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When successful entrepreneur Leo Sterling marries the enigmatic Mia Carter in a whirlwind ceremony, he intends to keep their union a secret from the world. But as Mia navigates the luxurious yet dangerous world of high society, secrets from her past begin to surface, threatening not only their marriage but also their lives. Can love survive the shadows of betrayal, or will their hidden truths tear them apart?
The art gala shimmered with opulence, but Mia Carter's focus wasn't on the glittering gowns or the clinking glasses.
Her pulse quickened as she scanned the room, her instincts prickling with the unmistakable sensation of being watched.
She hadn't been followed,she was certain of that,but someone here had found her, and she needed to know who.
Her fingers tightened around the stem of her champagne glass as she turned slightly, her gaze sweeping the crowd. And then she saw him.
He stood near an abstract painting, his presence as sharp and deliberate as a blade. Dark hair swept back from a face carved with precision, but it was his eyes,piercing blue and unrelenting,that pinned her in place.
He wasn't just looking at her; he was studying her, dissecting her with a calm intensity that sent a shiver down her spine.
Mia's breath hitched. She forced herself to remain still, to keep her expression neutral even as alarm bells screamed in her mind.
Who was he? A stranger? Or something far worse?
She turned away, pretending to admire a nearby sculpture, but her heart pounded in her chest like a war drum. She could feel his gaze following her, burning into her back. This wasn't coincidence,his was. deliberate, Calculated.
Her training kicked in. She placed the champagne glass on a passing waiter's tray and began weaving through the crowd, careful not to move too quickly or draw attention to herself.
The gala was crowded enough to provide cover if she needed it, but every step felt like walking a tightrope over an abyss.
She reached for the small clutch tucked under her arm, fingers brushing against the cold steel of the compact weapon hidden inside,Just in case.
"Mia Carter," a voice said behind her, smooth and deep like velvet dipped in danger.
Her stomach dropped. No one here should know that name,not that name.
She turned slowly, masking the panic that clawed at her throat. It was him,the man with the piercing blue eyes,standing impossibly close now, his presence suffocating yet magnetic.
"Do I know you?"she asked coolly, tilting her head as if he were just another stranger at another party.
A faint smile tugged at his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Not yet," he said softly. "But I think we should change that".
Mia's pulse thundered in her ears, but she kept her expression smooth, her lips curving into a polite, practiced smile.
"I'm afraid you have me confused with someone else," she said lightly, though her voice didn't betray the storm brewing inside her.
His smile widened, just enough to make her uneasy. "I don't think so." He took a step closer, his presence radiating confidence and something darker,something that made Mia's instincts scream at her to run.
"You can change your name, your hair, even your story... but your eyes? Those always give you away."
Her stomach twisted into knots. Who was this man? How did he know about her past? She had been careful,meticulous, even.
The life she had built in New York was seamless, every detail crafted to perfection. There was no way anyone could have traced her here.
Unless they were looking for her.
"What do you want from me?" she asked quietly, cutting through the pretense.
Leo leaned against the railing casually now that they were alone on the balcony overlooking Manhattan's glittering skyline.
For a moment, neither of them spoke,the silence stretching taut between them like a wire ready to snap.
"You've been hard to find," he said finally, his voice softer now but no less intense.
Mia crossed her arms over her chest, masking the unease that coiled tighter with every word he spoke. "Maybe I didn't want to be found."
"Maybe" he agreed easily, his gaze never leaving hers. "But people like us don't get to disappear,not really."
Her heart skipped a beat at his words,at what they implied about him and what he knew about her. People like us.
"You seem awfully sure of yourself," she said lightly but edged with steel. "Do you always approach strangers with cryptic lines like that?"
He chuckled softly,a sound low and dangerous. "Only when the stranger isn't really a stranger." His gaze flicked over her face again, sharp and assessing. "But don't worry,I'm not here to cause trouble. Quite the opposite."
"And what exactly are you here for?" Mia asked warily.
"To talk," he said simply, his voice calm but laced with an undercurrent of something she couldn't quite place. "That is... if you're willing to listen."
She hesitated for a fraction of a second before glancing around the room behind them through the glass doors of the balcony.
The gala buzzed on without them,oblivious to this quiet battle of wills taking place just outside its glittering walls.
"Fine," she said finally, keeping her tone neutral. "Let's talk."
Leo straightened slightly as if satisfied by her answer but didn't move closer this time,a calculated gesture that made Mia even more uneasy.
"You might not think so now," he said quietly after a long pause, his voice low enough that only she could hear it over the city's hum below them.
"But trust me... whatever you're running from? It's closer than you think."
Her breath caught in her throat as his words settled over her like a storm cloud,heavy and foreboding.
And then he stepped aside without another word and disappeared back into the crowd inside as if nothing had happened at all.
Mia stood frozen on the balcony for several long moments after he left, staring out at Manhattan's glittering skyline without really seeing it. Her mind raced with questions and possibilities,none of them good.
Who was Leo Sterling? How much did he know? And most importantly... how much danger was she really in?
As the city lights flickered below like distant stars, one thing became painfully clear: whatever game Leo had just pulled her into wasn't one she could afford to lose.
When successful entrepreneur Leo Sterling marries the enigmatic Mia Carter in a whirlwind ceremony, he intends to keep their union a secret from the world. But as Mia navigates the luxurious yet dangerous world of high society, secrets from her past begin to surface, threatening not only their marriage but also their lives. Can love survive the shadows of betrayal, or will their hidden truths tear them apart?
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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!
For as long as Emily can remember, she has wanted to overcome her shyness and explore her sexuality. Still, everything changes when she receives an invitation to visit one of the town's most prestigious BDSM clubs, DESIRE'S DEN. On the day she chose to peruse the club, she noticed three men, all dressed in suits, standing on the upper level, near the railing. Despite her limited vision, she persisted in fixating on them. Their towering statues belied the toned bodies concealed by their sharply tailored suits-or so she could tell. The hair of two of them was short and dark, and the third had light brown-possibly blond-hair that reached the shoulders. The dark, crimson background incised their figures, exuding an air of mystery and strength. They stood in stark contrast to the unfiltered, primal energy that pulsed through the club. Shocked by the desires these men aroused in her, she was disappointed to learn that they were masters seeking a slave to divide and conquer. She couldn't afford the fee, and she also realized that they were outside her league. Emily hurriedly left the club, feeling disappointed and depressed, unaware that she had also caught the group's attention. A world of wicked pleasure, three handsome men. Over the years, they have lived a life of decadence, their lavish lair serving as a stage for their most sinister desires. But despite the unending parade of willing subjects, one woman sticks out. A mysterious stranger with white porcelain skin and a killer body, a slave, a name with no address, the first lady to attract their eye and they will go to any length to obtain her no matter the consequences.
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.
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?