Sofia Levine married a man she had known for less than 24 hours. The marriage was the result of an agreement between their grandfathers. At first, her half-sister even tried to take her place in the marriage, after all, Rome Beckett was the sole heir of a wealthy family. With his good looks, he was the object of many women's affections in the city. Rumor had it that Rome Beckett was cold and aloof, and many were waiting to see Sofia become the laughingstock of the high society as a discarded wife. After the wedding, they treated each other with respect, and Sofia believed that, in time, there might be a little love between them. That is, until one day, she overheard him casually talking to a friend, saying, "It's nothing more than fulfilling the familys' wishes." It was a business marriage from the start, and she had developed feelings she shouldn't have. She quickly moved out of that home. In the pouring rain, the once-proud man, humbled by love, held her hand with trembling fingers. "Let's go home, please?" The male lead, from indifference to deep devotion.
In the Levine Mansion
Around noon, the bright sunlight poured in through the windows, casting a warm glow on a young girl sitting at her desk, deep in concentration.
Sofia was in her room, immersed in reading reference books on archaeological artifacts. Just as she was getting lost in her studies, she heard the faint sound of servants walking back and forth outside the door.
She put down her book, curiosity piqued, and cracked the door open to peek outside.
Downstairs in the living room, her father, Mr Robert Levine, stood impeccably dressed in formal attire, as if preparing to welcome an important guest. Turning his head to the left, he spoke in a voice that was both authoritative and slightly impatient, "Hurry up, the old man from the Beckett family will be here soon."
The sound of approaching high heels grew louder. "On such an important day, of course I had to make sure Ruby looks beautiful. Just look at her." The voice, unmistakably, belonged to Sofia's stepmother, Anna. Standing beside her was a young girl, slightly younger than Sofia-her half-sister, Ruby.
Mr Levine glanced at his daughter's outfit, approving of her appropriate appearance.
Today, Ruby was wearing a cream-colored satin mid-length dress, paired with a black tweed jacket lined with gold threads. Her shoulder-length wavy hair added to the mature look, though she complained, "Mom, this dress isn't my style at all. It's so old-fashioned."
Anna patted her shoulder gently, soothing her with a soft voice, "Just bear with it. We're meeting elders today. Trust me, dressing conservatively is the right choice."
Ruby pouted but had no choice but to comply.
A handsome, striking face flashed through her mind. It had been six months since she last saw him. How was he doing now? Her earlier displeasure quickly disappeared at the thought.
Mr Levine nervously inspected the house, making sure everything was in order. He caught sight of Sofia looking around and cleared his throat. "Sofia, remember what I told you-don't come out of your room today."
Sofia nodded silently and withdrew her head back into the room. Before she could close the door, she heard Ruby let out a mocking snicker.
Her father had reminded her multiple times not to leave her room today, no matter what she heard. Lunch would be brought to her by the servants.
Sofia sat quietly in her room, gazing out the window. This house had ceased to be her home ever since she was five.
That year, her mother had fallen gravely ill and passed away. In the midst of her grief, her once-responsible father brought Anna into the house, along with a two-year-old child.
In other words, even before her mother passed away, her father already had another family. While her mother lay on her deathbed, her father embraced another woman.
Because of this, Sofia had never believed in love or marriage. She intended to devote the rest of her life to artifact restoration.
Through her window, she saw a Rolls-Royce and a business car drive into the courtyard. After a quick glance, she returned to her reading.
Mr Levine and his family grew restless as soon as they saw the cars enter through the gate. They hurriedly went to the front door to greet their guest.
An elderly man with white hair stepped out of the car. His posture was straight, his weathered face showing signs of age, but his eyes gleamed with a sharp light, and his presence radiated authority.
Mr Levine strode forward with a flattering smile, extending his hand toward the old man. "Mr Beckett, welcome to our humble home. We should have been the ones to visit you, after all."
Mr Beckett extended his hand as well, but after a brief handshake, he quickly let go. "No need. I wanted to see where my future granddaughter-in-law has been living."
His gaze swept to the side, and Mr Levine quickly spoke up, taking the lead in introducing them. "This is my wife and daughter."
Anna gently pushed Ruby forward, and she gave Mr Beckett a polite bow.
Mr Beckett glanced at them briefly, his emotions unreadable-neither approving nor disapproving.
Sensing a subtle tension, Mr Levine forced a smile and quickly invited him into the living room. "Please, come this way."
They entered the mansion in a line, followed by Mr Beckett's bodyguards and assistants.
Only then did Ruby raise her head, her brow furrowed as she looked toward the parked cars, muttering to herself, "Rome didn't come?" Her tone was filled with disappointment.
Leaning over, Anna whispered a reminder to her daughter, "Watch what you say. Mr Beckett is still the head of their family. As long as he agrees, no one will oppose him. Do you understand?"
Since receiving the news a week ago that Mr Beckett would be visiting, Anna had repeatedly reminded her daughter hundreds of times how to behave gracefully, ensuring that she would appear as a worthy daughter-in-law.
Though the two families had a marriage agreement, how they presented themselves in public was of utmost importance.
It was also Anna's first time being so close to Mr Beckett. His sharp, eagle-like eyes sent chills down her spine.
One of the reasons Mr. Daniel Beckett commanded such respect was his rise from humble beginnings. He started a small import-export company with just a thousand dollars, and it had since grown into a vast business empire spanning oil, electricity, finance, and international trade. Even the relatively influential Levine family couldn't compete with his achievements.
They Keep It Cool in Public, But in Private... Chloe always knew how to keep things professional. In public, she and her boss, Fred, maintained a safe distance-no flirting, no kissing, no asking personal questions. Just a purely physical arrangement behind closed doors. But then, an intern showed up at the company, and suddenly, things started to feel... off.
Just two weeks after their wedding, Raphael left for the other side of the world on business. Two years later, when he returned, Grace barely recognized her own husband. Everyone knew their marriage was nothing more than a business deal between two powerful families. To Grace, it was simply the last hurdle on her way to freedom. She barely knew her husband. All she really knew was that he was rigid, dull, and emotionally detached-like a financial machine. She figured he must find her just as insufferable-dramatic, and high-maintenance. When Grace placed the divorce papers in front of Raphael, stating that she wanted to end this loveless marriage, he merely looked at her, his gaze warm yet unreadable. He gently took her hand and murmured in a husky voice, half-smiling, 「Hmm? Did I not please you enough last night?」
Lena Carrington and Alaric Winfield have been rivals since childhood, always competing with each other-from school to adulthood. When Lena's family faces a financial crisis and her fiancé of three years heartlessly dumps her, all her old friends turn a blind eye, leaving her to fend for herself. One day, she runs into her ex-boyfriend, who's with his new girlfriend, eager to watch her hit rock bottom. Frustrated and unwilling to give in, she then bumps into Alaric, her lifelong adversary. "Beg me, and maybe I'll help you," he says, arms crossed, watching her with amusement. "I'd rather die than beg you. Keep dreaming." But later, she turns back. "Fine, help me! Name your terms." He gives a slight smile, "Deal." One night, she accidentally kisses him, and soon, she starts to notice that something about Alaric is changing...
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!"
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."
Becky endured three years of marriage to the cold-hearted Rory. In all that time, she naively reasoned that one day, he'd gradually come to like her. But the second he forced her to kneel down and humiliate herself, she knew she had been wrong about him. This man had no feelings for her at all. So why should she still love him? When Rory gave her the choice between kneeling down and divorcing, she didn't miss a beat and chose the latter. After all, why should she waste her youth on this scumbag? Wouldn't it be nicer for her to just have fun every day with her billion-dollar family fortune?
P-please, I beg you. Come let's go tell Christian I had no hand in whatever happened, p-please." I clutched the lapel of his jacket desperately. "Let's go. You need to tell my husband you were paid." "Young lady, you're harassing me." His tone was cold and his stare granite. But I could care less. "You harassed me first! You had sex with me without my consent, my husband knows and now I'm pregnant with this child he doesn't want. You ruined my marriage! I-I hate you!" ************************************ Caught by her husband with another man on their matrimonial bed the morning after her birthday, Hailey Codza could not defend herself. As though it's not enough, she gets pregnant. Her enraged husband decides to pay her back for her infidelity by having an affair with his ex-girlfriend - Denise Kellers, the family Hailey never knew she had. Losing her family's wealth and company to her husband and his ex (now girlfriend), she is devastated, homeless and penniless as all her credit cards are blocked by her husband. She sees the man who is responsible for her pregnancy. The man she has no idea how he'd found his way to her matrimonial bed - Jared Johnson. Jared is annoyed when this strange woman disrupts his meeting and accuses him of ruining her life, marriage and impregnating her. It affects his business deals and having no choice, he marries her to calm the public whilst engaged to someone else. But he loathes her and allows his family treats her badly. Hailey who has fallen in love with Jared is broken when she can no longer take the humiliation. She signs the divorce papers and leaves, only to arrive six years later to the country as a self-made, secret billionaire and a mother of twins. Now her two ex-husbands are begging to have her back...
As a simple assistant, messaging the CEO in the dead of night to request shares of adult films was a bold move. Bethany, unsurprisingly, didn't receive any films. However, the CEO responded that, while he had no films to share, he could offer a live demonstration. After a night filled with passion, Bethany was certain she'd lose her job. But instead, her boss proposed, "Marry me. Please consider it." "Mr. Bates, you're kidding me, right?"