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Mary Marshall never expected her life to turn into a nightmare. When a ruthless millionaire demands she marry him to erase her family's debt, she does the only thing she can-she runs. Desperate and with nowhere to turn, she finds herself face-to-face with Thomas Randolph-the billionaire CEO known for his cold heart and even colder business deals. He offers her a lifeline: Marry him instead. A contract marriage that will protect her, help him keep custody of his son, and end in one year. No feelings. No strings attached. But living under the same roof changes everything. Thomas isn't just a ruthless businessman-he's a devoted father, a man haunted by betrayal, and dangerously irresistible. The lines between their arrangement and reality blur with every lingering touch, every heated glance... and one unexpected kiss that neither of them can forget. Just when Mary begins to believe in their love, her past comes crashing back. A vengeful enemy, a shocking betrayal, and a life-altering secret force her to make the ultimate sacrifice-walking away from Thomas forever. But Thomas isn't a man who gives up easily. And when he discovers the truth, he will stop at nothing to bring his wife-and the mother of his unborn child-back where she belongs. A steamy, suspenseful billionaire romance full of passion, betrayal, and second chances. Will their love survive the ultimate test, or will their contract marriage end in heartbreak?
Mary's POV
The scent of crayons and chalk dust still clung to my clothes as I locked the preschool door behind me. The day had been long, but I didn't mind the exhaustion. If anything, it kept my mind from wandering to the things I couldn't control-like the stack of unpaid bills sitting on the kitchen counter or the leak in our ceiling that dripped every time it rained.
I adjusted my purse on my shoulder and made my way to the bus stop. The city hummed around me, cars honking, people rushing home, laughter spilling from the cafés lining the street. It was comforting in a way, this noise, this life because it distracted me from my own.
When the bus finally came, I slid into an empty seat by the window, resting my forehead against the cool glass. Another week, another paycheck barely stretching far enough. But at least her friend Wanda wedding was coming up soon, and for once, there would be something to celebrate. She deserved that much.
I smiled to myself, thinking about the way her eyes had lit up when she found her wedding dress. It was secondhand, but she loved it as if it had been made just for her. She had twirled in front of the mirror, laughing, making me and Amanda promise a hundred times that she didn't look ridiculous.
The thought warmed me all the way home. But as soon as I stepped into our front yard, that warmth vanished.
The lights in our apartment were on.
Not just on-blazing, every single one of them.
Something was wrong, I just knew it.
My stomach twisted as I climbed the stairs, my footsteps quickening on instinct. I pushed the door open, my heart hammering.
Inside, my father was pacing, sweat glistening on his forehead. Amanda sat stiffly on the couch, her lips pressed into a thin line. The air was heavy, suffocating, thick with something... something she couldn't quite place her finger on at the moment.
And then I saw him.
A man stood near the window, hands in his pockets, watching me like I was some kind of toy he was figuring out how to play and have fun with.
He was tall and effortlessly elegant in a dark suit that screamed wealth. His jet-black hair was slicked back, and his sharp features were enhanced by the glow of our cheap ceiling light. He didn't belong here, not in our small, crumbling apartment, not in our world of barely scraping by.
But that wasn't what sent a chill down my spine.
It was his eyes. Cold, ruthless, and then, he spoke.
"Ah," he mused, his voice deep and smooth, "you must be Mary."
A shiver crawled up my spine. He knew my name.
I turned to my father. "What's going on?"
He flinched at the sound of my voice. My mother looked away.
The man stepped forward, exuding an air of quiet dominance. "Your father owes me money."
My blood ran cold.
I glanced back at my father, searching for denial, for some kind of explanation that would make this all make sense.
But he wouldn't even look at me.
The man–Jason Martin, I realized suddenly studied my reaction with mild amusement. Everyone in the city knew his name. He was a businessman on paper, but in reality, he was far more than that. A man who collected debts, businesses, and lives.
And now, he was standing in our living room.
"How much?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Jason took his time answering like he enjoyed drawing out the suspense. "Three hundred thousand."
I nearly staggered back.
That was impossible. It was more money than I could even fathom, more than we could earn in ten lifetimes.
"How?" I asked, my voice cracking.
Jason sighed, like this whole conversation bored him. "Your father made a deal with me," he said simply. "I held up my end. He didn't."
I turned to my father, desperation clawing at my chest. "Dad?"
Tears welled in his eyes. "I'm sorry, my little girl."
The words were barely a whisper, but they slammed into me like a hammer.
Jason watched me, waiting for the reality to sink in. Then he said, "I'm a reasonable man, Mary."
I tore my gaze from my father, glaring at him. "If you were reasonable, you wouldn't be here."
His lips curved into a smirk. "That's where you're wrong." He took another step toward me, his presence overwhelming. "I don't believe in taking what can't be repaid."
A flicker of hope ignited in my chest.
Until he spoke again.
"That's why I'm offering an alternative."
Amanda shot up from the couch before I could even process his words. "No."
Jason didn't even look at her. His eyes stayed locked on mine.
"Marry me," he said, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
The room went silent.
I blinked, sure I had misheard. "W-What?"
Jason leaned against the arm of the couch, entirely too comfortable. "You marry me, and your father's debt disappears. Simple and easy."
Amanda grabbed my arm. "She's not doing that."
Jason's expression didn't change. He just shrugged. "Then I take my payment another way."
My stomach dropped.
My father paled. "Please, Mr Jason-"
Jason held up a hand, silencing him effortlessly. "You have one day to decide."
He turned back to me, his smirk returning. "But let me make one thing clear, Mary. If you refuse..." He tilted his head. "Your father and mother won't like the consequences."
His words weren't a threat.
They were a promise.
He didn't wait for a response. He just turned and walked to the door, leaving behind an unbearable silence.
As soon as he was gone, my knees gave out, and I collapsed onto the couch.
Amanda knelt beside me. "We'll find another way."
I wanted to believe her. I needed to believe her but deep down, I already knew the truth.
I had no choice. Tomorrow, I would become Jason Martin's wife.
Jessica Collins never imagined her dream of love and freedom would turn into a nightmare. Sold into marriage to the ruthless billionaire Raymond Shaw, she becomes a prisoner in his dangerous world of power, betrayal, and obsession. He is cold, possessive, and impossible to escape. Trapped between her past lover and a husband who both captivates and destroys her, Jessica fights to reclaim her life. But when she discovers she's pregnant, running away becomes her only option. Furious and heartbroken, Raymond will stop at nothing to bring her back. But is it love that drives him or the need to control? In a story of passion, revenge, and sacrifice, will Jessica break free, or will she fall for the man who was never meant to love her?
Maria Callo never imagined her job as Wesley Thompson's secretary would entangle her in the brutal world of the mafia. Cold, powerful, and dangerously irresistible, Wesley is the feared leader of the Redstar gang-one she knows better than to fall for. But when an ambush threatens his empire, Maria becomes his unexpected lifeline. Forced into an arranged marriage for power, Wesley refuses to let Maria go, binding her to him in a world of violence, loyalty, and deadly secrets. As betrayals mount and war brews with their enemies, Maria must decide if she can trust the man who owns her heart-or if loving him will be her ruin.
With hatred for her step-sister and family generally, Piper Snow finds herself in a bar wallowing in alcohol after finding out her boyfriend…No, her ex-boyfriend cheats on her with her step-sister. She gets drunk and passes out on her way home in front of a moving vehicle. *** Davis Kingston, a 27-year-old cold and handsome billionaire who commands so much power and respect, owns probably more than half of the businesses existing in the country but he is betrothed to a sassy, rude, and arrogant rich missy, camela white. What happens when Davis Kingston meets piper? What made Davis so cold? Will she be able to melt his cold heart? Can Camela stand losing Davis?
Cursed with the worst luck in the whole universe, Stacy Reeves holds on to the last piece of hope she has for a perhaps better life. This too comes crashing down after a very reckless night with a stranger at a nightclub who turns out to be a popularly dangerous Italian billionaire, Andre Rosello which leads to an unexpected and unwanted pregnancy. *** Andre Rosello is a 27-year-old billionaire with barely any good memories in his life. His father had been in the mafia all his life and had trained him to be just like them - the ruthless beatings and starvation all in the name of boosting his endurance. His childhood was not quite a bed of roses and his adulthood was far from it. Much to his father's disdain, Andre doesn't end up following his line of work, instead, he builds his own company from scratch and makes a name for himself defying his father for the very first time. Pressured with a thousand and one responsibilities, Andre just had to let his mind be free for a while. A baby was not on his mind when he took the enthralling and sexy woman he met at the nightclub to his bed. When hit with reality, Andre doesn't know what to do. He wasn't ready to be a father, he didn't think he would ever be fit enough to be a good father. He wanted to be better than his father but he didn't know how to. So when threatened by Stacy's sister to take responsibility for his seed or have his hard-earned name ruined, Andre has no other choice than to accept this new responsibility, even if it meant getting married to her with a 6-year contract and even if it meant defying his father again and making an enemy out of him. What happens to Stacy now? Will her life take a better turn or would it get even worse? Will Andre give fatherhood a chance and love as a whole? Will these two grow to love each other or will they leave each other after 6 years runs out? If they do decide to stay, will Stacy and her child be safe with the mafia Andre had refused to be part of coming back to take revenge and his father still bitter from his son defying him decides to resort to violence like he always did, only this time, more extreme?
After a one-night stand with Gavin Russell, the Powerful and cold alpha CEO, Iris Green was smitten and she thought there could be something between them after realizing they were fated mates. Her hopes were crushed by his harsh words, "I don't eat the same food twice." Broken, she returned to her city to manage her family business but soon realized that a seed had been planted. Giving birth to a set of twins, she could not endure raising them alone, when they looked exactly like him. She sent one of them to Gavin with a note, "Dessert after supper." Gavin frowned when he received the parcel, from his son. He sent people to fetch that blondie but it was as if she disappeared from the face of the earth. Of course, the Green family was mysterious and she was the new head of the family. She only gets seen whenever she wants to be.
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
COALESCENCE OF THE FIVE SERIES BOOK ONE: THE 5-TIME REJECTED GAMMA & THE LYCAN KING BOOK TWO: THE ROGUES WHO WENT ROGUE BOOK THREE: THE INDOMITABLE HUNTRESS & THE HARDENED DUKE *** BOOK ONE: After being rejected by 5 mates, Gamma Lucianne pleaded with the Moon Goddess to spare her from any further mate-bonds. To her dismay, she is being bonded for the sixth time. What’s worse is that her sixth-chance mate is the most powerful creature ruling over all werewolves and Lycans - the Lycan King himself. She is certain, dead certain, that a rejection would come sooner or later, though she hopes for it to be sooner. King Alexandar was ecstatic to meet his bonded mate, and couldn’t thank their Goddess enough for gifting him someone so perfect. However, he soon realizes that this gift is reluctant to accept him, and more than willing to sever their bond. He tries to connect with her but she seems so far away. He is desperate to get intimate with her but she seems reluctant to open up to him. He tries to tell her that he is willing to commit to her for the rest of his life but she doesn’t seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that he’s different; and a chance to love her. But when not-so-subtle crushes, jealous suitors, self-entitled Queen-wannabes, an old flame, a silent protector and a past wedding engagement threaten to jeopardize their relationship, will Lucianne and Xandar still choose to be together? Is their love strong enough to overcome everything and everyone? Or will Lucianne resort to enduring a sixth rejection from the one person she thought she could entrust her heart with?
The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."
When Zora was sick during the early days of her pregnancy, Ezrah was with his first love, Piper. When Zora got into an accident and called Ezrah, he said he was busy, when in actual fact, he was buying shoes for Piper. Zora lost her baby because of the accident, and throughout her stay at the hospital, Ezrah never showed up. She already knew that he didn't love her, but that was the last straw for the camel's back, and her fragile heart could not take it anymore. When Ezrah arrived home a few days after Zora was discharged from the hospital, he no longer met the woman who always greeted him with a smile and cared for him. Zora stood at the top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression, "Good news, Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us anymore, so let's get a divorce." The man who claimed not to have any feelings for Zora, being cold and distant towards her, and having asked her for a divorce twice, instantly panicked.
She thought he was the villain. He was only trying to save his soul. Rena lives in a world of sunshine, sweets, and simple dreams. Until one reckless decision drops her into a dark realm of secrets, curses and werewolves. Kidnapped, heartbroken. She doesn't know who to trust anymore especially not Logan, the arrogant, cruel Alpha who's keeping her as a hostage. Until she discovers his dark secret. He's been hearing her thoughts all along. Now the walls between them are crumbling. And when feelings grow where hatred once lived, a curse demands that blood becomes a love that demands sacrifice. But how can she give her heart to the one who might need it to die?