Tessa’s lips quivered, but she fought back her tears. Her gaze swept the room, filled with the faces of those who had shaped her life—now distorted by anger and betrayal.Taking a deep breath, she made her stand. “Grandpa, Dad, Mom… please, I’m begging you. I can’t divorce him. Not now. Not when I’m already carrying his child.”The room went completely still, as if her words had drained the air from the space.“What?” Eleanor whispered in disbelief, her hand flying to her chest as if her heart might give out.“No… No! This can’t be true!” Ethan’s voice cracked with rage, his body trembling with the intensity of his emotions.He stared at Tessa as if she had betrayed him on the deepest level. “You’ve been with him all along?” Ethan’s fury boiled over, his fists clenching by his sides. “How could you do this to me, Tessa?”Eleanor's voice trembled with disbelief. “How could you say such a thing? You’re not that kind of girl. How could you ruin yourself like this?”“You’re lying,” Tessa’
The Darkclaw CEO, Mr. Wilfred was a ruthless man, he's the king of the underworld in Storm City, he gets whatever he wants. The Armands have been trying to close a deal with him, but he requested sleeping with Tessa before he would grant them the deal. On one occasion he even tried to forcefully sleep with Tessa, but she escaped. If it was left to her, she wanted to forget about the deal with such a cruel organization."That’s not my problem," Eleanor said dismissively. "If he’s truly capable, he’ll survive. If not, I won’t tolerate him—or the child."Adam gave a small laugh. "I accept your challenge."Tessa turned to him, disbelief etched on her face. "Why are you agreeing to this? You know how dangerous this is!"Adam’s expression softened as he looked at her. "I don’t lose, Tessa. And I won’t lose you or our child."Though fear churned in her heart, Tessa found a sliver of comfort in Adam’s confidence.Eleanor crossed her arms. "Five days, Adam. If you fail, the marriage ends—and s
Meanwhile, Tessa found herself at the hospital for a prenatal check-up, all under her mother’s insistence."What? I'm not pregnant?"When Tessa heard the doctor declare she wasn't pregnant, she was utterly flabbergasted."No, that's impossible! I've slept with Adam! You must be mistaken," Tessa exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief."I assure you, there is no error in my examination. But if you have doubts, you're welcome to seek a second opinion elsewhere. I stand by the accuracy of my assessment," the doctor said, radiating confidence."But I've taken multiple pregnancy tests before," Tessa protested, still bewildered."Home pregnancy tests can yield false results. Moreover, my recent gynecological examination confirms that you are still a virgin. What made you believe you were pregnant?" the doctor inquired, concern etching his features."Doctor, are you certain she's still a virgin?" Eleanor interjected anxiously, her eyes darting between her daughter and the physician."I am a
Eleanor raised an eyebrow, skepticism evident in her tone. "Tessa has tried several times and failed to secure that deal. Are you confident?""Of course," Ethan replied, brimming with self-assurance. "I'm good friends with Mr. Wilfred's son, Kelvin. I’ll personally speak to him on the day of the bidding event and make sure we succeed."Ethan was optimistic. He often indulged in wild nights with Kelvin and had recently gifted him his favorite secretary. He was certain Kelvin would return the favor in kind.---After leaving the hospital, Tessa didn’t head home but instead called Adam. "Where are you?" she asked, urgency lacing her tone."I'm at work. What's going on?" Adam replied, his voice steady."Come home after work; I need to talk to you," Tessa said before abruptly ending the call.Adam had initially planned to head home immediately. But recalling Tessa’s urgency, he chose to stay busy until it was nearly time to leave before finally driving back.Despite the range of luxury car
Tessa brushed off Adam’s bravado without a care. To her, he was just trying to intimidate her. Suddenly, Adam leaned in and captured her soft lips, savoring them greedily. Tessa was overwhelmed. Electric sensations surged through her, momentarily overpowering her resistance as an inexplicable desire took hold. It wasn't until she sensed the hunger in Adam’s eyes that she snapped out of her trance. “Get off me!” Startled, Tessa pushed him away forcefully and bolted. “Ah, that was delightful!” Adam closed his eyes, relishing the blissful sensation as the exquisite taste of her lips lingered on his. He made no attempt to chase after Tessa. Since they lived under the same roof, he was confident he would eventually have his way with her. --- It was the day of the bidding for the Darkclaw project two days later. This billion-dollar contract was highly coveted by companies in Storm City. Tessa had nearly sacrificed her dignity for this project before. Early in the mornin
Eleanor scoffed, folding her arms smugly. “Do you really think you can win the bidding? Don’t overestimate yourself, Adam. We’ll secure the bid today—but not because of you.”She cast a glance toward Ethan, her lips curling into a pleased smile. “It’s Ethan who holds the key. He’s close to Kelvin, and a simple word from him will seal the deal.”Adam’s lips twitched upward into a slow smirk. “That’s not necessarily true.”Ethan sneered, his eyes narrowing in disdain. “You’re delusional. You don't belong here, Adam. This isn’t some playground—it’s a battlefield. You don’t have the slightest chance.”Adam leaned back in his seat, arms draped casually over the armrests. “You sound awfully confident for someone who hides behind connections.”Ethan’s jaw clenched, and his eyes darkened with irritation. “I don’t need to hide behind anything. I know exactly what I bring to the table—unlike you, a useless parasite leeching off others.”Adam’s expression didn’t falter. “Big words from someone r
With that, she shot Ethan a smug smile, turned on her heel, and strolled away gracefully, leaving Ethan fuming in silence.The moment Stacey disappeared, Eleanor rounded on Adam, her face twisted in anger.“You’re disgusting, Adam. How dare you look at another woman before you’ve even finalized the divorce from my daughter?”Adam raised a brow, clearly unimpressed by her outrage. “You’ve got it wrong. Stacey and I are just colleagues.”Eleanor crossed her arms, her glare sharp as a knife. “She’s the Gold family’s heiress—and the Supreme General’s personal assistant, no less. And even if she'll work anywhere, it'll be in the Bulgart Industry, owned by the Supreme General. You expect me to believe you two are just colleagues?”Ethan let out a derisive snort. “Right. Even if he somehow works at Bulgart Industry, he’s probably no more than a security guard. Just another watchdog in a cheap uniform.”Nala, standing beside Ethan, eagerly joined in, her voice filled with venom. “That’s rig
The bidding results were set to be announced in an hour, and the companies waited patiently for the outcome.Tessa tapped her fingers against the table, her nerves getting the better of her. This was her first major project since taking control of Armand Group, and not everyone in the company was happy about it. The shareholders had been circling her like vultures, waiting for her to slip up.Ralph, in particular, was eager to see her fail. If she lost this bid, it would give him the perfect excuse to force her out as CEO.Adam, sitting beside her, noticed the slight furrow on her brow. He leaned in closer, a subtle smile tugging at his lips. "Don’t worry. We’ve got this in the bag."Tessa shot him a skeptical glance. "And what makes you so sure?"Before Adam could respond, Eleanor sneered from across the room. "If we win this bid, it’ll be thanks to Ethan, not you. What makes you think you have any role in this?"Nala chimed in with a grin. "Exactly. Ethan has already made arrangemen