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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?
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”
COALESCENCE OF THE FIVE SERIES BOOK ONE: THE 5-TIME REJECTED GAMMA & THE LYCAN KING BOOK TWO: THE ROGUES WHO WENT ROGUE BOOK THREE: THE INDOMITABLE HUNTRESS & THE HARDENED DUKE *** BOOK ONE: After being rejected by 5 mates, Gamma Lucianne pleaded with the Moon Goddess to spare her from any further mate-bonds. To her dismay, she is being bonded for the sixth time. What’s worse is that her sixth-chance mate is the most powerful creature ruling over all werewolves and Lycans - the Lycan King himself. She is certain, dead certain, that a rejection would come sooner or later, though she hopes for it to be sooner. King Alexandar was ecstatic to meet his bonded mate, and couldn’t thank their Goddess enough for gifting him someone so perfect. However, he soon realizes that this gift is reluctant to accept him, and more than willing to sever their bond. He tries to connect with her but she seems so far away. He is desperate to get intimate with her but she seems reluctant to open up to him. He tries to tell her that he is willing to commit to her for the rest of his life but she doesn’t seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that he’s different; and a chance to love her. But when not-so-subtle crushes, jealous suitors, self-entitled Queen-wannabes, an old flame, a silent protector and a past wedding engagement threaten to jeopardize their relationship, will Lucianne and Xandar still choose to be together? Is their love strong enough to overcome everything and everyone? Or will Lucianne resort to enduring a sixth rejection from the one person she thought she could entrust her heart with?
"I stood at the edge of my heart and watched him choose her. In the end, I was not the one he needed. I was simply the one he settled for." - Noelle ~~~~~~~ I thought I was the one he loved. But a few days before our wedding, I saw him in a way I never had before. His eyes softened as he spoke to her. His first love, and the very woman who had left him in pieces. Heartbreak was something I knew too well. And as I watched the love he still held for her in his eyes, I realized what I had to do. I couldn't marry a man who wasn't truly mine. With no means to cancel the wedding and lacking the courage to confront him, I made a desperate choice to leave. I painfully gave his first love my treasured engagement ring thinking it was for the best and the only way to free myself. But when he saw that ring on her finger, the fragile world I had tried to escape began to shatter. His obsession to find me and bring me back ignited a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
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!"
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. .
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."