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The day Raina gave birth should have been the happiest of her life. Instead, it became her worst nightmare. Moments after delivering their twins, Alexander shattered her heart-divorcing her and forcing her to sign away custody of their son, Liam. With nothing but betrayal and heartbreak to her name, Raina disappeared, raising their daughter, Ava, on her own.Years later, fate comes knocking when Liam falls gravely ill. Desperate to save his son, Alexander is forced to seek out the one person he once cast aside. Alexander finds himself face to face with the woman he underestimated, pleading for a second chance-not just for himself, but for their son. But Raina is no longer the same broken woman who once loved him.No longer the woman he left behind. She has carved out a new life-one built on strength, wealth, and a long-buried legacy she expected to uncover.Raina has spent years learning to live without him.The question is... Will she risk reopening old wounds to save the son she never got to love? or has Alexander lost her forever?
RAINA
My body ached in ways I couldn't describe, and in places I couldn't name. My skin was sticky with perspiration and my muscles were trembling from hours in labor.
The feeling of motherhood-for however briefly I'd just come into it-was so surreal, that I could hardly believe it. Despite having nine long months to prepare my mind, nothing could have truly prepared me for the actual feeling.
'I'm a mother now,' I thought, though my heart still hurt as I lay in the hospital bed, gazing at what could possibly be my greatest fulfillment as a woman.
My newborn twins.
My heart filled with joy and pride as I watched them-my beautiful boy and girl swaddled beside me-but the feeling was almost completely eclipsed by a gnawing sense of unease-one I had become all too acquainted with over the years.
Despite the air conditioner, the sterile room still felt... stifling.
But the coldest presence loomed over me with his broad shoulders and cruelly handsome, emotionless face.
My husband.
He just stood there, regarding me as if I were something to be discarded. Maybe I was. I mean I had just delivered our babies, our future, and he couldn't even offer a smile. No words of comfort.
No, "I'm proud of you."
How I yearned to hear even just that.
I held my breath, waiting for something- anything - to break the silence, but what came next was the last thing I expected.
When he moved, it wasn't to cradle our children or to brush a tender hand against my hair. Instead, he wordlessly tossed a stack of papers onto my lap.
"Sign them." He ordered, cold and detached.
His words took a moment to register.
I blinked- my eyes still hazy from the exhaustion of pushing two little humans out of me. Sign what? I looked down at the papers, then back at him in confusion. "I'm sorry, what-"
"The divorce papers," he cut in harshly, as though it should've been obvious.
My heart dropped - my stomach twisting painfully.
What?
"Here," His voice was clipped as he tossed me a pen. His movements were so impatient; one would think all this was an inconvenience to him and not me-who'd just spent the last few hours in labor.
"What–" My breath caught in my throat as I stared at the papers again in disbelief. What was going on? I had literally just given birth to his children. He couldn't be serious.
A divorce?
"I- I don't understand, I just gave birth-" My voice cracked.
"And you're damn lucky those kids are even mine!" His tone oozed with venom. "I had the doctors run a DNA test the minute they were born," My mouth fell open. "Had the results shown otherwise... believe me when I say I'd have made you and your lover's life miserable."
I reeled back in shock - the feeling so acute, it was dizzying. He'd done what? My what? The accusation hit me like a physical blow. My brain scrambled to make sense of the words as I struggled to breathe- my pulse thundering in my ears.
"Alex, what..." I choked out. "What lover?" Did he think I'd cheated on him? After I'd spent, practically every second showing him how much he meant to me? "What are you talking about-"
"You're not fooling anyone, Raina." He spat, stepping closer. "Now, sign them."
Tears pricked my eyes.
"Is this some kind of joke?" It had to be! "I don't know what–"
"Oh, spare us the theatrics, Raina! We all know what's been going on." Vanessa, his sister, snarled from a corner of the room, stepping forward- I hadn't even noticed her. "So do us a favor and stop...fucking...pretending!"
My mind raced. This wasn't happening. No, it really couldn't be happening. Was I in a coma and living my worst nightmare?
"I'm not-" I started, but she flung a pile of photographs at me- some landing haphazardly on the bed, some fluttering to the floor.
Wincing, I pushed myself into a sitting position and reached for one with trembling hands. Seeing was difficult through the blur of tears. My breathing was labored, coming out rapid and shallow. "A- Alexander, listen-"
"Enough!" He barked furiously, before I'd even had a chance to see the glossy images. "Stop wasting my time and sign the damn papers, you whore!"
A whore? Me- his wife?
Where was this from? What was happening?
His words stung- like a needle lodging itself painfully in my chest.
Oh God, was he being serious then, about... ending this? Ending us?
Panic clawed at the insides of my throat as I began hyperventilating - my body shaking uncontrollably as the room began to spin.
I clenched the sheets, gasping for air- the heart monitor beeping erratically beside me. The warning sound of the machine competed with the sharp ringing in my ears and the voice that boomed from the doorway.
"Step back!" A man in scrubs rushed to my side, and a female nurse ushered Alexander and his sister away.
Through my tears, I searched Alexander's face for some flicker of emotion. However little.
Compassion. Concern. Love.
There was none.
All I found was the coldness in his hard features.
'Had I loved the wrong man?' The thought shattered me.
For years, I'd ignored the signs.
His family had hated me from the onset- believing I wasn't good enough for him and undeserving of their prestige.
I'd endured their insults and constant belittling. Several times, his mother had offered me money to disappear before the wedding and I'd declined - my love for him has been just that: Love. Pure and undiluted. I didn't want money.
At every juncture that they'd maligned me and I'd told Alexander, he'd just shrugged.
"That's just the way they are, Raina. They'll come around."
But they never did. And he never defended me.
Not when his sister called me a gold-digger during our engagement. Not when his father suggested he annul the marriage after our first year.
I stood by him, loving him more despite his family's contempt, their bribes, and verbal abuse, making excuses all the way for his silence.
But now, he was completely gone.
Or perhaps, he'd never been mine at all.
I'd been forcing myself on him the whole time.
It was painfully clear in that moment how he'd really never loved me. Not the way I'd loved him, anyway.
'What a fool I've been,' I thought, as the darkness claimed me.
~~~~~
I woke up to the same nightmare.
The beeping of the heart monitor was slower now- more controlled. I blinked slowly, my gaze settling on Vanessa in the far corner of the room-She looked bored. And my... Alex- Alexander, standing once again at the foot of my bed. Watching. Waiting.
Vanessa, always the Viper, was the first to speak,
"Oh good, you're up," She sneered, her eyes gleaming with malice as she pushed away from the wall.
"Now, stop delaying and sign the papers. I have places to be."
My eyes stung. No... it couldn't be real. It couldn't be real. I had to be dreaming.
A tear dropped from my eye and her snarling face became clearer. Why was she even here? She was sure to make matters worse.
"Alex," I whispered, turning to him instead. "Please, can we talk alone? I... This is all a misunderstanding, I'm sure." Desperation choked my words. "Just hear me out."
"No." He glanced at his watch, dismissive. "There's no need. I know all I need to know. We'll talk when our lawyers are involved, so you can save your lies for then."
Oh God. What had happened? In the time between my labor and now... What had changed? My throat constricted as tears welled up in my eyes, my heart shattering into more pieces. "Please, Alex... You know me. You know I wouldn't do any of this. I've always loved you- only you. I've never been unfaithful."
But he didn't care. He didn't even look at me as he spoke. "Just sign the papers. We're done."
God. He wouldn't even give me an audience after everything?
"Alex..." I choked out, my lips trembling, begging him with my eyes to hear me out.
But he just stared hard at me, unflinching, heartless and immovable.
"Please don't make me repeat myself." He ground out, looking as though he was restraining himself from spitting on me.
Tears blurred my vision as I picked up the pen with hands that shook so badly, I could barely scrawl my name- but I did. What choice did I have? As I finished, I looked over at my newborn twins, finding solace in the fact that I would still have them, at least.
But then in a cruel twist of fate, his mother, whom I had not seen because she'd been right beside me, behind the machines, stepped forward and gestured to my babies,
"Take him and let's leave."
My head snapped up in alarm. What?"
"Read the papers." Alexander drawled coldly. "You signed away your parental rights to my son."
My blood ran cold. "Alex, no..." I couldn't breathe. "H–he's just a baby, you can't take him away from me! You can't-!"
"He's my heir!" His jaw clenched. Then leaning forward, he continued lethally. "The girl... you can keep her. As a favor. I could take them both, but this way I won't have to worry about her becoming a slut like her mother."
I gasped, recoiling. "Alex! How can you say that about our daughter, about me!"
"Your daughter. Yours alone, from henceforth," he said flatly. "The doctor has said she's unhealthy, and may not survive long. I have no need for a liability. Especially one that might turn out to be anything like you." With that, he turned his back on me- on everything we've had together- and walked out with our son in his arms.
I screamed after him, sobbing uncontrollably, too weak to even get out of bed. "Alex! Alex please! Alex, don't take him!... Please!"
But he didn't look back.
I collapsed, clutching my baby girl to my chest as the sobs racked my body, the weight of the betrayal crushing me.
Rejected and deserted, I was alone.
Completely and utterly alone.
Adeline had one choice: marry Grayson Archer, the ruthless billionaire, to save her dying mother and erase her father's gambling debts. Five years as his contract wife meant enduring cold indifference, sharp words, and a life overshadowed by his manipulative family. When the contract ends, Adeline shocks everyone-especially Grayson-by walking away. But Grayson isn't ready to let her go. Determined to win her back, he devises a new plan, only to discover feelings he never expected. Just as their fragile bond begins to heal, a devastating secret from his past and a betrayal Adeline can't forgive threaten to destroy everything. Can love survive the ultimate test, or will Grayson lose the only woman he's ever truly wanted?
Her fiance and her best friend worked together and set her up. She lost everything and died in the street. However, she was reborn. The moment she opened her eyes, her husband was trying to strangle her. Luckily, she survived that. She signed the divorce agreement without hesitation and was ready for her miserable life. To her surprise, her mother in this life left her a great deal of money. She turned the tables and avenged herself. Everything went well in her career and love when her ex-husband came to her.
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.
Sandra Hill, the long-lost real heiress of the Hill family, was shunned by her own kin. Instead of embracing her, they bestowed their affection upon an impostor. They even arranged her to marry a vegetative man in place of her so-called “sister”. Sandra sneered, refusing to put up with this humiliation, cut off ties with the Hill family immediately and ran into the flash marriage with Wesley Cooper, her unconscious billionaire husband. With her incredible medical skills, she defied the odds and revived him. Little did she expect that her husband spoiled her with all his love... A medical genius, a computer prodigy, a national treasure in painting, and a racing legend... Her husband revealed her various identities, leaving the Hill family regretful. Her father came pleading, "It's Dad's fault. Please come back." Her mother wept, "Mom will protect you from now on. Please come back." Even her five brothers knelt before he, begging for forgiveness. Yet, Sandra's smile held a hint of mockery as she vowed, “Never!”
Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms once at peace. The kingdom of Salem and the kingdom of Mombana... Until the day, the king of Mombana passed away and a new monarch took over, Prince Cone. Prince Cone, has always been hungry for more power and more and more. After his coronation, he attacked Salem. The attack was so unexpected, Salem never prepared for it. They were caught off guard. The king and Queen was killed, the prince was taken into slavery. The people of Salem that survived the war was enslaved, their land taken from them. Their women were made sex slaves. They lost everything, including their land. Evil befall the land of Salem in form of Prince Cone, and the prince of Salem in his slavery was filled with so much rage. The prince of Salem, Prince Lucien swore revenge. 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 Ten years later, thirty-years old Lucien and his people raided a coup and escaped slavery. They went into hiding and recuperated. They trained day and night under the leadership of the fearless and cold Lucien who was driven with everything in him to get back their land, and take Mombana land too. It took them five years before they ambushed and attacked Mombana. They killed Prince Cone and reclaimed everything. As they screamed out their victory, Lucien's eyes found and pinned the proud princess of Mombana. Princess Danika. The daughter of Prince Cone. As Lucien stared at her with the coldest eyes anyone can ever possess, he felt victory for the first time. He walked to the princess with the slave collar he'd won for ten years rattling in his hand as he walked. He reached close to her and with a swift movement, he collared her neck. Then, he tilted her chin up, staring into the bluest eyes and the most beautiful face ever created, he gave her a cold smile. "You are my acquisition. My slave. My sex slave. My property. I will pay you in spades, everything you and your father ever did to me and my people." He stated curtly. Pure hatred, coldness and victory was the only emotion on his face. .
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?
"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?