After a passionate night, Verena left some money and wanted to leave, but was held by her companion. "Isn't it your turn to make me happy?" Verena, always disguising herself as ugly, slept with her fiance's uncle, Darren, in order to escape her engagement with her unfaithful fiance. Darren had respect and admiration. Word of his romantic escapades circulated, some saying they saw him kissing a lady against a wall and others calling it gossip. Who could ever tame Darren's heart? Then, shockingly, Darren was caught bending down to help Verena with her shoes, all to score a kiss from her!
The room was cloaked in darkness.
On the hotel bed, amidst fervent entanglement, the man indulged in the ardor the woman beneath him offered. He plunged into her with relentless abandon, heedless of her innocence.
Verena Fowler, overwhelmed by the intensity, eventually succumbed to unconsciousness.
She stirred awake, irritated by the incessant ringing of the phone. Hastily silencing it, Verena glimpsed at the time, realizing it was already ten in the morning!
She was going to get engaged today!
Her fiancé had been entangled in an affair with her best friend, betraying her trust countless times. He even had the audacity to call her last night, subjecting her to the live spectacle of their infidelity.
Furious, Verena sought solace in the company of a charming stranger at the club.
As she attempted to rise, a wave of pain washed over her. The previous night's exertions had left her feeling as though her bones could crumble.
She needed to hurry to the engagement venue, lest she face the wrath of the Fowler family!
Once she scrambled to dress, Verena was about to flee when her wrist was seized. Turning, she locked eyes with the man from the bed, now awake.
"Leaving so soon?" His voice, low and husky, echoed in the dimness.
His gaze, sharp as a hawk's, bore a striking resemblance to her fiancé!
Verena smirked, feigning ignorance as she retrieved her wallet. Extracting a handful of bills, she left them on the bedside table.
"Great service last night, handsome. But it's a shame I'm in a rush to get engaged. Don't worry, there's always next time!"
Offended, Darren Briggs smirked with icy disdain.
With a call, his secretary, Henry Holt, swiftly appeared with his clothes.
After a quick shower, Darren donned his suit, exuding an air of aloof dignity. His gaze remained devoid of warmth.
Before walking out, he took the bills, tucking them into his wallet.
"Boss, your nephew's engagement is about to commence. Shall we proceed?" inquired Henry.
"Mm."
"Mr. Hamilton expressed his displeasure at your absence last night."
Darren remained silent, lost in contemplation.
Having recently arrived in Fledo, Darren had been coerced into a night of revelry by old acquaintances. Along the way, he found himself ensnared by a drunken woman, their liaison extending through the night.
Despite his customary self-restraint, Darren found himself inexplicably drawn to her, a sensation he couldn't shake though she wasn't even that attractive.
There was an inexplicable allure about her, a scent that soothed his restless soul. Even now, her memory lingered.
For Darren, plagued by insomnia, it had been a rare reprieve.
Meanwhile, Verena hailed a passing car, providing the driver with the hotel's address.
When she arrived at the engagement venue just shy of eleven, the banquet hall buzzed with activity.
Entering the makeup room, Verena was accosted by her father, Richard Fowler, who moved to smack her.
Swiftly intercepting his hand, Verena met his gaze with steely resolve. "I'm on the brink of engagement. Is a swollen face conducive to makeup?"
Richard, thwarted in his attempt, erupted into a tirade. "Why didn't you answer my calls? You've got some nerve! If anything goes awry today, you'll rue the day!"
The most formidable force in Fledo was the Briggs family, especially with Darren being a figure of immense influence in Tacland.
Were it not for the amicable ties between the two families, Verena wouldn't have stood a chance of getting engaged to a Briggs!
Rumors swirled about Darren's attendance at the engagement banquet. Both families had made meticulous preparations, yet as the hour approached, neither betrothed had made an appearance.
Fixing Richard with a cold stare, Verena asked, "Has Eric arrived?"
Eric Briggs was her betrothed.
Richard hesitated momentarily. Eric was nowhere to be found, and the Briggs family was scouring the city in search of him. With his phone switched off, it seemed Eric was contemplating an escape from the impending engagement.
Verena's lip curled into a sneer. "Eric is absent. Am I expected to enter into this engagement alone?"
Richard's countenance darkened. "The Briggs family is on the hunt for him. Hurry, change into your attire and apply your makeup!"
The makeup artist attempted to approach Verena, eager to commence her work. However, Verena, cognizant of her secrets, waved her off. "I'll handle it myself."
Her mother had always cautioned her against the perils of excessive beauty. Thus, Verena had become adept at concealing her true allure beneath layers of makeup.
If the makeup artist touched her face, her secret would no longer be a secret.
A commotion erupted at the door out of nowhere. "Darren's here!"
Reacting to the name, Richard hurriedly ushered Verena outside. "Darren Briggs has arrived. Ensure you comport yourself appropriately!"
Verena was well acquainted with the name. Darren was the illegitimate son once shunned by the Briggs family.
But he had risen from the ashes to become a formidable presence, one that even the Briggs dynasty in Fledo couldn't afford to ignore!
"Then let's get a divorce!" With courage, Leora left her husband's house, after being accused of poisoning his mistress. Her in-laws and sister-in-law had planned various ways to kick her out of Peter's house and in the end Leora gave in. However, no one expected that things would turn 180 degrees after the divorce. When everyone who had hurt her was happy with each other's lies, Leora returned. This time, she was no longer the poor orphan girl from the orphanage. She has changed and not only that, she also carries a big secret that will make everyone turn to worship her feet.
Marrying her best friend was a dream come true for Kelly, but everything truly has a limitation. Pierce is Kelly’s first love, but as his best friend, she knew well there was always another woman deep in his heart. Lexi Gilbert. The woman Pierce could never forget even if he had already been arranged to marry Kelly. *** Kelly finally realized their happy marriage of the last three years was just a beautiful dream when Pierce asked for a divorce just because Lexi returned. She could only be his best friend even if she was carrying his baby. *** Since their friendship had become a cage, Kelly chose to set him free, as well as the miserable herself. But why then, it was Pierce who became the one who refused to move on? To make matters worse, her devil stepbrother also domineeringly stepped in at the same time, asking her to be his. *** Her Prince Charming vs. Her Devil Stepbrother? How could Kelly save her heart in this battle of love and hate?
"You're my wife in name only, on paper only. My heart and love will never be yours." Edward made it clear to Daisy that she was nothing to him. They were both victims of family greed -- the marriage was arranged for them. Six years passed. She remained quiet, gaining a reputation in the army as a tough-as-nails colonel. When she walked into his life again, Edward fell in love with this woman, unlike any he had known. She surprised and delighted him. But will Daisy take him back? Can their son keep them together? Can the rift between them be healed? Pick this one up and find out!
It took only a second for a person's world to come crashing down. This was what happened in Hannah's case. For four years, she gave her husband her all, but one day, he said emotionlessly, "Let's get divorced." Hannah's heart broke into a million pieces as she signed the divorce papers, marking the end of her role as a devoted wife. Within Hannah, a strong woman awakened, vowing never to be beholden to any man again. Embracing her new life, she embarked on a journey to find herself and command her own destiny. By the time she returned, she had experienced so much growth and was now completely different from the docile wife everyone once knew. "Is this your latest trick to get my attention?" Hannah's ever-so-arrogant husband asked. Before she could retort, a handsome and domineering CEO pulled her into his embrace. He smiled down at her and said boldly to her ex, "Just a little heads-up, mister. This is my beloved wife. Keep off!"
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
In their three years of marriage, Chelsea had been a dutiful wife to Edmund. She used to think that her love and care would someday melt Edmund's cold heart, but she was wrong. Finally, she couldn't take the disappointment any longer and chose to end the marriage. Edmund had always thought that his wife was just boring and dull. So it was shocking when Chelsea suddenly threw divorce papers at his face in front of everyone at the Nelson Group's anniversary party. How humiliating! After that, everyone thought that the formerly-married couple would never see each other again, even Chelsea. Once again, she thought wrong. Sometime later, at an award ceremony, Chelsea went onstage to accept the award for best screenplay. Her ex-husband, Edmund, was the one presenting the award to her. As he handed her the trophy, he suddenly reached for her hand and pleaded humbly in front of the audience, "Chelsea, I'm sorry I didn't cherish you before. Could you please give me another chance?" Chelsea looked at him indifferently. "I'm sorry, Mr. Nelson. My only concern now is my business." Edmund's heart was shattered into a million pieces. "Chelsea, I really can't live without you." But his ex-wife just walked away. Wasn't it better for her to just concentrate on her career? Men would only distract her—especially her ex-husband.