He pinned her against the wall and growled, "You think you can just escape after bearing my child in secret?" Hanna was manipulated by her sister into marrying the hideous Kayce in her sister's place. But the alleged monster turned out to be the handsome and mysterious man she once rescued. He offered her billions if she agreed to divorce him after 100 days. It wasn't until she left that he realized he had fallen deeply in love with her. Parting ways had been simple enough, but getting her back was another thing. Thus began Kayce's journey to woo his ex-wife.
"Hanna, I've prepared a special birthday gift just for you. I really hope you love it."
As Brynn Murphy stood laughing boldly beside the bed, Hanna Murphy was unable to move at all.
She didn't know what substance Brynn had slipped into her drink. Though she was now awake, she could not move her lips or hands.
She lay still on the bed, as motionless as a fish on a cutting board.
Brynn turned off the lights as she left, plunging the room into complete darkness.
Time slipped by, though Hanna had no way of knowing how long it was.
Bang!
The door burst open, and a piercing cold swept through.
"Help me detox, and I will repay you."
A man's voice, affected by some drug, sounded deep and raspy, almost as if it came from another dimension.
With heavy steps, a tall figure staggered to the bedside.
At that moment, Hanna felt as if her breath had stopped.
"Save me."
In the darkness, Hanna could not see the man's face, only his eyes, which appeared profound yet icy, carrying an eerie and dignified presence.
Hanna was still trying to understand what was happening when she passed out.
The following morning.
A middle-aged woman in a formal suit approached a Bugatti parked by the roadside and tapped on the car door.
After being allowed in, she opened the door with care and entered, then reported respectfully, "Shadow Master, the girl who saved you last night is named Brynn Murphy."
"Are you sure?" the man, referred to as the Shadow Master by the woman, asked with a cold, deep voice.
"I'm completely sure of it. Miss Murphy has the ring you lost last night. I asked her myself, and she even confessed to having saved you."
In the dim light of the car, it was difficult to make out the man's face, yet his piercing, icy eyes radiated an eerie and dignified presence. "Send someone to propose to the Murphy family for me. I intend to marry her."
The usually calm and composed woman was visibly stunned by the man's abrupt decision. "Shadow Master, there are other ways to repay a debt. Moreover, last night, you weren't in your right mind. Your status is exceedingly high, and marriage is a serious matter that should be thought over..."
Under the man's serious look, she quickly stopped talking and reluctantly said, "Alright. I'll make the arrangements."
When Hanna woke up, it was already the afternoon of the following day.
She found herself not in the hotel but in a flowerbed beside the road, her clothes in disarray.
Upon inspecting herself, she discovered bruises all over her body, with each pore throbbing painfully.
Tears streamed down Hanna's cheeks.
She had never imagined losing her virginity on her twentieth birthday.
Upon reaching her home in the Serenity Villas by the sea, Hanna saw Brynn and Jessie Murphy on the living room sofa, drying their eyes as they talked.
Brynn, who had conspired against Hanna the day before, was her half-sister, sharing the same father.
And Jessie was Hanna's stepmother.
"Mom, look!"
"Hanna! You're finally here!" A moment ago, Jessie was filled with concern, yet now her face lit up with happiness.
"Where have you been? I've been calling you all day. Why didn't you answer?" Jessie asked.
Ignoring her, Hanna grabbed a vase from the windowsill and smashed it at Brynn's face.
But she missed.
The vase struck Brynn's chest with a heavy thud before crashing to the floor and breaking.
Despite her pain, Brynn clenched her teeth, her eyes brimming with anger. "You bitch, have you gone insane?"
"You're the one who's insane! You know very well what you've done. Today, I'll ruin that hypocritical face of yours and get my revenge!" The trauma and humiliation of losing her virginity had consumed Hanna. She seized a fruit knife and charged at Brynn.
She was done with all of this!
For fourteen years, she suffered abuse and endured a cruel life in this family. Brynn had always tormented her mercilessly. Today, she was determined to stand up for herself.
"Stop!" A thunderous voice filled the air.
Then, a stout middle-aged man rushed to Hanna's side.
Driven by a fierce need to protect Brynn, he grabbed Hanna by the hair and threw her to the floor.
He used all his might and Hanna hit the floor hard, her nose bleeding.
For a moment, Hanna couldn't get up, realizing the one who hit her was her own father, Cristian Murphy.
"Hanna, look at yourself! As the elder sister, how can you stoop to fighting with Brynn like a thug? Brynn merely played a prank on you naughtily. You're making too much of it."
Cristian glared at Hanna, whose face was smeared with blood, his eyes full of disgust.
"Merely... played a prank?"
Even though Hanna was in excruciating pain at this moment, she sarcastically laughed.
"If our roles were reversed and I had played a trick on Brynn as she did to me last night, you wouldn't call it a prank. You'd have punished me severely, wouldn't you?"
"You..." Cristian, feeling the sting of guilt, was at a loss for words.
In that moment, Brynn kicked Hanna fiercely in the back.
With her hands still pressed against the floor, Hanna was knocked down once more, coughing up blood and feeling as though her back had been torn apart.
However, she pressed her lips together tightly, determined not to let a single tear fall.
Cristian was Hanna's biological father.
When Hanna was just a little girl, Cristian had treated her kindly.
Fourteen years earlier, after Jessie drove Hanna's biological mother to madness and moved into this house with her and Cristian's illegitimate daughter Brynn, Cristian's demeanor changed drastically.
He adored Jessie and Brynn, treating them like precious jewels, while Hanna was subjected to routine domestic abuse.
From that moment on, Cristian was dead to Hanna.
She resolved never to cry in front of him again.
"You pissed me off. You're my daughter too. Why must you be so troublesome?" Cristian was visibly angry.
Jessie positioned herself in front of Cristian.
"Cristian, it's clear Hanna has been rebellious for a while now. Please, calm down. Don't hit her again. If you end up killing her, who will marry into the Collins family in Brynn's place?"
As if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her, Hanna shivered deeply.
"Hanna, this morning, representatives from the Collins family came to propose. They specifically asked for Brynn to marry into their family. Your father and I did our best to persuade them to consider you instead of Brynn."
Jessie gazed down at Hanna with a smug grin.
"As you know, the Collins family is the most distinguished in Zreles. This marriage is an excellent opportunity. You will marry Kayce Collins in six days."
It finally clicked for Hanna.
Jessie wanted her out of the picture. In the past, Jessie wouldn't bother to call her, even if she vanished for a month...
But today, after waking up in the flowerbed, Hanna discovered over a dozen missed calls from Jessie on her phone.
Clearly, Jessie's recent interest was solely to have her step in for Brynn in the upcoming marriage!
Huh!
Everyone in Zreles knew that Kayce Collins was severely ill and could die at any moment.
It was more accurate to say that Jessie and Cristian were exploiting her to curry favor with the Collins family.
Lucien Gray, the young and powerful head of an international consortium, has always had everything within his reach-wealth, influence, and any woman he desires. But when the unassuming Nina Morrison crosses his path, something unexpected happens. She doesn't fall at his feet, nor does she seem impressed by his status. Her indifference sparks an irresistible challenge in Lucien-a desire to conquer her at all costs. Determined to make Nina his, Lucien's pursuit becomes relentless. But Nina's fiery spirit and refusal to be controlled push Lucien to his limits. With every struggle and defiance, the tension between them grows, threatening to shatter the boundaries Lucien has always maintained. Now Lucien vows to claim her as his own. Will Lucien's obsession break Nina's spirit, or will she force him to confront his deepest vulnerabilities? In a game of power and desire, who will win-and at what cost?
Rachel used to think that her devotion would win Brian over one day, but she was proven wrong when his true love returned. Rachel had endured it all—from standing alone at the altar to dragging herself to the hospital for an emergency treatment. Everyone thought she was crazy to give up so much of herself for someone who didn’t return her feelings. But when Brian received news of Rachel’s terminal illness and realized she didn’t have long to live, he completely broke down. "I forbid you to die!" Rachel just smiled. She no longer needed him. "I will finally be free."
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
Janice, the long-forgotten legitimate heiress, made her way back to her family, pouring her heart into winning their hearts. Yet, she had to relinquish her very identity, her academic credentials, and her creative works to her foster sister. In return for her sacrifices, she found no warmth, only deeper neglect. Resolute, Janice vowed to cut off all emotional bonds. Transformed, she now stood as a master of martial arts, adept in eight languages, an esteemed medical expert, and a celebrated designer. With newfound resolve, she declared, "From this day forward, no one in this family shall cross me."
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."
"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."