

The Belle Behind The Mask
Tomisin Ayoade · Ongoing · 40.7k Words
Introduction
But when she meets a mysterious stranger at the ball, little does she know that he's actually her boss.
Despite recognizing Alexander's face behind the mask, Diana succumbs to their mutual attraction and shares a steamy night with him.
As their desire for each other grows stronger, Diana discovers that she's pregnant and decides to resign from her job.
However, fate has other plans for them. In order to save Alexander's reputation from a media scandal, they must enter into a forced marriage with a lucrative annulment deal.
But can their passion survive the constraints of a contractual relationship, especially when dark secrets from their past threaten to tear them apart?
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
DIANA THORTON
"Fuck, fuck fuck!" I cursed as I raced through the crowd in my trusty sneakers with a handful of items in different shopping bags and coffee in the other- to get my boss's watch from the repair shop. I'd almost forgotten about Mr stick up his butt's overly expensive wristwatch. Hell hath no fury as a livid Alexander Stone should in case I show up without that watch.
"I am so sorry" I apologized after nearly colliding my coffee with a tourist. How did I know? Hat, shorts, sunglasses, a sling bag, and a map in hand- typical attributes of a tourist.
Pushing my glasses up by its bridge; a bad habit, I needed to get that stupid yet pricy enough to pay my salary for nearly a year wristwatch and then high tail it back to the office to finish up other looming tasks.
With my thighs rubbing against each other much to my chagrin as I raced on, beads of sweat forming a small pool and were now dripping down my face, damp armpits, and even my grey-rimmed glasses fogging up as a result of the heat emitting from my body, I knew without seeing my reflection that I looked a mess.
I silently cursed Alexander for making me go through this. I'd taken the job not entirely knowing what it entailed.
Amanda, the previous assistant didn't mention that the role required being at the beck and call of the CEO- maybe she did but it definitely did not include this.
She did list a few errands but did not include, gift shopping for his numerous easy lay arm candies, picking up laundry, treading up and down steep hills just to get his favorite coffee, and the ridiculous likes- or maybe she did, and I wasn't listening. The whole orientation process was a blur because I couldn't pinch myself out of what I thought was still a dream:La Belle freaking hiring me!
What a hidden epiphany I've come to unravel. They needed somebody to clean up his dirty laundry and who better than a girl who didn't go to the university?
Over time, I had concluded that Executive assistants are just as much as slaves and all that I could do was rant and curse to myself, not forgetting to hail my shitty luck.
I'd accepted the job even though I knew next to nothing about being a secretary or Assistant and had to binge the entire season of What's wrong with Assistant Nicki to know the basics. And no, in my case, I won't be working as an assistant for 9 years.
I also hoped that with time, they will come to realize my potential and allow me to work in the product development department- one I had applied for a few times and got rejected. The reason was 'underqualified', which was true. I'd ditched college to go to a vocational beauty school instead, and while I thought it should be enough to kick-start my career in the beauty industry, it looks like society's standard of obtaining a degree will never go extinct.
I needed to show my skills and working directly under the nose of the CEO didn't seem like a bad idea at that time for someone as desperate as I was but, out of all the bosses in the world, it had to be a stuck-up one.
Six months working in La Belle Beauty and now, I know him to the tooth. He is stuck up, intimidating, cold, self-absorbed, lacked self-awareness, and most importantly, didn't care how his actions impacted others. It's his way or the highway.
I joined the short queue of people waiting to get on the bus and finally sunk on a chair to collect myself, wipe the sweat off my face and enjoy the twenty minutes ride.
I quickly scanned through WhatsApp and my text messages while mentally praying that Alexander didn't leave me another errand. I heaved a sigh of relief when I found no outstanding message from him, and one from my boyfriend. I made a mental note to check his message later.
Finally, I felt like I could breathe even if it was only for twenty minutes.
People passed in my peripheral vision as the bus slipped into the light traffic. It took seeing a boy downing a drink to make me remember that I'd not had breakfast and that my coffee was not with me. A quick trip back in time made me realize that I must have dropped it at the repair shop.
Great! Can this day get any worse?
As if that was the cue mother earth was waiting for, my phone chimed loudly. I hurriedly picked up the call after seeing Alex's name - saved as Mr. Narcissist- stare vividly at me.
"You're late" His voice is as usual, cold
Telling my boss that I had to go back for the wristwatch I forgot which in return cost me an extra twenty minutes isn't exactly the way out. Alexander hates excuses, as well as expects you to own up to your shit with your full chest and then deal with the consequence which of course is his go-to catchphrase "You're fired"
In my six months of working for him, he'd have fired nearly fifteen people over something trivial.
Did somebody tell him being mean was the new cool?
"I will be there in fifteen. There's a lot of traffic and you know tomorrow is Christmas so there's a lot of hustle and bustle."
"Make it five, Ms. Thorton. I don't care if you have to walk, or fly, just be here in five."
The line went dead abruptly before I could say another word.
How am I supposed to get to the office in five?
How the hell did Amanda live through this? No wonder the poor lady had to go only after three months. Honestly, it took the light at the end of the tunnel- which is the big picture, which is my dream to work in La Belle, to stay this long... I would have called it quits after twenty-four hours, six months ago.
It's Christmas Eve and nothing is Christmassy for me, which is a bummer because Christmas is usually my favorite holiday of the year.
It's Alexander's way or the highway and in this case, the highway meant not giving a shit and calling it quits. I didn't want to do that. La Belle would be an eye-opener and a great reference for me in the industry.
In summary, I needed the job for my portfolio and enough money to start my own company which I plan on making when I win the annual La Belle Beauty Entrepreneur competition.
An initiative to fund entrepreneurs with excellent business ideas with one million dollars as the grand prize, I am sure that I am going to win with my killer facial mask for older people idea. There's nothing like it in the beauty world. That part of the industry is too invested in the younger generation to realize that older people need confidence building too and that things like wrinkles and the likes shouldn't limit them from feeling beautiful.
After a brief back-and-forth discussion with myself, I decided it was Alexander's way which meant, running thirty blocks to get to the office building.
"You look like you just got hit by a tornado" Caroline, the receptionist and possibly one of my two work friends in the office couldn't help but point out the obvious.
"Tell me about it." I gave her a tired eye roll as I walked past.
"Break a leg! I heard Mr. Hot Pants is feisty at the moment. He probably has zero endorphins" She added.
Oh no! Here we go again.
Last Chapters
#30 Chapter 30
Last Updated: 1/7/2025#29 Chapter 29
Last Updated: 1/7/2025#28 Chapter 28
Last Updated: 1/7/2025#27 Chapter 27
Last Updated: 1/7/2025#26 Chapter 26
Last Updated: 1/7/2025#25 Chapter 25
Last Updated: 1/7/2025#24 Chapter 24
Last Updated: 1/7/2025#23 Chapter 23
Last Updated: 1/7/2025#22 Chapter 22
Last Updated: 1/7/2025#21 Chapter 21
Last Updated: 1/7/2025
You Might Like 😍
His Mission
Emily is suddenly thrown from one world of danger and uncertainty into another. The two teens ride the rollercoaster of love, unbelievable betrayal and heartache.
Surrendering to Destiny
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?
Omega Bound
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
“Burn those who burned me!”
Burn those who burned me is an anthology book circulated on truth; justice; and REVENGE!
Story #1 The Ballad of Rabena Price.
Story #2 The rebirth of Clara Granger
Story #3 The violin of Graceland Teague
Story #4 The list for Josie Taylor
Story #5 COMING SOON!
Letting Go
That fateful night leads to Molly and her best friend Tom holding a secret close to their hearts but keeping this secret could also mean destroying any chance of a new future for Molly.
When Tom's oldest brother Christian meets Molly his dislike for her is instant and he puts little effort into hiding it. The problem is he's attracted to her just as much as he dislikes her and staying away from her starts to become a battle, a battle that he's not sure he can win.
When Molly's secret is revealed and she’s forced to face the pain from her past can she find the strength to stay and work through the pain or will she run away from everything she knows including the one man who gives her hope for a happy future? Hope that she never thought she would feel again.
The Alpha King's Human Mate
“I have waited nine years for you. That’s nearly a decade since I’ve felt this emptiness inside me. Part of me began to wonder if you didn’t exist or you’d already died. And then I found you, right inside my own home.”
He used one of his hands to stroke my cheek and tingles erupted everywhere.
“I’ve spent enough time without you and I will not let anything else keep us apart. Not other wolves, not my drunken father who’s barely holding himself together the past twenty years, not your family – and not even you.”
Clark Bellevue has spent her entire life as the only human in the wolf pack - literally. Eighteen years ago, Clark was the accidental result of a brief affair between one of the most powerful Alphas in the world and a human woman. Despite living with her father and her werewolf half-siblings, Clark has never felt like she really belonged in the werewolf world. But right as Clark plans to leave the werewolf world behind for good, her life gets flipped upside down by her mate: the next Alpha King, Griffin Bardot. Griffin has been waiting years for the chance to meet his mate, and he's not about to let her go anytime soon. It doesn't matter how far Clark tries to run from her destiny or her mate - Griffin intends to keep her, no matter what he has to do or who stands in his way.
I Am His Wolfless Luna
Ethan also kept emitting deep roars in my ear, 'Damn... I'm going to cum... !!!' His impact became more intense and our bodies kept making slapping sounds.
"Please!! Ethan!!"
As the strongest female warrior in my pack, I was betrayed by those I trusted most, my sister and my best friend. I was drugged, raped, and banished from my family and my pack. I lost my wolf, my honor, and became an outcast—carrying a child I never asked for.
Six years of hard-won survival turned me into a professional fighter, fueled by rage and grief. A summons arrives from the formidable Alpha heir, Ethan, asking me to return as a wolfless combat instructor for the very pack that once banished me.
I thought I could ignore their whispers and stares, but when I see Ethan's emerald-green eyes—the same as my son’s—my world tilts.
Healing His Broken Luna....
The Song in the Alpha's Heart
Alora, has been hated by her family since birth. Her Families favorite pastime is torturing her.
After turning eighteen she's rejected by her mate, who turns out to be her older sisters boyfriend.
Breaking the chains that bound her powers, Alora is freed from the family that hates her, and is given a new family.
When an old friend and protecter of her's returns home to tak his place as next Alpha of Alpha's, Alora's life is once more changed for the better as he says the fated word. "Mate."
The Wrong Alpha - A Twist of Fate?
The Alpha's Hunt
If she is claimed she will be his. If she is not, she will return in shame and be shunned from her pack.
Hazel knows the ways of the Alphas, being the daughter of a Beta, but what she doesn't count on is the presence of the Lycan King. The leader of all is participating in his first-ever hunt, and she is his prey.
Warning: This book contains a LOT of mature content such as strong language, explicit sx scenes, physical and mental abuse, BDSM, etc.*
Mermaid Thighs
Forty-three year old Helen is newly divorced and trying to find herself. For the first time in her life, she is not under the control of a man. With an absentee father, an abusive step-brother and a manipulative ex-husband, she's had the perfect trifecta of bad men.
Along with learning to live life on her own, she's trying to help her three children. Jaxon is struggling with his sexuality. Jolene is discovering that her perfect marriage is far from perfect. JD is just trying to get through high school and into the Navy.
Fifty-two year old Owen Reese returned to his hometown after twenty years in the Navy. He started a small business that has made him a millionaire over the past decade. With his own daughter grown and living a life of her own, he thought his days of parenting were behind him. But he is now raising his sixteen year old niece while his sister is deployed with Doctors Without Borders.
And now, the cute, plump receptionist from his accountant's office is everywhere he turns. Not that he's complaining; he's dying to get his hands on those lovely, lush mermaid thighs that haunt his dreams.
Nothing seems to go right for them. All of his many sisters are constantly interfering. Her children worry about her so much that they are almost obsessive. And she just wants to be happy. And skinnier.
Warning: include an abusive relationship