Haunted by her past, Isabella flees the dangers of her life and finds herself ensnared by the alluring and mysterious Nate. As their attraction grows, so does the threat to their relationship. Isabella must decide whether to risk everything for love or run from the man who has become her salvation.
Isabella POV:
"Isabella?" I heard my boyfriend Mike calling my name.
I felt my heart drop slightly from his tone.
It was gentle, too gentle and Mike was always angry.
Standing up on my feet, I tried to see if he brought someone else with him.
When I saw only his head, a little breath left my lips before tilting my head down.
"Come here, sweetie." He said.
I found myself nodding my head, I didn't want any beating, I'm still healing from the old ones.
I hate when he beats me, I hate when he insults me and makes me feel small.
We have been in a relationship for 2 years and in those 2 years was only beating and apologizing for what he did, then beating again.
The same routine over and over again.
As I walked towards Mike, memories of our tumultuous relationship flooded my mind.
The scars, both physical and emotional, served as a constant reminder of the toxic cycle we couldn't escape.
"Isabella, you know I care about you, right?" Mike's words contradicted the cruelty she had grown accustomed to. The sudden tenderness only fueled her confusion.
Nodding silently, I hesitated, wondering if this was just another twist in the unpredictable narrative of our connection. The fear of the unknown loomed large as I braced myself for whatever lay ahead, hoping against hope for a chance at genuine change.
Mike reached out, his touch sending shivers down my spine. Instinctively, I flinched, bracing for impact. Instead, his hand gently cupped my face, a stark contrast to the violence etched in my memory.
"I've been thinking, Isabella. Maybe we can break this cycle, start anew," he murmured.
I looked up at him, trying to read him.
I can't believe these lies anymore, this would be the 18th time he has said this.
"Answer me, Isabel." He said.
My heart beat faster at the tone again.
What kind of man Is this?
"ARE YOU FUCKING DEAF?" He yelled.
Immediately I closed my eyes waiting for the hit.
But nothing came.
Opening my eyes slowly, I looked at him with one eye open.
"Just, just get food ready when I'm back." He said with a chuckle then walked away.
I looked at him from behind as he walked out of the house.
A breath left my lips as I looked around.
Is this a dream?
I thought before shaking my head.
As I gathered my thoughts, the silence in the room felt heavy.
The familiar sounds of his anger were replaced by an eerie quiet that unsettled me.
With cautious steps, I moved towards the kitchen, still processing the surreal encounter.
Preparing the food, my mind raced, replaying the countless times Mike had promised change only for history to repeat itself.
The cycle of abuse had carved deep scars, both visible and hidden, and the scepticism within me fought against the glimmer of hope.
As the aroma of the meal filled the air, I couldn't shake the question echoing in my mind: Was this a genuine turning point or just another deceptive calm before the storm?
I glanced at the door, half-expecting Mike's return to bring back the harsh reality I had grown accustomed to.
The minutes stretched into an uneasy anticipation as I finished preparing the meal.
The sound of the front door opening startled me, and I tensed, bracing for what might come next.
As Mike walked in, his expression seemed different – a strange mix of nonchalance and something I couldn't quite decipher.
He sat down without a word, and a heavy silence settled between us. The air was thick with unspoken tension, and I found myself cautiously watching his every move.
"WHAT?" He snapped looking at me.
I jumped slightly at his tone before looking back at the ground.
"Have you got a job, Isabella?" He asked.
I looked up, my eyes wide out.
I forgot about this discussion.
"Well?" He asked.
"Uhm, I uhm" I whispered.
"What cat got your tongue?" He said with a smirk.
Again I looked back down not knowing what to say.
A sigh left Mike's lips, then I heard his chair move making my head snap up.
"When can you be ever useful to me?" He asked, touching the tip of my hair.
"Do you think I'm going to be paying every bill in this house?" He asked.
Quickly I shook my head.
"Isabella, Isabella, my poor girl," Mike said.
The tone scares me.
"I'll give you two days, I'll be travelling for two days and when I get back, you should have a job, ok?" He said, looking at me.
Quickly nodding my head, I whispered an 'ok' because he doesn't like when you nod.
Mike always wants answers.
"Good girl, now go eat." He said pointing at the table.
I looked at him with shock, eat?
He wanted me to eat?
What about the fat rule?
"Yes, go eat, now." He said again walking towards his side of the table.
Nodding my head, I followed him slowly, my head title down.
Mike smiled at me before eating the food.
I looked down at mine, asking myself if it was safe or not.
Or is this another test?
"Isabella?" He called me.
I looked up again, my fingers away from the spoon away from me.
"I don't like repeating myself, Isabella." He said, looking at me with those stormy eyes.
"I'm not hungry," I whispered back.
A chuckle left his lips before looking at me.
"Not hungry?" He said.
"Not hungry?" He asked.
"Uhm, I'll eat," I said quietly, picking up the spoon.
"Good, and when you're done, you can sleep." He said with a smile.
Again I looked at him.
What's with all this?
Are we playing a game, are there people watching?
I thought before looking around.
"Isabella." He sang.
With a breath, I picked up my spoon and ate slowly.
"Good girl, now I'm off to bed, please take care of my house, and not bring men around." He said before walking toward me.
Then bent over and placed a kiss on my head.
With a smile from him, I watched him walk out of the kitchen.
This is a different game.
I thought before pushing the food away.
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
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?"
After three years of loveless marriage, Kira was slapped with divorce papers. She has shown him her unrequited love throughout her entire marriage with him, but he decided to turn blind eyes all because of his lover. Distraught and heartbroken, Kira choose to sign the divorce papers with bitter heart. But then and there, she promised herself that when she's back, he will come crawling to her, but she will make him pay for hurting her. Join Kira as she transform to a wealthy heiress and soared as the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar empire, a remarkable healer and make her ex-husband pay!
While Sienna reached the pinnacle of her success, Julian remained the forgotten son of his family, the one who had secretly stolen her first kiss in the shadows of the night. As Sienna hit her darkest moment, Julian returned home, leaving his life behind, only to witness her tears glistening in the moonlight as she reluctantly accepted another man's proposal. When Sienna needed Julian more than ever, he had risen to a position of power and had become her most steadfast pillar of support. "Please marry me." There was no one else in the world who could love Sienna as deeply as Julian did.
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."
In the eyes of the public, Elijah was ever the gentleman, always distant and reserved. But behind closed doors, he was an animal who relentlessly ensnared Ashley in a web of lust. No one knew of their secret relationship, yet at the same time, no one dared to bully her again. Then one day, she was hit with morning sickness right in front of everyone. To everyone’s shock, the aloof and domineering Elijah quickly knelt in front of her and caressed her pregnant belly. “Babe,” he crooned, “let’s go public with our relationship. I will give you my everything.”