"Will you, Drew Walton, take Lilian Rose Martin, to be your lawful wedded wife, to share your life openly, standing with her in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in hardship and in ease, to cherish and love, now and forevermore?" Lily believed she had no purpose within her family. She had never been treated responsibly and frequently endured physical abuse from her father and other family members. Even the housemaids showed her no kindness, considering her a nuisance. Her value only became apparent when she was forced to marry into the Walton Family. Lily was terrified of Drew, the man she was to marry, but she was bound by her duty as a Martin. On their first wedding night, Drew confessed that he didn't like her. She was unlike the women he typically dated. Who would desire someone with her limited education, slim figure, and unattractive appearance? Nevertheless, she was determined to honor her marriage agreement with Drew rather than return to the Martins, who had mistreated her. [TRIGGER WARNING: This book contains adult language and themes, including graphic violence, explicit content, and instances of violence against women that may be disturbing to some readers. This book is intended for adult readers.]
[This chapter may disturb some readers. A trigger warning is advised.]
LILY'S heart was beating frantically. She was driven by her stepbrother Kenneth to a hotel-based bachelor party for a friend. Even though she was aware of the man's ulterior motivations, she felt compelled to go with him out of concern for her safety.
"I'll kill your precious Manang Puring if you disobey me," she remembers Kenneth's ghostly, demonic smile before he took her to that place.
"Hello, boys!" he said right after they opened the door of one suite.
They discovered four men inside the room.
"Wow, Ken!" One of his friends whistled. "You really brought Lily with you?" At the moment, she was uncertain why his eyes had a reddish hue. She recognized him as Kenneth's best friend, the man who often visited their home. She noticed he would often cast uncomfortable glances in her direction. She also overheard her brother commenting, "She's stupid! Even our father hated the woman. If you want to fuck her, go ahead. She might be of use to you."
"Get inside!" came the stern command from Kenneth. When she hesitated, he pushed her.
"P-please... I want to go home..." Tears rolled down her cheeks as anxiety consumed her. She was filled with fear, fully aware that Kenneth's intentions toward her were always sinister. There were five men in the room, and she could see no one else.
One of his friends stroked her cheek and whispered, "Shhh."
He reassured her, saying, "We won't do anything harmful to you, Lily... We just want to see you happy. You'll enjoy this," in an attempt to ease her anxiety. Her veins filled with revulsion as his finger brushed her cheek.
She noticed one of his friends handing Kenneth a wad of cash. With an authoritative tone, he demanded, "Take off your clothes and start dancing!"
Lily clutched her garments tightly. "No... I-I want to go home."
Turning toward the door, she found one of her stepbrother's friends blocking her path. "Please... let me leave..."
"Tsk! Is this fun for you, Ken? You said she's fun?" said one of the men. With a grin, Kenneth took a seat on a couch.
"Are you enjoying yourself?" one of the men chuckled. "This is the reason why I like her. I can't wait to fuck her cowardly brains out. C'mon, Lily... show us what's behind your clothes."
"No!" she yelled. Her sobs multiplied.
One of them, who is already frowning, said, "Let her go!"
"I won't refund the money if you remove her from here!" Kenneth declared, his eyes narrowing as he advanced toward her. He slapped her forcefully. "What we asked you to do is simple! Why can't you just comply?"
Her hair became disheveled, and her body felt on the brink of breaking. "I'll tell Dad what you've done..."
Kenneth let out a disdainful laugh. "Seriously? When did your dad ever show you affection? He loves me more than he loves you, Lily. You're foolish and worthless! No one cares about you except for me!"
"Go, Lily. Feel free to get out. We will count to ten. Sorry if we catch you outside," The man blocking the door tilted. She could see the excitement in his eyes.
That prompted her to leave the room and sprint down the hallway. She had to leave these beasts behind.
"Run, Lily, run!"
She burst into tears.
"Ten... Nine... Eight..."
She would definitely suffer if they caught her. She was certain that she was in danger, especially in light of the fact that Kenneth's companions were obviously not in their right minds. Perhaps they were under the influence of drugs.
She attempted to open each door one at a time despite her damp cheeks. At this point, that was her only chance for survival. Miraculously, one of them was slightly ajar. She entered without hesitation, but when she saw two nude people engaged in furious sex on the bed, she felt practically sick to her stomach.
"Fuck! Who are you?" asked the man with a broad body.
She was about to open the door so she could leave once more when she realized that there were wolves outside the room waiting to devour her.
"Hmm... Sir, you didn't tell me that you requested a threesome," the woman said flirtatiously, grabbing a cigarette off the nightstand.
"Shut the fuck up! Damn it!" He clenched his teeth. Standing up, the man headed in her direction while wearing a menacing attitude. Her eyes widened in fear, especially when he approached her naked. His hard and tall masculinity was clear in her eyes. She understood that since she was the one who had unexpectedly entered the room, she had no reason to be terrified of him.
"I'll call the police!" he threatened.
Lily was going through a lot of emotions when her vision went completely black, and she passed out. She stumbled and landed in his arms.
"Did you ever, even once, imagine yourself loving me?" Sarah posed a hopeful question to Philip. “Don’t make me laugh, Sarah. Everything between us has been purely about pleasure and business.” Sarah had harbored feelings for Philip ever since she first saw him in a sports magazine. When his fiancée abandoned him at the altar to elope with another man, Sarah selflessly offered herself as a replacement bride to spare his embarrassment. After enduring three years of a loveless and toxic marriage, Sarah finally summoned the courage to divorce Philip, who was still pining for his former fiancée. She vowed to herself that she would find another man who would love, trust, and worship her like a queen. This is what she sought if she were to marry a second time. A year later, their paths crossed again. Philip confronted Sarah in a ladies’ restroom, demanding, “Do not let other men touch you!” Sarah remained indifferent; her demeanor noticeably changed. “And what if I do?” she retorted. Philip’s tone grew menacing, “You won’t like what I’d do.” Unfazed, Sarah shot back, “Mr. Cornell, I’ve never liked what you’ve done, even in the past. There’s nothing new about that, and please stop whining like a baby,” before turning and walking away, disdainfully leaving him behind.
For years, Erin has grappled with guilt since her high school classmate passed away. Under the influence of the friends she trusted, Daryl was challenged, resulting in his tragic demise. Seven years later, Erin did not expect that fate would punish her further. In her stepfather's will, he decided that all their wealth would go to the Arvesso family, the same family that had lost a member before. Erin now found herself caught up in this arrangement. Perhaps that was her punishment-to be the wife of Orion, someone who harbored intense resentment towards her. She believed he would let go of the past once they were married. However, it turned out that before becoming her husband, he had played the role of a protective brother. He agreed to the marriage to torment her.
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."
"Who is she?" I asked, feeling tears well up in my eyes. "He met her at the Alpha training camp," he said. "She is a perfect suitor for him. It snowed last night, indicating that his wolf is happy with his choice." My heart sank, and tears made their way down my cheeks. Alexander took my innocence last night, and now he is taking that thing in his office as his Luna. **** Emily never shifted on her 18th birthday and became the laughingstock of the pack. When her old crush, Alexander Black, returns from Alpha Training, she never expected him to be her mate. After a night of passionate love, Emily finds out that young Alpha Alexander has taken a chosen mate. Heartbroken and humiliated, Emily runs off and disappears from the pack. Now, five years later, Emily is a high-ranking warrior in King Alpha's army, specializing in sensitive matters. When her best friend invites her to a night of music and laughter, she never expects to run into her mate, Alexander. Will Alexander figure out it is Emily? Will he chase after her, and most of all, will Emily be able to keep her secrets safe?
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.
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”
Belinda thought after divorce, they would part ways for good - he could live his life on his own terms, while she could indulge in the rest of hers. However, fate had other plans in store. "My darling, I was wrong. Would you please come back to me?" The man, whom she once loved deeply, lowered his once proud head humbly. "I beg you to return to me." Belinda coldly pushed away the bouquet of flowers he had offered her and coolly replied, "It's too late. The bridge has been burned, and the ashes have long since scattered to the wind!"
The dream of everyone with regards to marriage is to be able to find that special someone and settle down with them. Even arranged marriages grant you an opportunity to meet your partner briefly before the wedding. How will you feel about waking up in the morning with someone sleeping next to you who is not just anyone but your legally married partner yet with no memory of how that had happened in just a few hours of going out the previous day? This is the story of Jason Haward and Julia Harrison, two strangers trapped in a marriage they never planned. The quest to find out why led to the unfolding of a mystery which made them realize they are both living a lie. To find out more, read this amazing story of love, betrayal, revenge and murder.