A beautiful and empathetic woman, Isabelle Marino, unwillingly enters into the marriage with Liam Callahan, a manipulative and cold business magnate who had been involved in a terrible accident. As they must face many obstacles due to their forced arrangement, they struggle not only with themselves but also with evil surrounding them – Damien Russo, Liam's business competitor, Gina, Isabelle's mentally ill mother, and Kyle Barrett, Liam's obsessed former boyfriend. Will their hate turn to love as described on the cover or are the secrets and the betrayals that surrounded them unbreakable walls that bar them from true happiness?
Isabella Marino stared blankly at the empty canvas displayed before her...the brush hovered over the white surface.
Her hand moved as she tried to capture the vibrant hues of the city skyline outside my studio apartment.
My mind though, remained blank as it was filled with a lot of baggage.
I sighed to myself as I tried to treason life.
The sharp sound from the door made me jolt suddenly from my lost state.
"Isabelle? Are you decent darling?" Her mother's calm voice was carried by the thin walls.
Isabelle sighed as she took one last look at her painting before setting her brush.
"Come in Mom."
Gina Marino swept into the room as the door swung open...her heels clicking against the tiled flooring.
Her blonde hair was perfectly coiffed, something that accentuated her immaculate makeup which was in contrast to Isabella's disheveled appearance.
People have always mentioned she looked like her mother. But she honestly couldn't tell how...
"Is this the way you want to keep living? Isa?" Gina cocked a brow as she looked about the room with disdain. "When will you give up this silly fantasy you call art? It's nonsense. Go find a proper job!"
"Stop raising your voice at me, Mother." Isabelle bristled at her mother's tone. "And it's not nonsense. You don't know what it is to me because you don't have it. Painting is my passion."
Gina gave Isabella a long stare that held absolutely no regard for what Isa had just stated.
Then she waved a perfectly manicured hand.
"Sure, and it's not paying the bills. You know that right? And speaking of which..." She suddenly trailed off, her gaze unintentionally landing on the stack of unpaid bills that lay on Isabella's makeshift desk. "What did you say about your painting again?" She slowly turned to her daughter, slightly fuming.
"Mom, I've already told you the money for your medical expenses will be ready soon. I just need to sell a few more pieces." Isabelle stated but she couldn't help her stomach from twisting with dread.
Gina's lips were tightly drawn into a thin line. "Hey, now you won't have to worry about that anymore," she said and took her designer handbag out of the car, from where she got the thick envelope. "I've confronted our financial problems. "
Isabelle looked at the envelope dubiously. "What is the meaning of that? What is the meaning of that? How?"
I will be plain frank and say that I've made a not-so-secret but very profitable deal. "The one that will, by the end of the day, guarantee our future. "
Before Isabelle could ask for more information, a sharp knock from the front door was heard.
Gina's arched brows became more and more clear. "Oh, it is he, isn't it?"
"He? Who the heck are you referring to Mom?"
But Gina had already moved her head, turning it to the door and walking towards it.
Isabelle hastened after her, and a feeling of unease came out of the pit of her stomach.
Gina threw open the door, and what came out was a tall, perfectly dressed gentleman who was standing in the hallway.
His solemn features were frozen in a stern expression, his eyes were concealed by the designer sunglasses.
"Mrs. Marino," he said in a voice that was low and authoritative.
"Mr. Callahan," Gina said with a sickly sweet smile. "Please, come in. "
Isabelle's breath was almost gone from her throat as the man came into the room, his tremendous nature seemed to be the life of the place that was so small.
She spotted him at once, Liam Callahan, the famous billionaire CEO of Callahan Enterprises.
"What's going on here?" She managed to ask trying to keep her voice steady even though it was shaking.
Liam's gaze came to rest on her, and, in the way his eyes tracked her form, she felt as though she was being stripped bare.
"This is the girl," he pondered, a trace of condescension was in his voice.
Gina nodded eagerly. "Yes, this is my daughter, Isabelle. The one I have talked to you about."
Isabelle's confusion deepened. "Tell him what? I don't understand, Mom what's going on?"
Gina's flawlessly painted smile stayed fixed throughout the whole movie. "
Dearie, I have set everything up for you to marry Mr. Callahan."
The words were in the air and they were so thick that you could feel them.
Isabelle's vantage point seemed to turn into complete chaos as she was absorbing the bombshell that her mother had just thrown.
"Marry him?" she finally said, hardly able to utter the words. "However. .. I am not even familiar with him!"
"That's not important," Liam interrupted, his tone being sharp and professional. "This way is supposed to be strictly transactional. "
Isabelle's mind was so confused that she could not understand what was going on. "What do you mean, transactional?"
"Your mother and I have reached a consensus," Liam said in a composed manner. "Instead of the given sentence, you will be my wife for a large sum of money."
Isabelle's jaw almost dropped, her eyes kept switching between her mom and the huge billionaire.
"You. .. tell me you're lying, Mom. You don't mean this do you?"
Gina's smile got the first time a little bit wavering. "Do not be so extreme, Isabelle. I did what was necessary to ensure our financial stability. "
"However, I can't just get married to a stranger! Isabelle exclaimed, her voice getting louder in desperation.
Liam fixed her with an icy glare that seemed to cut right through her.
"You are not giving me a choice of the decision, Miss Marino. The agreement has already been concluded. "
Isabelle witnessed her world falling apart as she realized the full extent of her mother's betrayal.
She was not more than a device for bargaining, a pawn to be used to satisfy her mother's greed.
As Liam's large size overpowered her, she understood the life that she knew was now a closed chapter and a scary one was about to begin.
Dear readers, this book has resumed daily updates. It took Sabrina three whole years to realize that her husband, Tyrone didn't have a heart. He was the coldest and most indifferent man she had ever met. He never smiled at her, let alone treated her like his wife. To make matters worse, the return of the woman he had eyes for brought Sabrina nothing but divorce papers. Sabrina's heart broke. Hoping that there was still a chance for them to work on their marriage, she asked, "Quick question,Tyrone. Would you still divorce me if I told you that I was pregnant?" "Absolutely!" he responded. Realizing that she didn't mean shit to him, Sabrina decided to let go. She signed the divorce agreement while lying on her sickbed with a broken heart. Surprisingly, that wasn't the end for the couple. It was as if scales fell off Tyrone's eyes after she signed the divorce agreement. The once so heartless man groveled at her bedside and pleaded, "Sabrina, I made a big mistake. Please don't divorce me. I promise to change." Sabrina smiled weakly, not knowing what to do...
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!"
"Never let anyone treat you like shit!" I learned that the hard way. For three years, I lived with my in-laws. They didn't treat me as their son-in-law but as a slave. I put up with everything because of my wife, Yolanda Lambert. She was the light of my life. Unfortunately, my whole world came crashing down the day I caught my wife cheating on me. I have never been so heartbroken. To have my revenge, I revealed my true identity. I was none other than Liam Hoffman—the heir of a family with trillions of dollars in assets! The Lamberts were utterly shocked after the big reveal. They realized what fools they had been for treating me like trash. My wife even knelt down and begged for my forgiveness. What do you think I did? Did I take her back or made her suffer? Find out!
After a devastating divorce with the man she had been married to for over three years, Rachel thought her life was over. Her family disowned her, they wanted nothing to do with her anymore and she couldn't blame them. She had just divorced David Hart, one of the top successful bachelors in the country and heir to the Hart industries. But they would never understand that she didn't divorce him, he divorced her after she caught him cheating on her with her god-damned best friend! Rachel was just about to end everything by jumping off a bridge when she was saved by the most unexpected person. The boy she once bullied severally in highschool because he always wore ugly glass and was from a poor background, how come that glass make him so hot now? Why was he helping her get revenge on ex-husband who is trying to make her life even more miserable? And most important how did he get so handsome? What exactly does he want from her? ... No, you must want something, anything. If you can really help me get revenge on David and Lana, I can't just let you do it for free". Ethan went quiet for a while. I held my breath waiting for what his request might be. If it was something money could buy, I'll try my best to get it for him even though I was somehow broke right now. "You're right I do want something". He said after thinking for few minutes "What?" I asked slowly. " Until you get your revenge on David, Lana and every other person you want, you will live here". Live here as in...? " Wha... What are you saying? ". I stammered hoping he wasn't saying what I thought he was saying. I tried to step back but I missed a step and almost fell on the bed but Ethan caught me holding me in his muscular arms. Ethan moved his face closer to mine be was so close, our nose almost touched. " I want you to be with me! ".
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
"The wedding is canceled. Furthermore, all collaboration between the Barkers and Larssons will cease from today onward!" After saying that, he coldly peeped at Samantha as if he was mocking her, or maybe he was even laughing at himself. He did not say anything more and strode off. Samantha stood there dumbfounded. The mocking chattering from all directions instantly drowned her. She felt a stiff cold as if thousands of swords were piercing her heart. ************* Samantha Larsson became a laughing stock when Timothy Barker publicly denounced their marriage. Two years later, she was tricked into going home and married a mysterious man, who was known to be disfigured and physically disabled! Nonetheless, she would fight until the end and destroy the scums, slowly getting her justice!