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After a short-lived marriage with the cold and arrogant billionaire Ronin Logan, Carmen Price is eager for a break. Her attempt to unwind leads her to another wealthy billionaire, Simon Walsh. Little does she know, she's about to encounter a whole new set of problems. Ronin Logan doesn't do things without a purpose. Marrying a lowly employee from his company wasn't a random choice; it was to salvage his family's reputation after his lover bailed on their wedding. And when he cuts ties with Carmen after less than a year of marriage, it's to shield her from a situation even he's struggling to grasp. Caught in a web of love, deceit, and betrayal that seems to lurk around every corner when they're together, will Carmen and Ronin find a moment to catch their breath and truly understand each other? Can they ever find it in themselves to grant the second chance that both of them might just deserve?
"Madam, dinner is ready!"
Suzzy, the head maid, entered Carmen's room to remind her. The maid, who was in her late forties, quietly tapped on the door with a concerned look on her face.
Carmen nodded. She had just completed packing for her flight the next morning. Even so, there was nothing in the bag she had received from the Logans. Carmen's mother-in-law may have accepted her and showered her with presents and affection, but Ronin's indifferent attitude was a permanent reminder that she was only a substitute. Whatever anyone gave her as his wife, it wasn't hers to claim.
She wondered if Ronin would be there to see her off...
She then shook her head. Why was she letting such irrational hopes to occupy her mind? If his reaction this morning was any indication, he was eager to see her leave. He just wanted to get rid of her as quickly as possible.
"I'll be there in a minute. Have you spoken to Ronin? He's got to be in his-"
"Sir has already left, madam. He said he'll have dinner outside."
"Oh!" It shouldn't have come as a surprise. She had an early flight the following day. The least he could have done was spend the last meal with her.
Apparently, she didn't deserve that either.
Sigh!
Carmen fought back the painful tears that threatened to break through her eyes. She inhaled through her mouth, the only way she could keep this surge of prickling emotions from escaping her.
Well, come to think of it...
"I'm not that hungry either," she said quietly, certain that her resolution not to cry in front of the maid would not humiliate her. "Why don't you all start without me? I have a few phone calls to make before I go to bed."
Suzzy, the maid, understood why Carmen's appetite had subsided so rapidly. She was in the kitchen when their owner, Ronin Logan, slammed divorce papers on the table while madam was eating her breakfast.
He informed her he had already booked an early flight and that she may take whatever she pleased from the house. Now seeing the little clothing madam had packed, it appeared she was leaving nearly everything behind.
Poor madam, she didn't deserve to be treated this way. She had always been very lovely and courteous to Sir. Because of her tenderness and kindness, the maids and other staff of the house had grown fond of her. She even dealt with the master's frequent mood swings with a smile on her face. Why do awful things happen to good people? The maid pondered silently.
Carmen sat on the bed after Suzzy left, allowing a few tears to tumble down her face. If she held them any longer, she might as well go crazy. All the emotions inside her were wreaking havoc at the moment. They demanded to be released. Silently, Carman wept, hoping it would ease the pain in her heart and the weight of disappointment on her shoulders.
* * *
Carmen woke up in the middle of the night, panting and gasping for air. A nightmare that left her breathless and terrified out of her mind. But instead of reminiscing about the horrible fright, she slid out of the bed and headed down the stairs. Partly out of habit to check on Ronin and partly because she had foolishly forgotten to take medicine after refusing to eat supper.
When she descended the spiral stairs and entered the vast kitchen, she was startled to find a woman snooping through the refrigerator. The moonlight gliding through the windows was the only source of light, making it nearly impossible to recognize the person. Carmen, on the other hand, did not have to wait long since the woman had found what she was looking for and swung around with an apple in her hand.
Carmen recognized the woman the instant the moon's pale rays struck her face.
Blonde hair. Skin that was smooth. Pink, luscious lips. And looks that might flunk the Victoria's Angels.
Jenna Rivers. Who else could it be?
The ex-fiancee of Ronin-and apparently his present lover. The woman who ditched him at the altar nine months ago. Carmen was trapped in this loveless marriage because of her. And it was only because of this same woman her husband refused to regard her as anything more than a commodity-a piece of furniture-he brought to decorate his house.
To say she despised Jenna Rivers would be an understatement. Yet disliking her wasn't going to make her life any easier, was it?
Carmen decided it was best to ignore the woman.
It stung even more to know Ronin couldn't wait to bring his sweetheart home. Carmen was leaving the next morning. What was the rush? While she was still at home, the least he could have done was respect her honor as his wife.
God, she had hated Ronin, too. The nerve of that man. Ugh.
"Oh, no-did we wake you up?" Jenna asked unapologetically, feigning innocence that Carmen could see through without even trying. "We couldn't possibly be so loud, could we? In any case, sorry to spoil your sleep. Carmen, is it?" The woman had the audacity to brag about sleeping with her husband in front of her face. Wow, would it be okay if she punched her in the face right about now?
Carmen simply breathed a sigh and turned around to leave. That woman had done nothing to earn her respect. In fact, even before the marriage, Jenna had always been arrogant and impolite. She even had an affair behind Ronin's back.
When Ronin learned of her two-timing, he was beyond furious. But then this cunning woman shed some pitiful tears, and he melted like butter on a hot pan. Ronin must have loved this woman far too much to forgive such an act so brazen.
Carmen, on the other hand, couldn't forget. She was merely a lowly employee under Ronin Logan, the CEO of Logan Enterprises, at the time, but she had seen all of the facades and conspiracies this woman was capable of. Perhaps they both deserved each other. A match made in heaven, right?
"Dude, you're rude!" she snarled behind Carmen's back. "I don't know what Ronin saw in you. You're not even all that attractive. Such a waste of time and money!"
"At least I have the courtesy to stick to one man at a time!" Carmen sneered as she got angry. She couldn't let this woman to speak ill of her when her own acts were questionable as hell.
Even though Carmen had her back turned to Jenna, she could feel her riling up. "What did you say?" the woman hissed.
Before Carmen could say anything to this woman, her eyes were drawn to the dark figure in the shadows, calmly watching the entire discussion.
Carmen bit back the words.
"Ronin, baby!" Jenna was the first to sprint in his direction, throwing herself into his arms. "Carmen is so disrespectful, sweetie. She called me a cheater. How dare she?"
Well, Carmen did imply that. And if Ronin had been standing there for more than a minute, he would have heard it, too. There was no point in denying or explaining herself. Carmen didn't have the energy for either one of them.
Carmen took a bottle of water from the refrigerator and went up the stairs without saying anything.
"Are you not going to say anything to her? She humiliated me!" Jenna objected as Carmen walked upstairs to her room.
"I told you not to leave the room!" She heard Ronin say, no guilt-nothing-in his deep voice.
"But-but I was hungry and you-"
"Enough, Jenna. Come on, I'll wait for you in the room."
And that was the last she heard of him before Carmen stepped into her bedroom and shut the door behind her back.
"You're such a jerk!" she whispered bitterly, unable to suppress the pain and frustration any longer. "You stupid, stupid man!"
Carmen slid down the wooden door, drew her knees closer to her chest and wept her heart out.
"I will never forgive you, Ronin Logan. I condemn you for being unhappy and unloved your entire life."
When Mila runs away on the day of her wedding, she knows it's the only choice she has. But when the flight she’s about to board is hijacked and brings her back to where it all started, she quickly realizes that the marriage arranged by her stepbrother was a trap, and that the man she was set to marry is even more of a monster than she had thought. While Mila wants to stay as far away as possible from her new husband, the mysterious Mr. Zakharov seems intent on having her for himself. "You're mine, Mila," he whispers into her ear as he presses her against the wall, her back against his chest, his hand over her mouth so she doesn’t alert anyone. "Your body," he adds, sliding his other hand between her thighs and finding her panties wet for him. "Your mind," he continues, pushing the hem of her dress up over her hips. "Your fucking soul."
Lizzy is trying to escape her past. Shielding herself from the dangers that may lead to her death one day. She has managed to keep a low profile and be safe for the last five years. But after a stupid video goes viral, she is not so sure anymore. Now, she is terrified all the time. Panics at the sight of men in dark suits and black cars. Even the thought of stepping out of her home fills her with dread. What would she do when a certain dangerous man from her past is done with the game of chase they have been playing? What if now he is desperate for a confrontation? And has a proposal that she might not refuse? How would she answer all the questions she left behind after escaping the world from which no one ever returned alive?
Vladimir Perazzo is the devil of Venice. He is everything sin stands for. Ruthless, remorseless, and merciless are the words that do no justice to what he is and what horrifying and monstrous things he has done. Zarina has always been an unordinary girl. Being raised in terrible circumstances, she thinks she has seen the worst of the worst and that no one in the world really cares. When fate intervenes and entwines their lives together, they will learn they have much more in common than they thought.
Clara Meadow is a woman of focus and absolute dedication. She doesn't have time for romance or anything that has to do with either love or the lack thereof. So when a marriage proposal arrives from the new chairman of the company, the only way she can stay the CEO and not have to give up on everything she had worked so hard for, she does what any sensible businesswoman would do: she accepts the proposal and makes it clear that it's strictly a business arrangement. But what happens when Mr Chairman isn't ready to settle for just a business partnership and decides he wants to make the marriage real? What happens when he is determined to make her his forever and not stop until she belongs to him in every way imaginable?
Ava Monroe is struggling to pay for her college fees. After a terrible loss in business when her family went bankrupt overnight, Ava saw all her dreams shatter right in front of her eyes. It doesn't help that her family is obsessed with becoming wealthy again. The shock of being poor had turned them into something Ava could no longer recognize. However, eager for some quick money, Ava works as an escort over the summer before college begins. The money is good, and she hasn't had any strange experiences yet. That has to be worth something, right? Brian Reinhold is rich, successful and soon turning forty. But his home is anything but happy. After losing his sixteen-year-old daughter in a car crash, Brian doesn’t know how to go on with life anymore. Nothing makes sense. Nothing makes him lively. His friends believe Brian needs a break. A long pause in his hectic life so he could grieve and make amends for the sadness that is dousing him from inside. But instead of packing his bags and moving to his hometown, Brian thrusts himself more into work and pretends that moving on is a choice, not binding. But life takes a toll when the next client on Ava’s list turns out to be Brian Reinhold. The dear daddy of Valerie. Ava’s best friend. Now, Ava doesn’t know why the idea of sleeping with a man double her age is electrifying. Brian Reinhold might be forty soon, but he looks anything but old. His arms are a thing of beauty and his charming grey eyes can suck you in so deep that reality gladly withers away. But this arrangement has cons of its own. And truth has the power to destroy the lives they both care for.
When Corynn mustered up the courage to tell Elliot about her pregnancy, she unexpectedly found him gallantly helping another woman from his car. Her heart sank as three years of effort to secure his love crumbled before her eyes, compelling her to leave him behind. Three years later, life had taken Corynn down a new path with someone else, while Elliot was left grappling with regret. Seizing a moment of vulnerability, he pleaded, "Corynn, let's get married." Shaking her head with a faint smile, Corynn gently replied, "Sorry, I'm already engaged."
Sheila had her back against the wall when her family tried to force her to marry an awful old man. In a fit of rage, she hired a gigolo to act as her husband. She thought the gigolo needed money and did this for a living. Little did she know that he was nothing like that. One day, he pulled off his mask and revealed himself to be the world's top magnate. This marked the beginning of their love. He showered her with everything she could ever want. They were happy. However, unexpected circumstances soon posed a threat to their love. Would Sheila and her husband make it through the storm? Find out!
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”
Madison had always believed that she would marry Colten. She spent her youth admiring him from afar, dreaming of their future life together. But Colten was always indifferent to her, and when he abandoned her at a time when she needed him most, she finally realized that he never loved her. With renewed resolve and a thirst for revenge, Madison left. Endless possibilities lay ahead, but Colten was no longer part of her plans. Colten rushed to her place in a panic. "Madison, please come back to me. I’ll give you everything!" It was his powerful uncle who answered the door. "She's my woman now."
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
For three years, Shane and Yvonne were wed, sharing heated nights, while his devotion clung to his ex. Yvonne strove to be a dutiful wife, yet their marriage felt hollow, built on desire rather than real warmth. All changed when she became pregnant, only for Shane to thrust her onto the operating table, warning, “Either you or the baby survives!” Broken by his cruelty, she vanished in grief and later returned, radiantly accomplished, leaving everyone awestruck. Haunted by remorse, Shane begged for another chance, but Yvonne only smiled and replied, “I’m sorry, men no longer interest me.”