APKDock Logo
Chapters
share
No Strings Contract  Novel Cover

No Strings Contract

Ivy thought her life was finally on track until a devastating betrayal left her world in pieces. When a powerful, enigmatic billionaire offers a marriage of convenience, she sees a chance to reclaim her future. The deal is simple: no feelings, just a signed contract. However, as they navigate their high-stakes world together, the lines between business and pleasure blur. Can Ivy protect her heart, or will this arrangement change everything?
Chapters
share

Chapter 4

EVELYN

Sean's eyes were on me from the moment we left his apartment till we got to the club. I wouldn't say particularly that I was nervous but it made me feel a lil bit uncomfortable.

I mean it's been so long as he had almost rightly said, nine years to be exact. He should have moved on for real.

"Has Sean ever had a girlfriend?" I could not stop myself from asking Ava when Sean and Blake went to the bar to get us drinks.

"Yeah, dated three times but with none currently."

I heaved a sigh. "Ohh, that's fair. Thought he has been single since...you know, highschool and stuff." He had asked me to be his girlfriend three weeks before prom. I accepted, no doubt, but broke things off after prom night. I had felt that was the best thing to do instead of leading him on.

"Men that think with their dicks," Ava scoffed . "Probably tired of jerking off and decided to get himself some pussy. I don't want to weird you out but they all did look like you."

"I'm damn sure weirded out," I only do hope it hasn't turned to obsession. "Does he know that Rafe and I ended things?"

"No, he doesn't. But he's aware of your engagement to Rafe," she took hold of my hands, "I'm sorry I brought you to his house first. My aunt would be back by next two weeks so we can move to her place soon."

"It's fine, Ava. Guess I have to find myself a job as soon as possible." And a fake engagement ring too to keep Sean away.

Sean and Blake returned with our drinks.

"This is for you, Ava." Blake passed her a glass of margarita.

"And, here, Eve. I know you hate alcohol." Sean said with a smile as he dropped a glass of fruit punch in front of me.

"You're so wrong." I laughed nervously. He was right though but I wasn't going to give him that satisfaction.

"Since when?" He raised one of his eyebrows.

I grabbed his mug and took a full gulp of the beer inside. I forced a smile on my face even though my inside cheeks were slapping really hard. "Here, see, all good."

"I'm in shock." Sean stood, giving me a close look, his arms folded.

"I'm not the same highschool Evelyn."

'Hold it in, Eve.' I said to myself. My stomach was moving funny like I was about throwing up.

"Stop with the boring talk, guys. Let's go to the dance floor." Ava said, taking my hand first. "You can join us later." She said to her brother and her fuck buddy.

"Ava, slow down. You're going to make me vomit." I held her hand tightly as she rushed to the dance floor.

"What was that for?"

"It's..."

"Hey!" Someone said from behind, close to me actually.

I turned and was stunned to see a Chiseled Perfection in Suit. Yes, he deserved the initial capitals.

His eyes on me did something to my insides, something slippery, something wet.

Christ! I thought Rafe was the only one who had such power on me. I've never felt so wrong.

Nah, it should be the alcohol. It has to.

I was shocked when he asked for a dance. Why will a man carved in marble want to even speak to me, not to talk of dancing with me.

I wasn't that pretty, come on.

I could tell his accent was English from the few words he said to me.

'Evelyn, stop keeping the handsome man waiting, take his hand already.'

The moment I placed my hand in his...

"It's time to go." Sean said, coming out of nowhere.

What a bummer! I thought.

"Now? We haven't started dancing." Ava countered.

"Blake and I have got an assignment to submit in the next one hour. We have to leave right now."

"All of a sudden?" That question came from Ava.

"I'm sorry. I'm...g...going...home." Shit! I have never stuttered this bad in my life. This was embarrassing.

"It's fine. It was nice meeting you." He gave my hand a gentle squeeze before taking his leave.

My goodness. What a breath of fresh cologne. He smelled expensive. He smelled wealth.

I didn't notice the scowl on Sean's face till I looked at him. He was staring so hard at the back of the beautiful stranger I was supposed to dance with.

"What the fuck are you looking at? You spoiled our fun, now you're looking lost. Tsk," Ava hissed. "Next time, Eve, we would be coming alone."

"It's okay, Ava. I'm feeling tired anyways. We have enough time to party later."

During our ride home, Ava tapped me on my knee.

"That man is so hot, like damn!"

"Who?" I obviously knew who she was talking about.

"The one who asked you for a dance..."

"Ohh, I've totally forgotten about him." Filthy liar. I haven't recovered from his eyes, his scent, his touch.

"That fast?"

"Yeah, can't even remember his face. He's a stranger..."

"A serial killer or stalker, maybe." Sean chipped in making Blake laugh.

"Oh please, Sean. It's diabolical to compare that man to Killer Clown, Jeffrey Dahmer and their likes.

"I've said my own, Ava. You both have to be careful around here especially towards male strangers. Morever, didn't you say earlier today that Eve isn't single?"

"And so? That doesn't stop her from exploring more options."

One thing about Ava and Sean was that they love to argue. And I wasn't in the mood to stop any of them.

I dug my fingers into my purse. Thank goodness I was with my air pods. I clicked on one random song, then plugged in my air pods.

Why the hell does this song relate so much to my current situation? I briefly glanced dat my phone screen - Prisoner by Miley Cyrus featuring Dua Lipa.

'Prisoner, Prisoner

Locked up, can't get you off my mind, of my mind

Lord knows I tried a million times, million times, oh woah

Why can't you, why can't you just let me go?'

I hummed the song quietly till we got home. What an epic way to end my first night in Ireland.

You may also like

After Five Years My Husband Chose His Secretary Novel Cover
8.9
After five years of marriage, my husband discarded our life together for his secretary. I endured his coldness and the sting of his betrayal, watching him prioritize another woman over the vows we once shared. Now, as our relationship crumbles under the weight of his infidelity, I must navigate the wreckage of my broken heart. This is a story of a billionaire's hidden cruelty, a wife's silent suffering, and the difficult path toward reclaiming a lost sense of self.
After He Chose His Mistress During The Blizzard Novel Cover
7.8
Trapped in a lethal blizzard, a woman calls her billionaire husband for help, only to be abandoned when he chooses to save his mistress instead. This cold betrayal shatters her heart, forcing her to realize her marriage was a hollow lie. After surviving the ordeal against all odds, she decides to walk away from the life they shared. Now, she must navigate the pain of her past while finding the strength to forge a future without him.
Bound By The Billionaire's Golden Leash Novel Cover
9.5
For two years, I lived as a ghost in the Horn manor, a world built on blood money where my every breath was monitored. Fulton Horn, my stepfather’s nephew and the executor of my life, held the golden leash around my neck, forcing me to play the role of his secret mistress while he paraded a socialite as his fiancée. Everything shattered at a high-society gala when the scent of raw seafood made me vomit at the feet of Fulton’s future bride. The ballroom erupted in whispers of a secret pregnancy, but Fulton’s reaction wasn't concern—it was cold, predatory calculation. He immediately forced me into a clinical "inspection" to ensure his "merchandise" was sound, then destroyed my only chance at escape by framing my friend in a scandal and blacklisting my credit. He dragged me to his penthouse, ripped my clothes, and told me I was nothing but a "placeholder" for his dead first love, Arlena. I was drowning in his obsession, forced to model his fiancée’s engagement gown while he claimed he was the only one who could "protect" me. "You are what I say you are," he whispered, "and you belong where I say you belong." I didn't understand how he could be so cruel, or why he was so determined to keep me in a cage of secrets. But when I looked closer at the photo of the "original" girl he loved, my blood turned to ice. It wasn't a girl named Arlena. It was a picture of me from six years ago, smiling and unbroken. I realized then that Fulton hadn't just found a replacement—he had spent years carefully destroying the girl I used to be so he could keep the broken pieces for himself. Reaching for the hidden keycard, I finally made a choice: I would find a way to kill the ghost he loved before he finished killing the woman I had become.
Her Dirty Little Secret Novel Cover
9.0
After a night of passion with a mysterious stranger, a young woman believes she has left her secrets behind. However, her life is upended when she discovers the man is her new billionaire boss. As they navigate a high-stakes professional world, their past connection threatens to surface. Caught between a burgeoning romance and the fear of exposure, she must protect her hidden truths while resisting the magnetic pull of a powerful man.
My Fake Bankrupt Husband Is A Tycoon Novel Cover
8.7
I was trapped in a greasy diner by my own mother. She was forcing me to marry my abusive cousin because he had paid her twenty thousand dollars. To escape, I used a contract marriage app and begged a complete stranger to marry me at City Hall that very day. Ethan drove a cheap Ford and wore a plain suit. I thought he was just an ordinary guy needing a fake wife. When my mother found out, she brought thugs to destroy my flower shop—my only home and livelihood. To protect Ethan from her endless extortion, I shielded him and screamed that he was bankrupt and drowning in credit card debt. My mother fled in disgust, and Ethan took me into his apartment for the night. But out of trauma and habit, I locked my bedroom door, muttering that he must be old and desperate. He stormed out into the freezing night, leaving me terrified that I had ruined my only lifeline. I didn't understand why he was so furiously offended, completely unaware that my "broke" husband was actually the most ruthless billionaire in New York, and I had just trampled his massive ego. The next morning, his face was a mask of ice as he dragged me back to City Hall to annul the marriage and get rid of me. "Annulment. Now," he demanded. But the clerk just popped her gum and slid a pink paper across the counter. "State law changed. Mandatory thirty-day cooling-off period."
The Billionaire's Regret  Novel Cover
8.3
After three years of a cold, transactional marriage, Elena decides she has had enough of her husband’s indifference. Billionaire CEO Alexander Thorne never realized his wife’s worth until she handed him the divorce papers. As Elena starts a new life away from his shadow, Alexander is consumed by an unexpected and agonizing regret. He sets out to win her back, but he must prove that his love is real before her heart belongs to someone else forever.