FORBIDDEN TRUTH

FORBIDDEN TRUTH

Sally Edwards · Completed · 248.8k Words

338
Hot
338
Views
0
Added
Add to Shelf
Start Reading
Share:facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsappreddit

Introduction

Samantha Dawson felt she could leave her errors behind, but one fateful night everything changed. Driven by a great urge to pay off her family's debt, she entered the arms of a stranger—a brief, explosive meeting that left her whirling. That evening, she never anticipated the outcome: a kid she has kept secret from the world and from him.
Four years fast forward: Samantha's meticulously repaired life is collapsing once more. She is presented with an unimaginable offer—a contract marriage with Adrian Blackwood, the mysterious millionaire with more influence than anybody should—as her son's safety is at stake and debts are closing in. The only issue is Adrian is unaware she already carries his most secret.
But Adrian also depends on her. He has to seem to have a flawless family if he is to land the commercial contract confirming his empire. Samantha is his response; he still doesn't know about the lethal shadows from her past threatening them both. Time is running out because of Adrian's own complex network of family treachery. Should he not get married soon, he runs the danger of losing control of his father's business to a merciless competitor with dark motives—someone already too near Samantha for comfort.
Neither of them understands how interwoven their fates have become as they descend further into this perilous dance. Secrets grow, passions blossom, and foes lie around every turn. Samantha has to choose, nevertheless, whether Adrian comes near to learning the truth about her son: should she tell everything or keep quiet while the walls of their precarious arrangement collapse?
And then a terrible revelation destroys their world, just as their well planned lives begin to fit.
Samantha has been hiding secrets other than the child as well

Chapter 1

Samantha

One evening never seemed like it could have changed my entire life. Here I am, nevertheless, staring at a face in front of the mirror that seems more haunted than it has ever looked. Four years ago, everything was different. I was distinct. I was hopeful. Dreaming was something I did. My future did not involve always on edge waiting for the next catastrophe to occur.

That predates his arrival into my life.

I let out a strong exhale, running a hand over my son's messy hair as he runs his toy truck on the floor next to me. Ethan: Every time I utter his name, my pulse speeds. My one lighthouse in the gloom, he is the one decent thing that emerged from that evening.

I once more check my reflection and see my hands shaking. I cannot focus on anything else since the call I got this morning still haunts me.

Samantha, we know you.

I had hung up right away, panic knotting my stomach. How would they have located me? I had done all in my ability to get off the radar and bury the past sufficiently deep that nobody would ever find it. Until lately, I felt I had succeeded.

I'm pulled from my ideas as the phone rings suddenly. My pulse leaps from my neck. Looking forward to the worst, I grab it from the counter. Rather, but, I can't identify this number. Not the same one from the past but still foreign.

"Hey?," I asked . My speech was wobbly, showing the underlying terror.

"Samantha Dawson??" One asks in a deep, authoritative voice.

I am hesitant. "Who else is asking?"

Adrian Blackwood here is the name.

I think my heart stops for a moment. Adrian Blackwood. Every business journal, every headline, every piece on billionaires who possess more influence than most people could possibly grasp—the name I have seen on every one of them. the man wielding iron fists over New York's corporate scene. The man I never, in a million years, could have ever imagined talking to.

Why is he giving me calls?

Trying to keep my voice calm, I apologize, Mr. Blackwood. "What can I do for you?”

There's a stop, and I practically hear him measuring me over the phone. At last, his tone was quiet and deliberate, "I have a proposition for you." "One that would be good for us both."

I grimace, uncertainty whirling around the residual terror from the previous call. "I do not understand...."

"I need a wife, Ms. Dawson," Adrian says, his sentences short and direct. And you have to be protected.

My pulse freezes in my throat. How is he aware of that? How informed is he about my needs?

My mind racing, I add gently, "I'm not sure what you mean."

"I know about your son," he adds, his voice exact and devoid of feeling. "I understand you run a hazard. For a charge, I can assist you.

My blood is chilly. He refers to Ethan. He is aware of the risk. But really knowledge of him? And from what perspective is he discussing prices?

"I am not sure what you are—"

"Don't play games with me, Samantha," he says, his voice hardening. "I can bring all of this under control. The debt, the dangers, the folks after you... You must, however, agree to my terms.

My heart thumping in my chest, I chew hard. I want nothing to be engaged in whatsoever this is. What decision, though, do I have? On my own, I cannot shield Ethan. I have been trying for years; it is only getting more difficult.

" What are your terms?" I ask softly; the words hardly come out of my mouth.

"I need a wife," he says, his voice as sharp and frigid as steel. "For appearances," Businesswise. It's only a makeshift arrangement; nothing more.

A marriage under contract. I have heard of events like this occurring in his universe—rich people negotiating with relationships like chips. I never imagined, though, I would be involved in one.

And what in turn do I get? Though I already know the response, I ask.

"Your son's personal security. Your own personal safety. Enough money to settle all of your debt as well.

My emotions are flying, my head whirling. I have not trusted him. Not even a second. On the other hand, the alternative is worse. Even terrible.

I say, my voice almost above a whisper, "I need time to think about it".

His final tone, he says, "You don't have time." "I'll forward the contract by the end of the day. You will sign it; we will proceed. Alternatively you can decline and gamble with the folks attending your event.

My gut starts to tighten itself. He is giving me no option. Like I was four years ago, I am caught. This time only, not just me. Ethan as well. And I cannot afford to choose poorly.

"I will... I say, my voice quivering as the weight of the choice slams down on me.

"Good," he responds just as if he expected nothing less. "We'll meet tomorrow to finish everything.”

And he hangs up, leaving me standing there staring at the phone in my palm while my heart thumps in my chest. What exactly did I agree to?

Adrian

My mind immediately turns to the next chore at hand as I toss my phone on the desk. Sam Dawson. I can feel her going to be a trouble. But I'm not free to deal with issues. I need this deal right now and will need it going forward. If I fail to confirm my stance, all my father created would be removed from me. His company is barely hanging.

Still, she has something about her. Something I find difficult to exactly identify. She agreed rather rapidly, which surprised me. Desperate people, then again, act in ways they never would have considered.

Still, her story goes beyond what first greets the eye. I can tell. Whichever it is, I'll find out. Nobody confides in me for very long.

Samantha

I got up the following morning with a stomach ache. Already here, mocking me on the kitchen table, the contract has arrived. As of yet, I haven opened it. The tiny print and the stipulations tying me to Adrian Blackwood for God knows how long bothers me.

I do not have any option, though.

Pulling the contract toward me, my hands shaking as I turn the pages, I sit down. And that's when I find it hidden in the legal jargon—a clause rendering my blood useless.

No secrets. None of them are lying. Ignoring any pertinent information may cause the contract to be immediately terminated under heavy financial penalties.

My heart is hammering, I fix my gaze on the words. He has no knowledge about Ethan. Not now. But should he learn...

That cannot be allowed to happen. I will mark the contract signed. I am going to wed Adrian Blackwood. I never let him discover the truth though.

Because if he does, everything I have worked so hard to defend will come toppled around me.

I knock at the door as I sign my name on the dotted line. My pulse sharpens and a sensation of gloom blankets me. I fix my gaze on the time. For Adrian, it is far too early. One could wonder who it could be.

My heart almost stops when I open the door.

One person I never would have dreamed I would see again is standing there grinning sinisterly.

"Hello, Samantha," he says with a poisoned tone.

And at that point I understand—my past is about to catch up with me in ways I never could have predicted.

Last Chapters

You Might Like 😍

Omega Bound

Omega Bound

1.2m 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
After the Affair: Falling into a Billionaire's Arms

After the Affair: Falling into a Billionaire's Arms

1.2m Views · Ongoing · Louisa
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."
Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother

Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother

1.5m Views · Ongoing · Harper Rivers
Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother.

"What is wrong with me?

Why does being near him make my skin feel too tight, like I’m wearing a sweater two sizes too small?

It’s just newness, I tell myself firmly.

He’s my boyfirend’s brother.

This is Tyler’s family.

I’m not going to let one cold stare undo that.

**

As a ballet dancer, My life looks perfect—scholarship, starring role, sweet boyfriend Tyler. Until Tyler shows his true colors and his older brother, Asher, comes home.

Asher is a Navy veteran with battle scars and zero patience. He calls me "princess" like it's an insult. I can't stand him.

When My ankle injury forces her to recover at the family lake house, I‘m stuck with both brothers. What starts as mutual hatred slowly turns into something forbidden.

I'm falling for my boyfriend's brother.

**

I hate girls like her.

Entitled.

Delicate.

And still—

Still.

The image of her standing in the doorway, clutching her cardigan tighter around her narrow shoulders, trying to smile through the awkwardness, won’t leave me.

Neither does the memory of Tyler. Leaving her here without a second thought.

I shouldn’t care.

I don’t care.

It’s not my problem if Tyler’s an idiot.

It’s not my business if some spoiled little princess has to walk home in the dark.

I’m not here to rescue anyone.

Especially not her.

Especially not someone like her.

She’s not my problem.

And I’ll make damn sure she never becomes one.

But when my eyes fell on her lips, I wanted her to be mine.
Accardi

Accardi

693k 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.
The Prison Project

The Prison Project

901.8k 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.
From Substitute To Queen

From Substitute To Queen

1.1m Views · Completed · Hannah Moore
For three years, Sable loved Alpha Darrell with everything she had, spending her salary to support their household while being called an orphan and gold-digger. But just as Darrell was about to mark her as his Luna, his ex-girlfriend returned, texting: "I'm not wearing underwear. My plane lands soon—pick me up and fuck me immediately."

Heartbroken, Sable discovered Darrell having sex with his ex in their bed, while secretly transferring hundreds of thousands to support that woman.

Even worse was overhearing Darrell laugh to his friends: "She's useful—obedient, doesn't cause trouble, handles housework, and I can fuck her whenever I need relief. She's basically a live-in maid with benefits." He made crude thrusting gestures, sending his friends into laughter.

In despair, Sable left, reclaimed her true identity, and married her childhood neighbor—Lycan King Caelan, nine years her senior and her fated mate. Now Darrell desperately tries to win her back. How will her revenge unfold?

From substitute to queen—her revenge has just begun!
Alpha Nicholas's Little Mate

Alpha Nicholas's Little Mate

498.7k 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?
Surrendering to Destiny

Surrendering to Destiny

593.4k 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?
The Human Among  Wolves

The Human Among Wolves

345.5k 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.
Invisible To Her Bully

Invisible To Her Bully

305.3k Views · Ongoing · sunsationaldee
Unlike her twin brother, Jackson, Jessa struggled with her weight and very few friends. Jackson was an athlete and the epitome of popularity, while Jessa felt invisible. Noah was the quintessential “It” guy at school—charismatic, well-liked, and undeniably handsome. To make matters worse, he was Jackson’s best friend and Jessa’s biggest bully. During their senior year, Jessa decides it was time for her to gain some self-confidence, find her true beauty and not be the invisible twin. As Jessa transformed, she begins to catch the eye of everyone around her, especially Noah. Noah, initially blinded by his perception of Jessa as merely Jackson’s sister, started to see her in a new light. How did she become the captivating woman invading his thoughts? When did she become the object of his fantasies? Join Jessa on her journey from being the class joke to a confident, desirable young woman, surprising even Noah as she reveals the incredible person she has always been inside.
King of the Underworld

King of the Underworld

114.1k Views · Completed · RJ Kane
In my life as a waitress, I, Sephie - an ordinary person - endured the icy glares and insults of customers while trying to earn a living. I believed that this would be my fate forever.

However, one fateful day, the King of the Underworld appeared before me and rescued me from the clutches of the most powerful Mafia boss's son. With his deep blue eyes fixed on mine, he spoke softly: "Sephie... short for Persephone... Queen of the Underworld. At last, I have found you." Confused by his words, I stammered out a question, “P..pardon? What does that mean?”

But he simply smiled at me and brushed my hair away from my face with gentle fingers: "You are safe now.”


Sephie, named for the Queen of the Underworld, Persephone, she's quickly finding out how she's destined to fulfill her namesake's role. Adrik is the King of the Underworld, the boss of all bosses in the city he runs.

She was a seemingly normal girl, with a normal job until it all changed one night when he walked through the front door and her life changed abruptly. Now, she finds herself on the wrong side of powerful men, but under the protection of the most powerful among them.
Shattered Girl

Shattered Girl

745.6k 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?