Five Years, A Forged Vow

For five years, I was the devoted wife who helped Brandon build his tech empire. But the moment his first love, Kristal, returned with a feigned injury, he handed her the diamond necklace meant for our anniversary and abandoned me in a torrential storm. He knew my PTSD from a past kidnapping made storms terrifying, yet he drove away with her without a backward glance. When I called him for help, terrified of the stranger driving my rideshare, it was Kristal who answered. "Brandon is in the shower," she taunted. "Don't disturb our reunion." I barely escaped an assault that night, only to return home and discover the ultimate betrayal: Brandon never filed our marriage license in the US. Legally, I was never his wife. I was just a placeholder until she came back. While he was busy comforting her, I didn't scream or fight. I simply shredded the fake wedding certificate, packed my bags, and vanished. By the time he realized his mistake and came begging on his knees, I was already gone.

Chapters

Chapter 2

Audrey POV:

Kristal finally looked up, her eyes wide and innocent, a picture of false humility. A tiny, almost imperceptible smile played on her lips. She looked at Brandon, her gaze filled with a fragile vulnerability.

"Oh, Brandon," she murmured, her voice a soft, breathy whisper. "Are you sad because of me?" Her hand reached up, lightly touching his forehead, a gesture so intimate it made my blood run cold. It was a gesture of ownership.

Brandon froze for a split second, a deer caught in headlights. His eyes flickered, as if remembering something, someone else. But then, it was gone. He seemed to have completely forgotten I was standing there, a few feet away, watching his every move.

He smiled, a gentle, almost tender smile, that made the air around them shimmer with unspoken history. "Never, Kristal," he said, his voice low and soothing. "What are your plans for tonight? Are you staying in town for a bit?"

He sounded like a man desperate to keep her close, a man who saw her as his entire world. The thought was a searing brand against my skin.

The crowd around us, still buzzing with excitement, seemed to dissolve. All I could hear was the frantic thump of my own heart. I couldn't let this happen. Not again. Not here.

"Brandon!" I cut through his question, my voice sharper than I intended. It shattered the intimate bubble they had created.

His head snapped towards me, his eyes now filled with a flash of annoyance. He finally seemed to acknowledge my presence.

"Audrey, we can talk about this at home," he said, his tone dismissive, a barely concealed irritation in his voice. "Don't ruin the mood for everyone."

Ruin the mood? My mood was already in tatters. Was this some twisted joke? He had set up this entire public spectacle, and now I was the one ruining it?

A bitter laugh bubbled up, but I swallowed it down. "Ruin the mood?" I repeated, my voice dangerously calm. "Brandon, why don't you introduce me to your... friends? And to Kristal."

His gaze shifted away from me, a clear sign of his unwillingness. He didn't want to define me in front of her. He didn't want to define us in front of her.

"Audrey, please," he urged, his voice barely above a whisper, meant only for my ears. "Let's not make a scene."

My eyes burned with unshed tears, but I refused to let them fall. Not here. Not now. I had to reclaim some semblance of dignity.

"No," I declared, my voice echoing with a surprising strength. "I think it's time everyone knew. I am Audrey Maxwell. And I am Brandon Cervantes's wife." I watched Kristal's face. Her coy smile faltered, replaced by a rigid mask.

Then, I delivered the final blow. "And in three days," I continued, my voice clear and steady, "we will be holding our formal wedding reception."

A hush fell over the crowd. People exchanged uncomfortable glances. Some looked at me with pity, others with open disdain, as if I had somehow violated an unspoken rule. Kristal's face crumpled. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she looked utterly heartbroken.

"Oh, Brandon," she choked out, her voice trembling. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know… I'm just so clumsy." She started to back away, her shoulders shaking. "I should leave. I don't want to cause any trouble."

Then, with a frantic sob, she turned and bolted, disappearing into the thinning crowd.

Brandon didn't even hesitate. His eyes, filled with a familiar protectiveness, followed her. He started to move, to follow her.

"Brandon!" I grabbed his arm, my nails digging into his skin. "What about the awards ceremony? What about our guests? You have a reception in three days!"

He whirled around, his face a mask of cold fury. He ripped his arm from my grasp, his eyes blazing. "She just got back to the country, Audrey! She needs me right now! She twisted her ankle!"

He shoved a small, velvet box into my hand. "Here," he snarled, "this is for you. Now everyone knows who you are, doesn' t that make you happy?"

He didn't wait for a response. He turned and ran after Kristal, disappearing into the darkening evening. He didn't look back.

I stood there, the velvet box heavy in my hand, the cheers replaced by a deafening silence. My mind registered the rough fabric, the unfamiliar weight. Then, a drop hit my cheek. Then another. The sky opened up, a torrential downpour, mirroring the storm raging inside me.

The rain plastered my hair to my face, mingling with the tears I could no longer hold back. The club was quickly emptying, people scrambling for their cars. I was alone. Utterly, completely alone. I looked down at the box. It was empty. The diamond necklace was gone.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. A rideshare notification. I had ordered it earlier, as a backup, a silly premonition that something would go wrong. Now, it was my only way out. I looked around for a shuttle, for anyone, but the parking lot was almost deserted. The driver pulled up, an old beat-up sedan. The windows were tinted dark, even darker than the approaching storm clouds. I hesitated, my heart pounding a panicked rhythm. My PTSD screamed at me, but I had no choice. I had to get home.

Continue to next part

The Duke was standing in the middle of the room, his hands in his pockets, his head tilted to one side. It was a relaxed, casual pose, and yet the way he looked at her was anything but casual. The deep midnight of his eyes burned and he radiated a subtle, sensual energy that made the air around him crackle. He looked like a man who'd never heard the word 'no' in all his life. Unluckily for him, 'no' was the only word she had. "There's no reason why I should stay," Anna clasped her shaking hands together in an effort to still them. "I'm not marrying you." His gaze flickered, his mouth curving slightly, and she had the disturbing thought that far from putting him off, her insistence was only inciting him further. "But you haven't heard my proposal yet," he said mildly. "Isn't that why you're here?" "I don't need to hear it. I already know that my answer will be no." "Of course. But you can hardly tell your father that you heard me out when you haven't, in fact, heard me out.... Anna."

Action Mafia Modern

7.6

Delicious Reptilian Meat

7.6

Have you ever eaten "Reptilian" meat? My grandfather said he had. Creatures that looked exactly like us on the outside, but were fundamentally different on the inside. Extremely dangerous, yet incredibly delicious. Before he died, my grandfather left behind a notebook. The first page read: "Reptilian look exactly like humans, but human instinct can tell them apart." The moment my cousin Braden returned for my grandfather's funeral, my gut told me: he wasn't human!

Action Horror Modern Sci-Fi

7.2

His Obsession: Bound to the Ruthless Billionaire

7.2

Blurb: They said loving him would ruin her, and they were right. Adrianna never meant to fall for Xavier Palmer, the cold, untouchable billionaire whose name alone could silence a room. He was dangerous, controlling, and completely out of her world. But the moment he claimed her as his, there was no escape. What started as a forced bond quickly turned into something far more dangerous. Obsession and possession, a love so intense it blurred the line between protection and destruction. Then everything shattered. A brutal accident leaves Adrianna fighting for her life... and Xavier drowning in guilt, rage, and a darkness no one has ever seen before. While she lies unconscious, he hunts for the truth behind the attack, unaware that betrayal is closer than he thinks. When Adrianna finally wakes up, nothing is the same. Secrets have been buried, a child has been lost, and enemies are closing in. But Xavier has made one thing clear. He will destroy anyone who dares touch what belongs to him, even if it means becoming the monster she fears. Even if it means losing her forever.

Action Billionaire Modern

8.7

I Returned With His child

8.7

He needed to stop. This wasn't why he'd followed her. He had only wanted to finally speak with her about their arrangement. But his body wouldn't let him– her flushed face sent ripples of hot need coursing right through him. A moan escaped her, shattering what little self-control he maintained. ------ Six years ago, Gabrielle walked away from Edward Harrington with nothing but a broken heart and a secret growing inside her. Now she's back- not for love, not for forgiveness, but because she has run out of choices. With a daughter to protect, a mother slipping away, and poverty closing in, Gabrielle steps into a world she no longer recognizes: Edward's world. A world of wealth, power, quiet cruelty, and memories that refuse to stay buried. Edward is no longer the boy who once loved her. He is colder. Sharper. Untouchable. And he knows exactly how much power he holds. As past desire collides with present resentment, Gabrielle must survive a house where she doesn't belong, a society that judges her at a glance, and a man who wants control more than reconciliation. But the most dangerous truth of all? Their past never ended. And their daughter is standing right between them. Love. Power. Humiliation. Desire. Revenge. In the Harrington estate, nothing is gentle-and nothing is free.

Action Mystery Romance

8.1

My Husband Paid Them To Murder Our Little Girl

8.1

After the tragic loss of her young daughter, a grieving mother uncovers a chilling truth that shatters her world. Her own husband orchestrated the murder, paying cold-blooded killers to take their child's life. Fuelled by a desperate need for justice and answers, she transforms her sorrow into a relentless pursuit of the truth. In a dangerous world of betrayal, she must navigate a web of lies to expose his dark secret and make him pay.

Action Modern Mystery

9.7

Sent to Die: The Defiant Luna's Revenge

9.7

Rogues broke into the Pack House, holding a silver knife to my throat while another captive held Brooke, the so-called "Seer." The Rogue leader gave my Alpha, Harrison, three seconds to choose who lived. Without hesitation, he commanded, "Save Brooke." I was gutted with a silver blade and left to bleed out on the carpet while he cradled her. Miraculously, I survived, only to find he had already replaced me. He claimed Brooke was pregnant with his heir—something he said I, a "defective" Omega who couldn't shift, could never give him. To protect his reputation and clear the way for his new Luna, he didn't just exile me. He drugged me with Wolfsbane and threw me onto a fishing trawler rigged with explosives. As the timer ticked down in the dark cargo hold, I finally understood the depth of his cruelty. Years ago, when I miscarried our actual child alone on the bathroom floor, begging for him through the mind-link, he hadn't just ignored me—he had blocked me to pick up his mistress. The boat exploded, turning the ocean into fire. Harrison stood on the cliff, watching me burn, satisfied that his problem was gone. But he forgot that my bloodline doesn't perish in fire. Six months later, I walked back into the Council Hall. I wasn't the weak Omega anymore. I was the legendary White Wolf. And on my arm was the Lycan King—the one man Harrison feared most. "Hello, Harrison," I smiled. "I believe you're sitting in my seat."

Action Mystery Werewolf

Five Years, A Forged Vow

Chapter 2

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