Prince Liang, a kingdom's second Prince monarch, fatefully crosses paths with Lianhua, an enchanting medicine woman from a neighboring hamlet during his voyage in the forest depths. Regardless of their disparate origins, an intimate bond seems to form between them. Nevertheless, traditional societal norms create a barrier preventing them from expressing their mounting affection towards each other openly. This narrative invites you on a journey into Prince Liang's internal struggle as he grapples with his burgeoning love for Lianhua and ponders over the potential consequences should he let romantic emotions lead his actions.
The sun had barely risen, casting a warm glow over the lush gardens of the royal palace, when Prince Liang made his way to the chambers of Master Wu, the trusted royal advisor. His heart was heavy with the weight of his newfound feelings for Lianhua, the enchanting herbalist he had met in the forest just days ago. As he approached Master Wu's door, he took a deep breath and pushed aside the thoughts that threatened to consume him.
He knew he couldn't keep his feelings hidden for much longer, and he needed Master Wu's guidance on how to proceed. Knocking gently on the door, Prince Liang was greeted by the wise, elderly man, whose keen eyes immediately discerned the turmoil within the young prince.
"My dear prince," Master Wu said, gesturing for Liang to enter. "I sense a great burden upon your shoulders. What troubles you so?"
Liang bowed respectfully before taking a seat across from Master Wu, struggling to find the right words to express his inner conflict. Liang took a deep breath, his eyes reluctantly meeting those of the advisor. "Master Wu, I... I find myself quite distracted as of late. I've encountered someone – a woman, to be precise – and I fear my heart has been irreversibly ensnared by her spell."
Master Wu's brows furrowed, a knowing look crossing his weathered features. "Ah, yes, I suspected as much. The forest encounter you spoke of, I presume?"
Nodding solemnly, Liang continued, "It is Lianhua, the herbalist from the nearby village. I cannot stop thinking about her, Master Wu. There is something extraordinary about her, something that calls to me in a way I've never experienced before."
The advisor let out a heavy sigh, his gaze turning pensive. "I see. And I can only imagine the internal conflict you must be facing, my dear prince. Your feelings for this woman, as genuine as they may be, pose a considerable challenge to the expectations of your station."
Liang felt his heart sink, the realization of the obstacles before him weighing heavily on his mind. "I fear you are right, Master Wu. My mother, the Empress Dowager, would never approve of such a union. And the kingdom... the kingdom would never accept me marrying a commoner."
Master Wu placed a reassuring hand on Liang's shoulder. "I understand your dilemma, Prince Liang. The path you choose will not be an easy one, but you must listen to the dictates of your heart. True love is a rare and precious gift, one that should not be cast aside lightly."
Liang's eyes widened, hope flickering within them. "Then you believe I should pursue this... this forbidden desire?"
"I did not say that, my prince," Master Wu replied gently. "The challenges you will face are formidable, and the consequences of your actions could be dire, not just for you, but for the kingdom as a whole. You must tread carefully, and weigh every decision with the utmost caution."
The prince's shoulders slumped, the weight of responsibility once again bearing down upon him. "I see. So you counsel me to abandon this... this connection with Lianhua?"
"I cannot make that decision for you, Prince Liang," the advisor said. "You must search your heart and determine what is most important to you – your duty to the kingdom, or your desire for personal happiness. The path ahead is fraught with peril, but I will support you, whatever you choose."
Liang nodded, his mind racing with the implications of his choices. "Thank you, Master Wu. Your wisdom is a beacon in these turbulent waters. I... I must consider this carefully."
As the prince turned to leave, Master Wu's voice halted him. "One last piece of advice, my dear prince. Be mindful of Lianhua's own feelings and experiences. She may have her own reservations about love, given the trials she has faced. Tread lightly, and listen to her heart as well as your own."
Liang's brow furrowed, his curiosity piqued. "Her own trials? What do you mean, Master Wu?"
The advisor shook his head solemnly. "That is not my story to tell. But I encourage you to learn more about Lianhua's past, for it may shed light on the barriers she faces in opening her heart to you."
With a nod, Liang bid the wise man farewell, his mind swirling with the implications of Master Wu's words. As he made his way through the palace gardens, his thoughts turned to Lianhua, the woman who had so effortlessly captivated his heart.
Meanwhile, in a small, secluded cottage on the outskirts of the village, Lianhua sat by the window, her fingers gently tracing the delicate petals of the flowers that adorned her windowsill. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions, the memory of her encounter with Prince Liang ever-present in her thoughts.
"Mother," she whispered, her voice barely above a murmur. "I wish you were here to guide me. I fear... I fear I am treading a path that could lead to heartbreak, just as you did."
Lianhua closed her eyes, allowing the gentle breeze to caress her cheek as she recalled the fateful day her parents had met their untimely demise. The pain of losing them, and the burden of their shattered dreams, weighed heavily on her heart.
"I cannot bear the thought of history repeating itself," she continued, her fingers trembling. "The prince... he is so kind, so genuine. But the gulf between our stations is too great. I cannot allow myself to hope, to believe that something more could blossom between us."
Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but Lianhua quickly wiped them away, steeling her resolve. "No, I must remain steadfast. I will not allow myself to be consumed by these forbidden desires. I must focus on my duties, on the healing of the villagers. That is where my heart belongs, not with a prince who can never truly be mine."
With a deep, steadying breath, Lianhua rose from her seat, her expression hardening with determination. She knew the path ahead would be arduous, but she was determined to honor the legacy of her parents and resist the allure of the prince's affections – no matter how much her heart yearned to surrender to them.
As the sun continued its ascent, the tension between duty and desire grew, casting a shadow over the burgeoning romance between the prince and the herbalist.
This tale spins around a love-child from an affluent Chinese clan. Despite the relentless dismissal she experiences from her half-siblings and wicked stepmom, she's busting her chops to make a name for herself in the cutthroat world of commerce. Along with this uphill battle, she's seeking genuine affection while handling familial conflict and occupational stress. Her tenacity to outdo societal norms radiates brightly as she wades through personal entanglements and professional triumphs with gutsiness and fortitude. Contrary to all the obstructions set up against her, our heroine keeps chipping away at her dreams with steadfast resolution and unshaken ambition. This saga embodies themes of audacity, grittiness, determination – it portrays chasing after fulfillment no matter how tough your luck rides.
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?
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!
Lindsey's fiancé was the devil's first son. Not only did he lie to her but he also slept with her stepmother, conspired to take away her family fortune, and then set her up to have sex with a total stranger. To get her lick back, Lindsey decided to find a man to disrupt her engagement party and humiliate the cheating bastard. Never did she imagine that she would bump into a strikingly handsome stranger who was all that she was currently looking for. At the engagement party, he boldly declared that she was his woman. Lindsey thought he was just a broke man who wanted to leech off her. But once they began their fake relationship, she realized that good luck kept coming her way. She thought they would part ways after the engagement party, but this man kept to her side. "We gotta stick together, Lindsey. Remember, I'm now your fiancé. " "Domenic, you're with me because of my money, aren't you?" Lindsey asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Domenic was taken aback by that accusation. How could he, the heir of the Walsh family and CEO of Vitality Group, be with her for money? He controlled more than half of the city's economy. Money wasn't a problem for him! The two got closer and closer. One day, Lindsey finally realized that Domenic was actually the stranger she had slept with months ago. Would this realization change things between them? For the better or worse?
"I want a divorce!" Ryan demanded, despite the fact that he had cheated on her with his ex. ~ Serena is no longer the quiet, romantic lady Ryan Winters married and divorced five years ago. Now the CEO of Rocky's Designs, she is bright, unwavering, and unapologetic about her independence-a far cry from the woman Ryan remembers. When fate brings them back into one another's lives, Ryan is forced to confront the truth about their past, their newfound hot chemistry, and a surprising revelation; Serena has a daughter who may be his. But Ryan's girlfriend, Kate, isn't prepared to lose him again. She will do whatever it takes to keep Ryan in her grasp-even if it means destroying Serena's life and the corporate empire she has built. What happens when Serena's now peaceful life is being disrupted? Will Serena lose once again or will she seize this billionaire's heart?
"You're a creepy bastard." His eyes smolder me and his answering grin is nothing short of beautiful. Deadly. "Yet you hunger for me. Tell me, this appetite of yours, does it always tend toward 'creepy bastards'?" **** Widower and ex-boss to the Mafia, Zefiro Della Rocca, has an unhealthy fixation on the woman nextdoor. It began as a coincidence, growing into mere curiosity, and soon, it was an itch he couldn't ignore, like a quick fix of crack for an addict. He didn't know her name, but he knew every inch of her skin, how it flushed when she climaxed, her favourite novel and that every night she contemplated suicide. He didn't want to care, despising his rapt fascination of the woman. She was in love with her abusive husband. She was married, bound by a contract to the Bratva's hitman. She was off-limits. But when Zefiro wanted something, it was with an intensity that bordered on madness. He obsessed, possessed, owned. There'd be bloodshed if he touched her, but the sight of blood always did fascinate him. * When Susanna flees from her husband, she stumbles right into the arms of her devilishly handsome neighbour with a brooding glare. He couldn't stand her, but she needed him, if she was ever going to escape her husband who now wanted her dead. Better the devil you know than the angel you don't. She should have recalled that before hopping into Zefiro's car and letting him whisk her away to Italy. Maybe then, she wouldn't have started an affair with him. He was the only man who touched her right, and the crazy man took no small pains in ensuring he would be the last.
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.