In a life ruled by shadows, can their hearts find the light? Will they find a way to be together, or will the shadows of their lives keep them apart forever?
In a life ruled by shadows, can their hearts find the light? Will they find a way to be together, or will the shadows of their lives keep them apart forever?
The morning sun filtered through the tall windows of the Marcus estate, painting streaks of gold across the polished marble floors. Alexandra Marcus stood in the grand dining room, sipping her black coffee while glancing at the screen of her phone. She wore a crisp, tailored suit-jet black, with a dark burgundy shirt underneath-her usual attire that blurred the lines of convention. Her short, tousled hair was slicked back, accentuating her sharp, angular features.
The estate was quiet, save for the faint hum of servants going about their duties. It always was. Alexandra had no family left, at least not in the traditional sense. Her "family" was the empire she had built-the Marcus syndicate, a powerful mafia organization that operated in the shadows of wealth and respectability.
Her icy blue eyes scanned the headlines. The press loved to talk about her. They called her "The Marcus Heiress," a wealthy socialite with a taste for exclusivity and isolation. If only they knew. Beneath the public facade lay a world of deals, power plays, and bloodshed-a world Alexandra ruled with cold precision.
"Miss Marcus," a voice interrupted her thoughts. It was Damien, her right-hand man. He stood in the doorway, impeccably dressed, though his demeanor was less polished. "The shipment has been secured. No interruptions."
Alexandra set her cup down with deliberate calm. "Good. Any word from the Raiden crew?"
Damien hesitated. "They're stirring trouble, but nothing significant yet. Shall I handle it?"
"No," she replied, her voice even, almost detached. "Let them test their limits. I'll deal with them when it's necessary."
Damien nodded and left, leaving Alexandra alone once again. She leaned against the dining table, her mind already calculating her next move. This was her life: strategy, control, dominance. She thrived in it, and yet... the emptiness had started to creep in.
Alexandra hated admitting it, even to herself, but something was missing. Not that she had time to dwell on such thoughts. Vulnerability was a luxury she could not afford.
That afternoon, Alexandra found herself walking through the quiet streets of Westmont, a quaint district on the edge of the city. She rarely ventured out alone, but today was different. She needed air-something to distract her from the monotony of calculated chaos.
Her steps led her to a small, unassuming bookstore tucked between a café and an antique shop. The bell above the door chimed softly as she entered, the scent of aged paper and ink wrapping around her like a warm blanket.
Behind the counter stood a woman, her delicate hands tracing the edges of a book's cover. She looked up, startled by Alexandra's presence. Her shy, doe-like brown eyes met Alexandra's piercing gaze, and for a moment, time seemed to stretch.
The woman was beautiful in a quiet, understated way. Her auburn hair framed her face in soft waves, and a faint blush colored her cheeks as she offered a tentative smile.
"Hello," she said softly, her voice like the first notes of a melody. "Can I help you find something?"
Alexandra paused, caught off guard by the gentle warmth radiating from her. She had encountered countless people in her life, but something about this woman felt... different.
"Just browsing," Alexandra replied, her tone cool but not dismissive. She turned away, pretending to examine the shelves, though her mind lingered on the shy woman behind the counter.
"Take your time," the woman said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Alexandra moved through the aisles, her fingers trailing over the spines of books she wasn't really looking at. She could hear the faint rustle of paper as the woman went back to her work, and for reasons she couldn't explain, the sound was oddly comforting.
She left the store without buying anything, but the woman's face stayed with her long after she returned to the estate.
Alexandra Marcus didn't know it yet, but the shy girl in the bookstore-Rose Sherlock-was about to change her life in ways she couldn't have imagined.
Lyric had spent her life being hated. Bullied for her scarred face and hated by everyone-including her own mate-she was always told she was ugly. Her mate only kept her around to gain territory, and the moment he got what he wanted, he rejected her, leaving her broken and alone. Then, she met him. The first man to call her beautiful. The first man to show her what it felt like to be loved. It was only one night, but it changed everything. For Lyric, he was a saint, a savior. For him, she was the only woman that had ever made him cum in bed-a problem he had been battling for years. Lyric thought her life would finally be different, but like everyone else in her life, he lied. And when she found out who he really was, she realized he wasn't just dangerous-he was the kind of man you don't escape from. Lyric wanted to run. She wanted freedom. But she desired to navigate her way and take back her respect, to rise above the ashes. Eventually, she was forced into a dark world she didn't wish to get involved with.
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town's richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. "Way to go, honey!"
After two years of marriage, Kristian dropped a bombshell. "She's back. Let's get divorced. Name your price." Freya didn't argue. She just smiled and made her demands. "I want your most expensive supercar." "Okay." "The villa on the outskirts." "Sure." "And half of the billions we made together." Kristian froze. "Come again?" He thought she was ordinary—but Freya was the genius behind their fortune. And now that she'd gone, he'd do anything to win her back.
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!"
Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true origins—a lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. “It's time to reveal your true identity, darling.”
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."
© 2018-now CHANGDU (HK) TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
6/F MANULIFE PLACE 348 KWUN TONG ROAD KL
TOP