Julia Simmons was a woman who worked hard for her family's future. In order to take care of her ailing parents and younger brother, she gave up college and began working multiple jobs to make ends meet. It was the day when she first met Nathaniel Adams that her life changed forever. Nathaniel Adams was the mysterious, hidden CEO of a famous gaming company with office branches around the world and overwhelming international success. He had never shown his face in public, however. But even with his wealth and achievements, Nathan became increasingly depressed and longed for affection. He met Julia by chance in a bar where she often sang. Captivated by her voice, Nathan became interested in her and chose to hide his identity for a while. When he started getting to know Julia, he quickly discovered that she was smart, independent, and hardworking, which only increased his admiration for her. When he learned of her financial instability, he offered her a deal: he would buy her time, and in return, she would accompany him as a friend. However, spending so much time together, even though it was a monetary transaction, would often lead to the development of feelings. It was then that Julia realized that her decision not to give Nathan her heart wasn't as easy as she had thought it would be.
I remembered some people saying that love made you see things that were more beautiful than they actually appeared.
Right now, I watched the man who was sitting across from me, his arms folded on the table with his head resting on them as he slept. I propped an elbow and laid my chin on my hand, gazing at him with interest.
I had noticed this many times before, but it never failed to surprise me every time. He was still so handsome since the day I first met him, and he never lost that childlike innocence to him despite him already being in his late twenties.
I still couldn't believe that the man sleeping in front of me was the same man who was the CEO of the biggest company NA Games Inc., which was known all over the world for its global and international success in producing the best video games.
To be honest, I had never tried their games before, but my brother loved to play them whenever he had time, and his eyes would always light up whenever I bought him a new game of theirs for his birthday and for Christmas.
As I continued watching this man, I couldn't help but feel amazed and confused at the same time.
'Nathaniel Adams...'
'Why me?'
This was probably a question that I would keep asking myself for a long, long time.
Of all the beautiful women out there who were intelligent and successful, he chose me.
Why?
***
Five years ago, I had been in love with the idea of romance.
My friends sometimes called me 'Julia the Hopeless Romantic' and 'Julia the Innocent Girl', because I would often talk about love, how much it interested me, and how I longed for a harmonious relationship that was filled with trust and affection.
When I was in high school, I would read tons of romance novels and squeal over cheesy romance movies. I would also get really excited whenever one of my friends was dating.
But I never got to experience love for myself, probably because I was too scared to try it out or because I found love much more interesting in books and movies rather than in real life. I did have my fair share of crushes though, but those were simply pleasant yet hopeless dreams.
I wasn't the most attractive girl on campus back then. I had short, mousy brown hair and a few pimples on my cheek due to puberty. My eyes were a dull shade of gray, and I was basically unnoticeable.
It was only when I graduated high school that I noticed the obvious changes in myself. My hair grew longer until it fell in soft waves below my shoulders, my eyes appeared a bit bigger than usual, my chest filled out considerably, and my curves started to develop. It had been a fascinating change since I could see that I was starting to mature from a meek-looking teenager to a young adult who was now eighteen.
When the university period rolled in, everyone around me was either dating or in love with someone. I was fresh in college at that time, and after being curious enough and telling myself to finally go for it, I tried searching for my own soulmate as well.
My 'soulmate' back then was a student from the same college who majored in IT. I was at a karaoke bar with some friends who also invited a few guys that they knew. After I sang two songs and everybody clapped for me, one of the guys approached me and asked for my name.
Most of the people there were already drunk, but I was one of the few who were still sober. I didn't like to drink that much and preferred water over beer.
But this guy... I could tell that he was clearly drunk.
His name was Tom Wallace, and he was a lean, slender man with plain features. His hair was black and neatly combed, and he had brown eyes and an attractive smile. I was charmed by him almost immediately, and within two hours of talking, I agreed to one date.
We arranged a meeting at a nearby café. I could still remember how impressed I was that he still remembered our date despite him being tipsy at that time. I even thought to myself that he might've forgotten about it, that it was all just some harmless fun that didn't need to be taken seriously.
But he didn't forget.
We talked a lot and discovered that we had a few things in common, much to my delight. I found that he was easy to talk to and that he liked to laugh a lot. He had a natural charm that drew me to him immediately.
I really liked Tom.
We started dating after that. He was patient, gentle, and had a natural way with words. He never got angry at anything, and he never got mad at me, either. He also always insisted on paying whenever we had a meal together.
He had hinted a few times about sleeping together, sometimes even suggesting it as subtly as he could. However, we weren't that far into our relationship yet, so I politely refused him. Even after that, he was very understanding and promised that he would wait for me when I was ready.
He was the perfect gentleman. I thought that I was the luckiest girl alive.
It turned out that I was wrong.
After dating for a year, I planned to surprise him on his birthday with the wallet that he'd been talking about so excitedly for months. He didn't ask me to buy it for him, and he didn't imply anything to me at all, but I took note of this detail simply because I wanted to make him happy. Even though money was tight, I did my best to save up for him just to see that delighted smile on his face.
But the moment I snuck into his apartment, I heard something.
Something that shattered my heart into a thousand little pieces.
As I approached the bedroom, the sound of moaning reached my ears. It wasn't a sound that one made out of pain, but one out of lust. I could even hear a woman's voice saying 'faster' over and over.
I wasn't naive enough not to realize what was happening.
I wanted to deny it right then and there. I wanted to pretend that I was just hearing things, that I was just tired and hallucinating.
But when I froze right there, the noises just kept getting louder and louder. No matter how hard I tried to pretend it was a dream, the reality was hitting me harder than a sledgehammer.
And when I opened the door, it only got worse.
The sight of Tom and another woman in his bed would never be erased from my memory for a long, long time.
Mikhail Ivanov was the most powerful vampire in the city of Azallea. He was known to be cold, ruthless, and skilled, which made him the subject of fear and admiration from both humans and supernaturals. However, with great power came several enemies seeking to ruin his reputation and take his life. The problem was that he had no known weaknesses. Until one day, when Cassy Lenoir came into his life. That fateful night, Mikhail discovered something surprising. Cassy was his human mate, and she was bleeding to death. After healing her with his vampire blood, he took her to his home and made her be his woman for three months. Was a vampire truly heartless? Mikhail would soon discover that he was, indeed, capable of love. And Cassy was the woman who would show him that he had a heart deep inside him, after all.
Michael McGregor is one of the most prominent and successful businessmen in the country. He is also one of the most sought-after bachelors in the city. Both men and women wonder why he remains single and unmarried in his thirties. In truth, for fourteen years, Michael McGregor has never stopped trying to find his first love back in high school, the beautiful and intelligent Hailey van Gowen. When he finally locates her one day, he's in for the shock of his life. Hailey has changed her identity and is now going by the name of Camille Parker. Not only that, but she is also the personal secretary of Christian Callahan, Michael's strongest competitor in the shopping mall industry. Later on, Michael discovers that there's another secret that Camille's been hiding, one that ties her personally to Christian Callahan…
Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"
In their three years of marriage, Chelsea had been a dutiful wife to Edmund. She used to think that her love and care would someday melt Edmund's cold heart, but she was wrong. Finally, she couldn't take the disappointment any longer and chose to end the marriage. Edmund had always thought that his wife was just boring and dull. So it was shocking when Chelsea suddenly threw divorce papers at his face in front of everyone at the Nelson Group's anniversary party. How humiliating! After that, everyone thought that the formerly-married couple would never see each other again, even Chelsea. Once again, she thought wrong. Sometime later, at an award ceremony, Chelsea went onstage to accept the award for best screenplay. Her ex-husband, Edmund, was the one presenting the award to her. As he handed her the trophy, he suddenly reached for her hand and pleaded humbly in front of the audience, "Chelsea, I'm sorry I didn't cherish you before. Could you please give me another chance?" Chelsea looked at him indifferently. "I'm sorry, Mr. Nelson. My only concern now is my business." Edmund's heart was shattered into a million pieces. "Chelsea, I really can't live without you." But his ex-wife just walked away. Wasn't it better for her to just concentrate on her career? Men would only distract her—especially her ex-husband.
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.
Sandra Hill, the long-lost real heiress of the Hill family, was shunned by her own kin. Instead of embracing her, they bestowed their affection upon an impostor. They even arranged her to marry a vegetative man in place of her so-called “sister”. Sandra sneered, refusing to put up with this humiliation, cut off ties with the Hill family immediately and ran into the flash marriage with Wesley Cooper, her unconscious billionaire husband. With her incredible medical skills, she defied the odds and revived him. Little did she expect that her husband spoiled her with all his love... A medical genius, a computer prodigy, a national treasure in painting, and a racing legend... Her husband revealed her various identities, leaving the Hill family regretful. Her father came pleading, "It's Dad's fault. Please come back." Her mother wept, "Mom will protect you from now on. Please come back." Even her five brothers knelt before he, begging for forgiveness. Yet, Sandra's smile held a hint of mockery as she vowed, “Never!”
Ava Adler was a nerdy omega. People bullied her because they thought she was ugly and unattractive. But Ava secretly loved the bad boy, Ian Dawson. He was the future Alpha of the Mystic Shadow Pack. However, he never gave a damn about rules and laws, as he only liked to play around with girls. Ava was unaware of Ian's arrogance until her fate intertwined with his. He neglected her and hurt her deeply. What would happen when Ava turned out to be a beautiful girl who could win over any boy, and Ian looked back and regretted his decisions? What if she had a secret identity that she had yet to discover? What if the tables turned and lan begged her not to leave him?
"Never let anyone treat you like shit!" I learned that the hard way. For three years, I lived with my in-laws. They didn't treat me as their son-in-law but as a slave. I put up with everything because of my wife, Yolanda Lambert. She was the light of my life. Unfortunately, my whole world came crashing down the day I caught my wife cheating on me. I have never been so heartbroken. To have my revenge, I revealed my true identity. I was none other than Liam Hoffman—the heir of a family with trillions of dollars in assets! The Lamberts were utterly shocked after the big reveal. They realized what fools they had been for treating me like trash. My wife even knelt down and begged for my forgiveness. What do you think I did? Did I take her back or made her suffer? Find out!