In the sumptuous and ruthless world of business, where relationships are often tinged with interest and rivalry, Camille, an heiress to an immense fortune, reigns as absolute mistress. Her cool beauty and sophisticated allure conceal a profound vulnerability. Accustomed to a world where emotions are perceived as weakness, she has built herself a shell, not letting anyone get close to her heart. Her family's demands and the inner demons she battles in silence keep her in a gilded prison, where she feels constantly judged and suffocated by the expectations placed on her. Her reputation as an aloof, even icy woman is well established.
Camille DeLorme, heiress to one of the country's greatest fortunes, was once again faced with an invitation to a charity gala. These social evenings were commonplace in her diary, but this one had a special flavor. Organized by the Children's Foundation, the gala brought together the cream of society, and Camille's presence was expected as a matter of course.
Sitting in her spacious office at the top of the glass tower that housed the family empire, Camille gazed distractedly at the invitation in cream paper with gold lettering. A sigh escaped her lips. If only she could avoid these events without causing an uproar in the media and among her peers.
Camille didn't like these gatherings. She went to them with a heavy heart, hiding her sensitivity behind a mask of coldness and negativity. Life had taught her to protect herself, not to show her weaknesses. In this ruthless world, the slightest weakness was exploited.
Her assistant, Sophie, quietly entered the office. "Madame DeLorme, it's almost time to get you ready for tonight's gala. Would you like me to help you choose an outfit?"
Camille nodded, rising elegantly to her feet. "Thank you, Sophie. Bring me the blue dress."
A few hours later, Camille stood in front of her bedroom mirror, wearing a midnight-blue maxi dress that hugged her curves perfectly. The sparkling diamonds in her ears and around her neck added a touch of glamour to her impeccable appearance. She knew the effect she was having, but that didn't diminish the feeling of emptiness she often felt on these evenings.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the discreet roar of the limousine waiting for her downstairs. Camille took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself mentally. The outside world awaited the cold, unflappable billionaire who could negotiate the toughest contracts and lead her company with an iron fist.
Walking down the marble steps, Camille headed for the car that would take her to the gala. She greeted her driver briefly before climbing into the back of the car. The journey to the hotel was silent, with only the steady sound of the engine filling the space.
Arriving at her destination, Camille took a final breath before getting out of the car. In front of the hotel's illuminated entrance, a crowd of journalists and photographers were waiting, ready to immortalize her arrival. Her face impassive, she made her entrance, greeting a few acquaintances with a slight nod.
As she made her way to the reception hall, Camille was already feeling tired at the thought of having to play her part yet again. But tonight, something unexpected was about to happen. Something that, without her even knowing it yet, would change the course of her life.
The black limousine pulled up smoothly in front of the Ritz Hotel, a majestic edifice bathed in golden lights. Paparazzi had already amassed on the marble steps, their flashbulbs crackling with the arrival of each new celebrity. Camille DeLorme made an effort to contain her irritation. It was always the same ritual, the same superficial parade. Yet tonight, she couldn't help feeling a strange nervousness.
The driver opened the door, and Camille stepped out gracefully. Her midnight-blue dress sparkled in the spotlight, the diamonds around her neck and in her ears adding a touch of sumptuousness to her allure. She walked confidently, smiling politely at the journalists who threw out questions that she didn't answer. The façade of coolness she had mastered so well was in place, and no one would guess the doubts she harbored.
Inside the hotel, the grand ballroom was sumptuously decorated. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, illuminating the room with thousands of sparkling reflections. Elegantly laid tables surrounded the central dance floor, and an orchestra played soft, haunting music. The guests, dressed in gala outfits, chatted in small groups, their laughter and conversation forming a constant murmur.
Camille greeted a few acquaintances as she passed, exchanging empty courtesies. She spotted her friend and advisor, Philippe, near the bar and made her way over to him. Philippe was one of the few people who knew her true nature, and his presence always had a calming effect on her.
"Good evening, Camille," he said, handing her a glass of champagne. "Ravishing as always."
"Thank you, Philippe," she replied, taking the cup and taking a sip. "I wish these evenings were a little less... predictable."
Philippe smiled, understanding her sentiment perfectly. "Maybe they are, until they aren't. Tonight might surprise you."
Camille raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "I doubt it. The same faces, the same conversations. Nothing really changes."
Meanwhile, at the other end of the room, Alex, a young man of slender stature and undeniable beauty, entered the room. This was his first charity gala, and he felt slightly uncomfortable among these titans of industry and finance. He had been invited by a mutual friend, Pierre, who worked in the same sector as him.
Pierre guided him through the crowd, introducing him to a few people here and there. Alex smiled and shook hands, but his mind was elsewhere. He watched this world of luxury and power with curiosity, wondering how he would fit in. Then his eyes fell on Camille.
She was standing by the bar, talking to an older man. Something about her allure captivated him immediately. Her beauty was undeniable, but there was also an aura of mystery about her. A strength hidden behind that impeccable façade. Alex felt his heart quicken.
"Who is she?" he asked Pierre, who followed his gaze.
"Oh, that's Camille DeLorme," Pierre replied. "She runs one of the biggest conglomerates in the country. A formidable woman, but fascinating."
Alex nodded, his interest piqued. He'd heard of her, of course. Who didn't know Camille DeLorme? But seeing her in person was something else. He promised himself he'd find a way to talk to her before the evening was over.
As Camille continued to chat with Philippe, she felt an insistent gaze on her. Turning her head slightly, she met Alex's eyes. He smiled gently at her, and against all odds, she felt her heart miss a beat. There was something different about this stranger in the crowd. Something that, unbeknownst to her, would turn her carefully ordered world upside down.
The evening was just beginning, and already the first threads of fate were beginning to weave a web around Camille and Alex.
Everyone thought Lorenzo truly loved Gracie, until the day of their daughter’s heart surgery. To Gracie’s utter shock, Lorenzo gave the precious organ needed by their child to another woman. Devastated, Gracie opted for a divorce. Fueled by her need for revenge, Gracie joined hands with Lorenzo’s uncle, Waylon, and orchestrated Lorenzo’s downfall. In the end, Lorenzo was left with nothing and consumed by remorse. He pleaded for a reconciliation. Gracie thought she was free to move on with her life, but Waylon held her back in a death grip. “Did you think you can just walk out on me?”
Three years ago, the Moore family opposed Charles Moore's choice to marry his beloved woman and selected Scarlett Riley as his bride. Charles didn't love her. In fact, he hated her. Not long after they got married, Scarlett received an offer from her dream university and jumped on it. Three years later, Charles's beloved woman fell terribly ill. In order to fulfill her last wish, he called Scarlett back and presented her with a divorce agreement. Scarlett was deeply hurt by Charles's abrupt decision, but she chose to let him go and agreed to sign the divorce papers. However, Charles seemed to delay the process deliberately, leaving Scarlett confused and frustrated. Now, Scarlett was trapped between the consequences of Charles's indecision. Would she be able to break free from him? Would Charles eventually come to his senses and face his true feelings?
"It was just one night stand, and now I'm pregnant with triplets? Gosh!" Josephine Jade never thought that she would have to run away from her own family while pregnant. She was alone, without money, without connections, with three fetuses in her stomach. How can she survive? However, Josephine couldn't give up now, until she managed to reclaim her arbitrarily seized property and get back at everyone who tried to get rid of her. A sick child, a past crush that comes back, a mysterious eccentric man, and a family that hates her, will weave together the journey of Josephine Jade's new life. "You have no right to separate me from my children, you bastard! I will survive and you will submit to me. Just watch!"
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
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?
P-please, I beg you. Come let's go tell Christian I had no hand in whatever happened, p-please." I clutched the lapel of his jacket desperately. "Let's go. You need to tell my husband you were paid." "Young lady, you're harassing me." His tone was cold and his stare granite. But I could care less. "You harassed me first! You had sex with me without my consent, my husband knows and now I'm pregnant with this child he doesn't want. You ruined my marriage! I-I hate you!" ************************************ Caught by her husband with another man on their matrimonial bed the morning after her birthday, Hailey Codza could not defend herself. As though it's not enough, she gets pregnant. Her enraged husband decides to pay her back for her infidelity by having an affair with his ex-girlfriend - Denise Kellers, the family Hailey never knew she had. Losing her family's wealth and company to her husband and his ex (now girlfriend), she is devastated, homeless and penniless as all her credit cards are blocked by her husband. She sees the man who is responsible for her pregnancy. The man she has no idea how he'd found his way to her matrimonial bed - Jared Johnson. Jared is annoyed when this strange woman disrupts his meeting and accuses him of ruining her life, marriage and impregnating her. It affects his business deals and having no choice, he marries her to calm the public whilst engaged to someone else. But he loathes her and allows his family treats her badly. Hailey who has fallen in love with Jared is broken when she can no longer take the humiliation. She signs the divorce papers and leaves, only to arrive six years later to the country as a self-made, secret billionaire and a mother of twins. Now her two ex-husbands are begging to have her back...