Ad copy

"“Ahhh, Dylan... faster...” My groom-to-be Dylan and my closest brother were both buttaas -nked having sx on our bed right before our engagement announcement. I ended up getting so incredibly drunk that I found myself in a hotel room the next morning, lost my virgenity to the city's most eligible bachelor Logan. “I’m sorry, I’ve always seen you as my little sister,” Logan was also the best friend of my eldest brother. I quickly left the hotel room, scared to see his embarrassment in the morning. One month later — PREGNANCY TEST: POSITIVE “It’s just you and me from now on my little angel.” I could never tell Logan, not with him seeing me as his little sister. “Lacey!” Logan burst into a panic waking up in an empty hotel room that morning. I didn’t expect that the next six years would drive Logan insane. He was not able to find me, the love of his life…" --- 'Sometimes the strongest women are the ones who love beyond all faults, cry behind closed doors and fight battles that nobody knows about' ~ Farzana Baig Italy. Spain. France. England. Australia. There are so many amazing options but I can only pick one yet whichever one I pick is one which could strongly impact the rest of my life or at least the next few years of my life because this isn't just a vacation, it's more of a temporary staycation. "Can I help you, ma'am?" An effeminate voice with a southern twang asks me. I narrow my eyes from the board on the wall to the young man behind the desk who was looking at me with a big, bright smile on his glossy lips. "Actually, you can...do you fancy playing Russian roulette with me?" I ask him with a smile and he looks at me like I've lost my qmind. "Ma'am...this is an airport, it's not a casino" He says and I chuckle. "I know that, sir, I'm just looking to get away from New York for a little while but I'm stuck on where to go" I say and he rolls his eyes in a jokey and semi-serious kind of way. "Let me guess, you're running away from a boy?" "Got it in one" I say while nodding my head and smiling. Dylan Tate is definitely a little boy. Grown men who are mature don't do what he did. "You really shouldn't let a man run you out of your own home, honey because the moment you give a man that type of power and control, it's hard to get it back" "Well, it's kind of hard to stay here when my fiance screwed my brother behind my back" I say angrily while smiling a sad and pained smile as the guy behind the desk gasps dramatically and clutches at his invisible pearls. "Oh my" He says as he straightens his jacket and looks at me with a shocked and sympathetic expression. "Well, if I can make a suggestion...London is always beautiful at this time of year" London. I think to myself as I smile a real and genuine smile. This is the first time in four whole weeks that I've smiled like this. I've always wanted to visit London, England but for some reason, it just never happened. "The UK has also got a lot of historical and cultural spots if you're interested in that type of stuff, not to mention their nightlife is lit" He says the last bit while doing a little twerk before quickly getting himself together and looking around to see if anyone had seen him do it. "Sorry ma'am, that wasn't professional at all" "Don't worry about it" I said while chuckling. "It looks like I'm going to London then, when does the next flight leave?" "In twenty minutes, ma'am" "Great, book me a seat please, oh and make sure it's one way" I say and the guy looks up at me with sympathetic eyes. He then arranges my ticket for me and books me on the next flight to London. I was so excited but I was also feeling really nervous as well, especially when I was handed my ticket and I was told what gate I had to go to. The reason why I felt this way is because this meant it was real, I was really leaving not just New York but also America, my home and right now with how I'm feeling, it's going to be for good. I thank the worker who wishes me good luck as I head towards my gate and take a seat letting out a sigh as I did. The past four weeks have been super freaking crazy and stressful for me and I just can't wait to get away for a little while so that I can get over recent events, get myself together and work on myself mentally. I take a sip of my water as my mind drifts back to four weeks ago when all of this mess started. My fiance Dylan Tate and I were hosting our engagement party at the Ritz Carlton and it was supposed to be the party of the century. The Carpenter, Black and Tate families are the top three most powerful, influential and richest families in New York's elite and the fact that two of these families were joining together through marriage was a big freaking deal but I didn't care about any of that. I loved Dylan and I had loved him ever since I first set my eyes on him when I was sixteen, we were childhood sweethearts and had dated each other ever since our high school days. He's the love of my life, the man of my dreams, so when he proposed to me in Bali, the answer was a given and I couldn't have been any happier but then my whole world came crashing down the night of my engagement party, the night that was supposed to be one of the best nights of my life turned into pure hell. What happened was, Dylan had gone AWOL right before we were supposed to make the official announcement, so I went looking for him but I wasn't expecting to see what I saw when I finally found him. I found Dylan in our hotel room with my brother Luca and both had nothing on. I can't even begin to describe to you how painful it was to see the love of my life and my beloved older brother who I love so freaking much entangled the way that they were. I was so heartbroken and devastated that I didn't even stay to hear their sorry excuses. I quickly left the room and the hotel altogether because honestly, there's nothing they could say or even do that would be good enough for me to accept or even forgive. After I left the hotel, I went to a nearby bar where I drank all of my pain and sorrows away. I ended up getting so freaking drunk that I found myself in a hotel room losing my innocence to some strange guy or at least that's what I thought at the time. When I woke up the next morning, I realised the guy who I had been intimate with and gave my precious flower to was none other than New York's most eligible bachelor Logan Black who is also the best friend of my eldest brother Justin. I was in so much shock and I couldn't believe I had been with Logan. I instantly freaked out and panicked because I didn't know how Logan was going to react when he woke up and realised he'd had been with me, the girl he had always seen as his younger sister and I really didn't wanna to stay to find out, so I quickly got dressed and left the hotel room. I then went home where of course, I found out I was the villain of my story because I had left my engagement party without a word and had shown up the next morning literally doing the walk of shame. My parents questioned me about where I had been? who I had been with? why did I leave? how could I embarrass the Carpenter and Tate familys the way that I did? you know all that blah, blah, blah BS. Of course, Luca and Dylan didn't say anything and they were only too happy to throw me to the wolves which broke my heart even further because they were supposed to love me, yet they didn't care and they stood there allowing me to take the brunt of the blame for last night when it was all their fault. Anyway, I took all of the abuse and all hell broke loose when I told them that the wedding was off and I didn't want to marry Dylan anymore which angered my parents, more specifically my dad who hit me for the first time in my life and he demanded or I should say he commanded me to still go through with the wedding. Even that fake piece of trash Dylan acted like a love-sick victim and begged me not to cancel the wedding and even had the nerve to say he'd forgive me, you know ME for MY indiscretions, the cheeky man but I refused to budge even despite my dad's determination for it to still go ahead. I didn't wanna fight them anymore, so I let them all think they had won, so while everyone was planning the wedding of the century, I was making plans of my own to leave and get away. I really didn't want to leave because at the end of the day, my family are still my family and I love them so much but I knew I could never forgive them, especially Luca. Luca was my best friend growing up and I was the closest to him out of all of my brothers which is why this is so devastating to me. It's also the reason why I stopped myself from publically dragging Luca and Dylan out of the closet and outing them to the world so that everyone would know I wasn't the big, bad wolf in this story because deep down inside of me, I still do love them both and I don't want to hurt either of them. There's also another reason why I'm leaving or I should say this was the final nail in the coffin if you will and that reason is because I'm pregnant with Logan's baby. I knew my parents would flip their lids when they found out and they'd either assume Dylan is the father and would use my baby to make the wedding happen sooner or they'd wanna know who the real father is and if they learned Logan is the father then they'd force me to marry him to save face. I didn't want either of those options, I didn't want Dylan and I didn't want Logan, I just wanted me and my baby, so I packed a bag and grabbed as much cash as I could because I didn't wanna take any cards with me in case they tried to track me down and I headed straight for JFK airport hoping to start a new life. I was brought out of my thoughts when I heard the boarding call for my flight. I let out a breath and smiled as I thought to myself this is it whilst placing a hand on my stomach. "It's just you and me from now on my little angel" I take a final deep breath in and slowly release it before standing up and grabbing my bags. I then head towards my gate and my new life in London, England. Six Years Later... "KIDS!!, BREAKFAST IS READY!!" "OK, MUM!!" I plate up mine and the kid's breakfasts and place them on the table along with four cups of orange juice and a cup of coffee for myself. I was grabbing a few condiments for the table when my three babies came barrelling into the room with my youngest son Dayton looking like he was going to a Marvel or DC convention. "Dayton baby, I thought I told you all to get ready for school?" "You did and I did" He said cheekily and I rolled my eyes. "Son, you can't wear your Batman mask and cape to school" "Why not? I look cool" He says and I chuckle. "Yes I know you do, son but you can't just wear it" "Why not?" "Because it's the rules, Dayton, we have to wear our school uniforms and nothing else" My one and only baby girl says before taking a sip of her drink. "But Elijah gets to wear his Spiderman costume every day, mum" "That's because Elijah is autistic, baby and the school are trying to make his school life a little bit easier and make it as comfortable as possible for him" I tell him for the umpteenth time and he drops his head in defeat. "Ok, fine...can I wear it after school?" He asks and I smile. "Of course, you can" I bend down and give him a kiss. "Now come and eat your breakfast before it gets all cold and soggy" "Ok, mum" Dayton and I take our seats and my eldest baby, my firstborn Logan couldn't resist making a comment about his brother's attire. "You look like a nerd, Dayton" "Says the one who is reading a chemistry book at the breakfast table" "It's biology actually and it doesn't hurt to want to warm your brain up before school" "That makes no sense at all" Dayton says while rolling his eyes. "Actually it does, Dayton, it's just like when you go to the gym, you warm up first, right? Logan reading a book before school is like a warm-up for him to go and learn" Why did that make so much sense?. I mean, don't get me wrong, my babies are smart, actually, they're super smart, so it shouldn't be surprising or shocking to me that they'd say something clever but it is every single time. "Ok guys, knock it off and eat, please" We all eat our food and I couldn't keep my eyes off my three bundles of joy as we ate. It was one of the biggest shocks of my life when I found out I was expecting triplets and I near fainted in the doctor's office, especially when my mind started going into overdrive about things like giving birth but thankfully the pregnancy and the birth went better than I expected because I had my best friend Carmella there with me and she's been there for me ever since. My kids are my entire life and have been ever since I left New York six years ago. I've got two handsome boys and a beautiful little girl who have all just turned five years old and they're the lights of my life. My eldest son is Logan David Junior, yes I named him after his biological father and his paternal grandfather David Black which is something that I never planned on doing at first but as soon as I gave birth to him and I held him for the very first time, I knew that I couldn't give him any other name. Logan is my quiet child and he's very introverted compared to his siblings, he also loves to learn new things and is always either studying, reading a book, watching educational programmes or looking up something educational on the internet. He's not as sociable as his brother and sister but he still likes to have fun and hang out with other kids his age just as long as he knows and trusts them. My baby is also obsessed with science and computers and is constantly learning the ins and outs of them both, hence why he's currently reading a biology book while he's eating his eggs. All three of my kids are very skilled musically and Logan is one hell of a pianist. He's won so many awards for it and he even performed at the Royal Albert Hall for the Royal Variety performance in front of the royal family last year which made me one hell of a proud momma wolf. Then there's my youngest son Dayton James who is named after my father. Dayton is my little troublemaker, he's my cheeky child who has got one hell of a smartass mouth and he loves to joke around and play pranks on people which I hate and I'm trying to knock it out of him but it's hard, especially when he religiously watches Home Alone because he says the main character Kevin is his idol. I really should've given Dayton the middle name Liam after my big brother because he's just like his uncle in every way possible, even his laugh is the same as Liam's. Despite being a Johnny Knoxville in training, Dayton is a mathematician which is something he must've gotten from his dad because I'm dumb as a chicken when it comes to numbers, he also loves the drums which fits perfectly with his personality and lately, he's been taking air guitar lessons with a tutor. Then there's my little princess, my daughter Teddy Louise who I named after my mom. Teddy is a little girly girl who is obsessed with Disney, she loves to get dressed up and look pretty but she's also not afraid to get her hands dirty. She loves it when it rains because she gets to stomp around in puddles but her favourite weather is when it snows because she loves to build snowmen and make snow angels. Teddy also loves to bake and can make pretty much anything but her favourite thing to bake is cupcakes because she loves to decorate them with different icing and sprinkles. She's obsessed with many forms of art and loves to learn about the history of different famous artists, especially the likes of Picasso and Van Gogh, they really intrigue her for some reason. Teddy also loves to play the flute and can play many different beautiful melodies on it but she's not as into it as her older brothers are with their instruments. All three of my kids are incredibly smart and they attend a special school for the gifted after they were referred there by their previous school when they all started showing signs of being child prodigies. I always knew my kids were special and were more intelligent than most other kids their ages but I never in my wildest dreams would have ever thought that one let alone all three of my babies would be child prodigies because I always believed they were rare like one in a million type of rare, yet I managed to birth three, that's crazy. "Mum" Dayton's cute, adorable voice broke me from my thoughts. "Yes, baby" "Can I have some more juice, please?" "Of course you can, do you two want some more as well?" I ask Logan and Teddy who nod their hands. I grab the jug of juice and fill up their glasses before sitting back down in my chair. "Thanks, mum" My babies said in unison while smiling and I smiled back at them. "You're welcome, babies" I said as I heard a noise coming from the front door which I knew was the mail. I once again get up from my chair and go to see what junk I've been sent today. I wasn't expecting anything important because all of my bills have been paid for and are up to date, so I wasn't expecting anything more than just junk mail and takeaway leaflets which they seriously need to stop giving us, the internet is a thing, folks. I let out a breath as I look through the pile but my eyes narrowed and I was confused/scared when one of the letters caught my attention for several reasons. The first reason is because of the American stamps and the address which are in the corners of the envelope. The latter is something the majority of the UK don't do, so that struck me as odd and the second reason is the very familiar handwriting on it which I immediately recognised as my grandfather Joseph's handwriting. My heart was beating a mile a minute and my anxiety had spiked as I continued to look at the envelope and they got worse as my fingers danced over the Christmas stamp which had been used to seal the letter. I didn't know what was in the letter but it was enough to make me feel panicked and nervous because nobody from my previous life except for Carmella knows where I live now, so how in on earth has my grandpa found out where I am? and why is he writing to me? what does he want?. "Mum, we need to go, we're going to be late" Teddy says and I look up to see all three of my kids standing in the hallway putting on their coats, hats, scarves and gloves. It's December and the weather is cold which is something I'm used to as a native of New York but in the UK, the mornings always seem really bitter, so I make sure we're all wrapped up warm whenever we leave the house. I place the pile of letters on the side cabinet and go to put on my coat and accessories before grabbing my bag and making sure I've got everything I need including my phone, purse, house keys and car keys. "Are you ready to go, babies?" "Yep" "Mmm-hmm" "Yes, mum" The kids all say at the same time. "Have you got your book bags and packed lunches?" I ask them and they all nod their heads. "Ok, let's go" We leave our home and head towards the car. I make sure all of the kids are safely strapped in before getting in myself, we then set off for their school as we sing along to the Christmas songs which were playing on the radio. Christmas has always been my favourite time of the year and it's also my kids favourite as well. This time of year is also always really bittersweet for me because Christmas with my family used to be amazing and we'd always have so much fun. It was the one time of the year when we'd all gather together and stay at my parent's mansion for the entire holiday and we'd celebrate it in style. I really wish I could go back to those times. There's nothing I'd love more than for my babies to have a REAL family Christmas with our family maybe even with their father and his family but I highly doubt this will happen anytime soon. It's crazy how fast our lives can change within the blink of an eye and sometimes you don't even know it's happening until it's already happened. The past six years have been a crazy whirlwind and I've had to get used to a lot of changes in my life since I moved to London but now I'm happily settled and living my best life, well, I'm living as great of a life as I possibly can without my beloved family here with me. There was a time when my family and I were extremely close, we would always see and talk with each other every day and we always did anything and everything for one another but all of that changed and I saw a totally different side to my family after Dylan and Luca's betrayal. I always used to think I had the perfect family, the perfect parents, the perfect grandparents and the perfect older brothers and in a way, I still feel that way about them but I also can't forget the immediate change in them when I found out my older brother was screwing my fiance. The betrayal left me a heartbroken mess and it changed my entire life forever, it also changed all of the plans I had made for my future. Ever since I was a little girl, I always wanted to be a school teacher, I wanted to teach the future generation and prepare them for the next stages of their lives. A few months before everything happened six years ago, I was offered a place at one of the best colleges in New York to get my teaching degree but then my relationship broke down and the perfect future I had planned with Dylan had gone up in flames along with everything else. I no longer had any desire to get my teaching degree but I needed to find a steady income so that I could provide for myself and the triplets because I knew my savings which was a very substantial amount of money wouldn't last me forever. I wasn't used to living like this because I was born a millionaire heiress, I had always lived a life of luxury and I never had to worry about anything, so to now live knowing money was running out was kind of scary, especially since I now had three extra mouths to feed and I didn't want my kids to grow up differently to how I did. Don't get me wrong I wasn't a spoiled little rich girl or anything like that but I lived a comfortable life with no worries and I wanted the same for my kids as well. I didn't want them to grow up worrying about things that they shouldn't have to which I know they would've done because they're really smart and they would've immediately sensed when something was wrong. Anyway, I knew I needed to make some decent money and fast but I didn't know how. That was until one day when I was watching some soppy rom-com movie which was based on some old book and it unlocked a brand new passion inside of me, a passion which I never knew existed if I'm being perfectly honest with you. I always loved to read and loved nothing more than to get lost in a good book but I never once saw myself as a writer because I didn't think I was creative enough to be one. All of that changed as soon as I put pen to paper or my fingers to my laptop I should say and that's when magic happened. Within two months, I had finished and completed my first book The Billionaire's Secret Baby which later turned into a five-part series when my fans demanded more from me. The series was a huge hit and before I knew it, I was a world-famous author, I was successful and I was rolling in the money, most of which I've either invested or I've put into different bank accounts for me and my kids for when they're older. The rest of the money I used to buy us our current home and everything we needed to furnish it and I also bought myself a decent car as well. I mean, I'm not at Donald Trump's level of rich but I've got enough money for me and the triplets to live happy and comfortable lives together. Right now I'm in my office working on a new book and a new series but for some strange reason, I can't seem to concentrate and for the first time in my writing career, I've got writer's block. I let out a sigh as I take off my glasses and rub the bridge of my nose. This is so frustrating and annoying. The worst thing for a writer to experience is knowing what you want to write and how you want to write it but being unable to articulate it in the right way and have it make sense. There have been many times in the past where I've written something and when I've read it back I was baffled. this makes absolutely no sense. I looked back at the screen and decided I needed to take a break, so I got up and went into the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee and something to eat. I didn't really have much of an appetite but I knew if I didn't eat something now then I probably wouldn't have anything to eat until dinner later on which wouldn't do me any good. You need to be healthy in your mind, body and soul in order to do anything and I can't focus on writing a great story if I'm pushing myself without resting or eating. I was sitting on the couch and eating my food with the television on in the background which I wasn't watching, it was just on for background noise because I hate silence and that's all I ever seem to have in this house when the kids aren't here. Anyway, the T.V. quickly caught my attention when the annoying presenter with a high-pitched squeaky voice, who was wearing more make-up than a drag queen mentioned several familiar names which piqued my interest, one of which and the gossip about him almost had me choking on my coffee. "Hello everyone and welcome to the Hollywood Daily, it's been a busy week for many of the Hollywood elite, more specifically those within the affluent Carpenter and Black families" The presenter said with a huge grin on her face. The first piece of news she was gossiping about was my sister-in-law Sabrina launching two new clothing lines, one is a maternity line and one is for kids which will be released after Christmas. This will be her third and fourth lines that she's released, the first one being a bikini line and the second one was an undergarment line which she worked on with my mom. "Brace yourselves ladies and gentlemen because the latest announcement from the Carpenter family is one that is going to break all of our precious little hearts, Luca Carpenter the youngest son of James and Louise Carpenter has come out as gay" This is the news which had me almost choking on my coffee. What does she mean he's come out as gay?. Didn't he do that six years ago?. "According to a statement released earlier today, Luca said it's taken me a very long time to finally accept who and what I am and now I can proudly say that I'm a gay man" Holy cow. "But that's not the most shocking part of the statement, the part which has left many of the public including fans of the family baffled and scratching their heads in confusion is when Luca also confessed his undying love for his soulmate and the love of his life Dylan Tate...does that name ring a bell? well, it should do because Dylan is the eldest son and heir of Lachlan and Sandra Tate and he's the former fiance of Luca's younger sister Lacey Carpenter who has been M.I.A for the past six years, are Luca and Dylan the reason for her disappearance from the limelight? has this love story been going on for a lot longer than the Carpenters want us to believe? this is something we may never know unless Luca, Dylan or even Lacey herself comes out and explains it to us" I can't believe this. It's a good job I legally changed my name six years ago before I gave birth to my kids because if I didn't, then this could have caused a lot of trouble for me and my kiddies. "Moving on, we've got everyone's favourite billionaire playboy Logan Black who is as much known for his dating life as he is for his wealth, businesses and modelling career, the fitness model and business mogul is known for having a different woman on his arm every week but is his bachelor life officially over? it seems so after the sexy hunk was spotted shopping at one of New York's most expensive jewellery stores with singer and actress GiGi Addams" What?. It hurt my heart to hear about Logan settling down with someone else, especially with a snake like GiGi Addams. Deep down in my heart, I knew why it hurt me so much but I just didn't want to admit to it. I had always had a crush on Logan ever since I was a kid and I think somewhere over the years, that crush manifested into something more but I really didn't want to confess to those feelings because he's my older brother's best friend and also because of Dylan, not to mention Logan is everything I hate in a man. He's cocky and conceited and he thinks if the world doesn't revolve around him then it should or at least that's how he was six years ago, I don't know if he's changed at all since I left the States. I couldn't help but smile a sad and bittersweet smile as the presenter continued to talk about my family and those who used to be close to me and it really hurt my heart because I miss them so freaking much and I hate hearing about them and what's new in their lives through channels like this. Changes are a natural part of life but sometimes it's the ones you weren't expecting that cause you the most pain and sorrow but also the most happiness as well. --- Chapter 1 Analise’s POV The text I received from Holden was as unexpected as it was unwelcome. I felt a tremor of fear at receiving it. I had a gut feeling that whatever was on the video he just sent was not something I wanted to see. [Unknown number- Hey, it's Holden. I know you probably don’t want to hear from me, Ana, as I see that I'm still blocked. But you really need to see this. Your fiancé was only too happy to publicly humiliate you. So, I felt I had to warn you. You don’t deserve to be treated like this. I didn’t want you to be caught by surprise.] I know he won’t be surprised that I left him on read. I didn’t feel the need to reply to him. The problem is that Holden never exaggerates. He is always direct and painfully honest. I knew that firsthand. We had been friends since we were young. He is still my brother’s best friend, but I’m no longer friends with him. I had a crush on him back when I was a teen, until he crushed my heart into a million pieces. So, I knew it was going to be bad before I even hit play. I just didn’t know it was going to be this bad. The video started, and I saw that Roger was at our favorite Italian restaurant, Benvenuto. It’s where we had our first date. It’s where he proposed to me. It was a special place for us, or so I thought. I saw Roger sitting there facing the camera, with Sasha almost on his lap. Why is she so close to him? Wait, why is she even there? My stomach turns at the sight of them there together. It’s Saturday night, and he knows that I’m always wiped by Saturday night. He usually goes out with his male friends to have a few drinks and relax. Well, at least that’s what he's always told me each week. I didn’t think Sasha was bold enough to interrupt them on their guy’s night out. I forgot she has no shame when it comes to Roger. “Congratulations to you both,” Dixon Chandler raised his glass to them. It was clear they hadn’t just arrived there. The plates on the table were empty. The men were all intoxicated and enjoying their night. “It’s about time you made an honest woman out of Sasha.” I paused the video and tried to calm myself down. What the hll was that supposed to mean? I knew she was someone he had dated in high school, but she had left him years ago. He was broke back then, and she didn’t want to be with him because of that. She never saw his value, but I did. I knew he was hungry to be a success. I saw the fire, the desire to be successful shining in his eyes. I thought that helping him achieve his goals would lead him to realize that I loved him. That I loved him for who he was, and not what he had. His family had an economy hotel chain, but they were not well received in high society. They hadn’t earned a spot at the table, but they wanted one. They refused to give Roger money to fund his dreams, so I did. I knew that one day he would come to love and appreciate me for making his dream a reality. But it’s been five years now, and his mother still talks down to me. Like I am dirt under her shoes. His father has always been pleasant, but his two younger siblings have shown me nothing but contempt. I looked at her ring finger and saw that she is wearing not just an engagement ring, but also a wedding band. I can barely catch my breath; he didn’t. He wouldn’t. We were to be married in three weeks. But somehow I already know he did. I didn’t even know that she had returned, but this explains why he has been so busy that I've barely seen him for weeks. I pressed play again and braced for the worst. Sasha blushed and continued her innocent act. She has had them wrapped around her finger for years. She always plays the victim, and somehow, I’m always the villain. They would be shocked to see her real face, as they have fallen for this act since high school. “Thank you, Dixon. You’ve always been one of our biggest supporters.” Now that stings. He works at the company Roger and I created. I provided three million dollars to get it off the ground. I brought the investors in to get it to where it is today. Roger always downplayed what I had done to get his company afloat to his friends and family. They all think that I’m just a clingy designer, but I’m actually the co-owner of the company. Dixon is our CFO, but he’s never given me the respect I deserve. I watched as he continued to kiss up. “You know I’m on your side, Sasha. That stuck-up b1tch doesn’t have anything on you. I don’t know why Roger even agreed to marry her. In my opinion, Elizabeth is as unwanted as a boil. But she refuses to let Roger go. He doesn’t even want to be with her; she forced him into proposing. I don’t know what she’s holding over your head, Roger, but you need to shake her loose as soon as you can,” Dixon replied. I gasped in shock at his words. He’s talking about me like I have no business being with Roger. My middle name is Elizabeth, and that is what I’ve used to conceal my identity. My full name is Analise Elizabeth (Wade) Caldwell. I took my mother’s maiden name, Wade, to use for school. My family is one of the most elite in the city. The Caldwell name holds a lot of weight around here. There aren’t many of us, so it would be a red flag for me to have used Caldwell. I decided to go to school using Elizabeth Wade to protect myself. The schools I’ve attended were informed of who I was, so added security could be put in place for me. Always discreet, hovering in the background. All my diplomas held my given name on them. I did as my mother had done, and followed in her footsteps. She had hidden who she was until after she married my father. She hid her wealth to ensure that my father loved her for who she was, not for what she had. It was my grandparents' idea. It helps cut out the ones who were just here looking to gain a wealthy wife. I was going to tell Roger who I was once we were married. I'm praying that he defends me, but I somehow doubt that will happen. My parents were always very careful of me. I had almost been abducted at ten, and after that, I went nowhere without protection. I have always dreamed of marrying someone who loves me, not my wealth. I’ve learned the lesson that I wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, the hard way. When I met Roger, I allowed myself to believe I could finally be loved. He accepted me, or so I thought. Clearly, I was wrong. Dixon is Roger’s best friend. They have been best friends since grade school. If anyone knew Roger well, it would be Dixon. How could Roger have lied to me like this? I believed him when he told me he loved me. He said he owed me for helping him bring his dream to life. I didn’t want him to be forced into marrying me. I suggested it, back when he asked me what I wanted in return. I didn’t need the money back; I had plenty of money. I had fallen in love with him the first time I met him. I have dreamed of Roger getting down on one knee and proposing for years. He could have told me no, instead of sneaking off and secretly marrying Sasha. “Guys, go easy on Elizebeth. I already feel bad enough taking Roger away from her. She won’t be happy once she finds out. At the very least, you could refrain from talking about her. She is a gifted designer. Speaking of, Roger, are you sure Elizabeth will allow me to use her designs after I take over as the Director of Design? I want the staff to have faith in me. So I think it would be best for me to show up with some great designs in order for them to accept me,” Sasha said coquettishly. “Leave it to me, love. The day I introduce you as the new head of design, I will also announce my engagement to Elizabeth. She should be happy enough with that. She won’t need to work anymore, and you can take over for her. She can stay home, while I get things shifted around so I don’t lose out when she finds out what I’ve done. It gives you the opportunity to demonstrate that you've contributed to the company's success. Elizabeth will be able to get by on her company shares. But I’ll need time to get everything in order, at least a year, so you need to be patient,” Roger replied, tapping the end of Sasha's nose. “As long as you don’t sleep with her, I can be patient for two years, Roger. As long as she can’t stop us from being together,” Sasha said with a pout. “Please, how could he ever desire her, Sasha? Have you seen her? She is not elegant or refined like you. She would only embarrass him. She bullied her way into getting Roger to propose. I don’t know how she couldn’t tell that he was embarrassed by her. He wouldn’t stand next to her and never smiled for any of the pictures at their engagement party. She's completely delusional. But I don’t know how you're going to be able to be married to two women at the same time, Roger. It’s against the law. Elizabeth won't agree to it. She isn’t going to fall for it,” Conner Hazell replied. He was Roger’s other friend at the table. “I’ve already figured it out, Connor,” Roger stated coldly. “She doesn’t need to know our marriage isn’t real. Elizabeth shouldn’t have forced my hand by insisting I marry her. She gets what she deserves for forcing me into it. Sasha is my true love, my first love, my first everything. She’s the one I want. I acknowledge that Elizabeth helped me get my company up and running. I appreciate her faith in me and all her support. For that, I’m willing to let her be Mrs. Roger Cook to the public. Sasha doesn’t want the bells and whistles. She just wants me. Now that she's carrying my child, I need to make her position solid. Elizabeth could have asked for anything, except my love. She knew that; she brought this on herself,” Roger replied. Wait, Sasha is pregnant with his child? How long has he been lying to me? How far along is she? The fury that I feel towards Roger and Sasha is something I haven’t felt for a long time. I need to calm down so I can start making plans. I need to power through this video and finish it. Only then will I know what I need to do. The betrayal stings, but thankfully, my parents taught me well. “Roger’s taking me to Paris for our honeymoon this week. So you can’t spoil the surprise for Elizabeth,” Sasha said with a smile before the video ended. And just like that, I received my timeline. Time to get to work. Chapter 2 Analise’s POV I haven’t spoken to Holden Vaughn for over three years. Ever since I called off our arranged marriage that our parents cooked up. I refuse to speak to him again, if at all possible. He never knew why, and as far as I’m concerned, he never has to know. If he had actually thought about it at the time or cared about me at all, he would have figured it out. But confronting him about it would destroy the friendship between him and my brother. I can handle it, I’ve done so this far, almost a decade since I turned seventeen. I hadn’t known that Holden was back in the city, but I’m not totally rude. He did me a favor, as I would have been totally blindsided by Roger if he hadn’t sent me this video. I was on my phone once I allowed myself to calm down. My first call was to my best friend, Gwen Simpson. “What’s up, Ana? We just saw each other for our weekly meeting? Did you forget to tell me something?” Gwen asked in amusement. “I’m going to bring my newest collection of jewelry drafts over tomorrow. I need you to take them on Monday morning and have them copyrighted in my company's name. I won't be letting Roger get his grubby little hands on them,” I replied. “I thought you were letting Roger have them for his pitiful little company?” Gwen responded. I didn’t miss the mocking way she said Roger’s name. “I changed my mind, and the wedding's off. I’m going to sell my shares and let his company die a slow, painfully expensive death. It’s what he deserves,” I advised. “What did he do?” Gwen asked. I could tell that she is already angry on my behalf. “Sasha is back now that I’ve got his company running smoothly. He is happy to offer her my position as Design Director, but I won't allow her to use my work to enhance her own reputation. That won't be happening. She can have him. I doubt she will want him after he hits rock bottom, though. She only came back because he's achieved success. He thinks she loves him, but that’s his problem now. From now on, I'll only be working at Fashion Forward. I refuse to help someone who lies and cheats,” I said, my voice now starting to break. I probably should have taken some time to cry earlier, instead of just starting to line up my ducks. I just want to hit the ground running on Monday. “I’m coming over, Ana. I don’t want you to be alone tonight. It will be like a sleepover when we were kids,” Gwen insisted. “No, I’ll be fine. I just found out about it, so naturally I'm upset. I need to mourn the relationship, because it was real on my end. Even if he never cared for me, I loved him. I thought he cared for me, and one day it would bloom into love for him, too. I suppose I was wrong about a great many things. I have a week to complete all the tasks I need to accomplish. Apparently, Roger is taking her to Paris for their honeymoon. Oh, but that’s not the best part, Gwen. Sasha’s pregnant, and according to them, it’s Roger’s baby,” I admitted. Hearing her gasp, just as shocked as I had been, had my tears start to fall. “I have never liked that little jackass. You can do so much betterAna. I never understood why you let Hoden go. I remember the crush you had on him. Maybe it’s time for you to get back with him,” Gwen suggested. “Never, I would never give him a chance. He might have helped me out tonight by sending me the video, but I can’t trust him. Not anymore,” I managed to reply. “I will be there in twenty minutes. I want to see this video. So, Holden is back?” Gwen asked. “Yeah, apparently he’s back. He was the one who sent me the video,” I replied. We hung up, and I tried to collect my emotions. Gwen lives just ten minutes away, so I am sure she will be here quicker than twenty minutes, as she only needs an overnight bag. I need some comfort food, and I’m not about to cook. I ordered a pizza for myself and one for Gwen. It will be here in forty minutes, just enough time to shower, greet Gwen, and let her see that creep in action. I needed to see the video again myself. I quickly showered and threw on some comfy pajamas and a soft pair of socks. I needed as much comfort as I could get. I toweled my hair off before heading into the kitchen in search of a drink. I grabbed a bottle of water instead of wine. I was on a mission now. Operation Scorched Earth is about to commence, so I needed a clear head for my plans. I didn’t feel bad for what I was about to do to Roger. If he had been honest with me instead of agreeing to marry me, we wouldn’t be here. Plus, Sasha wasn’t here when he agreed to the engagement. I suspect that she has a significant role to play in this. If that b1tch thinks that she is about to steal my designs, she's the delusional one. Roger can’t give them to her anymore either. I pick up my phone to make the call I needed to make. I hadn’t spoken to Roger about my parents. He thought that I had come into my money because I had lost my parents. I never corrected him on that. According to my bio, I'm an orphan. The fact is, I couldn’t introduce him to them. They knew who he was, and because I was happy, they were happy. That's no longer the case. He actually knew who they were because everyone knows who the Caldwells are. It was the very reason I couldn’t introduce them to him. My cover would have been blown. I'm so thankful that Holden gave me a heads-up. I would have hated to have given up my virginity to a man like him. I was a late bloomer. I was overweight most of my teen and adult years. I was completely focused in college. I had school, and I had the business I created as a senior in high school. I was always busy. Fashion Forward was very important to me. I spent my time attending college and growing my fashion brand. I was the owner, but I appointed Gwen to be my CEO. My other best friend, Emily Thomas, was our primary model. I realize that the name was a little immature now, but I was eighteen when I came up with it. At twenty-seven, our name, or reputation, is already out there. It’s too late to change it now, and I’m proud of my company. Emily wore our clothing, modeled the handbag and jewelry ads, and even our shoe line. The last year and a half, I’ve been busier than ever. I’ve lost weight, a little over fifty lbs., but I hadn’t mentioned it to Roger. I had been a 20/22, but now I’m a 14/16. I’m happy with where I am. I’m comfortable in my own skin now. Much more than I've ever been. My parents have always loved and supported me. My older brother, Seth Caldwell, has always been a strong supporter of mine. Regardless of my size, they've always loved me. They're proud of my accomplishments. I still wear loose clothing, so no one at work has noticed my weight loss. My family and my two best friends have been the only ones who have noticed. I’ve been pretty busy running my own company and helping Roger grow his. Planning for my wedding was overwhelming on top of everything else. I had an episode two months ago, when Roger was out of the country. Gwen and Emily had to rush me to the hospital the day it happened. I was severely dehydrated, and my blood sugar was very low. I was in the hospital for three days. I should have realized then what а j'erk Roger was. He came back from his trip, which I’m now sure was to meet Sasha. He then yelled at me for missing work. He saw that I was pale, but Dixon had told him that I had called out while he was away. I still remember the argument we had that day over it. Dixon stood behind Roger, encouraging him to deal with me. “Elizabeth, you can’t just call out whenever you want to. You need to be here if I’m not here. What were you thinking?” Roger had yelled at me. I still hadn’t regained my full color. I was pale, and if he cared at all, he would have noticed that. But I took my work at Cook Custom Jewelry seriously. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have forced myself to come here the day after I was discharged from the hospital. “Where were you, Roger? You didn’t take vacation time. You didn’t notify me that you were even taking a trip. I had a medical emergency. It was out of my hands. You weren’t traveling for business, so why weren’t you here?” I asked. I didn’t feel well enough to coddle him that day, and he had been shocked by my response. I brought in all the investors, and we had no meetings scheduled for out of the country. Once I questioned him about where he was and what he was doing, his tone changed. He started acting concerned for me. He then told Dixon to stop causing issues between us. If I hadn’t been feeling so bad, I would have probably noticed something was off. I scoffed just thinking about it now. I’m too smart to have fallen for his lies, yet here I am. I picked up the phone and called my mother. My parents needed to know what happened. They will begin making the necessary calls. Just like they silently helped me grow Roger’s business by investing themselves. They would now pass on the word that they’re no longer supporting Cook Custom Jewelry. Their friends would all start to pull out, too. After that, it's only a matter of time before the company is dead in the water. The problem was that as soon as my mother, Alicia, picked up the phone, my throat tightened up the moment I heard her voice. I started to cry, despite all my efforts. I could hear her speaking to me. I could hear my father in the background, but I couldn’t speak. I heard my mother say, “We will be there in ten minutes, baby. Hold on, we’re coming.” I cried in the shower. I thought I had cried enough. I thought I would only feel anger from now on. I was wrong. Hearing my mother’s voice brought back all the pain of what he had done. I cried for the loss of the relationship I thought I had. I thought that he appreciated me. Not just for my talent, but for everything that I had done for him. He had flirted with me. He had treated me well. I knew he didn’t love me yet, but I thought that in time, he would come to love me. I had always been the one fold, while he couldn't do the bare minimum for me. I thought he was a good man. I see him for what he is now, a user. But if he thinks he’s going to use me and get away with it. He's got another thing coming. Chapter 3 Analise’s POV A knock sounded at my door, and when I opened it, I saw Gwen and Emily standing there. They both looked like they were ready to smack Roger around. “Alright, Gwen said that j'erk married Sasha. What was he thinking?” Emily asked as she set her overnight bag down under my computer desk. “I will fill you all in at the same time,” I managed to say. They knew I had been crying; it was obvious. My eyes were red-rimmed, and I still had tears on my face that I had tried to wipe away. “All?” Gwen asked. A knock sounded on the door before I could answer. I looked through the peephole and saw my mother at the door. Dad probably dropped her off at the curb. “Hey, Mom,” I said as I opened the door. She enveloped me in a hug before I could step back to let her into my condo. I let her hold me, breathing in her scent and reminding myself that I come from a line of strong women. I needed them tonight. Tomorrow, I will fine-tune my plan. I knew having them here was what I needed. I felt a little bad not telling Seth, but if I did. He would go find Roger and beat him up. I was sure of that. Right now, I couldn’t let them find out I knew what they were up to. Another knock sounded on the door, and I opened it to see my father standing there. The delivery guy was just leaving. The pizza had come fast, and I wished I'd ordered another pizza, but I wasn’t hungry anymore. I was too angry to eat. As soon as Dad shut the door, he asked, “Alright, what did that little worm do? He was never good enough for you, Ana. I know you cared for him, but you need to learn to read people better. I knew from the first time I met him that he had no talent. You have more talent in your pinky finger than he has in his whole body. You never needed him, honey; he needed you. If you hadn’t helped him, he would never have gotten his company listed. I hope you followed my instructions. He's wasted enough of your time. What do you need me to do?” I hugged him. Just hearing how much he supported me helped ease the weight on my chest. I felt like a disappointment to them. I’m twenty-seven. I know they both wanted grandchildren, and we all knew that Seth wasn't ready to settle down. In that, he's just like Holden. Both were willing to sleep with whoever they wanted, no matter how vile the person actually was. I was glad that I managed not to cry. “I'm going to show you something Holden sent me. It’s quicker to get you all up to speed that way,” I replied. I asked my parents to sit down before stepping behind the couch to stand between Emily and Gwen. I had hoped it would be easier to see the video this time around, but I suspected it wouldn’t. I watched, detached, as it played much quicker without needing to pause the video multiple times, as I had to do. I guess I did that to try to bolster myself. To try to prepare for the pain I knew was coming. Once it ended, Dad immediately started the video over again. I could feel the anger radiating off of him in waves. He was furious, and so was my mother. When it ended the second time, there was silence in the room. “That bastard. He utilized your talent and your money to grow his business. Now he wants to turn around and try to take it all away from you?” Gwen’s incredulous voice rose with each word she spoke. “You can’t let him get away with this, Ana. Please tell me you have a plan. I'm happy to help you in any way I can,” Emily said. “I have a plan, and I’m going to put it into play on Monday. Gwen is registering my designs in my name and on behalf of the company, as we will use them at Fashion Forward. I’m glad that Roger’s company finally went public, as it will make selling my shares that much easier. They should sell quickly, as the company is currently performing well. It won’t be once I’m gone. Roger’s taking Sasha on a honeymoon to Paris, and I will be putting my notice in next Friday. I don’t have to give the company too much notice. I don't need Roger coming back too soon. My company is performing very well. I’ll be selling my shares in his company before he even knows there’s a problem. Don’t worry, Dad. I’ve done as you, and Mom instructed. I’m glad you warned me, I would have lost a great deal if I hadn’t,” I answered. “That heartless j'erk, he was supposed to take you to Paris for your honeymoon,” Gwen replied with venom. Gwen was my ride or die. She always had my back, and I knew I could trust her with my life. No matter what, she had my best interests at heart. She has run my company with integrity this entire time. My father had watched over it until we graduated from college. He had his man still in charge until Gwen felt comfortable. I should have listened to Gwen. She didn’t trust Roger from the moment she met him. I was just blinded by his good looks. He was the oldest in his family at twenty-eight years old. He was in his senior year when we met. He was handsome, with his chiseled features, blonde hair, and blue eyes, which made me fall hard. I had always felt oversized, especially in groups, but Roger acted like he could see me, that he accepted me. He had poured on the charm, and I fell for it. I had always wanted someone to be proud to show me off, and he did, at first. I could see it all clearly now. He needed me. My professor had let it slip in my senior year that he had mentioned to Roger what a talented designer I was. That was how I got on his radar. Roger actively pursued me, not because he liked me. He knew I liked him, and he made sure to use that against me. He was a handsome man, but watching the video the last time, I could see the glaring flaws. His weak chin, his narrow lips, his ability to lie right to my face and make it sound like the truth. I’m a smart person; I should have seen what he was doing. Except I was so happy that someone I found attractive had found me attractive, too. It blinded me to the truth. I thought I had finally found the man who would love and take care of me for the rest of my life. Even two years ago, when he started to pull away when I turned twenty-five, I excused it. His friends never respected me, and he never made them stop taking digs at me. He let them drive me away, as I didn’t like to hang out with them. They were just as disgusting as he was. I had protected my own designs. They all had a copyright in my name. I allowed my designs to be used by Cook Custom Jewelry. Now, I’ve changed my mind. I'm no longer allowing them to use them. I will now use the best ones at my own company. Since Sasha wants to run the design department so bad, I’m going to let her. Whatever they come up with, they can use. I’ve always tweaked what my team in the design department came up with. I provided them with suggestions on how to improve their designs, offering a few hints and tricks. That's over with. From now on, I will focus solely on growing my company. “I’m going to bury Cook Custom Jewelry. I know that Roger’s father, Scott, has been interested in acquiring a stake in the company lately. I will make that happen for him by directing my broker to start with him. I believe Scott will be only too happy to be able to get his hands on the proverbial golden goose,” I said with a smile. “I’m sorry, honey. Neither of us ever liked Roger, but you know that you can still go forward with the arranged marriage with Holden. He obviously cares for you, or he wouldn’t have sent the video to you to warn you,” My mother stated. “No,” I said sharply. I had to force myself to calm down. I spoke more gently to her, “I’m sorry, Mom, but I just got my heart broken. I don’t want to be with Holden. I won’t force him to honor the arrangement between families. I’m sorry, but things between Holden and me will never work out. There was a reason I cut him out of my life. He has no respect for me, and knowing that, I just can't marry him. There’s no need to push him to honor it. I already know his feelings on the subject.” I see the frowns on both my parents' foreheads. This was news to them. I never told a soul what happened, and I would rather not get into that right now. I had once adored Holden. I looked up to and admired him. I know I might have just said too much as I was upset, but I can’t take the words back now. Holden had made his decision, and I would respect it. It should be enough that I shielded my family from what happened. It would have torn our families apart. He wouldn’t be Seth’s best friend anymore if that happened. Our families had been close friends with each other my entire life. I made excuses to not join their dinner parties over the years. Things became much easier when Holden left five years ago. I started to show up after he left, unless I knew he was in town. My parents and Seth were suspicious, but I always excused myself by saying I was too busy. I truly was busy. Running two companies myself, Roger had no idea what he was doing. We both had business degrees, but he was almost completely clueless. Additionally, over the last eight months, I had been planning our wedding on top of it, with no help from him. They accepted my excuses without argument, but they didn’t like it. I knew they were concerned, but they left it alone. I think that they are all aware that if they actually pursued it, it might end up blowing up in their face. They knew I had a good head on my shoulders. I inwardly scoffed at that. I thought I did, but clearly I had no clue when it came to Roger. Was I so focused on replacing Holden that I was willing to accept scraps for the rest of my life? No, I wasn’t. I was going to live for myself from now on. “Your mother and I will help you, Ana. I will never allow someone to hurt you without paying the price for it,” my father said. I know that he means Holden, too, but at the moment, I'm caught up in gratitude. I can always count on my parents to love and support me. I know in my heart that this will be much more than I can handle on my own, so I’m glad for their help. It’s time to show them all who I really am. So, let the games begin.