Vanessa was about to get engaged when she discovered that her groom-to-be was cheating on her with her own sister. Instead of creating a scene, she went to the club and hired the most desirable gigolo she found. After a wild night of passion, she gave him a generous check. "Thanks. I may require your services in the future." The gigolo was mad at her for being heartless, but Vanessa dismissed his words as an attempt to get her attention. It was only later, when she had to seek out the renowned Mr. Fuller to help with her business, that she realized the man she had slept with was no gigolo at all.
Inside the luxurious presidential suite at the Emerald Oasis Hotel in Rixwood, the atmosphere was thick with the traces of a recent, intense encounter.
Clothes were scattered haphazardly across the floor, leaving a trail that hinted at the night's passion.
Vanessa Dawson was resting against the headboard, her skin showing faint marks from the night before. She absentmindedly twirled a cigarette between her fingers, her expression both charming and relaxed.
As the bathroom door opened, she glanced up to meet the gaze of a breathtakingly handsome man. His sharp features were accentuated by a smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. He had a prominent nose, red lips, and deep, captivating eyes, with a charming mole beneath one eye that only added to his appeal.
A light mist from the shower still clung to him, and a droplet of water traced a path from his damp hair down to his collarbone, gliding along his toned abs before vanishing under the towel wrapped around his waist.
Vanessa's gaze lingered on him as she swallowed, her neck arching gracefully as she motioned for him to come closer with a single finger.
He chuckled softly and moved toward her with effortless grace.
Her delicate hand gently stroked his chin, her lips curling into a playful smile. "Such obedience, I like it."
"Don't tease me," he muttered, his voice husky with desire.
The desire he had just managed to push down flared up again with her subtle gesture.
Vanessa's soft laughter filled the air. "Are you shy? Is this your first time doing something like this?"
In the next moment, she reached for the bag resting on the bedside table, pulled out a thick wad of cash, and handed it to him with a smile. "Take it."
The man froze, his eyes widening in confusion. "What does this mean?"
"Just a little something for last night's... hard work," she replied nonchalantly.
His expression darkened immediately. "So you want to settle this with money? What do you think I am?"
"What do I think you are? Well, clearly the top pick at this club," Vanessa replied with a smile. "Did you really think we had something serious going on? It's just a fling; don't read too much into it."
His eyes reddened with sudden anger, his face darkening in a split second.
Unexpectedly, Vanessa's heart softened. She moved to touch his face, but her phone, carelessly tossed to the side, suddenly rang.
Her face tightened as she answered the call, but before she could speak, the voice on the other end snapped, "Vanessa, where have you been? I heard Connor Saunders brought a woman home. Do you not care about becoming his wife? Get home immediately, you useless girl!"
Reacting without thinking, Vanessa pulled the phone away from her ear, but the man quickly seized the chance to snatch it from her grasp.
With a mischievous smile, he brought the phone to his ear and teased, "Who exactly are you calling useless?"
The harsh words from the other end suddenly stopped, replaced by a hesitant tone. "Who are you? Why do you have Vanessa's phone? Where is she?"
Vanessa's heart raced as she lunged forward, trying to grab the phone back. But he raised his arm, and she collided with his solid chest, her leg grazing his abdomen, causing him to grunt softly.
Straining to reach the phone, she tilted her head back and, with a bit of frustration, called into the receiver, "I'll be back in a minute, Dad. There's something I need to take care of here first, so I'm going to hang up now."
Using his body as a prop, she yanked the phone from his hand and quickly ended the call.
Vanessa sighed in relief, pressing her lips together as she prepared to reprimand the unruly man. But then her gaze met his deep, unwavering eyes, which were locked onto her.
A wave of unease washed over her as she quickly turned her head away, avoiding his eyes. Without looking back, she placed another stack of money on the table, her movements quick and somewhat mechanical. "Let's not make this a bigger deal than it is. I'll pass along my assistant's contact details. If you require any assistance later on, feel free to reach out to me."
The man stepped behind her, his powerful arms reaching out to pick up the money.
It turned out he had been hesitant to let her leave because the money she had given moments ago was not sufficient.
A strange, unshakable sadness settled in Vanessa's chest. What had once been a fleeting moment of rare connection and contentment had now been stripped down to nothing more than a business exchange. How disappointing!
She couldn't help but laugh at herself. Spending money on a handsome man-what more did she really expect?
Regaining her composure, Vanessa picked up her clothes from the floor and got dressed. As she was about to walk out the door, she heard his hoarse voice. "The role of Connor's future wife isn't suitable for you. I can offer you something much better."
Vanessa froze for a moment, stopping in her tracks, before she turned around to face him, letting out a laugh laced with scorn. "What exactly could you offer me?" The softest bed in this club? Some sweet words to whisper while lying next to me? Those things may work as pillow talk, but they're just words-nothing more. Don't think they mean anything."
She stepped closer, her heels barely touching the floor as she stood on tiptoe to plant a mocking kiss at the corner of his mouth.
She chuckled, "You don't get it. The role of Connor's future wife belongs exclusively to me."
Without a second glance, she walked out of the room, leaving him behind.
Years ago, Vanessa's maternal family, the Stewart family, had been tragically torn apart, leaving nothing but empty memories. Her mother, Janet Dawson, had died under mysterious and suspicious circumstances when Vanessa was still just a little girl.
For years, Vanessa had relentlessly searched for answers and finally uncovered evidence that the Saunders family might be linked to the tragedy.
To uncover the full story and expose the truth, she knew she had to take a dangerous step and infiltrate the Saunders family.
As Vanessa walked away, the man tossed the money aside with a look of disdain, letting it scatter across the floor.
His expression darkened as he made a call. "I need to know what's happening between the Saunders family and Vanessa Dawson."
Five years ago, he upped and left his wife without informing her. He had always felt unworthy. As a result, he decided to go and become a better man. It took him five whole years of daily hard work. When he was satisfied, he returned as a powerful and honorable man. He intended to start a family with his wife. But he got back to meet the greatest shocker of his life. He actually had a daughter!
After hiding her true identity throughout her three-year marriage to Colton, Allison had committed wholeheartedly, only to find herself neglected and pushed toward divorce. Disheartened, she set out to rediscover her true self-a talented perfumer, the mastermind of a famous intelligence agency, and the heir to a secret hacker network. Realizing his mistakes, Colton expressed his regret. "I know I messed up. Please, give me another chance." Yet, Kellan, a once-disabled tycoon, stood up from his wheelchair, took Allison's hand, and scoffed dismissively, "You think she'll take you back? Dream on."
My family was on the poverty line and had no way to support me in college. I had to work part-time every day just to make ends meet and afford to get into the university. That was when I met her—the pretty girl in my class that every boy dreamt of asking out. I was well aware she was out of my league. Nevertheless, I mustered all my courage and bravely told her that I had fallen for her. To my surprise, she agreed to be my girlfriend. With the sweetest smile I had ever seen, she told me that she wanted my first gift for her to be the latest and top-of-the-line iPhone. I worked like a dog and even did my classmates’ laundry to save up. My hard work eventually paid off after a month. I finally got to buy what she wanted. But as I was wrapping my gift, I saw her in the dressing room, making out with the captain of the basketball team. She then heartlessly made fun of my inadequacy and made a fool out of me. To make things worse, the guy whom she cheated on me with even punched me in the face. Desperation washed over me, but there was nothing I could do but lie on the floor as they trampled on my feelings. But then, my father called me out of the blue, and my life turned upside down. It turned out that I was a billionaire's son.
"I am flawed in every way possible," she said. "Good, I never asked for perfection," he replied immediately. When Sapphire Conrad, the wayward daughter of the Conrad Family, was called back to New York after running away from home to Gisborne, she only had a plan. Appear at the mansion, listen to whatever nonsense she had to say and say no to it, put up a strong font, then go back to her kids in Gisborne. Using her energy while trying to get revenge on all of them is a total waste of time even though they deserved to be trampled upon for what they did to her. It sounds like an easy enough plan until she got there and was asked to get into a marriage of convenience. Staying at New York was risky, she would be forced to face her ex-fiance who she had a nine years relationship with, the ex-best friend who snatched her fiance, her sister and mother who hate her with passion, and the list was longer than just that. But she couldn't leave her twin brother who is in danger there and there is this tiny little fact that Mr. Alexander Antonio Aldine, the CEO of Triple A Group definitely won't let her go.
Sophia Drake braced herself for the worst when she was forced to move across the country in the middle of her junior year. Desperate to escape her shattered home as soon as she turns eighteen, her plans are disrupted by the enigmatic and captivating Ashford twins. Sophia can't fathom the intense attraction she feels for the twins and tries to avoid them at every turn. As she's thrust into an unfamiliar world, her past demons resurface, making her question her true identity. Will Sophia flee from her past's secrets, or will she embrace her destiny and take control of her future?
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"