Natalie used to think she could melt Connor's icy heart, but she was sorely mistaken. When at last she decided to leave, she discovered that she was pregnant. Even so, she chose to quietly leave his world, prompting Connor to mobilize all of his resources and expand his business to a global scale-all in a bid to find her. But there was no trace of Natalie. Connor slowly spiraled into madness, turning the city upside down and leaving chaos in his wake. Natalie finally surfaced years later, with wealth and power of her own, only to find herself entangled with Connor once again.
The night following a lengthy separation was filled with unrestrained passion.
After slipping in and out of awareness multiple times during lovemaking, Natalie Simpson finally registered the familiar sound of water running in the bathroom.
Resting against the pillow, she felt completely drained, yet the moment the man stepped out, she gathered all her remaining energy and pushed herself upright.
Connor Hughes emerged shirtless, droplets still trailing from his damp hair. His skin, unusually smooth for a man, seemed to radiate an almost mesmerizing allure that was impossible to overlook.
He reached for a folder, placed it on the nightstand, and nudged it toward her.
"Contract terminated."
His words struck like an icy gust, leaving her frozen in place.
Her gaze landed on the bold heading-Sponsorship Agreement-printed across the document. A tremor ran through her as she fought to keep her tone composed.
"There are still three months left. Can't you wait a little longer?"
She had always known this day would arrive. After so many years by his side, it was inevitable. Yet, she had clung to the hope-just a little more time, just a little longer-to remain with him.
At least not now, when she had just been told she had only six months left.
The heavy silence between them gave her the clearest, most devastating answer.
"It was just a joke." Natalie lifted her shoulders in a casual shrug, trying to play it off. "Honestly, I've been meaning to end this for a while. My family's been urging me to settle down, and they've already lined up blind dates for next week. I was actually wondering how to bring it up to you."
She forced out a laugh, as if the situation was nothing more than a trivial matter.
Connor, midway through drying his hair, paused, his dark eyes flickering toward her. "You're going on blind dates?"
Natalie nodded, her expression giving the impression that it was the most natural thing in the world. "After all, I can't be with you forever; I need to settle down."
Given her fragile health condition, dreaming of a future with him was out of the question. All she wanted was to leave without making a scene.
Connor's eyes darkened. Irritated, he tossed the towel aside, pulled on his clothes hastily, and left his hair still damp.
"Dean will take care of the rest."
His voice was devoid of warmth, treating her less like a partner and more like an object he had lost interest in.
A sharp ache twisted in her chest. In that instant, every lingering thought she had held onto dissolved. She no longer harbored any illusions.
Connor's gaze landed on the torn blouse on the floor, realizing it was beyond repair. After a brief pause, he spoke again. "Stay here tonight. Dean will bring fresh clothes in the morning."
Natalie forced a smile and said, "Don't forget to remind him to bring birth control pills."
Connor's hand halted briefly as he adjusted his watch. Without looking back, he turned to leave. "Can't you tell him that yourself?"
The forced smile on Natalie's face stiffened before slowly fading.
The next morning, at exactly ten o'clock, Dean Williams, Connor's assistant, appeared at the door as expected.
He handed her a cup of warm water along with a familiar pill.
"Appreciate the cooperation, Ms. Simpson."
For three years, she had been taking these pills while with Connor. Every single time, Dean was the one who delivered them-always with that same polite, detached expression, ensuring she took them.
Natalie stared at the pill in her palm, an unsettling chill creeping through her veins.
"I brought warm water for you. Drink it before it cools," Dean said, his tone seemingly considerate, though she knew better.
He was merely making sure she wouldn't be pregnant with Connor's child.
Natalie smiled faintly, swallowed the pill, and took a slow sip of water before returning the empty glass.
"Thanks, but I prefer mine with ice."
Unbothered, Dean pulled out a stack of documents and began laying them out one by one.
"A villa at Aroma Estates, a penthouse at Bloom Towers, a suite in Spring Residences..."
As he continued listing properties, Natalie's thoughts wandered.
She had first visited Aroma Estates two years ago on her birthday. That night, she had casually mentioned to Connor that she had never seen the ocean before.
Despite having just returned from a trip to Uzrersey, he had driven for hours to take her to the coast, just so she could witness the stars shimmering over the waves.
She still remembered the salty breeze, the rhythmic crashing of the tide, the way her hair tangled with grains of sand-most of all, she remembered Connor's voice, whispering her name over and over.
That night had been the most unforgettable birthday of her life.
Charlee was left at the altar and became a laughingstock. She tried to keep her head high, but ultimately lost it when she received a sex tape of her fiance and her half-sister. Devastated, she ended up spending a wild night with a hot stranger. It was supposed to be one-time thing, but he kept popping up, helping her with projects and revenge, all while flirting with her constantly. Charlee soon realized that it was nice having him around, until her ex suddenly appeared at her door, begging for another chance. Her tycoon lover asked, “Who will you choose? Think carefully before you answer.”
Aria never wanted to marry Kael, the arrogant playboy her father forced her to accept as her fiancé. But Kael had his own twisted motives-he only wanted her because she was the one girl who refused him. When Aria rejected his demand to sleep with him a week before their wedding, Kael tried to take what he wanted by force. His drunken pursuit ended in tragedy when he was struck by a car, leaving Aria caught in the crossfire of blame. Zander, Kael's elder brother and the soon-to-be Alpha King, believed Aria was responsible for his brother's death-and promiscuous to boot. To prevent war between their packs, Zander agreed to marry her, but only for revenge. His plan? Ruin Aria's life for a year, then cast her aside and divorce her. But Zander's scheme begins to unravel when his ex-best friend Asher returns, determined to take Aria for himself. As secrets from the past resurface, Zander discovers betrayal, lies, and truths he never wanted to face. Was Aria truly guilty, or was she just another pawn in a deadly game of power and revenge? Asher laugh and say, "You're a fool; she never wanted to come. I told her you were with Lyra, so she came. And now I've achieved my goal: I ruined your marriage." Zander feel foolish, asking, "But why? I never did anything to you! You were my best friend. I should have killed you when you slept with my ex fiancée, Lyra!" Asher respond, "You knew I loved her, but you stole Lyra from me. She was my true mate, but she refused to marry me because you were soon to be the Alpha King! She never loved you. She loved me but wanted to be the queen of werewolves; that's all." Zander would realize how foolish he was. Yet, he still believed Aria wasn't innocent because she slept with his deceased brother before the wedding.
Sandra Hill, the long-lost real heiress of the Hill family, was shunned by her own kin. Instead of embracing her, they bestowed their affection upon an impostor. They even arranged her to marry a vegetative man in place of her so-called “sister”. Sandra sneered, refusing to put up with this humiliation, cut off ties with the Hill family immediately and ran into the flash marriage with Wesley Cooper, her unconscious billionaire husband. With her incredible medical skills, she defied the odds and revived him. Little did she expect that her husband spoiled her with all his love... A medical genius, a computer prodigy, a national treasure in painting, and a racing legend... Her husband revealed her various identities, leaving the Hill family regretful. Her father came pleading, "It's Dad's fault. Please come back." Her mother wept, "Mom will protect you from now on. Please come back." Even her five brothers knelt before he, begging for forgiveness. Yet, Sandra's smile held a hint of mockery as she vowed, “Never!”
After two years of marriage, Kristian dropped a bombshell. "She's back. Let's get divorced. Name your price." Freya didn't argue. She just smiled and made her demands. "I want your most expensive supercar." "Okay." "The villa on the outskirts." "Sure." "And half of the billions we made together." Kristian froze. "Come again?" He thought she was ordinary—but Freya was the genius behind their fortune. And now that she'd gone, he'd do anything to win her back.
When Zora was sick during the early days of her pregnancy, Ezrah was with his first love, Piper. When Zora got into an accident and called Ezrah, he said he was busy, when in actual fact, he was buying shoes for Piper. Zora lost her baby because of the accident, and throughout her stay at the hospital, Ezrah never showed up. She already knew that he didn't love her, but that was the last straw for the camel's back, and her fragile heart could not take it anymore. When Ezrah arrived home a few days after Zora was discharged from the hospital, he no longer met the woman who always greeted him with a smile and cared for him. Zora stood at the top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression, "Good news, Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us anymore, so let's get a divorce." The man who claimed not to have any feelings for Zora, being cold and distant towards her, and having asked her for a divorce twice, instantly panicked.
"I ran. Ran as fast as my legs could go. Away. Away from him. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hailey Pritchett loved her job as the secretary of Henry Caldwell, the CEO of the Caldwell Industries. She was a woman who liked safety, and stayed far away from danger. However, the company is bought by a ruthless businessman who is known as the Sniper. Theodore Benson is a ruthless billionaire, and is known as the Sniper in the business world. Because he kills his opponents without letting them know. He bows down to no one, and when he wants something, he does everything - whether legal or not - to possess it. When Hailey and Theodore aka the Sniper, come face to face, Hailey knows that Theodore is dangerous. So Hailey does what she does best in the face of danger. She runs. But will Theodore let her get away? Theodore wants Hailey Pritchett, and won't stop until he has her - in every possible way. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~