Synopsis He was the most powerful man in the city, feared by everyone and known for his devilishly handsome face. Raymond Ray had everything anyone could desire-wealth, influence, and respect. Yet, he harbored no interest in women. It all began as a scheme to extort money from him. Ariana found herself trapped in a marriage she never wanted. It wasn't that she was opposed to marriage, but certainly not to the most dangerous man in the city. Her aunt lied to the world, claiming that Raymond had gotten Ariana pregnant and refused to take responsibility, all in a bid to swindle him. But the truth was far from that-Ariana wasn't pregnant, nor had she ever been close to Raymond. To everyone's shock, instead of denying the accusations, Raymond announced his intention to marry her. He knew it was all a lie, but he had a plan-a dangerous one. He would make Ariana pay for daring to play with fire. And whoever plays with fire always gets burned.
Chapter 1
Raymond's POV
They call me ruthless. Calculating. The devil in a custom suit.
It's all true. I've earned those titles and wear them like armor. Every deal, every victory, every enemy crushed beneath my polished shoes-each one has built this reputation. But as I sit at the head of the boardroom table, staring at the morning's entertainment on the projector screen-a recording of Ariana's aunt spinning her absurd story-I feel something unusual.
Amusement.
No one has ever dared something this desperate with me. Forcing a pregnancy scandal? Laughable. I have no interest in women-none. They're deceitful, dangerous, and endlessly calculating in their games of manipulation. I've spent my life ensuring I never fall into their traps. Or so I thought.
"She's bold," I mutter, leaning back in my chair as the video replays. Ariana's aunt, crocodile tears streaming, accuses me of ruining her precious niece's life. The headlines plastered beneath the footage scream: City's Most Feared Bachelor Caught in Scandalous Affair.
"Shall we address this in court, Mr. Ray?" Simon, my head of legal, asks, his tone careful, as though he's walking on glass. He adjusts his tie, avoiding my gaze. He knows better than to look me in the eye when I'm in this kind of mood.
"No." I steeple my fingers, my eyes fixed on the freeze-frame of the aunt's overly dramatic face. "We won't waste time with lawyers."
"Should I arrange for... a visit?" Simon ventures, his voice low and deliberate.
A faint smirk tugs at the corner of my lips. "Not yet."
The room falls into tense silence. No one dares to speak out of turn, knowing how thin the ice is under them. But my mind isn't on the aunt or her ridiculous lies-it's on the girl at the center of this mess. Ariana.
I don't recall ever meeting her, but the tabloids have plastered her face everywhere. Wide, frightened eyes. A quiet, undeniable beauty. She looks like someone who doesn't belong in my world, someone who couldn't survive even a day in it.
And yet, here she is.
"Sir?" Simon prods, clearly unnerved by my silence.
"She lied," I say softly, my tone sharp enough to cut glass. "But not convincingly enough to bother me." I pause, letting the tension hang in the air before adding, "That doesn't mean I'll let it slide."
Simon clears his throat, his brow furrowed. "What's the plan, then?"
I stand, straightening my cuffs with deliberate precision. "Marriage."
Simon chokes on his coffee. "Excuse me?"
"Marriage," I repeat, savoring the weight of the word. "Announce it publicly. Tell the media I've claimed responsibility and that the wedding is imminent."
"But... why?" Simon blurts, his professional mask slipping for the first time. "You don't even know this girl."
"Exactly," I say, my smirk widening. "I don't know her, but I will. And when I do, I'll make sure she regrets letting her aunt drag me into this charade."
Simon frowns, crossing his arms in a rare display of defiance. "And if she's just another pawn?"
"She's not just a pawn," I say, my tone hardening. "She's going to be useful.
Simon raises an eyebrow, waiting for me to elaborate.
"Do you think I don't hear the whispers in the boardroom?" I ask, my voice cold. "The questions about my personal life? They've been circling like vultures for months, pressuring me to settle down. Marrying this girl kills two birds with one stone."
Simon exhales sharply, realization dawning. "You're using her to shut them up."
"Precisely," I say, my smirk returning. "This scandal plays right into my hands. By marrying Ariana, I silence the board and take control of the narrative."
"And if she doesn't cooperate?"
"She will," I reply firmly. "She doesn't have a choice."
Simon still looks skeptical but nods. "Understood."
"I want the wedding tomorrow," I add, my tone leaving no room for debate.
Simon freezes mid-step, turning to look at me as though I've gone mad. "Tomorrow? That's..." He falters.
"I hate delays," I say, already heading for the door.
As I make my way to the parking lot, I can feel the whispers of my staff trailing behind me like shadows. Let them talk. Let them speculate. None of it matters.
I drive through the city, the familiar streets passing in a blur. My mind races with the details of what needs to happen next. By the time I arrive home, the plan is crystal clear.
Dinner is waiting when I step inside, but I barely taste it. The maids hover in the background, whispering amongst themselves. It's always the same: fear and curiosity. They've learned to keep their distance, but I can feel their eyes on me.
After dinner, I head to my room, loosening my tie as I go. Stripping down to my undershirt, I collapse onto the bed.
Tomorrow will be a long day.
Tomorrow, I get married.
I pick up my phone and send a text to the handful of people who need to be there. No big wedding. Keep it simple. Attendance mandatory.
The message is cold, clinical, and leaves no room for excuses.
As I set the phone down, my thoughts wander back to Ariana. Her image has been burned into my mind since the moment I saw it. Those wide eyes, that hint of fear-she's different. And I don't know why that bothers me.
But it doesn't matter.
This isn't about her. It's about me. My power. My reputation. She has to pay the price of making fake reports about me.
What did she think? Just ruined my reputation and walk away.
No! Things aren't done like that, especially in my world.
Tomorrow, I'll take what I want. And she'll have no choice but to fall in line.
Standing by the hallway, lost in thoughts as she admired the grand look of the mansion. She heard a cry from the hallway and then a little figure hugging her so tight! "Mommy, why did you leave me and Dad?!"
"Wa..wh-wha-what do you mean?". Lizzy stuttered as everything happening here sounded like joke m "I'm what...?" She yelled. "You're pregnant Lizzy". The doctor answered. Lizzy fell silent at this sudden need. Love is sacrificial! For love, there are things you have to risk at times.. be it... Personality, wealth, career, just name it! All Lizzy could remember was getting drunk, seeing her aggressive boyfriend about to abuse her and then a savior whom she felt safe in his arms. That was the only memory that played in her head .. the next thing was getting pregnant for her saviour whom she doesn't know from Adams. His name, identity, personality just made her curious and nervous! The only thing that occured to her was she had a one night stand with a stranger! What happens when she has to give up her career? Would that saviour save her from bringing up the child alone? Would that saviour just love and care for the child in her even if he doesn't consider her? Find out fams as your ride on in this intriguing life surrounding Lizzy! 😍
He's arrogant. Kim Tae Hyun, aged forty five. A fashion designer best known in Korea. He is known for his fame and riches. He order with just the snap of his fingers but it changed when he met Eun Ae, a crazy girl, a lowlife breed. Just their first encounter, the dogs could cry... In the verge for a job, she founds his secret. "You... You... are...a v-a-m-p-i-r-e" She said stammering spelling the word out.. HE'S A VAMPIRE.. HE SUCKS, KILLS AND DOES NOT GIVE A DAMN... Now that a human knows, what would become of her?? Will she go scot-free? Find out..
This book is about a couple, who never loved each other. They got married by contract and gave birth to a girl child by mistake and lust. This contract soon had to be terminated, but there is no way out... Bryan, the husband, never had time for his family, he was more concerned about his business. But you know what? He was a criminal with pretence in him. Why don't you read this book filled with contents like love, hypocrisy, crisis,criminal act,mystery and high school love. When Bryan faces a lot of challenges with his wife who cant cope with him anymore. She decides to move on. There is also another set of lovers in high school who starts their relationship with curses and fight. One has to revenge the mother's death and the other, find his real father. Love therefore penetrates into them but many obstacles comes their way.... Enjoy reading😀😀🤩
Ivy Rosalia Jones, a young and beautiful doctor working at a suburban hospital, is determined to marry a man she met through a blind date, even though he is paralyzed. Actually, the marriage was meant to be symbolic, with both of them intending not to interfere in each other's affairs after the wedding. However, Ivy never expected that she would end up marrying the most influential man in the world. Shawn Dyxon Tate, Ivy's husband, has no intention of letting his beautiful wife go. Once she entered his life, he made a decision to spoil her and gave her the world she never had.
6 years ago, Lydia suffered a brutal betrayal orchestrated by her own husband and step-sister, who drugged her and framed her. In a twist of fate, she ended up having a one-night stand with a stranger. Don't even remember what he looked like. Later, in the throes of death, she discovered the truth about her mother's death all those years ago. In the blink of an eye, she lost everything. 6 years later, Lydia returned with her genius son, vowing to exact revenge on all her enemies! Little did she know, she encountered an incredibly familiar man at the airport! *** The man was briskly pushing open the door to the restroom, heading to the urinal. Even with such a mundane action, he did it with unparalleled elegance and grace. Lydia, following him in a daze, saw his fierce lower body and suddenly snapped back to reality. She let out a high-pitched scream, instinctively covering her eyes with her hands, her cheeks flushed, and stood there stiffly, unsure of what to do. Lambert furrowed his brows slightly but remained calm as he continued to relieve himself. The sound of water hitting the urinal made Lydia's face even redder. She angrily shouted, "You pervert!" Little did Lydia know that Lambert, seeing her in this state, had a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Memories from many years ago flashed through his mind, and his heart couldn't help but stir. It was her!
She was hurt. She was bullied and made fun of. And the only hope that kept her going was finding her mate. She has always been weak. Weak to the world. Why? Because she was a lantern. She didn't have a wolf. That's what everyone thought about her. When she found her mate, he wanted her to be his slut and not a wife. She might be an omega, but it doesn't mean she will take disloyalty and betrayal lightly. So she did something that no one in history ever did. She rejected an Alpha. "I, Alexis Clark, reject Brandon Sterling, the alpha of Black mist pack, and consider myself a free soul until I decide so."; Were her last words before she left that torturous place and became a rogue. A rogue that everyone was fearing and finding. Why? Because she was the rogue that has become one of the biggest problems of almost all the packs in the country. She was Alexis Clark. A rogue that rejected an Alpha, stealth food, kill other rogues, and more than that was living with humans and studying with them. What will happen when her case is given to the world's most dangerous alpha, Sebastian Sinclair, who has taken it upon himself to punish this rogue. The one who hated rogues and omega to a level that was beyond understanding. Why? Because his mate was an omega, who betrayed him with a rogue before dying. How will Alexis tackle this alpha, in whose College she was studying and living under hiding for almost a year? What will Sebastian do when he finds out the new girl he had been talking to is none other than the rogue omega that he had decided to kill? "To love you with all my might was my only wish, but you were the only one who gave me endless suffering. So today, I promise myself to not fall for anyone."; A simple saying that both Alexis and Sebastian had vowed upon. Will they be able to find their love amidst all these problems?
**This book contains a trigger warning. Mention about rape and torture in this book. Please read with caution** "Our marriage is nothing but a deal," he said looking at the girl, her green eyes met his cold silver eye, and both of them glared at each other. "For any rules you break, I will claim any part of your body," his gaze grew dangerously darker at his word. Ashley Harlow was at the top of the world, living the perfect and luxurious lifestyle as the legitimate daughter of the well-known Daniel Harlow. But sadly, a one-night stand put an end to that and brought her life upside down and that of her family's name to the ground. To restore his family's reputation, she was forced into marrying Damien Albrecht, a young, ruthless, obnoxious, brutal billionaire and the head of a mafia gang in exchange for her father's company.
Allison fell in love with Ethan Iversen, the soon-to-be Alpha of the Moonlight Crown pack. She always wanted him to notice her. Meanwhile, Ethan was an arrogant Alpha who thought a weak Omega could not be his companion. Ethan's cousin, Ryan Iversen, who came back from abroad and was the actual heir of the pack, never tried to get the position nor did he show any interest in it. He was a popular playboy Alpha but when he came back to the pack, one thing captured his eyes and that was Allison.
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.