Since she was little, Arini felt different. Her parents, although kind and loving, always felt like strangers to her. She never felt like she was truly part of the family. And now, with the evidence of the DNA test results she found a few weeks ago, all her past questions were answered. She was not their biological child.
When a woman named Arini opened her eyes that morning, the white ceiling of the hospital room was her first sight. The distinctive smell of antiseptic stung her nose, making her head dizzy even more. She was still trying to understand the situation. In the corner of the room, a nurse was writing something down on her clipboard.
"Mrs. Arini, how are you feeling?" the nurse asked gently.
Arini just nodded slowly. Her body felt weak. She knew that everything was over. Everything she had ever believed in, everything she thought was true, had fallen apart.
Since she was little, Arini felt different. Her parents, although kind and loving, always felt like strangers to her. She never felt like she was truly part of the family. And now, with the evidence of the DNA test results she found a few weeks ago, all her past questions were answered. She was not their biological child.
Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. Feelings of disappointment and hurt flooded her heart. She felt abandoned and unwanted. She thought hard, but there was no one she could ask for help. It all felt like an endless nightmare.
With the remaining strength, Arini lifted her body from the bed. The nurse quickly helped her stand.
"Thank you," Arini whispered softly.
The nurse smiled slightly, handing me a piece of paper with someone's address and phone number on it. "The doctor suggested you see a counselor. It might help."
Arini just stared at the paper expressionlessly. What could a counselor do? Restore a lost identity? Erase the pain of feeling unwanted?
After leaving the hospital, Arini decided to walk aimlessly. Her feet took her to a small park on the outskirts of town. A place she used to visit often when she felt chaotic. This place always gave her peace. There, under a large shady tree, she sat and looked into the distance.
Among the crowd of people passing by, Arini's gaze fell on a familiar figure. Her heart was beating fast. A man about 180 cm tall, wearing a white shirt and black pants. The man walked closer, and his firm face became clearer. His neatly arranged black hair, sharp eyes that radiated confidence, and a faint smile.
Arini gasped. It was Bimo, the man she had hurt in the past. A man whose relationship with Arini had ended so badly. They had both been involved in a small business together, but because of Arini's misunderstanding and selfishness, the business fell apart, and Bimo lost a lot. At that time, Bimo promised never to forgive her.
"How are you, Arini?" he greeted coldly.
Arini was silent. Various feelings were mixed in her heart-shock, fear, and maybe a little guilt.
"Bimo... I..." Arini tried to speak, but her voice was choked.
"You look different," Bimo said, squinting. "What's wrong? Why are you here?"
Arini swallowed. She wanted to get out of there immediately, but her legs felt heavy. "I... just want to be alone," she finally answered.
Bimo nodded. "Me too," he said as he sat down next to Arini, keeping his distance. They were both silent, lost in their own thoughts. Bimo stared ahead, at the trees swaying gently in the wind.
"I heard about your family," Bimo said finally, his voice low but firm.
Arini turned her head in surprise. "How did you know?"
Bimo shrugged. "News like that spreads fast, especially among people we know."
Arini felt her chest tighten. She didn't want to remember any of that. "I don't need sympathy from anyone, especially from you," she said defensively.
Bimo smiled thinly, a little cynically. "I'm not here to give you sympathy, Arini. I'm here for something else."
"What?" asked Arini in a suspicious tone.
"I need an assistant," Bimo answered briefly.
"Assistant?" Arini laughed wryly. "You're kidding, right? You think I'll work for you after everything that happened?"
Bimo stared at Arini with sharp eyes. "I'm not kidding. You need a job, and I need someone I can trust, even a little. And you're the best choice I have right now."
The atmosphere in the auction room was electric, thick with tension and anticipation. Spotlights illuminated the faces of the bidders, but all Isabella Blake could focus on was one man-Marcus Hale. She had been kidnapped and sold like a piece of property, and now, the highest bid echoed ominously in her ears. "Seventy million dollars!" shouted a man in a black suit, and Isabella felt a chill run down her spine at the staggering figure. She never imagined her life would end up like this, trapped in a brutal auction for her own freedom.
Aruna is a new secretary at a leading technology company in Jakarta, TechSage Corp. It was only a few weeks ago that she accepted this job, an opportunity that she believed would open many doors in her career. However, today felt different. There was anxiety that had been hanging over her since she woke up this morning, as if a bad feeling was waiting for her.
Allison fell in love with Ethan Iversen, the soon-to-be Alpha of the Moonlight Crown pack. She always wanted him to notice her. Meanwhile, Ethan was an arrogant Alpha who thought a weak Omega could not be his companion. Ethan's cousin, Ryan Iversen, who came back from abroad and was the actual heir of the pack, never tried to get the position nor did he show any interest in it. He was a popular playboy Alpha but when he came back to the pack, one thing captured his eyes and that was Allison.
Iris grew from an orphaned child to the adopted daughter of the Stewart family at age ten, finding warmth in her nominal uncle Vincent's kindness. Seven years later, she became his secret lover. When Vincent's engagement was announced, gossip spread about the notorious playboy CEO finally settling down. But only Iris knew the extent of his cold, two-faced nature. Iris fell for Vincent and, through tears, begged, "Marry me," only to be met with his frosty refusal. Defeated, she accepted a lawyer's proposal, sparking public excitement. Then, on her wedding day, Vincent pleaded desperately, "Don't marry him…"
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."
Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms once at peace. The kingdom of Salem and the kingdom of Mombana... Until the day, the king of Mombana passed away and a new monarch took over, Prince Cone. Prince Cone, has always been hungry for more power and more and more. After his coronation, he attacked Salem. The attack was so unexpected, Salem never prepared for it. They were caught off guard. The king and Queen was killed, the prince was taken into slavery. The people of Salem that survived the war was enslaved, their land taken from them. Their women were made sex slaves. They lost everything, including their land. Evil befall the land of Salem in form of Prince Cone, and the prince of Salem in his slavery was filled with so much rage. The prince of Salem, Prince Lucien swore revenge. 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 Ten years later, thirty-years old Lucien and his people raided a coup and escaped slavery. They went into hiding and recuperated. They trained day and night under the leadership of the fearless and cold Lucien who was driven with everything in him to get back their land, and take Mombana land too. It took them five years before they ambushed and attacked Mombana. They killed Prince Cone and reclaimed everything. As they screamed out their victory, Lucien's eyes found and pinned the proud princess of Mombana. Princess Danika. The daughter of Prince Cone. As Lucien stared at her with the coldest eyes anyone can ever possess, he felt victory for the first time. He walked to the princess with the slave collar he'd won for ten years rattling in his hand as he walked. He reached close to her and with a swift movement, he collared her neck. Then, he tilted her chin up, staring into the bluest eyes and the most beautiful face ever created, he gave her a cold smile. "You are my acquisition. My slave. My sex slave. My property. I will pay you in spades, everything you and your father ever did to me and my people." He stated curtly. Pure hatred, coldness and victory was the only emotion on his face. .
Trigger warning!!! Intended for mature readers who enjoy morally complex, slow-burn, poseesive, forbidden, dark romance that pushes boundaries. ***EXCERPT*** Blood everywhere. Trembling hands. "No!" My eyes blurred. His lifeless eyes stared back at me, his blood pooling at my feet. The man I loved-dead. Killed by the one person I could never escape - my stepbrother. *** Kasmine's life was never hers to begin with. Kester, her stepbrother, controlled and monitored her every move. At first, it was all sweet and brotherly until it began to turn into an obsession. Kester was the Alpha, and his word was law. No close friends. No boyfriends. No freedom. The only consolation Kasmine had was her twenty-first birthday, which was supposed to change everything. She dreamt of finding her mate, escaping the sickening control of Kester, and finally claiming her own life. But fate had other plans for her. On the night of her birthday, not only was she disappointed that she wasn't mated to the love of her life, but she found out that her mate was none other than him - Her tormentor. Her stepbrother. She'd rather die than be mated to a man whom she had known as her big brother all her life. A man who would do just anything to make sure she was his. But when love turns to obsession, and obsession turns to blood, how far can one girl run before she realizes there is nowhere else to run to?
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”