Élodie, a fragile young woman, carries the weight of a painful past after losing her mother in mysterious circumstances at the age of thirteen. She grows up under the tutelage of her stepfather, Victor Lemaire, an alpha with irresistible charisma and an enigmatic aura. In the sumptuous corridors of their Gothic mansion, Élodie discovers a world where luxury rubs shoulders with well-buried secrets and palpable tensions. As she prepares to celebrate her eighteenth birthday, her life changes when she surprises Victor in a torrid scene with a mysterious maid, who seems to know things that no one else knows. Élodie is both troubled and fascinated by this man who seems to wear a mask of illusion. Why does this alpha, both distant and magnetic, hide so many mysteries? Determined to catch his eye, Élodie engages in a perilous game of seduction, teetering between desire and danger. But Victor is hiding more than just secret affairs: dark truths that could destroy not only his fortune and reputation, but their entire lives. Who is Victor Lemaire, really? Why does he lock himself in his office during the darkest hours, as if he were running away from something? What troubling connections do the manor's employees have to tragic events from the past? And most importantly, how far will Élodie go to get what she so desperately wants... even if it means sacrificing everything she has?
In the opulent silence of the manor, a ray of light filtered through the heavy velvet curtains. The room, vast and imposing, seemed frozen in time, each heavily carved piece of furniture bearing the scars of a bygone era. A slight shiver ran through Élodie as she opened her eyes. The day was shaping up to be like any other, and yet she couldn't ignore the tension in the air, a dull sense of foreboding that tightened her chest.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, her bare feet brushing the thick carpet, she let her gaze drift to the antique mirror in front of her. Her reflection disturbed her. At eighteen, she still didn't recognize herself in this image of herself. A young woman with a piercing gaze, but still imprisoned by a past she struggled to understand. The voice of Anna, her governess, broke the silence.
"You are expected in the living room, Miss. Your father insists that you join him immediately."
The tone, though respectful, carried that hint of authority that Anna always used when it came to Victor Lemaire. Élodie nodded, without a word. Victor wasn't really her father, but he was all she had. Since her mother's sudden disappearance, he had taken control of her life, imposing his massive presence in every detail of her existence. She put on a light dress, hesitated for a moment in front of the dressing table, then gave up on the idea of doing her hair. Victor hated being late.
Descending the wide stairs, Élodie felt the weight of the portraits hanging along the walls. Each face seemed to scrutinize her, laden with secrets she had not yet discovered. Her mother, so beautiful and enigmatic, was among them. The painting was hung a little higher than the others, as if to emphasize its importance. Élodie looked away. Each time she met this painted gaze, a dull pain took hold of her.
In the living room, Victor was waiting for her, impeccably dressed as usual. He was holding a glass of cognac, although it was still too early in the morning for such indulgence. Next to him, a man Elodie didn't recognize was standing, slightly set back, his hands crossed in front of him. The man seemed to be measuring Victor, studying his every move with an almost disturbing attention.
"Finally, here you are," Victor said, not looking away from the fireplace. "Today is an important day. I want you to be ready."
She frowned. Victor loved dramatic statements, but he had a knack for always shrouding them in frustrating mystery. "Ready for what?"
He spun around, his dark, penetrating gaze meeting hers. "Tonight, we celebrate your birthday. Your coming of age deserves a celebration worthy of what you represent."
The choice of words made her flinch. What did she represent? Not who she was, but rather a sort of symbol that only he seemed to perceive. She didn't have time to answer. The man at her side stepped forward slightly, and Victor, as if suddenly remembering his presence, pointed at the stranger with a broad gesture.
"This is Gabriel de la Croix. He will assist me in organizing tonight's reception."
Gabriel tilted his head slightly, but Elodie sensed a wry glint in his smile. He seemed as comfortable in the role as a fox in a barnyard. She forced herself to smile back, but her instincts told her to be wary of him.
"A reception? For whom?" she asked, hoping to get more information.
Victor set his glass down on the mantelpiece, a calculated gesture, and stepped toward her. "For you, of course. The local notables, a few important allies. This will be an opportunity to present yourself in the best possible light."
She hated the way he spoke, as if she were an object to be displayed. "What if I don't want to?"
Her tone betrayed a rebellion she had not yet fully assumed. Victor's eyes narrowed slightly, but he did not lose his calm. "It's not a question of wanting. It's a question of having to. Tonight, everything will change for you, Élodie. It's time you understood your role."
Her role. That abstract notion he brought up again without ever explaining. She opened her mouth to reply, but he raised a hand to cut her off. "Anna will help you prepare. Rise to the occasion."
And with that, he turned on his heel, followed by Gabriel. Élodie stood there frozen, anger and frustration mingling inside her. Every conversation with Victor left her with more questions than answers. But it wasn't just his words that troubled her. It was what he didn't say, those silences heavy with secrets.
In her room, Anna was already busy taking sumptuous dresses out of the wardrobe. Élodie sat on the bed, watching the governess without really seeing her. Memories of her mother resurfaced, blurry images, tinged with a sadness she had never really overcome. She saw herself again, barely thirteen years old, standing in front of her mother's lifeless body. No one had ever explained what had happened. An accidental fall, they had said. But Élodie had never believed it.
"You look preoccupied, Miss," Anna remarked as she adjusted a dress on a mannequin.
Elodie hesitated, but the question burning on her lips finally escaped. "Anna, you were there that day, weren't you? When my mother died."
The governess froze, her gaze fixed on the cloth in her hands. "Yes," she finally answered, her voice barely audible.
"Then why did you never tell me the truth?"
Anna gently put the dress down and turned to her. "Because some truths are too heavy to bear, Elodie. And some wounds never heal."
The answer, although sincere, only served to fuel Elodie's anger. She stood up abruptly. "Everyone lies to me in this house. Victor, you... Even my mother had her secrets."
Anna looked down, unable to meet his gaze. "Maybe tonight you'll find some answers."
Elodie left the room without another word. If answers were to come, she would seek them out herself. The rest of the day passed in a blur, with preparations for the reception keeping the entire manor staff busy. But despite the agitation, Elodie could not escape the feeling of being trapped in an invisible web, woven long before she was born.
As night fell and the guests began to arrive, she descended the steps, wearing a silver dress that accentuated the paleness of her skin and the depth of her eyes. All eyes turned to her, but she did not notice them. Her thoughts were elsewhere, lost in the mystery of this house and this man who pretended to protect her while controlling her.
Victor, impeccable in his role as host, greeted her with a cold smile. He guided her through the crowd, introducing her to men and women whose names immediately escaped her. But something about the atmosphere of the mansion seemed different tonight, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath.
Amidst the laughter and hushed conversations, Elodie caught sight of Gabriel, alone in a corner, watching the scene with an intensity that made her feel uncomfortable. He saw her, and for the first time, his smile became sincere. But before she could join him, Victor grabbed her by the arm.
"Don't let yourself be distracted. There are things you're not ready to understand yet."
She pulled away, her gaze defiant. "And when will I be?"
He didn't answer, but his silence spoke volumes. Élodie understood then that, whatever happened that evening, she would never be the same again.
Under the gaze of a fallen mafia, Elvie, a young woman with a troubled past and victim of a brutal ex, seeks to rebuild her life. Working as an assistant in the villa of the Corleone, an influential crime family, she tries to avoid conflict with the three Corleone brothers, all as dangerous as each other. But everything changes when Adriano, the eldest brother and heir, breaks his arranged engagement to embrace the war between enemy families and must quickly remarry. Cold and calculating, he sees Elvie as a simple piece in his game. For her, he is just another nightmare to flee. But as they interact, appearances crumble and unexpected bonds are forged. As her ex resurfaces, Elvie will have to choose between her new life, her secrets and the growing violence that threatens everything she has rebuilt.
Alice's life has been devastated by the betrayal of those she believed to be her allies. Five years ago, her fiancé, in the grip of a professional failure, convinced her to sacrifice her dreams to help him get back on his feet. But her best friend, hungry for glory and power, made a decision that would change their friendship forever, by secretly becoming a surrogate mother. When Alice's fiancé, now at the top of his career, left her, claiming that she no longer met his expectations, Alice, broken, accepted the proposal of the mysterious billionaire, Gabriel Hartman. Known for his coldness and indifference, Gabriel seemed to offer Alice an escape. What she didn't know was that he was the one who had orchestrated her best friend's request for maternity... But what if everything she thought she knew was just a decoy? What if, deep down, the price of her redemption is much higher than she imagined? Can the truth really mend broken hearts, or will secrets destroy everything in their path?
Zoe's dreams of marriage are shattered when she catches her fiance in a compromising situation with his best friend. Devastated, she seeks to recover what she has lost. That's when an enigmatic man, a warm billionaire named Maxime Delacroix, offers her an unexpected solution: a loveless marriage, a contractual alliance with the aim of destroying his ex's career. Although reluctant, Zoe accepts, ready to do anything to get revenge. But as their relationship grows, Zoe realizes that the stakes are more complex than she imagined. Between revenge and a budding passion for this distant man, she finds herself torn between her desire for justice and her budding feelings. How far will she be willing to go to get revenge without losing everything in the process?
Lily thought she had a simple life, surrounded by her adoptive parents in a small town. But everything changed the day she learned that her real parents were industrial tycoons and that she had a twin brother, heir to a family empire. Welcomed into a world of luxury, she found herself facing a reality very different from the one she knew. Her brother, a cold and ambitious man, had always hated her. "You're just an intruder, Lily," he told her. But another secret resurfaced: a mysterious businessman claimed that Lily was the rightful heir to a huge hidden fortune. "It's time you knew the truth," he told her. Between betrayals and revelations, Lily must choose between wealth and family loyalty.
Lara Sanders and Ethan Cole had been together for five years, but Lara had never been his priority. Ethan, obsessed with his work, did not see the soul of the woman he had married. Lara had tried to rekindle the flame, but in vain. She had had enough. One day, she left everything: the house, the promises, and Ethan. Years later, Lara reappears. She has become a successful entrepreneur, an icon of the business world, and no one recognizes her anymore as the fragile young woman she once was. Far from the shy and discreet Lara, she is now a queen of industry, admired and respected. At a public event, a journalist asks her: "Lara, you are the most influential businesswoman of the moment. What is the key to your success?" Lara, with a mysterious smile, answers: "Never let a man define you. Take charge of your life. » The next day, to everyone's surprise, Ethan appears at Lara's door. The man she thought had been forgotten, who had let her go without a glance, returns with a surprising proposition: "Lara, I made a mistake. Can we start all over again... Together?"
Luca Moretti, an influential businessman, is forced to marry Amélie Lefevre, a woman he considers a simple family obligation. Already in love with another, he vows to make Amélie's life hell so that she will ask for a divorce. However, he does not know that Amélie is hiding a secret that could change his life forever. Behind her calm facade, Amélie is much more determined and intelligent than he thinks. What will happen when Luca finds himself caught in his own game? Will he succeed in breaking their union or will he succumb to the hidden truth?
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”
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!”
After three secretive years of marriage, Eliana never met her enigmatic husband until she was served with divorce papers and learned of his extravagant pursuit of another. She snapped back to reality and secured a divorce. Thereafter, Eliana unveiled her various personas: an esteemed doctor, legendary secret agent, master hacker, celebrated designer, adept race car driver, and distinguished scientist. As her diverse talents became known, her ex-husband was consumed by remorse. Desperately, he pleaded, "Eliana, give me another chance! All my properties, even my life, are yours."
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
Lucia Balstone thought she had chosen the right man to spend the rest of her life with, but he was the one who ended her life. Their ten-year marriage seemed like a joke when her husband stabbed her with a dagger. Fortunately, God is never blind to people's tears. Lucia got a second chance. She was reborn at the age of 22, before all the terrible things had happened. This time, she was determined to avenge herself and let those who hurt her pay! She made an elaborate list of her goals, and the first thing on her list was to marry her ex-husband's enemy, Alonso Callen!
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"