APKDock Logo
Chapters
share
Tempting The Mysterious CEO Novel Cover

Tempting The Mysterious CEO

After her father’s betrayal leaves her family in ruins, Elena is forced into a desperate gamble. To save her mother’s life, she must seduce the city’s most enigmatic and cold-blooded billionaire, Adrian Thorne. What starts as a calculated scheme for survival quickly spirals into a dangerous game of obsession. As Elena peels back the layers of Adrian’s dark past, she finds herself trapped between her mission and an unexpected, burning desire.
Chapters
share

Chapter 2

Five years later, at the train station of Blue Field City, Cristelle was tiredly looking out of the window, her arms wrapping tightly around her twins.

Some kind pedestrians sent her to the hospital on that cruel winter night. She had thought her life would be miserable. But the arrival of her lovely son and daughter had changed her life.

Being a single mother was not easy. To raise the babies, she needed to take three jobs.

Recently, her daughter, Candace, was diagnosed with selective mutism. Cristelle had to move from their remote town to the big city to find a better doctor for her.

The doctor in their town told her that this kind of condition needed to be treated before Candace’s adulthood. Or it would only be more difficult for the girl to recover.

Cristelle quit her job without any hesitation.

She was determined to make Candace better.

Her babies were her everything.

“Mom, hold on tight to my hand. This station is too crowded. We need to stay together or you will get lost,” Cody looked up as he held Cristelle’s hand after they got off the train.

Cristelle smiled and grabbed her little man’s hand, another arm carrying Candace. Cody’s hand felt soft and warm in her palm. The boy was a genius. He was far more intelligent and understanding than most kids of his age. And he never hesitated to show his care and love to her. The fact made Cristelle extremely proud.

With the comfort of her baby boy, everything suddenly didn’t seem so hopeless.

“I know, sweetie. But you also need to hold Mommy’s hand very tightly, okay? It would be best if you didn’t get lost,” Cristelle smiled at her boy.

“Okay,” Cody nodded.

Candace started to wriggle in her arm when they left the train station. Cristelle knew the girl probably wanted to pee. So she brought the babies to the nearest stripping mall.

“Mom, you go to the girl’s room with Candace. I’ll be here waiting for you guys,” Cody mentioned to them calmly.

Cristelle patted the boy’s fluffy head, “You need to stay here very still, okay? Don’t run around, or Mommy won’t be able to find you later. Candace and I will come back really soon.”

Cody nodded, “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll be fine.” Cody was a smart boy. Cristelle didn’t worry that he would follow any strangers away. But Blue Field City was huge. She just needed to be cautious.

After giving birth to the babies, Cristelle lost the strength to work for a couple of months, and she failed to pay her rent. For that reason, she had to live in her Uncle’s house for a while.

Back then, Uncle and his wife could still take care of the twins for her when she left for work. But now that she had moved to a strange place, she probably needed to consider accepting help from social workers.

When Cristelle took Candace to the bathroom, Cody just stood outside and waited. He looked tiny and cute. A lot of strangers came forth to ask if he couldn’t find his mom. The boy only shook his head.

Meanwhile, Linford Bradley happened to walk out of the elevators. His assistant followed him, reporting his schedule for the day.

Before Linford could walk out of the mall, a tiny hand suddenly tugged at the hem of his suit.

Linford dropped his gaze and saw a small boy.

“Sir, you dropped your folder,” Cody politely handed a blue folder to Linford. Linford’s assistant dropped a folder when they walked out of the elevator. Cody saw that happen from a distance. So he picked it up and sent it to them.

Linford pulled a handsome face, staring at the tiny ball of cuteness before him at his full 6’4 height.

He was not a rude person. He just seldom smiled as the CEO of the biggest business group in the city.

For some reason, his heart melted as he saw the cute little boy.

This was weird. Linford was sure he had never seen this kid in his life before. But the boy just looked extremely familiar... He didn’t remember having any cousins at this age.

Linford turned to face his assistant sternly. He really didn’t know how to handle little kids. Do they bite?

His assistant, Alfred, took the folder from the little boy, smiling warmly, “Thanks for sending this folder to us, kiddo. That’s really kind of you.”

“You’re welcome,” Cody nodded politely and turned around.

Alfred stared at the boy for a while and let out a smile, “Sir, don’t you think the boy looks quite like you? Especially his eyes...”

The little boy suddenly stopped in his course as he heard what Alfred had just said.

Furious, the boy whipped around and snapped, “Nonsense! I don’t look like him at all! I’m more good-looking than him! You’re rude!”

Cody hated it when people teased that he looked like some random guys. He knew those comparisons always made his Mommy sad.

Alfred’s mouth fell open, not knowing why his words made the boy so mad.

Linford could see the disgust clearly in the boy’s eyes. Of course, he didn’t expect the boy to be so full of temper. But he also couldn’t deny the boy looked quite like himself.

Linford was the most powerful man in this city, and people tended to suck up to him. He didn’t expect the boy to hate him so much.

This was quite interesting.

Linford’s lips curled up into a smirk, “Yep, Alfred. You’re definitely blind. I don’t think we share any similarities.”

Cody rolled his eyes and walked away, holding his little chin up.

Linford shook his head and walked out of the hall. Alfred followed up, still confused as hell.

****

Cristelle couldn’t get used to the fast pace of the big city. She compared a couple of locations and decided to rent a cheap apartment not far from the area where she would send her resume and apply for a job.

Candace’s condition would cost her a lot of money. She needed to save every penny she could get.

You may also like

After My Fiancé's Betrayal, I Became His Worst Nightmare Novel Cover
9.8
Betrayed by her fiancé on the eve of their wedding, a woman’s world shatters when she discovers his cruel deception. Instead of retreating in silence, she orchestrates a cold, calculated plan to dismantle his life and reputation. As she rises from the ashes of her heartbreak, she transforms into a formidable force he never expected. In this high-stakes game of billionaire power, she ensures her former love faces the ultimate price for his lies.
After My Husband Abandoned Our Wedding Vows Novel Cover
8.6
For three years, Chloe endured a cold, loveless marriage, hoping her devotion would eventually win Eric over. However, her dreams are shattered when he demands a divorce to reunite with his true love. Realizing she was merely a substitute, Chloe finally chooses to leave her billionaire husband behind. As she walks away to reclaim her own life, Eric finds himself unexpectedly haunted by her absence and the depth of the love he discarded.
Breaking Free from Possession Novel Cover
8.0
After falling for a man she was never supposed to love, a young woman finds herself trapped in a suffocating web of obsession. Her partner's affection has curdled into a dangerous need for total control, turning their high-society romance into a gilded cage. Now, she must find the strength to reclaim her identity and escape his relentless pursuit. It is a tense journey of survival as she fights to break the bonds of his dark possessiveness.
Crowned in Flame and Shadow  Novel Cover
8.2
In a kingdom ruled by shadow magic, elemental fire wielders were slaughtered decades ago after a devastating rebellion. ‎ ‎Christabel is the last surviving Flamebound. ‎ ‎Prince William is the heir to the throne that ordered her people's execution. ‎ ‎When an ancient magic awakens one older than both flame and shadow they are forced into an alliance that neither of them wants. ‎ ‎But their powers react when they touch. ‎ ‎And prophecy whispers that only together can they save the kingdom... ‎Or burn it down.
Fake Engaged to My Hockey Rival Novel Cover
7.2
"Still playing dirty, Huntress?" he taunted, pinning me with those piercing grey-blue eyes. "Still hiding behind your daddy's money, Reaper?" I shot back, my blood boiling. Lanaya Roux and Maverick Hayden are college hockey royalty-and bitter rivals. As the captains of competing university teams, their hatred on the ice is matched only by the legendary feud between their billionaire families' empires. But when their ruthless fathers force them into a fake engagement to secure an $18 billion corporate merger, Lanaya and Maverick are thrown into the ultimate game of survival. The rules are simple: Live together in the same penthouse. Smile for the cameras. Pretend to be madly in love for six months. It was supposed to be strictly business. But behind closed doors, the venom they spit at each other quickly morphs into a scorching, undeniable addiction. Maverick is an arrogant, aggressively protective alpha who refuses to let her go, and Lanaya is the fiercely independent captain who refuses to submit. Beneath their explosive chemistry lies a devastating secret: a shared tragedy from eight years ago that claimed the life of Lanaya's brother and shattered their innocent childhood bond. With the national hockey championship on the line, scandalous secrets surfacing, and unseen enemies sabotaging their every move, the line between love and hate has never been so dangerous. What happens when the fake engagement to your worst enemy becomes the only real thing in your life?
Jilted Heiress: Rising From The Ashes Novel Cover
9.4
I stood in the center of my Manhattan penthouse, staring at the empty satin hanger where my custom Vera Wang gown should have been. It was a masterpiece of silk and pearls that had taken six months to perfect for my wedding to the billionaire heir, Boston Travis. Then my phone buzzed. Boston’s voice was a flat line, devoid of the love he’d promised me for four years. "The wedding is off, Florrie. I’m marrying your sister, Asia." He told me Asia was dying of Stage 4 cancer and her "final wish" was to be a bride—wearing my dress. He had sent his security team to my home with a spare key to steal the gown, claiming it was Travis property since his family accounts paid the bill. My stepmother texted me minutes later, demanding I vacate my own beach house so the "dying" girl could have a honeymoon. When I tried to protest, Boston snapped at me. "How could you be so heartless? She’s your sister. Have some compassion." They expected me to play the part of the discarded woman while they paraded my life around as a PR stunt. I realized then that Asia hadn't just taken my dress; she had spent her entire life stealing my father's love and my peace, always playing the fragile angel while I was cast as the villain. I didn't cry. I sat at my desk, opened my contacts, and relabeled Boston Travis as "TARGET." If they wanted a tragic story, I would give them a massacre. I reclaimed my mother’s multi-million dollar trust, seized the deed to the beach house, and walked into Asia’s hospital room with a lit sparkler to expose the truth behind her "terminal" illness. As I slapped Boston in the hospital lobby in front of a dozen recording iPhones, I realized I didn't need a husband. I needed a clean slate—and I was going to burn their empire to get it.