Chapter 1
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A thirty–year–old man’s desire was raw and unfiltered.
Arlene Hurley had lost track of how long this had gone on. Her body felt shattered, submerged in the intensity of her craving, barely able to breathe.
Brendan Dudley knew her body too well. Every touch landed with unerring precision, nothing wasted, nothing accidental.
*All next week, clear my schedule. I’m taking time off. Book two tickets to the Maldives,” Brendan said finally, standing by the bed, dressing at his usual unhurried pace.
Arlene shifted slightly, trying to ease the numb
in!
Brendan paused, glancing at her with a fa
her waist. A flicker of joy crossed her eyes. “Brendan, you’re taking me on vacation?”
going with Paige.”
The smile on Arlene’s face froze, her gaze dropping awkwardly.“Understood, Mr. Dudley.”
Noticing her expression, Brendan spoke again.“Arlene, you’re an orphan. You’re young. I’m never going to marry you.”
Arlene looked up at him, forcing a bitter smile.“I’ve never expected you to. But now that Ms. Hilton’s divorced and back in the country. Maybe it’s time we end this hidden affair?”
#
Brendan’s face darkened. He sighed and reached out, ruffling her hair as if she were a child. Then he placed a card on the nightstand.“Buy
like.”
whatever you
Tm not going to be your mistress anymore, Mr. Dudley.” Arlene’s voice trembled with quiet defiance. She knew he and Paige Hilton were bound to marry sooner or later.
“It’s too soon for this conversation. When I do get married, then we’ll talk. Don’t get emotional. It’s not your call to end things.” His tone turned dismissive. He gave her one last look and walked out.
Even after the front door shut behind him, her ears were still ringing. It was like the world had gone silent.
Arlene was an
orphan. During her first year of college, her beauty drew the jealousy of Wilma Dudley, a spoiled rich girl who bullied her mercilessly, leaving her partially deaf in one ear, her pinky finger broken, and nearly blinding her with a lit cigarette.
Someone had filmed the attack. The video went viral.
The school had to call in the families. Representing Wilma that day was her older brother, Brendan Dudley.
Maybe it was for the sake of the Dudley family’s reputation. Maybe it was a pity. But Brendan had extended a hand to Arlene when she was bloodied and broken. The first words he ever spoke to her were, “Don’t be afraid. I won’t let anyone hurt you again.”
It was weak. It was foolish.
But Arlene fell for him. At a time in her life when she craved love the most, Brendan fulfilled every dream she’d had about men, about safety, about being
wanted.
She used to believe Brendan was her salvation. But now, it was clear he didn’t love her, he just refused to let her go.
ན བ ཟན ཕ ཝཿཥྞཾ ཨཽ: Ë ྃ ོ
The Dudley Group.
Brendan had a meeting to attend and needed to hand off some projects. Paige was waiting in his office.
They were flying to the Maldives together soon, seven days of sweet escape.
your
Arlene set a cup of coffee in front of Paige, her chest tightening like something sharp was twisting inside her.“Ms. Hilton, coffee.”
Paige gave her a soft, elegant smile.
Paige came from a prestigious family. She and Brendan had grown up together–the perfect match. She had poise, intelligence, and that quiet kind of charm only wealth and breeding could polish. Just sitting there, she radiated confidence so blinding that it made Arlene’s eyes ache.
Arlene knew she’d lost. She’d never even stood a chance.
The prince never really loved Cinderella. He just used her to pass the time.
Setting the cup down, Arlene practically fled the office in embarrassment.
She had no confidence. Being an orphan, being poor, being left scarred and half–disabled. It all left a stain of shame in every pore of her being.
Mr. Dudley and Ms. Hilton are going on their honeymoon, right? Heard they’re officially a couple now. Their families already approved the match. It’s all going public when they get back.”
< Chapter 1
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In the break room, coworkers gossiped freely about Brendan and Paige’s impending wedding.
Arlene, filling her water bottle, scalded the back of her hand with boiling water.
The glass slipped from her fingers and shattered on the floor. She didn’t even register the pain at first, just scrambled to run her burned hand under cold
water.
Brendan and Paige were getting married.
That meant her time with Brendan was truly over. Her internship at the Dudley Group was probably ending too.
“Arlene, Mr. Dudley asked you to drive him and Ms. Hilton to the airport at eleven.”
A colleague called her from across the office.
Arlene forced a bitter smile. Brendan really was cruel.
There were drivers available, but he insisted she take them just to remind her of her place, to crush any remaining illusions she might have.
In the end, Brendan and Wilma were alike. They both bullied her just in different ways.
One had scarred her body. The other shattered what was left of her heart.
Pulling out her phone, Arlene hesitated for a long moment before dialing a number she had once blocked.
“Hello, Albert? You once said if I agreed to marry you, you’d fund my studies in Italy. Does that offer still stand?” Her voice trembled slightly.
Marriage. Maybe it was her only way out of Seattle and out of Brendan’s life.
Think it through,” came the deep voice on the other end.“Come to Riverside Manors,7 PM on the 13th of this month. We’ll talk details.”
Just eight days away.
