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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...
Maria took her sister’s place and was engaged to Anthony, a disabled man who had lost his status as the family heir. At first, they were just a nominal couple. However, things changed when things about Maria were gradually exposed. It turned out she was a professional hacker, a mysterious composer, and the sole successor to an international jade sculpting master… The more that was revealed about her, the less Anthony could rest easy. A famous singer, an award-winning actor, an heir of a rich family—so many excellent men were chasing after his fiancee, Maria. What should Anthony do?
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”
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."
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?"