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"Does she make you feel this way?" Maya heard the familiar voice as she walked towards the door. "Never, not even close," the second equally familiar voice moaned. "You're the one I love, and Maya means nothing to me-nothing at all." Tears streamed down her eyes as she cupped her mouth with one hand, suppressing the surprised gasp that had threatened to escape the minute she pushed the door halfway. "How could they?" She thought to herself as she watched her best friend and boyfriend, whom she had trusted explicitly, make out behind her back. **** Broken hearts take time to mend. After being betrayed by her boyfriend of five years and her best friend, Maya Brown loses all hope in love. Yet her decision to heal and stay away from the love field is bridged when her parents step into the picture. She is coaxed into an arranged marriage with the handsome and desirous billionaire Kai Larson for the purpose of strengthening both families' alliances. Will she find love, or will it also be another failed attempt?
"Does she make you feel this way?" "Maya means nothing to me, absolutely nothing." Maya tossed and turned in her sleep as the memory of those words echoed in her ears. It had been three years, yet those very words still found a way to haunt her soul. So, when her alarm went off, she got up groggily from her bed and decided to go for a run. It wasn't her usual morning routine, but with the way things were going, she was sure she would have a rough day ahead. She returned from her morning run at around 8 a.m. to find her parents having breakfast at the dining table.
She didn't speak to them but rushed upstairs to freshen up. Being one-six meters long, she was the perfect height for the short white mid-tight dress that she threw on, accessorizing it with the pale blue silver heart necklace that accentuated her sky blue eyes. She packed her brown hair into a neat ponytail above her head, and then she inserted her feet into her cherry-laced pumps, which her mother had gifted her for her twenty-second birthday the year before. She loved them, and they sat perfectly on her full, chubby feet. Maya was not the typical slim girl, nor was she fat; her size was perfectly round and awesomely curved. It made a lot of people envious of her; her face was a total sellout; her best features were her full lips, which she laced with red lipgloss; her straight nose; and her striking blue eyes. Immediately after she was done dressing, she went downstairs to grab breakfast. One thing the heartbreak had done for her was give her an appetite she didn't know she had and an appreciation for her weight. "Hey, darling," her mother said when she noticed her. "Good morning, Mum, good morning, Dad," she said, planting a kiss on both cheeks. "Went for a run?" He asked, and she nodded. "Mm-hmm," she replied, her mouth fully stuffed with bread. "Easy on the eggs, darling, how are you feeling?" Her mother asked. "I'm okay, just a slight headache, but it'll be fine," she replied, taking a seat opposite her mom. She was her mother's duplicate; she only took her father's deep blue eyes, but her full lips were those of her mother's. "You know your mother is just worried about you," her father, Lucas Brown, said. The Browns family started as mid-rich but went up quickly in the elite society due to Lucas Brown's hard work, which was how he raised the company, Brown's Pharmaceuticals, to the top in just ten years. "I know, dad. I'm sorry. I won't make you worry. I'm actually okay," Maya replied. She knew where their worry stemmed from. This was coming just after her ex-boyfriend, Mark Wallace, announced his engagement to her then-best friend and rising actress, Lucy Mitchell. It had been three years since she caught them smooching and backstabbing her in their chemistry classroom. How ironic, she had thought, having chemistry in chemistry class. Now, she could smile about it, but back then, it was the worst thing to have happened to her. Everybody had heard of it, and everybody knew her story. That was the perk and downs of being a part of the elite society. "I have to go, Dad. I need to get an early start on that research." After studying biochemical engineering in college, Maya began working with her father as a medical device researcher in their pharmaceutical company. "Oh, that's great; I'll join you later, you know; no rush," he joked, and she laughed in return. It was a popular joke they often made; they all knew that soon enough he would retire and hand over the company to Maya, but only one thing stood in the way: Maya. "Alright, darling, have a great day. Don't forget dinner tonight," her mother called out. "Alright, Mum," she said, picking up her phone and leaving the house. Meanwhile, the LARSONS GROUP of companies was having a tough day. The new CEO of LARSONS GROUPS was returning, and everything had to be in place. A convoy of black Range Rovers filed outside the airport, waiting as the private jet landed on the runway set in the middle of the field. Men suited in black lined up outside each car door, waiting for the boss to arrive. As the jet landed, a handsome, one-eighty-meter-high man with jet black hair, forest green eyes, and thin lips in his mid-twenties got off the jet with his assistant, Oliver Branson. Strutting with grace, he got into one of the waiting cars, which was to drive him to the company's location. At the company, everyone anticipated his arrival: Kai Larson, the only son of Waylon Larson, CEO of the LARSONS GROUP OF COMPANIES. The upper management employees gathered in the lobby, waiting to welcome him. "Welcome, sir," the line of employees greeted him as he walked past them. He sauntered into the elevator with his assistant and two bodyguards, heading for the fifty-first floor, where the board meeting was to be held. His father, Mr. Waylon Larson, was already seated waiting for him. "Father," he said in his deep, regal voice. "Son, am I glad to see you? Welcome back," Waylon said, rising up to hug his son. "Kept the place running great, I see, Father," Kai complimented. "Well, I did my best, and with you back in town, I can finally retire peacefully," Waylon said confidently. "I appreciate your confidence, Father," Kai replied with modesty, and Waylon patted his back approvingly. "The board members would be here shortly to discuss the handover procedures, but I wanted to have some time with you first." Waylon said. "Okay, I'll start going over the company's listings and share documents. I already reviewed the activities and financial turnovers for the last three years." Kai said. "Great son, do what you must, but don't forget, we have to be done in time for dinner with the Browns tonight; we don't want to upset your mother," Waylon said, picking up a folder from the table in front of him. "The Browns?" Kai asked, wondering what his father was talking about.
Janice, the long-forgotten legitimate heiress, made her way back to her family, pouring her heart into winning their hearts. Yet, she had to relinquish her very identity, her academic credentials, and her creative works to her foster sister. In return for her sacrifices, she found no warmth, only deeper neglect. Resolute, Janice vowed to cut off all emotional bonds. Transformed, she now stood as a master of martial arts, adept in eight languages, an esteemed medical expert, and a celebrated designer. With newfound resolve, she declared, "From this day forward, no one in this family shall cross me."
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
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.
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
Kaelyn devoted three years tending to her husband after a terrible accident. But once he was fully recovered, he cast her aside and brought his first love back from abroad. Devastated, Kaelyn decided on a divorce as people mocked her for being discarded. She went on to reinvent herself, becoming a highly sought-after doctor, a champion racer, and an internationally renowned architectural designer. Even then, the traitors sneered in disdain, believing Kaelyn would never find someone. But then the ex-husband’s uncle, a powerful warlord, returned with his army to ask for Kaelyn’s hand in marriage.
June Rivera was divorced by her husband after three years of marriage because he wanted to be with her sister who was pregnant for him. Kicked to the curb with a divorce and rejected by her parents,she struggles to make ends meet and get a job until she saves Luis Ambrose from an accident - the only child of Rafael Ambrose, a widowed man and the CEO of Ambrose Corporation. When little Luis asks to have her as a nanny, and Rafael's mother pressures him to get married, they draw a contract. To be Luis's nanny and his fake wife for one year in exchange for 50 million dollars!