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Elena faked her identity to survive, caught between desperation and ambition. When billionaire Damien Cross offers a contact marriage backed by promises, she sifbs away her soul for a future built on lies. But in Damien's world, loyalty is the currency and Elena is broke. One night of passion, a forbidden love and a secret betrayal. As enemies close in and truths unravel, Elena realizes too late that she was never the player. She was always the pawn. Now divorced, left in ruins and exposed, the woman who once dreamed of fortune must fight to survive the empire she at one point, was a part of. But the greatest betrayal is yet to come.
In a world built on lies, Elena was an artist.
Portraying herself as a character that existed only in her imaginations, but acting so well, such that everyone she came across easily believed it. And since everyone was busy trying to get strings pulled in different aspects of their lives, they cared less about verifying her identity and claims. Over time, she had made substantial gains through her schemes, but she was yet to hit her jackpot... her main target. she believed that it was only a matter of time before she would get it done, and after that, she would quit for good and make something reasonably substantial out of her life.
This was just another day in her constant attempts to fix herself within the one group she didn't belong to.
There had been an announcement of a party for the elites, the kind they held quarterly, and it was indeed everyone's dream, except only the select few could attend. Invitation-only, strict security, and only the elite.
Elena gracefully walked up to the entrance and handed her invitation to the security, who checked it against the guest list and within a few seconds, smiled back at her and let her through.
The golden chandeliers in the hall sparkled like frozen fire, casting a pretty glow over the sea of designer gowns and hand tailored tuxedos. Elena adjusted the delicate crystal mask over her face, feeling the whisper of silk against her skin as she slipped effortlessly between the world's untouchables.
Yet here she was, a nobody dressed in stolen dreams and walking among the sea of prestigious individuals as if she belonged with them.
A waiter passed with a tray of champagne and Elena plucked a glass with gloved fingers, tilting her chin just right, effortlessly giving off the arrogance of old money. Elena knew how to play the game. Through constant practice, she had memorized every rule, every subtle cue. Eye contact, but not too much. Smile, but with the perfect edge of boredom. Every move, every breath, simply calculated to perfection.
And for a while, it worked. at least until he found her.
The stranger stood by the marble staircase, a black mask concealing half his face, but doing nothing to hide the raw magnetism pouring off him. He was danger clothed in velvet, tall, cold, very commanding. His gaze followed her across the room, sharp as a hook through flesh.
Predators recognize other predators. Or maybe... a prey in this instance.
Elena's heart kicked against her ribs, but she smiled in a well-practiced lazy way and drifted closer to him.
"You don't look like you belong here," he said, voice low enough, almost a whisper, so that only she could hear.
The words weren't cruel. They were... just curious, inquiring.
"And yet," Elena smiled, swirling the champagne between her fingers, "here I am. just like everyone else."
He laughed. A soft, dangerous sound. "And your name?"
She sipped her drink, letting the golden liquid burn down her throat as she leaned closer. The smell of him... expensive cologne and something darker, like a storm ready to break, curled around her senses.
"Where's the fun in giving away all my secrets?" she whispered, leaning backwards in a seductively inviting manner.
His eyes darkened beneath the mask. "Maybe I like games." He curled his lips to form a half smile.
Some games were survival. Others were suicide. She hadn't yet decided which this was, but she looked determined to play it.
"You look like you do," she teased, voice dropping a note, letting heat flicker in her gaze. She had to keep him guessing and appear distracted If he asked too many questions... if he pressed too hard.
Elena's pulse beat in her throat.
He stepped closer, so close their bodies brushed with every unsteady breath. The world blurred around them. Only the two of them, locked in some reckless, magnetic pull.
"You still haven't answered," he murmured, voice like silk over steel. "I know the majority of people in this room, even with their masks on. and somehow, I feel strongly that I do not know you. So, who are you?"
"Most... you say" Elena said in a calm and composed manner. "So, I easily fit into the few who you don't know. Case solved."
He was not satisfied with her reply. "That was a smart way to evade." He said.
"I'm quite interesting." She replied. "By the way," she continued, "how are you able to recognize everyone and also suspect me for being different?"
He did not answer.
"Hmmm..." she observed him from over the rim of her champagne glass. "You also took note of the body forms."
Elena set her champagne down with deliberate care, then smiled again.
Raised a hand to the side of his face, tracing the sharp line of his jaw through the mask slowly and softly.
And then, without warning, she lifted the bottom half of his mask just enough to expose his mouth.
"Maybe I'm nobody, maybe I'm somebody." she whispered. And then she kissed him.
A soft press at first, then a question, a dare, and then harder, hungrier, as the heat between them ignited.
The stranger's hands gripped her waist, dragging her closer. His mouth moved over hers with a violence that stole the ground from beneath her feet.
It was madness, it was freedom, it was everything she was never supposed to have.
The kiss deepened messy, desperate, two strangers clinging to the only real thing in a world made of lies.
Somewhere between the kiss and the hunger clawing at her skin, Elena grabbed his hand and led him through the maze of corridors. No words and no second guesses.
The door slammed behind them. A forgotten guest room in a forgotten corner of the estate. She didn't stop to think, didn't stop to breathe. She yanked his jacket off his shoulders. His hands fisted in the thin fabric of her gown, shoving it up, up, until silk whispered over her thighs. He kissed down her neck, her shoulder, teeth scraping where his mouth had just soothed.
Elena moaned raw, broken, and real. Continuously passed her fingers through his hair.
Tonight, there were no rules, no consequences. Only need.
Buttons scattered across the floor. Fingertips and teeth and desperate gasps filled the room. His body fit against hers like he'd been built for it, like he'd been waiting for her without even knowing.
When he finally entered her, rough and aching and overwhelming. Elena cried out, nails digging into his back.
It wasn't gentle, it wasn't sweet. It was a claiming... it was a destruction.
Elena Vance had always believed in the power of family. Her love for her husband, Marcus, and their son, Eli, was unwavering. But everything she held dear begins to crumble when she discovers that both her husband and son have turned their backs on her, choosing someone else over her love and sacrifices. Heartbroken but resolute, Elena makes the difficult decision to walk away from the life she once knew, relinquishing custody and leaving behind the painful remnants of a broken family. Determined to rebuild, Elena channels her pain into strength, rising from the ashes to become a successful entrepreneur, amassing a fortune that surprises even those who once underestimated her. As her empire grows, so does her confidence, and she discovers a version of herself that's been buried for far too long. But the past is never far behind. Marcus, now filled with regret, and Eli, torn between the love for his mother and his newfound family, seek her forgiveness. Just as Elena is learning to trust herself again, a new figure enters her life in the person of Luca DeMarco, a billionaire investor whose admiration for Elena goes far beyond the boardroom. Together, they form a partnership that challenges everything Elena thought she knew about love and trust. Now, as old wounds threaten to resurface, Elena must decide if she will open her heart to a new future with Luca or remain guarded by the scars of the past. Will she allow herself to be loved again, or will she continue to choose her own path toward freedom and self-discovery?
While on a work trip with her best friend, Kristine Richards meets Alexander Williams who is an Art dealer from the legal perspective. On the side, Alexander turns out to be the boss of a crime family. Alexander falls out with a long-term business contact Octavio. Octavio had attempted to cross Alexander on a deal but ended up on the losing side, thereby vowing to take vengeance. Once he learns of Kristine and Alexander, he takes advantage of their relationship by using Kristine's inherited debt to set her on a new course; destroying Alexander's empire at any cost. Kristine is left to choose between love and freedom.
Bailey seems to be never destined to fit in, a little geeky, but under it all, a hidden beauty that so many seem to miss, but still not what her pack Alpha is looking for in a fated mate... so he is determined to reject her and make her life hell. Bailey, knowing her life will likely never be the same focuses on what she can control, her future, and heads off to study; becoming a teacher. Asher is the Beta of Autumn Valley Pack, a neighbouring pack. A broken man having suffered the loss of his mate after a rogue attack, Asher is slowly crumbling. Falling to pieces. A shadow of his former self, and not a man that anyone wants to be around anymore... Until, Autumn Valley Pack require a new teacher, and Bailey finds herself there and pushed together with the Beta. Is there a connection building or is that in their imaginations? And what will happen when Bailey's mate comes back to claim what is his?
"Please trust me, I didn't do anything." "I don't believe you. I am rejecting you as my Queen and giving you the punishment of death." Alina was living outside her pack for five years. Her parents didn't try to contact her and always ignored her. Her best friend convinced her to go back to their pack and she agreed. But she had never imagined what was waiting there for her. She never thought she would meet her mate and had to face betrayal from everywhere. She had to pay for the crime which she never committed. Aaron Robertson is the king of Lycans. He is a very dominant and powerful King who not only rules Lycans but also rules other ranks of werewolves. Everyone is afraid of Lycans and he is the king of them. But who knew that he would get a mate who was just a simple Omega with no powers and strengths? He called her weak all the time but little did he know that his weak Omega would give him the biggest betrayal of his life for which he had to give her the sentence of death.
"You're pathetic!" Brenden sneered, each word cutting deep into Corinna's heart. Years of emotional wounds had drained every ounce of love she once held. "I've wasted enough time on you. If there's a next life, I hope we never meet again." Her words severed the bond between them like a blade. From that moment on, Brenden was haunted by her absence—unable to sleep, longing for the warmth he took for granted.
Allison fell in love with Ethan Iversen, the soon-to-be Alpha of the Moonlight Crown pack. She always wanted him to notice her. Meanwhile, Ethan was an arrogant Alpha who thought a weak Omega could not be his companion. Ethan's cousin, Ryan Iversen, who came back from abroad and was the actual heir of the pack, never tried to get the position nor did he show any interest in it. He was a popular playboy Alpha but when he came back to the pack, one thing captured his eyes and that was Allison.
After three loveless years, Neil's betrayal deeply wounded Katelyn. She wasted no time in getting rid of that scoundrel! After the divorce, she devoted herself to career pursuits. Rising to prominence as a top designer, skilled doctor, and brilliant hacker, she became a revered icon. Neil, realizing his grave mistake, tried in vain to win her back, only to witness her magnificent wedding to another. As their vows were broadcast on the world's largest billboard, Vincent slid a ring onto Katelyn's finger and declared, "Katelyn is now my wife, a priceless treasure. Let all who covet her beware!"
Lyric had spent her life being hated. Bullied for her scarred face and hated by everyone-including her own mate-she was always told she was ugly. Her mate only kept her around to gain territory, and the moment he got what he wanted, he rejected her, leaving her broken and alone. Then, she met him. The first man to call her beautiful. The first man to show her what it felt like to be loved. It was only one night, but it changed everything. For Lyric, he was a saint, a savior. For him, she was the only woman that had ever made him cum in bed-a problem he had been battling for years. Lyric thought her life would finally be different, but like everyone else in her life, he lied. And when she found out who he really was, she realized he wasn't just dangerous-he was the kind of man you don't escape from. Lyric wanted to run. She wanted freedom. But she desired to navigate her way and take back her respect, to rise above the ashes. Eventually, she was forced into a dark world she didn't wish to get involved with.