Their story began with alcohol. Maria woke up to find herself lying on a hotel bed. Next to her on the bedside table was a note and some money left to her by the stranger as "payment." Anger took over her system. She swore to reclaim her dignity the moment she met him again. On the other hand, Hogan had no idea what was going on in her mind. He was an eligible bachelor that all women chased after, not to mention he already had the perfect girlfriend. And yet, he couldn't stop thinking about the woman he had had a one night stand with.
Suddenly, Maria Xue's phone rang, breaking the early morning silence.
She turned over in the bed without opening her eyes. Thanks to her hangover, she didn't want to bother about the noisy phone, but it rang incessantly until she couldn't ignore it anymore.
Opening her bleary eyes, she sat up in a trance. She reached for her phone and grabbed it.
Yawning lazily, she slid the screen of her phone with her finger. Immediately, a woman's voice came through. "Maria Xue! Where the hell are you now? Your sister's wedding is about to begin. Aren't you planning to show up?"
"Wedding?" The news sobered her, but she felt like her head was about to explode because of the pain in her temples. "No, Aunt Chelsea. I had something urgent to deal with last night and stayed up late. I just woke up. I'll get dressed and be there right away," she said hurriedly.
Maria Xue hung up the phone and rubbed her throbbing forehead.
She didn't want to be yelled at by that hateful woman anymore. Before she died, her mother had asked her to go back to that family and tried her best to let her father recognize her as his daughter. Otherwise, she would never have endured this awful woman.
Dropping her hand on the quilt, she exhaled deeply.
The August sun was so bright that it flooded the room with light, which aggravated her pitiful condition.
'Wait a minute!' she suddenly thought to herself.
She noticed the French window. Her house was only about forty square meters and the two bedrooms were tiny. How could there be a French window?
She muttered to herself, "Where the heck am I?"
She only got silence in response. It was so quiet that she could even hear the birds flying outside.
She was thinking about how she got drunk at the bar last night when she realized that she was stark naked. She was so stunned that she toppled off the bed and fell on to the floor.
'Oh my God!
Why am I naked? Why am I in an unknown room? What happened last night?
Did I drink too much last night and come to this hotel room with a stranger?'
She had guarded her chastity for twenty-seven years. Did she lose it in one night with some stranger? Just like that? She had made a promise to herself to give her virginity to the man she loved only when they got married.
She ran a hand through her hair in frustration and cursed aloud, "Maria Xue, you are such a fool! You can't drink but you went to a bar. Now what? What should I do?"
No one answered, which meant that there was going to be no divine intervention for her predicament.
Feeling lost and confused, she remained seated on the floor.
'Forget it. Anyway, I have lost my virginity. There's no use in regretting now.' Right now the most important thing for her was to attend her half-sister Mandy Xue's wedding. Mandy's mother, Chelsea, would give her another earful if she didn't make it to the venue on time.
It was said that the groom-to-be was the son of a media tycoon. He was a well-known guy, who was good at spending and making money. He could trade in stocks worth millions in a second. Mandy Xue must have been blessed in her previous life to be marrying into a prestigious family where she could be comfortable and happy all her life.
In comparison to Mandy's bright and glowing future, Maria's life was rather bleak. Not only was she the daughter of a mistress, but she was also abandoned by her father. In the past ten years, she had tried every means possible to win her father's heart. She really wanted to be recognize by her father, but all her attempts were rejected by Chelsea.
Snapping out of her reverie, Maria Xue got up from the floor. Grabbing her clothes from the floor, she dashed to the bathroom. She couldn't waste any more time. In addition to makeup, she also had to buy a set of clothes.
She figured that since she was in a hotel, there would be a designer store from which she could pick up a dress for the wedding.
Dabbing on some makeup, she rushed out of the bathroom in fifteen minutes. As she scanned the room one last time to ensure she had not forgotten anything, her eyes fell on a sheet of paper and three one-hundred-dollar bills on the bedside table.
The note said, "Thank you for your company last night. Here is the service fee."
Service fee?
Naturally, the flippant attitude of the stranger made her angry. The night she spent with him was not transactional! How dare he throw money at her to get rid of her!
There was another thing bothering her too. Was she only worth three hundred dollars? Even if she didn't come from an affluent background, she still had dignity. Three hundred dollars was an embarrassing amount to be paid for a night.
Damn it! If she remembered who the man was, she would definitely find him and throw the money on his face. She would humiliate him the way he humiliated her.
Half an hour later, a Bugatti Veyron zoomed into the gate of the hotel like the wind. The man in the black suit standing at the entrance recognized the car at first sight.
Nobody else but Hogan Yang, the fashion supremo of Beautiful Girl, could drive a sports car worth about twenty million.
The man stepped forward and carefully opened the door for Hogan Yang.
Hogan Yang wasn't himself right now. His eyes lacked luster as he was lost in thought. He got out of the car and tossed the keys toward his assistant. "Go park the car first. I have something to ask you later," he ordered curtly.
The assistant readily got into the car. Even if it was just for a few seconds, he was very excited to get behind the wheel of this posh car. After all, he would be driving a limited edition sports car.
The moment Hogan Yang entered the hotel, all eyes in the hall were on him, especially the women. When he put on his stylish sunglasses, the women nearly fainted.
No wonder he was able to attract women. He was handsome and had a superb physique. Even though nobody could see his muscles or his toned abs under his clothes, he had a strong aura. As a rich, eligible bachelor, he was the ideal life partner for any woman.
However, Hogan Yang didn't have any feelings for the women in this hall tonight. Instead, his mind was on the woman he had spent the whole night with.
He already had a girlfriend as beautiful as a goddess. However, he was more interested in the woman he had slept with last night.
He was certain that last night was her first time with a man.
He shook his head hard and reprimanded himself for thinking of her nonstop. She was just a stranger in a bar but a little more familiar than other women on the street.
After all, they had slept together last night. It was impossible for him to be detached from her.
Having parked the car, Hogan Yang's assistant walked to the central garden of the hotel where a grand wedding was underway. He spotted Hogan Yang chatting with his business partners in the crowd.
Walking up to his boss, he said softly, "Mr. Yang, I'm back."
Hogan Yang was just networking with these people. There was nothing particularly important to discuss with them. He was simply listening to their banter absent-mindedly while he waited for his assistant to rejoin him.
Now that his assistant had arrived, Hogan Yang left the crowd skillfully. After taking his assistant to the side, Hogan Yang asked, "Well, do you think..."
Austin Yu, Hogan Yang's assistant, saw his boss hesitating for the first time. He asked curiously, "Mr. Yang, what do you want to ask me? If you have any questions, you can ask me freely. It's no problem."
When did his boss become so shy and uncertain? He had an outgoing, bold, and confident personality, so why was he fumbling now?
Pushing aside the complex emotions in his head, Hogan Yang blurted out, "I mean, how much would you pay a woman after a one-night stand?"
Austin Yu couldn't believe his ears.
His boss had a one-night stand with some woman last night and he used money to get rid of her.
Of course, it was a good idea to pay the woman in order to safeguard his future. But why did his boss care so much about the money?
Did he want a relationship with that woman?
His boss had the gorgeous Sally. He shouldn't be with any other woman!
"Mr. Yang, if you want to maintain a good relationship with that woman, you will have to be more generous. If you don't want a relationship with her, you don't have to care about the amount of money," advised Austin Yu.
But deep down, he was interested in knowing how much his rich boss would pay for a one-night stand.
There was a flicker of surprise in Hogan Yang's dark eyes. What his assistant was implying was that he had a crush on her and wanted to continue seeing her.
Austin Yu was watching the expression on Hogan Yang's face keenly. Something had melted his boss's hard exterior. He did not look as cold as he normally did. What exactly happened last night? The suspense was killing Austin Yu.
He asked, "How much did you give her, Mr. Yang?"
Hogan Yang, who was lost in his musings, heard the voice and replied mechanically, "Three hundred dollars."
Suddenly, he realized what he had done. Why did he tell Austin Yu?
'Damn it! How could I admit to doing something so shameful?' he thought, feeling annoyed at his lack of discretion.
Three hundred! Even an ordinary person wouldn't give only three hundred for a night with a woman!
Austin Yu was shocked by his boss's answer. He had never thought that Hogan, who came from a rich family, would give a woman such a meager sum.
The women Yu Austin had dealt with in the past for his boss were usually paid at least three million to start with. Although it was only one night, this woman was worth at least thirty thousand!
It was impossible!
Austin Yu shook his head repeatedly, unable to digest what he had heard.
Suddenly, it occurred to him that Hogan Yang was joking. With a playful smile, he teased, "Mr. Yang, don't joke with me. How can you only give a woman just three hundred dollars? Tell me, is it thirty thousand or three hundred thousand?"
Hogan Yang rubbed his temples. As expected, this matter was not being taken seriously. He sighed and confirmed in a serious voice, "Yes, it's three hundred dollars. The checkbook was used up and only three hundred dollars were left in my wallet. You know what? Just forget it! Anyway, I won't meet that woman anymore. That's it."
She would have already left his home by now.
Austin Yu tried hard to hold back his laughter and keep a serious face.
But he was howling with laughter inside. It was really funny to think that Hogan paid a paltry amount to get rid of a woman. Wasn't Hogan worried that the woman would spread the news and cause unnecessary trouble for him?
William did not expect that the one thing he would not have on his wedding day was his own bride. The woman he had loved for ten years was missing on their wedding day. Amelia, the adopted daughter, married him as a substitute to spare the awkwardness between the two families. What he didn’t know was that the one did care about and love him for years was her, not her sister. However, misunderstanding still filled their marriage. Not until he learned the truth did he realize the only he truly loved.
He was her boss, rich and handsome. She was an insignificant employee, struggling for life. He was her sister's fiancee, and she was his sister-in-law. She ruined his engagement party by accident, and he wanted her to pay for the price. She had no choice but to become his maid and stayed by his side day and night to take care of him. However, she even became his lover. Their love started with a mistake, but he didn’t want to correct it. He knew she was destined for him.
Twenty years after Sherry's family hurt Lyman terribly, he comes into her life seeking revenge. His first step is to make her family pay. But his plans are waylaid when his soft-hearted self loses his heart and falls in love with her. Unfortunately, Sherry finds out that the man she's considered a safe haven all this time is actually responsible for every bit of her ruined happiness. Now, her sole goal is to make him suffer and destroy him.
At her wedding ceremony, he suddenly appeared and shouted, "I object!" Under the watchful eyes of the public, he destroyed the wedding and took her away domineeringly! Six years ago, he gave up on her because of his study and finally broke up with her. The first thing he did after coming back was to get her in his arms again. "Olivia, if you want to get married, you can only choose me!" It was said that love would weaken or even disappear with time. But in his heart, love never subsided but grew stronger.
Joy made a slip of the tongue. She found herself stuck in the middle of gossip about her supposed marriage to Ted. Taking advantage of her sticky situation, he made her his bride, and when they tied the knot, he loved every inch of her as his lawful wife. He might be indifferent to her in front of others, but she was his goddess in private. His heart was already hers, alone. A fake marriage bound them to each other, but Ted's love for Joy was real and true.
Allison fell in love with Ethan Iversen, the soon-to-be Alpha of the Moonlight Crown pack. She always wanted him to notice her. Meanwhile, Ethan was an arrogant Alpha who thought a weak Omega could not be his companion. Ethan's cousin, Ryan Iversen, who came back from abroad and was the actual heir of the pack, never tried to get the position nor did he show any interest in it. He was a popular playboy Alpha but when he came back to the pack, one thing captured his eyes and that was Allison.
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?
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.”
When they were kids, Derek saved Norah's life. Years later, after Derek ended up in a vegetative state from a car crash, Norah married him without a second thought and even used her medical knowledge to heal him. For two years, Norah was devoted, seeking his affection and looking to settle her life-saving debt. But when Derek's first love returned, Norah, faced with divorce, didn't hesitate to sign. Despite being labeled as forsaken, few knew of her true talents. She was a race car driver, a famed designer, a genius hacker, and a renowned doctor. Regretting his decision, Derek begged for her forgiveness. Just then, a charming CEO intervened, embracing Norah and declaring, "Back off! She's my wife!" Taken aback, Norah blurted out, "What did you say?"
Loraine was a dutiful wife to Marco since they got married three years ago. However, he treated her like trash. Nothing she did softened his heart. One day, Loraine got fed up with it all. She asked him for a divorce and left him to enjoy with his mistress. The elites looked at her like she was deranged. "Are you out of your mind? Why are you so willing to divorce him?" "It's because I need to return home to get a billion-dollar fortune. Besides, I don't love him anymore," Loraine replied with a smile. They all laughed at her. Some believed that the divorce affected her mentally. It wasn't until the next day that they realized she wasn't fibbing. A woman was suddenly declared the world's youngest female billionaire. It turned out to be Loraine! Marco was shocked to the bone. When he met his ex-wife again, she was a changed person. A group of handsome young men surrounded her. She was smiling at them all. The sight made Marco's heart ache severely. Putting his pride aside, he tried to win her back. "Hello, love. I see that you are a billionaire now. You shouldn't be with suckers who just want your money. How about you come back to me? I'm a billionaire too. Together, we can build a strong empire. What do you say?" Loraine squinted at her ex-husband with her lips curled in disgust.
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.