/0/62391/coverbig.jpg?v=3a6d13511bff727c9c5d6906f358ec33)
She had only intended to steal a kiss from him that night when he was drunk, but that act had ruined their entire friendship. Growing up together, Marianne Corelle had loved Alexander Skarsgard all her life. Even though she knew he saw her as nothing more than his best friend, she still secretly hoped for a chance with him-a chance she got, but at the cost of their friendship. Just before she left, she vowed, "I'll stay away as you want, and I promise to keep myself hidden from you as much as possible." Alexander thought he could live without her, but her departure broke him. When he saw her again five years later, she was accompanied by a child who looked exactly like him. With a mix of hope and desperation, Alexander asked, "Is he... is he mine?" Marianne's eyes narrowed with resentment as she replied coldly, "No, he's not. And neither am I. Don't forget, I was never truly your wife."
"You're not a baby that I'll always have to put to bed after you're drunk," Marianne scolded Alexander-her childhood sweetheart, but he only smiled at her.
"I'm your baby, aren't I, Anne?" Alexander said with a playful smile. Despite his drunken state, she found him irresistibly charming, and his words made her heart race. Although he often said things like this when he was drunk, she couldn't quite get used to it. Maybe he wasn't aware of the effect he had on her. How would he react if he knew he was the guy she had always had her eyes on?
"No, you're not! Now, let's move to your room" Marianne stood up and went to help him. With his arm draped over her shoulder, she led him to his room. They had just gotten back from a party with their friends, and she had decided to take him home because he was drunk. Jake, his friend hadn't agreed to do it, so she volunteered.
As they got to his room, she pushed him onto the bed, momentarily forgetting he was holding onto her, causing her to fall directly on top of him. Marianne's breath caught, her eyes widened, and her heart raced quickly. She gulped, trying to overcome the temptation.
All her life, she had loved him, and it had always been him. She hated to remind herself of the painful truth-that Alexander would never see her as anything more than a friend. It hurt her deeply, but she didn't feel the need to force him to love her. After all, he valued her more than he did his girlfriends or exes. But still, she hoped that someday he'd see her more than just his bestfriend.
Trying to calm herself, she sat down beside him on the bed and began to help him remove his shirt. Even though she had done this before, tonight felt different, and she couldn't keep her desires in check. Perhaps it was because she had missed him-he had just returned to Silverton today after spending an entire month in Baltimore.
She swallowed hard as she helped him up and removed his shirt completely. Even in his drunken state, he looked cute. Her gaze lingered on his soft, inviting lips, and she struggled to control her impulses, but damn it! How long would she keep torturing herself like this? She desperately wanted to know what his lips tasted like. The temptation became too powerful to resist.
"I'm sorry, Alex. I'll just steal a brief kiss," she thought to herself. She brought her lips closer and gently pressed them against his in a soft kiss. Though she meant for it to be brief, she lost track of time and found herself kissing him longer than she intended.
She had a chance to stop this madness, or so she thought, but when he started kissing her back, she couldn't pull away. Perhaps she had been wrong-maybe Alexander had feelings for her but was hiding them because of their friendship, or maybe he was just acting this way because he was drunk. Despite knowing it was wrong because of his drunken state, she wanted to be greedy.
As he kissed her, she closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him back. Before she realized it, they were both naked with their clothes scattered randomly across the room.
The next morning, when Alexander's eyes fluttered open and he noticed a figure in his arms, he was surprised. At first, he thought Jake, his best friend, had spent the night at his place. But as he looked closer, he realized the figure didn't resemble a man at all. What had happened while he was drunk?
His gaze moved immediately to the person's face, and his eyes widened upon seeing that it was Marianne.
He stared down at himself and saw he was only in his underpant. Looking at the sleeping Marianne, he discovered she was also naked, which made his eyes widen even further. Memories of the previous night started flooding back. What had they done?
"Good morning, my...," Mrs. Skarsgard, Alexander's mom's words caught in her throat as she took in the scene. Marianne slowly opened her eyes and saw Mrs. Skarsgard staring at her with a smile. She glanced at Alexander, who was looking back at her with a questioning expression.
Marianne quickly looked at herself and, seeing she was naked, her eyes widened in shock. She hadn't expected their night to go beyond kissing. How had they ended up like this?
"My goodness! I had no idea you both had feelings for each other. What was I expecting, with how often you're together?" Mrs. Skarsgard smiled. She was very fond of Marianne and had always wished her son would take an interest in someone like her especially since they grew up together.
Alexander ruffled his hair, feeling a mix of emotions. "Love? It's a misunderstanding. Anne and I don't feel that way toward each other," he clarified.
"What? You sleep with someone and call it a misunderstanding? Marianne has never been intimate with anyone before; you're the first person she's ever slept with. How can you be so heartless?" she asked in disbelief.
"You know what? You both are getting married," she declared.
"What?" Alexander exclaimed in disbelief. Marianne's heart skipped a beat-this wasn't what she wanted, at least not yet. She was the only one who loved Alexander. He didn't love her, so marrying him would mean forcing him into a lifelong commitment with someone he didn't have romantic feelings for.
Mrs. Skarsgard grabbed her phone and called the Corelle family about the wedding. Frustrated, Alexander got out of bed, dressed quickly, and stormed out of the room. Marianne bit her lip, distressed. This wasn't what she wanted-how did it come to this? No, she needed to stop it.
"Mom, I don't think this is appropriate..."
"I know you like Alex, Marianne. I'm not sure about his feelings because he's unpredictable, but he clearly cares about you, given how he treats you. I'll ask the maids to prepare breakfast for you," Mrs. Skarsgard said with a smile before leaving the room. Marianne bit her lip harder this time.
This wasn't right, especially since Alexander already had a girlfriend.
"You either walk away now," Aiden said, his voice sharp and cutting, "or you stay and deal with the consequences." Tristan's chest tightened as he met Aiden's gaze, the challenge blazing in his dark eyes. Every instinct told him to run, to leave before things spiraled out of control, but his feet wouldn't move. "What's it gonna be, Tristan?" Aiden's voice was low, almost taunting. "Because if you stay, there's no turning back. You won't just be here. You'll be mine. Every inch of you, every breath, every thought... mine!" ...... Even before they became stepbrothers, Aiden and Tristan had never been on good terms, not since high school. Tristan couldn't have imagined that the arrogant guy he despised-the same one he hated with passion-would one day become his stepbrother, a fact he refused to acknowledge. But after a drunken night led to an accidental kiss, something shifted in Aiden. He began to see Tristan differently, from an angle far removed from brotherhood. It enraged him. He fought to keep hating him, to remind himself how wrong it was. Yet, the harder he tried, the more he missed him. The more he wanted him.
Life was a bed of roses for Debra, the daughter of Alpha. That was until she had a one-night stand with Caleb. She was sure he was her mate as determined by Moon Goddess. But this hateful man refused to accept her. Weeks passed before Debra discovered that she was pregnant. Her pregnancy brought shame to her and everyone she loved. Not only was she driven out, but her father was also hunted down by usurpers. Fortunately, she survived with the help of the mysterious Thorn Edge Pack. Five years passed and Debra didn't hear anything from Caleb. One day, their paths crossed again. They were both on the same mission—carrying out secret investigations in the dangerous Roz Town for the safety and posterity of their respective packs. Caleb was still cold toward her. But as time went on, he fell head over heels in love with her. He tried to make up for abandoning her, but Debra wasn't having any of it. She was hell-bent on hiding her daughter from him and also making a clean break. What did the future hold for the two as they journeyed in Roz Town? What kind of secrets would they find? Would Caleb win Debra's heart and get to know his lovely daughter? Find out!
Janice, the long-forgotten legitimate heiress, made her way back to her family, pouring her heart into winning their hearts. Yet, she had to relinquish her very identity, her academic credentials, and her creative works to her foster sister. In return for her sacrifices, she found no warmth, only deeper neglect. Resolute, Janice vowed to cut off all emotional bonds. Transformed, she now stood as a master of martial arts, adept in eight languages, an esteemed medical expert, and a celebrated designer. With newfound resolve, she declared, "From this day forward, no one in this family shall cross me."
"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!
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
Emberly, an esteemed scientist of the Imperial Federation, took her own life after completing important research. She was reborn, and just like in her first life, she was born into a wealthy family. She could’ve lived a carefree and prosperous life. However, the babies got mixed up in the hospital and she was taken home by another family from the countryside. Her foster parents later found out the truth and brought her to her real family, but they didn’t like her. Her evil adopted sister even loathed her. She was framed and ultimately, she died in prison. But in her next life, she refused to stay a coward and swore she would take revenge on all who wronged her. She would only care about those who were truly good to her and turn a blind eye to her heartless family. In one life, she had once experienced darkness and been trampled upon like an ant. In another, she had stood on top of the world. This time, she only wished to live for herself. As if a switch had gone on inside of her, she suddenly became the best at everything she put her mind to. He won the math contest, topped the college entrance exams, and solved an age old question... Later, she garnered countless scientific research achievements. People who had once slandered her and looked down on her cried bitterly and begged her for a patent authorization. She just sneered at them. No way! This was a world without faith, but the world put their faith in her. Austin, the heir to a powerful aristocratic family in the imperial capital, was cold-hearted and decisive. He scared anyone who laid eyes on him. Unbeknownst to everyone, he doted on one woman: Emberly. Nobody knew that his desire for her grew stronger with every passing day. She brought light to his originally dull and gloomy life.
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.