Lena Carrington and Alaric Winfield have been rivals since childhood, always competing with each other-from school to adulthood. When Lena's family faces a financial crisis and her fiancé of three years heartlessly dumps her, all her old friends turn a blind eye, leaving her to fend for herself. One day, she runs into her ex-boyfriend, who's with his new girlfriend, eager to watch her hit rock bottom. Frustrated and unwilling to give in, she then bumps into Alaric, her lifelong adversary. "Beg me, and maybe I'll help you," he says, arms crossed, watching her with amusement. "I'd rather die than beg you. Keep dreaming." But later, she turns back. "Fine, help me! Name your terms." He gives a slight smile, "Deal." One night, she accidentally kisses him, and soon, she starts to notice that something about Alaric is changing...
In a private club suite, there were about seven or eight men, each with one or two attractive women in revealing clothes clinging to them. The room was thick with the smell of cigars and cigarettes, and countless bottles were scattered across the tables, creating a scene of indulgent decadence.
At the center was Stellan, lounging back on the sofa. He pulled a woman in a short skirt onto his lap, unapologetically running his hands along her legs as she leaned closer to him.
"Stellan, shouldn't you be comforting that fiancée of yours right about now?" one of the men sneered.
The woman on Stellan lap pouted and tapped his chest, "Oh, so you've got a girlfriend and you're still here fooling around? You're so bad..."
Stellan looked utterly unbothered, even pleased. Grinning, he took hold of her chin. "We broke up," he said. The girl looked surprised, then giggled, pressing her lips against his in a kiss that quickly turned passionate. The others barely paid them any mind, long used to this kind of behavior from Stellan. They went back to their drinking and card games.
As Stellan and the girl were getting more intimate, there was a knock at the door. A waiter's voice came through: "Excuse me, Mr. Hawthorne. There's a young woman outside who says she's your fiancée and insists she has urgent business with you."
Stellan frowned, clearly annoyed at being interrupted. "Fiancée? I already told her it's over-can't she take a hint? Pathetic."
Outside the suite, Lena stood, fists clenched, trembling slightly. She pushed past the door and entered the suite, her presence casting a cold silence over the room. Everyone stopped what they were doing, looking at her with a mix of amusement and anticipation. The waiter hesitated, unsure if he should try to intervene.
Taking a deep breath, Lena walked straight up to Stellan.
The woman on his lap glanced at her, then casually slipped off his lap, adjusting her clothes and settling herself next to him. Stellan leaned back lazily, eyeing Lena with faint interest. She looked good, he thought-pretty face, nice body. What a waste...
Forcing down her discomfort, Lena lowered her voice. "Can we talk, Stellan?"
He raised an eyebrow, feigning indifference.
They'd met three years ago, introduced by their families. Though she wasn't interested in dating, her family had praised him, saying he was a great match, and Stellan had pursued her fervently. Eventually, she agreed to give it a try. But almost overnight, things between them turned cold, as if they'd become less than strangers.
Steeling herself, Lena tried again, adopting a softer tone. "Stellan, considering the time we were together..."
"We're long over, Lena. Get it straight." His voice was cold, cutting her off.
Lena twisted her fingers, struggling to keep her composure. "I'm not here to cling to you. I just hoped you might help me."
Stellan let out a mocking laugh. "Help you? Everyone knows your family's drowning in debt. Why should I help you? How would you pay me back?"
"Consider all the business my family brought to yours..."
"Don't make me laugh. Your father squeezed every last cent out of us on those construction deals. After all this time, I haven't gained a damn thing from being with you. Now, just because you're broke, I'm supposed to do you a favor? You're a joke."
Lena's face turned pale. She'd had no idea about any of this. Her family dealt in real estate, while Stellan's supplied construction materials, so she'd assumed he'd profited handsomely from their partnership.
Swallowing her pride, she reminded herself why she'd come. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, watching her humiliation with relish, as if her blood was turning cold.
Stellan looked at her with pure contempt. "If I'd known you were adopted, I wouldn't have wasted my time. You lied to me. And now your own family doesn't even want you."
That hit Lena hard. She remembered her parents telling her she was no different from their biological daughter, that she didn't need to explain her adoption to anyone. Then, suddenly, they and her brother had disappeared, leaving her to fend for herself as the family business crumbled. But she still believed they had their reasons, that if she could just hold out a little longer, they'd return for her. Her fists clenched tightly at her sides.
"Come on, Stellan," one of the men said with a sly grin. "She came all this way-why not give her a chance to show her gratitude?"
As if struck by inspiration, Stellan's gaze roamed over Lena, his tongue pressing against his cheek in thought.
His stare was so overt it felt like she was being stripped bare.
"If you entertain me, maybe I'll think about it," he said, sitting back with his legs apart, the invitation clear. He picked up a cigarette, waiting for her to make a move.
Lena bit her lip, then let go. Her long lashes trembled. She picked up the lighter on the table, kneeling on the couch beside him, where the other woman's warmth still lingered.
Someone behind them whistled, adding to the twisted mood. Stellan smirked, clearly enjoying himself. Relaxed, he waited as Lena lit his cigarette. He took a long drag, exhaling the smoke in her face. Look at her, he thought-the girl who once acted so high and mighty, now groveling at his feet...
Lena closed her eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and moved her slender hand toward his face, but then paused, lowering it again.
"What's wrong? Want help but don't want to lower yourself? Trying to play the chaste woman now?" he taunted, enjoying her struggle.
The internal conflict tore at her, with Stellan's disdainful stare fueling her frustration. She pulled her knee off the couch, standing straighter. "I'm done with this game."
"What's that? Not interested in the money?" he said, grabbing her wrist.
Lena yanked it free, red marks left on her skin. "Not anymore."
Stellan gave a careless shrug. "Fine, but don't come crawling back to me later."
Lena turned her face away, murmuring under her breath, "I should've just thrown those three years in the trash."
The others exchanged looks, disappointed that there wouldn't be a more entertaining show. Suddenly, the drinks and the girls by their sides seemed less exciting.
One of Stellan's lackeys leaned in, asking, "Want us to bring her back?"
Stellan sneered, waving him off. "Nah, I've got other plans." He tapped his lips, as if savoring a new, twisted idea.
Just two weeks after their wedding, Raphael left for the other side of the world on business. Two years later, when he returned, Grace barely recognized her own husband.      Everyone knew their marriage was nothing more than a business deal between two powerful families. To Grace, it was simply the last hurdle on her way to freedom. She barely knew her husband. All she really knew was that he was rigid, dull, and emotionally detached-like a financial machine. She figured he must find her just as insufferable-dramatic, and high-maintenance. When Grace placed the divorce papers in front of Raphael, stating that she wanted to end this loveless marriage, he merely looked at her, his gaze warm yet unreadable. He gently took her hand and murmured in a husky voice, half-smiling, 「Hmm? Did I not please you enough last night?」
Sofia Levine married a man she had known for less than 24 hours. The marriage was the result of an agreement between their grandfathers. At first, her half-sister even tried to take her place in the marriage, after all, Rome Beckett was the sole heir of a wealthy family. With his good looks, he was the object of many women's affections in the city. Rumor had it that Rome Beckett was cold and aloof, and many were waiting to see Sofia become the laughingstock of the high society as a discarded wife. After the wedding, they treated each other with respect, and Sofia believed that, in time, there might be a little love between them. That is, until one day, she overheard him casually talking to a friend, saying, "It's nothing more than fulfilling the familys' wishes." It was a business marriage from the start, and she had developed feelings she shouldn't have. She quickly moved out of that home. In the pouring rain, the once-proud man, humbled by love, held her hand with trembling fingers. "Let's go home, please?" The male lead, from indifference to deep devotion.
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
"You're a creepy bastard." His eyes smolder me and his answering grin is nothing short of beautiful. Deadly. "Yet you hunger for me. Tell me, this appetite of yours, does it always tend toward 'creepy bastards'?" **** Widower and ex-boss to the Mafia, Zefiro Della Rocca, has an unhealthy fixation on the woman nextdoor. It began as a coincidence, growing into mere curiosity, and soon, it was an itch he couldn't ignore, like a quick fix of crack for an addict. He didn't know her name, but he knew every inch of her skin, how it flushed when she climaxed, her favourite novel and that every night she contemplated suicide. He didn't want to care, despising his rapt fascination of the woman. She was in love with her abusive husband. She was married, bound by a contract to the Bratva's hitman. She was off-limits. But when Zefiro wanted something, it was with an intensity that bordered on madness. He obsessed, possessed, owned. There'd be bloodshed if he touched her, but the sight of blood always did fascinate him. * When Susanna flees from her husband, she stumbles right into the arms of her devilishly handsome neighbour with a brooding glare. He couldn't stand her, but she needed him, if she was ever going to escape her husband who now wanted her dead. Better the devil you know than the angel you don't. She should have recalled that before hopping into Zefiro's car and letting him whisk her away to Italy. Maybe then, she wouldn't have started an affair with him. He was the only man who touched her right, and the crazy man took no small pains in ensuring he would be the last.
As a simple assistant, messaging the CEO in the dead of night to request shares of adult films was a bold move. Bethany, unsurprisingly, didn't receive any films. However, the CEO responded that, while he had no films to share, he could offer a live demonstration. After a night filled with passion, Bethany was certain she'd lose her job. But instead, her boss proposed, "Marry me. Please consider it." "Mr. Bates, you're kidding me, right?"
"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!
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.
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.