She burns, he saves. Once I thought you sheltered me from the storm, until later I realised that all the storms started with you. Talented ballerina Olivia has been in a whirlwind of complications since she met billionaire heir Dr Adrian.
After several strong margaritas, a wave of intoxication flushed Olivia's cheeks. She half-squinted her eyes, leaning against the outdoor bar as the cool night breeze, mixed with a hint of chill, brushed past, dispersing the haze. Loose strands of hair fluttered before her eyes, mingling with her eyelashes and blurring her vision.
On this quiet Monday night, the bar had only a few patrons, and even the sound technician couldn't be bothered to play music-it was as quiet as a library.
Her phone remained silent.
Her boyfriend of two years, Matthew, had suddenly announced his engagement to Dorothy, the heiress of the Fleming Hotel Group, without any reasons or explanations.
The chat interface with Matthew still showed her last message from two days ago-a simple "goodnight."
After making seven or maybe eight calls to the same number, with none answered, a chill crept over Olivia's shoulders, and she decided to head back inside.
As she passed the outdoor pool, Olivia noticed a small table between the lounge chairs adorned with a bouquet of roses and several flickering scented candles. An ice bucket held a bottle of champagne at an angle. The area was eerily silent, and Olivia wondered which lucky woman was meant to enjoy this setup. She chuckled softly, recalling the time when Matt had gifted her a huge bouquet of pink Ecuadorian roses.
Men's hearts change faster than New York weather.
Tiny ripples in the pool reflected the bar lights, flickering brightly then dimming. As Olivia walked along the poolside, her necklace suddenly snapped. The pendant shaped like Saturn clinked onto the ground, bounced, and rolled into the pool. The alcohol slowed her reaction, and she only stared as the necklace sank to the bottom. After a few seconds, she blinked, realizing she needed to retrieve it.
Kicking off her high heels, she descended the pool ladder. Misjudging the depth, the water quickly rose above her chest, making her head spin with intoxication. Olivia slipped and fell underwater, struggling weakly to grasp at the splashing water.
A splash behind her signaled someone else entering the water, and a wave of water spread from behind. Olivia felt a hand grab hers, pulling her back against a warm chest. Instinctively, she gripped the person's arm.
Her vision blurred by the water, Olivia took a moment to regain her bearings before looking up into a pair of anxious, restrained eyes.
"Matthew?" she murmured, recognizing the face.
The man hesitated at the name. Water dripped down from his wet bangs across his cheeks, soaking into his drenched white shirt which clung to his sculpted physique. Her gaze drifted down from his tightly pursed lips, over the moving Adam's apple, to the defined muscles of his chest.
With each downward glance, a deeper shade of pink tinged her cheeks.
"Risking yourself for a necklace?" he frowned, his gaze intense.
"Is this necklace really that important to you?"
It was Adrian, who had been quietly drinking alone in the bar. He hadn't met Olivia before, but had seen her photos on his older brother's phone-along with many others.
She had called him by his brother's name, obviously mistaking him for his brother.
Moonlight spilled behind her, illuminating her bare shoulders with a halo effect. The wine-red dress she wore was more stunning than he had imagined. Her head bowed slightly, her curled eyelashes quivering softly against Adrian's chest, tickling him.
Adrian leaned towards the pool edge, helping her out before sitting her down on the stone steps.
"I thought you never wanted to see me again," Olivia murmured, tears spilling from her eyes.
"I was..." Adrian seemed to want to explain.
In the next moment, Olivia leaned forward and kissed him. Her voice, frail and whispering near his ear, said, "Isn't this what you always wanted? Maybe I was wrong before. Take me to a hotel. I'll give you what you like."
Adrian chuckled lightly, biting her lip gently. "Are you sure you won't regret this?"
"As long as you don't leave me."
The dim hotel room light cast a soft glow on the couple engaged in a passionate embrace. The man's tall, handsome figure intertwined with the woman's delicate, supple form, creating a beautiful silhouette against the marble wall.
Olivia felt herself being gently laid down, Adrian's robust frame pressing down upon her. His kisses trailed down her neck to her collarbone, each touch sparking sensations like electricity, tinged with a moist masculine scent.
Suddenly, the phone rang.
Olivia, slightly dazed and weak, lay helplessly on the bed, hearing fragments of conversation about a hospital and someone named Roberts.
"It's handled," Adrian said after hanging up, looking down at Olivia with a mix of tenderness and amusement in his eyes. Shaking his head, he remarked, "I'm not interested in women who throw themselves at me so cheaply," before dressing and leaving the room.
The next morning, Olivia woke with a throbbing headache. She checked her clothes. Aside from a few undone buttons, everything was intact.
She called the front desk, and the clerk politely informed her, "Mr. Roberts instructed us to allow you extra rest, so feel free to take your time."
Matt had remembered their past, after all. She had been with him for two years.
The thought left Olivia feeling hollow. Last night's familiar yet strange scent lingered in her mind. Now, in the quiet hotel room, even the air felt cold.
Olivia got out of bed to freshen up in the bathroom. Seeing her lipstick-smudged lips in the mirror brought a blush of embarrassment, recalling the previous night.
Her phone rang. It was from the hospital.
"Is this Miss Olivia Williams? This is Roberts Hospital in New York. Your father has just been brought in by an ambulance; he collapsed and is in critical condition."
The news hit her like a thunderbolt. Olivia, trembling, hung up and quickly grabbed her bag to check out and rush to the hospital.
"Please, drive as fast as you can," she urged the taxi driver, clutching her purse tightly. Olivia had grown up with her father, her only family, as her mother had been incarcerated for a crime since Olivia's birth.
"Lord, please bless my father," Olivia prayed silently.
My boyfriend called, "Baby!" as he jumped out of bed and scrambled to pull his pants off the ground. "Please, I can explain my love." Shutting my eyes, I inhaled deeply and tried not to cry when I realized that my dream of the man not being my boyfriend had been dashed. "What?" I asked, "What do you want to explain?" How did you lie about having a business meeting while you were in bed enjoying yourself with my best friend, even though I told you I was in serious pain, is that it?" I stood there, my heart pounding, and tears streaming down my face...
"Love is blind!" Lucinda abandoned her beautiful and comfortable life because of a man. She married him and slaved off for him for three long years. One day, the scales finally fell off her eyes. She realized that all her efforts were in vain. Her husband, Nathaniel still treated her like shit. All he cared about was his lover. "Enough is enough! I quit wasting my years with an ungrateful man!" Lucinda's heart was shattered into many pieces, but she summoned up the courage to ask for a divorce. The news caused a stir online! A filthy rich young woman recently got divorced? She was a good catch! Countless CEOs and handsome young men immediately swarmed to her like bees to honey! Nathaniel couldn't take it anymore. He held a press conference and begged with teary eyes, "I love you, Lucinda. I can't live without you. Please come back to me." Would Lucinda give him a second chance? Read to find out!
Melanie married Ashton out of gratitude, but she quickly found herself entangled in a web of relentless challenges. Despite these struggles, she stayed true to her commitment to the marriage. In the hospital room, Ashton indifferently attempted to draw her blood, disregarding her discomfort. This callous act was a harsh revelation for Melanie, awakening her to the grim reality of their relationship. Resolved to prioritize her own welfare, she decided to sever ties. With newfound resolve, Melanie filed for divorce. In the process, she unveiled her concealed identities, leaving everyone in shock. Throughout these turbulent times, Melanie realized that Derek, Ashton’s uncle, had been discreetly protecting her all along.
"I, Riccardo Saviano, future Alpha of the Grey Shadow Moon Pack, reject you, Artemisia Guerrieri, Daughter of Alpha Franco of the Blood Moon Pack, as my mate and future Luna." One single sentence. One stupid single sentence was all it took to disintegrate my life. And the day of my birthday, on which this sentence was audaciously uttered to me, I lost the love of my life, my future mate, and my wolf, all at once. As I'm still assembling the pieces of my shattered heart years later, there they come. Like lightning out of a crystal blue sky. My Mates. But wait... If I am mated to triplets, how come I'm about to be mated to 5 gorgeous men? *** TW: explicit and foul language; spicy content; explicit sex scenes ***
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
A sudden twist of fate connected Helena to a prominent and influential person. To onlookers, she appeared as a naive bimbo. In truth, she was a top-tier specialist, shrouded in layers of hidden identities. Charlie declared, “She’s quite delicate and easily hurt. Cross her, and you’re crossing me.” The elite families, outwitted by Helena's prowess, kept these truths from him. Helena eventually broke free from Charlie, sending him on a frenzied worldwide hunt. To him, she was a bird with dazzling wings, and his goal was to help her reach new heights.