They Keep It Cool in Public, But in Private... Chloe always knew how to keep things professional. In public, she and her boss, Fred, maintained a safe distance-no flirting, no kissing, no asking personal questions. Just a purely physical arrangement behind closed doors. But then, an intern showed up at the company, and suddenly, things started to feel... off.
Mid-December, the temperature hit its lowest of the year. Snowflakes drifted down onto the streets, coating the bare branches in a layer of pure white.
At Race Corporation's annual party, the place was packed. Employees from every department were dressed to the nines, their faces lit up with relaxed, joyful smiles. After a year of hard work, this was the one night they could finally let loose and unwind.
Chloe, like everyone else, was relieved to catch a breather from the heavy workload in the marketing department.
Too bad she couldn't drink tonight.
"Chloe, not getting anything to drink?" Anna asked as she passed by.
Anna was one of Chloe's teammates.
Chloe leaned against the wall and shook her head. "Nah, just took some meds."
"You okay? Want me to help you sit down or something?" Anna asked, concerned.
"I'm fine, just an old issue. Don't worry about me-go have fun." Chloe smiled. "I'll just hang out here."
Anna hesitated but, hearing the certainty in Chloe's voice, didn't push further. "Alright, take care."
Watching everyone enjoy themselves, Chloe couldn't help but feel a little bummed. She'd had a sudden stomach ache around noon, and while the meds helped, the lingering dull pain was still there.
She had considered skipping the party, but since her whole team was attending-and as the marketing manager, she didn't want to kill the mood-she figured she'd show up, make an appearance, and leave early.
The party had only just started. Everyone was holding champagne glasses, chatting away, when the room suddenly quieted down.
Chloe looked up.
A tall figure was making his way to the stage.
Gasps spread through the crowd, followed by excited squeals laced with admiration and giddy excitement.
"HOLY SHIT, our boss is fine as hell!"
"NO KIDDING! I literally came to this party just to see him up close."
"That face is UNREAL-right up my alley."
"Forget the face, I wanna know what that BODY feels like."
"GOD, just thinking about it is sending me."
Chloe overheard the hushed, breathless exchanges between a few colleagues nearby. A couple of drinks in, they clearly didn't feel the need to hold back, openly discussing their thoughts on the man on stage-complete with starry-eyed stares.
The tall man stopped at the center of the stage, cleared his throat lightly, and began his speech.
"Thank you all for your contributions this past year. Our performance has improved compared to last year..."
His voice was deep, steady, magnetic.
Not only was he good-looking, but he also had the kind of voice that drew people in. No wonder the younger employees were completely smitten.
From where she stood, Chloe watched as the lights illuminated his towering figure. Even in a crowd, his presence was striking.
She didn't bother hiding the way she was looking at him.
This was one of the rare moments she could openly stare at Fred in public.
Only when lost in a sea of people could she gaze up at the brightest light on stage without drawing any suspicion.
To everyone else, Fred was just the company's CEO, and she was just the marketing manager. A typical boss-subordinate relationship. In the office, they barely interacted.
The speech lasted a few minutes before Fred stepped down, and the night's entertainment officially kicked off with performances and party games.
Chloe glanced at her watch.
With everyone's attention on the dancers on stage and the energy in the room heating up, she slipped away unnoticed. She made her way to the coat check, retrieved her coat, and pulled out her phone to call a cab.
It was a Friday night, and traffic was crazy. Still, she got lucky-only had to wait ten minutes before a ride showed up.
Stepping outside, her heels crunched against the freshly fallen snow. She walked carefully, not wanting to take an embarrassing tumble.
Her nose was already red from the cold by the time she reached the car.
She climbed in quickly, sighing in relief as the heater began to thaw her frozen fingers. Snowflakes tapped gently against the window, twirling for a fleeting moment before melting away.
Once she could feel her hands again, she pulled out her phone to check the notifications she'd been ignoring.
She dialed back, and as soon as the call connected, Teresa's excited voice burst through.
"So? Have you thought about it? My friend's little brother is seriously good-looking!"
Ah.
Right. The matchmaking thing.
Teresa had been trying to set her up for a while now. Chloe had already brushed it off once, but Teresa was persistent-especially since she was personally close to the guy.
"What do you think? I sent you his picture just now," Teresa pressed.
Chloe hadn't even had the chance to look at it yet. She hummed vaguely. "Seems alright."
"KNEW IT! Totally your type, isn't he?" Teresa's voice shot up with excitement. "When do you wanna meet him?"
"Uh... maybe sometime later."
"Oh, don't give me that 'I'm too busy' excuse! It's the end of the year-your company doesn't have any major projects left!" Teresa was practically jumping through the phone.
"He saw your photo and got totally hooked-he really wants to meet you."
"...Ugh." Chloe pinched the bridge of her nose, already regretting answering the call.
"COME ON, you're single! What's the harm in giving it a shot?" Teresa encouraged, then added with a suggestive tone, "He's an athlete, by the way. Stamina's top-notch... you know what I mean."
Chloe definitely knew.
Teresa had a habit of preaching about the importance of a fulfilling "personal life."
If that was the reason she should agree to this... well, Chloe wasn't sure how to respond.
Yeah, she was single, but it wasn't like she was that deprived.
Not nearly as much as Teresa seemed to think.
Still, with Teresa nagging her ear off, Chloe finally caved. It was just a meetup, after all. No big deal.
"Fine. I'm free next week."
"YES! It's a done deal!" Teresa practically squealed. "I'll tell him right now!"
After hanging up, Chloe noticed an unread message on her screen, received ten minutes ago.
"Where are you? Don't see you."
Her stomach flipped.
No name. Just a string of numbers.
But she knew it by heart.
She quickly typed back. "On my way home."
The reply came almost instantly.
"I'll be there in twenty minutes."
Just two weeks after their wedding, Raphael left for the other side of the world on business. Two years later, when he returned, Grace barely recognized her own husband. Everyone knew their marriage was nothing more than a business deal between two powerful families. To Grace, it was simply the last hurdle on her way to freedom. She barely knew her husband. All she really knew was that he was rigid, dull, and emotionally detached-like a financial machine. She figured he must find her just as insufferable-dramatic, and high-maintenance. When Grace placed the divorce papers in front of Raphael, stating that she wanted to end this loveless marriage, he merely looked at her, his gaze warm yet unreadable. He gently took her hand and murmured in a husky voice, half-smiling, 「Hmm? Did I not please you enough last night?」
Lena Carrington and Alaric Winfield have been rivals since childhood, always competing with each other-from school to adulthood. When Lena's family faces a financial crisis and her fiancé of three years heartlessly dumps her, all her old friends turn a blind eye, leaving her to fend for herself. One day, she runs into her ex-boyfriend, who's with his new girlfriend, eager to watch her hit rock bottom. Frustrated and unwilling to give in, she then bumps into Alaric, her lifelong adversary. "Beg me, and maybe I'll help you," he says, arms crossed, watching her with amusement. "I'd rather die than beg you. Keep dreaming." But later, she turns back. "Fine, help me! Name your terms." He gives a slight smile, "Deal." One night, she accidentally kisses him, and soon, she starts to notice that something about Alaric is changing...
Sofia Levine married a man she had known for less than 24 hours. The marriage was the result of an agreement between their grandfathers. At first, her half-sister even tried to take her place in the marriage, after all, Rome Beckett was the sole heir of a wealthy family. With his good looks, he was the object of many women's affections in the city. Rumor had it that Rome Beckett was cold and aloof, and many were waiting to see Sofia become the laughingstock of the high society as a discarded wife. After the wedding, they treated each other with respect, and Sofia believed that, in time, there might be a little love between them. That is, until one day, she overheard him casually talking to a friend, saying, "It's nothing more than fulfilling the familys' wishes." It was a business marriage from the start, and she had developed feelings she shouldn't have. She quickly moved out of that home. In the pouring rain, the once-proud man, humbled by love, held her hand with trembling fingers. "Let's go home, please?" The male lead, from indifference to deep devotion.
Life was a bed of roses for Debra, the daughter of Alpha. That was until she had a one-night stand with Caleb. She was sure he was her mate as determined by Moon Goddess. But this hateful man refused to accept her. Weeks passed before Debra discovered that she was pregnant. Her pregnancy brought shame to her and everyone she loved. Not only was she driven out, but her father was also hunted down by usurpers. Fortunately, she survived with the help of the mysterious Thorn Edge Pack. Five years passed and Debra didn't hear anything from Caleb. One day, their paths crossed again. They were both on the same mission—carrying out secret investigations in the dangerous Roz Town for the safety and posterity of their respective packs. Caleb was still cold toward her. But as time went on, he fell head over heels in love with her. He tried to make up for abandoning her, but Debra wasn't having any of it. She was hell-bent on hiding her daughter from him and also making a clean break. What did the future hold for the two as they journeyed in Roz Town? What kind of secrets would they find? Would Caleb win Debra's heart and get to know his lovely daughter? Find out!
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.
After two years of marriage, Kristian dropped a bombshell. "She's back. Let's get divorced. Name your price." Freya didn't argue. She just smiled and made her demands. "I want your most expensive supercar." "Okay." "The villa on the outskirts." "Sure." "And half of the billions we made together." Kristian froze. "Come again?" He thought she was ordinary—but Freya was the genius behind their fortune. And now that she'd gone, he'd do anything to win her back.
Brenna lived with her adoptive parents for twenty years, enduring their exploitation. When their real daughter appeared, they sent Brenna back to her true parents, thinking they were broke. In reality, her birth parents belonged to a top circle that her adoptive family could never reach. Hoping Brenna would fail, they gasped at her status: a global finance expert, a gifted engineer, the fastest racer... Was there any end to the identities she kept hidden? After her fiancé ended their engagement, Brenna met his twin brother. Unexpectedly, her ex-fiancé showed up, confessing his love...
"I heard you're going to marry Marcelo. Is this perhaps your revenge against me? It's very laughable, Renee. That man can barely function." Her foster family, her cheating ex, everyone thought Renee was going to live in pure hell after getting married to a disabled and cruel man. She didn't know if anything good would ever come out of it after all, she had always thought it would be hard for anyone to love her but this cruel man with dark secrets is never going to grant her a divorce because she makes him forget how to breathe.
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..." But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"