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On the night of their engagement party, Emma finds Lena in Ryan's arms. Ryan smirks. "You were never enough, Emma." Lena watches with zero guilt. "You had everything, Emma. It's my turn now." Emma is devastated, but the real blow comes next- Her parents choose Lena over her. "You've always been a disappointment, Emma. Lena is the daughter we should have had." ****** "I used to be a Sinclair. I used to be someone's daughter, someone's fiancée. But then I learned-being their daughter meant nothing. Being his fiancée meant nothing. So I let them bury that girl. And when I rose, I made sure no one would ever break me again."
Emma's POV
I stood before the mirror, smoothing my hands down the delicate fabric of the gown I had finally chosen for my engagement party tomorrow. This day had finally arrived. The day I had waited for, dreamt of, and sacrificed so much for. Even though my marriage to Ryan Carter was arranged, I loved him.
Ryan had always been a bit controlling. He was the one who brought me out to pick dresses today, as usual taking the lead. I should be used to it by now. He never quite let me decide on my own, always having a comment or correction.
"This is not for your body proportions. You would look more stunning in something else."
His voice was sharp as he dismissed yet another gown.
"I don't like how tight it is. You're literally calling out to lustful men when you wear this."
The store attendant cleared her throat. She had been patient, but I could tell she wanted to say something.
"Sir, this looks good and sophisticated. It's just that Ma'am Emma looks outstanding in whatever she wears," she explained, trying to defend my choice.
Ryan, as usual, brushed her off like her opinion didn't matter. Like my opinion didn't matter.
I let out a soft breath, staring at my reflection. Did I really need his approval for everything?
Then I stepped out in the dress I was wearing now-a sleek, elegant piece that hugged my body in all the right places. Finally, a satisfactory compliment.
"Now, this is it," Ryan said with a nod of approval.
He then excused himself to take a call, stepping away as I turned back to the changing room to get dressed again.
That's how it had always been with Ryan.
It wasn't that I didn't have my own fashion sense. In fact, the dress I had initially chosen was perfect-but of course, he hated it. Not because it didn't look good, but because it wasn't his taste.
Lena. My best friend. My sister, though not by blood.
She was the only one who truly understood how much passion I had for fashion. She had seen my sketches, my vision. My family had built an empire in fashion. We had been at the forefront of the industry for years, following the aesthetic traditions passed down for generations.
But I had bigger dreams.
I wanted something new. Fresh. Innovative. Designs that would break the mold.
But my father had shut me down before I could even begin.
"That's not how we do things, Emma. Our legacy must remain untouched."
So, I had kept my ideas to myself. I had watched in silence as my dreams stayed locked away, too afraid to go against tradition.
Until Lena.
She had taken my designs, the ones I poured my soul into, and presented them as her own.
At first, she promised me it was temporary.
"They won't listen to you now, Emma. But if I introduce them slowly, one by one, they'll see the value. When the time is right, we'll tell them."
And I believed her.
I told myself it didn't matter whose name was on the designs-as long as they saw the beauty in them, as long as they were out in the world.
But deep down, something inside me felt uneasy.
I stepped out of the changing room, adjusting my dress as I made my way toward Ryan. He was still on his phone, his voice low but firm.
I wasn't trying to eavesdrop. I really wasn't.
But then I heard her name.
"Lena, you just have to keep quiet. It's still our secret for now."
I froze.
The air around me seemed to shift, the atmosphere suddenly too thick, too heavy.
Lena.
A secret.
With Ryan.
What secret could she possibly be hiding?
Lena had stayed back at home, helping with the engagement party. If not, she would have been here with me, fussing over every little detail, making sure I didn't pick something "too boring" or "not breathtaking enough." She was just as excited about this engagement as I was. Maybe even more.
Lena had always been my best friend-the sister I never had. She knew my dreams, my fears, my deepest insecurities... and most importantly, my love for Ryan.
And Ryan-he was my fiancé. The man I was going to marry. The man I had loved for years.
So why did it feel like they were keeping something from me?
Could it be that the two of them were planning a surprise?
The thought made sense.
Maybe that was why Ryan had sounded so secretive just now. Maybe that was why Lena had been unusually giddy all week, always whispering with our parents when she thought I wasn't looking.
Yes. That had to be it.
I let out a slow breath, trying to shake off the unease creeping in.
Just then, Ryan turned around, his deep blue eyes locking onto mine. His smile was immediate-effortless, warm, reassuring.
"Ready to head home?" he asked.
I wanted to ask him about that phone call.
I wanted to look him in the eye and demand to know what he was hiding.
But did he even look like someone with something to hide?
No.
He seemed perfectly at ease, completely unbothered.
Maybe he just didn't want me to find out yet.
Maybe whatever secret he and Lena were keeping was something good-something meant to make me happy.
So I pushed the doubt away, forcing a smile.
"Yes," I said, slipping my hand into his.
Because whatever they were hiding... it couldn't possibly be something bad.
Right?
Ryan led me to the elevator, his hand resting lightly on my back. The boutique was nearly empty now, save for a few late shoppers and sales attendants tidying up for the night. The soft chime of the elevator doors filled the silence as we stepped inside.
I stole a glance at him. His expression was calm, but his grip on his phone was firm, his thumb hovering over the screen as if waiting for a message.
"You're quiet," I murmured.
"Just tired," he answered smoothly, slipping his phone into his pocket before wrapping an arm around my waist. He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. "Let's get home. Tomorrow's a big day."
I nodded, leaning into him, willing the unease to fade.
Williams Ava is a well known doctor in New York, she maintained a low profile because she has someone she loves, she has saved many lives, after saving Alexander's grandfather, she got into an arranged marriage with Alexander who she is in love with as his grandfather requested, she turned a blind eye to all his escapades. Ava devoted all her being into their 4 years marriage, she made sure Alexander met food in the dining room, sort out his laundry, she had to stop practicing her career to be the submissive wife Alexander would want and hoped to gain his love. With all this, it still seems she wasn't enough for Alexander who had his first love lurking around him 24/7. Ava did all she could to get her husband attention to her but all proved abortive as Linda was also determine to get back into Alexander life as a legally married wife. Ava discovered that Alexander had eye defect and needed eye surgery with immediate effects, she didn't hesitate to give out one eye for him. Linda made sure all Ava does was nothing to Alexander as she claimed the position of the eye donor just as she has always does. Alexander was touched by her and vowed to give her a place in his life after leaving her hanging all this years. Alexander gave divorce papers to the sick Ava without any delay, Ava hoped to save her marriage and reveal that she was pregnant. Alexander looked at her coldly and spat 'abort it'. Forced into the cold walls of the hospital to get rid of the baby, Ava shed tears of blood and decided to cut off ties with Alexander after she makes it out alive.
In the dark , she could only hear the sound of her heartbeat and laboured breath, lost in the shivering nerves wrecking her fragile soul, that was the place she was forced to co- habit. Get out, your services is needed by the boss, A servant spat. Britney uncurled herself from the cold floor of the basement she could now call her only home, followed the hasty servant with precise caution. Standing before her stepbrother, she was frightened and had to stare down to be able to endure his enraged gaze. The maids will get you ready, you are meeting up with someone soon, I don't want you saying nonsense later, Theophilus, her stepbrother commanded. In the abyss of finding peace , freedom and light, Britney strives to fight and emerged relentlessly, but what does fate have in store for her?
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!"
Bailey seems to be never destined to fit in, a little geeky, but under it all, a hidden beauty that so many seem to miss, but still not what her pack Alpha is looking for in a fated mate... so he is determined to reject her and make her life hell. Bailey, knowing her life will likely never be the same focuses on what she can control, her future, and heads off to study; becoming a teacher. Asher is the Beta of Autumn Valley Pack, a neighbouring pack. A broken man having suffered the loss of his mate after a rogue attack, Asher is slowly crumbling. Falling to pieces. A shadow of his former self, and not a man that anyone wants to be around anymore... Until, Autumn Valley Pack require a new teacher, and Bailey finds herself there and pushed together with the Beta. Is there a connection building or is that in their imaginations? And what will happen when Bailey's mate comes back to claim what is his?
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
When Zora was sick during the early days of her pregnancy, Ezrah was with his first love, Piper. When Zora got into an accident and called Ezrah, he said he was busy, when in actual fact, he was buying shoes for Piper. Zora lost her baby because of the accident, and throughout her stay at the hospital, Ezrah never showed up. She already knew that he didn't love her, but that was the last straw for the camel's back, and her fragile heart could not take it anymore. When Ezrah arrived home a few days after Zora was discharged from the hospital, he no longer met the woman who always greeted him with a smile and cared for him. Zora stood at the top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression, "Good news, Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us anymore, so let's get a divorce." The man who claimed not to have any feelings for Zora, being cold and distant towards her, and having asked her for a divorce twice, instantly panicked.
"Sign the divorce papers and get out!" Leanna got married to pay a debt, but she was betrayed by her husband and shunned by her in-laws. Seeing that her efforts were in vain, she agreed to divorce and claimed her half of the properties. With her purse plump from the settlement, Leanna enjoyed her newfound freedom. The constant harassment from her ex's mistress never fazed her. She took back her identities as top hacker, champion racer, medical professor, and renowned jewelry designer. Then someone discovered her secret. Matthew smiled. "Will you have me as your next husband?"
Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true origins—a lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. “It's time to reveal your true identity, darling.”