Too Late For Apologies, Andrew

My eyes opened in a Beacon Hill mansion, a rich prison of silk and scorn. They called me "Hope," but I was Gabrielle Johns, a witch hanged in Salem, reborn into this timid girl's body. Their daughter, Molly, staged a dramatic fall down the stairs, shrieked "She pushed me!" and directed her theatrical terror right at me. Immediately, Molly's parents and fiancé rushed to her side, their faces masks of disgust, calling me a "trailer park animal" and a "disgrace." They slapped me, starved me, and locked me inside the dark mansion, expecting me to break, groveling for their forgiveness. But their cruelty didn't just fuel my ancient rage; it ignited the deep, quiet misery of Hope, a girl bullied and dismissed her whole life. How could they be so brazenly wicked, believing they had untouchable power over me? They thought locking me away was their control, but they just handed me the key to my vengeance.

It was our third anniversary, and I was shivering on the balcony, barefoot in a thin silk robe. My husband Ethan, who believed I caused his true love Gabrielle to vanish, shoved me out there, making me pay for my supposed sins. Then, a phone call. Gabrielle was back. Suddenly, I went from a neglected wife to the household's lowliest servant, abused by Ethan, Gabrielle, and every staff member. They said I betrayed her, that I was a vile, jealous creature. My health deteriorated, coughing blood, fading into a shadow. They drugged me, paraded me before a hateful crowd, publicly shaming me as the "disgraced sister" while Gabrielle, the "victim," stood radiant. My own father watched, approving. How could my life twist into such a nightmare? How could everyone believe such monstrous lies about me, turning me into a monster in their eyes? I was already dying, isolated and shattered, when Gabrielle and a bribed maid claimed I' d leaked scandalous stories. Something inside me snapped. I grabbed the nearest thing-a heavy letter opener-and plunged it into Gabrielle. I expected more pain, more condemnation, maybe even death. But what came next would unravel everything, exposing the shocking truth from beyond my grave.

For five blissful years, I poured my heart and soul into saving Ethan Lester, the tragic hero from a TV show, now the man I loved. Our wedding was just seven days away, my mission 99% complete, a lifetime of happiness within reach. Then, his voice, thick with emotion, echoed from the guesthouse. "Annie, I never stopped loving you." He declared I was just "static," background noise to his enduring love for Annabel, his wealthy ex-fiancée. The woman whose family destroyed him. The woman for whom he promised to still take a bullet. That promise felt like a bullet through my own heart, erasing my entire existence, my sacrifice of literally taking a bullet for him. How could he betray me so completely, after all we had built, after the life I gave him back? I yanked out my phone, contact the program, my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands: "I want to pull the plug. I' m going home."

The crystal chandeliers of the Houston Museum of Fine Arts glittered, reflecting what should have been the most perfect night of my life. My fiancée, Gabby Chadwick, stood on that gala stage, not hand-in-hand with me, but clasped firmly with Tony Johns, the very quarterback my family had plucked from obscurity. "My heart belongs to Tony," her amplified voice echoed, shattering the stunned silence and every last piece of my dignity. "Ryan and I are over." In that flash of a camera, I, Ryan Fowler, son of an oil tycoon, became a public spectacle, the jilted fiancé, left standing alone in a sea of whispers and pity. My parents, pillars of Houston society, saw not a heartbroken son, but a "publicly castrated" embarrassment, a "laughingstock." "That boy is dead," my mother declared, her eyes hard as diamonds, as my father exiled me to the brutal oil rigs, demanding I learn to build my own power. They thought they had broken me. But as I tasted the ash of their disappointment, a different kind of fire ignited within me. I swore then and there, the words a silent vow: I will come back, and I will dismantle everything the Chadwicks have ever built. I will make her regret the day she ever knew my name.

Five years ago, I threw the man I loved into a freezing river, a desperate act to save him from a corporate poison. I watched him float away, believing I was saving his life, not realizing I was shattering his heart. Then, he came back. Ethan, now a ruthless logging magnate, stormed into my forest home, transforming my world into a hell of pure, calculated revenge. He saw only my "betrayal," not the sacrifice. He systematically destroyed me. He flayed my iridescent skin for his lover's grotesque art piece, forced a miscarriage that stole our child and my physical connection to life, then left me to die, broken and bleeding on a cold floor. My family, my people, all suffered because of his blind hatred. How could the man I loved become such a monster? How could he believe the lies when I gave up everything for him? My last breath was a whispered curse, a burning hate for a man who had ripped away my love, my future, and my very essence. But death was not my end. My soul, a tormented echo, remained tethered to him, trapped, watching his own descent into madness and destructive vengeance. Now, his final, fiery act has unleashed a silent, deadly plague upon the ancient forest, the Heartwood, threatening to erase my people from existence. And I, a ghost with the cure, must find a way to save them.

A phone call from my oldest friend, Wendy, ripped through the quiet of my garage. Her panicked voice claimed ruthless bikers had taken her, demanding I fix their custom bikes for her freedom. Without a second thought, I sped into the Mojave desert to rescue her. But when I arrived, Wendy betrayed me, knocking me out and delivering me to a biker gang. I came to, discovering the bikes-thirteen identical, menacing machines-were ones I had custom-built years ago for their enigmatic leader, Deacon. Imprisoned in a foul container, I risked everything, engraving my unique mechanic's mark on a spark plug for Mama Fuller to relay to Deacon, hoping he'd remember me. Yet, Wendy, my supposed sister, shrieked out my secret to Ryan, the gang' s sadistic interim leader. He retaliated by shooting Mama Fuller and throwing a gun on the floor, demanding Wendy and I fight to the death. As I lunged for the weapon, bracing for the worst, I couldn't comprehend how my life had plunged into such a brutal nightmare. Now, trapped in a world of violence and betrayal, I must confront the past I thought I'd buried and fight for a future I never imagined.

Katherine endured mistreatment for three years as Julian's wife, sacrificing everything for love. But when his sister drugged her and sent her to a client's bed, Katherine finally snapped. She left behind divorce papers, walking away from the toxic marriage. Years later, Katherine returned as a radiant star with the world at her feet. When Julian saw her again, he couldn't ignore the uncanny resemblance between her new love and himself. He had been nothing but a stand-in for someone else. Desperate to make sense of the past, Julian pressed Katherine, asking, "Did I mean nothing to you?"

"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"

For ten years, Daniela showered her ex-husband with unwavering devotion, only to discover she was just his biggest joke. Feeling humiliated yet determined, she finally divorced him. Three months later, Daniela returned in grand style. She was now the hidden CEO of a leading brand, a sought-after designer, and a wealthy mining mogul—her success unveiled at her triumphant comeback. Her ex-husband’s entire family rushed over, desperate to beg for forgiveness and plead for another chance. Yet Daniela, now cherished by the famed Mr. Phillips, regarded them with icy disdain. "I’m out of your league."

Sawyer, the world's top arms dealer, stunned everyone by falling for Maren—the worthless girl no one respected. People scoffed. Why chase a useless pretty face? But when powerful elites began gathering around her, jaws dropped. "She's not even married to him yet—already cashing in on his power?" they assumed. Curious eyes dug into Maren's past... only to find she was a scientific genius, a world-renowned medical expert, and heiress to a mafia empire. Later, Sawyer posted online. "My wife treats me like the enemy. Any advice?"

Season 1: Vanessa Saxon was once married to Luca Kensington, the cold and distant CEO of K Group. But when she was seven months pregnant, her adopted sister, Beatriz Langley, falsely accused her of having an affair with her best friend, Daxton Radcliffe, and carrying his child. The worst part? Luca believed Beatriz. In a fit of rage, Luca demanded their baby be removed prematurely, leading to a tragic event where Vanessa nearly died from the ordeal. Saved by Daxton, Vanessa disappeared. Now, five years later, she returns-stronger and determined-alongside her daughter, Isla Saxon, to exact her revenge on those who wronged her. SEASON 2: Framed for a crime she didn't commit, Senna Thorne lost everything-her family, her freedom, and the man she once loved. Betrayed and abandoned, she was sentenced to a fate worse than death. Magnus Voss, the ruthless billionaire who once held her heart, now sees her as nothing more than a murderer, a woman unworthy of mercy. But when fate grants her a second chance, she returns under a new name, Zara Skye-no longer the broken woman he cast aside. Yet Magnus refuses to let go. He sees her, he feels her, and deep down, he knows-she is the ghost that haunts him, the love he once destroyed. But this time, Senna isn't here for love. She's here for vengeance. When their paths collide once more, will he uncover the truth before it's too late? Or will her revenge burn them both to ashes?

They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."