Vera Stanford is bold, brilliant, and beautiful but her boyfriend only sees her size. Years of emotional abuse culminate in one humiliating night that sends her stumbling into the arms of a dangerous stranger. Michael Robb isn't just any man. He's a mafia king, feared and respected, in town on business when he saves a curvy goddess from the brink of danger and temptation. One steamy night of passion leaves a mark neither of them can forget. But when Vera disappears without a name, Michael is left with only a memory and her earrings. Weeks later, fate delivers her back into his world... as his personal assistant. She's pregnant. He's possessive. And neither of them is ready for the storm about to come.
Vera Stanford stared at herself in the mirror, tracing the mascara-streaked path on her cheek with trembling fingers. Her curly hair framed her round face like a wild halo, her brown eyes glassy and puffy from crying. She had dressed in the wine-red lace bodysuit Edward once said he liked back when he still pretended to love her. Now she felt like a fool standing in their dimly lit apartment, humiliated and discarded like an old shirt he no longer wanted to wear.
From the other room, the sound of moaning bounced off the walls, growing louder by the second. Vera's heart clenched. Edward wasn't even trying to hide it. He had brought the woman home with him thin, busty, legs for days. A stripper, he had said. A real woman. The words had landed like a slap, but it was his smug grin, the way he looked her in the eyes as he walked into their bedroom with another woman, that broke her.
"You just don't do it for me anymore, Vera," he had said earlier that evening, his voice laced with disdain. "I'm a man with needs, and you... you're not exactly centerfold material, are you?"
She had swallowed her pride, tears burning behind her lashes. For years, she had been loyal loving him through his selfishness, his absences, his endless criticisms. She had hoped he'd change. She thought her love would be enough. But now, with the sound of bedsprings creaking and that woman's high-pitched giggle echoing through her home, Vera realized she had never been enough for him.
The humiliation was suffocating.
Her chest tightened as she grabbed her coat and purse, not knowing where she was going, only knowing she had to get out. She couldn't breathe in that apartment a second longer. The city lights blurred behind her tears as she stepped into the night. Cold air kissed her skin, but it was nothing compared to the icy numbness inside her.
The cab ride was a blur. She didn't even remember telling the driver where to go, but somehow, she ended up in front of a high-end nightclub on the city's elite strip. "The Crimson Room", the sign read in glowing red script. It pulsed with life and danger somewhere people went to forget. Somewhere she could drown the memory of Edward in loud music and liquor.
Vera walked in, head high despite the ache in her chest. The bass hit her in the stomach, lights flashing overhead like electric dreams. She made her way to the bar and ordered the strongest thing they had. One drink turned into two, then three. The room spun deliciously. For the first time in a long time, she didn't feel the weight of being Vera Stanford's unloved, unappreciated girlfriend. She was just a woman trying to forget.
But the illusion didn't last long.
A man sidled up beside her, his cologne thick and his eyes predatory. He was older, wealthy by the looks of his watch and shoes, but slimy in the way he grinned at her like she was prey. She tried to brush him off, but he didn't take the hint. His hand grazed her thigh.
"I said no," she slurred, trying to stand, but her legs wobbled beneath her.
He grabbed her arm tightly. "Come on, sweetheart. You've been eyeing me all night-don't play hard to get now."
Her breath caught, panic setting in, but before she could scream or fight back, a shadow fell over them.
"Let go of her," a low, commanding voice growled.
The man froze.
Vera blinked up through blurred vision and saw him broad-shouldered, dressed in all black, his presence like a storm wrapped in silk. The man who had touched her backed away immediately, muttering an apology before vanishing into the crowd.
Vera stared.
The stranger's eyes met her dark, unreadable, powerful. His jaw was sharp, his hair slightly tousled, and his tailored coat hugged a body built from dominance. But it was his energy that pulled her in, that made her feel like she could collapse into him and be protected.
"You shouldn't be here alone," he said, his voice like smoke and thunder.
Vera wanted to say something but the alcohol hit her in a final wave and everything went black.
Lorenzo DeLuca is a man feared by many and loved by none. As the ruthless heir to the DeLuca crime empire, he built his power on blood, control, and unwavering discipline. But when his dying grandfather issues an ultimatum-marry or lose everything-Lorenzo has no choice but to secure a bride. Elena Romano, his sharp-witted personal assistant, never imagined herself entangled in the dark world of the mafia. But when Lorenzo offers her a contract marriage-a year-long arrangement with no emotions, no intimacy, and a million-dollar payout-she reluctantly agrees. It's supposed to be a business deal. Nothing more. But from the moment Elena steps into his world, the lines between duty and desire blur. Lorenzo finds himself drawn to her in ways he never expected, and Elena discovers that beneath his cold exterior lies a man haunted by shadows. Their passion is undeniable, their chemistry dangerous. And when Lorenzo's enemies discover his growing attachment to her, Elena becomes the ultimate target. When she's kidnapped, Lorenzo unleashes a wrath no one has ever seen. He will burn the city to the ground to get her back-because the one thing he swore he would never have, the one thing he believed was his greatest weakness, is the only thing he can't live without. The contract was supposed to end after a year. But love was never part of the deal. Now, Lorenzo must choose: Let her go, or fight for the only woman who ever made him feel alive.
Janice, the long-forgotten legitimate heiress, made her way back to her family, pouring her heart into winning their hearts. Yet, she had to relinquish her very identity, her academic credentials, and her creative works to her foster sister. In return for her sacrifices, she found no warmth, only deeper neglect. Resolute, Janice vowed to cut off all emotional bonds. Transformed, she now stood as a master of martial arts, adept in eight languages, an esteemed medical expert, and a celebrated designer. With newfound resolve, she declared, "From this day forward, no one in this family shall cross me."
"Never let anyone treat you like shit!" I learned that the hard way. For three years, I lived with my in-laws. They didn't treat me as their son-in-law but as a slave. I put up with everything because of my wife, Yolanda Lambert. She was the light of my life. Unfortunately, my whole world came crashing down the day I caught my wife cheating on me. I have never been so heartbroken. To have my revenge, I revealed my true identity. I was none other than Liam Hoffman—the heir of a family with trillions of dollars in assets! The Lamberts were utterly shocked after the big reveal. They realized what fools they had been for treating me like trash. My wife even knelt down and begged for my forgiveness. What do you think I did? Did I take her back or made her suffer? Find out!
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
"I want a divorce!" Ryan demanded, despite the fact that he had cheated on her with his ex. ~ Serena is no longer the quiet, romantic lady Ryan Winters married and divorced five years ago. Now the CEO of Rocky's Designs, she is bright, unwavering, and unapologetic about her independence-a far cry from the woman Ryan remembers. When fate brings them back into one another's lives, Ryan is forced to confront the truth about their past, their newfound hot chemistry, and a surprising revelation; Serena has a daughter who may be his. But Ryan's girlfriend, Kate, isn't prepared to lose him again. She will do whatever it takes to keep Ryan in her grasp-even if it means destroying Serena's life and the corporate empire she has built. What happens when Serena's now peaceful life is being disrupted? Will Serena lose once again or will she seize this billionaire's heart?
Kaelyn devoted three years tending to her husband after a terrible accident. But once he was fully recovered, he cast her aside and brought his first love back from abroad. Devastated, Kaelyn decided on a divorce as people mocked her for being discarded. She went on to reinvent herself, becoming a highly sought-after doctor, a champion racer, and an internationally renowned architectural designer. Even then, the traitors sneered in disdain, believing Kaelyn would never find someone. But then the ex-husband’s uncle, a powerful warlord, returned with his army to ask for Kaelyn’s hand in marriage.
Five years ago, Alessia La Rosa's life took a drastic turn when, suffering from memory loss, she wed to Dominic Carter under her grandfather's mysterious arrangement. But their marriage was a facade, bringing her only humiliation and heartache as Dominic showed no love, and she couldn't conceive. Upon discovering Dominic's infidelity, Alessia sought liberation through divorce. Yet, fate had more in store for her. Five years later, spurred by an anonymous email hinting at her lost child's whereabouts, she returns to the city with her twin babies in tow, determined to uncover the truth. As she navigates the tangled web of her past, a surprising twist awaits. Dominic, upon meeting her again, finds himself drawn to the woman she has become, unaware of her true identity as his former wife. Little does he know, the woman he's falling for is not only his ex-wife but also a powerful Doctor and Master Hacker.