I thought I was invisible-forgotten and discarded by the family that claimed to love me. When they dragged me out of my countryside solitude, I didn't think it was for love. It wasn't. It was for a deal. To save their own skin, they married me off to Alan Walker-a man they called weak, crippled, and harmless. They lied. Alan wasn't weak; he was calculating, deadly, and harboring a secret that may ruin us all. The marriage was never about love; it was conflict, a battlefield for power and survival. And yet, in the quiet times between our battles, I glimpsed parts of the guy beneath the mask-a man scarred by betrayal, motivated by retribution. But then the lies unraveled. Alan's disability was a façade, his kindness a weapon, and his true enemies closer than I ever imagined. As Philip Louis, his half-brother, launched a vicious attack to claim the family empire, I became a pawn in their twisted game. My sister Maria-cruel, conniving, and unforgiving-joined forces with him. Together, they sought to ruin us. Now, I'm caught in a storm of deceit and danger. Alan says he'll protect me, but how can I trust a man who built his world on lies? How can I protect my heart from a man I might be falling for, knowing love could be my undoing?
"You could be my wife, but never ever believe you could control me." His voice sounded to be a deep growl, a warning, but also something terrible. Dark and fascinating, his gaze locking onto mine sent an amazing surge through my body. A thousand unspoken words weighted the thickening air between us. It wasn't only a threat. It was an assurance.
My heart pounding, the weight of his words kept me in place as I stood enthralled at the gateway of the magnificent house. My parents had pulled me here, under coercion into a marriage I had not wanted. For reasons I cannot understand, they had sold me body, spirit, and future to someone I knew.
Alan Walker: The name by itself made me shiver down my back. The merciless millionaire, the so-called "crippled heir" to Louis family wealth. someone notorious for his austere manner, terrible ambition, and tendency to destroy everyone he came across.
And here I was-his wife now.
As I moved further into the room, his gaze stayed just beyond mine. Tension-filled, dense and oppressive quiet between us cracked. The apartment was fantastic, luxurious, the sort of place I never would have dreamed I would fit. Still, nothing about it seemed welcoming.
"I didn't ask for this," I said, trying to control my breathing. I asked for none of it.
He slanted back in his chair, his eyes darting over me with a detached interest akin to that of an object rather than a human. He was overwhelming, like a hurricane poised to strike. "That's what makes it so wonderfully ironic, don't you think?" Though it missed his gaze, his lips twisted into a smile. "You consider yourself to be some naive piece in an incomprehensible game. You are not, however. You are chosen, Ariel. Whether or not you like it.
Shaking at the sound of my name, I felt as though it rolled off his mouth like a verdict. It was clear how he affected me.
I moved back, trying to gather myself. I'm not a pawn. Not your property, I am.
His eyes closed. "You are, indeed. Still, you'll know your spot soon enough to relax.
His voice's coldness caused a shiver down my spine, but there was something more hiding behind it that I couldn't quite understand. Concern? Attractivity?
Before I could respond, the passage echoed with a great crash. My pulse accelerated, and naturally I looked toward the sound. Alan's eyes flew to the door, and for a few seconds I sensed something-panic, concern? It vanished before my understanding could catch hold.
"Stay here," he said, his voice once again icy-cold.
My body stiff with tension, I nodded without thinking. Though I knew it was bad, I had no idea what was happening.
Alan got up right away, his tall frame dancing resolutely for the door. My curiosity driving me into the future, I couldn't stop myself from following.
I stopped just before the door. Alan stood at the door, his face a mask of restrained fury, his posture rigid. Two guys stepped in front of him; while they were strangers to me, their threatening demeanor was clear.
"Get out of my house," Alan said in a low, frightening, cold steel warning.
The taller man grinned, looking as though he could split me in two without working at all. Walker, we are not here for negotiations. Here we are to remind you of the people in charge.
From where I stood, I could not see Alan's face; however, I sensed the change in the atmosphere. Something about these guys-the rigidity in their posture-made my gut turn around. This was hardly a laid-back confrontation. This was a power battle for which I was not suited.
Alan clinched his jaw but said nothing. Rather, his eye turned momentarily to mine. It was not necessary for me to grasp.
Leave this out of your reach.
Trapped between dread and the impulse to defend myself, I paused, feet fixed to the floor. Though I had no idea who these men were or why they were here, I could feel the danger radiating off them like heat.
One of the guys, a thin man with black hair and a perfect smile, stepped forward. "I wouldn't be too certain of yourself, Alan. You have overlooked your place in the world. Here to remind you is us.
The words hung about like poison. My heart surged in my chest as Alan's fingers tightened on the doorframe, his knuckles white. Before he turned to meet the lads, he had a flash of something deeper, darker in his eyes.
His voice was like ice, he snarled, "I don't need a reminder." Nevertheless, you will. You will shortly enough.
Over me came a strange sense of doom. Something was going to happen that would fundamentally alter everything. It felt like it was in the pit of my gut.
Alan's hand went out before I could react, dragging one of the men by the collar and slamming him against the wall. The other man jumped for Alan; he was faster, his motions fluent, controlled, and beautiful. A brawl erupted-a violent, quick conflict that left me gasping and frozen in place.
Groaning, the guy Alan had shoved against the wall tried to squirm free. Walker, you are unable to accomplish this. You no longer control. We will take everything from you. Everywhere.
Alan showed no flinching. He gripped the man's neck more tightly. "Try it, hissed." And note how far you go.
As I saw the conflict blossom in front of me, my pulse started beating. Alan's movements' sheer power and ferocity were both frightening and thrilling. His behavior lacked compassion and there was no hesitancy. This dude was lethal.
The lads appeared to understand something I hadn't yet mentioned: they were out of time. The sound of sirens cut right through the air.
The taller person growled, breaking free from Alan's hold and pushed his friend away, "We'll be back." They left the room awkwardly quiet.
Breath shallow, I stood there and Alan turned slowly to face me. Dark and unreadable, his eyes whirled over me like a hurricane. We had terrible tension, a blazing, silent storm. The sorrow hung heavy in the air. Though the lads had left, the horror they carried stayed like a black fog.
"You should have stayed inside," Alan said, his voice a rasp, his usual coolness replaced by something more visceral. With his eyes narrowing, as if examining whether I had learned anything from the encounter, he made a hesitant step toward me.
Opening my mouth to respond, nothing came out. Every nerve on edge, my body was still shivering. Just now something happened. Those men were whom? Furthermore, why had they singled out Alan? Though none of the bits of the puzzle fit in my brain, they danced there. My air came in quick, brief gasps.
"I didn't know..." I started, finally managing to speak. My voice was barely above a whisper. "What was that? Who were they?"
Alan didn't answer directly away. He stood a few steps away from me, his features shrouded. His big shoulders raised and fell with each steadying breath. The tension in the room built as he examined the meeting.
Sold to the highest bidder to pay off a blood feud, I never imagined I would be the pawn in my father's fatal game. Still, here I am before Enzo De Luca, the most vicious mafia leader in the city. Though appealing, he is cold, deliberate, and as lethal. Though my heart races just from his proximity, it is his touch that ignites me. My body betrays me and reacts to him in ways I am powerless over. And I melt as he softly, commandingly says my name. Enzo loves neither me nor another. In his deadly kingdom, I am only another bargain, another transaction. But every time we are alone, the conflict between us snaps-desire becomes a terrible addiction. Although I detest him for everything he stands for, I yearn for the way he consumes me, body and soul. He has made it quite evident-our marriage is more about power than love. Still, every angry gaze and every snatched moment in the shadow reveals something different. Benevolent underneath his icy façade lies something broken that appeals to the darkest sides of me. But depending on a man like Enzo may mean losing everything. Bound to him now, for better or worse, I am caught in a world where loyalty is brittle and treachery carries a bullet. Our friendship gets more perilous the more truths about his empire I find. And as the past calls for us, I have to question myself: will our passion be the thing that ruins us both or can I survive loving a guy like Enzo De Luca? Burning in his arms is me. But in his universe, I could roast alive.
"Mr. Dre," she started speaking in a low tone, her voice quivering, "I have agreed to the contract and Ariel's operation was successful... but this... this deal... " She lost her words. That was the first thing she said; "It feels so cold here I didn't expect it to feel like this." Alison's life becomes miserable when her husband dies leaving her with three young children to support and take care of. Having financial difficulties, things turn even for the worse when her youngest daughter Ariel is diagnosed of a severe heart disease. Ariel has to undergo a very expensive surgery and Alison has no means to get the money for it. Desperate and running out of time, she faces a terrible choice: sign a contract marriage with her cold and powerful boss, Mr. Dre, or lose her daughter forever.
Synopsis: Samantha Dawson felt she could leave her errors behind, but one fateful night everything changed. Driven by a great urge to pay off her family's debt, she entered the arms of a stranger-a brief, explosive meeting that left her whirling. That evening, she never anticipated the outcome: a kid she has kept secret from the world and from him. Four years fast forward: Samantha's meticulously repaired life is collapsing once more. She is presented with an unimaginable offer-a contract marriage with Adrian Blackwood, the mysterious millionaire with more influence than anybody should-as her son's safety is at stake and debts are closing in. The only issue is Adrian is unaware she already carries his most secret. But Adrian also depends on her. He has to seem to have a flawless family if he is to land the commercial contract confirming his empire. Samantha is his response; he still doesn't know about the lethal shadows from her past threatening them both. Time is running out because of Adrian's own complex network of family treachery. Should he not get married soon, he runs the danger of losing control of his father's business to a merciless competitor with dark motives-someone already too near Samantha for comfort. Neither of them understands how interwoven their fates have become as they descend further into this perilous dance. Secrets grow, passions blossom, and foes lie around every turn. Samantha has to choose, nevertheless, whether Adrian comes near to learning the truth about her son: should she tell everything or keep quiet while the walls of their precarious arrangement collapse? And then a terrible revelation destroys their world, just as their well planned lives begin to fit. Samantha has been hiding secrets other than the child as well.
I received a pornographic video. "Do you like this?" The man speaking in the video is my husband, Mark, whom I haven't seen for several months. He is naked, his shirt and pants scattered on the ground, thrusting forcefully on a woman whose face I can't see, her plump and round breasts bouncing vigorously. I can clearly hear the slapping sounds in the video, mixed with lustful moans and grunts. "Yes, yes, fuck me hard, baby," the woman screams ecstatically in response. "You naughty girl!" Mark stands up and flips her over, slapping her buttocks as he speaks. "Stick your ass up!" The woman giggles, turns around, sways her buttocks, and kneels on the bed. I feel like someone has poured a bucket of ice water on my head. It's bad enough that my husband is having an affair, but what's worse is that the other woman is my own sister, Bella. ************************************************************************************************************************ “I want to get a divorce, Mark,” I repeated myself in case he didn't hear me the first time—even though I knew he'd heard me clearly. He stared at me with a frown before answering coldly, "It's not up to you! I'm very busy, don't waste my time with such boring topics, or try to attract my attention!" The last thing I was going to do was argue or bicker with him. "I will have the lawyer send you the divorce agreement," was all I said, as calmly as I could muster. He didn't even say another word after that and just went through the door he'd been standing in front of, slamming it harshly behind him. My eyes lingered on the knob of the door a bit absentmindedly before I pulled the wedding ring off my finger and placed it on the table. I grabbed my suitcase, which I'd already had my things packed in and headed out of the house.
On her wedding night, Natalie's stepmother set her up to marry Jarvis, a disfigured and disabled man. Fortunately, she managed to escape, but little did she know that later she would fall for the man she was betrothed to.Jarvis pretended to be a poor man, but he didn't think that he'd fall head over heels for this woman.Their life went on until one day, Natalie found out her boyfriend's little secret."Huh? How could you have billions of dollars' worth of assets?" she asked in disbelief.Jarvis didn’t know how to respond.Being met with silence, she gritted her teeth angrily. "They said that you couldn't walk, but as far as I can see, you're strong enough to run a marathon."Still, he remained silent.Natalie continued, "They even said that you only have a few years to live. What about now?"Finally, Jarvis opened his mouth to explain. "Honey, this is all just a misunderstanding. Please calm down. Think about the baby.""Jarvis Braxton!"The man knelt down immediately.
When they were kids, Derek saved Norah's life. Years later, after Derek ended up in a vegetative state from a car crash, Norah married him without a second thought and even used her medical knowledge to heal him. For two years, Norah was devoted, seeking his affection and looking to settle her life-saving debt. But when Derek's first love returned, Norah, faced with divorce, didn't hesitate to sign. Despite being labeled as forsaken, few knew of her true talents. She was a race car driver, a famed designer, a genius hacker, and a renowned doctor. Regretting his decision, Derek begged for her forgiveness. Just then, a charming CEO intervened, embracing Norah and declaring, "Back off! She's my wife!" Taken aback, Norah blurted out, "What did you say?"
After being kicked out of her home, Harlee learned she wasn't the biological daughter of her family. Rumors had it that her impoverished biological family favored sons and planned to profit from her return. Unexpectedly, her real father was a zillionaire, catapulting her into immense wealth and making her the most cherished member of the family. While they anticipated her disgrace, Harlee secretly held design patents worth billions. Celebrated for her brilliance, she was invited to mentor in a national astronomy group, drew interest from wealthy suitors, and caught the eye of a mysterious figure, ascending to legendary status.
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.
Life was perfect until she met her boyfriend's big brother. There was a forbidden law in the Night Shade Pack that if the head Alpha rejected his mate, he would be stripped of his position. Sophia's life would get connected with the law. She was an Omega who was dating the head Alpha's younger brother. Bryan Morrison, the head Alpha, was not only a cold-blooded man but also a charming business tycoon. His name was enough to cause other packs to tremble. He was known as a ruthless man. What if, by some twist of destiny, Sophia's path were to intertwine with his?