Gloria_Atueyi_9155

Real Hearts

By Glowie. A

When love is promised to one, but fate binds another… whose heart truly wins?

Raymond Carter is a 28-year-old billionaire heir — cold, arrogant, and bound by legacy. He’s a man used to getting his way, except when it comes to the one thing he truly wants: Stephanie, a kind-hearted 23-year-old college student studying literature, whose gentle spirit melts his icy exterior. Their love is fierce but forbidden — his powerful family will never accept her.

Forced into a one-year contract marriage with Dina, a seemingly quiet and respectful woman from an influential family, Raymond assumes the arrangement will be nothing more than paper. But when kindness turns to obsession, and a year stretches into danger, Dina’s growing affection for Raymond takes a dark turn. Meanwhile, Stephanie tries to hold onto the promise he made: to return to her after it all ends.

As hearts grow closer and trust deepens, secrets from the past begin to stir — secrets that connect their families in ways no one saw coming. And in the shadows, Andre — Raymond’s best friend — battles his own feelings for Dina.

Real Hearts is a sweeping romance full of passion, betrayal, longing, and a love that fights to survive despite the odds. Can true love conquer duty, lies, and the scars of history?

Real hearts

Raymond Carter leaned back on the cushioned bench in the private lounge of his penthouse suite, the skyline stretching behind him like a painted canvas. Evening light poured in through the wide glass windows, casting golden shadows across the sleek floors.

He set his tablet down for the first time in hours, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Contracts, meetings, endless calls — the usual. But his mind wasn't focused.

He was trying to remember the last time he had a moment that felt real.

Jasmine strolled in, fresh from campus. Her black curls were tied up, and she wore her usual no-nonsense expression — plus a cup of takeaway coffee and a half-crushed brown bag in one hand.

"You're home," Raymond noted without turning.

"You sound surprised," Jasmine said, plopping into the chair opposite him.

"I figured you'd still be out terrorizing your lecturers."

"Funny," she said, kicking off her shoes. "Actually, I saved someone's face today."

"I hope you mean that figuratively," he said dryly.

"Literally," Jasmine replied, sipping her drink. "Vanessa Quinn almost slapped a science student. I caught her hand mid-air."

Raymond arched a brow. "Quinn's still causing drama?"

"Like a full-time job." Jasmine rolled her eyes. "But this girl stood her ground. She totally roasted Quinn in public."

Raymond looked mildly interested. "And what was the roast?"

"She said something about dignity and repeated Marketing," Jasmine smirked. "Classic chaos."

"What's the girl's name?" he asked, more casually than he felt.

"Stephanie," Jasmine replied. "Stephanie Hayes. You know her?"

Raymond froze — just for a second — then reached for his drink. "I've heard the name."

Jasmine narrowed her eyes. "Right. So you've met her."

He didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked, "She okay?"

"She's fine. Shaken, but she thanked me. We even had lunch together after."

That made something in Raymond shift.

"She's sharp," Jasmine continued, watching him. "And a little awkward. But I like her. She doesn't pretend."

Raymond stood and walked toward the window, coffee in hand, the city lights beginning to flicker below.

Jasmine tilted her head. "You don't want her to know who I am, do you?"

Raymond's back stiffened. "No. Not yet."

"Because my world isn't safe for people like her."

Jasmine raised a brow at his words, but said nothing. She could sense there was more — a deeper story he wasn't sharing. And maybe, just maybe… he already liked this girl more than he admitted.

"So," she said after a pause, "what exactly is she to you?"

Raymond turned, his gaze unreadable. "Someone I shouldn't be thinking about."

chapter sixteen-the girl jasmine mentioned