#Romantic Comedy! Theophilus and Adrien are caught in a contract marriage, and honestly, they just can't stand each other. But here's the twist: Cassidy is determined to show that she doesn't need this arrangement to save her family's business. So, they decide to play pretend and act like the perfect couple, even with Theo's scheming and overly enthusiastic ex-fiancée trying to disrupt their plans. As they navigate this situation, who knows what could happen? Could the lines between pretend and real start to blur, leading them to an unexpected romance? Will they stick to their original plan or give in to their growing feelings? Join this fun-filled adventure where laughter and love might just win the day!
This young lady has a lot to say to her mother. She isn't willing to join them for the introductory dinner tonight. She can't be in an arranged marriage. She just can't digest the fact that her parents are the ones instigating this whole scheme.
The door opens and Mrs Valerie Summers steps into the room with a tray. On it sits a glass water vase and a cup. Her smile fades on seeing Adrien seated at her dresser, not at all ready for dinner. Valerie is about to say something when Adrien cuts in.
"Mum! Please don't let this happen. I barely know this man. I can't believe you and Dad are making me marry for business gains. Most marriages that begin this way end up badly. I ran into his sister at the mall the other day and she wasn't nice at all. How will I keep up with a family of snobs!"
"Adrien!"
Mrs. Summers flings the glass vase onto the wall. The young girl uses her hands to cover her ears as the glass vase shatters loudly. She looks up at her mother who towers over her with a glare and accusing fingers pointing at her.
"Now, shut your mouth and listen to me, girl. Our family's business is crumbling. Your father has tried all he can but with his current state of health, he can't keep up as well as before. We're at the brink of poverty and I'm sure you wouldn't want to see what poverty is like. You won't be able to handle it. The Alphonso family is good and they have the resources to help our family business from crumbling. Their first son, Theophilus, is a nice man, marry him and all our problems are solved. Since you both are heirs to both families' businesses, we can merge them and grow together. The future of this family is in your hands. We have done enough for you for the past twenty-two years. You have lived a luxurious life. All we're asking is that you get married to Theophilus Alphonso. I'm sure we aren't demanding much, so stop being selfish!"
Valerie sucks in a beep breath to relax herself before continuing.
"I give you five minutes. Finish up and meet us outside. And make sure you wear those heels I got you the other day. They make you a bit more sexy and you want to make a good first impression on your groom."
Valerie Summers's tone held no emotion but she meant every word she said. With that, she leaves the room and slams the door loudly behind her. A teardrop rolls down Adrien's face and she breaks down in sobs. How did they get to this level? Her family has never been so low. They have been rich right from time and now they want to sell her off to a family that just came into the limelight only ten years ago. No one cared about the Alphonsos before now. They might have just been another impoverished family before garnering wealth and societal appraisal. She cleans the tears off her face and stares into the mirror. Her make-up is a bit ruined, but who cares?
She gets dressed and is about to leave the room when she remembers the broken pieces of glass on the floor. She wants to pick them up but she rushes out of the room instead, not wanting to waste any more of her mother's time.
She meets her father downstairs and her mother is in the living room. They both smile at her as she walks down the stairs.
"My beautiful baby girl. I can see you're really happy to meet your to-be husband," says Mr Summers.
Adrien smiles and walks into his embrace. He doesn't know about the pain she's hiding deep down in her heart. Her mother wants it that way. Besides, marrying Theophilus Alphonso is the only way she can help the family. If her father knows about her disapproval it would only cause him more pain. He isn't fit for such problems and that's why Adrien has decided to keep shut and go along with the plan.
"We should start going so we won't be late. You know we want to make a good first impression," Valerie says from the living room.
Adrien moves away from her father. He still has a smile on as he takes her hand in his and leads her out of the house into the car.
Adrien tightens her grip on her purse as they drive through the gates of the highly luxurious and fancy house the Alphonsos live in. Her father places his hand on hers reassuringly.
"It's going to be fine," he says.
Adrien nods and glances at her mother who only glares at her.
They drive into the car park and come out of the car. No one is in the compound except the security man who directs them to the car park.
"They won't even come out to welcome us," Adrian says to his wife and daughter.
The security man leads them into the house. He hands them over to the housemaid and leaves immediately.
"Good evening sir, good evening ma'am, and a good evening to you, miss. The Alphonsos are aware of your arrival and will be with you shortly. In the meantime, you can entertain yourself with the beautiful artwork in the guest lounge. Please come with me, it's this way."
They quietly follow the middle-aged woman to the guest lounge and she leaves them.
After staying for more than five minutes without anyone attending to them, Adrian starts to complain.
"How long do they expect us to wait? I can't be treated like this just because I want my daughter to marry into their family."
"Darling, be patient, they will soon be here," Valerie tries to calm her already annoyed husband.
"Keeping us like this shows they have no regard for us. That's unacceptable."
Adrien gives her mother an 'I told you so', look.
"If they don't change this attitude we might just call off this wedding."
Valerie sits up in her chair immediately. "No, no, don't be too quick to judge. Maybe they have something really important to do."
"And we don't?" Adrian snaps at his wife."This isn't the first time they're doing this."
Valerie sighs and relaxes back in her chair.
Adrien continues to walk from one painting on the wall to the other, trying desperately to distract herself from her worries. It is her first time visiting the Alphonsos and if what her father says about them is true, she has a lot on her plate. She can deal with a snobbish sister-in-law, but if the parents are truly snobbish, then she's in for a lot.
"Do you care for some biscuits?"
Adrien turns around sharply and moves towards the maid who has a huge smile on her face. She takes the plate of biscuits and cookies from the maid and thanks her politely. Finally! She has something more distracting than the paintings on the wall.
She tries not to eat in a hurry so her father won't sense her uneasiness. He always detects when she binge eats out of worry.
Everything is going fine until she spots the Alphonsos coming in their direction and she begins to stuff her face with the cookies. Her mother scolds her for her gluttony and she accidentally drops the plate on the floor in fright. Her act earns her a glare from her parents. She bends down to pick up the broken pieces of the plate. Her heels make her unstable and she falls, bumping her head on the table.
"Argh!" She groans and places a hand on her forehead. She stands up to meet five pairs of eyes on her.
Her father has a look of concern while her mother has a look of disappointment as expected. Mr. and Mrs. Alphonso have a look of disapproval but their expressions aren't the ones which bother Adrien.
She looks up at Theophilus Alphonso, her future husband and he looks back at her in amusement. His look has the most effect on her and at that moment, she confirms her hatred for him. How rude of him to find her pain and embarrassment amusing. She has always wondered how she would feel about meeting with the man her parents believe is a good match for her. Now she knows, it's hatred at first sight.
Miguel has only one mission: Win back the heart of Anastasia Ani. After their cold divorce, Miguel's life is cast into ruins. He enters into a fight to win back the trust of his wife and that of his children he never knew existed. His plan was to lay low, build his life back, and try to win Anastasia's heart again. But when he discovers Anastasia is getting married to billionaire tycoon Alejandro Luis, Miguel must try everything possible to destroy their marriage.
Denyefa's life takes a devastating turn when she is forced to marry the ruthless mafia king who murdered her parents and exploited her as a mercenary. She holds no affection for the king as her heart belongs to Dante, the King's chief security officer. Throughout the years of living at the mercy of the mafia king, she had lost the desire to get revenge for her parents. But when the mafia king asks her to abort her baby, it rekindles her burning hatred for him. All those years she had lived in cowardice, now it's time to strike back!
Geronimo Alba's single act of mysteriously skipping town has indeed caused a butterfly effect here, leaving his daughter in the heat of it all. In the search for her father, Rufina meets with Oliverio and his cousin, Rodas. Oliverio Quin out of sheer benevolence and due to his ugly past, takes Rufinas mission as his. Along the line they both fall in love with each other, but there's a hitch. A dear member of Rufinas' family dies, and a greatly despised one returns after a long time of separation from the family. Rufina is sceptical about these new developments, but she remains determined. Will her determination be enough to maintain her love for Oliverio, and help her survive the storms this journey has caused in her family?
Rocky Bai, a young and talented scholar in the field of gene study, ranked number one among his peers. While he was on the flight headed for the venue, an aircraft accident occurred right before he passed out. ... Rocky Bai is reborn! He saves a dragon and trains it in the Holy Dragon Empire. To his surprise, his dragon can cure disease and even bring people back from death. With the dragon, Rocky starts a new life. He is no longer a good-for-nothing, but an ambitious martial arts master and spirit manipulator among his generation. Let's join in their adventure!
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."
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."
For three years, Shane and Yvonne were wed, sharing heated nights, while his devotion clung to his ex. Yvonne strove to be a dutiful wife, yet their marriage felt hollow, built on desire rather than real warmth. All changed when she became pregnant, only for Shane to thrust her onto the operating table, warning, “Either you or the baby survives!” Broken by his cruelty, she vanished in grief and later returned, radiantly accomplished, leaving everyone awestruck. Haunted by remorse, Shane begged for another chance, but Yvonne only smiled and replied, “I’m sorry, men no longer interest me.”
"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?
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."