Love Amidst Shadows
Jilted Girlfriend? I Am The Tycoon's Wife
Cara Lewis sat quietly as her boyfriend of three years pushed a plate of dessert across the table, wearing a rehearsed mask of sorrow. He claimed he had to break up with her for her own good, blaming his lack of connections on Wall Street and insisting he couldn't give her the life she deserved. He acted like a martyr making a tragic sacrifice, waiting for her desperate tears and trembling denial. Instead, Cara calmly pulled out a stack of glossy photos and an elegant engagement invitation. She exposed his secret affair with the wealthy Hailie Lewis, completely dismantling his hypocritical social climb. Leaving the cheating narcissist pale and humiliated, Cara paid the bill and walked out, thinking the trash had finally been taken out. But her newly single evening took a chaotic turn when a teenage gaming partner called in a panic. He begged her to crash his elite prep school and pose as his aunt to save him from expulsion. Cara agreed, flawlessly playing the role of the secret new wife to his uncle, a notoriously ruthless Wall Street titan. She was thoroughly dominating the snobby school board when the office doors suddenly swung open. The real billionaire uncle, Beck Greer, walked into the room. Cara's heart dropped into her stomach as his glacial eyes locked onto her, knowing her social existence in New York was about to end. Caught in a terrifying, inescapable lie, Cara made an insane calculation. She stepped forward, firmly hooked her arm through the billionaire's, and smiled sweetly. "Honey, what took you so long? Julian and I were being bullied." She waited for the executioner's axe to fall, but the untouchable tycoon simply covered her hand with his and played along.
Chapter 1 No.1
Across the white tablecloth of Serafina, Bradyn Hubbard—Cara Lewis's boyfriend of three years—set his wine down and leaned forward. He pulled a thick, cream-colored envelope from his jacket and slid it across the table until it rested in front of her.
Cara looked down. The gold foil lettering was fresh from the press.
Engagement Gala
Groom: Bradyn Hubbard
Bride: Hailie Lewis
Venue: The Lewis Estate, Long Island. Next Saturday.
"Cara, let's be realistic," Bradyn said, his voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper. "Hailie is my ticket to the top. Marrying her is the only shortcut for a guy like me to get a seat on the board. I don't love her—she's just the ladder I have to climb for my career."
Cara stared at the card, then lifted her cold amber eyes to meet his. "So you're proposing what, exactly?"
Bradyn gave a smug, self-satisfied smile.
"We break up publicly. But in private? Nothing has to change. You funded my MBA and paid my rent for three years—I haven't forgotten that. Stay quiet, be my little secret on the side, and once I secure the Lewis assets, I'll make sure you're taken care of in luxury."
Cara stared at his shameless face, her voice dropping into a dangerous, silky calm. "You sold yourself as a kept man to my stepsister, and you expect me to be your dirty little secret?"
"Don't make it sound so ugly, Cara," Bradyn scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "That's how men get ahead in Manhattan. Be realistic, Cara. You're broke and you have no one. Who else is going to take care of you? Don't be stupid. Just take the deal."
Cara looked at him for one quiet second, her lips curving into a razor-sharp smile.
"In your wildest dreams, Bradyn."
Without a second's hesitation, Cara picked up her crystal tumbler and threw the cold bourbon and ice straight into his face.
The freezing liquor drenched his styled hair and soaked the collar of his designer shirt. Bradyn gasped, shooting up from the velvet booth in sheer shock, frantically wiping his stinging eyes.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" he snarled, glaring at her as neighboring tables turned to stare.
Cara set the empty glass down with a quiet, deliberate tap.
Without breaking eye contact, she reached into her Saint Laurent bag, pulled out a thick manila folder, and dropped it heavily onto his soaked lap.
"Open it, parasite," Cara said calmly.
Bradyn's hands shook as he ripped the folder open.
A thick stack of forensic-grade photographs spilled across the table. His breath caught in his throat—the photos showed him and Hailie completely naked, tangled in the satin sheets of a suite at the Baccarat Hotel.
Taped right behind the prints was a notarized invoice.
Columbia MBA Tuition & Fees: $186, 000.00
Tribeca Penthouse Lease Subsidies: $94, 000.00
Bespoke Wardrobe & Networking Tabs: $62, 000.00
TOTAL REIMBURSEMENT DUE: $342, 000.00
Bradyn's face turned an ashen, sickly gray. "You... you tracked me?"
"Three hundred and forty-two grand," Cara said, tapping the total with a manicured nail. "Wire it back to my account by Monday morning. If you don't, these photos go directly to Hailie's father and the Lewis board."
The shock on Bradyn's face instantly curdled into ugly fury. He slammed both hands on the table, leaning in with a desperate hiss. "You crazy bitch! You gave me that money willingly—that was trust money! You can't sue me for gifts!"
"I invested in a partner, Bradyn, not a freeloader," Cara said coldly. "You lived off my money for three years just to become my stepsister's leashed lapdog. Pay back every cent by Monday, or wear the collar in public."
"You fucking bitch—" Bradyn lunged forward, grabbing for her wrist.
Cara smoothly stepped back, out of his reach. She stood tall, smoothing the front of her tailored coat, looking down at him with absolute disgust.
Slowly, deliberately, she raised her hand and flipped him a clean, effortless middle finger.
"Congratulations on the engagement, Bradyn," Cara said softly. "You and Hailie deserve each other."
She turned on her three-inch heels and walked away.
Cara headed swiftly toward the exit, adrenaline still humming through her veins. As she rounded the private staircase leading down from the mezzanine, she didn't see the tall silhouette stepping into the foyer.
Her shoulder collided hard against a solid wall of broad, tailored muscle.
The impact pushed Cara back half a step, but the man didn't move an inch.
For an instant, Beck Greer's jaw tightened. For ten years, any physical contact with a woman—even an accidental bump in a crowd—triggered violent nausea and psychosomatic revulsion.
Yet as this woman collided against his chest, the expected revulsion never came.
There were no hives. No suffocating panic. Only the clean scent of rain and subtle vanilla, and the fierce, crackling heat radiating from her skin.
Beck looked down in arrested, quiet shock.
Cara caught her balance, her amber eyes flashing with irritation as she looked up.
"Excuse me, sir. Do you mind watching where you're walking?"
Beck looked down at her, genuine amusement flashing in his eyes. For the first time in a decade, physical contact hadn't made him sick.
"You're the one who ran into me," he said calmly.
Cara had zero patience to argue. "Then move."
A subtle smirk touched Beck's lips. Instead of taking offense, he stepped smoothly aside.
"After you."
Cara brushed past his towering frame without another word and pushed out into the crisp night air.
Behind him, Korbin Mckee rushed down the stairs, looking alarmed as he pulled a sanitizing wipe from his pocket. "Mr. Greer! Are you alright? Did she make contact? Do you need your medication—"
Beck held up a hand, stopping his chief of staff. He looked down at the lapel where Cara's fingers had grazed him, his eyes gleaming with dark, electric fascination.
"I'm fine, Korbin," Beck murmured, his voice low and raspy. "In fact... I've never felt better."
Korbin stared at him, bewildered. Clearing his throat, the assistant quickly brought up his tablet. "Sir... that was Cara Lewis, the disinherited daughter of Lewis International. Also, Dean Peterson from Auden Academy just called. Julian got into a fight on campus and injured a trustee's son. The board is demanding family representation immediately."
Beck didn't look at the tablet, his eyes still fixed on the glass doors as Cara disappeared under the rainy streetlights.
"Tell Peterson I'm on my way to the academy now," Beck commanded smoothly, a rare, thrilling hunger entering his tone. "And Korbin—pull Cara Lewis's full file. I want everything on my tablet before we arrive."
Outside on the sidewalk, the cold wind whipped across Cara's face.
She pulled out her phone to block Bradyn's number when a text message from Hailie slashed violently across the top of her screen.
"Bradyn just called me in a panic. Did you really think some cheap hotel photos and a pathetic invoice would scare us? Dad officially froze your mother's trust account ten minutes ago. You're completely broke, Cara. You don't have a single dollar left to pay rent, let alone hire a lawyer. Hand over those negatives tonight. If you beg nicely, maybe I'll let you attend our Long Island engagement gala next Saturday as a catering maid so you can actually eat."
Cara's fingers tightened on the titanium frame until her knuckles turned bone-white. A cold, lethal fury settled in her chest.
They thought stripping her of her mother's trust would leave her defenseless and force her to surrender.
Before Cara could hit reply, the entire display suddenly glitched with static and went pitch-black.
A glowing crimson icon began pulsing frantically over an encrypted backdoor protocol.
"Incoming Encrypted Call: Joker"
Cara blinked, the anger momentarily derailed.
Joker. Her anonymous gaming partner and top-tier hacker contact for the past two years. The kid had backdoor exploits into half the private mainframe networks in the country, but they had strictly maintained an encrypted, voice-only connection.
Cara tapped the screen and brought the phone to her ear.
"Nemesis, thank God—do not hang up on me," Julian Kensington gasped from the other end, his voice tight with raw, unadulterated panic.
Love Amidst Shadows
Tiara, a beautiful and intelligent girl, is the adopted daughter of a renowned bank director. Her life takes an unexpected turn when her adoptive father hires a bodyguard named Baskara Aryan to protect her. What Tiara doesn't know is that Aryan is hiding his true identity as the heir to a large hote
Love Amidst Shadows: A Mafia Romance Story
"I need you to stay here, spy on Leonardo. Feed me information on his every move." "A spy?" I repeated. "Yes," he said. "We'll use your proximity to our advantage. You'll be my eyes and ears inside the estate." "Agreed." Genna, a vulnerable witness to her brother's brutal murder, is sold into sl
Love Amidst Hidden Wounds; Desire Shadows
"How much longer were you going to deceive me?" Lorena's voice shook out of rage as she paced the room. "Did you not realize they were observing us? No. Not that, you actually treated me like a pawn in your little game." Alexander responded in a calm voice. "It isn't that easy, Lorena. Believe me
Moonlit Hearts: Love Amidst the Shadows
Aanya, a wildlife enthusiast, enrolls in the residential college near the forest to pursue her studies in wildlife conservation. Little does she know that Rajveer, a fierce werewolf, considers the forest his home and is deeply protective of it. Their initial encounters are marked by tension and host
Love Amidst Pain
It's a story about a young girl whose business got crashed because of a failed business. Rosalie was young and virtuous but she was in dire need of money after the unfortunate turn around in her company. She didn't want her company to be closed down and she wasn't ready to face mockery from famili
Love in the shadows
Olive's world is shattered by her parents' death, and she's left with no memory of the event. But as she tries to rebuild her life, she finds solace in Kwan, a mysterious boy with a supernatural secret: he's a werewolf. As she falls deeper into the world of werewolves, she must confront the darkness
LOVE IN THE SHADOWS
Detective Rachael's life seemed perfect-a loving partner, a beautiful child, and a fulfilling career in Chicago's toughest crime unit. But when a brutal serial killer known as The Veil begins targeting women who look just like her, Rachael's perfect life begins to unravel. Teaming up with Alex, a sh
Shadows of Love
In "Shadows of Love," we are drawn into the poignant life of Alexander Parker, an extraordinary man who has experienced the deepest of loves and the darkest of losses. Once brimming with joy and passion, Alexander's world is shattered when he loses his beloved wife, Emily, in a tragic accident. Grip
Amidst Chaos
Rebecca Rose Thompson, a 23 year old kindergarten teacher is in love with her best friend Nate Wilson for years. They have know each other forever and have never crossed the line. What happens when Nate suddenly finds her attractive after all these years? Meet, Xavier Phillips, a single parent wit
Love In The Shadows
Julian's team had outdone themselves. The club sparkled with elegance, from the glimmering chandeliers to the sleek black and gold décor. Lexi's mural stretched across the main wall, its vibrant colors glowing under the soft lights. Guests gathered near it, admiring the art and snapping photos. "Yo
Love in the Shadows
Hunter is a male model and the type of guy that men aspired to be and all the women wanted but he only had eyes for CeeCee. She was a plus-sized chef that worked in her families restaurant but had aspirations to do her own thing. Hunter kept his relationship with CeeCee in the shadows claiming it w
LOVE IN THE SHADOWS..
Samantha, a sweet and innocent woman, had no idea she had allowed the shady and dangerous Leonard of the Denton gang into her life when she agreed to help the attractive man. Samantha is a kind, innocent young woman who is attempting to move on from her past. She meets Leonard, a shady and perilou
Love Within The Shadows
She swore to avenge her parents. He swore he was innocent. But the heart doesn't always follow the rules. After years of searching, Monica finally comes face to face with the man she believes murdered her parents. Gad is everything she imagined; dangerous, inexplicable, and impossible to trust. But
Lustful Intrigue: Forbidden Love Amidst Duty's Chains
Married young to a guy hand-picked by her father, Becky Petre is a model woman. She has two sons and has served sixteen years of selfless duty in a passionless marriage. Craving a man's loving touch yet committed to her marital vows, Becky is trying to woo her coldly distant husband. But she knows o
The Forbidden Shadows of Love
In a world of covens and vampires, plus-size witch Evelyn is trapped in a loveless engagement with unfaithful Calous for political reasons. Her only comfort is her best friend Jules. Everything changes when she meets Damien, a vampire tasked with connecting their worlds. Despite the historical hatre
Love in the Shadows of Legacy
Lily Rose, a creative and independent artist, who has faced numerous challenges in life finds herself in a predicament where she is named the sole beneficiary to the vast empire of Richard Thompson, the great billionaire, who happens to be the only uncle to Alexander Thompson. Alexander Thompson ha
Crimson Chains: Love In The Shadows
In a city where secrets are power and betrayal lurks in every shadow, Naya Cruz walks a dangerous line. By day, she's a struggling tech genius. By night, she's the elusive hacker Cipher, exposing corruption and toppling crime lords from behind her screen. But when a job goes wrong, she finds herself
LOVE IN THE SHADOWS OF WEALTH
Blurb Nine Years in the past, Alexa mole, a model, substantially falls into her doom when she finds out that her uncle is her biological father. Her complete lifestyles and profession fall and her existence portray a damsel in misery without her bold prince to keep her. Her modeling picture as
SHADOWS BETRAYAL
"Are you rejecting me after one-year of being your Luna?" Amelia asked. "Yes, I will continuously reject you till the day it gets to your skull," Kessler said angrily. Amelia thought she would finally be free after being Alpha Kessler's Luna but the worst is yet to come when she finds out he wa
Eternal Shadows
In a world where shadows dance, ordinary Elara's life is irrevocably altered when she crosses paths with Alessandro, a powerful man. Their forbidden love ignites a dangerous flame, tested by secrets and external forces. He's darkness in a tailored suit. She's the light he was never meant to touc
