APKDock Logo
Chapters
share
My Runaway Groom's Billionaire Cousin Novel Cover

My Runaway Groom's Billionaire Cousin

I stood in a fifty-thousand-dollar Vera Wang gown, waiting to seal the merger of the century between the Singleton and English families. Everything was perfect, fragile, and obscenely expensive. But minutes before the ceremony, my brother burst into the bridal suite looking like he’d seen a ghost. He handed me a crumpled note from Jeffery, the man I was supposed to marry. "I can’t do it," the note read. "I’m choosing love." Jeffery had fled to Paris with another woman, leaving me to face two thousand guests and a family legacy that would plummet forty percent by Monday morning. Harrison Singleton, the family patriarch, didn't offer sympathy; he offered a cold ultimatum. The wedding would happen, with or without Jeffery. He stepped aside to reveal Declan Singleton, the "Wolf of Wall Street" who had spent the last year ruthlessly stripping my father’s companies for parts. To save my family from bankruptcy, I had to walk down the aisle and marry the man I hated most. At the altar, Declan didn’t just say "I do"; he claimed me with a kiss so possessive it felt like a sentencing. The humiliation was physical, a knife twisting in my gut as the world watched the "hostile takeover" of my life. I was a spoil of war, traded to a predator who believed in leverage over love. Then, Jeffery called, weeping about his mistake and begging to come back. I looked at the massive, perfectly-sized diamond Declan had already prepared for me and realized this wasn't a coincidence. I wiped away my tears and straightened my emerald silk. If I had to live in a cage, I was going to make sure I had the sharpest teeth. "Let's go to war," I whispered to my new husband.
Chapters
share

Chapter 8

The gala was a blur of flashes and fake smiles. But they won. They dominated the room.

They got back to the penthouse at midnight. They were both a little tipsy on champagne and adrenaline.

Blaire went into the bathroom to change.

She reached behind her to unzip the dress. It was stuck.

She tugged. Nothing. The fabric was caught in the teeth.

"Ugh," she groaned. She twisted, trying to get a better angle. She pulled harder.

Rip.

"Damn it!"

"Need help?"

Blaire jumped. Declan was leaning against the doorframe. His tie was undone, hanging loose around his neck.

"It's stuck," she admitted, her face heating up.

"Turn around."

She hesitated. Then she turned her back to him.

She felt his hands on her bare skin. His fingers were hot. He brushed her hair aside, exposing her neck.

"Hold still," he murmured.

He worked on the zipper. His knuckles grazed her spine, sending shivers down her legs. He was taking his time. Too much time.

"Declan," she breathed.

"Got it."

The zipper hissed down. The dress loosened, pooling around her waist.

She caught it before it fell completely. She looked in the mirror.

Declan was standing right behind her. He was looking at her reflection. His eyes were dark, hungry.

"You were dangerous tonight," he said. "The way you looked at those investors... you have teeth, Blaire."

"I learned from the best," she whispered.

He placed his hands on her waist. His thumbs rubbed against her skin.

"Did you?"

He leaned down and kissed the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder.

Her knees gave out. She gripped the edge of the marble sink to stay upright.

"Declan, we shouldn't..."

He spun her around. He lifted her effortlessly and sat her on the edge of the vanity. Her legs dangled open. He stepped between them instantly.

"Why not?" he challenged. "We're married. You hate Jeffery. I want you. What's the problem?"

"It's... complicated."

"It's simple."

He cupped her face. "I've wanted you for two years, Blaire. Since the moment I saw you at that merger meeting."

Her eyes widened. "Two years? But... I was with Jeffery."

"I know," he growled. "And I hated every second of it."

He kissed her.

This wasn't like the church. This was desperate. Raw.

She tasted the scotch on his tongue. She felt the desperation in his grip.

Her hands found his hair. She pulled him closer. The dress slid further down.

She forgot about the contract. She forgot about the business deal.

She just wanted to feel something other than pain. And Declan... Declan felt like fire.

"Say yes," he groaned against her lips. "Blaire, say yes."

She looked at him. She saw the need in his eyes.

"Yes," she whispered.

You may also like

Betrayed By Him: Claimed By The Boss Novel Cover
7.6
After an exhausting fourteen-hour flight, Katia returned to her Upper East Side penthouse, expecting the quiet comfort of the life she had built. Instead, she found a pair of familiar red stilettos in the foyer and her fiancé, Caleb, tangled in their bedsheets with his twenty-two-year-old assistant. She didn't scream or cry. She simply took off her three-carat engagement ring, threw it at his bare chest, and demanded he buy out her half of the penthouse by Friday. Seeking to numb the sickening disgust, she got blackout drunk and crashed at a luxury hotel, accidentally stumbling into the wrong suite. Thinking the imposing man inside was a high-end escort hired by her friend, she threw him over her shoulder and spent a wild night with him. The next morning, she left five thousand dollars on his nightstand with a lipstick-stained note. "Good Job." For six years, she had funded Caleb's dreams and built his startup from the ground up, only to be treated like a lifeless ATM. With ruthless precision, she spent the next two months systematically bankrupting his company, cutting off his venture capital, and erasing his life's work. She felt no heartbreak, only a cold, calculating need to cleanse herself of his betrayal. But when Katia finally returned to corporate headquarters to co-lead a massive merger, she literally crashed into the new Vice President. Strong arms caught her waist, and the sharp scent of cedarwood and whiskey hit her like a freight train. "You came back," Jackson whispered, his eyes burning as he stared at the woman who had treated him like a cheap gigolo.
Betrayed Wife's Payback: Her Battle for Justice Novel Cover
8.1
After years of devotion, a faithful wife finds her world shattered by her billionaire husband's cruel betrayal. Left with nothing but heartache and a thirst for vengeance, she rises from the ashes of her broken marriage. No longer the submissive spouse, she navigates a high-stakes world of wealth and power to reclaim her dignity. This is her journey of transformation as she fights to settle the score and secure the justice she deserves.
Divorce from the Tyrant Novel Cover
8.6
On the day of her parents' funeral, Violette’s husband, Maddox Torres, commits the ultimate sacrilege: he desecrates her parents' grave to bury his pregnant mistress’s dog. For five years, Violette was his obedient "pet," enduring relentless humiliation only because Maddox’s face reminded her of Cristian, the man she truly loved who was presumed dead. When Maddox forces her to sign divorce papers and subjects her to a night of horrific abuse—feeding her parents' ashes to a dog—Violette finally breaks. But as she wanders the streets, broken and barefoot, a black Bentley screeches to a halt. Cristian is back from the dead, and he is ready to burn Maddox’s empire to the ground.
He Said I Owed Him Novel Cover
9.7
After a night of unintended consequences, a young woman finds herself entangled with a powerful billionaire. He claims she owes him a debt that money cannot settle, pulling her into his elite, high-stakes world. As their lives collide, she must navigate the complex demands of a man who refuses to let her go. Their tense arrangement blurs the lines between obligation and desire, forcing her to decide what she is truly willing to pay for her freedom.
Heiress Reawakening Novel Cover
9.7
After a devastating betrayal by her fiance and a cruel half-sister, heiress Elena is left for dead. Miraculously surviving, she returns with a hidden identity and a cold heart, determined to reclaim her stolen legacy and dismantle those who ruined her. As she navigates the elite world of power and wealth, she crosses paths with a mysterious billionaire who becomes an unexpected ally. Elena must balance her burning thirst for revenge with a chance at true love.
Her Hidden Secrets  Novel Cover
8.3
Elara Thorne lives a double life, concealing her identity as a world-class hacker while working for the ruthless billionaire Julian Vane. When Julian discovers a breach in his security, Elara must navigate a dangerous game of cat and mouse to protect her past. As their professional rivalry turns into a heated romance, a dark conspiracy emerges that threatens both their lives. Elara must decide if she can trust the man she is meant to deceive.