Love Unanswered

Rosalie Lardner has 19 chances to get Brandon Searle into bed. Succeed just once, and she wins. Fail all 19, and she loses the title of "Mrs. Searle" for good.

This is the bet she made with Brandon's stepmother—a deal she signed with complete confidence. But unfortunately, she fails every single time. Eighteen attempts, 18 failures.

Now, it all comes down to the 19th try.

"You'll have 19 chances to get Brandon into bed. Succeed just once, and you win. But if you fail all 19 times, you'll have to give up the title of Mrs. Searle and divorce him."

Rosalie Lardner stared at Nina Monroe, Brandon's stepmother, as she pushed the betting agreement across the table.

For a newlywed like Rosalie, it seemed like an easy win. She signed the agreement confidently. "Fine. You've got a deal."

But after 18 tries, she hadn't managed a single win.

On her 19th attempt, Rosalie pulled out all the stops. She slipped Brandon a strong drug and slid into his bed wearing nothing but a sheer, seductive outfit.

This time, she was sure she had him. But even with the drug burning through his veins, Brandon somehow found the strength to shove her off the bed with a brutal kick.

"If you ever spike my food again, don't expect me to hold back just because we're married," he growled. His face was flushed, and his body shook from the drug's effects.

Brandon was barely holding himself together, yet he still refused to give in to her. Staggering upright, he called for his driver and left the house.

Rosalie stood frozen, watching numbly as his taillights vanished into the darkness.

He was going to find someone to help him ride out the heat. He was going to Nina.

Rosalie sat on the cold bed, her heart aching as she spent the night lost in thought. Over and over, her mind replayed Brandon's promises—the vows he'd made when he proposed their secret marriage. He had sworn to cherish her for a lifetime. Yet he wouldn't even lay a hand on her after the wedding.

…

The first light of dawn had barely touched the Searle residence when Brandon's Bentley rolled up the driveway. But instead of Brandon, Nina stepped out.

Wearing a grin like the cat that got the cream, she sauntered up to Rosalie and handed her a divorce agreement.

"It's been 19 failed attempts, hasn't it? A year ago, you were so sure you'd win. Did you honestly think marrying him meant he'd actually share your bed every night? Or that he'd just forget about me because I'm his stepmother?"

Rosalie's jaw tightened. Just as Nina had said, her year of marriage to Brandon had been completely hollow, devoid of intimacy or love. No matter how hard she tried to tempt him, his expression never changed. That cold indifference never wavered.

The one he loved would always be Nina—his ex-girlfriend and the woman who had married his father for money.

In the