THE BILLIONAIRES FORGOTTEN BRIDE

Flash Marriage To My Best Friend's Father

Madel Cerda

I was once the heiress to the Solomon empire, but after it crumbled, I became the "charity case" ward of the wealthy Hyde family. For years, I lived in their shadows, clinging to the promise that Anson Hyde would always be my protector. That promise shattered when Anson walked into the ballroom with Claudine Chapman on his arm. Claudine was the girl who had spent years making my life a living hell, and now Anson was announcing their engagement to the world. The humiliation was instant. Guests sneered at my cheap dress, and a waiter intentionally sloshed champagne over me, knowing I was a nobody. Anson didn't even look my way; he was too busy whispering possessively to his new fiancée. I was a ghost in my own home, watching my protector celebrate with my tormentor. The betrayal burned. I realized I wasn't a ward; I was a pawn Anson had kept on a shelf until he found a better trade. I had no money, no allies, and a legal trust fund that Anson controlled with a flick of his wrist. Fleeing to the library, I stumbled into Dallas Koch-a titan of industry and my best friend's father. He was a wall of cold, absolute power that even the Hydes feared. "Marry me," I blurted out, desperate to find a shield Anson couldn't climb. Dallas didn't laugh. He pulled out a marriage agreement and a heavy fountain pen. "Sign," he commanded, his voice a low rumble. "But if you walk out that door with me, you never go back." I signed my name, trading my life for the only man dangerous enough to keep me safe.

Romance CEO Billionaires Age Gap One-night Stand

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Mia's POV

My life was officially over. I just got fired from the only job I had just because I spilled ketchup on the floor. Alex, my boss or should I say ex-boss, had been acting cranky lately, every little thing annoyed him and he had been firing people since the beginning of the week. I had really hoped that I wouldn't be part of them, but then here I was with my faded blue jeans and black top, dejectedly strolling back to my apartment, thinking of a way to get another job as soon as possible else I'd be doomed.

It's not easy for a college dropout like me to get a job anywhere. My parents died in a car accident when I was 20 years old. I had to quit medical school because none of my relatives were ready to help me. I've gone for several job interviews, but the moment they realize that I was a dropout, they would tell me that I wasn't needed. Alex was the only person kind enough to offer me a job and I had been working with him for a year now. The pay wasn't much but I had no choice.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, I took it out and saw that it was a message from my landlord.

"Here we go again." I sighed as I unlocked my phone to read the message.

Landlord: You said you were going to pay up this week, it's almost the weekend and I still haven't heard anything from you.

Landlord: I'm sorry, but if you don't pay up your rent this week, I'll have no choice but to pack your things out of the house.

"Oh God!" I sobbed as I read the message. Everything just seemed to be falling apart. My landlord has been warning me for several weeks, my rent was six months due and I had been saving up so I could pay him, but the money was barely up to half of what I owed.

"What am I going to do now?" I don't wanna go back home now because my landlord might be there and I wasn't ready to face him yet.

I swiped my red hair off my face as I scrolled through my phone, then I dialed my best friend's number, it rang five times before she finally picked it.

"Hey, Mia." Kara's voice filtered through the speaker of my phone, she sounded breathless. Maybe she went for a run? No, she hated running. I wondered what she was doing.

"Kara, I'm in trouble." I cried out, not caring that people were throwing me glances as they walked past me.

"What's the matter?" She sounded like she was a little bit away from where her phone was.

"I just got fired and my landlord has been threatening to kick me out of my house." I said to her. I heard Kara giggled before the line went dead.

Uh?

I checked the screen of my phone to see if it was dead but it wasn't, she put me on mute, no sound was coming from her end of line.

What's going on with her?

"I'm sorry, Mia. Andrew did that." Kara said, when she finally unmuted me. Andrew was her boyfriend and those two are really obsessed with each other. They always cringe me out with their lovey dovey acts. I gave up on relationships since I dropped out of college, I barely had time for guys now.

"Oh okay! I said I just got fired-" I tried to repeat what I said but got cut off.

"Actually, can I call you back? I'm a little- umm busy right now." Kara's breathless voice made me cringe.

"Call me back when Andrew is done doing whatever he's doing to you." I said before hanging up.

I sighed as I stared down at my phone before I continued walking to nowhere in particular. I was about to turn around and start heading home when I heard two men talking. I was a naturally curious person so I decided to stay and listen to what they were saying. The men were standing at the back of a car, so I stayed at the front and rested on the hood of the car.

"I can't believe she did this to me." One of them spoke up. His deep voice sounded shaky and it made me wonder what he was talking about.

I shouldn't be doing this. Eavesdropping on other people's conversation was a bad thing and it wouldn't even do me any good. But it was a good way to take my mind off things, right?

I heard the sounds of a lady moaning and screaming, it made me rest more on the car.

Were these guys watching porn? They didn't even care that they were outside and people passing could hear them.

"Stop that video, it's making me sick. She has been cheating on me all these while and I didn't even notice." The man who spoke before, talked again. He sounded furious. The video was immediately paused and I didn't hear any sounds again.

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