In a world of power and privilege, love is the ultimate rebellion."
In a society where arranged marriages dictate destiny, love is a dangerous game.
Aiden Baldwin has always honored his family's legacy, bound by duty and expectations-until Karlie Co...
Everything is never always what it seems" unknown-
Everyone was busy preparing for the ball.
Anthony adjusted his cufflinks absentmindedly, lost in thought. Over the past few weeks, he had surprised himself—he was growing closer to his father. It was unexpected. Their relationship had always been distant, built more on obligation than affection.
His parents had always provided for him in the material sense—lavish gifts, a prestigious education, a name that carried weight—but love? That had been absent. They were always traveling, hopping from one business trip to another, their marriage nothing more than a carefully maintained façade.
His father's extramarital affairs had driven a wedge between them years ago, and though they remained together, Anthony had long known the truth. They weren't really in love.
Maybe that's why I turned out the way I did.
He exhaled, shaking his head. His father had taught him, indirectly, that relationships were transactional. That men took what they wanted and discarded the rest. And for most of his life, he had followed that path without question.
At just twenty-four, he had been with more women than he could count. He had cultivated a reputation—one that kept people at arm's length, made them too wary to ask the questions he didn't want to answer.
But all of that changed when he had his son, Carter.
He stared out the window, his jaw tightening. He had made his decision. He would not fail his son the way his parents had failed him.
He was going to be a good father. A present father.
And he would be a good husband. He wouldn't lie, cheat, or become the kind of man his father was.
But Karlie didn't know about Carter yet.
Anthony ran a hand down his face, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. He didn't want to start his life with her based on lies, nor did he want her to find out from someone else.
How do I even bring it up?
That was a problem for another day.
For now, he had business to attend to in town. He was traveling overseas tomorrow to spend time with his son, and he needed to make sure everything was in order before he left.
With one last glance at himself in the mirror, he grabbed his coat and headed out.
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Karlie's POV:
"Be your own kind of beautiful live for the moments you can't put into words".
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