Madison Hartley never expected to inherit her family's struggling business empire at just twenty-four. With debts piling up and no lifeline in sight, she's willing to do whatever it takes to save Hartley Corporation -even if it means marrying Manhattan's most ruthless billionaire. Alexander Grayson is a man who always gets what he wants. Cold, calculating, and irresistibly handsome, he accepts the contract Madison proposes that promises to solve both their problems. For Madison, it's a lifeline; for Alexander, it's the perfect cover for his own hidden motives. But as their fake marriage blurs into something dangerously real, Madison discovers that love may come at a higher cost than she ever imagined. Will she rush her heart to save her legacy, or will the secrets between them destroy everything? In a city where power and passion collide, nothing is what it seems.
The city's skyline, stood against the early morning sky, creating shadows against the growing light. Dawn was creeping in, painting the sky with soft colors like lavender and pink. I could hear the sounds of traffic starting to pick up, the engines humming in the distance as the city woke up.
Inside, my room was still dark, but the sun was sneaking through the curtains, casting patterns on the floor. The room felt quiet, No alarm, just intrusive rays of sunlight creeping through the drawn shades. Blinking away the remnants of a heavy night, a deep, unfamiliar voice shattered my drowsiness. It took moments before I recognized the voice. Damn! I thought I told this asshole to leave before I woke up.
"Good morning, babe." The voice filled the room, blending with the headache I was having. God, I was in no mood for this. A man stood at the foot of the bed, holding out coffee and biscuits he'd procured from the hotel.
"Shit" I muttered, trying to piece together the events of last night while tracing the silhouette of the man before me. He was hot, but I don't do twice. He leaned in planting a kiss on my forehead and I shifted uneasily on the bed as I accepted the coffee with a forced smile, hoping the caffeine might jolt my senses back to reality. The sheets on the bed were a mess, evidence of last night. I groaned. I did not just let a one-night stand sleep over till the next morning!
"Babe, last night was amazing. I love how you sound," he praised, trailing kisses along my neck.
"Mhmm," my response tinged with discomfort, trying to create distance.
"I still remember the sensation from slipping into you. Girl, you make my heart skip beats."
"You're awful in bed, are you aware?" Anything. I need to say something for him to leave. "I mean, just...the worst." I sat up straight, looking straight at him. But it wasn't entirely a lie. His performance failed to meet my expectations.
"What? What do you mean? Did...did I not take you there?" He stood up, glaring at me, his face a mixture of disbelief and offense as he rose from the bed.
"Look what I've stooped to. Having sex with a random stranger who can't even make me cum. Just wow." With the weight of the financial burden on my slender shoulders, I had to work tirelessly day and night to keep the business afloat. But it seems all I was doing was just in vain because I hardly saw results. I barely even have time for myself or any sort of personal affairs, with my main goal of increasing Hartley's cooperation revenue and paying off my family's debt. But then, man was no log.
No matter how hard you work, at some point, you have to crave into nature's call...satisfy your burning desires. Which was what I did. I hit the club as much as I could whenever I had the time, took shots, and always woke up with a new face on my bed. I never repeat sex because some men just want to cling onto you like a leech, and with the way I'm seeing this, this douchebag face wants to ask me to be his girlfriend. Maybe I needed to remind him what I said last night. "What is it you say your name was, again?" I asked him with a sick sweet smile
He paused, a flicker of uncertainty clouding his expression for a brief moment. "It's Darren," he replied, his tone faltering slightly.
"Ah, right. Darren," I echoed, the name hanging in the air as I scrambled to gather my bearings in the room, still in disarray from the night by the way. His name meant little to me, just another addition to the list of forgettable encounters that blurred together in a whirlwind of many hazy nights.
"You know what?" I begin, "Darren, could you do me a favor? Grab me a hot towel, would you? I think I left it in the other room."
His eyebrows furrowed "Sure, I can get that for you."
"Thanks, appreciate it," I say with a forced smile, maintaining an air of nonchalance as I edged towards the bathroom, my heart pounding with urgency. I needed an escape.
With practiced finesse, I rushed into the bathroom and hastily wrapped myself in a bath towel, the cool fabric a welcome shield against the unease that permeated the air. With silent haste, I scanned the room for an alternate escape route. My gaze landed on the window, "ah, great!" I muttered and let out a slow breath, the faint echo of Darren's confusion resonating in my mind.
"You know, Madison," he began tentatively, his voice carrying a weight of vulnerability, "last night wasn't just a casual thing for me." It was moments like these I despised. Moments where a man sleeps with you once and finally decides he's in love with you. It was moments like these when the weight of my responsibilities collided with the hollow encounters I sought in an attempt to escape the suffocating grasp of reality. I couldn't afford to handle love and Hartley Corps. I mean, I don't even know if I can love again after all that I've gone through. So when I see the men I sleep with start developing these feelings, oh boy do I peel and free myself from the tangled web of obligations,
Meanwhile, Darren's footsteps echoed outside the bathroom door, his muffled voice calling out, "I found the towels, but I'm not sure which one you wanted. Or...how you want them either"
Panic surged within me as I glanced back at the window, contemplating my next move. Should I or should I not? And what are the pros and cons that if I should maybe take a wrong step and slip or fall, I won't break my neck, my hands, or any other important part of my body, get bedridden for years, and maybe worse fade scenario, I die.
Chapter 1 Do Not Jump
18/11/2024
Chapter 2 This is depressing
18/11/2024
Chapter 3 The invitation
18/11/2024
Chapter 4 Tiffany Beaumont
18/11/2024
Chapter 5 The award ceremony
21/11/2024
Chapter 6 Who the fuck are you
21/11/2024
Chapter 7 You're welcome
21/11/2024
Chapter 8 Marry me
21/11/2024
Chapter 9 Alexander Grayson
21/11/2024
Chapter 10 She's mine
21/11/2024
Chapter 11 Alex or no one!
03/12/2024
Chapter 12 The missing piece
03/12/2024
Chapter 13 A deal with the devil
03/12/2024
Chapter 14 Precautionary Princess
03/12/2024
Chapter 15 The whining legacy
03/12/2024
Chapter 16 Just smile
20/12/2024
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