Ana Reed is wallowing in huge debts with no means in sight to pay them, until she meets Asher Howard, the grandson and CFO of the multi-billionaire company, Howard Companies, who offers her more than enough money to pay her debts in exchange for a marriage contract with him. With her creditors threatening her and the mouth-watering offer, Ana is left with no choice than to accept Asher's proposal. Will their fake marriage blossom into something more beautiful or will the various obstacles such as Asher's conniving and overly ambitious cousin who is determined to bring Asher down, his wife, who would support her husband in everything he does, Ana's dirty past as a drug dealer and Asher's inner demons, swallow them whole?
"Call for you Ana!" Andy, my co-worker, calls from the back room. I leave my spot at the counter and head over.
"Who is it?" I whispered as I took the phone.
"Diane." She whispers back, and my heart drops as I take the phone from her. "I'll cover for you." She says as she heads to my spot at the counter.
I took a deep breath and put the phone to my ear. "Hey Diane. Are you good?"
"How would I be good when you left me all alone at home?"
I sigh and rub my temples. Not this again.
"Is that really what you called to tell me?" I asked. I'm already getting tired of her constant drama and need for attention, and some days I'm tempted to just give her the boot, but she's the only family I have left.
"You're so rude. Is that how you speak to your big sister, who is in fact recovering from very traumatic surgery?"
"Diane, the doctor said you're getting much better, and you're healing well."
"Ana, the doctor isn't the one to tell me how I'm feeling. It's my body, and my pain, not his."
"Is there a reason why you called me in the middle of my shift, Diane?"
"Still so rude." She murmurs. "Yes Ana. There is in fact a reason why I had to call you. I need you to help me get something from the store on your way back home."
"Diane, I don't think I can do that. I'll be leaving work really late, and the store is not on my way."
"So what? You want me to just stay here and starve?"
"Stop being dramatic, Diane. I told you I left some food at home so you could microwave it whenever you're ready to eat."
"And I told you that I wouldn't eat whatever disgusting concoction you decided to whip up in the name of food for me."
"That was what your doctor recommended!" I shouted out in frustration. The line goes silent for a while on the other side before Diane speaks again.
"So, because I cannot move around and run my errands myself, and I am begging you to help me do this one thing, you decided to raise your voice at me. Nice."
"Diane..."
"No, it's fine. I'll get better soon enough and get them done myself."
I take a deep ragged breath before I speak again.
"What do you need me to get you?" I asked in defeat.
"You don't have to. In fact, just forget about it. Forget I called."
"Diane, tell me what you need."
"Fine, if you insist," she says, and I roll my eyes as I listen to her list out the things she'll need.
I get back to work and countdown the seconds until I can be reunited with my bed. The contrast between the calm of the café and cheerful chatter, and the tense conversation I just had does not go unnoticed by me. Dealing with Diane is so stressful, both physically and mentally. She had surgery a few months ago to replace her kidney, and ever since then, she's been milking it every opportunity she gets, even though she's obviously better.
What pisses me off the most is the fact that she never asked how I got the money to pay for her dialysis and surgery, yet she's always demanding one thing or the other. I'm still fuming with rage when my inner dialogue is interrupted by a tap on my shoulder.
"Are you good?" Andy asked, looking at me with a worried look on her face.
"Yeah, just exhausted."
"You sure? Cause you look like you'd want to stab someone awfully."
"No, I don't." I answered defensively.
"The dessert knife you have in a death grip would beg to differ."
I looked down and instantly released the knife I didn't even realize I was even holding.
"Rough talk with Diane?" she asks, concern etched in her features.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Absolutely. You always have this murderous look in your eyes whenever you talk to her."
"Well, it's a good thing it's just a look and not the actual action."
"Only time will tell."
"Andy!" I gasp.
"What? Most actions stem from thoughts alone. One minute you're reminiscing about it, and the next minute, BAM! You're committing a crime."
"Okay, first off, you watch too many crime documentaries. And secondly, that's my sister you're talking about."
"Doesn't stop her from being the devil's spawn."
"Diane's not that bad. She has her good moments."
"And how many of those moments have you been on the receiving end of? No, better still, when was the last time you experienced any of those so-called moments?"
I attempted to answer her question but no words came out. It's a struggle to even pinpoint the last time my sister was nice to me or appreciative of anything I did.
"You see? You can't even answer that question, yet you are here defending her imaginary niceness. Aren't you tired of her stepping all over you? Manipulating and gas-lighting you every chance she gets?"
"I am but..."
"No buts Ana. You need to grow a pair and set some boundaries."
"But she's my sister. The only family I have left."
"And you are also HER sister and HER only family. It's high time she started acting like that."
"I guess you're right."
"You know damn well I am," she says.
Just then, a sleek black Maybach is parked in front of the bakery and a man in a tailored black suit, jet black hair and dark glasses steps out of the passenger seat and walks into the bakery.
"Hello, and welcome to Bakes ad Dates. How can we help you?" Andy says, plastering her customer service smile on her face while I head to the back of the bakery, relieved that my shift is finally over, and I get to go home.
I leave the bakery and head to the opposite way from my usual route when a chill suddenly runs down my spine. I feel like I'm being watched or followed and that propels me to quicken my steps. Everywhere is dark, and I'm practically the only person on the road. I turn back and see no one, so I try calming myself down as I take deep breaths. I'm about to take a corner when I feel strong arms wrap around me and the world goes black.
When billionaire Alexander Westfield acquires a quaint small-town bakery as part of a corporate takeover, he's stunned to learn that the previous owner, spirited baker Lily Monroe, fabricated a fake engagement to him in a bid to save her struggling business. As the media catches wind, Alexander insists they continue the charade to preserve his public image. But as they navigate glitzy galas, intense paparazzi scrutiny, and the undeniable chemistry between them, both Lily and Alexander begin to wonder if their "royal ruse" is turning into the real deal.
All Lyla remembered was waking up in a pool of blood. She was supposed to get married to Alpha Thorn the following morning but everything was going wrong for her. " I didn't do this. Please believe me." She pleaded with the teary eyes. " Have her locked up!" Thorn shouted seeing the corpses of his father. Lyla had been chosen by the moon goddess to be the next Luna of the Silver moon pack but Georgina had been ever jealous. She was from a prestigious family and a powerful blood line while Lyla was from a lowborn. In fact she didn't know who her biological parents were. She had always believed she was a nobody and she grew up in the orphanage The day Alpha Thorn was to be married to Georgina was the same day Lyla was to be killed but on that day. Lyla was immediately killed but then the. moon goddess gave her a chance to avenge herself. Waking up in the body of the most powerful daughter of the neighbouring Alpha pack. Lyla decided to take revenge on those who lied about her killing Alpha Thorn's parents.
Jason, a hardworking student barely making ends meet, is constantly manipulated by his girlfriend, Linda, who takes advantage of his earnings for her extravagant lifestyle. When Jason discovers that Linda has been secretly involved with Ethan, a wealthy classmate, his world falls apart. Publicly humiliated as Linda denies their relationship and sides with Ethan, Jason resolves to turn his life around and seek revenge on both Linda and Ethan
Melanie married Ashton out of gratitude, but she quickly found herself entangled in a web of relentless challenges. Despite these struggles, she stayed true to her commitment to the marriage. In the hospital room, Ashton indifferently attempted to draw her blood, disregarding her discomfort. This callous act was a harsh revelation for Melanie, awakening her to the grim reality of their relationship. Resolved to prioritize her own welfare, she decided to sever ties. With newfound resolve, Melanie filed for divorce. In the process, she unveiled her concealed identities, leaving everyone in shock. Throughout these turbulent times, Melanie realized that Derek, Ashton’s uncle, had been discreetly protecting her all along.
"Please trust me, I didn't do anything." "I don't believe you. I am rejecting you as my Queen and giving you the punishment of death." Alina was living outside her pack for five years. Her parents didn't try to contact her and always ignored her. Her best friend convinced her to go back to their pack and she agreed. But she had never imagined what was waiting there for her. She never thought she would meet her mate and had to face betrayal from everywhere. She had to pay for the crime which she never committed. Aaron Robertson is the king of Lycans. He is a very dominant and powerful King who not only rules Lycans but also rules other ranks of werewolves. Everyone is afraid of Lycans and he is the king of them. But who knew that he would get a mate who was just a simple Omega with no powers and strengths? He called her weak all the time but Little did he know that his weak Omega would give him the biggest betrayal of his life for which he had to give her the sentence of death.
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!”
June Rivera was divorced by her husband after three years of marriage because he wanted to be with her sister who was pregnant for him. Kicked to the curb with a divorce and rejected by her parents,she struggles to make ends meet and get a job until she saves Luis Ambrose from an accident - the only child of Rafael Ambrose, a widowed man and the CEO of Ambrose Corporation. When little Luis asks to have her as a nanny, and Rafael's mother pressures him to get married, they draw a contract. To be Luis's nanny and his fake wife for one year in exchange for 50 million dollars!
"Ahh!" She was in a moaning mess. She did not want to feel anything for this man. She hated him. His hands began to move all over her body. She gasped when he pulled down the back chain of her dress. The chain stopped at her lower waist, so when he zipped it off, her upper back and waist were exposed. "D-Don't touch m-ummm!" His fingers rolled around her bare back, and she pressed her head against the pillow. His touches were giving her goosebumps all over her body. With a deep angry voice, he whispered in her ear, "I am going to make you forget his touches, kisses, and everything. Every time you touch another man, you will only think of me." - - - Ava Adler was a nerdy omega. People bullied her because they thought she was ugly and unattractive. But Ava secretly loved the bad boy, Ian Dawson. He was the future Alpha of the Mystic Shadow Pack. However, he doesn't give a damn about rules and laws, as he only likes to play around with girls. Ava was unaware of Ian's arrogance until her fate intertwined with his. He neglected her and hurt her deeply. What would happen when Ava turned out to be a beautiful girl who could win over any boy, and Ian looked back and regretted his decisions? What if she had a secret identity that she had yet to discover? What if the tables turned and Ian begged her not to leave him?
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.