Heather's ex-boyfriend, Jeremy, who had vanished two years earlier, was surprisingly revealed to be the uncle of her current partner. In public, Jeremy projected a cold and arrogant demeanor, yet he harbored an obsessive and near-maddening fixation on Heather. In her desperation to escape Jeremy's dominating influence, Heather turned to Nathan, whom she perceived as a kind-hearted businessman. However, she was unaware of Nathan's true nature. He, too, had sinister intentions and, like Jeremy, aimed to exploit her. Trapped in a dangerous love triangle, Heather found herself unable to escape.
Cedric Buckley had been dating Heather Taylor for two years when he suddenly felt ready to propose. Today, however, was the somber occasion of his grandfather's funeral. Cedric chose this day to introduce Heather to his family officially.
An hour before the ceremony, a woman arrived unexpectedly. Cedric's demeanor shifted noticeably at her appearance. He excused himself to Heather, saying he needed to handle something urgent and left with the woman.
"Heather, I'll have someone else take care of this. Please find Cedric. His uncle is arriving soon," Sharon Buckley instructed.
She was Cedric's mother and had never been fond of Heather, who she felt was below their social standing and too unrespectable to be greeting guests at the entrance.
Heather, compliant as ever, nodded and began her search. She wandered through the crowded hall and ascended the stairs to Cedric's childhood room. Pushing the door open, she found the room deserted and eerily silent. Just as she was about to search elsewhere, a faint, peculiar noise from the bathroom halted her.
Curious and cautious, she slipped off her high heels and approached the slightly ajar bathroom door. Peering through the gap, her heart sank. There was Cedric, in a compromising position with a woman, pressed against the washstand in a heated encounter. The sound of running water and muffled moans filled the air.
"I shouldn't have come back," the woman wept between labored breaths. "I meet your needs, yet I have to watch you marry someone else? Let me go!"
"No, you left me first without any explanation. I thought you'd never return, so I moved on with Heather," Cedric tried to soothe her, his voice strained. "She's just someone to pass the time with."
"Then you should break up with her," Alexia Harris urged, her voice trembling as she clung to Cedric, tears spilling over her cheeks. "I'm not the person I used to be. I'm now a part of the wealthy Harris family, and I'm worthy to be your wife."
Cedric hesitated, his mind racing. He had shared two years with Heather, feelings not easily dismissed. "It's not that simple, I-"
Before he could finish, the door swung open. Heather entered, her expression one of resigned sadness. "I agree to break up."
Her sudden appearance jolted Cedric. His body reacted, his face draining of color.
Heather's gaze fell on their entwined forms, a sight so alien yet painfully clear. Tears gathered in her eyes as she took a step back. "I had planned to give you my first time on our wedding day. To think that after two years, I was nothing more than someone's stand-in."
With those words, she turned to leave, then paused, mastering her emotions to add, "Put on your clothes. Your uncle has arrived."
Scrambling, Cedric pulled up his trousers as Alexia hurriedly adjusted her dress. He darted forward, reaching for Heather's wrist in a desperate gesture. He fumbled for words, then blurted out, "Alexia was my first love. We were so happy together before. When she returned, I just... I lost control."
Heather shook off his grasp and cast a fleeting glance at Alexia, who was leaving. As she did, tears she had been holding back began to fall. "You've helped me immensely, and I've been truly grateful for that. However, this situation has turned our time together into a joke, squandering two year of my life. Thankfully, your financial support over these years balances that out, so we're even."
"I never intended for us to break up," Cedric said, his voice laced with anxiety. He caught up to Heather, his expression fraught with regret. When Alexia seduced him, he wasn't thinking of ending things with Heather.
"Today of all days, your grandfather's funeral, I will continue to act the part well," Heather declared, her tone resolute yet tinged with sadness.
After speaking, she turned and left. As she walked away, her demeanor shifted dramatically. She dabbed at her tears and a faint smile crossed her lips.
Upon her return from studying abroad in her sophomore year, she had encountered severe financial difficulties. She had toiled day and night just to make ends meet. It was Cedric who had stepped in to assist her, covering her tuition and living expenses. He had invested heavily in her, introducing her to experiences around the world.
In gratitude, she had accepted his persistent advances and assumed the role of the accommodating and rational girlfriend he desired, aligning with his plans and wishes.
However, she had her boundaries. She couldn't engage in a physical relationship without love. By framing her decision to wait until marriage, they maintained a chaste relationship for two years. She had believed that Cedric's decision to bring her home and talk about marriage was driven by his longing for intimacy after such a prolonged period of abstinence.
Now, caught in the act of betrayal, the breakup unfolded just as she desired. Cedric was the one at fault, allowing her to leave him without any lingering guilt, liberating herself from a debt she felt burdened by.
"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!
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry 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."
Desperate to handle her grandmother's towering medical bills, Gianna agreed to a contract marriage with Tristan, the enigmatic man she'd once shared a one-night stand with. She assumed they'd fulfill each other's needs and dissolve the arrangement once the terms expired. Unbeknownst to Gianna, this marriage was a dream Tristan had clung to for ten relentless years. Certain she was just filling someone else's role, Gianna prepared to leave when that other woman returned. But Tristan, his eyes burning with unspoken emotion, seized her trembling hand and declared, "You’re mine. Now and always."
Three years ago, Cecilia was left battered and alone by the man she loved most, Alston, yet she bravely completed the wedding ceremony while pregnant. Three years later, although they were married, they grew apart over time. Cecilia focused on her career, no longer foolishly believing in love. But her transformation instantly threw Alston into a panic... And what is the secret from 11 years ago that Cecilia has always been reluctant to reveal? *** "She went to a law firm, met with a lawyer..." A lawyer? Is Cecilia suing someone? Who? Is there any recent litigation against the company? Alston suddenly chuckled coldly, "Who could she sue? I'm the CEO of this company. How come such a matter doesn't come to me first?" The assistant swallowed nervously, speaking softly, "Sir, there's no litigation against the company. She met with... a divorce lawyer."
"You're a creepy bastard." His eyes smolder me and his answering grin is nothing short of beautiful. Deadly. "Yet you hunger for me. Tell me, this appetite of yours, does it always tend toward 'creepy bastards'?" **** Widower and ex-boss to the Mafia, Zefiro Della Rocca, has an unhealthy fixation on the woman nextdoor. It began as a coincidence, growing into mere curiosity, and soon, it was an itch he couldn't ignore, like a quick fix of crack for an addict. He didn't know her name, but he knew every inch of her skin, how it flushed when she climaxed, her favourite novel and that every night she contemplated suicide. He didn't want to care, despising his rapt fascination of the woman. She was in love with her abusive husband. She was married, bound by a contract to the Bratva's hitman. She was off-limits. But when Zefiro wanted something, it was with an intensity that bordered on madness. He obsessed, possessed, owned. There'd be bloodshed if he touched her, but the sight of blood always did fascinate him. * When Susanna flees from her husband, she stumbles right into the arms of her devilishly handsome neighbour with a brooding glare. He couldn't stand her, but she needed him, if she was ever going to escape her husband who now wanted her dead. Better the devil you know than the angel you don't. She should have recalled that before hopping into Zefiro's car and letting him whisk her away to Italy. Maybe then, she wouldn't have started an affair with him. He was the only man who touched her right, and the crazy man took no small pains in ensuring he would be the last.