Brennen finally got the divorce he desired from Ariella. Drenched in blood, she wore a haunting smile as she sliced Brennen's heart with her parting words. Only then did he realize what he had lost. He had devised a scheme to make her his wife. Seeing it as yet another of his whims, she could only play along. People claimed that Brennen loved Ariella deeply because she could take him like no other. But only Ariella knew that Brennen hated her. He could easily cast her out into the wilderness and push her to the limit.
"Good day, I'm here to apply as a waitress."
"We're currently not looking for more staff. You might want to try elsewhere."
"32-23-33. Surely, I fit the bill, right? Could you make an exception? I'm ready to start tonight."
The receptionist's dismissal was cut short as she glanced up, taken aback by the woman standing before her.
Ariella Fletcher was undeniably stunning. Her long, dark hair cascaded down like silk, her skin was smooth, and her eyes were an unusual shade that set her apart. Her features were refined beyond those of an average woman, giving her an exotic allure.
Noticing the receptionist's gaze, she offered a smile. Her presence was magnetic. Clad in just a simple white dress, with no hint of makeup, she exuded the elegance of a woman accustomed to the finer things in life, like sipping wine in upscale venues.
The receptionist's attention was drawn to the diamond necklace gracing Ariella's neck, leading to disbelief. "Are you serious about applying for the waitress role?"
With a carefree gesture, Ariella removed the necklace and grinned. "It's just an imitation. A keen eye would see through it if they looked closely. I'm here to earn some money for the real deal."
This cleared up the confusion. Why would someone adorned with diamonds need an escort job? The receptionist looked at her with a mix of skepticism and disdain. "Do you have any references?"
"Lainey sent me," Ariella responded.
"Then you're aware of how things work around here," the receptionist began, her tone carrying a hint of warning. "As a 'waitress,' you don't get to pick who you serve. You'll attend to any client we assign and cater to their demands without complaint. Is that clear?"
Ariella was half-listening, as her mind was elsewhere. She wasn't genuinely here for a job interview. Regardless of what was said, her response was always a nod accompanied by a smile. "I understand."
The phone interrupted their exchange. The receptionist answered, "Hello, this is Phoenix Nightclub."
After a brief conversation, she turned back to Ariella. "A client has arrived."
A flicker of disgust crossed Ariella's face, quickly replaced by a polite smile. "Okay."
After a few more words into the phone, the receptionist hung up and handed Ariella a card key. "You're in luck. A client is available at 8 pm. Impress him, and there might be a generous tip. Wait in Room 502."
With the card key in hand, Ariella headed towards the stairs. She paused after a few steps, turning to flash a grateful smile at the receptionist. "Thank you. The necklace is yours to keep."
It was then the receptionist noticed the necklace left casually on the desk. She picked it up with a sneer, believing it was a fake. Though it was not important to her, it bore a striking resemblance to a genuine diamond necklace.
Ariella located Room 502, swiping the card to enter. A strong scent hit her immediately, causing a momentary frown which she quickly smoothed away. She retrieved a bathrobe from the wardrobe and headed into the bathroom for a shower. Emerging over ten minutes later, she was clad in just the bathrobe.
Barefoot, she moved towards the window, her footsteps leaving a damp imprint on the floor. Peering outside, she caught sight of a car she recognized slowly pulling into the underground garage.
A slight smile curved her lips. She had no doubt he would come.
As she soaked in the nighttime view, intending to draw the curtains closed, the sound of the card key sliding in and the door opening caught her attention. Before she could turn around, someone wrapped their arms around her from behind in a swift embrace.
The distinct scent of tobacco filled her nostrils. Before Ariella could react, her bathrobe was abruptly opened, and a chilly hand explored her waist.
Ariella shivered, the man's deep voice echoing in her ear. "What were you thinking coming to a place like this? Ariella, are you trying to provoke me? Have you forgotten who you belong to?"
Realizing she was wearing nothing underneath, the man's demeanor grew even colder, his caresses more forceful.
Struggling to maintain her balance, Ariella leaned back into him, feeling the warmth of his chest.
She caught her breath and chuckled, "Whose fault is it? You're the one who's been avoiding me. Ignoring my texts, my calls. I even went to your office, only to be told by your secretary you were on a business trip. It's been nearly a month. I missed you, so I had to draw you out somehow."
She paused, a genuine smile spreading across her face. "See, my plan worked, didn't it?"
For two years, Ashton had poured his heart into his marriage, yet Emalee's heart remained cold. Despite his dedication, Emalee presented him with divorce papers. She bluntly stated she could not remain married to a man whose net worth was less than a million dollars. Ashton signed the papers, closing one chapter of his life and stepping into a new beginning. Then, Ashton revealed his secret identities: a music mogul, a medical expert, and a martial arts master—each persona impressive enough to stun the world. As Ashton’s true capabilities came to light, Emalee was overwhelmed with deep regret.
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
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.
Due to the plight of her family, Phoebe had no choice but to embark on the path of selling herself. In an accident, she had a tangled night with Alexander. Everything began to derail, and even if she fled to the ends of the earth, she would still be found by him and entangled... *** Phoebe screamed in frustration, "What do you want from me?" What was this supposed to be? He raised an eyebrow wickedly. "What do I want? You'll find out soon enough." With that, he hoisted her up and carried her back into the office. The door slammed shut with a kick, and he cleared the desk with a sweep of his arm before laying her down on it, his body pinning hers in place, completely trapping her in his grasp. Every cell in his body was telling him he wanted her. He wanted to claim her again. This time, there would be no escape for her-he wouldn't let her slip away. Never again. If he had suffered for five years, then this woman wouldn't get off easily either!