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Wealth and Power. Betse Walter is determined to climb the society's highest ladder. As her path intertwined with Kini Belmont, a mysterious billionaire in the realm of a glamorous yet controversial circle of elites, she is faced with love, scandals, betrayal, lies and deception. Will Kini's love for her survive in such a toxic world? Will Betse be able to let go of her desires for love? And will Betse be able to climb to the top of society's ladder?
Betse stood before the gates of the grandiose Belmont Mansion, her heart pounding in her chest. Charles stood beside her, watching her with a mix of concern and disapproval.
His eyes flickered with worry as he asked, "are you sure about this, Betse? You don't have to go through with it."
Betse took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on the distant glow of the mansion's light. "I've worked so hard, Charles," her voice was determined. "I've spent years living a good and perfect life, and where has it gotten me? Nowhere. I need this chance. I need to break into the elite circle, and this is the only way to do it."
"But at what cost, Betse?" Charles implored, his brow furrowing. "Is compromising your integrity really worth it?"
Betse hesitated, her resolve momentarily shaken by his words. She thought about her family, drowning in debt, and the burden she carried to lift them out of poverty.
"I've spent my life trying to secure a future for my family, Charles. If this is what it takes, then so be it."
"As a member of your family, I don't support this decision."
"And who said you have a say in this? Because you're my brother?" A rhetorical question from Betse.
"I'm trying to save you from the humiliation. You don't know these people. They're different from you and I," Charles explained.
"Yes, you're right but they're nothing special, just people like us. Look around us, the only difference between us and them is that they shine and we don't. Aside from that, we're not so different."
Charles folded his hand in silence, knowing that whatever he said won't stop her. Her mind was made up.
She continued, "this is an opportunity I must seize. Just like everyone in that mansion did. No one was born with diamonds."
"Since I can't stop you, goodluck!"
Betse poked him with her finger, "that's what you should have said from the start. But thank you, I'll need it."
"But can't you just change your mind?" Charles was persistent but that didn't push Betse away from her decision.
Standing firm on her decision, Betse straightened her shoulder, adjusting the neckline of her expensively rented designer dress which she had scraped to the depths of her savings to get. With a deep breath, she stepped forward, her heels clicking against the pavement as she moved towards the mansion.
"I'll see you at home."
"Don't do anything stupid. Your charms are natural so just be you."
Approaching the entrance, her pulse quickened. The doorman, dressed impeccably in a black suit, eyed her skeptically. Betse summoned her most confident smile, handing him the invitation she had forged, praying he wouldn't see through her ruse.
"Welcome, Miss," the doorman said, his tone was a fusion of suspicion and courtesy, allowing her to enter into the world of extravagance beyond the gates of the Belmont Mansion.
Inside the mansion was a display of wealth and ridiculous outlay of meticulously placed art, expensive art. Crystal chandeliers adorned the ceilings, casting a dazzling array of light across the marble floors. The air and atmosphere was thick with the scent of expensive perfumes and the murmur of elite conversations.
She grabbed a glass of wine from one the event waiters. As the charity event unfolded, the crowd of self serving philanthropists weaved through the crowd, their smiles as bright as the stars, making contributions that would pave the way for a brighter tomorrow. Auction paddles waved in the air, each gesture a promise to support causes greater than themselves.
Betse scanned the crowd, her eyes finally landing on Kini Belmont. He stood across the room, his presence commanding attention. With a newfound confidence, she made her way towards him, her steps purposeful, her smile seductive.
Kini, who was engrossed in a conversation with a group of influential guests, glanced in her direction. Their eyes met, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still.
Betse approached him, her voice smooth as silk. "Mr Belmont, what a pleasure it is to meet you. I've heard so much about your renowned art collection."
Kini, captivated by her charm, offered a charming smile in return. "The pleasure is mine, Miss...?"
"Betse," she replied, her gaze unwavering. "Betse Walters"
"I don't seem to be familiar with that name."
"I.."
Before she find words to save herself, a young man walked toward Mr Belmont and whispered to him.
"Excuse me for some minutes," Kini said politely and walked away.
"Oh, what a relief!" She let out a sigh of bliss. "I was almost caught, need to be smart about everything." She said to herself.
Turning around, she noticed flocks of eyes wandering over her. Two girls, standing not too far from her, rolled their eyes at her and whispered conversations loudly enough to her hearing.
"What a slut!"
"Trying to seduce my boyfriend. No way!" Big budget dressed Joice exclaimed with fury.
"No need to bother, she is not his type." Viola, her friend, tried to soothe her pride and anger.
"I'll let her know her place."
"Wait! Who is she? She seems new."
"Probably some new money."
"Or some joke?"
"I'll find out"
A voice broke the gossip and reverted everyone's attention back to the event of the day.
"Attention everyone!" Mr Belmont lips play out a pretty smile.
"Ladies and gentlemen, tonight has been an evidence to the beauty of human kindness. In this room, we've witnessed a unique power of unity, where strangers become friends, and friends become a community bound together by a shared purpose to make the world a better place."
He gestured to the attendees, "every contribution," his eyes met with Betse's and she smiled brightly at him, "every smile shared, and every connection made tonight has sown seeds of change."
The attendees nodded with agreement and acknowledged the truth in every word he spoke while the two girls were still stuck scheming evil plans against Betse. Fuel was added to the fire when they realized Kini eye's were locked with Betse's.
"I'm not going to stand here and just watch this," she left the room.
"Wait!" The other girl called out as she followed behind her.
"As we depart from this magnificent gathering, Let us carry the spirit of tonight in our hearts," Kini continued, his voice resonating with passion. "Let us remember that love and empathy know no boundaries. Our collective efforts tonight have not only transformed lives but have also reminded us of the boundless possibilities that emerge when we stand together."
A thunderous applause erupted, a manifestation of the attendees' shared commitment to a better world. Kini's eyes glistening with emotion, concluded, "thank you, from the depths of my heart, for your generosity, your compassion, and your unwavering belief in the goodness of humanity. Together, we have inscribed a chapter of hope, and I have no doubt that the echoes of tonight will reverberate for years to come."
And with those words, the evening culminated, leaving a legacy of kindness that disappeared as soon as Joice could no longer control the jealousy in her heart.
Joice, consumed by envy, approached Betse, her eyes filled with rage. "You think you can just waltz in here and steal my place?" she hissed, her voice sharp like a dagger.
Betse, caught off guard, stammered, "I-I don't know what you're talking about."
In a moment of fury, Joice hoping to humiliate her and get the better or her, angrily grabbed a glass of drink and poured it on Betse's dress, "Know your place, you charity case!"
"It is already unholy, why try to make it abominable and nefarious?" When a runaway bride leaves her groom at the altar, her younger sister, Yenisse, is forced to step in and save the day. How will she navigate her unexpected union with Jude Wellington, the charming billionaire, when they are married in name only and their hearts beat for different souls. Will they find a love that's a once-in-a-lifetime chance or will it remain a cold and calculated arrangement where love is a forgotten melody and disdain is the only truth? What will be the fate of a loveless union when a war is waged upon them?
Livia Dumont, a hardworking girl grappling with financial burdens and coupled with the workload of her new job, stumbles into Xavier Lexington in a complicated way. She is unaware that Xavier, is her aloof and seemingly indifferent boss who holds the key to both her professional fate and an unexpected twist in her personal life. Their initial interaction is marked with misunderstanding, and Livia unwittingly finds herself on the wrong foot with the enigmatic figure who signs her paychecks. In this accident of chance, Livia and Xavier learn that sometimes, starting off on the wrong foot can lead to the right kind of love. But is their right kind of love enough to withstand all the drama, secrets, controversies and betrayal that comes with it? Will it be enough to give them a fairy tale ending or will it crash into a tragic ending?
"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?
June Rivera was divorced by her husband after three years of marriage because he wanted to be with her sister who was pregnant for him. Kicked to the curb with a divorce and rejected by her parents,she struggles to make ends meet and get a job until she saves Luis Ambrose from an accident - the only child of Rafael Ambrose, a widowed man and the CEO of Ambrose Corporation. When little Luis asks to have her as a nanny, and Rafael's mother pressures him to get married, they draw a contract. To be Luis's nanny and his fake wife for one year in exchange for 50 million dollars!
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?"
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."
Betrayed by her mate and sister on the eve of her wedding, Makenna was handed to the ruthless Lycan Princes as a lover, her indifferent father ignoring her plight. Determined to escape and seek revenge, she captured the interest of the three Lycan princes, who desired her exclusively amid many admirers. This complicated her plans, trapping her and making her a rival to the future Lycan queen. Entwined in jealousy and vindictiveness, could Makenna achieve her vengeance in the intricate dance with the three princes?
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."