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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.
'Regina's in the hospital. She needs a blood transfusion. Come to Hagen General. Now.'
'Where are you? You are fifteen minutes late.'
'If you are unhappy about the price, it's been upped to one hundred thousand dollars. Check your bank account.'
'Darya Miller, I expect your presence at the hospital within the next twenty minutes. A deal's a deal.'
Darya scrolled through the messages with a sneer, her knuckles turning white.
Instead of texts from her husband, which these actually were, they sounded more like orders issued to an underling by a hard taskmaster.
Which summed up her relationship with Micah perfectly-her the subordinate, him the superior.
When he gave instructions, Micah Cavanaugh expected to be obeyed without question or delay.
The fact that Darya had already given blood three times in just as many weeks was a trifling detail he couldn't be bothered to remember.
Or care.
'Suck it up. A deal's a deal.'
She could almost hear him as if he were right there in the room, looking down his aquiline nose at her.
Darya shivered, rubbed her arms.
Dizziness, nausea and cold sweat were common symptoms after giving too much blood in too short a time.
She had to wear wide bell sleeves to prevent chafing of the bruises where they'd stuck the giant needle into the crook of her arm, repeatedly.
Micah didn't notice the bruises, of course.
In fact, he'd rarely, if ever, touched her when they were in the same room.
When he wasn't busy running his business empire, he spent his time by the side of another woman-Regina Fischer.
The exact nature of their relationship remained a cause for much speculation, but Darya never confronted Micah about it.
She was just the wife, after all.
A nominal one, at that.
Micah and Darya maintained separate bedrooms, exchanged perfunctory greetings when their paths crossed, and could go days without talking to each other.
When he did reach out, it was mostly for the sake of Regina.
Darya happened to share the same extremely rare blood type as Micah's alleged mistress-AB negative.
In fact, her blood was the only reason Micah agreed to marry her three years ago.
Regina needed a blood transfusion back then, just like she needed one right now.
Less than 1% of the country's population had AB-negative blood, and hospital blood banks were perpetually understocked.
'You want me to marry you?'
In the hospital corridor stinking of antiseptic and someone else's blood, Micah stared fixedly at the girl who dared to use Regina's medical condition to blackmail him.
Heart in mouth, Darya nodded.
'Fine, but only if you agree to become a blood donor for Regina, 24/7. If and when she needs it, you are to make yourself available, no questions asked, no backing out for any reason. Monetary compensation can be arranged.'
Darya had jumped at the offer, thinking it was the deal of a lifetime.
How naïve she had been.
She swiped away the latest message from her husband, no doubt another sternly worded reminder demanding her to hustle her ass down to Hagen General.
She tapped on her phone, brought up a photo.
It was a candid shot, sent anonymously.
Even sleeping, Micah looked incredibly, ridiculously handsome.
His face was carved by the loving hands of angels on a day they were feeling particularly generous.
His mouth, though thin-lipped, was exquisite and made for kissing-not that Darya ever had the occasion to taste it.
His eyes, the colour of flawless brown topaz, were piercing and commanded attention.
His long, thick lashes were the same raven black as his short hair, cut with military precision.
And he had a jawline most men were willing to go under the knife for.
Darya had fallen for him the moment she saw that face.
Her heart still did a nervous flutter every time she set eyes on him.
They didn't share a bed, but from the few times she caught him coming out of a shower, wearing just a towel wrapped loosely around his waist, she knew there was a powerfully built body hidden underneath that crisp shirt and meticulously buttoned-up suit jacket.
Just like the one he was wearing in the candid shot.
But that wasn't what caused Darya to stare at the photo for ten minutes straight.
It was Regina's head snuggled against Micah's broad shoulder.
He was reclining in a deep maroon armchair, his long legs spread out in front of him, hands folded neatly over his lap, eyes closed.
Regina appeared to be sleeping as well, though a corner of her mouth was curved upwards.
The smirk also gave away the identity of the anonymous sender.
Who else could it be but Regina?
It would also explain the smug, gloating tone in the message accompanying the photo.
'Look how well-matched they are! You should bow out. Prince Charming deserves to be with a real princess, not the chambermaid.'
Darya turned on the front-facing camera, checked out her reflection, decided that maybe, just maybe, Regina had a point.
She was by no means ugly, but persistent blood loss had drained her cheeks and lips of all colour.
Constant lack of sleep gave her the hollow-eyed, sallow-skinned look of a malnourished anaemic.
Was that why Micah never spared her a second glance?
Was Regina, of the bedroom eyes and bee-stung lips, his preferred type?
Darya touched Micah's face onscreen, finally made up her mind.
She had given herself three years to try to win his heart.
She knew he saw her as just a stranger who exploited an unfortunate situation.
Essentially, he'd married her under duress.
Which was why she swallowed her pride (of which there was a considerable amount), packed away the memory of a privileged life, learned to play the role of a biddable wife and dutiful daughter-in-law.
She sucked up to his snobbish family, abased herself in front of his friends, did all the things the 'Housewife' magazine suggested.
She'd hoped he would eventually see that although her entry into his life had been abrupt and calculated, her feelings for him were genuine.
Still, he never warmed up to her.
'Callie,' he began, his voice husky, 'crying over your ex-boyfriend won't solve anything.' Confusion etched across her face, Callie furrowed her brows. 'Then what will?' she demanded, her voice tinged with frustration. Elias leaned closer, his warm breath caressing her cheek. 'You need to show him what he's lost. Find a man who's more handsome, more powerful, and richer than him. Then, make a grand entrance into his life with your new partner.' Callie scoffed, her eyes rolling in disbelief. 'Where am I supposed to find someone like that?' Elias's fingers gently lifted her chin, locking their gazes together. 'I can be that man,' he said. 'If you agree to be with me, I'll protect you from any harm, including your ex-boyfriend.' ********************************************** Elias Westwood, billionaire heir turned professional solider, a commanding presence on the battlefield, conceals a tender heart that beats for only one woman--Callie Hawthorne, a fearless surgical resident, possesses an innocent charm and wields her skills like a warrior in the operating theatre. Their first encounter thrusts them into a dangerous game of deception. Elias uses Callie as a pawn, their lips locked in a passionate kiss, fooling his pursuers. In that moment, Callie feels the allure of the enigmatic soldier, and a strange connection sparks between them. An impulsive decision seals their fate-a hasty marriage to escape an arranged union and prove Callie's readiness to move on from a past love. Little did they know, this act would propel them onto an unforeseen path. Amidst the chaos of war, Elias risks his life for his countrymen, while Callie tends to the wounded and shelters refugees. In the midst of battle, a tender love blossoms. Elias's strength and haunting scars captivate Callie, who shares the pain of being an orphan. She admires his unwavering bravery, finding solace in their shared experiences. Yet, their bond faces relentless challenges. Women vie for Elias's attention, while men yearn for Callie's affection. Sinister forces within the army conspire against Elias, and false accusations threaten to tear Callie away from the man she loves. And Elia's search for the truth about his parents' deaths leads him to confront one of the country's most powerful families. Passion collides with suspense, and love battles against those who seek to tear them apart. Will Elias and Callie emerge unscathed from the shadows, or will their sacrifices shatter their dreams forever? Discover their fight for a future filled with hope, trust, and the promise of a happy ending.
The kiss grew more passionate as he felt her warm supple body pressing against his chest. He couldn't believe how soft she was. He was gentler this time, making love to her with a slow, languorous pace, pausing now and then to check the expression on her face. Kira was. transported. She no longer felt the fabric of the sheets underneath her. One moment, she was floating in the air, cuddled by cotton candy clouds. The next, she'd become one with a dinghy, bobbing up and down with the undulating waves. His scent enveloped her. He was on top of her, using his arms to support his weight and avoid crushing her. She snuggled up closer to him, safe and snug, cocooned in his warmth. Kira had always marvelled at Austyn's stamina, but he outdid himself tonight. In the midst of overwhelming rapture, Kira still had the presence of mind to broach the subject she'd been meaning to bring up. 'My dad's medical bills.' Austyn paused. He frowned as he looked into those beseeching eyes. 'It'll be taken care of by the end of business day tomorrow,' he said with a bit of an edge in his voice. Kira breathed out. ****** She is a 21-year-old college student who dreams of becoming a journalist. He is the heir of the McCarthy family and president of a business empire. She is bright-eyed and vivacious, a glass-half-full kind of gal. When life throws her a curveball, she knocks it out of the park. He is the archetypal alpha male, aggressive and domineering. Endowed with both brains and brawn, he steamrolls over his enemies and rules his company with an iron fist. The two would never have crossed paths if not for a cruel twist of fate. Kira's world was turned upside down when her father was hospitalised after a car accident. The medical bills were astronomical. Austyn McCarthy offered her a way out. The price: becoming his contract wife. At night, he consummated their marriage but called out another woman's name. Who was she? Why did Austyn marry Kira if he was in love with someone else? Kira was his lawful wife, but she had no right to ask these questions. Then one day, the woman showed up in front of her.
Rose looked at the reports in her hand and was in shock... The reports said that she was one month pregnant, however, how can she get pregnant when she didn't have any man in her life... "Was it because of that dream? Could I get pregnant because I have sex in my dream?" She thought... She didn't have any mental problems, however, except for this she can't able to think about anything... However, she still didn't get out of her surprise when she met the man in her dream... Kevin Davis looked at the reports in her hand and asked, "Is this child mine?" However, Rose didn't answer but asked... "Was that night not a dream?" Kevin was angry because it was his first time and she thinks it was a dream... Kevin forced her to marry him however, Rose didn't want it... She wanted to abort the child but he didn't let her... In the end... Rose agreed to marry him... She looked at Kevin's blue eyes and said, "I will marry you, however, I had two conditions..." "First, after marriage, you can't control my freedom, I still had the right to do whatever I want. Don't worry I won't harm the child." "Second, if I ever found out that you had cheated behind my back then I will leave with my child and you can't stop me..." Both of them got married... However, after she falls in love with him... She found there are hidden secrets in his past...
Traversing back to the ancient Prime Martial World from modern age, Austin finds himself in a younger body as he wakes up. Yet, the young man he possesses was a miserable dimwit, what a bummer! But it doesn’t matter as his mind is sound and clear. Possessing this younger and stronger body, he will fight his way to become the God of martial arts, and rule the whole Martial World!
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?"
As far as everyone was concerned, William had married Renee under duress. Now that his one true love was back—and with child—they couldn’t wait for him to abandon Renee. Surprisingly, Renee was candid about the situation. "To be honest, I’m the one asking for a divorce every single day. I want it even more than any of you!" But they brushed off her remark as a paltry attempt to save face. Until William made a declaration himself. "Divorce is out of the question. Anyone who spreads false rumors shall face legal consequences!" Renee was at a loss. What was this crazy man up to now?
After three secretive years of marriage, Eliana never met her enigmatic husband until she was served with divorce papers and learned of his extravagant pursuit of another. She snapped back to reality and secured a divorce. Thereafter, Eliana unveiled her various personas: an esteemed doctor, legendary secret agent, master hacker, celebrated designer, adept race car driver, and distinguished scientist. As her diverse talents became known, her ex-husband was consumed by remorse. Desperately, he pleaded, "Eliana, give me another chance! All my properties, even my life, are yours."
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?