Isabella Hart's seemingly happy marriage to Ethan Parker takes an unexpected turn when Ethan's former lover, who is currently married to someone else, re-enters Ethan's life, setting off a chain of dramatic events that deeply impact Isabella's world.
Ethan Parker, my husband, suddenly walked into the room. His face was a mixture of excitement and a hint of annoyance.
"What happened, Ethan?" I asked in surprise. It was unusual for him to have such an intense expression.
"I've finally found my mate," he said.
My eyes widened and my throat tightened. I hadn't expected Ethan to say something like that.
"How can that be?" I asked, my lips quivering with shock.
As far as I knew, Ethan had mentioned earlier that his mate was married to someone else.
"Isn't she married to someone else?" I asked, still surprised by his revelation.
Ethan nodded, his beautiful eyes meeting mine, but the moment felt like a descent into hell.
"Right, and she's agreed to be with me now," Ethan said.
His words hit me like a thunderbolt under a clear sky, my heart felt as if it had been pierced by a red-hot iron.
Tears began to fall from my eyes.
Looking at Ethan's expression, I could not see any trace of affection left for me.
"Stop crying. I hate people who cry easily," he said coldly.
I understood that as an Alpha, Ethan was expected to be firm, to put his duties before personal feelings.
But his heartless words cut deeply.
"Then... what about our marriage?" I asked, my voice a mixture of disbelief and pain.
Thinking back, I remembered how I got carried away a year ago. I had gotten drunk at the festival and ended up sleeping with Ethan.
We got married afterwards, but it was a marriage in name only, devoid of love - just a ceremonial bond. Still, I never expected Ethan to be so harsh.
"We will remain husband and wife... I need time," he said, his voice distant.
"Need time for what?" I asked, my lips trembling. I tried to bite them to stop the trembling.
My heart was breaking. It was getting harder and harder to hold back the overwhelming sadness.
"You don't need to know, Bella," he replied, using my nickname.
My full name was Isabella, but I was affectionately called Bella.
That day passed in silence. Ethan refused to sleep in our room. Later I found him sleeping on the couch.
A pang of sadness hit me. It must be cold tonight.
Even though I knew he was an asshole, my heart couldn't help but hurt for him.
Quietly, I entered the room and gently draped a blanket over the sleeping Ethan.
"Ethan... don't I even deserve to be your wife?" I whispered, knowing he wouldn't hear me.
I retreated to my room and curled up on the bed, burying my face in the pillow as tears streamed down my cheeks again. "Ah damn it, why do I have to be such a crybaby?" I berated myself.
"Bella, don't cry. There's no point in crying over a man," I tried to console myself.
I tried to gather my strength, but my lips trembled uncontrollably and the tears flowed even more freely.
In the end, despite my efforts to remain strong, I succumbed to my emotions and cried once more.
**
When morning came, I glanced toward the sofa, only to find Ethan gone. In his place was a handwritten note.
"Bella, I have some business to take care of. Don't look for me," it said.
My hands began to shake again, uncertainty clouding my thoughts.
Ethan had admitted that he had met his Mate, a Mate who was already married to someone else. And now this Mate was choosing Ethan.
"Oh God... is my life really that troubled?" I murmured softly, looking up at the ceiling, feeling as if fate was deliberately conspiring against me.
Stepping outside, I noticed that Ethan's personal driver was absent. Only my own driver was there, waiting with a reassuring smile.
"Miss Bella, where are you going today?" my driver inquired.
I replied, "Where do you think is the best place to kill yourself? The driver's face turned pale and his eyes widened in shock.
"Miss Bella..." he began, clearly alarmed.
"I was just joking," I quickly reassured him, trying to lighten the mood. I hadn't realized that my offhand remark would leave my driver so stunned and speechless.
"Take me to the beach," I requested, and he nodded in silent agreement.
The drive to the beach felt somber, devoid of emotion and desire. From the car, I watched the cheerful beachgoers, but I was too preoccupied with my own thoughts to join in their merriment.
Then something caught my eye. Huh? Isn't that Ethan's car? I noticed a familiar car parked on the side of the road. I was sure it was Ethan's.
When my eyes caught the scene in Ethan's car, my heart seemed to break. "Driver, please slow down," I whispered, my voice barely above a murmur.
Obediently, the driver slowed down, giving me a clearer view. There they were, Ethan and a woman, intimately entwined, lips locked in a kiss. The sight left me speechless, my heart pounding in my chest.
"Miss Bella...are you okay?" The driver, noticing my distress, expressed his concern. Tears blurred my vision as I shook my head, unable to articulate my turmoil.
"Just drive," I managed to say, "get me out of here, as far away as you can."
It was then that a realization dawned on me. The woman with Ethan, perhaps she was his chosen partner. They seemed destined to be together, yet the injustice of it all gnawed at me. I was his wife, legally bound to him, and there he was, blatantly with another woman.
The sting of betrayal was compounded by the memory of his message, "Don't look for me. The words now echoed mockingly in my mind. Ethan, my husband, with her, in that car - it was a reality too painful to bear.
Sophia was once a poor woman who married a billionaire, only to be divorced a few months later when their contractual agreement ended. Despite her brief marriage to a man of immense wealth, Sophia chose to return to living a normal life. However, her ex-husband, the billionaire, gradually became infatuated with her once again.
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."
Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true origins—a lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. “It's time to reveal your true identity, darling.”
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry me?”
Life was perfect until she met her boyfriend's big brother. There was a forbidden law in the Night Shade Pack that if the head Alpha rejected his mate, he would be stripped of his position. Sophia's life would get connected with the law. She was an Omega who was dating the head Alpha's younger brother. Bryan Morrison, the head Alpha, was not only a cold-blooded man but also a charming business tycoon. His name was enough to cause other packs to tremble. He was known as a ruthless man. What if, by some twist of destiny, Sophia's path were to intertwine with his?
Iris grew from an orphaned child to the adopted daughter of the Stewart family at age ten, finding warmth in her nominal uncle Vincent's kindness. Seven years later, she became his secret lover. When Vincent's engagement was announced, gossip spread about the notorious playboy CEO finally settling down. But only Iris knew the extent of his cold, two-faced nature. Iris fell for Vincent and, through tears, begged, "Marry me," only to be met with his frosty refusal. Defeated, she accepted a lawyer's proposal, sparking public excitement. Then, on her wedding day, Vincent pleaded desperately, "Don't marry him…"
COALESCENCE OF THE FIVE SERIES BOOK ONE: THE 5-TIME REJECTED GAMMA & THE LYCAN KING BOOK TWO: THE ROGUES WHO WENT ROGUE BOOK THREE: THE INDOMITABLE HUNTRESS & THE HARDENED DUKE *** BOOK ONE: After being rejected by 5 mates, Gamma Lucianne pleaded with the Moon Goddess to spare her from any further mate-bonds. To her dismay, she is being bonded for the sixth time. What’s worse is that her sixth-chance mate is the most powerful creature ruling over all werewolves and Lycans - the Lycan King himself. She is certain, dead certain, that a rejection would come sooner or later, though she hopes for it to be sooner. King Alexandar was ecstatic to meet his bonded mate, and couldn’t thank their Goddess enough for gifting him someone so perfect. However, he soon realizes that this gift is reluctant to accept him, and more than willing to sever their bond. He tries to connect with her but she seems so far away. He is desperate to get intimate with her but she seems reluctant to open up to him. He tries to tell her that he is willing to commit to her for the rest of his life but she doesn’t seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that he’s different; and a chance to love her. But when not-so-subtle crushes, jealous suitors, self-entitled Queen-wannabes, an old flame, a silent protector and a past wedding engagement threaten to jeopardize their relationship, will Lucianne and Xandar still choose to be together? Is their love strong enough to overcome everything and everyone? Or will Lucianne resort to enduring a sixth rejection from the one person she thought she could entrust her heart with?