Rita has spent her whole life under her mother's strict control, and now with leukemia slowly draining her strength, she feels more trapped than ever. Just when she thinks she's completely alone, she meets Dominic-a struggling musician with his own scars that refuse to heal. In each other, they find something rare, something real-a love that feels like a spark in the darkness.But the world doesn't make love easy. Between family betrayals, public shame, and the heavy burden of Rita's illness, every step forward feels like a battle. Painful secrets start to surface, trust is tested, and hope feels like it's slipping away. And as fate pushes against them, one question remains-can love really be enough to fight what's already written?
The hospital smelled like antiseptic and something faintly metallic-like sickness had seeped into the walls and refused to leave. Rita Thompson hated it. The white-washed halls, the quiet murmurs of nurses, the way doctors spoke in clipped tones as if emotions had no place here. It made her feel like she was already half a ghost.
She pulled her scarf tighter around her head, fingers brushing over the fabric as if it could somehow make up for the hair she lost to chemo. She missed it-not just the strands themselves, but the way they used to fall into her eyes, the way she used to run her fingers through them absentmindedly while sketching. Now, even looking in the mirror was a reminder of how much had been taken from her.
Across the waiting area, her mother, Veronica Thompson, sat primly by the nurse's station, flicking through a copy of San Francisco Elite. She was always more concerned with appearances than emotions. Even now, her perfectly manicured nails tapped impatiently against the glossy pages, as if waiting for this whole "cancer situation" to be over so life could return to the way it was.
Rita exhaled. She needed air.
She glanced at her mother-still distracted-then slipped away, moving fast toward the stairwell before anyone could stop her. She climbed, heart pounding, her legs weaker than they should be. The stairs groaned beneath her sneakers, but she pushed forward until she reached the rooftop.
The door creaked as she stepped outside. A cool breeze hit her face, carrying the salty scent of the bay. San Francisco stretched out before her in golden lights and deep shadows, a city so full of life it made her ache.
"You lost or something?"
She spun, startled.
A guy was leaning against the short rooftop wall, a guitar propped beside him. He looked like he belonged anywhere but here-dark tousled hair, tired eyes, a faded hoodie that had clearly seen better days. His jeans were ripped, but not in a designer way. More like a life has kicked my ass, and I kept walking kind of way.
"I could ask you the same," Rita said, defensive out of habit.
He smirked. "I come here a lot. My little sister's in the hospital, so... yeah. This place helps."
Rita hesitated, then softened. "I get that."
"You a patient?" he asked, not unkindly.
She hesitated. Most people, when they found out, got this look-pity mixed with awkwardness, like they didn't know what to say.
"Something like that," she finally said.
He didn't push. Just nodded, like that was enough.
"I'm Dominic, by the way."
"Rita."
He studied her for a moment, then nodded toward the sketchbook she had clutched against her chest. "You draw?"
"Yeah," she admitted, shifting on her feet.
"Can I see?"
She hesitated. Most people didn't care about her drawings. Her mother certainly didn't. But Dominic was looking at her like he actually wanted to know.
Slowly, she flipped open the sketchbook, revealing pages of charcoal sketches-faces caught in fleeting moments, cityscapes that felt almost alive.
Dominic let out a low whistle. "Damn. These are good."
Heat crept up her neck. "Thanks."
His eyes lingered on one sketch in particular-a lonely figure sitting on a rooftop, staring at the city below. "This one... you drew this before you ever came up here, didn't you?"
She blinked, surprised. He wasn't wrong.
"Yeah," she admitted. "I guess I just imagined a place like this."
A small smile tugged at his lips. "Maybe you were meant to find it."
The wind picked up slightly, lifting strands of her scarf. Below them, the city buzzed with life-car horns, laughter, music drifting from an open window. Up here, though, it felt like a different world.
Dominic reached for his guitar, fingers running absentmindedly over the strings. A slow, melancholic tune filled the air, wrapping around them like something sacred.
Rita closed her eyes for a moment, letting the sound settle in her bones. "That's beautiful."
He shrugged. "It's just something I made up."
She opened her mouth to reply, but the rooftop door suddenly banged open.
"Rita Anne Thompson! What the hell are you doing up here?"
Her stomach twisted.
Veronica stood in the doorway, heels clicking against the concrete as she stormed toward them. Her perfectly styled hair didn't have a single strand out of place, and yet her eyes burned with a barely concealed rage.
Dominic straightened, stepping slightly in front of Rita, like he could shield her from whatever was coming.
"I was just getting some air," Rita said, voice tight.
"You were just risking your health," Veronica snapped. Her gaze flicked to Dominic, taking him in with quick, judgmental precision. "And who, exactly, are you?"
Dominic didn't flinch under her scrutiny. "Dominic Carter, ma'am. We were just talking."
Veronica's lips curled slightly, a look Rita knew all too well. Dismissive. Condescending. Like Dominic was something scraped off the bottom of her designer heels.
"Well, Dominic Carter," she said coolly, "my daughter doesn't have time for distractions."
Rita clenched her fists. "Mom-"
"Enough," Veronica snapped. "We're leaving. Now."
Dominic shot Rita a look-something unspoken passing between them. He didn't say anything, but she could feel it in his eyes: You don't have to live like this.
But she did. Didn't she?
Dominic exhaled, grabbing his guitar. "I should go."
Rita wanted to stop him. Wanted to tell her mother she wasn't a child, that she could decide who she talked to. But the weight of Veronica's control was suffocating, like an invisible leash tightening around her throat.
As Dominic passed, he leaned in slightly, voice low. "You deserve more than this."
Then he was gone.
Rita stood there, heart pounding, as the wind carried away the last echoes of his music.
For a long moment, she just stared at the closed rooftop door, her mother's voice a distant hum in the background. Something inside her was shifting, an unfamiliar but undeniable feeling creeping into her chest.
She had spent so long being told what to do, who to be, what was best for her. But standing here, in the lingering traces of Dominic's melody, she realized something.
Maybe-just maybe-she wanted more. More than a life dictated by hospital appointments and her mother's expectations. More than just being sick.
And for the first time, she let herself wonder-what if she actually fought for it?
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!
"I'm going to tell you what I have in mind," he murmured. "First you're going to strip down until you're completely naked," he whispered against her ear. "Then I'm going to tie you up so you're completely powerless and subject to my every whim." "Mmm, sounds good so far," she murmured. "Then I'm going to insert a plug to prepare you for me. After that I'm going to spank that sweet ass of yours until it's rosy with my marks." She shivered uncontrollably, her mind exploding with the images he evoked. She let out a small whimper as he sucked the lobe of her ear into his mouth. God, she could cum with just his words. She was already aching with need. Her nipples tingled and hardened to painful points. Her clit pulsed and twitched between her legs until she clamped her thighs together to alleviate the burn. "And then I'm going to f**k your mouth. But I won't cum. Not yet. When I'm close, I'll flog you again until your ass is burning and you're on fire with the need for relief. And then I'm going to f**k that ass. I'm going to take you hard and rough, to the very limits of what you can withstand. I won't be gentle. Not tonight. I'm going to take you as roughly as you can stand. And then I'm going to cum all over your ass. Are you ready to be completely and utterly dominated?"
On their wedding night, Rogelio wrapped his fingers around Marian's neck and spat at her, "Congratulations! From now on, you live in hell!" The reason for his wrath was that he believed she was responsible for the death of his elder brother. So, he married her but refused to touch her, determined to make her suffer for the rest of her pitiful life! However, due to an unforeseen accident, Marian was forced to sleep with Rogelio in order to save him, and she ended up getting pregnant. Concealing her pregnancy, Marian lived cautiously under Rogelio's watchful eyes. He hated her and relentlessly humiliated her, yet he would never allow anyone else to lay a finger on her— "Mr. Bailey, your wife got into a fight with someone!" Rogelio secretly took action, eliminating that person completely. "Sir, your wife claimed that all of your family's wealth belongs to her!" Rogelio quietly transferred all the shares to her. Unaware of all this, Marian only wanted to escape, but Rogelio pulled her into his warm embrace, whispering, "Mrs. Bailey, where do you intend to go with our unborn child?"
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
Madison had always believed that she would marry Colten. She spent her youth admiring him from afar, dreaming of their future life together. But Colten was always indifferent to her, and when he abandoned her at a time when she needed him most, she finally realized that he never loved her. With renewed resolve and a thirst for revenge, Madison left. Endless possibilities lay ahead, but Colten was no longer part of her plans. Colten rushed to her place in a panic. "Madison, please come back to me. I’ll give you everything!" It was his powerful uncle who answered the door. "She's my woman now."
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.