Alexander Arlan Ainsley is a successful young business owner. Many women try to get close to him, but he never responds because, according to him, they are only after his wealth. Alex's bitter heart without love melts because he accidentally meets Arletta McDowell, so his rigid attitude changes one hundred and eighty degrees towards her. Alex even vows to have the girl, even though the target refuses because she already has a lover. He gets even more excited after finding out Arletta is still a virgin. How will Alex's and Arletta's story continue? Does the handsome man get into the girl's heart without any obstacles? Will there be a happy ending to Alex's struggle?
Arletta Jessica McDowell POV
I was in a yellow taxi, occasionally looking at the scenery in the window. For some unknown reason, my heart was beating faster, as if to hint that something bad was about to happen. Let's hope that never happened to me.
I heard a familiar voice that coincided with this yellow cab stopping because of the red light. I quickly opened my bag and searched for the object that was the source of the sound I had been hearing. When I got it, I saw a familiar name on the screen.
"What does Dad want? It is like he can't believe I am going to his office," I muttered, exasperated.
I pressed a green phone-shaped icon and put the phone to my right ear. The yellow cab was still stopped, and I could see that quite a few cars had also stopped. The sunlight was streaming into the cab, so I felt too dazzled to look ahead.
Me: "Hello, Dad?"
I hope Dad did not ask for weird things, because I was really annoyed by his over-the-top behavior!
Dad: "Hello. Where are you, Lizzy?"
Me: "I am in a yellow cab, Dad. I will be right there."
If I had not said that, Dad would have thought that I was just pretending. How could a man like him be my biological father, anyway? How annoying!
Dad: "Are you still far away?"
I could only roll my eyes, annoyed by the ridiculous question. Did he know that it takes time to get to his office area and there was a probably that I can get stuck in traffic?
Me: "I do not think it is too far, but there is a red light here, so the yellow cab has to stop. If there is no traffic, it will probably take about twenty minutes to get there."
Dad: "Okay. When you get here, just go straight to the ninth floor."
Oh, please. What Dad said was too much, as if I had never been to his office!
Me: "Sure, Dad. I will."
Dad: "Okay."
I was very relieved, because Dad ended the phone call right away. Well, that was better, because I did not want to make small talk with him. The traffic light, which had been red, now turned green, so all the cars, including the taxi I was in, were running as before.
"Why was I asked to come to Dad's office, anyway? What kind of important business is it that I have to go there? It is a good thing I am not working part-time today." I complained in a low voice.
Yeah. Today was supposed to be a nice rest day, but it turned into hell because my dad forced me to go to the office for no apparent reason. Huh! I would better try to enjoy this trip, even though I was really sick of it.
I put the phone back into the bag and did not forget to close it properly so that the items in there would not fall out. My heart was beating fast again as if to signal me to stay alert and not let my guard down.
"Why am I like this? Oh my God, I hope everything is okay."
***
Twenty minutes later, this yellow cab finally stopped in front of a fairly grand office building. I opened my bag and pulled out a few bills from my wallet according to the meter. After that, I paid the fare to the driver and then got off as soon as possible.
The sun was shining so brightly that I felt uncomfortable, so I rushed into the building without thinking. When I got to the lobby, I saw only a few people, and it was not very crowded. This was astonishing, but I did not have time to observe my surroundings, as I had to get to the elevator as soon as possible so that I could go to the ninth floor.
From the main lobby, I immediately turned to the left, and there were many elevators. I saw a few people already standing in front of the elevator doors and soon the doors opened, so they got in. "Damn! I was too late!"
I had to walk faster because I did not want to experience the same thing. I stopped in front of the elevator doors where no one else was and immediately looked at the screen that displayed the number seventeen, so it was still a long way to get to the first floor. Before I could press the button, I saw that a hand had pressed it first.
I was both relieved and curious, so I glanced to the right. As it turned out, there was a man wearing a formal suit. Not only that, he was so tall that I had to lift my face up to see his face clearly. The man had brown-blonde hair and a solid jaw.
Oh, my God! He is so handsome! Hey, Lizzy! You already have a lover, so you should not be looking at other men's good looks. Be faithful to your lover! My mind reprimanded me, so as soon as possible I gasped and then turned my face towards the elevator door.
It was a good thing that the stranger was not angry with me because I had looked at him. I had to focus on my original goal of meeting Dad and not be distracted by anything else, including the presence of the opposite sex.
Soon, the elevator doors opened, and we entered. Again, the man in the black suit pressed the button first, and I did the same after he was done. The elevator doors automatically closed and then moved upwards. I could feel the silence, but it was a very natural thing to happen.
Suddenly the elevator stopped moving, and even the lights turned off by themselves. Suddenly, the terrible memory of being locked in a cramped, dark room for a long time came back, and the panic attack was unavoidable.
"I am scared! I am scared!"
Spontaneously I squatted down while holding my head, then cried because I could not stand this situation. God, it was only fitting that before I got to this office building; I had a strange premonition that this was what was going to happen to me!
I heard the man's voice muttering in annoyance, "Tsk. Why did the power go out? Doesn't this building have a generator?"
I did not care about anything else and continued to cry because I hated being in a condition that made my phobia flare up. If I got to the office, I had to get angry with Dad and blame him for what had happened to me in the elevator!
I had not stopped crying yet, as fear still overwhelmed me. When would this torture end? Mom, help me!
"Are you okay, Miss?" The same male voice came back, but I ignored it. The terrible memory kept haunting me, so I could not think clearly.
I felt something touch my shoulder, but wait a minute. It was not a normal touch, but the guy was actually hugging! Who the hell did he think he was? I struggled with all my might, not wanting to be treated like that by a strange man.
"Let me go! Leave me alone!"
***
"No matter what happens to you, never marry a mortal, even if your life is at stake!" "But why—" “No buts! Just carry out my orders without arguing!” Goddess Atvertha has been warned by her mother, Goddess Avtexia, to stay away from the mortal nation — a dirty, brutal, and murderous nation. The moon goddess just tried to obey, although inwardly she felt strange at the warning. Goddess Atvertha's heart began to waver when she met a man who was dying in the forest. She, who has never known love, now feels a strange flutter in her heart. What about the fate of the Moon Goddess after that encounter? Who is that stranger man and what will happen to the two of them?
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?
Betrayed by her mate and sister on the eve of her wedding, Makenna was handed to the ruthless Lycan Princes as a lover, her indifferent father ignoring her plight. Determined to escape and seek revenge, she captured the interest of the three Lycan princes, who desired her exclusively amid many admirers. This complicated her plans, trapping her and making her a rival to the future Lycan queen. Entwined in jealousy and vindictiveness, could Makenna achieve her vengeance in the intricate dance with the three princes?
After hiding her true identity throughout her three-year marriage to Colton, Allison had committed wholeheartedly, only to find herself neglected and pushed toward divorce. Disheartened, she set out to rediscover her true self-a talented perfumer, the mastermind of a famous intelligence agency, and the heir to a secret hacker network. Realizing his mistakes, Colton expressed his regret. "I know I messed up. Please, give me another chance." Yet, Kellan, a once-disabled tycoon, stood up from his wheelchair, took Allison's hand, and scoffed dismissively, "You think she'll take you back? Dream on."
"Then let's get a divorce!" With courage, Leora left her husband's house, after being accused of poisoning his mistress. Her in-laws and sister-in-law had planned various ways to kick her out of Peter's house and in the end Leora gave in. However, no one expected that things would turn 180 degrees after the divorce. When everyone who had hurt her was happy with each other's lies, Leora returned. This time, she was no longer the poor orphan girl from the orphanage. She has changed and not only that, she also carries a big secret that will make everyone turn to worship her feet.
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
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.