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Unexpected Romance: Love $ Hustle

Twenty-eight year old Delilah Sterling, has perfected the art of being a respectable realtor by day, and a professional gold digger by night. Delilah believes she has her double life under control. Her meticulously crafted life crumbles when she wakes up one morning with a wedding band on her finger, a marriage certificate on the table, and a sinfully gorgeous man claiming to be her husband. To make matters worse, he is broke and jobless, making her feel trapped in a surreal nightmare. Desperate for escape, Delilah demands a divorce, but the stranger—insisting he wants to stay married—thwarts every attempt. Frustration and confusion mount until Delilah hatches a new plan: she proposes they team up to con her next target, the elusive billionaire, Hunter Quinn. What Delilah doesn't realize is that her "broke husband" is actually Hunter Quinn himself. Billionaire CEO, Hunter Quinn, having discovered Delilah’s intentions to con him, had decided to outplay her at her own game. Hunter agrees to the partnership, and together they plunge into a high-stakes game of deceit. As they plot and scheme, the lines between pretense and reality blur. Their forced proximity ignites an unexpected chemistry, leading to moments of vulnerability and genuine connection neither anticipated. Caught in a whirlwind of deception, passion, and power plays, Delilah grapples with their growing feelings. As their con deepens, she must confront the ultimate question: Can she open her heart to love and trust again? ****Exerpt**** Delilah’s eyes darted to the marriage certificate again, the official seal glaring back at her. Her fingers itched to tear it apart, to make this nightmare disappear. But deep down, she knew that wouldn’t change anything. “I don’t remember,” she whispered, more to herself than to him. “I don’t remember any of it.” Blake nodded as if he had expected this reaction. “That is expected. You had a lot to drink last night.” he fished out a phone from the back pocket of his trousers, opened it. “Here, this is us celebrating, after we got married last night,” he said, showing her a picture. Delilah’s breath caught in her throat as she stared at the photo. It was indeed her. “How?” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I don’t remember any of this.” “It was a wild night,” he said softly. Perhaps she had married Blake because he was wealthy. That would be the only logical reason for her to make such a blunder. There was hope, she thought, as she clung to the possibility of salvaging something from this disaster. Turning to him, she forced a smile, “Is this your house? Are we in your house?” She asked, looking around the bedroom. Blake shook his head, “No. This is a hotel,” he said, and she nodded. “I see. It looks like quite an expensive hotel,” she observed, “What do you do for a living?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady as she searched his eyes for any hint of affluence. Blake hesitated, his confident demeanor faltering for the first time. He looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m... in between jobs,” he stuttered, avoiding her gaze. Delilah’s heart sank, disappointment crashing over her like a wave. “In between jobs?” she echoed, her voice tinged with disbelief. Blake seemed to sense her dismay. “I know it doesn’t sound great,” he said quickly, trying to reassure her. “But I’m working on a few things. I just need a little more time.” “You’re jobless,” she muttered to herself as reality sunk in. “How did you pay for this room? For the wedding bands?” She asked, and he winced. “I didn’t. You did,” he said, and she collapsed on the bed. (PS: Cover photo isn’t mine. Credit to the real owner)

Miss_Behaviour · สมัยใหม่
เรตติ้งไม่พอ
218 Chs

Pretty Determined

As Jessica moved her stuff from her bedroom to Delilah's, she kept giggling to herself, making Delilah to eye her with displeasure.

"I can't believe you left your husband alone in the living room. I mean, he is your guest. Shouldn't you treat him better?" Jessica asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Jess, what part of this do you find funny?" Delilah asked, and Jessica grinned.

"All of it. Who would have thought that my prediction came to pass so quickly? I told you, remember? I said you'd meet your match, and something tells me Blake is your perfect match," she said, and Delilah took a deep breath.

"And you're enjoying this? Your sister is in such a predicament and instead of you joining me in figuring out a solution, you're laughing?" Delilah asked, looking at Jessica with disapproval.

"No, D. Don't pull the pity card. It doesn't suit you. I love you. You know I do. But I'm sorry, I can't help you out of this one. Do you know the sweetest thing about it all? Now you're Mrs double D. Delilah Davies. I love it for you," Jessica said and Delilah forced a smile.

"You know what? I'm so glad my life amuses you. If I knew this was what it would take to cheer you up, I would have married a total stranger a long time ago," Delilah said and Jessica smiled.

"Well, thanks for doing so now, Mrs D," Jessica drawled before walking out of the room to go get more of her stuff.

Once she left, Delilah rose from the bed and decided to give Mark a call instead of just waiting for him.

She walked over to the balcony of her bedroom as the call connected, "Good morning, Mark. I'm sorry to bother you so early in the morning, but this is urgent. Have you found out anything about Blake Davies?"

"I still need some more time, D. And it would help if I could get a picture of him. What's he to you anyway?" Mark asked curiously.

"A thorn in my flesh. A bone in my neck. The bane of my existence. That is what he is. Do whatever you can and find out all you can about him, else he's going to ruin my life and everything I've worked so hard for," Delilah said and then hung up the call before he could ask her anymore questions.

As Delilah tried to gather her thoughts, Jessica returned once again, still grinning from ear to ear.

"You know what is most insane about this?" Jessica asked, shaking her head. "I can't believe you got married and didn't tell me. If he had not come here, I wouldn't have known I was living with a married lady."

Delilah sighed deeply but said nothing, knowing that the more she tried to get Jessica to stop, the more she would continue.

"But you have to admit, it's kind of funny. Think about it, D," Jessica said when Delilah remained quiet.

Delilah shot her a look. "No, it's not. It's a mess."

"Well, it's a mess you're going to have to deal with now. So, what's the plan?" Jessica asked,

Delilah sighed, rubbing her temples. "I don't know yet. I need to find a way to get him to leave."

"Good luck with that," Jessica said, her tone light. "He seems pretty determined."

Delilah nodded, her mind racing. She knew she had to confront Blake, get to the bottom of his sudden appearance and figure out how to move forward.

No matter how hard she thought about it, she couldn't believe his story about love at first sight and a wedding. It didn't make sense. And the only thing stopping her from kicking him out and asking him to go to hell was his threat about releasing news about their marriage.

She needed to figure out how to handle this situation, and fast.

"I've moved all my stuff here, and the room is ready for him, so I'm going to show him to his room now," Jessica said as she walked out of the bedroom.

As Jessica walked into the living room, she saw Hunter standing by the television where a photo frame of them and their mother was displayed.

"Your room is ready, brother-in-law. Please come with me," Jessica said, and Hunter turned to her with a smile, liking her easy nature. He couldn't help but wonder why she so easily accepted him.

Hunter didn't protest as he watched her pick up his suitcase, and he followed as she led him down the hallway to the guest room.

The guest room was spacious and well-decorated, with a large window that offered a stunning view of the city skyline. Jessica set the suitcase down by the bed and turned to Hunter with a smile.

"Make yourself at home," she said. "If you need anything, just let me know."

"Thank you, Jessica," Hunter replied, his tone genuinely appreciative.

"No, please do not. I don't think you will stay here long enough for this to be your home," Delilah said as she walked into the bedroom, and Hunter looked at her, his expression calm and collected.

"I will excuse the newly weds," Jessica said, flashing Delilah a smile as she left the room, leaving Delilah and Hunter alone.

"Did you change your mind about sharing a room with me?" Hunter asked with an easy smile as Delilah closed the door behind her.

She turned to face him, "In your dreams. We need to talk," Delilah said, steeling herself for the conversation she needed to have with him.

"I agree," Hunter replied as he unpacked his suitcase, neatly arranging his clothes in the closet.

"Can you stop moving around and sit down? Let's discuss this like adults," Delilah said and Hunter paused and nodded.

"Alright. Let's sit down," he said as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Delilah took a deep breath and sat down in the armchair by the window. She studied Hunter, trying to gauge his intentions.

"Why are you really here, Blake?" she asked, her voice steady.

Hunter met her gaze, his eyes sincere. "I'm here because I want to know you. I want to make this work, Lila. I know our marriage wasn't planned, but I believe we can turn this into something precious."

Delilah frowned, "That's not what I'm asking. I mean, why are you doing this? What do you want? Be honest with me. You're a gold digger, aren't you? You're here because of my money, am I wrong?" She asked, and Hunter couldn't help the laughter that bubbled out of him.