He Shuyao

I was the heiress to a real estate empire, celebrating my engagement to Douglas at our Manhattan penthouse. But when I stepped into the master bedroom, I caught him sleeping with my best friend, Krystle. Before I could even react, Douglas forced me to sign away my family's entire trust fund. He held up a tablet and forced me to watch a live feed of my parents being burned alive in our Hamptons estate. "The fire hasn't reached the main house yet, sign it and I'll call them off," he lied. As soon as the ink dried, he beat me to the ground and locked me in the soundproof study. He poured twenty-three-year-old whiskey on the carpet and dropped a lit cigar. "You could have walked away with nothing, but alive," he sneered. He left me to burn to death while he and Krystle went back to our engagement party to drink champagne. As the flames melted my skin and my bones shattered against the bulletproof glass, I couldn't understand it. How could the man who promised me forever brutally exterminate my entire family just for money? But I didn't die in that fire. Three years later, with a reconstructed face and a new identity as the mysterious global designer Alice Moreau, I returned to New York. Watching Douglas and Krystle flaunt the wealth they stole from my family's ashes, I smiled behind my black veil. It was time to make them pay with everything they had.

Today was my fifth wedding anniversary. It was also the day a doctor told me I had, at most, three months left to live. My single remaining kidney was failing, a complication from the surgery where I gave my other kidney to my wife, Senator Eleanor Horton. Then I saw her, walking out of the Capitol building, not alone. She was with Hudson Stewart, her college sweetheart, and he kissed her, a long, deep kiss, right there on the steps. Later, Hudson found me, offering five million dollars to disappear. He looked at me with contempt, like I was something he' d scraped off his shoe. I remembered overhearing Eleanor tell Hudson, "It's not love. It's... gratitude. A responsibility." My love was a commodity, my sacrifice a transaction. A sharp pain shot through my side. My phone buzzed. A text from Hudson: a picture of him and Eleanor in my bed, captioned, She's mine now. Always was. I was Jefferson Byrd, a kid from foster care, who had loved her for ten years, since I saved her life with my kidney. I thought her gratitude had turned into love. I was a fool. My phone rang. It was Eleanor, her voice fake, promising a surprise. Then I heard Hudson's voice, and a kiss. The line went dead. Any last, stupid flicker of hope I had died with it.

The dull ache in my side was a souvenir from the back-alley clinic, but the briefcase in my hand, filled with $500,000, promised a future. It was my life savings, the sale of everything I owned, and even a kidney sold on the black market. All for Ethan, all to save the man I loved from experimental cancer. As I reached his luxury apartment, number 1208, I heard his laugh from inside. It wasn't the gentle laugh I knew. It was loud, arrogant, and cruel. "She sold a kidney! Can you believe the gullibility?" Ethan boomed, followed by laughter. "She handed over every penny she had, just like that." My blood ran cold. The heavy briefcase felt like it was filled with stones. Then Olivia Hayes' slick voice chimed in: "I told you she was the perfect target. That little orphan girl, so desperate for a family she' d do anything." Another voice slurred, "Heir to the entire Miller Tech fortune, and you' ve got this chick selling her organs for you. That' s next-level." I peeked through the cracked door. Ethan, vibrant and healthy, smirked, sipping whiskey. "It was Olivia' s idea, really. A way to get back at her for winning that art scholarship she wanted. A little punishment." My knees buckled. The briefcase slipped from my numb fingers, crashing to the marble floor. Stacks of hundred-dollar bills, my life' s savings and the price of my flesh, spilled out like a sick joke. Every word was a hammer blow to my reality. The love, the late-night talks, the shared dreams-all a meticulously crafted performance. My entire two-year relationship, the one solid thing in my life, was a lie. A game. But then, a cold, hard anger began to burn through the devastation. I would not be a victim. In that grimy restroom, I made a decision: I would reclaim my life. I called my art professor. And when Ethan called, I answered, my voice terrifyingly calm. "I' m on my way," I said. "Just got held up." I was about to show him just how much I had learned.

The smell of fresh paint and new beginnings once filled my home, a modern marvel I'd designed myself. Eight months pregnant, every kick from my baby boy was a promise of the future Ethan and I were building, a future meant to erase the rubble of a past fire that had stolen my family and left me scarred. Then, my husband, Ethan, appeared on national television, not with the triumph of overcoming tragedy, but with a confession: he had been wrong, and my loyalty in defending him all those years ago was "misplaced." His words painted me as a liar who had protected a guilty man, shattering my hard-won peace and leading to the immediate, terrifying loss of my child. Left heartbroken and drugged in the hospital, a hushed conversation revealed an unthinkable betrayal: my deceased baby had been conceived with the eggs of Leah Chen, the very woman Ethan had just publicly wronged, and she spoke of "our daughter" with Ethan, confirming a monstrous deceit. Was my son-my real son-truly gone, or was this yet another layer to the lies woven by the man who claimed to love me? Forced into therapy by Ethan with Leah' s husband, Dr. Ben Carter, I stumbled upon a recording of Ethan confessing his hatred for me, seeing our marriage as punishment, and learned with chilling certainty that the fire that killed my family was no accident, but a consequence of a truth I unknowingly distorted. Publicly shamed and professionally destroyed, I was left discarded, labeled "Crazy Ava," but from the ashes of my broken life, a ferocious determination was born: I would uncover the full extent of their deception and make them burn for what they had done.

For ten years, I sacrificed everything, working night shifts at a greasy diner to put my adopted son, Kevin, through college. It was all for his future, a life I never had. But on his graduation day, standing proudly on stage, he publicly denounced me, calling me a "disgrace" and claiming his real mother was a wealthy socialite. He then had me arrested for kidnapping, twisting my years of love into a story of obsession and greed. I watched him embrace her, leaving me to face accusations of being a "crazy woman" and "kidnapper" as security dragged me away. The trial was a sham, fueled by his lies and his birth mother' s accusations. I was convicted and sentenced to prison. The years there were hell, filled with beatings and torment from other inmates. I died alone on a cold concrete floor, my last breath a whisper of his name. Then, with a sharp jolt, my eyes flew open. I wasn' t in that filthy cell. I was back in my old, cramped apartment. And there he was, fifteen-year-old Kevin, his face a mask of practiced desperation. "Please, Mom? Please take me to the city? I can' t stay here anymore. I' ll do anything." It was the exact day I had sealed my fate in my first life. But this time, it would be different.

Liam was my world for twelve years, my best friend, my boyfriend, the constant, warm presence who knew my every preference and always had my back. Every thoughtful gesture, every patient explanation, affirmed my trust in him. Then, a whispered conversation behind a slightly ajar door shattered everything. "Only when Chloe falls will everyone truly see you," he murmured, his voice laced with the tenderness I thought was reserved for me, but directed at Emily. "You' re the one who deserves everything." The kindness, the attention, the love-it was all a calculated performance. I was a pawn in his cruel game, a stepping stone to elevate Emily. The truth hit me with physical force, the air in the hallway thick and unbreathable. Every affectionate "Oh, Chloe" for my clumsiness twisted into contempt. How could twelve years of shared life be a lie? How could the boy who painted tiny moon craters for my science project, who found a first-edition of my favorite book, orchestrate my public humiliation and downfall? The betrayal was too deep, too vast, to comprehend. I stumbled back, grief and fury battling for dominance. But as the tears streamed down my face, a cold, clear certainty solidified: I wouldn't fall. I wouldn't be his pawn. My life with him was over, and I would escape, no matter the cost.

I stood by the French doors, the coolness barely a comfort. Tonight, at the Kensington gala, my fate was to be sealed. As the heir to the discreetly powerful principality of Eldoria, my choice of husband would secure a powerful alliance. Just like before. A wave of dizzying clarity hit me, a memory so sharp it tasted like ash. My past life. I had poured everything into Ethan Kensington, my cousin, my first love. My Eldorian influence, my vast fortune – all to make him governor. He won. Then he found Chloe Hayes. He changed. He became obsessed with her, twisting every slight she felt into a weapon against me. He blamed me, the "cold princess," for her career struggles, her insecurities. So, he orchestrated my ruin. A public smear campaign, vicious and relentless. Economic attacks that bled Eldoria dry. He watched, smiling, as my life ended in disgrace, alone. His voice, cold as ice, echoed: "punishment for meddling with his love for Chloe." How could someone I loved and sacrificed everything for turn so utterly, maliciously against me? How could my own resources be weaponized to destroy me and my country? The injustice burned, a brand on my soul. But then, I opened my eyes. I was back. Reborn at this very gala, the precise moment where my destruction began. This time, I knew the game. This time, I would rewrite my destiny. Liam, his mournful face a beacon in my memory, would be my anchor. My retribution starts now.

Bitterly swallowing all the torment, betrayal, and false accusations she had been suffering, Wendy arose like a phoenix from the burning ashes. What hadn’t killed her had crafted her from steel. She would make those who caused all her pain and agony, pay for what they had done to her. However, a romantic accident happened as she took her revenge. Mesmerized by his kiss, she fell into his trap before she realized what was afoot. Yet, it was already too late for her to run away from him.

To revenge herself on her unfaithful fiancé Kevin, Isidora hides her striking beauty behind a plain disguise, and targets his uncle — the most formidable man Kevin fears. After one reckless night, Isidora leaves cash as payment and says lightly, "You were good last night." She tries to leave quietly, but is pulled into his arms. "You think you can walk away after this?" he says, his tone low and possessive. Cedrick is a feared, untouchable titan on Wall Street — elegant, aloof, and completely uninterested in women. Not even the most beautiful socialites in the city can catch his eye. When gossip spreads that he was seen pressing a woman against a wall and kissing her fiercely, no one believes it. When the rumors name Isidora, the crowd scoffs. He rejects even the most beautiful women, so why would he notice a plain girl like her? All doubt disappears when they see the dignified Cedrick drop to one knee to help Isidora with her shoe, pleading softly for just one kiss. When Kevin finally sees Isidora's true beauty and begs for forgiveness. But Cedrick kicks him out at once, slams a marriage certificate on the table, and says sharply. “Call her Aunt.”

Being second best is practically in my DNA. My sister got the love, the attention, the spotlight. And now, even her damn fiancé. Technically, Rhys Granger was my fiancé now-billionaire, devastatingly hot, and a walking Wall Street wet dream. My parents shoved me into the engagement after Catherine disappeared, and honestly? I didn't mind. I'd crushed on Rhys for years. This was my chance, right? My turn to be the chosen one? Wrong. One night, he slapped me. Over a mug. A stupid, chipped, ugly mug my sister gave him years ago. That's when it hit me-he didn't love me. He didn't even see me. I was just a warm-bodied placeholder for the woman he actually wanted. And apparently, I wasn't even worth as much as a glorified coffee cup. So I slapped him right back, dumped his ass, and prepared for disaster-my parents losing their minds, Rhys throwing a billionaire tantrum, his terrifying family plotting my untimely demise. Obviously, I needed alcohol. A lot of alcohol. Enter him. Tall, dangerous, unfairly hot. The kind of man who makes you want to sin just by existing. I'd met him only once before, and that night, he just happened to be at the same bar as my drunk, self-pitying self. So I did the only logical thing: I dragged him into a hotel room and ripped off his clothes. It was reckless. It was stupid. It was completely ill-advised. But it was also: Best. Sex. Of. My. Life. And, as it turned out, the best decision I'd ever made. Because my one-night stand isn't just some random guy. He's richer than Rhys, more powerful than my entire family, and definitely more dangerous than I should be playing with. And now, he's not letting me go.

I was cheated on by my scumbag boyfriend. On the night I got blackout drunk, I married a stranger, and when I woke up, I only found a marriage certificate and a black card. He took care of my scumbag ex for me, gave me a canary diamond ring, but refused to show his face-he only called me baby on video calls. I ran to my best friend's house to hide, only to find that the billionaire next door, who made my heart skip a beat, had the exact same scent as him. My best friend cried and begged me: "He's Augustus, a tyrant who eats people alive!" But only I knew that the man who pressed me against the terrace railing, leaned down to kiss me, and whispered "I'll protect you" softly. Fifty thousand dollars to sneak photos of his private office? I'll go. Not for the money, but to ask him to his face- Gus, how many secrets are you hiding? And how long have you been craving me?

The rain in Detroit was slick with grime when my family finally came to fetch me. They didn't want a reunion; they wanted a sacrificial lamb to marry into the Kaufman empire to save their failing business. I thought I was just being sold off, but the limo ride ended under a dark overpass where six hired thugs were waiting with chains. My own sister had ordered them to "break my spirit" so I’d be a shaking, pathetic mess by the time I reached the altar. They called me "Detroit trash" and sprayed air freshener when I sat on their leather seats. My stepmother wanted a video of me begging for my life, and my father was ready to trade me like a used car to a man everyone called a "vegetable." They expected a submissive country girl, unaware that I was a high-level "cleaner" who could snap a radius bone before they could even scream. When I finally reached the Kaufman estate, I found my fiancé, Barron, slumped in a wheelchair, drooling and silent. But as soon as the doors closed, the "invalid" grabbed my wrist with a grip of iron and whispered a command that changed everything. I didn't understand why my own blood was so desperate to see me destroyed. What had I ever done to deserve a hit squad and a forced marriage to a man they thought was a corpse? But Barron isn't a vegetable, and I'm not a victim. We just touched down at the Moon family gala in a matte-black helicopter, and as the doors slide open, the "broken" bride is about to show them exactly what happens when you throw away the wrong daughter. "If we're going to crash a party," Barron whispered, his eyes burning with lethal clarity, "we should make an entrance."

"Sign it. Save her, and I'll give you anything." For four years, I was Damian Wright's 'invisible wife'. While I played the pauper, he poured his soul into his dying first love. Desperate, he blindly signed a stack of papers to buy the 'Gifted Doctor's' time. He didn't read the fine print. Buried inside was our Divorce Decree. "Congratulations, Damian," I said, stripping off my surgical mask to reveal the wife he never truly knew. "You're free." The submissive Amelia is dead. The legendary 'Ghost Surgeon'? That's me. The blindfolded racing queen 'Raven'? Also me. The shadow behind the global intelligence network V-Null? Still me. I was ready to vanish, but Lucas Sullivan-the titan who makes the Wrights look like peasants-blocked my path. When Damian tried to reclaim me, Lucas didn't just stop him; he brought an empire to its knees. "They don't deserve to look at you," Lucas whispered, his touch a lethal mix of protection and obsession. "But if you crave the world, Amelia, I'll burn it down just to hear you say my name."

She spent ten years chasing after the right brother, only to fall for the wrong one in one weekend. ~~~ Sloane Mercer has been hopelessly in love with her best friend, Finn Hartley, since college. For ten long years, she's stood by him, stitching him back together every time Delilah Crestfield-his toxic on-and-off girlfriend-shattered his heart. But when Delilah gets engaged to another man, Sloane thinks this might finally be her chance to have Finn for herself. She couldn't be more wrong. Heartbroken and desperate, Finn decides to crash Delilah's wedding and fight for her one last time. And he wants Sloane by his side. Reluctantly, Sloane follows him to Asheville, hoping that being close to Finn will somehow make him see her the way she's always seen him. Everything changes when she meets Knox Hartley, Finn's older brother-a man who couldn't be more different from Finn. He's dangerously magnetic. Knox sees right through Sloane and makes it his mission to pull her into his world. What starts as a game-a twisted bet between them-soon turns into something deeper. Sloane is trapped between two brothers: one who's always broken her heart and another who seems hell-bent on claiming it... no matter the cost. CONTENT WARNING: This story is strongly 18+. It delves into dark romance themes such as obsession and lust with morally complex characters. While this is a love story, reader discretion is advised.  

"Wasn't I good in bed? Didn't I spoil you enough? What the hell did those fuckers give you that I couldn't?" My husband, Dean, yells at me for the very first time, gripping my hand and when I look into his eyes, I see how much he's hurting, how much he believed all the lies, how much he's not willing to listen. "I'd never do that to you, Dean. I love you, please believe me," tears streamed down my face as I pleaded with him. "You're meant for the streets Bella, and that's where you'd always be," And just like that my once perfect marriage hits the rock edge in a twinkle of an eye. A stripper, an exotic dancer but none of that mattered to Dean, he promised to love me and he kept to his words, not until this day. And even worse, he used my past against me, something he swore never to do.. ***** Ethan Fernandez, is a notorious casanova and unlike his friend, he never commits to any woman until his path crosses with Ivy, the formidable lawyer and the last person that gives a fuck about men and their shenanigans. Now, the player becomes the played as his life takes an unexpected turn with the walking temptation that lurks in the form of Ivy Reynolds.

Twelve years of love, loyalty, and promises-shattered in one gunshot moment. Aria thought she knew what love meant: sacrifices, patience, blind faith in the man she'd called her fiancé for over a decade. But on Valentine's Day, with a gun pointed in their direction, Liam instinctively shielded his ex, Sophia-while Aria was left bleeding and invisible. "You almost died!" "And he didn't even look at me, Lili. He wrapped his arms around her like I was nothing." Torn between heartbreak and dignity, Aria makes a bold move-marrying Liam's wealthy rival, Aiden Carter, in an impulsive act of revenge. But Aiden is more than a rebound. He's powerful, possessive, and unexpectedly protective-and he plays for keeps. Now caught between a love that failed her, and a man who may demand more than she's ready to give. Aria's heart faces the ultimate reckoning. Will she finally become someone's first choice-or lose herself trying?

Camille Lewis was the forgotten daughter, the unloved wife, the woman discarded like yesterday's news. Betrayed by her husband, cast aside by her own family, and left for dead by the sister who stole everything, she vanished without a trace. But the weak, naive Camille died the night her car was forced off that bridge. A year later, she returns as Camille Kane, richer, colder, and more powerful than anyone could have imagined. Armed with wealth, intelligence, and a hunger for vengeance, she is no longer the woman they once trampled on. She is the storm that will tear their world apart. Her ex-husband begs for forgiveness. Her sister's perfect life crumbles. Her parents regret the daughter they cast aside. But Camille didn't come back for apologies, she came back to watch them burn. But as her enemies fall at her feet, one question remains: when the revenge is over, what's left? A mysterious trillionaire Alexander Pierce steps into her path, offering something she thought she lost forever, a future. But can a woman built on ashes learn to love again? She rose from the fire to destroy those who betrayed her. Now, she must decide if she'll rule alone... or let someone melt the ice in her heart.

She hides behind ugly suits and fake names. He's done trusting women. When they meet in a masked sex club, neither realizes they've been fighting each other across boardroom tables for eighteen months. At Taylor Industries, she's Joy Smith-the frumpy CFO who drowns her curves in shapeless polyester and wearing a wig. At home, she's the forgotten wife of a cheating lawyer who hasn't touched her in so long she's starting to wonder if she's broken. When she finds hot pink lace panties stuffed in her couch cushions...definitely not hers, it's not heartbreak she feels. It's freedom. Grayson Taylor doesn't do relationships anymore. Not after walking in on his actress fiancée with another woman. Now he channels everything into hostile takeovers and board meetings, especially the ones where his overcautious CFO fights him on every goddamn acquisition. Joy Smith is brilliant, infuriating, and funny when he pushes all her buttons. But Honey is tired of being invisible. Tired of never having felt real pleasure. So, when her best friend gives her the details of The Velvet Room-Manhattan's most exclusive masked club-she promises herself just one night. One night to find out if her husband's right, if she really is frigid, or if she's just never been touched by the right hands. She doesn't expect the masked stranger who claims her the second she walks in. Doesn't expect the chemistry that ignites between them, the way he makes her body sing, or the orgasms that leave her shaking. Doesn't expect him to hand her an email address with one command: "Only me. No one else touches you."