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One Night With My Billionaire Boss
I woke up on silk sheets that smelled of expensive cedar and cold sandalwood, a world away from my cramped apartment in Brooklyn. Beside me lay Ezra Gardner-my boss, the billionaire CEO of Gardner Holdings, and the man who could end my career with a snap of his fingers. He didn't offer an apology for the night before; instead, he looked at me with terrifying clarity and proposed a cold, calculated business arrangement. "Marriage. It stabilizes the board and solves the PR crisis before it begins." He dressed me in archival Chanel and sent me home in his Maybach, but my life was already falling apart. My boyfriend, Irving, claimed he had passed out early, yet his location data placed him at my best friend's apartment until three in the morning. When I tried to run, I realized Ezra was already ten steps ahead, tracking my movements and uncovering the secret I'd spent twenty years hiding: my connection to the powerful Senator Grimes. I was trapped between a CEO who treated me like a line item on a quarterly report and a boyfriend who had been using me while sleeping with my closest friend. I felt like a pawn in a game I didn't understand, wondering why a man like Ezra would walk up forty flights of stairs on a broken leg just to make sure I was safe. "Showtime, Mrs. Gardner." Standing on the red carpet in a gown that cost more than my life, I watched my cheating ex-boyfriend's face turn pale as Ezra claimed me in front of the world. I wasn't just an assistant anymore; I was a weapon, and it was time to burn their world down."I'm having a baby, " Annie said out of the blue, making Ella, her best friend, choke on her orange juice.
Annie was relieved that she let it all out to her best friend even though she wasn't sure about her reaction. It hadn't been easy keeping something this sensitive away from Ella.
"You're wha tjQuery" Ella asked in shock, her eyes not leaving Annie who was seated opposite her.
Annie sighed. She knew Ella heard her loud and clear but she didn't mind saying it again. "I'm having a baby."
"I heard you. I don't just understand how?.....I mean, I know how a baby is being conceived but when did it happen? I never knew you were seeing someone." Ella voiced out, looking as confused as ever. As far as she knew, Annie had been single for a while now.
Annie sighed. "I'm not seeing anyone and neither am I pregnant, yet."
Ella was even more confused now. She placed her glass cup which still had some juice in it on a small table beside her. They were seated in Annie's living room. "I want to believe you were only pulling my legs." Ella said.
Annie Davis shook her head. "I'm having him or her by Insemination. The procedure will be done tomorrow."
Ella couldn't believe her ears. She opened her mouth to give a response to what Annie said but no words came out. Her brain was finding it hard to process the reason behind her best friend's decision.
After a while, Ella spoke. "Okay, You win. I'm known for pulling expensive jokes on you but this is way more than all I've ever done to you." Ella said, hoping it was all a joke. But she wasn't that sure because Annie was looking very serious.
"None of this is a joke, Ella. This is something I've thought about and also acted on. I've been in contact with my doctor and the whole procedure started a couple of weeks back. Getting the right sperm donor, I also had to do a couple of tests, I've been eating according to the meal plan given to me and I've also been on prescribed medications. We are anticipating that the procedure will be successful on the first trial."
"I'm sorry for not opening up to you sooner. I had to come to terms with myself to know if this was what I truly wanted. You would have talked me out of it if I told you earlier."
"Of course I would have talked you out of it. What were you thinking Ann??? You're just 27 and already thinking about having a baby by Insemination. Who does that?"
"I did." Annie shrugged like it was no big deal.
Ella sighed, running a hand over her hair. "I mean, You're still young, Annie. You're smart, you're beautiful, You're attractive, You're the sweetest and kindest person I've ever known. You had no reason to think in that direction. You may not be dating anyone now but your soulmate will surely find you. You'll have your dream wedding and start a family with your prince charming. All you needed to do was to be patient." Ella explained.
"You should have believed me when I said I was done with men, " Annie said.
"Annie." Ella groaned. "Not anyone will be like the douchebags you've dated. There's someone out there who's meant for you."
"I don't want to dwell in that. I've made my decision. I wouldn't forgive myself if I go through with the procedure tomorrow without telling you. That's why I'm opening up to you now."
Ella sighed, burying her face in her hands. She spoke after a few seconds of silence. "You realize raising a child alone comes with a whole lot of responsibility. Are you sure you're ready for this? I want to be assured you know what you're doing. What if your baby grows up and asks for its father. What will you tell him or her?"
"I'm certain that this is what I want and Yes, I've prepared my mind for all of the responsibilities. I never imagined myself bringing up a child alone but it is what it is. Life is full of surprises. As for the baby asking for its father when he or she grows up, I have no idea what I will say to that but I know I'll cross that bridge when I get there. I'll love the baby so much and make sure he or she doesn't lack anything. I'm ready to start a family, I want to have a child."
Ella sighed. "If I could see any of your exes right now, I won't think twice before strangling them, especially that douchebag calle…."
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The Closer, The Better
It had been her grandfather’s last wish to see her wed to Arvin. However, on Belinda's wedding day, no sooner had they wedded than Arvin left his bride behind. The gossip spread like wildfire, and overnight, everyone took her as a joke. Since then, the fighting between them had no end. Until the/0/31575/coverorgin.jpg?v=78c681b91dc5c7ee28b832987404342f&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Whole World Seems To Be Falling For My Wife
Maria took her sister’s place and was engaged to Anthony, a disabled man who had lost his status as the family heir. At first, they were just a nominal couple. However, things changed when things about Maria were gradually exposed. It turned out she was a professional hacker, a mysterious composer,/0/18190/coverorgin.jpg?v=5789b750d63e931d6092d3af250d65a9&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Fire Phoenix
What would you think of someone riding around the countryside snatching bride and bridegrooms? Is he insane, bisexual? Gay? What if he were only five ? Why then? Here we have the tale of Yun Canglan, who was born into an ancient past after perishing accidentally in the modern world. Her first thou/0/18468/coverorgin.jpg?v=84529b4984e13c74b4ba1454b01941f5&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Treasure-hunting: Into the Unknown
Zachary Zi traveled through time and space with the help of his Treasure-hunting Compass, which led him to the Olden World where he took over the body of a young man with the same name. The old Zachary’s clan was slaughtered three years ago and his fiancee had gone missing ever since. Although he ma/1/102860/coverorgin.jpg?v=fb1450ebea277ac6119b3b112743e9b6&imageMogr2/format/webp)
He Thought I Was A Doormat, Until I Ruined Him
The sterile white of the operating room blurred, then sharpened, as Skye Sterling felt the cold clawing its way up her body. The heart monitor flatlined, a steady, high-pitched whine announcing her end. Her uterus had been removed, a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding, but the blood wouldn't clo/0/23991/coverorgin.jpg?v=911092a5990d4b09ca1bbd551806071c&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Billionaire's Gorgeous Wife
In the previous life, Maggie Johnson was so cowardly, gullible and stupid that she was coaxed by her fiance and stepsister and then broke her legs and lost everything including her fortune, love and even life. However, she was so lucky that she was reborn in the year before everything happened. Sinc/0/17940/coverorgin.jpg?v=7b1b588f48145f19860b2aa07e4ea4a0&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Dancing With the Devil
All Ivy wanted was love. Her boyfriend of one year, Jake, seemed to be a good option, but he was far too professional for Ivy's liking, and her best friend, Violet, didn't like him at all. What else was she supposed to do, though? So what if he didn't hold her, hug her, and kiss her properly? At/0/18342/coverorgin.jpg?v=132e5583326975c4b5a036ce01721b28&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Enchanted Night
Four years ago, Cassandra had to marry a wealthy man, though she had no feelings toward him. Similarly, the man whose name was written against hers on the marriage certificate couldn't care less about her either. Four years later, she was drunk on a cruise ship in Rome and the fate sent her a gra/0/40187/coverorgin18.jpg?v=2584b6c31649723f8b735b0aed03108c&imageMogr2/format/webp)
