He found the idea of having a wife distasteful and repulsive, but why does his heart beat faster every time he sees HER? ********** Catherine Jones is a gorgeous and successful journalist, slowly mending her broken heart after a devastating betrayal from her long-term boyfriend and envious stepsister. Her miserable life takes an unexpected turn when she gets a marriage proposal from the most powerful king in the world, who sees her potential. Shawn Ivan Larson, the sinfully handsome billionaire King of Australia, was under immense pressure to find a suitable bride to assist with royal duties. 'The people need a Queen.' Unfortunately, his personality was as icy, cold, and ruthless as the Arctic sea, sending chills down the spines of those who dared to cross his path. What's worse? A past betrayal from his first love made him harbor a deep-seated hatred toward the opposite gender. How can he cope with having a wife?
Catherine Jones stood frozen in the doorway, her heart pounding in her chest. The scene before her seemed surreal, yet painfully real. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight of Tristan and Evelyn, her stepsister, tangled in each other's arms on the king-sized bed.
A few hours ago, she'd gotten an anonymous text message from someone who said her boyfriend was in a hotel with some girl. The text contained the hotel room number and some additional details. However, she didn't want to believe it. She had trusted Tristan too much and almost deleted it, thinking it was some sort of sick joke.
But something inside her urged her to confront her fears head-on. And now, she wished she had never entered that room. The betrayal cut through her like a knife, shattering the illusion of trust she had built with Tristan over three years.
Her voice trembled as she found her words. "Tristan... How... How could you?"
Tristan sat up on the bed and turned towards her, his eyes avoiding hers. There was a flicker of guilt in his gaze, quickly masked by indifference. He was already planning to break up with Catherine for a while now, but he was too chickenhearted to bring up the discussion. Perhaps, her finding out like this was for the better.
There wasn't a single sympathy in his voice as he spoke. "I'm sorry, Catherine, but I've always liked Evelyn. I can't deny my feelings for her anymore."
Catherine's heart shattered into even smaller fragments as his words sank in. She had given Tristan everything, believing their love was unbreakable. Yet, here he stood, confessing his attraction to her stepsister and showing no remorse for his actions.
"So, I was just a placeholder until you could be with her? Was I ever important to you?" Catherine choked, fighting back tears.
"You were important at some point, but now I'm sick and tired of you. Evelyn is different. She understands me in a way you never could."
"You... You're heartless... a monster."
"Don't act like you're innocent in all of this. You were so clingy, always demanding attention." Tristan scoffed irritably.
"I loved you! I gave everything I had to make us work." Catherine shouted at the top of her lungs. Her entire body was trembling now and she felt her legs could give way at any moment.
He replied with a sneer, his lips curling in contempt. "We were together for three years, it was always the same routine with you and I got bored. You were always more focused on your job anyway. Evelyn here brought excitement back into my life."
Catherine's eyes blazed with fury as she turned her attention to Evelyn who was watching their exchange with keen interest. She had a devilish smirk on her face as if she'd achieved something glorious. Catherine's eyes widened in realization. Evelyn had orchestrated this whole thing. The text message she had received, the timing of it all-it was all part of Evelyn's plan to destroy her happiness. She wanted Catherine to catch them in the act all along.
"You... You planned this, didn't you, Evelyn? You wanted to hurt me, to see me suffer." Catherine spat, her voice dripping with venom.
"Yeah, so?" Evelyn shrugged, her smirk widening as she wrapped herself in the bedsheet.
"Funny how you conveniently sent me the address. You couldn't stand seeing me happy, could you? You've been jealous of me since we were kids, but I never thought you would stoop this low."
"I simply took what I wanted. Tristan is mine now, and there's nothing you can do about it. You always were so blind. Did you really think he would choose you over me? I've always been the one he desired," Evelyn said mockingly, her voice dripping with malice.
Catherine couldn't believe what she was hearing. The man she loved, the one she thought she would spend her life with, had turned into a heartless stranger. And Evelyn, her stepsister, was reveling in her pain. The pain and betrayal coursed through Catherine's veins, but she refused to let them break her. Wiping away her tears, she straightened her shoulders and looked at them with newfound strength.
"You've shown your true colors, Tristan. I hope you find the excitement you crave."
Catherine turned on her heels and walked away, leaving behind the shattered pieces of a love she once believed in. As she stepped out into the cold night, the tears flowed freely and blurred her vision. She didn't know how she drove back home in that state but it was definitely a miracle. She went straight to her bathroom, turned on the cold shower, and sat under it, crying furiously.
She was almost nineteen years old when she started dating Tristan Presley, who was twenty-two at the time. He was one of the young masters of the Presley Family, the 7th most powerful family in Australia. Their friendship went way back to when she was about fourteen. And they officially started dating 5 years later after meeting again at a get-together event for Melbourne-raised youngsters. He was her whole world and she loved him to the moon and back.
And now, she caught him red-handed sleeping with her malicious stepsister, Evelyn Jones. Ever since they were little girls, Catherine knows Evelyn has been obsessed with taking everything she loved and cherished away from her. It has lasted for as long as she could ever remember. Right from when they were both wearing diapers to their era of playing with Barbie dolls and so on. She would rather live her life trying to upset Catherine and make her miserable.
Catherine couldn't help but laugh at herself for believing in the love she shared with Tristan. She was only twenty-three years old with her whole life ahead of her. Not to mention, she was also a completely stunning woman with her very long brown hair locks and beautiful brown eyes to compliment it. She had an amazing model-like slender figure, standing tall at 5ft10. Anywhere she went, she was sure to turn heads.
Which man in his right mind wouldn't fall for her anyway? It was surely Tristan's loss and sooner or later, he would regret what he did to her. She gave him her all and poured her blood, sweat, and tears to make their love work for years only to be sidelined and abandoned in the worst way possible.
After crying her eyes out for hours, she wiped away her last round of tears and turned on her Tv, hoping for something to distract her from thinking about the betrayal.
As Catherine flicked on the television, she mindlessly scrolled through the channels for something interesting to watch. Her attention was immediately captured by the sight of a regal figure standing at a grand podium. Her heart skipped a bit and her breath became hoarse as she recognized the face.
"I own you now, so you don't get to call the shots.” He leaned in closer, his hot breath fanning against her ear. “You're mine, and you will do as I say, Wifey.” *********** A few weeks before her wedding, Kourtney Allen’s perfect world comes crashing down when she discovers her fiancé cheating with her biological sister, Kathlyn. She rushes home to seek support, only to get slapped by her father. She then realized her parents approved of the affair because Kathlyn was their favorite child. Sebastian, the strikingly handsome city’s most powerful billionaire who suffers from an unusual allergy to females is surprised and intrigued to find he feels no adverse effects with Kourtney. He crafts a cunning scheme that ends in a flash marriage. But, how will Kourtney come to terms with being his wife when he was the exact kind of man she despised the most? An arrogant, domineering, and unfeeling psychopath with an ego the size of Mount Everest! He was dubbed by the media as “The Stone-Hearted CEO” due to his terrible personality. To HIM, marriage meant control, dominance, and ownership of his possession - HER. Yet, Kourtney swore to break free from his obsessive clutches. When the secret behind her birth is revealed to the world, and when his first love returns to claim his heart, would he finally let HER go?
Her fiance and her best friend worked together and set her up. She lost everything and died in the street. However, she was reborn. The moment she opened her eyes, her husband was trying to strangle her. Luckily, she survived that. She signed the divorce agreement without hesitation and was ready for her miserable life. To her surprise, her mother in this life left her a great deal of money. She turned the tables and avenged herself. Everything went well in her career and love when her ex-husband came to her.
Elin spent twenty years deeply loving her husband, finally marrying him just as she'd always dreamed. But reality shattered her illusions—he wasn't the man she believed. Instead, he callously destroyed her family, crushing her heart beyond repair. At her lowest point, Ruben, equally betrayed that night, approached her steadily. "Marry me, Elin. I'll help you take revenge." Yet, after their wedding, she quickly discovered he was dangerously unpredictable. "I made a mistake. Let's divorce..." Ruben slid his arm possessively around her waist, whispering a chilling promise, "Only in death."
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?"
Melanie married Ashton out of gratitude, but she quickly found herself entangled in a web of relentless challenges. Despite these struggles, she stayed true to her commitment to the marriage. In the hospital room, Ashton indifferently attempted to draw her blood, disregarding her discomfort. This callous act was a harsh revelation for Melanie, awakening her to the grim reality of their relationship. Resolved to prioritize her own welfare, she decided to sever ties. With newfound resolve, Melanie filed for divorce. In the process, she unveiled her concealed identities, leaving everyone in shock. Throughout these turbulent times, Melanie realized that Derek, Ashton’s uncle, had been discreetly protecting her all along.
"Sign the divorce papers and get out!" Leanna got married to pay a debt, but she was betrayed by her husband and shunned by her in-laws. Seeing that her efforts were in vain, she agreed to divorce and claimed her half of the properties. With her purse plump from the settlement, Leanna enjoyed her newfound freedom. The constant harassment from her ex's mistress never fazed her. She took back her identities as top hacker, champion racer, medical professor, and renowned jewelry designer. Then someone discovered her secret. Matthew smiled. "Will you have me as your next husband?"
"I want a divorce!" Ryan demanded, despite the fact that he had cheated on her with his ex. ~ Serena is no longer the quiet, romantic lady Ryan Winters married and divorced five years ago. Now the CEO of Rocky's Designs, she is bright, unwavering, and unapologetic about her independence-a far cry from the woman Ryan remembers. When fate brings them back into one another's lives, Ryan is forced to confront the truth about their past, their newfound hot chemistry, and a surprising revelation; Serena has a daughter who may be his. But Ryan's girlfriend, Kate, isn't prepared to lose him again. She will do whatever it takes to keep Ryan in her grasp-even if it means destroying Serena's life and the corporate empire she has built. What happens when Serena's now peaceful life is being disrupted? Will Serena lose once again or will she seize this billionaire's heart?