After finishing high school, Isabella finds herself at crossroads in her life. Her parents and Scott, a gorgeous and rich stranger who is secretly in love with her gave her an ultimatum, forcing her to choose between a career that promises her a chance to become all that she can be, or Michael, the guy she's in love with. Hearts are broken as Isabella's boundaries and courage are tested in this epic love story.
I finish drying my blades and cover them before shoving my figure skates into my bag. The change room is deserted now because it's taken me this long just to get ready to leave. Minutes before the Ice resurfacing machine took to the ice, I fell on my umpteenth attempt at a triple axel. I've been working on that jump for over a year now, and I still can't get it.
Competitors two years younger than myself can land it, and they even make it look easy, so why can't I do it? My parents are getting frustrated watching my multiple attempts, they don't even come to the rink anymore. As I get up from the bench, I feel this new pulling sensation in my hamstrings. I hobble out of the change room towards the front doors. Beams of sunlight stream through the lobby, I know if I didn't hurry I'm going to be late for school.
My mom's white Avalon is parked by itself at the far end of the parking lot. I curse myself for not foreseeing the possibility of injury and choosing a spot closer to the front doors. I hobble through the parking lot with my skating bag slung over my shoulder, each step is more painful than the last. I reflect bitterly on my skating career and wonder if it is time to pack it in for a more normal life.
My friend Anna has been encouraging me since freshman year of high school to start spending more time with her. She wants to go out, do things, meet more boys. I always give her excuses, hardly able to spare free time for her. Her patience with me is wearing thin, and her dedication to our friendship is sorely being tested frequently. As my butt clumsily hits the car seat, a slight pain sears down my calf, I swear to myself things are going to be different. I never want to set foot in another ice arena for as long as I live. I stare out the windshield to what appears to be a promising day and insert the key into the ignition. The car comes to life and I'm off to school.
I make it to class ambulating in the hallways like a ninety years old arthritic man with just under two minutes to spare. I carefully lower myself onto my assigned chair. Devotion is only ten minutes long, so I know I will have to get up from my chair immediately after making myself comfortable. There's absolutely no reprieve for me today.
The principal comes across the Platform speaker saying, "Will everyone please stand for the playing of National Anthem and our morning prayer?" Using my desk and my chair for support I slowly rise as the static plays with bits of the anthem in the background. The School Board really needs to invest in new equipment. There is a pause and then the principal comes back on to give us his usual lengthy morning prayer. Today the focus is on a cure for Corona.
Michael, a guy who has no idea I exist whispers to me, "Are you okay? You are moving around like you are debilitated or something. What happened to you?" He's, the cutest guy in second year class, I only see him for ten minutes each day and the only time he notices me is when I'm lame. He stands at least six feet tall making him the shortest guy on our school's basketball team. His shaggy dirty blond hair hangs over the most gorgeous set of puppy-dog brown eyes I've ever seen. His facial features look like they are drawn with a ruler, and his beefy body is littered with muscles. He's far from tall and lanky which is what all the other guys look like who are his age and on the basketball team.
Mrs. Bridget our teacher lowers her glasses and glares directly at Michael sending him this nasty look for talking during her attendance. He ignores her just nodding back when his name is called. This buys me a second of time to admire him without the fear of him catching me drooling.
"Skating injury," I whisper back. The loud bell rings signaling for us to proceed to our first period. I ease myself out of my chair and swing my bag over my shoulder not realizing he's watching me. It's too late to disguise my agony.
"You better get that looked at," he comments.
"Thanks," I grimace stepping forward with my sore leg, a sharp pain shoots down into my knee. Taken by surprise, my knee buckles and I almost collapse, but Michael is there, and he catches me. Oh my God! I'm breathless as I find myself in his arms, the most gorgeous guy in the tenth grade. I so can't wait to tell Anna. He helps me up and lets me lean on him for support. I coach myself to breath, as I immediately try to regain my composure, "You shouldn't be walking on it if you are in that much pain," he wisely comments.
I try massaging my leg, "It wasn't this bad before." "Can I help you go anywhere?"
"Uh, sure, I have my mother's car," I stammer.
"Will you be able to drive?" He asks, his cute face contorting.
"Sure, I think once I get in the car I'll be fine." That's all the encouragement he seems to need. He takes my bag and places it over his shoulder and then hoists me up into his arms. Suddenly my day is getting a whole lot better. I wrap my arms around his neck touching his soft hair in the process and then I sniff quietly trying to pick up the subtle scent of his perfume. He looks at me startled, "Did you just smell me?"
Embarrassed at being caught, I turn red with mortification and start chuckling. Clearly amused, our eyes lock and I feel a flash of nervousness. For a second it is like in the movies just before the guy kisses the girl, he looks at her lips and then into her eyes before looking back down at her lips again. I swear if we would have been anywhere but here, in the corridor of the school he probably would have kissed me. The mood is instantaneously lost as friends start bumping into us with curious expressions on their faces. Everyone parts ways for us as he continues carrying me. If not for the pain searing down my leg, the ride in his arms would have been way more enjoyable.
"I'm taking you to the hospital," he insists, "in my car."
"You'll miss school," I argue.
"All the more reason," he beams. He carries me to his new looking black Mercedes that is parked only a couple of cars away from mine. He carefully lowers me down onto the ground, so he can get his keys from his pocket.
"I'll drop you off at the emergency department," he suggests.
"The emergency department? You think it's that serious?" I question.
"You can't walk," he points out.
"It's going to take hours," I complain.
He shrugs, "I can afford to miss a day of school."
"I better text my mother," I say pulling out my phone from the side pocket of my purse.
ISABELLA: Mom are you there?
MOM: Yes
ISABELLA: I had to leave school & go to the hospital.
MOM: What happened? Are you Okay?
ISABELLA: It's my right leg. I Fell hard.
MOM: Triple Axel?
ISABELLA: Yes, Michael (classmate) is taking me there now.
MOM: Why didn't you go sooner?
ISABELLA: It got worse after I got off the ice.
MOM: I'll meet you there.
MOM: you don't need 2. I'll text you when I'm done. Michael 's with me, I'll be fine.
ISABELLA: I want to hear what the doctor says.
ISABELLA: I'll get them to call U
"Is she meeting us there?" asks Michael.
"No, I told her she doesn't have to, I'll call or text her when I know more."
He drives stick and every time he changes gears I'm forced back into my seat.
"I like your car," I compliment.
His lip curls in response. I gently toss my phone back into my bag and try not to look over in his direction until we arrive at the hospital.
Rejected by her kind, marked as a witch and sold into slavery, Kristen's life took a turn for the worse. Fortunately, a Lycan named Arthur buys Kristen's sister to be his nanny, and he was persuaded to purchase Kristen as well. Kristen and Arthur's attraction to each other is undeniable. But she fears the worst if he learns who and what she truly is. If her own kind reject her for her powers, how could Arthur accept her?
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."
6 years ago, Lydia suffered a brutal betrayal orchestrated by her own husband and step-sister, who drugged her and framed her. In a twist of fate, she ended up having a one-night stand with a stranger. Don't even remember what he looked like. Later, in the throes of death, she discovered the truth about her mother's death all those years ago. In the blink of an eye, she lost everything. 6 years later, Lydia returned with her genius son, vowing to exact revenge on all her enemies! Little did she know, she encountered an incredibly familiar man at the airport! *** The man was briskly pushing open the door to the restroom, heading to the urinal. Even with such a mundane action, he did it with unparalleled elegance and grace. Lydia, following him in a daze, saw his fierce lower body and suddenly snapped back to reality. She let out a high-pitched scream, instinctively covering her eyes with her hands, her cheeks flushed, and stood there stiffly, unsure of what to do. Lambert furrowed his brows slightly but remained calm as he continued to relieve himself. The sound of water hitting the urinal made Lydia's face even redder. She angrily shouted, "You pervert!" Little did Lydia know that Lambert, seeing her in this state, had a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Memories from many years ago flashed through his mind, and his heart couldn't help but stir. It was her!
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
The day Lilah found out that she was pregnant, she caught her fiancé cheating on her. Her remorseless fiancé and his mistress almost killed her. Lilah fled for her dear life. When she returned to her hometown five years later, she happened to save a little boy's life. The boy's father turned out to be the world's richest man. Everything changed for Lilah from that moment. The man didn't let her experience any inconvenience. When her ex-fiancé bullied her, he crushed the scumbag's family and also rented out an entire island just to give Lilah a break from all the drama. He also taught Lilah's hateful father a lesson. He crushed all her enemies before she even asked. When Lilah's vile sister threw herself at him, he showed her a marriage certificate and said, "I'm happily married and my wife is much more beautiful than you are!" Lilah was shocked. "When did we ever get married? Last I checked, I was still single." With a wicked smile, he said, "Honey, we've been married for five years. Isn't it about time we had another child together?" Lilah's jaw dropped to the floor. What the hell was he talking about?
Elodie took a deep breath and knocked, the sound echoing in the quiet corridor. A moment of silence passed, broken only by the pounding of her heart. Finally, the door snicked open, revealing a surprised Dashiell. 'Can't you see the Do Not Disturb sign? We don't want-' His initial frown quickly morphed into confusion at the sight of his wife. 'What are you doing here?' he demanded. 'Your girlfriend invited me,' Elodie replied, her voice laced with icy calm. She tried to peer past him, but his broad frame blocked the view. A saccharine voice chimed in from within the room. 'Elodie? Oh dear, we didn't mean for you to find out this way. It's just that-' Elodie cut her short. 'Oh please, Selene. Spare me the fake apologies. You wouldn't have sent me all those texts if you didn't want me to know.' Dashiell shifted uncomfortably, his face a mask of annoyance. 'What texts?' Elodie stepped past him, taking in the luxurious suite with a sardonic smile. The king-sized bed, the scattered rose petals, the lingering scent of sex – it all painted a vivid picture of their betrayal. She looked up at Dashiell, her gaze unwavering. 'I want a divorce.' ****** Dashiell lived a life of luxury, surrounded by the best things money could buy. But when a car accident left him vulnerable, he met Elodie, a seemingly ordinary woman who nursed him back to health. Mistaking her for just another employee, Dashiell entered into a loveless marriage with her solely for convenience. However, fate had a different script in store. Elodie, the 'ordinary nurse,' held a secret more precious than any diamond: she was the sole heiress to Northstar, a vast and powerful enterprise. Unaware of her true identity, Dashiell cast her aside when his ex-girlfriend returned, leaving Elodie humiliated. But Elodie was not one to be easily broken. She shed the facade of the meek nurse, reclaiming her rightful inheritance and stepping into the role of Northstar's CEO. Now, the woman Dashiell discarded was the one holding the reins of power. As Elodie thrives in her new role, Dashiell is consumed by regret. He finally sees Elodie for the extraordinary woman she truly is, realising the depth of his mistake. But will his remorse be enough to win back the heart he so carelessly discarded?
After a painful breakup with her boyfriend of two years who coldly told her to her face that he couldn't keep dating her because she was too uptight--In a moment of anger and defiance, Anna decided to throw caution to the wind for one reckless night. She headed to the wildest club in Texas, determined to lose herself in the chaos. But fate had other plans. To her shock, she ran into her ex-boyfriend at the club. Desperate to save face, she made a split-second decision and approached a stranger, pretending he was her new boyfriend. What she never anticipated was the magnetic pull she would feel towards him or the fact that she'd end up going home with this mystery man. Soon enough, the real surprise hit her--this stranger wasn't just anyone; he was her new boss. What begins as a night of rebellion spirals into a whirlwind of forbidden attraction, societal pressure and hidden affairs. And now there are so many things at stake. Find out how this story unfolds.