Corinne was set up to marry Julian, who had been reduced to a vegetative state following a tragic car accident. Yet, on their wedding day, fate intervened in a most unexpected manner. Julian suddenly stirred from his slumber, demanding an annulment. Corinne, though taken aback, wasted no time in seizing the opportunity. "Sure, Julian, but not without a hefty sum - fifty million, to be exact!" Julian acquiesced without hesitation. "Deal!" Initially, Julian harbored a disdainful view of Corinne, deeming her a mercenary soul who had bartered her integrity for wealth. But as time passed, his perception began to shift. When Corinne found herself disillusioned with him, Julian embarked on a quest to win back her affections. "Honey, I messed up big time. I'm truly sorry," he confessed, his voice laced with remorse.
"No... Please, let me go," Corinne Gibson whispered, her voice shaking in the dim light of the presidential suite.
The man's oppressive presence enveloped her, sending shivers of fear through her body as tears filled her eyes.
In the shadowy room, his figure towered over her, his large hands clenching her wrists firmly. His deep, rough voice assured her, saying, "Don't worry. I'll marry you."
"Ah!"
A sharp pain overwhelmed Corinne, tears cascading down her cheeks.
She had just returned from overseas when her father's business suddenly ran into severe trouble. Her father became gravely ill and was rushed to the ICU, pushing their family business to the edge of collapse.
To protect her father and the business he had built over many years, she frequently went to social events, hoping to secure loans from influential people.
This evening, she learned that a prominent business leader was hosting a function, and she attended with the hope of getting support.
However, after accepting a glass of wine from someone, she became disoriented, ended up in a stranger's room, and was pulled onto a bed.
As the initial pain subsided, a strange numbness turned into pleasure, drawing Corinne's mind back. She strained to open her eyes to see the man whom she lost her virginity to.
But the room was too dark.
She could not see clearly, only hearing his deep, resonant voice.
"Wait for me to return and marry you."
When Corinne woke up again, the room was empty except for herself.
Her clothes lay in disarray on the floor.
With a wince, Corinne struggled to sit up and swung her legs out of bed, only to unexpectedly step on something hard.
She lifted it and discovered a necklace engraved with the letters "JS."
It belonged to that man.
Tears welled up in Corinne's eyes as anger surged within her. She wanted to hurl the necklace out of the window, but instead, she gripped it tightly and put it around her neck.
A month later
"Miss Gibson, please review this contract. The three hundred million will be transferred in batches. The first fifty million has already been sent to your uncle's account. The remaining amount will be transferred once you marry my son and have a child," said a calm voice.
Corinne looked with surprise at the poised, sophisticated woman before her.
Today, her uncle handed her an address, instructing her to go there and ask for a loan.
To marry this woman's son? To have his child?
And fifty million dollars?
What was happening?
It soon became clear to her.
Obviously, her uncle had sold her for a hefty sum of three hundred million dollars.
A chilling realization dawned on her, and she asked, "Excuse me, who is your son?"
Zoey lowered her gaze slightly before answering, "Julian Scott."
At the mention of that name, Corinne felt a wave of dizziness, and her breath caught.
Just two weeks earlier, news broke that Julian Scott, the heir to the prestigious Scott family, was in a coma following a car accident.
Lately, there had been rumors that the Scott family was looking for a suitable bride for him. But who would agree to marry a man on his deathbed?
Corinne quickly rose, bowing slightly. "I'm sorry, there seems to be a misunderstanding. I came here for a loan, not for marriage."
Zoey regarded her with sadness, then offered a gentle smile. "That's alright. Our family does not coerce anyone. However, I assure you, marrying into our family means being looked after for life."
Corinne looked at Zoey appreciatively.
Zoey turned to the butler and said, "Please show Miss Gibson out."
"Yes, ma'am."
Corinne expressed her gratitude to Zoey, and the butler, a middle-aged man, escorted her outside.
As they exited, Corinne spotted a familiar figure in a corner of the garden.
It was her boyfriend, Mathew Scott.
Overwhelmed with happiness, Corinne hurried towards him.
Right then, Mathew was on the phone, wearing a satisfied grin. "Robert, Zoey's really satisfied with Corinne. You'll see the cash in your account real soon. Congratulations!"
After catching what the guy on the phone said, Mathew couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Yes, that's right! We're all like family. I'll make sure to look after Rosalie in the future."
Then, his tone became more grave. "Be sure to keep a tight hold on Corinne's father. He cannot wake up. If he does, it could destroy everything. We need the shareholders' meeting to be perfect."
Corinne hadn't seen Mathew in several days and didn't want to disturb his phone call, but as she approached, she overheard the most dreadful words she had ever heard.
Hearing these words herself, Corinne felt a constriction in her throat, and her vision darkened.
Wait, so her uncle and Mathew planned this whole thing?
Were they behind the company's financial issues and even her father's illness?
Had her boyfriend, whom she thought loved her, conspired against her with her cousin?
Forced to take her sister's place as bride to the ruthless Lycan King Sebastian, Eleanor faces a marriage filled with cruelty and humiliation. Though she is his destined mate, Sebastian remains blind to their connection, his hatred for her ruining what should have been an unbreakable bond. When her powers emerge on her twentieth birthday, Eleanor finally gains the strength to defy her tormentor. But her bid for freedom ends in tragedy-captured, violated, and left for dead. In her final moments, she makes a desperate plea to the Moon Goddess for a second chance at life. Her wish is granted, sending her back in time with her memories intact and vengeance burning in her heart. But as Eleanor plots her revenge against the Lycan King, she stumbles upon dark secrets that change everything she thought she knew. The web of lies and betrayal runs deeper than she could have imagined, and the true villain may be hiding in plain sight.
"Lucien, let's get a divorce," I said in a peremptory tone that was long overdue, the most decisive farewell to this absurd marriage. We had been married for exactly three years-three years that, for me, were filled with nothing but endless loneliness and torment. For three years, the husband who should have stood by my side through every storm, Lucien Sullivan, had completely disappeared from my life as if he had never existed. He vanished without a trace, leaving me alone to endure this empty, desolate marriage. Today, I finally received his message: "I'm back. Come pick me up at the airport." When I read his words, my heart leapt with joy, and I raced to the airport, thinking that he finally understood my love and was coming back to me. But his cruelty was far worse than I could have ever imagined-he was accompanied by a pregnant woman, and that woman was Carla, my closest and most trusted friend. In that moment, all of my previous excitement, all my hope, and all of our shared laughter and tears turned into the sharpest of daggers, stabbing into my heart and leaving me gasping for air. Now, all I want is to escape from this place that has left me so broken-to lick my wounds in solitude. Even if these wounds will remain with me for the rest of my life, I refuse to have anything to do with him ever again. He should know that it was his own hand that trampled our love underfoot, that his coldness and betrayal created this irreparable situation. But when he heard those words, he desperately clung to this broken, crumbling marriage, unwilling to let it end-almost as though doing so could rewind time and return everything to how it used to be. "Aurora, come back. I regret everything!" Regret? Those simple words stirred no emotion in me-only endless sadness and fury. My heart let out a frantic, desperate scream: It's too late for any of this!
Trigger warning!!! Intended for mature readers who enjoy morally complex, slow-burn, poseesive, forbidden, dark romance that pushes boundaries. ***EXCERPT*** Blood everywhere. Trembling hands. "No!" My eyes blurred. His lifeless eyes stared back at me, his blood pooling at my feet. The man I loved-dead. Killed by the one person I could never escape - my stepbrother. *** Kasmine's life was never hers to begin with. Kester, her stepbrother, controlled and monitored her every move. At first, it was all sweet and brotherly until it began to turn into an obsession. Kester was the Alpha, and his word was law. No close friends. No boyfriends. No freedom. The only consolation Kasmine had was her twenty-first birthday, which was supposed to change everything. She dreamt of finding her mate, escaping the sickening control of Kester, and finally claiming her own life. But fate had other plans for her. On the night of her birthday, not only was she disappointed that she wasn't mated to the love of her life, but she found out that her mate was none other than him - Her tormentor. Her stepbrother. She'd rather die than be mated to a man whom she had known as her big brother all her life. A man who would do just anything to make sure she was his. But when love turns to obsession, and obsession turns to blood, how far can one girl run before she realizes there is nowhere else to run to?
Three years ago, the Moore family opposed Charles Moore's choice to marry his beloved woman and selected Scarlett Riley as his bride. Charles didn't love her. In fact, he hated her. Not long after they got married, Scarlett received an offer from her dream university and jumped on it. Three years later, Charles's beloved woman fell terribly ill. In order to fulfill her last wish, he called Scarlett back and presented her with a divorce agreement. Scarlett was deeply hurt by Charles's abrupt decision, but she chose to let him go and agreed to sign the divorce papers. However, Charles seemed to delay the process deliberately, leaving Scarlett confused and frustrated. Now, Scarlett was trapped between the consequences of Charles's indecision. Would she be able to break free from him? Would Charles eventually come to his senses and face his true feelings?
Veronica is an eighteen-year-old omega who falls into an emotional breakdown when her Mate, who was soon to be the Alpha of the Sun crest pack, turns against her, hurls hurtful words at her, and rejects her on the night of the full moon festival because he and everyone in the pack, including her, thinks she is an omega. As if the pain of rejection, helplessness, and worthlessness wasn't enough, she lost her best and only friend to the cold hands of death when rogue wolves attacked their pack. Right in the presence of her mate, she was tagged as someone who always attracted problems and calamities anywhere she went and he turned a blind eye and watched as she was banished from the pack. With hatred for her life, she runs deep into the woods that were off-limits and jumps off to end her life, but in a turn of events, something else happens. What would her mate do when he finds out that Veronica is not who he thinks she is? Will she be able to forgive him? What fate lies ahead for them?
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.