Blurb: It was out of a nightmare, a betrayal of the highest order. Damien's, hair was disheveled, his body entwined with another woman, they were both naked and slick with sweat. The intimacy of it was unmistakable, the mingling of their breaths, a moment never to be seen. "What the hell?!" Damien's voice finally boomed within the breaking, suffocating silence. Assuring herself that she was no longer alone, the woman tried to cover her body as she struggled to do so. There was a flicker of panic in her eyes. "Get the hell out of here!" he roared, his face twisted in anger. Noah Miller's life took a tumultuous turn after Mr. Miller's sudden demise, forcing her to form an unexpected alliance with the Andersons, long-time rivals. This unconventional alliance is a result of a contract marriage, despite Noah's heart still belonging to her first love, who was presumed dead after a failed kidney transplant two years ago. Will Noah be able to navigate the complexities of her new life with the Andersons and her husband, or will the sudden reappearance of her supposedly deceased first love alter the course of her life once again?
Noah's fingers ran through the edge of the documents in front of her, hands pausing on the smooth paper as if trying to carry its weight. She had been staring at the same pages for what felt like hours. The words came in and out of focus before her eyes, a mixture of legal terms and conditions that would change everything. Her late father's office, once a place of comfort, felt different now. The rich, dark wood of the desk, the leather chairs, the shelves lined with books, everything seemed to close in on her.
Sebastian stood by the window, his arms crossed, his face a mix of concern and frustration. The afternoon sunlight was in, causing a long shadow across the room. He sighed, breaking the silence that was between them.
"We could still go with Len's offer," he said, his voice laced with doubt, almost pleading. "Selling off might be easier."
Noah lifted her gaze from the papers, meeting her brother's worried expression. Her chest tightened. She uncrossed her legs and leaned back in the chair, the leather lay softly beneath her. "This is the best option, Seb." The words left her mouth with more force than she intended. "We have to save the company. Dad would've done the same."
Though her words were meant to ease her brother's guilt, he wished he could do more and not just watch his older sister sell off her happiness and possibly her freedom as well. She wasn't sure if her father would be proud of her for making this choice.
Sebastian's shoulders fell as he looked at her, his mouth open slightly like he wanted to argue but couldn't find the words. He ran a hand through his hair, a sigh leaving his lips. "I just- I wish there was another way."
Sebastian picked up the phone on the desk and dialed. "Mrs. Elena, can you have Mr. David prepare the car? We're leaving in ten minutes."
Noah's heart pounded in her chest, a steady beat that matched the ticking clock on the wall. The meeting with Damien Anderson was ahead like a storm cloud on the horizon. She could almost feel the temperature l of the room where the contract would be signed, the tension that would fill the space between them.
As they left the office, Sebastian's phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, glancing at the screen before answering. "Yes, this is Sebastian. I understand, sir... Tomorrow was the plan, but- Yes, I'll be there in an hour. Thank you."
Noah watched as her brother's face change from surprise to frustrated . "What's going on?" she asked, even though she could already sense the answer.
"My professor needs my thesis today," Sebastian replied, his voice tight with apology. "He came back early, and if I don't hand it in, I'll miss the deadline."
Her heart sank. The prospect of facing Damien alone was discouraging. She wanted to tell her brother to stay, to help her ease the burden. But instead, she nodded, offering him a reassuring smile she didn't feel. "Go. You need to finish school. I'll be fine."
Sebastian hesitated, his eyes searching hers for any sign of doubt. "Are you sure?"
"I can handle it," Noah said, her voice steadier than she felt. "Don't worry about me."
He left reluctantly, the sound of his footsteps echoed down the hallway as he hurried to his car. Noah stood alone in front of the elevator, the weight of the upcoming meeting on her mind.
Memories of her past encounters with Damien flickered through her mind, each one a reminder of how different they were-different in principles, in business, in everything.
The ride to Anderson Enterprise was a fast one, the cityscape sliding by in a mixture of steel and glass. Noah's thoughts were all over the place as she tried to predict how the meeting would go. Damien Anderson was as enigmatic as he was powerful, and the idea of aligning her family's future with his felt like stepping into a minefield.
Is everything alright, ma'am?" Mr. David's voice cut through her thoughts as they pulled up in front of the towering Anderson building.
Noah blinked, pulling herself back to the present. "Yes," she said, though the word felt empty.
Then as she stepped out of the car, its sleek glass reflected the cloudy sky. It was a testament to the Anderson family's wealth and ambition, a stark contrast to the warmth of her father's company. She squared her shoulders, forcing herself admired the architectural work, though the pit in her stomach remained.
Inside, the receptionist greeted her with a warm smile, the kind of practiced politeness that always comes with the job. "Welcome to Anderson Enterprise, Miss Miller."
Noah returned the smile, though hers didn't quite reach her eyes. She followed a young man to the elevator, her heels clicking against the tilled floor. Everything about this place screamed power and value, from the clean surfaces to the perfectly arranged furniture.
As the elevator ascended, she tried to slow her breathing. The ding of the elevator doors opening did pull her back to reality. The young man led her down a long, quiet corridor to a set of double doors. He paused, turning to her with a nod. "He's been expecting you."
Noah stood outside Damien's office, staring at the dark wood doors that separated her from the man who could change the course of her life. She took a moment to adjust her black dress, fingers shook a little as she smoothed the fabric. This was it. The moment she'd been anticipating with fear and preparing for in equal measure.
With a deep breath, she raised her hand and knocked. The sound echoed in the quiet hallway, followed by a pause that seemed to extend on forever.
Then, a voice-low, commanding-called from within. "Come in."
Laura thought she had died as the last thing she remembers was the one guy she had loved, staring at her with hatred in his eyes and a dagger to her chest, only to wake up two years before, when he hadn't shown her his true colors. The moon goddess had given her another chance, and that she was grateful for it. In her past life, she had made mistakes by being too kind and naive and trusting those who she shouldn't have. She had been betrayed and hurt, and lost everything she had, including her life; but with this second chance, she swears to get revenge on those evil people, including her self-acclaimed bestie, Sonia, and the so-called love of her life, Alex. Knowing everything this time around, she came with her revenge serving cold. The only thing she didn't expect was that her true mate was the man she had least expected, especially one who she had hurt in her past life. Would she be able to get her revenge with the second chance granted to her by the moon goddess? or will she fail and become a blood-tasty rogue?
The day Lilah found out that she was pregnant, she caught her fiancé cheating on her. Her remorseless fiancé and his mistress almost killed her. Lilah fled for her dear life. When she returned to her hometown five years later, she happened to save a little boy's life. The boy's father turned out to be the world's richest man. Everything changed for Lilah from that moment. The man didn't let her experience any inconvenience. When her ex-fiancé bullied her, he crushed the scumbag's family and also rented out an entire island just to give Lilah a break from all the drama. He also taught Lilah's hateful father a lesson. He crushed all her enemies before she even asked. When Lilah's vile sister threw herself at him, he showed her a marriage certificate and said, "I'm happily married and my wife is much more beautiful than you are!" Lilah was shocked. "When did we ever get married? Last I checked, I was still single." With a wicked smile, he said, "Honey, we've been married for five years. Isn't it about time we had another child together?" Lilah's jaw dropped to the floor. What the hell was he talking about?
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
For seven years, Jillian pursued Bryan with unyielding passion, but he remained distant, his emotions tightly sealed. Disheartened, she left for overseas after graduating from college. Three years later, Jillian, now a successful attorney, sat provocatively on the lap of Bryan's competitor. She flashed Bryan a playful smile and taunted, "What's wrong, Bryan? Are you impotent?" Bryan's restraint shattered in an instant. In a swift motion, he scooped her up and tossed her onto the bed. The next morning, as Bryan woke up, Jillian flashed a mischievous smile. "Let's keep things casual, okay?"
Her fiance and her best friend worked together and set her up. She lost everything and died in the street. However, she was reborn. The moment she opened her eyes, her husband was trying to strangle her. Luckily, she survived that. She signed the divorce agreement without hesitation and was ready for her miserable life. To her surprise, her mother in this life left her a great deal of money. She turned the tables and avenged herself. Everything went well in her career and love when her ex-husband came to her.