Synopsis: Sophie Reynolds has lived a life of misery, overshadowed by her beautiful and cunning stepsister, Vanessa, and tormented by her ruthless stepmother. Her only hope is to escape their cruelty and find a fresh start. But fate has other plans when she's forced into a marriage meant for her stepsister-a union with the cold, fearsome billionaire Alexander Drake, a man known for his power and wealth, as well as his ruthless reputation.Alexander has always been in control, but when his bride turns out to be the quiet and unassuming Sophie instead of the ambitious Vanessa, he feels deceived and betrayed. Convinced that Sophie is just another gold-digger scheming for his wealth, he vows to keep her at arm's length, determined to uncover her true intentions. But the more he watches her, the more he realizes she is nothing like her sister. Sophie is strong, unyielding, and far from the manipulative woman he imagined.As they navigate their unintentional marriage, Sophie struggles to find her place in Alexander's world, while Alexander battles the growing attraction he feels toward her. Their relationship evolves from one of mistrust and resentment into something neither of them expected-something that could shatter the walls Alexander has built around his heart.But with dark secrets and enemies lurking in the shadows, Alexander must protect Sophie from those who would see her destroyed, all while coming to terms with his own feelings. In a world where nothing is as it seems, can Sophie and Alexander find love amidst the lies and betrayals, or will their mistaken marriage crumble under the weight of their pasts?
Chapter 1: A Life of Shadows
Sophie Reynolds had long resigned herself to a life lived in the shadows. Ever since her father, Richard Reynolds, remarried, bringing her stepmother Clarissa and stepsister Vanessa into their home, Sophie had been relegated to the role of the invisible daughter. While Vanessa was the golden child, showered with love and attention, Sophie became nothing more than a convenient scapegoat for all the ills of their household.
Her father, a kind man at heart, had been a successful businessman, often away on trips and consumed with work. He rarely saw the daily dynamics of his own home, leaving Sophie at the mercy of her stepmother and stepsister. Even if she tries telling him what she's going through in his absence, her stepmother will always counter her, making it look like Sophie doesn't want to accept her as her stepmother.
Clarissa was beautiful and cunning, a woman who could charm anyone with a smile; she's a very good actor; her words and actions always sounded convincing, but underneath that polished exterior lay a heart as cold as ice. She saw Sophie as nothing more than a reminder of her husband's first wife, his first love and the woman who still occupies his heart, a woman Clarissa had never met but resented all the same.
Vanessa, spoiled and vain, had inherited her mother's beauty and charm but none of her father's kindness. She took pleasure in making Sophie's life as difficult as possible, delighting in small cruelties that wore Sophie down day by day.
Where Vanessa was admired for her looks and wit, Sophie was criticized for her quiet demeanor and simple tastes.
Sophie's days were filled with menial tasks that Clarissa insisted were necessary to keep the household running smoothly.she isn't a maid, but she works like one; while Vanessa was free to spend her days shopping, attending parties, and flirting with eligible bachelors, Sophie was relegated to cleaning, cooking, and attending to her stepsister's whims.
Even the servants, sensing their mistresses' disdain, treated Sophie with indifference or, worse, pity.
But it wasn't just the chores that weighed heavily on Sophie's heart. It was the constant scheming, the cruel words whispered when they thought she couldn't hear.she wondered if all of this could someday come to an end.
Clarissa and Vanessa would often sit together, plotting how best to use Sophie for their gain or how to make her life just a little bit harder. They spoke of her as if she were a burden, a stain on their otherwise perfect lives.
"You could at least try to be more like Vanessa," Clarissa would say, her voice dripping with disdain as she looked at Sophie.
"Why must you always be so plain and unremarkable? "
Vanessa, of course, would echo her mother's sentiments, often adding her sharp barbs.
"Don't be too harsh, Mother," she would say with a smirk. "Poor Sophie can't help it if she's just not... worthy." she said with a mocking laugh.
Sophie endured it all in silence, her heart growing heavier with each passing day. She longed for the warmth of her father's embrace, the way he used to lift her when she was a child, making her feel like she was the most important person in the world. But those days were long gone, buried under the weight of Clarissa's manipulation and her father's increasing absence.
She stopped complaining to her father because it only heightened her grievances once he was away. Clarissa finds every single way to punish her and make her wish she wasn't born.
At night like this, when the house was quiet and everyone else was asleep, Sophie would lie in her small, cramped room, staring up at the ceiling.with tears in her eyes, calling for her mother to come take her away. She would dream of a different life, one where she was free from the shackles of her stepmother's cruelty and her stepsister's jealousy.
A life where she could be herself, unburdened by the constant pressure to be something she was not. Sophie found solace in books, the only escape she had from her miserable existence. She would lose herself in tales of distant lands, of brave heroines who overcame adversity and found love in the most unlikely places.
These stories were her refuge, her only source of hope in a life that felt increasingly bleak. But even as she dreamed of escape, Sophie knew that her reality was unlikely to change.
She was trapped in a life she hadn't chosen, with no clear path to a different future. The world outside her home seemed vast and terrifying, and she had no means to venture beyond the walls that confined her.
Yet, despite the despair that threatened to consume her, there was a small, stubborn part of Sophie that refused to give up. She clung to the hope that one day, something-anything-would happen to change her circumstances.
She prayed for a fresh beginning, a chance to break free from the chains that bound her. Little did Sophie know that her prayers were about to be answered, but not in the way she had ever imagined.
Soon, her life would take a turn that would lead her far from the world she had known, thrusting her into a marriage she never wanted with a man whose reputation was as fearsome as the life she longed to escape.
For two years, Bryan only saw Eileen as an assistant. She needed money for her mother's treatment, and he thought she'd never leave because of it. To him, it seemed fair to offer her financial help in exchange for sex. However, Bryan didn't expect to fall for her. Eileen confronted him, "You love someone else, yet you always sleep with me? You're despicable!" The moment she slammed the divorce papers down, he realized she was the the mysterious wife he married six years ago. Determined to win her back, Bryan lavished her with affection. When others mocked her origins, he gave her all his wealth, happy to be the supportive husband. Now a celebrated CEO, Eileen had everything, but Bryan found himself lost in another whirlwind...
COALESCENCE OF THE FIVE SERIES BOOK ONE: THE 5-TIME REJECTED GAMMA & THE LYCAN KING BOOK TWO: THE ROGUES WHO WENT ROGUE BOOK THREE: THE INDOMITABLE HUNTRESS & THE HARDENED DUKE *** BOOK ONE: After being rejected by 5 mates, Gamma Lucianne pleaded with the Moon Goddess to spare her from any further mate-bonds. To her dismay, she is being bonded for the sixth time. What’s worse is that her sixth-chance mate is the most powerful creature ruling over all werewolves and Lycans - the Lycan King himself. She is certain, dead certain, that a rejection would come sooner or later, though she hopes for it to be sooner. King Alexandar was ecstatic to meet his bonded mate, and couldn’t thank their Goddess enough for gifting him someone so perfect. However, he soon realizes that this gift is reluctant to accept him, and more than willing to sever their bond. He tries to connect with her but she seems so far away. He is desperate to get intimate with her but she seems reluctant to open up to him. He tries to tell her that he is willing to commit to her for the rest of his life but she doesn’t seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that he’s different; and a chance to love her. But when not-so-subtle crushes, jealous suitors, self-entitled Queen-wannabes, an old flame, a silent protector and a past wedding engagement threaten to jeopardize their relationship, will Lucianne and Xandar still choose to be together? Is their love strong enough to overcome everything and everyone? Or will Lucianne resort to enduring a sixth rejection from the one person she thought she could entrust her heart with?
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
Warning: This book has high sexual assault displays, but does not support any form of rape. I, Alpha Edward Parker, swear that I will keep you tied to me until I make you pay for what you did to my mate," he swore, gripping my chin in a bruising hold. "Not only will you wish for death, but you will beg for it, and it will be too far from you." I could feel the eyes of the whole pack on us. They probably came to experience a normal wedding, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I was being married off to a groom because he wanted revenge. Tears welled, and I wanted to scream, "I am your mate; I'm the one who saved you, not her." But I knew no one would believe me. I was his mate, how could he not recognize me? Four years ago, Amanda happened to save a total stranger, but due to a string of misunderstandings, her sister took her place. The stranger then promised a vow of betrothal to his savior. Not seeing any use in correcting the error, Amanda allowed it. That was her biggest mistake because the stranger ended up being her own mate. Caught in a web of lies and confusion, she decides to set herself free by speaking the truth. But her plans are thwarted when her sister turns up dead, and she is pinned as the main suspect. A mate out to seek revenge for another, a forced marriage, an underlying plot, a web of lies, and many dark secrets. How can Amanda navigate all these without losing sight of herself? How will she speak the truth when she has already lost her voice and has been destroyed by her own mate?
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."