Lucian and Isla never asked for the life they were forced into. Bound together by their parents' marriage, they became step-siblings overnight. But from the moment their eyes met, an undeniable pull threatened to shatter the fragile rules keeping them apart. Fate plays a cruel game when love grows in forbidden soil. As the weight of society's judgment and their own guilt battle against their hearts, they try to suppress what shouldn't exist. But when a hidden truth about their families comes to light, the line between love and law blurs. With everything at stake, Lucian and Isla must choose: deny their hearts and live in the shadows, or risk it all and challenge the rules that were never meant for them.
Prologue
Isla had never been the type to care for society's whispers, but as she stood at the grand doorway of her new home, a heavy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. The opulence of the mansion, the elegance of the champagne glasses in the hands of her mother's guests, and the laughter that rang through the halls made her feel like a stranger in her own skin. This wasn't the life she had chosen.
Her mother's recent marriage had brought her here, to this gilded cage. To the family of a man she hardly knew and whose presence was a constant reminder of the things she could never have. The Sinclair name, once a proud emblem of independence, now felt like an anchor tied to her heart, dragging her down into this sea of pretense.
They called it a celebration, a merging of two powerful families-rich, influential, untouchable. But to Isla, it felt like a prison sentence.
Her mother had married into wealth, yes, but it was not just for the riches. There was something more. Something no one ever spoke about, least of all her mother. And Isla had learned the hard way not to ask questions.
From the moment the marriage had been announced, Isla had felt the weight of it. She hadn't even met her new stepbrother yet, but the whispers of the servants, the way the other guests regarded her mother, told her everything she needed to know. This was no ordinary union. This was a marriage of convenience, wrapped in secrets that Isla had no intention of uncovering.
But as the night wore on, and Isla's eyes darted across the room, she couldn't help but feel a pull-something she couldn't explain. Her mother's new husband was distant, cold even, his focus always on the guests, always away from Isla. That was fine. She wasn't interested in him or his world of high society.
But then there was the matter of her stepbrother. She hadn't met him yet, but she had heard rumors. Cold, ruthless, and untouchable. The Sinclair family's wealth and influence were only matched by the Valmorne family's. And that was exactly why Isla hated it. It wasn't supposed to be this way. She wasn't supposed to be here, trapped in a gilded cage with a family that had more secrets than she cared to know.
A flash of movement caught her eye. For a moment, she thought it was him-her stepbrother-but no, it was someone else. A man she didn't recognize, standing at the far end of the ballroom, watching her with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. The gaze felt like fire, burning through her with a coldness she couldn't quite place.
The man disappeared into the crowd, and for a moment, Isla wondered if she had imagined it. But the feeling lingered, gnawing at the back of her mind. There was something about tonight-something that didn't sit right. She couldn't shake the sense that her life, her world, was about to change in ways she couldn't control.
And then the door opened again, and Isla's heart skipped a beat.
Her mother entered the room, accompanied by her new husband, his face unreadable as always. And behind them, standing just a little too far off to catch a glimpse of his expression... Isla knew.
It was him. The stepbrother she hadn't yet met.
Isla's breath caught in her throat. He wasn't who she expected, yet he was everything she had imagined. Dark eyes, sharp features, and a posture that screamed confidence, arrogance, and something else-something deeper. Isla had seen enough of the world to recognize it. Power.
But power was a dangerous thing, and Isla wasn't sure if she was ready to face whatever storm his presence might bring.
After three loveless years, Neil's betrayal deeply wounded Katelyn. She wasted no time in getting rid of that scoundrel! After the divorce, she devoted herself to career pursuits. Rising to prominence as a top designer, skilled doctor, and brilliant hacker, she became a revered icon. Neil, realizing his grave mistake, tried in vain to win her back, only to witness her magnificent wedding to another. As their vows were broadcast on the world's largest billboard, Vincent slid a ring onto Katelyn's finger and declared, "Katelyn is now my wife, a priceless treasure. Let all who covet her beware!"
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!”
Belinda thought after divorce, they would part ways for good - he could live his life on his own terms, while she could indulge in the rest of hers. However, fate had other plans in store. "My darling, I was wrong. Would you please come back to me?" The man, whom she once loved deeply, lowered his once proud head humbly. "I beg you to return to me." Belinda coldly pushed away the bouquet of flowers he had offered her and coolly replied, "It's too late. The bridge has been burned, and the ashes have long since scattered to the wind!"
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.
Eliana was framed by her best friend and her fiance into sleeping with a boy toy in the club and getting impregnated by him. Five years after she had given birth to twins, she returned home and worked under the Moran Group, where she met the CEO-- Maurice. Maurice was a brilliant businessman who did his job well. But in order to stay under the radar, he lived a double life. One as Maurice, and one as Preston. Fate brought the two together again, roping them in on an exciting love story. It all became more complicated when Eliana faced Preston, the man she had slept with before, once again. Now that she was being pursued by two men, how could she ever choose? When would Eliana uncover the secret of Maurice's identity? When was Maurice going to know that he already had two children of his own? How would Eliana face this man when the truth came to light one day? Come and find out.
Lindsey's fiancé was the devil's first son. Not only did he lie to her but he also slept with her stepmother, conspired to take away her family fortune, and then set her up to have sex with a total stranger. To get her lick back, Lindsey decided to find a man to disrupt her engagement party and humiliate the cheating bastard. Never did she imagine that she would bump into a strikingly handsome stranger who was all that she was currently looking for. At the engagement party, he boldly declared that she was his woman. Lindsey thought he was just a broke man who wanted to leech off her. But once they began their fake relationship, she realized that good luck kept coming her way. She thought they would part ways after the engagement party, but this man kept to her side. "We gotta stick together, Lindsey. Remember, I'm now your fiancé. " "Domenic, you're with me because of my money, aren't you?" Lindsey asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Domenic was taken aback by that accusation. How could he, the heir of the Walsh family and CEO of Vitality Group, be with her for money? He controlled more than half of the city's economy. Money wasn't a problem for him! The two got closer and closer. One day, Lindsey finally realized that Domenic was actually the stranger she had slept with months ago. Would this realization change things between them? For the better or worse?