When billionaire heir Damon Knight is forced into an arranged marriage to secure a business merger, he expects a compliant, gold-digging bride. What he doesn't anticipate is his match, Elena Castellano-a fiercely independent artist who has no interest in his wealth or his world. Bound by duty but divided by pride, Damon and Elena embark on a marriage neither of them wants but can't escape. As their lives intertwine, passion ignites, revealing secrets that could shatter everything. In a world driven by power and betrayal, will their love grow strong enough to defy the odds, or will it crumble under the weight of their lies and pasts?
The heavy oak doors of Knight Enterprises' boardroom swung open with a low creak. Damon Knight, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, stepped inside, his polished shoes clicking against the marble floor. The room was already buzzing with tension, the kind that came from desperate negotiations and unspoken demands. His father, Gregory Knight, stood at the head of the table, his face a mask of authority and impatience. Opposite him sat Arturo Castellano, his thick fingers drumming rhythmically on the mahogany table.
Damon took his place beside his father, sparing a brief glance at the documents spread across the table. "Why the urgency?" His voice was calm but edged with steel.
Gregory adjusted his tie, a sure sign he was about to say something Damon wouldn't like. "Arturo and I have come to a solution to secure the merger. It's the only way to stabilize our position against Velcor Industries."
The name Velcor sent a flicker of irritation through Damon's mind. Their rival's aggressive strategies had pushed Knight Enterprises to the brink of vulnerability, a position he despised. He folded his arms, his sharp gaze moving from his father to Arturo. "And this solution involves me, I presume?"
Arturo leaned forward, his booming voice filling the room. "My daughter, Elena. She'll marry you. With our families united, the merger will be seamless. Velcor won't stand a chance."
The air seemed to still for a moment. Damon's jaw tightened, his calm exterior threatening to crack. He didn't need to ask if Elena had agreed; the answer was irrelevant to these men. Women in their world were often treated as chess pieces, moved for advantage.
"I'm not interested," Damon said, his voice flat.
Gregory's hand slammed against the table, drawing startled glances from the few executives still lingering in the room. "This is bigger than you, Damon. Do you think I built this empire for you to dismantle it with your arrogance? This isn't a request."
The words landed like a blow, but Damon held his ground. "What happens when your perfect plan fails? You think a marriage contract will stop Velcor from targeting us?"
Arturo's chuckle rumbled through the room. "You underestimate the power of loyalty, Damon. With our families combined, Velcor won't dare touch us. And Elena... she's not the kind of woman who will sit quietly in the corner. She has her own strengths."
"Strengths that don't interest me," Damon shot back.
"Enough!" Gregory's voice cut through the rising tension. "You'll meet her. That's all I ask. If you're still opposed after one meeting, we'll reconsider."
Damon didn't believe that for a second. Gregory Knight wasn't a man who reconsidered anything.
Elena Castellano stared at the invitation in her hand, the elegant script almost mocking in its perfection. A private dinner with the Knights, scheduled like a business meeting. She tossed the card onto her cluttered studio table, where it landed amidst paint-streaked brushes and half-finished canvases.
Her mother's voice echoed from the doorway. "You can't avoid this forever, Elena. Your father's worked hard to arrange this meeting."
Elena turned, her paint-smeared hands on her hips. "Worked hard? You mean he sold me off like a piece of property to save his business."
Maria Castellano stepped into the room, her carefully styled hair and pearls a sharp contrast to the chaos of Elena's studio. "You're exaggerating. This is a partnership, not a sacrifice. Damon Knight is a suitable match."
Elena laughed, the sound bitter. "A suitable match for whom? Certainly not for me. I don't care how much money or power he has. I don't want this."
"You'll change your mind once you meet him. He's handsome, successful-"
"And cold as ice," Elena interrupted. "I've read enough about him to know he's nothing more than a corporate shark."
Maria sighed, her polished composure slipping for a moment. "This isn't just about you, Elena. It's about our family. The gallery, the legacy your father has built... it's all at stake."
Elena turned back to her canvas, her brush moving in sharp, frustrated strokes. "Maybe it's time to let it go. Maybe it's time for all of us to stop pretending this world is worth sacrificing everything for."
Her mother didn't respond immediately. When she finally spoke, her voice was softer. "Just meet him. For me. For your father. That's all I ask."
Elena didn't look up, but her brush stilled. She knew her mother wouldn't leave until she agreed. "Fine. One meeting. But don't expect miracles."
The restaurant Gregory had chosen was one of the city's most exclusive, its private dining room filled with an understated opulence that screamed wealth without effort. Damon arrived early, his irritation barely concealed behind a mask of indifference. He hated these orchestrated encounters, the false smiles and underlying agendas.
The door opened, and he turned to see her. Elena Castellano.
She wasn't what he expected. Instead of the polished, demure woman he'd imagined, she was vibrant and unapologetic, her dark hair framing a face that held both beauty and defiance. Her dress was elegant but understated, a clear signal she wasn't here to impress anyone.
"Damon Knight, I presume," she said, her voice smooth but edged with sarcasm.
He stood, extending a hand. "And you must be Elena. Shall we?"
They took their seats, the tension between them palpable. Elena met his gaze without flinching, her eyes sharp and assessing.
"So," she began, leaning back in her chair, "you're the man I'm supposed to marry to save our families. How romantic."
Damon's lips twitched in what could have been a smile. "And you're the woman I'm supposed to marry to salvage my father's empire. Equally romantic."
For a moment, neither spoke, the weight of their shared predicament settling between them.
"I'm not sure what they told you," Elena said finally, "but I'm not interested in being anyone's trophy wife. I have my own life, my own goals."
Damon tilted his head slightly, intrigued despite himself. "And yet you're here."
"Because I was forced," she shot back.
"Join the club," Damon replied, his tone dry.
The waiter appeared, interrupting their verbal sparring to take their orders. When he left, Damon leaned forward, his expression serious. "Let's get one thing straight. I'm not here to play games. If we do this, it's a business arrangement. Nothing more."
Elena's jaw tightened, but she nodded. "Fine by me. But don't expect me to fall in line with your corporate world. I'm not changing who I am for anyone."
"Good," Damon said. "Then we have an understanding."
Their gazes locked, a silent challenge passing between them. Neither realized it, but the battle lines had already been drawn.
In the charming coastal town of Willow Haven, Grace Delaney is starting over. After a devastating breakup and the closure of her small bakery, she returns to her hometown to regroup and rediscover herself. Enter Lucas Hayes, a former big-city architect who has moved to Willow Haven to escape his own troubled past. When a community project brings Grace and Lucas together, their undeniable chemistry begins to spark. But Grace's guarded heart and Lucas's lingering guilt over a family tragedy threaten to tear them apart. As they navigate the challenges of trust, healing, and love, the autumn leaves falling around them remind them that letting go of the past may lead to a brighter future.
After being rejected by his mate years ago, Alpha Tristan is forced to face the truth: his heart still belongs to Selene. Now, a threat looms over their pack, and when Selene returns to help with the danger, the bond between them is undeniable once more. But can they overcome the scars of the past, or is their second chance doomed to repeat the same mistakes? As danger grows and secrets are revealed, Tristan and Selene must decide if their love is strong enough to heal old wounds and protect the future of their pack.
In the isolated village of Ravenspire, the Blood Moon looms, signaling the return of a terrifying curse. Elise Thorn, a fiercely independent blacksmith's apprentice, has always dismissed the tales of werewolves and ancient rivalries-until a vicious attack leaves her with a mark that binds her to the creatures she despises. As she navigates her transformation, Elise discovers she is part of a bloodline destined to stop a sinister force that awakens every Blood Moon. She must join forces with Kade, an enigmatic alpha hiding a dark secret, to uncover the truth behind their shared fate. But as alliances crumble and enemies close in, Elise learns that saving her people may require the ultimate sacrifice.
Lady Eveline of Ashford is a noblewoman whose life is upended when her family's lands are threatened by a rival lord. To secure peace, she is promised in marriage to a mysterious knight, Sir Gareth of Blackmoor, known for his skill in battle and his cold, distant demeanor. As Eveline and Gareth are drawn together by duty, their relationship begins to shift from one of obligation to one of passionate devotion. But in the shadows, an ancient enemy lurks, threatening not just their future but the fragile peace they've fought so hard to maintain. Can they overcome their differences and the challenges of their past to build a love worthy of a kingdom?
Chloe Rivers is a determined, no-nonsense businesswoman who has worked hard to establish herself in the corporate world. But when she meets Nicholas Hawke, the brooding heir to one of the world's largest empires, her well-ordered life is thrown into chaos. Nicholas is everything Chloe has been taught to avoid: powerful, unpredictable, and dangerously charismatic. When their families' companies merge, Chloe finds herself reluctantly drawn into a passionate affair with Nicholas, even though she knows it could cost her everything she's worked for. As the line between professional and personal blurs, Chloe must decide whether to protect her career or follow her heart. Will love destroy them both, or will their dangerous desires lead them to something deeper?
Elena Raines has spent her life running from the past-haunted by the night her parents vanished in the wilderness of Coldmoor Ridge. When she returns to the eerie mountain town to settle their estate, she encounters Adrian Blackthorne, a mysterious stranger with piercing amber eyes and a warning she can't ignore: "You don't belong here after dark." Adrian is the Alpha of a pack cursed to hunt under every full moon, bound by an ancient pact with a powerful witch. Elena's return stirs memories he's tried to bury, and a forbidden connection neither can resist. As shadows from the past resurface and a ruthless hunter targets the pack, Elena must uncover the truth about her parents-and her own ties to the wolves of Coldmoor. Can love break the curse, or will the darkness claim her soul?
Everyone thought Lorenzo truly loved Gracie, until the day of their daughter’s heart surgery. To Gracie’s utter shock, Lorenzo gave the precious organ needed by their child to another woman. Devastated, Gracie opted for a divorce. Fueled by her need for revenge, Gracie joined hands with Lorenzo’s uncle, Waylon, and orchestrated Lorenzo’s downfall. In the end, Lorenzo was left with nothing and consumed by remorse. He pleaded for a reconciliation. Gracie thought she was free to move on with her life, but Waylon held her back in a death grip. “Did you think you can just walk out on me?”
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
Endless caresses, endless kisses. Clinging to him as if her life depended on it, her body ached for more and she arched into the touch to receive more, more pleasure. "Oh darling, you taste so delicious, I can't get enough." He rubbed himself against her, telling her how much he wanted her, his deep, gruff voice resonating in her head. Her body also desired him. "Come for me, baby," He gave the order, and her body obeyed, following his command. "No!" she yelled, opening her eyes abruptly. Feeling confused and guilty, she gasped and sat up in bed. Scarlett's life takes an unexpected when she discovers that she is pregnant by a stranger with whom she had a one-night stand. She was humiliated and disowned by her parents. She ran away from the pack to start a new life. Will Scarlett find her way back to the father of her kids? What happens when he finds her and does everything possible to make her his? Will they scale through the challenges that life would throw at them? ***** Scarlett wakes up in bed with a stranger and doesn't even remember how she got there. She later discovers that the man she spent that night with was the Lycan King.
After three loveless years, Neil's betrayal deeply wounded Katelyn. She wasted no time in getting rid of that scoundrel! After the divorce, she devoted herself to career pursuits. Rising to prominence as a top designer, skilled doctor, and brilliant hacker, she became a revered icon. Neil, realizing his grave mistake, tried in vain to win her back, only to witness her magnificent wedding to another. As their vows were broadcast on the world's largest billboard, Vincent slid a ring onto Katelyn's finger and declared, "Katelyn is now my wife, a priceless treasure. Let all who covet her beware!"
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.
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!