The final ingredient to finding true love is one teaspoon of lies. **** On her 18th birthday, Elspeth's world was shattered after a one-night stand left her pregnant. The child's father, Alan, betrayed her by revealing his alliance with her scheming half-sister, Heather, who aimed to steal Elspeth's position as heiress. To protect their family’s reputation, her parents sent her away in disgrace. Years later, Elspeth returns, determined to reclaim her place and exact revenge on those who wronged her. But her family’s pressure to marry complicates things. Desperate to dodge a blind date, she impulsively kisses Castiel Stepanov, her daughter's teacher, using him as a convenient escape. When a key investor insists on meeting her husband, Elspeth sees an opportunity and proposes a fake marriage to Castiel. Castiel, a powerful Russian business mogul and part-time elementary teacher, has his own hidden agenda. Traumatized by witnessing the murder of his family, Castiel’s life has been driven by the desire for revenge. Unbeknownst to Elspeth, her father is responsible for the tragedy that destroyed his family. Eager to destroy Elspeth's life, Castiel agrees to the sham marriage, intent on ruining her and her father. As their fake marriage progresses, hidden truths and deep-seated wounds begin to surface. Can Elspeth balance her desire for vengeance with her need to protect her heart, her daughter, and her empire? And will Castiel follow through with his plan for revenge, or will love and the weight of the past consume them both? _______ TROPES: One night stand. Pregnancy. Contract/Fake Marriage. Win her back. Betrayal x Revenge Family. First person (dual perspectives) ______ IG: @ebynamani TT: @eby.namani
Song rec'd: Burn — David Kushner.
Breathe Again — Joy Oladokun.
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"What's this?" He asked, throwing the papers in his hands onto the table.
I gasped as my eyes caught a clearly positioned and edited picture of Alan and I at the restaurant. One when we were at the table and the highlight of it all — when he kissed me. The very moment it happened — the one I didn't want anyone to see. I tried to search for copies of when I resisted him at least, anything but there was nothing in the parcel.
"H-how did you get this?" I stuttered, looking back at his bloodshot eyes.
"Does that even matter?" He ran his hands through his hair. "F*ck." He cursed.