Andrea had nothing else in the world except for her daughter. Literally, nothing else. Betrayed and abandoned by her husband, her life was a daily struggle to survive and earn money to feed her baby. However, everything changes when she meets the owner of the company where she works. Zack Keller was the kind of man who could only be described as a hurricane, arriving hot and wild and sweeping everything in his path. At thirty-two, he was a magnate in the sports industry, owning one of the largest representation agencies in America. Yet, his perfect world came crashing down after discovering on the same day that his girlfriend was pregnant and had purposely lost their baby. Unfortunately, Zack had already shared the good news with his sick father, so it was something he couldn't take back. When he must return to the Swiss Alps to spend Christmas with his family, his life becomes a desperate race against time to find a "fake" family. "Urgent Notice: Magnate Rents Family for Christmas." What Zack doesn't imagine is that he will find help in a woman going through the hardest time of her life and still refusing to give up on her little baby. A Christmas journey. A wounded man. A distrustful woman. A five-month-old princess. How long can you fake love before it starts to become real?
Leer másCHAPTER 916. RULE #1. A Special ProposalLeon leaned forward on the couch, setting his coffee cup aside as Mariel’s mischievous smile made him instinctively go on high alert. He looked at her with a mix of curiosity and caution, narrowing his eyes.“A proposal? That sounds dangerous. What are you up to now?”Mariel sat beside him, crossing her legs with a serious expression that didn’t quite match the playful spark in her eyes.“I want you to teach me.”Leon frowned, clearly confused.“Teach you? Teach you what?”Mariel leaned in close, whispering in his ear with a deliberately sultry tone.“Everything you know…”“Oh, Jesus!” Leon jumped up as if a bug had just flown into his ear, shaking his head. “Everything?! How can you even ask that?!”Mariel pouted and stood up after him.“What’s so wrong about it? If anyone can teach me how to be interesting, it’s you. How to be bold, sexy, and all that. I want to learn how to drive like you, ride horses like you, even handle a motorcycle! And
CHAPTER 915. RULE #1. The Man of Her DreamsSeeing her clench her fists, so small and scrunched up, with those little tears of frustration and emotion streaming down her cheeks, made Leon’s knees go weak. Of course, it was obvious she had hormones, but hearing her declare that she had a clitoris like a grown, sensual woman… Well, that was a little more than he could process all at once."Whoa, whoa, whoa…!" Leon pulled Mariel close and wrapped his arms around her, gently stroking her hair while she snuggled against his chest. "What a dramatic girl! You’re on your period, aren’t you?" he asked, his tone soft but curious.Mariel lifted her head, frowning slightly and pouting."What? Nooooo! I still have two weeks to go."Leon raised an eyebrow, a playful smile on his lips."That’s even worse! You’re ovulating!"Mariel huffed, both sad and annoyed."And what does that have to do with anything?""Everything." Leon tightened his hug, his grin mischievous. "That means you’re climbing the Dr
CHAPTER 914. RULE #1. A Little Fairy with HormonesLeon’s eyes widened as if he were watching a horror movie no one had warned him about. The fact that Mariel was letting those words get to her, making her feel insecure, made his blood boil in an instant.“Baby, listen,” he said, trying to keep his cool because it wouldn’t be right for the future count to cause a scene. “Verena is an idiot! She has no idea what she’s talking about!”Mariel looked up, but her eyes only showed a mix of surprise and exhaustion.“You’re just saying that because you’re nice, Leon.” She sighed sadly.“No, I mean it! You’re a really beautiful woman!”“No, I’m not beautiful, I’m just… cute!”Leon frowned, offended on her behalf.“Cute? Come on, Mariel! Have you looked in a mirror? You’re so much more than that. You’re gorgeous, sexy…”“Oh, please! If I were all that, he would’ve looked at me at least once! Maybe he would’ve noticed I exist! Even just a little.”Leon felt something tighten inside him. Who the
CHAPTER 913. RULE #1. What Was I Thinking?That kiss was only meant to be playful, but for Leon, in just a second, it had turned into an unbearable curiosity, as if some invisible force was pushing him to go further. Mariel’s lips were sweet and teasing, and the future count couldn’t help but lose himself completely.He had kissed many women in his life, but this… kissing Mariel was simply something else. His tongue slipped into that small mouth that opened for him, and for the first time in his life, the floral tea’s aftertaste was delicious.He felt Mariel’s soft fingers tangling in his hair, pulling urgently, as if this was real, as if…Leon wrapped her in a possessive embrace and pulled her even closer, nearly lifting one of her legs onto his hip and touching her like they didn’t have an audience—until a low growl escaped his throat, and he heard a soft moan come from his wife’s lips.The magic of the moment shattered when they both opened their eyes at the same time, pulling away
CHAPTER 912. RULE #1.: A Not-So-Romantic ManThe laughter that had erupted in the parlor after Leon's wife's "innocent" remark reached new heights as Verena's face turned an even deeper shade of red.It was obvious the comment had hit home, especially since she was sure Countess Freda had invited her to showcase an elegance that would outshine Leon's wife. Instead, Mariel had dethroned her in less than two minutes and was now the center of attention.And Mariel, holding a delicate teacup, looked completely in control, though she knew the atmosphere was about to turn even tenser. Verena practically oozed venom, and when she leaned forward, her smile didn’t reach her eyes.“Well, I, for one, am sure this whole thing is just an act,” she spat, her voice shrill and unpleasant.“Excuse me?” Mariel raised a curious eyebrow while the other women around them fell into an awkward silence.“You heard me. I’m convinced that everything between you and Leon is completely fake. After all, he’s alwa
CHAPTER 911. RULE #1. TrainingIt almost goes without saying that dinner was a complete success. The guests wouldn’t stop praising Mariel, congratulating her on being such a remarkable hostess and assuring her that she would make an excellent countess. Even the earl, always reserved, regarded her with a bit more trust.The only one who kept her expression impassive was Freda, though she couldn’t completely hide her frustration."Mariel, dear," said the Duchess of Briand as she bid her farewell, "I can’t wait to see what you’ll do with your new position. This house clearly needs a fresh touch.""Oh, don’t worry, Your Grace!" Mariel replied with a charming smile. "I have plenty of ideas in mind."When the last couple walked out of the castle doors, Mariel collapsed onto a chair in the main hall, exhausted but satisfied. Leon sat beside her, crossing his arms with a mix of pride and slight exasperation."Can I ask you something?" he said, leaning toward her."Of course, always," Mariel a
CHAPTER 910. RULE #1. A Country Girl.Mariel was finishing getting ready in front of the mirror when Leon entered the room. He stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of her in that light silk dress that hugged her curves in a... breathtaking way. Her hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, and her makeup was subtle enough to highlight her natural beauty."Shit, you’re gorgeous," Leon murmured, his smile a mix of admiration and surprise.Mariel turned around, raising an eyebrow with mock modesty."You think so? I barely even tried."Leon cleared his throat and stepped closer, holding a small black velvet box in his hand. He had never really paid attention to her in that way because he knew he shouldn’t, but sometimes Mariel seemed to bloom out of nowhere, unexpectedly, like in that moment."Well, this should do you justice, but I hope you like it."Mariel opened the box, and her eyes lit up at the sight of the delicate necklace: a fine white gold chain with a tiny fairy pendant, a
CHAPTER 909. RULE #1 The Brotherhood of the Tight-FistedLeon had to turn around, take a deep breath, and run out of there, because even with Mariel’s sweetness, he believed she was perfectly capable of throwing some bills at him to make him dance. So, he went to pay an obscene amount of money, then took her out to eat, and by nighttime, their return to the castle was triumphant.Mariel was loaded with bags—it was her personal parade, after all—one that crossed the main hall just so the countess could see it properly.Lady Freda shot her a look that could have frozen hell itself, and Mariel stopped right in front of the door, displaying her purchases."Good evening, dear mother-in-law," she said with an angelic smile, and Freda’s teacup trembled slightly on its saucer."What is the meaning of this?" the countess demanded, rising from her chair with exasperating dignity. "How dare you make my son waste his money on such… frivolities?!"Mariel blinked, feigning surprise."Frivolities?"
CHAPTER 908. RULE #1. Pretty Woman"What…?! I never said such a thing!" Freda exclaimed, clearly scandalized by her daughter-in-law’s words."Oh, don’t worry, mother-in-law! The truth is the truth, and Leon can handle it!" Mariel replied in that almost childlike voice that sent Freda over the edge. "You said, and I quote: ‘You don’t even dress as a future countess should. You have no elegant clothing, and you dress inappropriately…’"The countess’s eyes widened in horror, especially as her son turned to her with a reproachful look."Mother, did you really say that?" Leon growled in disappointment—though, to be honest, he wasn’t surprised."No, of course not…! I mean, I just meant to say…""Don’t worry, mother-in-law, don’t worry," Mariel said with a sweet smile. "Tomorrow, Leon will go buy me the proper clothes so you won’t have to scold me again! And the fancy kind, darling! With brand tags and all that!" she declared, making Leon pout as his mother fanned herself with a napkin, on t