A second chance for the CEO

A second chance for the CEO

Victoria Figueiredo · Ongoing · 437.0k Words

476
Hot
19.6k
Views
2.1k
Added
Add to Shelf
Start Reading
Share:facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsappreddit

Introduction

Drugged by her own father into sleeping with him, she found herself trapped in a forced and loveless marriage, marked by secrets and betrayals. He had another woman in mind and he went to Europe, abandoning her and their son. Four years later, he returns, but not by choice: the son Liam was born to is seriously ill. The only chance of saving his life is to give birth to a new child, a sacrifice that forces them to confront feelings they swore they would never revisit. Will he once again give in to intimacy with a wife who only exists on paper? What about the woman waiting for him abroad? But... what if forgotten feelings begin to surface, confusing their hearts and their choices?


Nathan wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to him. My back was pressed to his chest. His thin lips began to stick to my hair and he began to speak.
“Your back was to me, do you want me to come in another way?”
Nathan lowered his head, he put the tip of his nose close to mine. Our lips almost touched, and breathing was somewhat unsteady.
“Don't you know that with you I'm kind of unable to control myself? I just wanted to sleep with you, to be with you incessantly...”

Chapter 1

At the most expensive hospital in São Paulo, Stella emerged from the doctor's office, her face pale and hopeless. Her legs felt weak, and she nearly collapsed to the floor.

Fortunately, someone caught her.

"Miss, are you okay?"

Stella shook her head, sat down on a chair in the hospital corridor, and covered her face with both hands.

She wanted to cry but couldn’t shed any tears. Seeing this, the family driver stood by her side, unsure of how to comfort her.

All of this was because of her son, Liam Collins, who was battling leukemia. Despite undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, none of the treatments were effective.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Anna Collins, the family matriarch, immediately took control.

"Carla, call Nathan and tell him to come home immediately!" Anna commanded coldly.

"Mother-in-law, is this really necessary?" Carla frowned. "I heard he’s involved in a project that requires his presence…"

Before Carla could finish, Anna cut her off sharply.

"So work is more important than his son? Should we just let Liam die?"

"Mother-in-law, that’s not what I meant. I’ll call him right away," Carla said, her expression changing as she rushed out of the hospital.

"Ella, don’t worry. Even if all other treatments have failed, there’s still one with the highest chance of curing Liam," Anna said, trying to comfort Stella, whose eyes were red, her voice hoarse from crying.

"I know, Mrs. Collins. I’m going to see Liam. I want to be near him."

Stella didn’t want to think about the final option. It required her and her husband, who had left over four years ago, to conceive another child, whose hematopoietic stem cells could be used for a transplant.

Standing outside Liam’s hospital room, Stella patted her face to brighten her expression, added a forced smile, and opened the door.

"Mommy!!" Liam called out cheerfully upon seeing her.

"Sweetheart, you’re awake! Are you in pain?" Stella rushed over and embraced him.

"I’m fine, Mommy!" Liam replied, then looked at her closely. "Mommy, have you been crying?"

"No, I’m fine," Stella said, trying to smile, but Liam stared at her intently.

"Your eyes don’t lie, Mommy!" Liam pointed out her fib. Even at just three years old, he was incredibly perceptive.

"It’s just dust, sweetie. I wasn’t crying," Stella said, rubbing her eyes.

"Every time you cry, you use that excuse," Liam said, hugging her tightly. "Mommy, I’m okay. I’ll get better soon, trust me!"

"I know." Despite her sadness, Stella managed to laugh and kiss his forehead.

"Mom, is it true that Dad is coming back?" Liam suddenly asked.

"Who told you that?" Stella asked.

"Grandma," he replied, looking at her.

"Are you curious to meet him?"

"I don’t want him to come back. Honestly, I don’t even want to meet him," Liam said firmly.

But Stella knew he was lying. No matter how angry he was at Nathan for abandoning them, Liam was still a child, and his heart longed for paternal love.

That night, Stella returned home late after accompanying Liam at the hospital. Passing by Anna’s room, she noticed the light was still on.

"Anna hasn’t gone to bed yet?"

She was about to call out when she heard a male voice from inside.

"You’re not deceiving me, are you? Is there really no other way? You understand there’s no love between us, right? Do I really have to have another child with her? After everything she did to me?"

Nathan had returned home…

Talking about her, his tone was filled with disdain, just as it had been four years ago. He still believed Stella had used their child to trap him into taking on the title of Mrs. Collins—a position he thought didn’t belong to her.

Even after all these years, he felt forced to endure the same situation again for the sake of an unwanted child.

"Nathan, please," Anna said, taking a deep breath. "Let’s think about Liam’s well-being. He has nothing to do with our conflicts. He’s just a child."

Stella didn’t want to hear any more. She retreated to her room and found Nathan’s black suitcase on the carpet next to the bed.

Four years ago, this had been his room, but he had left for Europe with his mistress, Olivia Carson, the day after their wedding and never returned. Stella had been living here alone ever since.

Though he was back, she knew he wouldn’t want to stay in the same room with her—and she didn’t want to be near him either.

As Liam’s parents, their relationship was filled with hatred and estrangement.

Feeling exhausted, Stella didn’t move the suitcase. She went straight to the bathroom for a hot shower, then turned off the lights and lay down to rest. She needed to be ready for Liam’s routine exams in the morning.

But as she pulled the blanket over herself, she felt someone next to her—a hand grabbing her forcefully.

She couldn’t break free from the strong grip and quickly turned on the bedside lamp.

She saw the man clearly—Nathan.

He was incredibly handsome, even more so than she remembered from four years ago.

"Nathan, what are you doing? Let me go!" Stella yelled as Nathan tried to remove her clothes.

"Isn’t this what you wanted, Stella? Another child?" Nathan asked coldly, holding her face.

"Let me go right now!" Stella yelled, mustering all her strength to push him away. In a moment of desperation, she slapped him across the face, startling him into stopping.

Even in the dim light, Stella could see the red mark her slap had left on Nathan’s cheek. Seizing the opportunity, she quickly escaped from his grip.

Nathan touched his cheek, his expression cold enough to send shivers down Stella’s spine.

Without a word, he opened his suitcase, grabbed his clothes, and went into the bathroom. Soon, she heard the sound of water running.

Drained of energy, Stella collapsed onto the floor. She didn’t know why Nathan had suddenly appeared in her room, but she could tell he was here reluctantly.

That night, Stella slept uneasily, haunted by the doctor’s words about Liam’s only remaining treatment. She knew this was why Nathan had returned, despite everything.

Liam’s conception had been an accident, and Nathan had abandoned her the day after their wedding. He hadn’t cared about their son until now, when circumstances forced his return.

With her mind replaying the past, Stella finally drifted off to sleep.

Last Chapters

You Might Like 😍

Alpha Nicholas's Little Mate

Alpha Nicholas's Little Mate

1.1m Views · Ongoing · Becky j
"Mate is here!"
What? No—wait… oh Moon Goddess, no.
Please tell me you're joking, Lex.
But she's not. I can feel her excitement bubbling under my skin, while all I feel is dread.
We turn the corner, and the scent hits me like a punch to the chest—cinnamon and something impossibly warm. My eyes scan the room until they land on him. Tall. Commanding. Beautiful.
And then, just as quickly… he sees me.
His expression twists.
"Fuck no."
He turns—and runs.
My mate sees me and runs.
Bonnie has spent her entire life being broken down and abused by the people closest to her including her very own twin sister. Alongside her best friend Lilly who also lives a life of hell, they plan to run away while attending the biggest ball of the year while it's being hosted by another pack, only things don't quite go to plan leaving both girls feeling lost and unsure about their futures.
Alpha Nicholas is 28, mateless, and has no plans to change that. It's his turn to host the annual Blue Moon Ball this year and the last thing he expects is to find his mate. What he expects even less is for his mate to be 10 years younger than him and how his body reacts to her. While he tries to refuse to acknowledge that he has met his mate his world is turned upside down after guards catch two she-wolves running through his lands.
Once they are brought to him he finds himself once again facing his mate and discovers that she's hiding secrets that will make him want to kill more than one person.
Can he overcome his feelings towards having a mate and one that is so much younger than him? Will his mate want him after already feeling the sting of his unofficial rejection? Can they both work on letting go of the past and moving forward together or will fate have different plans and keep them apart?
Omega Bound

Omega Bound

1.5m Views · Completed · Veronica White
Ayla Frost is a beautiful, rare omega. Kidnapped, tortured, and trafficked to rogue clans and corrupt alphas to do with as they pleased.  Kept alive in her cage, broken and abandoned by her wolf, she becomes mute and has given up on hope for a better life until one explosion changes everything. 

Thane Knight is the alpha of the Midnight Pack of the La Plata Mountain Range, the largest wolf shifter pack in the world. He is an alpha by day and hunts the shifter trafficking ring with his group of mercenaries by night. His hunt for vengeance leads to one raid that changes his life. 

Tropes:
Touch her and die/Slow burn romance/Fated Mates/Found family twist/Close circle betrayal/Cinnamon roll for only her/Traumatized heroine/Rare wolf/Hidden powers/Knotting/Nesting/Heats/Luna/Attempted assassination
The Human Among  Wolves

The Human Among Wolves

615k Views · Ongoing · ZWrites
"You actually thought I cared about you?" His smirk was sharp, almost cruel.
My stomach twisted, but he wasn’t finished.
"You're just a pathetic little human," Zayn said, his words deliberate, each one hitting like a slap. "Spreading your legs for the first guy who bothers to notice you."
Heat rushed to my face, burning with humiliation. My chest ached — not from his words alone, but from the sick realization that I had trusted him. That I had let myself believe he was different.
I was so, so stupid.
——————————————————
When eigteen-year-old Aurora Wells moves to a sleepy town with her parents, the last thing she expects is to be enrolled in a secret academy for werewolves.
Moonbound Academy is no ordinary school. It's here young Lycans, Betas and Alphas train in shifting, elemental magic, and ancient pack laws. But Aurora? She's just...human. a mistake. The new receptionist forgot to check her species - and now she's surrounded by predators who sense she doesn't belong.
Determined to stay under the radar, Aurora plans to survive the year unnoticed. But when she catches the attention of Zayn, a brooding and infuriatingly powerful Lycan prince, her life gets a lot more complicated. Zayn already has a mate. He already has enemies. And he definitely doesn't want anything to do with a clueless human.
But secrets run deeper than bloodlines at Moonbound. as Aurora unravels the truth about the academy - and herself - she begins to question everything she thought she knew.
Including the reason she was brought here at all.
Enemies will rise. Loyalties will shift. And the girl with no place in their world...might be the key to saving it.
Accardi

Accardi

848.6k Views · Completed · Allison Franklin
“I thought we discussed this earlier, Weakness? I warned you. His death is on your hands.”
“I thought you said you were done chasing me?” Gen mocked.
“I am done chasing you.”
Before she could formulate a witty remark, Matteo threw her down. She landed hard on her back atop his dining room table. She tried to sit up when she noticed what he was doing. His hands were working on his belt. It came free of his pants with a violent yank. She collapsed back on her elbows, her mouth gaping open at the display. His face was a mask of sheer determination, his eyes were a dark gold swimming with heat and desire. His hands wrapped around her thighs and pulled her to the edge of the table. He glided his fingers up her thighs and hooked several around the inside of her panties. His knuckles brushed her dripping sex.
“You’re soaking wet, Genevieve. Tell me, was it me that made you this way or him?” his voice told her to be careful with her answer. His knuckles slid down through her folds and she threw her head back as she moaned. “Weakness?”
“You…” she breathed.


Genevieve loses a bet she can’t afford to pay. In a compromise, she agrees to convince any man her opponent chooses to go home with her that night. What she doesn’t realize when her sister’s friend points out the brooding man sitting alone at the bar, is that man won’t be okay with just one night with her. No, Matteo Accardi, Don of one of the largest gangs in New York City doesn’t do one night stands. Not with her anyway.
A pack of their own

A pack of their own

1.8m Views · Completed · dragonsbain22
Being the middle Child ignored and neglected, rejected by family and injured, She receives her wolf early and realizes she is a new type of hybrid but doesn't know how to control her power, she leaves her pack with her best friend and grandmother to go to her grandfather's clan to learn what she is and how to handle her power and then with her fated mate, her best friend and her fated mate little brother and grandmother start their own pack.
Surrendering to Destiny

Surrendering to Destiny

705.5k Views · Completed · Allison Franklin
Catherine is not only a rogue half-breed, she is also the result of mate-bond infidelity, was abandoned as a baby and, to top it off, she can only shift during the full moon. When Catherine left the only pack she'd ever known in order to escape the new alpha, the last thing she expected was to find her mate... let alone for him to be the mouth-watering, heavily tattooed, lead warrior of the most feared lycan pack on the continent.

Graham MacTavish wasn't prepared to find his mate in the small town of Sterling that borders the Blackmoore Packlands. He certainly didn't expect her to be a rogue, half-breed who smelled of Alpha blood. With her multi-colored eyes, there was no stopping him from falling hard the moment their mate bond snapped into place. He would do anything to claim her, protect her and cherish her no matter the cost.

From vengeful ex-lovers, pack politics, species prejudice, hidden plots, magic, kidnapping, poisoning, rogue attacks, and a mountain of secrets including Catherine's true parentage there is no shortage of things trying to tear the two apart.

Despite the hardships, a burning desire and willingness to trust will help forge a strong bond between the two... but no bond is unbreakable. When the secrets kept close to heart are slowly revealed, will the two be able to weather the storm? Or will the gift bestowed upon Catherine by the moon goddess be too insurmountable to overcome?
Shattered Girl

Shattered Girl

842.5k Views · Completed · Brandi Rae
Jake's fingers danced across my nipples, squeezing gently and making me groan in pleasure. He lifted my shirt and stared at my hardened nipples through my bra. I tensed, and Jake sat up and moved back on the bed, giving me some space.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Was that too much?” I could see the worry in his eyes as I took a deep breath.

“I just didn’t want you to see all my scars,” I whispered, feeling ashamed of my marked body.


Emmy Nichols is used to surviving. She survived her abusive father for years until he beat her so severely, she ended up in the hospital, and her father was finally arrested. Now, Emmy is thrown into a life she never expected. Now she has a mother

who doesn't want her, a politically motivated stepfather with ties to the Irish mob, four older stepbrothers, and their best friend who swear to love and protect her. Then, one night, everything shatters, and Emmy feels her only option is to run.

When her stepbrothers and their best friend finally find her, will they pick up the pieces and convince Emmy that they will keep her safe and their love will hold them together?
After the Affair: Falling into a Billionaire's Arms

After the Affair: Falling into a Billionaire's Arms

1.3m Views · Ongoing · Louisa
[Dear readers, if you loved this book, be sure to read my new recommended read: Cheating Husband, Vengeful Me.]
From first crush to wedding vows, George Capulet and I had been inseparable. But in our seventh year of marriage, he began an affair with his secretary.

On my birthday, he took her on vacation. On our anniversary, he brought her to our home and made love to her in our bed...

Heartbroken, I tricked him into signing divorce papers.

George remained unconcerned, convinced I would never leave him.

His deceptions continued until the day the divorce was finalized. I threw the papers in his face: "George Capulet, from this moment on, get out of my life!"

Only then did panic flood his eyes as he begged me to stay.

When his calls bombarded my phone later that night, it wasn't me who answered, but my new boyfriend Julian.

"Don't you know," Julian chuckled into the receiver, "that a proper ex-boyfriend should be as quiet as the dead?"

George seethed through gritted teeth: "Put her on the phone!"

"I'm afraid that's impossible."

Julian dropped a gentle kiss on my sleeping form nestled against him. "She's exhausted. She just fell asleep."
The Lycan Prince’s Puppy

The Lycan Prince’s Puppy

3.1m Views · Ongoing · chavontheauthor
“You’re mine, little puppy,” Kylan growled against my neck.
“Soon enough, you’ll be begging for me. And when you do—I’ll use you as I see fit, and then I’ll reject you.”


When Violet Hastings begins her freshman year at Starlight Shifters Academy, she only wants two things—honor her mother’s legacy by becoming a skilled healer for her pack and get through the academy without anyone calling her a freak for her strange eye condition.

Things take a dramatic turn when she discovers that Kylan, the arrogant heir to the Lycan throne who has made her life miserable from the moment they met, is her mate.

Kylan, known for his cold personality and cruel ways, is far from thrilled. He refuses to accept Violet as his mate, yet he doesn’t want to reject her either. Instead, he sees her as his puppy, and is determined to make her life even more of a living hell.

As if dealing with Kylan’s torment isn’t enough, Violet begins to uncover secrets about her past that change everything she thought she knew. Where does she truly come from? What is the secret behind her eyes? And has her whole life been a lie?
Oops, Wrong Girl to Bully

Oops, Wrong Girl to Bully

233.2k Views · Completed · Xena Kessler
An original story by Xena Kessler
My back hit the desk. Pain exploded through my skull.
"Girls like you don't get to dream about guys like Kai." Bella's breath was hot on my face. "You don't get to write pathetic love letters."
She shoved me again. Harder.
"Maybe if you weren't such a desperate little—"
I fell. My head cracked against the corner.
Warmth trickled down my neck. Blood.
Their laughter turned to gasps.
The door slammed.
I tried to stand. Couldn't. The room was spinning, fading to black.
Someone... please...
Angelina, the most powerful Alpha who conquered forty-nine packs, dies in a yacht explosion—only to wake up as Aria Sterling, a fifteen-year-old Omega's daughter who just died from bullying.
The original Aria's life was a nightmare. Humiliated when golden boy Kai Matthews posted her love letter online, then shoved to death by his girlfriend Bella Morrison. But that's not all her family faces:
"You got until Monday," the tattooed gangster sneered at Aria's mother. "Ten grand cash. Or I'm taking collateral—your kids' organs fetch top dollar. That pretty daughter of yours? She could make us money another way too."
Now Angelina's lethal combat skills awaken in this fragile body. No more hiding. No more fear.
Armed with an Alpha's ruthlessness and a mysterious blood-red pendant, she'll dismantle everyone who hurt this family—one calculated move at a time.
Goddess Of The Underworld

Goddess Of The Underworld

622.7k Views · Completed · Sheridan Hartin
Left at a pack border with a name and a stubborn heartbeat, Envy grows into the sharpest kind of survivor, an orphaned warrior who knows how to hold a line and keep moving. Love isn’t in the plan…until four alpha wolves with playboy reputations and inconveniently soft hands decide the girl who won’t bow is the only queen they’ll ever take. Their mate. The one they have waited for. Xavier, Haiden, Levi, and Noah are gorgeous, lethal, and anything but perfect and Envy isn’t either. She’s changing. First into hell hound, Layah at her heels and fire in her veins. Then into what the realm has been waiting for, a Goddess of the Underworld, dragging her mates down to hell with her.

When the veil between the Divine, the Living, and the Dead begins to crack, Envy is thrust beneath with a job she can’t drop: keep the worlds from bleeding together, shepherd the lost, and make ordinary into armour, breakfasts, bedtime, battle plans. Peace lasts exactly one lullaby. This is the story of an orphan pup who became a goddess by choosing her family; of four imperfect alphas learning how to be better. Steamy, fierce, and full of heart, Goddess of the Underworld is a reverse harem, found-family paranormal romance where love writes the rules and keeps three realms from falling apart.
The Prison Project

The Prison Project

1m Views · Ongoing · Bethany Donaghy
The government's newest experiment in criminal rehabilitation - sending thousands of young women to live alongside some of the most dangerous men held behind bars...

Can love tame the untouchable? Or will it only fuel the fire and cause chaos amongst the inmates?

Fresh out of high school and suffocating in her dead-end hometown, Margot longs for her escape. Her reckless best friend, Cara, thinks she's found the perfect way out for them both - The Prisoner Project - a controversial program offering a life-changing sum of money in exchange for time spent with maximum-security inmates.

Without hesitation, Cara rushes to sign them up.

Their reward? A one-way ticket into the depths of a prison ruled by gang leaders, mob bosses, and men the guards wouldn't even dare to cross...

At the centre of it all, meets Coban Santorelli - a man colder than ice, darker than midnight, and as deadly as the fire that fuels his inner rage. He knows that the project may very well be his only ticket to freedom - his only ticket to revenge on the one who managed to lock him up and so he must prove that he can learn to love…

Will Margot be the lucky one chosen to help reform him?

Will Coban be capable of bringing something to the table other than just sex?

What starts off as denial may very well grow in to obsession which could then fester in to becoming true love…

A temperamental romance novel.