(18+. book contains mature scenes) In Joana's life, a complicated love story unfolds. Joana, a young woman scarred by a painful past, simply longs for love and affection. However, she finds herself stuck in a challenging situation, married to Fred Malcolm, a man with a girlfriend. Fred is determined to maintain his relationship with his girlfriend, and he resists any connection with Joana. But Joana's charm gradually draws him in, making their bond hard to ignore. The big question is: Can their growing love and attraction overcome the obstacles they face, or is this just another sad love story? This family realism drama explores the complexities of their hearts and the challenges they must confront in their unconventional love triangle.
JOANA'S POV
"Joana!" my elder sister, Becky, shouted from downstairs. I was up in my bedroom reading some magazine I had found on the couch downstairs.
I didn't have the power to answer because it was obviously one of her tantrums. It was always the torture Joana game in this house.
"Joana Emily Arnold!" she shouted. She was probably trudging upstairs now. My family members calling me by my full name meant fire. I had asked for it anyway but was it really necessary to answer a scolding call?
In two minutes my door burst open revealing Becky. She glared at me with her you-have-not-seen-the-last-of-me eye.
"I've been calling you for ages yet you've been here all along pretending you couldn't hear me, Joana and what on earth are you doing with my magazine. I thought I warned you not to touch my things without my permission," she hissed snatching the magazine away from me leaving marks on my hand with her long expensive nails.
As if the drama wasn't enough, my mother, Isabelle Arnold, made her entry with her other son aka Becky's twin brother, Tony, right behind her. Save me, Lord.
"Can we ever get peace in this house? What's the ruckus about now?" Mom asked.
I remained silent looking at them. I didn't want any trouble.
"I think it's high time you got rid of Joana, Mother. I just can't stand her anymore. You have to take action," Becky flared folding her arms.
"Joana, what have you done this time?" Mom asked shooting me daggers.
Of course, in terms of picking sides, my mom always favored her eldest two.
"Does it always have to be my fault or something I did Mom?" I said softly looking straight into her eyes.
If someone was to come up with a theory that she wasn't my biological mother and they weren't my biological siblings I'd believe them without a second thought.
"Show some respect to your mother, Joana," Tony warned typing something on his phone. He was just like the rest.
"Does she ever respect me? It's like she has two children and I'm just a nobody in this house."
"Yes, that's what you are! You thought you were some princess? You disgust me. You resemble nothing Arnold worthy. You are a disgrace to our family," Becky spat at me venomously.
It hurt. It hurt a lot. Yes, I knew that was the case but they didn't have to rub it in my face. My eyes had already welled up tears threatening to spill.
"Why? What did I do wrong? What did I do to deserve all this hatred from you?"
My eyes were filled to the brim with tears but it didn't faze them even one bit.
"Dad died because of you, Joana. It was purely your fault. I just wish it had been you who died in that accident not him. We will never forgive you for snatching away the best man from this planet," Tony spat at me.
If I had been close to him he'd have slapped me hard.
"How was I supposed to know we'd crash that day?" I defended myself.
"You were stubborn to go out, Joana. Your childish tantrums cost me my husband, Joana."
"But..."
"Has anyone ever told you how irritating your voice is? Your voice is so low and scratching. Maybe you should try and speak less because I'm sure no one would be interested in hearing your voice," Becky advised and walked out without waiting for my reply.
Mom and Tony followed suit banging the door.
I felt an inexplicable lump lodge in my throat. I fell into a disheveled heap on the floor and my tears involuntarily spilled down my cheeks.
I was bleeding inwardly. Maybe they were right. Maybe it was my fault but I'd never hurt my best friend and superman on this entire planet.
Victor Arnold was my everything. I remembered his death every day as if it were yesterday. Everything had happened so fast that I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye or try to save him.
He saved me but couldn't save himself. The guilt I felt was intense.
Before his death everything was perfect. We were the perfect family. I was a daddy's girl and everyone's favorite. I used to smile too, laugh, and be the life of the party.
His death was a wind of change. I lost everything that day. I lost my family, my inner self, hope itself, and my voice too.
I couldn't raise my voice anymore because when the car burst into flames I screamed so loud that I damaged myself. I didn't have the confidence to do so anyway.
Sometimes I wished I had died in his place. We couldn't live without each other. I was dying from the inside.
It had already been five years now and I still missed him every day.
I wiped away my tears and hugged my trembling knees reminiscing on all the memories.
If only I could turn back time.
Becky and Tony were twenty-six-year-olds, Lisa being a top model with beauty and brains. She had everything a lady needed. She was currently the top paid model in the state.
Tony had taken over the company. He was the new CEO. He was very popular, successful, and drop-dead gorgeous. He was popular among ladies especially models of the same class and businesswomen.
Isabella Arnold, my mom, was a board member at the company and she ran a successful boutique in town. She was filthy rich and it was all purely from hard work. She had the typical Arnold looks and appeared younger than her age.
Then me. Joana Emily Arnold. Call me the black sheep. The unpopular one. At the age of twenty-five, I had nothing and sadly no one. I was educated but had to find myself a job. I never went out in public to avoid embarrassing my picture-perfect family.
I took a deep breath and got up. For five years I had been waiting for that light at the end of the tunnel. Where was it?
When two villains collide, love becomes their deadliest weapon. Pamela Williams, an assassin forged by pain, and Brian Scott, a crime lord driven by vengeance, share a common enemy-the mafia empire that destroyed their lives. Forced into an uneasy alliance, their partnership ignites into a fiery romance, fueled by their shared darkness. But betrayal and mistrust threaten to tear them apart as their enemy strikes back. Bound by revenge and an unexpected love, Pamela and Brian must decide if they can trust each other enough to destroy their pasts-or if their passion will burn everything to the ground.
(Sex scenes. Rated 18+) Ava thought rekindling her love with Raymond would heal her heart, but his dark and dangerous world pulls her into something far bigger than she imagined. Determined to prove her worth, she steps into his empire, only to face betrayal, deadly enemies, and secrets that threaten everything. As trust shatters and love is tested, Ava decides to be reborn and learn the ropes of the Mafia world as she has always wanted to be a Mafia Queen. Love isn't always safe, and in Raymond's world, it could be fatal. Ava is about to blow our minds with her decision to get involved in the Mafia. Click on chapter 1 to see how Ava's story unfolds.
In the dazzling world of wealth, Troy Williams, the playboy billionaire, discovers life's true meaning with Bella King. She's not the usual glamorous type, but she's got a rare gift – the ability to bring laughter even in tough times. For Troy, Bella is perfection, but there are shadows in their story. One, her looming fiancé; two, Bella's unwavering commitment to their friendship, despite her engagement. As she enigmatically puts it, "The line between a friend and a lover is not that thick." Bella's dedication to their connection, despite being engaged, adds suspense to their tale. Will destiny untangle their fates, or will the thin line between friendship and something more snap under the weight of unspoken desires? Join them in a story where love, friendship, and destiny collide in a captivating dance of passion and uncertainty.
Olivia Mason had everything perfectly in place for her summer vacation alongside her college boyfriend, Marcus. Her bags were meticulously packed, her passport was within reach, and her anticipation for a Hawaiian adventure was obvious. However, all her well-laid plans crumbled when Marcus abruptly ended their relationship just a day after their graduation. A heartbroken Olivia found herself unable to resist an invitation to spend the summer at her best friend Amelia's family beach house. Amelia, however, had one strict rule in place: absolutely no dating any of her brothers. Without hesitation, Olivia agreed to abide by the rule, as she had no intention of getting involved with another man anytime soon. That was until she crossed paths with Alex. Among Amelia's brothers, Alex had a reputation as a charming womanizer who could win over anyone. When his focus shifted towards Olivia, it ignited an unexpected and passionate connection between them. Caught up in a passionate affair filled with secret rendezvous and stolen kisses, Olivia found herself torn between two powerful emotions: the irresistible longing for Alex's touch and the fear of betraying her dearest friend. The question that lingers is, just how far will they be willing to go?
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
Alyssa never expected her life to get this bad. A sudden rogue attack wiped off her pack, turning her into a mute and wolfless orphan. She once believed that being mated with her crush Ezekiel was compensation for her miserable life. However, it just made her life worse. What could be more suffering than your fated mate unwanting you and even your child? Ezekiel already picked himself a perfect Luna but fate gave her a mute mate. And owing to his father's last words, he had to marry Alyssa to get his rightful Alpha position. He married her yet kept their relationship unpublized. He hated her but wasn't ready to let her go. Everyone believed Alyssa would bear and wait like she always did until Ezekiel finally could make a decision. He's her husband, her mate, and her Alpha, and taking in everything he wanted without complaining was her duty. No one expected she would be the one who asked for a divorce and even dared to run away carrying his heir. Ezekiel swore to make this little omega pay but why did his heart break when she returned smiling at some other guy?
"Love is blind!" Lucinda abandoned her beautiful and comfortable life because of a man. She married him and slaved off for him for three long years. One day, the scales finally fell off her eyes. She realized that all her efforts were in vain. Her husband, Nathaniel still treated her like shit. All he cared about was his lover. "Enough is enough! I quit wasting my years with an ungrateful man!" Lucinda's heart was shattered into many pieces, but she summoned up the courage to ask for a divorce. The news caused a stir online! A filthy rich young woman recently got divorced? She was a good catch! Countless CEOs and handsome young men immediately swarmed to her like bees to honey! Nathaniel couldn't take it anymore. He held a press conference and begged with teary eyes, "I love you, Lucinda. I can't live without you. Please come back to me." Would Lucinda give him a second chance? Read to find out!
Chandler Su who had cheated by her boyfriend then got drunk at a bar. To take revenge, she grabbed a man randomly and took him to the room. After a crazy night, Chandler found the strange man was a super handsome guy the next morning. Shy and shocked Chandler run away after leaving 150 RMB and scorning the man of his poor bed skills. However, she never thought the story would become so dramatic as the next day, she found out that the new coming president of her company was exactly the man she slept the last night! Worse than that, this new boss seemed very narrow-minded as he asked Chandler to come to his office on the first day.