"Mr. Dre," she started speaking in a low tone, her voice quivering, "I have agreed to the contract and Ariel's operation was successful... but this... this deal... " She lost her words. That was the first thing she said; "It feels so cold here I didn't expect it to feel like this." Alison's life becomes miserable when her husband dies leaving her with three young children to support and take care of. Having financial difficulties, things turn even for the worse when her youngest daughter Ariel is diagnosed of a severe heart disease. Ariel has to undergo a very expensive surgery and Alison has no means to get the money for it. Desperate and running out of time, she faces a terrible choice: sign a contract marriage with her cold and powerful boss, Mr. Dre, or lose her daughter forever.
ALLISON POV
I stood there for a few moments with my legs weak beneath me as I looked at the lifeless body of Andrew. The room was so cold that it seemed to me I could not stand it anymore, but my face was burning with the tears which I shed.
"Andrew, you can't die," I screamed, tears rolling down my cheeks, "Who will take care of me and the children?" My eyes were puffy and blood-shot from crying, but the tears flowed – non-stop. It was so quiet that even the ticking of the clock could be heard and no matter how I tried to convince her, there are some things which you cannot have even if you beg for them.
'Allison, my dear, you have to be strong for your children,' my mother said quietly, tears brimming up in her eyes. She put her tender hand on my chest and said something that I could not hear because the pain was too strong.
"But, Mom... how do I even start? How do I look after my children without him?" I sobbed, my voice cracking and my vision obscured by the tears. "Who is going to help me? Who... who is going to save us?"
Mom didn't answer, just looked at me with sadness in her eyes. It was the same look of despair that I had been witnessing in my mirror for the last few days.
All of a sudden, I could hear Andrew's voice, weak but audible. It was as if he were right beside me, telling me in a hush, "You are strong, Allison. You are capable and amazing. "
I listened to his words and wrapped myself in the comfort of their meaning, with my eyes shut. Slowly, I stood up, my heart filled with sorrow but with determination that was now pumping through my veins. It was not possible to stop and I had to go on. In memory of Zara, Gabriel, and Ariel.
"I have to work harder," I told myself and with that I quickly removed the tears from my face. After the period of my vacation I returned to work at Browns Company Ltd. and worked as hard as I could.
The long working hours, the tiredness, the stress – all these I had to take because there was no other way. It was becoming painful to spend on anything including the children's tuition fees as every penny was important. They deserved the best, though I was feeling like I was shedding part of myself with each day that came by.
One day at work, I received a phone call. I picked it up absentmindedly thinking it was another telemarketer who were calling me in the past few weeks.
"Hello, ma'am, this is Brain Academy, we are calling regarding your daughter Ariel."
My heart stopped beating for a moment. The fear was instant, it anchored itself deep in my abdomen as if it were a rock. "Yes... yes, what's going on?" I stammered, my fingers gripping the phone tightly.
"Unfortunately, Ariel fainted in class today. We are in the process of contacting her next of kin."
Collapsed? My blood ran cold.
"Is she okay? What happened?" My words were barely audible, and I could hardly recognize the voice that came out of my mouth.
"Her teacher said she leaned forward and then...nothing. She's unresponsive, but we're doing everything we can to revive her."
My thoughts were spinning around in my head like crazy, My baby girl... Ariel... collapsed?
"I will be there in a minute," I shouted as loudly as I could, my heartbeat almost drowning the words I said.
I hurried to my boss and stuttered, my voice quivering with anxiety, I told them what had happened They did not even hesitate and dismissed me, saying some words which I barely heard before I left.
I drove like a lunatic to go and pick Zara and Gabriel with my mind racing with fear, it felt like the traffic light was taking ages before turning green, each second reminding me that I was still far from Ariel, I took the other children home to the nanny and zoomed to St. Mary's Hospital with hands shaking.
"Doctor, please tell me what is wrong with my daughter? " I asked, my voice shaking as I stood in front of Dr. James outside the ER door.
His eyes were serious and his body stiff, "Mrs. Allison, may I request you to come to my office, please? We need to talk. "
I trailed behind him, my body moving almost mechanically, as if I could hardly control it anymore. My heart raced, and I struggled to draw in air.
As soon as we were settled, Dr. James didn't waste much time. "I am sorry, the tests have revealed that.. your daughter, Ariel, has heart failure. "
Heart failure. The words were said and I heard the death knell of my dreams in my ears. I couldn't breathe. I felt dizzy and holding onto the edge of the desk I felt the room spinning around me.
That is when I realized that my mind was blank, I struggled to say: "What... what does that mean?"
"It means that her heart is not working as it should be anymore; she will require a heart replacement as early as possible."
A heart transplant. My baby required a heart transplant in order to live.
I felt my eyes begin to water and I could have easily shed a tear. "A transplant? But... how...?"
"It is very important that we act fast, Mrs. Allison," the doctor continued in a serious tone. "We've got to put her on the transplant list right now, every second is crucial. "
"But... but how much will this cost?" I asked almost in a whisper as if I did not want to know the answer.
And then, with the air of someone who is about to deliver the worst news of a patient, Dr. James stopped. "The procedure... it will cost $10,000. "
Ten thousand dollars. It was a punch in the stomach for me. I blinked hard to keep the tears from blurring my vision as they continued to stream down my face.
"I... I don't have that kind of money," I cried out loud, tears rolling down my cheeks. "I have not even been paid yet and if I was paid it would not be enough!"
"I know this is a problem," Dr. James murmured, "but we require the payment within a week or...."
His words hung in the air, unspoken but clear. Time was running out. My daughter was running out of time.
I looked up at him, my hands shaking uncontrollably. "Or what, Doctor? Tell me!"
The look in his eyes said everything. If I couldn't come up with the money, Ariel wouldn't survive.
My world crumbled around me. All I could do was stare blankly, feeling the crushing weight of desperation settling in my chest. Where was I supposed to find $10,000 in seven days?
I stood up, numb and broken, my mind filled with a singular thought: I have to save my daughter. No matter what it takes.
Nothing is more deadly than a wounded heart in the world I have always known-where power, loyalty, and treachery prevail. I never imagined that one visit would cause everything to fall apart when I went to see Leo Volkov, the infamous mafia kingpin and ex-lover of my sister. The ruthless and merciless king of the Volkov empire, Leo, had been in a terrible car accident and I felt I might offer him something-anything-before it was too late. He vanished though when I got to the hospital. Discharged, vanished, leaving just questions and a gnawing sense of abandonment. The true shock set in when I got home and discovered my boyfriend, Dmitri Baranov, locked in a hug with my sister Mara. Betrayal hardly starts to cover the damage I experienced. The worst of all is also Cold as usual, my family hardly even looked at it. Always more worried with family reputation than with my own happiness, my mother chastised me for being "dramatic." She solely considered what would be best for the family, not what I needed. But when Leo gets back, exactly as volatile and deadly as before, I find myself dragged back into a world of secrets and revenge threatening everything. Between the broken bonds with my family, a renewed, forbidden connection to the guy who once held my heart, and a conspiracy that can ruin me, I have to choose whom to believe. More importantly, if he would even take me back, am I ready to risk it all for a second chance at love?
I thought I was invisible-forgotten and discarded by the family that claimed to love me. When they dragged me out of my countryside solitude, I didn't think it was for love. It wasn't. It was for a deal. To save their own skin, they married me off to Alan Walker-a man they called weak, crippled, and harmless. They lied. Alan wasn't weak; he was calculating, deadly, and harboring a secret that may ruin us all. The marriage was never about love; it was conflict, a battlefield for power and survival. And yet, in the quiet times between our battles, I glimpsed parts of the guy beneath the mask-a man scarred by betrayal, motivated by retribution. But then the lies unraveled. Alan's disability was a façade, his kindness a weapon, and his true enemies closer than I ever imagined. As Philip Louis, his half-brother, launched a vicious attack to claim the family empire, I became a pawn in their twisted game. My sister Maria-cruel, conniving, and unforgiving-joined forces with him. Together, they sought to ruin us. Now, I'm caught in a storm of deceit and danger. Alan says he'll protect me, but how can I trust a man who built his world on lies? How can I protect my heart from a man I might be falling for, knowing love could be my undoing?
Sold to the highest bidder to pay off a blood feud, I never imagined I would be the pawn in my father's fatal game. Still, here I am before Enzo De Luca, the most vicious mafia leader in the city. Though appealing, he is cold, deliberate, and as lethal. Though my heart races just from his proximity, it is his touch that ignites me. My body betrays me and reacts to him in ways I am powerless over. And I melt as he softly, commandingly says my name. Enzo loves neither me nor another. In his deadly kingdom, I am only another bargain, another transaction. But every time we are alone, the conflict between us snaps-desire becomes a terrible addiction. Although I detest him for everything he stands for, I yearn for the way he consumes me, body and soul. He has made it quite evident-our marriage is more about power than love. Still, every angry gaze and every snatched moment in the shadow reveals something different. Benevolent underneath his icy façade lies something broken that appeals to the darkest sides of me. But depending on a man like Enzo may mean losing everything. Bound to him now, for better or worse, I am caught in a world where loyalty is brittle and treachery carries a bullet. Our friendship gets more perilous the more truths about his empire I find. And as the past calls for us, I have to question myself: will our passion be the thing that ruins us both or can I survive loving a guy like Enzo De Luca? Burning in his arms is me. But in his universe, I could roast alive.
Synopsis: Samantha Dawson felt she could leave her errors behind, but one fateful night everything changed. Driven by a great urge to pay off her family's debt, she entered the arms of a stranger-a brief, explosive meeting that left her whirling. That evening, she never anticipated the outcome: a kid she has kept secret from the world and from him. Four years fast forward: Samantha's meticulously repaired life is collapsing once more. She is presented with an unimaginable offer-a contract marriage with Adrian Blackwood, the mysterious millionaire with more influence than anybody should-as her son's safety is at stake and debts are closing in. The only issue is Adrian is unaware she already carries his most secret. But Adrian also depends on her. He has to seem to have a flawless family if he is to land the commercial contract confirming his empire. Samantha is his response; he still doesn't know about the lethal shadows from her past threatening them both. Time is running out because of Adrian's own complex network of family treachery. Should he not get married soon, he runs the danger of losing control of his father's business to a merciless competitor with dark motives-someone already too near Samantha for comfort. Neither of them understands how interwoven their fates have become as they descend further into this perilous dance. Secrets grow, passions blossom, and foes lie around every turn. Samantha has to choose, nevertheless, whether Adrian comes near to learning the truth about her son: should she tell everything or keep quiet while the walls of their precarious arrangement collapse? And then a terrible revelation destroys their world, just as their well planned lives begin to fit. Samantha has been hiding secrets other than the child as well.
In the previous life, Maggie Johnson was so cowardly, gullible and stupid that she was coaxed by her fiance and stepsister and then broke her legs and lost everything including her fortune, love and even life. However, she was so lucky that she was reborn in the year before everything happened. Since her life restarted, how could she repeat a previous tragedy? Therefore, in this life, she took the opportunity to improve herself and take revenge on the ones who had ever insulted her. Facing the people who had humiliated her previously, she became smart and experienced to break their frames and tricks that had caused her to hurt in the previous life. Finally, no one could stop her pace to amaze the world any more.
For as long as Emily can remember, she has wanted to overcome her shyness and explore her sexuality. Still, everything changes when she receives an invitation to visit one of the town's most prestigious BDSM clubs, DESIRE'S DEN. On the day she chose to peruse the club, she noticed three men, all dressed in suits, standing on the upper level, near the railing. Despite her limited vision, she persisted in fixating on them. Their towering statues belied the toned bodies concealed by their sharply tailored suits-or so she could tell. The hair of two of them was short and dark, and the third had light brown-possibly blond-hair that reached the shoulders. The dark, crimson background incised their figures, exuding an air of mystery and strength. They stood in stark contrast to the unfiltered, primal energy that pulsed through the club. Shocked by the desires these men aroused in her, she was disappointed to learn that they were masters seeking a slave to divide and conquer. She couldn't afford the fee, and she also realized that they were outside her league. Emily hurriedly left the club, feeling disappointed and depressed, unaware that she had also caught the group's attention. A world of wicked pleasure, three handsome men. Over the years, they have lived a life of decadence, their lavish lair serving as a stage for their most sinister desires. But despite the unending parade of willing subjects, one woman sticks out. A mysterious stranger with white porcelain skin and a killer body, a slave, a name with no address, the first lady to attract their eye and they will go to any length to obtain her no matter the consequences.
Sandra Hill, the long-lost real heiress of the Hill family, was shunned by her own kin. Instead of embracing her, they bestowed their affection upon an impostor. They even arranged her to marry a vegetative man in place of her so-called “sister”. Sandra sneered, refusing to put up with this humiliation, cut off ties with the Hill family immediately and ran into the flash marriage with Wesley Cooper, her unconscious billionaire husband. With her incredible medical skills, she defied the odds and revived him. Little did she expect that her husband spoiled her with all his love... A medical genius, a computer prodigy, a national treasure in painting, and a racing legend... Her husband revealed her various identities, leaving the Hill family regretful. Her father came pleading, "It's Dad's fault. Please come back." Her mother wept, "Mom will protect you from now on. Please come back." Even her five brothers knelt before he, begging for forgiveness. Yet, Sandra's smile held a hint of mockery as she vowed, “Never!”
"I'm going to tell you what I have in mind," he murmured. "First you're going to strip down until you're completely naked," he whispered against her ear. "Then I'm going to tie you up so you're completely powerless and subject to my every whim." "Mmm, sounds good so far," she murmured. "Then I'm going to insert a plug to prepare you for me. After that I'm going to spank that sweet ass of yours until it's rosy with my marks." She shivered uncontrollably, her mind exploding with the images he evoked. She let out a small whimper as he sucked the lobe of her ear into his mouth. God, she could cum with just his words. She was already aching with need. Her nipples tingled and hardened to painful points. Her clit pulsed and twitched between her legs until she clamped her thighs together to alleviate the burn. "And then I'm going to f**k your mouth. But I won't cum. Not yet. When I'm close, I'll flog you again until your ass is burning and you're on fire with the need for relief. And then I'm going to f**k that ass. I'm going to take you hard and rough, to the very limits of what you can withstand. I won't be gentle. Not tonight. I'm going to take you as roughly as you can stand. And then I'm going to cum all over your ass. Are you ready to be completely and utterly dominated?"
Rachel used to think that her devotion would win Brian over one day, but she was proven wrong when his true love returned. Rachel had endured it all—from standing alone at the altar to dragging herself to the hospital for an emergency treatment. Everyone thought she was crazy to give up so much of herself for someone who didn’t return her feelings. But when Brian received news of Rachel’s terminal illness and realized she didn’t have long to live, he completely broke down. "I forbid you to die!" Rachel just smiled. She no longer needed him. "I will finally be free."
Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true origins—a lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. “It's time to reveal your true identity, darling.”