Raising the Stakes - Paperback

by C. L. Ledford (Author)

You know that saying? Everyone deserves a second chance. Yeah well, I didn't think that applied to me.

But when my chance fell into my hands. I balled my fist, ran with it, and never looked back. The Churchhills are what you'd call my found family and they taught me the true meaning of the word. Make no mistake the devil and I still walk hand and hand. The shadows of my past lurking, waiting to drag me back.

It'd been three years since I was handed the reins to Churchhills Logistics and my father thought now was the best time to drop a huge bomb on me. I was to marry. But wait, it gets better. It wasn't just any woman. I was arranged to marry the woman who nearly burnt my empire to the ground before it even got started. Aurora Emerson

I'd never been one to judge someone based on their background. Family get-togethers and fancy parties were nothing new to me. So meeting TC at one of them was par for the course since the Churchhills had been long time friends of the family. Unfortunately this meant that my attendance at these dumb parties was required instead of suggested.

TC took it upon himself to embarrass me in front of everyone at the party which quickly shutdown any of my hopes that we could be friends. I never wanted to be around him again after that but unfortunately we attend the same school. So keeping him away from me wasn't a simple task. As if that wasn't bad enough TC also found joy in making my school life extremely difficult and I couldn't figure out why he wanted to get under my skin so badly.

I found no refuge from him at home either. He would always come over with his father so they could talk business. I'd lock myself in my room claiming that I was ill so I wouldn't be forced to have dinner with them.

I finally got the chance to get back at him in college. One of my best friends sent me a picture of him doing drugs off a tramp's stomach, that I then sent to his mother. The last thing I ever expected was for our fathers to arrange a marriage between us, knowing full well we hated each other.