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How ruthless can life be? When you've fallen to your lowest point, what choices are left? Would you surrender, or would you fight if someone's very existence hinged on your strength? Amber's existence with her stepmother and stepsister was a relentless nightmare. She endured their demands, taking on illicit jobs to save her nephew Chase. One harrowing night, Amber narrowly escaped an assault by a sadistic patron at the casino; she unexpectedly had a one-night stand with a stranger. When her job at the casino was gone, Amber faced a desperate decision. She was forced into marrying Stefan Morgan. To her shock, Stefan was the very man from her night of forbidden passion. Would Stefan learn she was just a substitute bride? What path would fate bring her when Stefan's identity is revealed? Every glimmer of happiness in Amber's life seems fleeting. Will her marriage to Stefan alter her fate and bring her the joy she desperately seeks, or will it plunge her into a new realm of suffering?
Amber's footsteps faltered as she ascended the staircase, her head swimming with a disorienting dizziness. Each step felt heavier than the last, her limbs weighed down by a sense of impending dread. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.
"What is wrong with me?" she muttered.
Passing by her stepsister's room, Amber froze in her tracks, a curious noise catching her attention. It was a sound she couldn't quite place at first-a low, throaty moan, punctuated by ragged breaths and the unmistakable rhythm of human pleasure.
"Ooh," a pleasurable moan escaped out loudly.
As the sounds grew louder and clearer, Amber's breath caught in her throat. There was no mistaking it now-the voice she heard was her stepsister's, moaning in ecstasy.
"Katrina?" She whispered. Amber's stepsister, making love in her room. How strange that her mom, Valentina, allowed her to do such a thing at home.
But the voice accompanying stepsister, the one that sent a shiver down Amber's spine, was all too familiar.
"Kenneth?"
The name echoed in her mind like a cruel taunt, a betrayal etched in every syllable. She couldn't bring herself to believe it. Her boyfriend, the man she loved and trusted, was behind that door, entwined with her stepsister in a web of deceit.
"NO!" She refused to believe it. It could be the effect of her dizziness. She rubbed her temple, trying to get rid of her dizziness.
"No, it's not him," she uttered firmly. But it was more like trying to convince herself not to believe the truth right before her.
"Oh, Kenneth, right there," Katrina yelled in pleasure.
Amber's heart hammered in her chest; anger bubbled within her. Katrina's words confirm her suspicion. How could he? How could they both betray her like this? The thought churned in her stomach like bitterness, twisting and biting at her insides until she thought she might be sick.
With trembling hands, trying to reach for the doorknob, Amber's pulse thundering in her ears. She needed to see it for herself, needed to confront them and demand answers. But before she could take another step. The world spun, a dizzying whirlwind of sensation and sound before everything went black, and she crumpled to the ground.
As soon as she woke up, Amber found herself in a strange room. A luxury hotel room, she guessed. The unfamiliar surroundings disoriented her further. Her head throbbed with a dull ache, a lingering reminder of her sudden collapse. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, she struggled to piece together the events that led her here.
Then, like a bolt of lightning, it hit her-the drink her stepmother had given her, the dizziness that followed, and the sudden darkness that swallowed her whole. Memories came back to her now. But it felt like there was more that she needed to remember.
"Did Valentina put sleeping pills on my drink?"
And then she heard it-the soft click of the door opening, the sound slicing through the silence. Amber's heart leaped into her throat as she turned, her eyes widening in shock as her stepmother stepped into the room, a knowing smirk playing at the corners of her lips.
"It's good that you've finally woken up," Valentina said, her voice dripping with false concern. "We have much to discuss, you and I."
Amber's blood ran cold at the sound of her stepmother's voice, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. "Valentina? Were you the one who brought me here?"
"Yes, I had someone bring you here since I knew you'd be stubborn to start working again," Valetina said sternly, her voice laced with contempt.
The weight of Valentina's words suffocates Amber with a sense of resignation and dread. She couldn't bear the thought of returning to that horrible club, couldn't stomach the idea of subjecting herself to the leering eyes and groping hands of those vile men again.
"No, I don't want to go back to the club," Amber pleaded.
"You do as I say," the evil stepmother said sternly.
As Amber looked into her stepmother's cold, unyielding gaze, she knew she had no choice. Her nephew, Chase's life depends on her. She needed funds to continue giving him treatments for his rare disease. She couldn't risk his health for the sake of her discomfort, no matter how much it tore her apart inside.
"What do you want from me now?" she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
But Valentina's expression remained impassive, her steely gaze unwavering. "You know what I want," she replied, her voice cold and clipped. "You work in the Casino, or there will be consequences."
Amber's jaw clenched in frustration, her fists balling at her sides. She wanted to scream, to lash out at the woman who had made her life a living hell, but she knew it would only make things worse. With a heavy heart, she nodded in reluctant acquiescence, hoping the work at the casino would be better than the club.
"Fine," Amber said, her voice tinged with defeat. "I'll do it."
Valentina's lips curled into a triumphant smile, her victory assured. "Good," she said, her voice dripping with satisfaction. "Now get up and change your clothes. You start tonight."
As Amber was dressed in a short skirt, she trailed behind Valentina, her heart pounding in her chest, she couldn't shake the sense of unease. The elevator ride felt endless, each floor they descended plunging her deeper into her fear.
Her fingers fumbled nervously with the hem of her skirt, tugging it down in a futile attempt to preserve what little remained of her dignity. She couldn't believe she was doing this, couldn't believe she had allowed herself to be dragged into yet another one of her stepmother's twisted schemes.
But as the elevator doors slid open to reveal a dimly lit corridor lined with heavy metal doors, Amber's confusion turned to outright disbelief. A casino in the basement of a luxury hotel? It didn't make any sense, not unless... "It is illegal," she muttered, her voice barely a whisper.
Her breath caught in her throat as they stepped into the huge space beyond, the noise of ringing slot machines and wild laughter assaulting her senses like a physical blow. It was a scene straight out of her worst nightmares, a den of vice and debauchery hidden beneath the veneer of respectability. The place was worse than the club she used to work in.
This wasn't just any casino-it was an illegal operation, a hellhole of corruption and crime lurking in the shadows of the city.
"Welcome, Mrs. Baldwin," said the old fat man as he proposed a handshake with Valentina.
"Thank you for inviting me here, Mr. Dickson," Valentina shook the old man's hand. "I brought you a gift. She'll start working tonight," she said, eyeing Amber standing by her side.
What? A gift? "I can't work here," Amber said quickly.
Amber's protests died on her lips as Valentina shot her a warning glance, a silent reminder of the stakes at play. She knew she had no choice, knew she couldn't risk Chase's life for the sake of her pride and safety.
"Interesting," Mr. Dickson remarked while lustfully licking his lips, looking at Amber. "My clients would love to have you here," he added with a wicked smirk on his lips.
Being a weak Omega, Reika's only hope was to have a mate until she was rejected by their pack's Alpha heir, Nyx. In her attempt to start fresh away from the Shadow Claw pack, she escaped and ended up in the Thunder Howl pack, where Alpha Apollo offered her to be a surrogate. Left with no choice, Reika accepted the contract. Amid the chaos, Nyx was challenged by his cousin Jacobo for a duel, seeking who was stronger to rule their pack. Alpha Apollo's position is challenged by his rogue cousin, Jupiter, bringing his wife and son, insisting he is fit to lead the Thunder Howl pack. Alpha Nyx and Alpha Apollo desperately need Reika's strength to retain their positions as the Alphas of their packs, as they discover she is the daughter of the missing Lycan King. Will Reika submit to any of the Alpha's or seek independence from any of the packs?
Mallory must hide her daughter, Harriet, from Harris's wealthy and influential family, who wants full custody of her daughter. While juggling her work as a hotel receptionist and her responsibility as a single mom, Mallory is heartbroken by her daughter's desire to have a complete family. While Harris tries to break away from his engagement with Nicole, he works to win Mallory's heart back. He is torn between obligations in their group of companies and following his heart. Excerpt: "Harris, why did you do this to me? Why me?" She muttered in her broken voice. Mallory's heartaches; she trusts and gives everything to Harris, only to be fooled by him. Mallory looked at Harris's sleeping form; she couldn't help but feel used and betrayed. She felt like a toy that Harris used and then threw away. Mallory gathered her things and left the hotel room without waking Harris up. She didn't want to see him or talk to him ever again. As she left the hotel, she saw the sign that said "Royal Vista Hotel" and realized that Harris was not just an ordinary hotel employee but the heir to the hotel empire. The realization made her feel sick to her stomach.
Arthur and Helena, two strangers, met at a fateful moment when each desperately needed comfort. Arthur had left his family to escape his narcissistic parents' emotionally draining environment, while Helena sought refuge from city life and Israel's vengeful parents. She grieved the loss of her billionaire boyfriend, Israel, whom she vowed to love forever. Helena's trust was fragile as she opened up to Arthur and found solace in his comforting arms. She felt herself falling for him until she realized the truth about his identity - a truth that threatened to break her trust in him forever. Now Arthur must prove his pure intentions to Helena to keep her in his life. But can Helena ever trust him again? Does Arthur's love have the power to replace Israel in Helena's heart, or will he lose hope and choose what is safest for himself? This is not your typical Billionaire story – this is a story about battling love and trust amidst chaos and despair.
Her fiance and her best friend worked together and set her up. She lost everything and died in the street. However, she was reborn. The moment she opened her eyes, her husband was trying to strangle her. Luckily, she survived that. She signed the divorce agreement without hesitation and was ready for her miserable life. To her surprise, her mother in this life left her a great deal of money. She turned the tables and avenged herself. Everything went well in her career and love when her ex-husband came to her.
"I heard you're going to marry Marcelo. Is this perhaps your revenge against me? It's very laughable, Renee. That man can barely function." Her foster family, her cheating ex, everyone thought Renee was going to live in pure hell after getting married to a disabled and cruel man. She didn't know if anything good would ever come out of it after all, she had always thought it would be hard for anyone to love her but this cruel man with dark secrets is never going to grant her a divorce because she makes him forget how to breathe.
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..."Â But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
For ten years, Daniela showered her ex-husband with unwavering devotion, only to discover she was just his biggest joke. Feeling humiliated yet determined, she finally divorced him. Three months later, Daniela returned in grand style. She was now the hidden CEO of a leading brand, a sought-after designer, and a wealthy mining mogul—her success unveiled at her triumphant comeback. Her ex-husband’s entire family rushed over, desperate to beg for forgiveness and plead for another chance. Yet Daniela, now cherished by the famed Mr. Phillips, regarded them with icy disdain. "I’m out of your league."
My name is Katia, and I am just trying to survive until my fated mate arrives. Which may be easier said than done. Rejectection is the last straw. Whispering my acceptance of his rejection. I run through the pack house, out across the manicured lawn into the forest. "I'm sorry, my sweet girl," I say to my wolf. I'm sorry you have been stuck with me and have had to suffer everything I have. She whispers," it's not your fault, Katia. We came to a cliff with a waterfall. The hurt keeps pounding at me. I need it to stop. My sweet girl, and I just want peace, I keep running and leap off the cliff. Spreading my arms wide, with tears streaming down my face, I fall, not making a sound, waiting for sweet oblivion where we feel nothing ever again. "I love you, my sweet girl! Until we meet again, "My wolf replied just before we hit the water, "I love you too, Katia. I have never regretted a moment with you." The Snow Moon pack is having their last barbecue of the summer next to the waterfall on their land. The adults are laughing and joking while watching the pups play. The alpha, beta, and gamma are swimming with some of the older children and playing a game of Marco Polo. Someone yells, "Oh my goddess, someone just jumped over the waterfall!" Everyone is frozen as they watch what looks to be a child falling arms spread wide, no one makes a sound. The small body hits the water like a plane crashing into the side of a mountain. The alpha, beta, and gamma, spring into action, swimming towards the area the person went under. The alpha is screaming his wolf is going crazy repeating, "Find her. Find her...find her!" They dive and the beta surfaces with a small person in his arms. Alpha takes the girl from his beta, laying her on the ground. The men are shocked by what they see. She is covered in scars and injuries. Her body is twisted and broken. The Beta asks, "Who could have done this to someone so defenseless?" Alpha drops to his knees, repeating, "MATE...MATE...MATE!"