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.
"Please trust me, I didn't do anything." "I don't believe you. I am rejecting you as my Queen and giving you the punishment of death." Alina was living outside her pack for five years. Her parents didn't try to contact her and always ignored her. Her best friend convinced her to go back to their pack and she agreed. But she had never imagined what was waiting there for her. She never thought she would meet her mate and had to face betrayal from everywhere. She had to pay for the crime which she never committed. Aaron Robertson is the king of Lycans. He is a very dominant and powerful King who not only rules Lycans but also rules other ranks of werewolves. Everyone is afraid of Lycans and he is the king of them. But who knew that he would get a mate who was just a simple Omega with no powers and strengths? He called her weak all the time but Little did he know that his weak Omega would give him the biggest betrayal of his life for which he had to give her the sentence of death.
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."
For ten years, Daniela showered her ex-husband with unwavering devotion, only to discover she was just his biggest joke. Feeling humiliated yet determined, she finally divorced him. Three months later, Daniela returned in grand style. She was now the hidden CEO of a leading brand, a sought-after designer, and a wealthy mining mogul—her success unveiled at her triumphant comeback. Her ex-husband’s entire family rushed over, desperate to beg for forgiveness and plead for another chance. Yet Daniela, now cherished by the famed Mr. Phillips, regarded them with icy disdain. "I’m out of your league."
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..." But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
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?"
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.