HEART DILEMMA

HEART DILEMMA

Popoola Omogbolahan · Ongoing · 53.5k Words

548
Hot
548
Views
102
Added
Add to Shelf
Start Reading
Share:facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsappreddit

Introduction

What happens when all hope of survival is lost after the death of a father and what you have to do to ensure you and your family’s survival is to work as a personal maid for an unstable billionaire who has a cruel family with dark secrets?
Meet Layla Vance – a 23 year old lady with a model figure who had to drop out of college after her father died or rather was murdered, leaving her mother who couldn’t provide the money for her and her brother’s school fees despite working multiple shifts at her job. Layla comes from a long line of witches, long forgotten and ancestral, the powers had skipped so many generations that they had even forgotten that there were ever witches in their ancestry, that’s is until the powers suddenly awakened in Layla thanks to a catalyst.
When things started getting even harder on her and her family, Layla had to drop out of college to allow her brother, Landon, finish schooling and she also had to look for a really good paying job and the best one she got was to become a personal maid to the famous model and TV star – Victor Lockwood.
Cue in Victor Lockwood, a superhot sexy billionaire model and actor. He is 26 years of age and looks so incredibly athletic and handsome, making him the most prominent bachelor in the city. Ladies trip for him everywhere he goes but he doesn’t really give a damn about them. He is a well known playboy because he wasn’t ready to stay committed thanks to a life changing incident where he got cursed and merged with a demon (a secret known only to the family). His family has been overly privileged from ages ago and still run the medieval castle system.

Chapter 1

Layla

I woke up slowly from my deep and dreamless sleep as the alarm rang out shrilly and loudly in my ears before it started to cough and skip as it was ringing, oh well, I had already gotten used to the “almost fully condemned alarm clock”. I actually just have to manage it since there is no money to get a replacement, and even if there was money right now, an alarm clock is not the next thing on my list of items and other needs to procure.

I checked the feebly glowing red lit time and it was showing 7:20am, “What?!” I managed to say with my hoarse morning voice then I jumped up immediately, my mind fully alert and devoid of all drowsiness. ‘OhMaGawd I’m going to be late for my interview that’s suppose to start by eight’ my mind echoed. Thanks to my deep sleep, I had totally missed the first two times the alarm rang; 7:00am and 7:10am, that was the interval at which I set my alarms, another will ring by 7:30am and that will be the last for the day.

I rushed into the bathroom and did my morning routine with the speed of light, (or at least I thought and wished I was that fast). My mind kept ringing out warnings on being late so I had to be fast about it all because time wasn’t really on my side anymore, ‘Damn, how had I managed to sleep in, on a day like this no less’ my thoughts chided me.

After bathing and cleansing as well as I could manage in such a hurried mode, I came out of the bathroom with my hair dripping wet as was my entire body then I wiped the water off my hair and body with my general purpose towel.

I sparsely applied my dwindling body lotion and put on what I believed to be my best formal clothes; ones fit for an interview in a prestigious organization. Well, since my dad died two years ago, I haven’t gotten any new clothes because we barely get to eat in the house not to talk of being able to buy new clothes. But, no time to dwell on that yet though, soon, I was done with everything that I had to do with the cleaning and dressing routine so I took my phone and left my room in the shambles that it was, Mom might probably come and arrange it, I really hope not though, there were things... I ran down the stairs thudding up the whole house and I met my Mom setting the dinning for breakfast. I checked the time on my beat up wristwatch and it was still just 7:37am (hmmm maybe I am indeed as fast as light uhn, or at least as fast as sound, probably not though). I decided to spend a few minutes with my family before leaving, (yeah, call me sentimental, but I love my family, as little as we are, we are all we’ve got)

“Good morning mom” I said as I got to the dinning room walking around her to give her a peck on her cheek, she had probably expected my brother because of the running and thudding, I felt she was a bit surprised from her chuckle.

“Morning baby, how was your night’s rest? I gather you slept soundly” she asked and I felt another surge of amazement from her, this time in her tone, she was probably surprised I had slept in, ‘well join the club Mom’ came my thoughts.

“It was fine mom, a bit longer or should I say shorter” I said and quickly assisted her in fully setting up the table, not that there was much to do actually, and all the while I was looking around but I couldn’t find Landon, my brother.

“Isn’t Landon awake yet?” I had to ask, he was well known for sleeping in but then it was a school morning so he should have been up by now.

“Oh well, You know your brother Layla” Mom said simply and finished dishing out everyone’s portion including the still absent Landon.

“Yeah, I know him to be a lazy mouse” I said with a humorous chuckle while dragging my plate closer to me without sitting on the chair and I dug right into the warm waffles.

“Hey Lay, I heard that” I heard Landon’s voice as he walked into the dinning already dressed up for school. ‘Hmm what a surprising day today was turning out to be, suddenly the roles of sleeping in and waking early was reversed between my brother and I.

“C’mon Lan, aren’t you a lazy mouse? Mind the word mouse though, means you’re cute even though you’re lazy” I said smiling with a mouthful of food.

“Arrrggghhh” he groaned and rolled his eyes, all through a mouth stuffed with waffles as well and we all laughed while Mom kept warning us not to talk and laugh with our mouths full.

I checked the time again and it was 7:49am already, 'damn' I got up ready to leave. “I’ll start going for the interview now Mom, I’m running super late already as it is” I said to Mom and winked at Landon. “Oh My Goodness! I actually forgot that today is the interview, aww, good luck to you baby” Mom said and blew a kiss at me which I grabbed imaginarily and slapped on my cheek.

“Yeah mom, thanks. Do take care of yourself before I get back and no overstressing at work, oh and Landon, try to be a good boy at school ok?” I said to them almost out of the house.

“And where is the fun in that” he replied me snidely, getting a laugh from Mom.

“Alright guys bye” I said and left the house then sprinted to the road to board a cab to the Lockwood's mansion.

**

My name is Layla Vance, I’m 22 years of age and a beautiful lady by all standards, I have a well framed model figure, averagely tall, not too straight and not too curvy, Mom jokes that I brought out all her past and future glory, hence why she now looks like my grandmother rather than my mom, which is not true, she is still every bit of the very beautiful woman she was at her prime, I believe it’s the poverty that is dampening all that. Well yeah I’m very beautiful, a bit dampened by the same poverty though, but every bit of me screams beauty.

I have the facial beauty in abundance too, aided by my startling blue eyes which really contrasted with my fiery red hair, Yeah, I’m one of the few to ever have that combo, but, I get too many weird looks for it and many unpleasant whispers so I resorted to dyeing my hair always, either to blonde or brunette like every other normal person, I do it to also look like everyone else in my family, I can’t be the only one having red hair when everyone else had dark hair, even my dad, God rest his soul.

Yeah my dad is dead actually. He was murdered in cold blood two years ago when I was just in my second year in college. I had to drop out of school because there was no money to further my education, a real bummer situation because I loved to study, yeah believe it, I am brilliant and I may or may not like to flaunt that, but I really love to study and show off just how much I’ve learnt.

The people my dad worked with mercilessly took everything that belonged to us except our house, some basic indoor properties and our clothing, but the cars and the bank accounts were all taken. Before we could get back on our feet, we had to start selling some of our remaining properties to get money just to get by and take care of ourselves.

I vowed to root out whoever they are, that had an hand in my dad’s death and I’ll make sure they pay dearly for murdering my dad. I really don’t know how to go by it, it’s been two years now and I don’t even know the first thing to do, but I won’t relent and I’ll never give up on that dream.

Oh well that is enough about me for now…

The cab stopped in front of the Lockwood’s massive mansion, I’ve come here to try to secure a job as a personal maid. The Lockwoods are probably the most wealthiest and most powerful people here in New Mexico.

You don’t mess with people like them and go scot free. They control the capital city of Santa Fe with their wealth, to the public they are fearsome but very kind and generous, they have done so much for the state as a whole while not holding any political posts, they only support and from their support, they enact changes. Personally though, I think they are crooks that run the state through where they send their money, their so called “support” is just another word for blackmail and imposition. If I had the choice, I wouldn’t have dared step in here for an office job not to even talk of a job as a personal maid, I mean who uses maids and helps in this current age that we are, I view the place as a slave dungeon where they’ll hold something over you so you’ll keep on working for them till death.

Ordinarily I wouldn’t have actually had the chance to come for this job interview because they shared an exclusive ticket of the job offer to very few connected and privileged people, obviously I wasn’t any of the two, I didn’t have the connection or the privilege needed to get one but what I had was luck because on my way home two days ago, I saw one of the ticket fly out of a very fast moving car and land on the floor, I only realized it was “the ticket” after I picked it up though cos I initially thought it was money, imagine my joy at getting such a jackpot winning, this was definitely worth more than any amount of cash that could drop to the ground. I had also thought of selling the ticket to the highest bidder, but then the interview was in just two days and besides, doing that might call unwanted attention to myself and the ticket, so I decided to try out my luck with the interview itself.

Skip to the present, I came down from the cab after settling the cab man. I had to walk a short while before getting to the main gate. I was beginning to wonder just how long the place stretched. It was almost the size of a whole estate, I guess it actually is an estate though albeit a small one.

I expected an outpost of sorts where there’ll be guards to check incoming people and vehicles, but there was nothing of the sort, just a tech gismo beside the walls of the gate and I could see it had a camera and a button to ring, it was positioned such that people in cars wouldn’t need to get down before they could ring it, right beside the road. I shrugged and rang the but I got no reply, after I waited for a few seconds, precious seconds without an answer, I rang it again and again but still no one answered and no one came out to me. I rang the bell multiple times, urgency of the interview which I was already late for didn’t let me think straight at that point, ‘Gosh I’m feeling really exhausted already' came my thoughts without having actually done anything, I couldn’t help but wonder why they didn’t answer though, was there something wrong? Or is this just their way of saying I’m trash and I’m not worth responding to?

I started to look for a place to sit, trash or not I wasn’t about to let this opportunity just skip by me, and it definitely wouldn’t be because I gave up, but then, the gate was opened, revealing some men dressed like waiters at an occasion for very rich people, their beefiness was what told me they were actually guards, bodyguards, security, call them what you will but it was obvious these weren’t the kind you joke with so I swallowed the comment I had on my tongue about treating a potential coworker unfavorably, little did I know what trouble I was actually in.

Last Chapters

You Might Like 😍

From Substitute To Queen

From Substitute To Queen

1.6m 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!
The Unwritten Princess

The Unwritten Princess

2k Views · Ongoing · Manda Grey
I was born the year the Rift opened. They said I would close it. They were wrong about so many things.

My name is Mia, and everything I touch is dying.

The flowers beneath my mother's window turned black overnight. The herbs I gathered at dawn rotted in my hands. When the court wizard finally told me the truth—that someone cursed me, that my presence would kill everyone I love—I realized the prophecy everyone believed was never meant to save the kingdom. It was meant to destroy me.

So I ran. Not to fulfill some destiny, but to survive it.

Now I'm traveling with a hunter who lost his companions to the same curse I carry, chasing fragments of a prophecy the Fae sing differently. An elf took a baby from the palace the night I was born. And somewhere between the lies I've been told and the truth I'm hunting, I'm starting to suspect: What if I'm not the princess from the prophecy at all?
The Game of Claiming

The Game of Claiming

12.7k Views · Completed · Billie Patsy
When Lila Moreno stepped into the Romano mansion, she didn’t expect to be caught in the middle of a silent war. The four infamous Romano brothers rule the city’s underworld with blood and money—yet the moment they see her, their power turns personal.
A drunken bet becomes their private game: win the maid.
The rules?
Don’t let the others know you’re falling for her.
And never, ever let her leave.
But each brother plays differently—
The eldest buys her obedience.
The second steals her breath.
The third corners her in the dark.
The youngest ruins anyone who touches her.
Lila isn’t sure if she’s a player in their game… or the prize they’ll destroy each other to claim
The Shattered Moon King

The Shattered Moon King

1.5k Views · Ongoing · Hannah Kalu
In a world shattered by monsters, the only thing more dangerous than a lost memory is a forgotten identity.
Lena is a survivor. For years, she has weathered the harsh, post-apocalyptic landscape by following one rule: trust no one. But when she finds an amnesiac man near death in the wilderness—a man with kind eyes and a strength that is anything but human—she makes a choice that will unravel her solitary existence.
She calls him Cain, but the shattered-moon tattoo on his back brands him as Kaelen, the long-dead Alpha of the powerful Sky-Fall pack. His return triggers a brutal civil war with the usurper who stole his throne and his fated mate. Hunted by Lycan assassins and a fanatical human commander desperate for the secrets locked in Lena's own past, their only hope lies in embracing the very power Kaelen can't remember and Lena has always feared.
As they uncover a conspiracy that threatens not just the pack, but the future of every living thing, Kaelen must fight for a kingdom he doesn't know and Lena must confront a legacy she tried to bury. In a world of broken thrones and fated bonds, they will discover that the greatest choice is not between love and duty, but between who you are told you must be, and who you choose to become.
The CEO's Unspoken Love

The CEO's Unspoken Love

197k Views · Completed · Lily Bronte
"You want my forgiveness?" he asked, my voice dropping to a dangerous timbre.

Before I could answer, he moved closer, suddenly looming over me, his face inches from mine. I felt my breath caught, my lips parting in surprise.

"Then this is the price for speaking ill of me to others," he murmured, nipping my lower lip before claiming my mouth in a real kiss. It began as punishment but quickly transformed into something else entirely as I responded, my initial rigidity melting into compliance, then active participation.

My breathing accelerated, small sounds escaping my throat as he explored my body. His touches were both punishment and pleasure, drawing shudders from me that I thought he felt reverberating through his own body.

My nightgown had ridden up, his hands discovering more of mine with each caress. We were both lost in sensation, rational thought receding with each passing second...

Three years ago, to fulfill the wish of his grandmother, I was forced to marry Derek Wells, the second son of the family that had adopted me for ten years. He didn't love me, but I had secretly loved him all along.

Now, the three-year contractual marriage is about to end, but I feel that some kind of sentiment has developed between Derek and me that neither of us is willing to admit. I'm not sure if my feelings are right, but I know that we can't resist each other physically...
To protect what’s mine

To protect what’s mine

523.9k Views · Completed · Winter Rowe
Amalie is more special than she ever thought possible. Why would the twenty-two-year-old think any different after she has been told she’s nothing for her whole life by her family? Adoptive mother of a three-year-old, Ama has been locked up by her family for the past seven years. But everything changes when her old friends, the Alpha twins, Markus and Calyx, take over the Moonstone pack. Finding out that the twins are her mates, she is a white wolf, and has a connection to the Moon Goddess, is just icing on the cake of her life is a huge mess. Ama just wants a normal life with her mates and protecting her pup, but life rarely gives us what we want. She is thrust into world that she no longer remembers and has forgotten her. Amalie is charged with protecting those closest to her. But she has her own past to overcome as she heals and attempts to move forward. Will she come out alive or lose herself along the way? After all, someone has to be pulling the strings, why not pull her along for the ride?
Glimmerdrop: The Crownwake Series

Glimmerdrop: The Crownwake Series

2k Views · Ongoing · Rafaella Dutra
"Tell me you don't feel this... Just say the word, and I'll walk away."
"This is your last chance to push me away."


At the fiercely hierarchical Haldorian Academy, magic-less commoner Hettie just wants to remain invisible. But Zadok, the academy's most untouchable elite, backs her into a corner she can't escape.
His fatal obsession sparks ruthless revenge: Dana, a high-tier wind mystic, turns paper into deadly blades during combat class, nearly blinding and disfiguring Hettie in a bloody attack .
The massive class divide and brutal bullying force Hettie to draw a line, demanding their romance be kept strictly underground .

That forever unattainable golden boy pinned her against the tree trunk, his scalding and aggressive kiss accompanied by a hopeless surrender: "You're going to be my doom ."

Worse still, Hettie discovers her parents’ dark secrets are dragging her into a deadly conspiracy of betrayal . Survival clashes with forbidden desire. In this deadly, cross-class temptation, whoever gives in first is doomed!
From Sacrificed Slave to the Dragon King's Obsession

From Sacrificed Slave to the Dragon King's Obsession

2.4k Views · Completed · Ellis Carter
"Ten years of atonement, and you flee?"

His fangs glinted as he gripped my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. Dragon scales shimmered along his neck, breath scorching my skin.

"Your Majesty... I beg—" He shoved me onto the bed. Silk tore with a sharp rip, cold air rushing over my exposed body.

"Scared?" He smirked, palm sliding down my waist, fingers tracing slow, burning circles. "Yet you shiver... not from cold."

I lunged for the candlestick, but he caught my wrist, pinning it overhead. His knee forced my legs apart.

"When your father gave you to me," his lips brushed my ear, voice a dark rumble, "you were already mine."

On the eve of freedom after ten years of servitude, Lina Valeria stood one night away from reuniting with her betrothed. But Dragon King Augustus condemned her to the Abyss Mines on false charges—a trap forged from obsessive desire.

Augustus Ashenwing, Supreme Sovereign of Skyhold Citadel, is ruthless and feared by all races. His obsession stems from ancient grudges and dragonkind's most dangerous instinct: possessive desire. He demands her submission, binding her to his throne as his consort.

From prisoner to queen, Lina battles him through court intrigue and twisted passion—fighting for her mother, her freedom, her dignity.

Yet this cold-blooded tyrant reserves all tenderness for her alone. He indulges her temper, bends his pride, compromises without limit—anything to see her smile. Gradually, her heart wavers. But loving him means betraying Kain, who waited eleven years. Torn between duty and desire, she drowns in agonizing guilt.

Love and hatred intertwined—a forbidden dragon romance in a realm of oppression.
The Hunter and The Hunted

The Hunter and The Hunted

5.1k Views · Ongoing · Sashalouise Prior
My skin heats with each thrust of his fingers, and each forceful lap of his tongue, and i cannot stop the moans of pleasure tearing through my slackened jaw. My hand is wrapped in his hair, giving the impression that I have control, but I don’t. I control nothing, and I like it.
Mihai’s hand slowly slides up my stomach, his fingers wrapping around my neck as he cuts of my ability to breathe, black spots clouding my vision, and yet, I am not afraid. I want more. I want everything that he can give to me.
He slowly inserts a third finger, the intense fullness that I feel teetering me over the edge of a cliff I cannot even see, and then he sucks and pulls at my clit. Sparks erupt throughout my body, the orgasm shaking my soul, and destroying what was left of my resistance.


She was the Daughter of a Hunter, he was one of the creatures that her family had sworn to destroy, what could possibly go wrong?
When their worlds collide, who will be left standing, will it be the hunter or the hunted, and which is which?
Alpha VS Omega' Twin VS Twin (A Dark Werewolf Romance)

Alpha VS Omega' Twin VS Twin (A Dark Werewolf Romance)

1k Views · Ongoing · June Calva
Callum Brennan was born to lead London's most powerful werewolf pack. Then his twin brother framed him for murder.
Stripped of everything, Callum is thrown into the Rookeries, where packless wolves go to die. But he survives. He builds a pack from the broken and the damned. He falls in love with Valentina, a dhampir hunted by the same vampire Parliament that destroyed his life.
In a city ruled by immortal aristocrats and controlled by ancient dragons, Callum learns the hardest truth: individual virtue cannot defeat systemic evil. But small victories matter. And some fights are worth losing everything
Lightborn: The Demon’s Bond

Lightborn: The Demon’s Bond

5.1k Views · Completed · ngocvynguyen985
Valerie accidentally forms a bond with Maxwell, a light demon, and begins seeing the dangerous supernatural world hidden around her. As the two constantly bicker yet protect each other, Valerie gradually discovers her own light-based powers and confronts many dark forces, including a serial kidnapper, the dark demon Zane, and other malevolent entities. Maxwell, haunted by the death of his former lover Juliana, repeatedly tries to distance himself from Valerie to keep her safe, causing both of them pain. Yet every time Valerie is in danger, Maxwell returns to save her, and their feelings grow deeper. The climax comes when they face Mason, a fire demon who hunts human–demon couples; Valerie risks her life in battle while Maxwell nearly collapses from exhaustion. In the end, Mason is destroyed, the threats fade away, and Valerie and Maxwell can finally stay together in peace.
The Alpha's Stripper Mate

The Alpha's Stripper Mate

53.2k Views · Completed · Havilworth
"Come here."
"What?" It was out of my mouth before I could stop it. I did not wait for him to answer me, I walked toward him.
"Dance on my lap."
My head screamed at me to turn around and run. But my whole body responded to his command.
"Yes, Alpha," I pulled my dress over my body, it dropped over my head and fell to the ground behind me. I was left in nothing but my matching bra and thong. My hands covered my chest on reflex.
"Let me see."
My hands dropped to my sides.
I lowered myself into his lap, facing him. His eyes peered into mine, and I could feel his hot breath fan my face. His dick responded to all my moves, hardening against my now-moist vagina. I swallowed hard, allowing my lips to part in a ragged breath. His hands trailed up to my waist.
"No touching."


At the tender age of eleven, JoJo Wyatt was forced to grow up far sooner than she should have. Born to a cruel father and a weak mother, she quickly realized she had to become the breadwinner for herself and her sister. Nothing else mattered to her, not even the hottest men. In fact, she despised them. After one horrific night, she swore never to have any contact with the male species again. That was, until she started working for him as his stripper.
Meanwhile, Alpha Lake Rush, thirty, was the most feared Alpha in the country. Burdened by his own share of life's struggles, he had learned only to be cruel and reckless, rejecting not one but two mates. But what happens when he discovers yet another mate, and she turns out to be his stripper?