Jayce Smith randomly meets Evelyn Thomas, who is hiding her identity. After her secret is exposed, he forces her to stay with him. They engage in a battle of wits and courage: Evelyn defies the world, and Jayce vows to spoil her. They are close but each has their own secrets. As the internal struggle of a family gradually comes to light, their unwanted pasts are also revealed. From a small town to New York, from New York to Singapore, they move from fighting each other to becoming friends, ultimately winning the final match-a grand gamble!
Evelyn Thomas was sitting behind the counter reading the newspaper when the casino door was pushed open, allowing a bone-chilling wind to quickly fill the room. An unlucky patron, enraged, roared towards the outside, but upon seeing that the new arrival was Norman, the patron mumbled something under his breath and pretended to continue feeling his cards, no longer daring to shout.
Norman owned a service company that mainly handled 'security', turning protection fees into protection services. Everything seemed legal, and no one in the Tumessa area dared to cross him.
Today was New Year's Eve. The locals had finished their reunion dinners and, with nothing else to do, habitually came to indulge their gambling cravings. Norman also came to scratch his gambling itch. Upon entering, he fixed his gaze on the young woman behind the counter engrossed in her newspaper, smiling as he signaled his men to keep quiet. He took a few steps toward the counter, stretching his arm forward. Just as his fingers were about to touch the girl's cheek, the newspaper in front of her rustled, blocking his hand.
Only then did Evelyn look up, unsurprised, and smile, "Liam, you've arrived. Shall I open a table for you?"
Inside the casino, unlike the snowy world outside, the air conditioning units maintained at twenty-nine degrees Celsius the temperature. Smoke swirled around the card tables, casting a faint peach-colored hue on Evelyn's face. Her long black hair partially covered her collarbones, giving off a lazy and casual vibe. She wore a loose V-neck shirt, indifferent to the snowy conditions outside.
Norman felt his addiction growing stronger. He retracted his hand and, to avoid losing face in front of his men, jokingly said, "Open a table? Will you play with me?"
Evelyn chuckled softly, "Sadly, I've been working here for months and still haven't learned to play French-suited cards."
Evelyn had arrived in Tumessa at the end of summer. The casino was short-staffed and had just posted a job opening when she applied. Norman, not sitting in the private room, had Evelyn set up a table for him near the air conditioner. A television on the wall played a New Year's comedy show. This was the best spot, and Norman was pleased. He asked Evelyn, "A young girl like you, working on New Year's, doesn't your family say anything? Oh, right, where are you from?"
Evelyn poured tea into the cups and served them to the four men, smiling, "Working on New Year's means more bonuses; no one says no to money."
Norman liked money and enjoyed hearing such words, forgetting Evelyn's evasive answer. He then persuaded her to join his service company, offering top-notch salary and benefits. As he spoke, his phone rang inconveniently. Norman answered it angrily, but upon hearing the voice, he jumped up, nearly knocking his chair over. Not knowing who was on the other end, he rarely lowered his head so submissively, said a few words, and hurried out. Evelyn continued to smile as she poured tea for another table.
Norman stepped outside, shivering in the cold, his breath forming into clouds. This year, the city was unimaginably cold.
He was a bit annoyed. "What to do? Didn't they say it would be next week? Why are they here today?"
He walked a few steps, then remembered he should wait until the ignorant men left before rushing to the entrance of Tumessa. Standing in the icy wind for five minutes, he finally saw car lights in the distance and quickly approached, smiling obsequiously as he got into the first car, asking, "Boss, is your boss in the car behind?"
Nathan Lee, sitting alone in the car, glanced at him and said, "Lead the way!" Not another word was spoken. Norman cursed inwardly but kept his face pleasant, leading the way with two curtain-covered cars following closely behind.
Tumessa was remote, untouched by economic planning, with its architecture unchanged for decades. Rows of houses along the river were abandoned, with shops and residences mixed. Despite a significant population, property prices remained low, with no interest from buyers. The streets became wider and houses sparser as they went further, with no streetlights and silence all around. Finally, they arrived. The cars stopped outside a wall. Norman jumped out and opened the gate. A courtyard lit by bright lights revealed an ancient three-story building with white walls and black tiles, featuring a large open balcony on the third floor and a dense tree growing above it, its survival a mystery.
Norman welcomed all the curtain-covered cars into the small courtyard, which soon became crowded. He glanced at the cars while saying to Nathan, "I didn't know you were coming today. The house has been cleaned, and the furniture replaced, but the courtyard hasn't been tidied yet."
As he spoke, two men got out of the third car-one wearing glasses with a refined face, the other short and ordinary-looking. Norman wondered which one was the 'boss' until he saw the driver of the second car get out, slightly bowing as he opened the back door.
A shiny black leather shoe stepped out, followed by long trousers. Half a face appeared, clad in a black overcoat of fine material, with sharp lines. The figure stood tall, adjusting his coat. His powerful frame, tightly pressed lips, and prominent nose were immediately noticeable. As he straightened up, he slightly adjusted his coat and his towering figure loomed, with a sharp gaze sweeping past the dumbfounded Norman. He showed no expression, but his presence was imposing. Norman dared not look directly at him, quickly smiling ingratiatingly but nervously fumbling with the lock.
Nathan had inspected the place from top to bottom, carefully checking the main bedroom on the second floor. Finally, he felt satisfied as he found the bed linens and bedding neatly arranged in the wardrobe, free from any dust. Cutting off Norman's continuous chatter, Nathan said, "General Manager Smith likes peace and quiet. Your men are unnecessary, and keep this quiet!"
Norman said, "I know, I know. That's why I didn't let the guys follow me here. If there's anything else you need, just let me know, and I'll bring it tomorrow!"
As they descended the stairs, the man with glasses was fiddling with the TV, and the short man emerged from the kitchen, saying, "There's no food, so I just boiled some water!"
Nathan looked at Norman. "Do you have anything to eat?"
Her parents had passed away. It was a day when she was twelve years old. Her parents died, and she was about to be killed by shapeshifters. Daenerys was terrified. Her eyes welled up with tears, but they also gleamed with hatred as she looked at them. 'Go to hell!' The moonlight bathed their claws, a silver light flashing in Daenerys's pupils. But she wasn't afraid. Faced with death, her gaze didn't waver; it was filled only with hatred. Just before the moment of life and death, a loud noise suddenly rang out. He appeared like a guardian angel. Each step he took made the moonlight retreat. He approached and saved her. He was the Alpha of the Black Wolf pack. He took Daenerys home, raised her, and cared for her in silence. But she was very afraid of him because this uncle Austin always had the look of 'the Grim Reaper.' Originally, they had an uncle and niece-in-law relationship, but in truth, he wanted more. Will this girl realize his feelings and accept them or not?
Is it true that touching love, playing with it, will burn and hurt, and the only person who gets hurt is yourself? Chloe once lost a daughter, but fate brought her back to meet her child again, which led to entanglement with the man she had secretly loved for many years. But he still despised her, just like in the past. One day, the man coldly said, "Chloe, let's get married. Stop wasting your efforts seducing other men. I can give you what you want."
On her wedding day, Khloeās sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didnāt 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 Henrikās cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
6 years ago, Lydia suffered a brutal betrayal orchestrated by her own husband and step-sister, who drugged her and framed her. In a twist of fate, she ended up having a one-night stand with a stranger. Don't even remember what he looked like. Later, in the throes of death, she discovered the truth about her mother's death all those years ago. In the blink of an eye, she lost everything. 6 years later, Lydia returned with her genius son, vowing to exact revenge on all her enemies! Little did she know, she encountered an incredibly familiar man at the airport! *** The man was briskly pushing open the door to the restroom, heading to the urinal. Even with such a mundane action, he did it with unparalleled elegance and grace. Lydia, following him in a daze, saw his fierce lower body and suddenly snapped back to reality. She let out a high-pitched scream, instinctively covering her eyes with her hands, her cheeks flushed, and stood there stiffly, unsure of what to do. Lambert furrowed his brows slightly but remained calm as he continued to relieve himself. The sound of water hitting the urinal made Lydia's face even redder. She angrily shouted, "You pervert!" Little did Lydia know that Lambert, seeing her in this state, had a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Memories from many years ago flashed through his mind, and his heart couldn't help but stir. It was her!
Lindsey's fiancƩ 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 fiancƩ. " "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?
Life was a bed of roses for Debra, the daughter of Alpha. That was until she had a one-night stand with Caleb. She was sure he was her mate as determined by Moon Goddess. But this hateful man refused to accept her. Weeks passed before Debra discovered that she was pregnant. Her pregnancy brought shame to her and everyone she loved. Not only was she driven out, but her father was also hunted down by usurpers. Fortunately, she survived with the help of the mysterious Thorn Edge Pack. Five years passed and Debra didn't hear anything from Caleb. One day, their paths crossed again. They were both on the same missionācarrying out secret investigations in the dangerous Roz Town for the safety and posterity of their respective packs. Caleb was still cold toward her. But as time went on, he fell head over heels in love with her. He tried to make up for abandoning her, but Debra wasn't having any of it. She was hell-bent on hiding her daughter from him and also making a clean break. What did the future hold for the two as they journeyed in Roz Town? What kind of secrets would they find? Would Caleb win Debra's heart and get to know his lovely daughter? Find out!
"Who is she?" I asked, feeling tears well up in my eyes. "He met her at the Alpha training camp," he said. "She is a perfect suitor for him. It snowed last night, indicating that his wolf is happy with his choice." My heart sank, and tears made their way down my cheeks. Alexander took my innocence last night, and now he is taking that thing in his office as his Luna. **** Emily never shifted on her 18th birthday and became the laughingstock of the pack. When her old crush, Alexander Black, returns from Alpha Training, she never expected him to be her mate. After a night of passionate love, Emily finds out that young Alpha Alexander has taken a chosen mate. Heartbroken and humiliated, Emily runs off and disappears from the pack. Now, five years later, Emily is a high-ranking warrior in King Alpha's army, specializing in sensitive matters. When her best friend invites her to a night of music and laughter, she never expects to run into her mate, Alexander. Will Alexander figure out it is Emily? Will he chase after her, and most of all, will Emily be able to keep her secrets safe?
Alcohol and heartbreak are definitely not a good combo.Too bad I learnt that a little too late. Iām Tessa Beckett and I painfully got dumped by my boyfriend of three years.That led me to getting drunk at a bar and having a one-night stand with a stranger.Before he would see me as a slut the next day,I paid him for the sex and deeply insulted his ability to please me. But this stranger turned out to be my new boss!