cheerful voice reverberated off the high ceilings."Morning, Mrs. Potts," Xavier called to the housekeeper, his voice smooth but with an edge that hinted he wasn't entirely comfortable with this new approachable demeanor. Her response, a cautious smile paired with a twitch of surprise, was noted but not acknowledged as he ascended the staircase toward his father's study.Xavier confidently approached the massive oak door and rapped on it with a commanding force, a clear sign of his power and lineage. Pushing the door open without waiting for permission, Xavier stepped into the quiet sanctuary of old Mr. Kni
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