6397 Book(s) Related to the overworked office ladys cafe crush

Rhye Gosling demanded she marry him after their accidental nerve-wracking one-night stand. Little did she know, he was the most powerful Alpha in the werewolf community, a world she thought only existed in the book. How hard could it be? Yet, the handsome and demanding Alpha would change her life to the full extent, bringing her laughter and tears, hatred and love, and into the chaotic world of magic and wonder where werewolves and demons existed and would do everything to bring the Alpha to his knees.

Racked by confusion and changes in her body, Diana found herself irresistibly drawn to Andrew. Passion ignited and threatened to consume them both. However, she was unprepared for the reason he had sought her out and the danger that lay ahead. Regardless, sharing a love of conquering their goals, this unlikely pair began to form an unexpected bond that led them to a place neither of them ever expected to be.

My first love was adopted by our family, and he promised he would always be there for me.
But after my dad passed away in a car accident, I found him with another woman in our bedroom.
He told everyone Caroline was his true love—that he only saw me as a sister—and claimed I was the one who was pestering him.
I was shamed by everyone. The stress gave my mother a stroke, and Caroline even had someone run me over, costing me an eye.
Seven years later, holding flowers, I ran into them outside a convenience store.
Arthur's son looked at me pityingly. "Dad, this lady lost an eye… Is she selling flowers? Should we buy some?"

She came to seduce a monster. She didn't expect to fall for one.
Elena Heart is a liar, a spy, assassin and the last ghost of a murdered noble house. To break the curse of monsters plaguing her land, she accepts a deadly mission: infiltrate the court of King Xavier Drakes, the tyrant who rules with iron and shadow, and seduce him into ruin.
But the king is not the beast she imagined.
Xavier has spent a decade chained to a monster inside his own soul, forged by betrayal and a childhood spent in darkness. He sees Elena’s ruse from her first treacherous smile. Yet he doesn't kill her. He plays along. Because a woman brave enough to lie to a tyrant might be brave enough to help him burn the real conspiracy down.
As lies entangle into truth and hatred twists into obsession, Elena discovers the greatest danger isn't the monsters at the border, it's the man who knows her every secret and surrenders anyway.
In a game of power and poison, the last move is always love. Or murder.
They’re not sure which yet.

Nancy could not believe that she fell for his lies. He had said he loved her and wished to spend the rest of his days with her, but at the first sign of trouble, he had rejected her and she could not forget the words he had thrown at her.

"I have a great wife and four wonderful children. If you refuse to abort, then we are through. I love my family so much that I wouldn't want you to ruin it!"

Swapped at birth and stripped of her rightful place, Mia Jones thought her life couldn't get any worse after her scheming sister, Eleanor, stole her family and her fiancé. But a malicious plot leads Mia into the wrong room.

Drugged and thrown into the wrong man’s bed. Mia Jones realized her hands were tied to the bed frame. A towering silhouette radiating a dangerous aura stood at the foot of the bed. Before she could process what was happening, she was claimed by a violent kiss from that man… unaware that the man she left behind was the ruthless heir of the Greco Empire and powerful billionaire. A man powerful enough to ruin cities with a single word. A man who never lets women near him, Dylan Greco.
When Dylan wakes, the mysterious woman is gone.
“Have you uncovered the identity of the woman last night?”
“Boss, we couldn’t find anything. That woman… must have broken in by accident.”
But he remembers her. And he wants answers.

Escaping into the night, Mia Jones tries to bury the traumatic memory, unaware that the CEO is tearing the city apart to find the mysterious woman with the crescent-shaped scar on her back.
Fate brings them together again when Mia unknowingly takes a job as the therapist for Dylan's autistic son, "Little Shrimp"—a child who instantly connects with her and calls her "Mummy". As Dylan unravels the truth about that dark night, he vows to protect Mia and help her reclaim everything that was stolen from her. But with a manipulative sister, a treacherous family, and deadly enemies lurking in the shadows, will their unexpected bond survive? It's a gripping tale of sweet revenge, hidden secrets, and a romance that could bring an empire to its knees.

Anna Brown has the ability to dream and go to the Moonland, the land of werewolves, and dark creatures. But she wished all her dreams were just like those that everybody has. Yet, her dreams were different. Her dreams weren't colors of rainbows and sunshine, her dreams became her reality, after all, she was a descendant of the Moon Goddess. The last of her bloodline. Nobody knew that she was the daughter of the Moon and Fire. However, Anna was beyond miserable, how fate played her, how she was just a pawn to an ancient war of werewolves. Her fierce visions were her grief untold, and she wished she could show it, she does. But she has to let the long-lost Golden Alpha Harry Camilton in so he can trust him yet, she doesn't know whom to trust and they shattered her hope, lies were told. Would she choose the promise of his love or choose the call of the Moon Goddess?

Marigold never asked to be hunted, mistaken for her dead twin, or babysat by the most terrifying Alpha in the kingdom. Gregor says it’s life or death. She says it’s annoying. Between botched impressions of her glamorous sister, endless sass, and the fact that her only spare clothes are long gone, survival feels like one big joke—until the Black Fang pack closes in with blood in their teeth.
He’s massive, ruthless, and maddeningly protective. She’s reckless, sharp-tongued, and absolutely not afraid of him. Together, they’re running for their lives beneath the storm—but what’s more dangerous? The assassins hunting them…or the sparks threatening to burn them both alive?

Book 1 of 'Dawn' trilogy series.

Sometimes, light has a darkness that even dark doesn't have.
Alone and trapped, sun did not brighten things.
Scary and mysterious, it all happened when night blinks.
Acacia Dawn Winters; she was happy, enjoying her life until a storm washed her over to somewhere that left her alone and trapped.
With mysteries showing up every minute, with no way to get out, terrified and trembling; what happens to Acacia now?
Will she ever be able to escape?
Why was she there in the first place?
Follow the journey of Acacia, walking through a blindfolded spectrum of mysteries leading to the birth of a race of revelations.
Dawn - The Midnight Light, book one of the duology, is a Gothic Adventurous book cursed with mysteries, spelled by suspense, witched into twists and bound by illusion of reality.

Lux Hale is the princess of the Royal Pack. She has everything that you would want in a princess and future Luna Queen. There is only one problem with her... she was born blind. Lux doesn’t want to leave her pack and she gets more nervous as her eighteenth birthday approaches, wishing the mate bond didn't exist. Unbeknownst to Lux, her best friend Silas has always had a massive crush on her. Will Lux be cherished by her mate? Will Silas be able to move on if it turns out Lux is not his mate? Join Lux and Silas on their journeys in figuring out their lives!

Emeli Catrine is trapped in a massive debt left behind by her father. To survive, she accepts an offer to become a “contract woman” for a mysterious billionaire, not knowing that the decision will drag her into a far more complicated web of relationships.

He is Alexa Ken—cold, powerful, and full of control. He saves Emeli from debt collectors, but demands complete obedience in return. In front of him, Emeli feels like a possession that can be controlled at any time.

However, her life does not stop there.

By chance, Emeli meets her first love again, he is Aric Anderson—warm and full of care. Unlike Alexa Ken, Aric makes Emeli feel valued. He becomes an escape… as well as a new weakness she cannot avoid.

Then comes a secret admirer from her college days, he is Victor Valdes. He always appears at the wrong time. He knows more about Emeli than he should.

Unbeknownst to her, the three men are connected through a dark past. Yet none of them realize that they desire the same woman.

Emeli is trapped between three different worlds. Every choice means losing the others. Every lie she keeps brings her closer to destruction.

What will happen next?

"Rule number five, don't ever question any of my actions! You are my property, and I choose the way I treat things that belong to me!" He scowled at me.
I bowed immediately. "Get up!" He ordered, and I managed to stand up.
He moved closer to me, his face looming in front of me, he bent down and bit my neck.
"Ahh!" I cried out, the pain was unbearable, it felt as though a hot knife had just passed between my soul.
After he was done, he licked it once again, and I could even smell his saliva, and the smell was…....
I took a step back, my eyes widened, and my face was covered in disbelief.
Who is this man? And how is he able to bite human flesh?* It suddenly dawned on me! This man might not be a human! What if he is a human eater? A demon? A beast? Oh no! It is true, he is the devil's son!

Yes. You can do something for me. How about staying your ass away from my son, He's out of your league!"

Meet Adani. A beautiful woman, desperate to leave a toxic relationship she was 'trapped' in. Beaten, battered and belittled almost every day of her life, she finally managed her escape and met the handsome, rich, powerful and successful billionaire, Ricardo Parriston, who took pity on her and employed her as his live-in house maid.

Just when Adani thought she was welcomed, she meets Ricardo's mother. A woman with a strong dislike for Adani and wanted to see her son with someone of 'status'. All hell broke loose when she learnt her son was developing feelings for his maid.

"Please help me, make me the richest man in the world! " Anthony begged the mafia lord desperately.
"I can do that with just a snap of my fingers, but what will get in return? " the mafia lord asked, a cigar was between his lips and the room was covered in thick smoke.
"I will give you anything you want, in return for power and wealth!" Anthony said with greed.
"In that case, I want your daughters, the both of them. No, I want all of them!" he proposed, with an evil smile on his face.
"I agree my lord, " Anthony said, his eyes glittering for more wealth.
The mafia lord gave him a contract to sign, and he signed it without reading the content.
"This will be super interesting!" the mafia lord said with an evil smirk.

Alpha Alexander, the most powerful billionaire alpha in Europe, realised he wanted a wife, a luna who wasn't solely motivated by money but was willing to bear him a child and then leave once he grew tired of pretending to be a happy family for his grandmother's sake. Despite these conflicting needs, Alpha Alexander was convinced that his ideal Luna existed somewhere in the world, and he was determined to find her, no matter what. But she was a challenge he never expected.

Waking up with boobs, beauty, and deadly lightning powers wasn’t on Abby’s bingo card—but then again, neither was dying of a terminal illness and reincarnating as a bullied noblewoman in a magical kingdom.
Now Lady Abby MacMayer has one goal: live loud, live free, and never be a victim again. With a sword in one hand and sarcasm in the other, she shocks the realm—literally—and catches the eye of the kingdom’s most powerful and brooding mage, Duke Alaric.
He’s duty. She’s chaos.
He trains her to control her power. She ruins his peace of mind.
The sparks? Not just magical.
But when a war brews, a dungeon rift opens, and a prophecy threatens the man she loves, Abby vanishes in battle… only to return years later with no memory and no magic.
Everyone believes she’s lost.
Only the queen knows she remembers everything—and is hiding the truth to protect Alaric from a fate worse than heartbreak.
Lightning may strike twice... but love?
Love will burn through time, lies, and destiny itself.

"Sire, humans, northern border", a guard rushed into the throne room panting out,

"Father, should I take care of this?", his son asked, tired of sitting down in the castle all day,

"No, you stay here and make sure that your sister does not leave her room, she has seen enough of that human boy", he ordered, "How could she even claim to love him when his father tried to kill your mother?".


With almost twenty years gone, Alpha King Dwayne and Luna Queen Daphne had given birth to another child; a daughter, Desiree with the soul and spirit of her shrewd and merciless father.
She eventually finds love but what happens when her love is given to the wrong person of the wrong specie? Would the Luna Princess accept her father's wishes or would she allow an inevitable war to take place? Would the Alpha Prince and Luna Queen support her or go against her chase for her love?

●This is the book two of The Luna Queen.
●Mature Content.
●Womem are openly called bitches.
●Humans were extinct

Sharon distrusted Bryan right from the first moment she saw him but why was it always so hot whenever he was around? And why did she always feel like he could see right through her? But his arrogance was oh, so annoying...


She couldn't believe that the man looking so aloof was the one who took her to great heights of unimaginable pleasure the previous night. He must think her cheap. Why had she thought he felt the same way she did or that the night meant the same thing it did to her? 'Stupid me', she thought in shameful indignation.

“Marry me, and I’ll help you destroy everyone who hurt you,” he said in a deep voice, sending chills down my spine.

Betrayed by her husband and best friend, stripped of the life she worked so hard to protect, and left for dead, Elaine Ferguson wakes up to a world turned against her.

Enter Zayn Von Richter, a ruthless and devastatingly powerful billionaire who offers her a chance at revenge on the condition that she marries him for a year.

But Zayn may not be who he appears to be, and as their connection intensifies, the lines between pretence and reality begin to fade, threatening to unravel everything Elaine has fought to reclaim.

"Why? Why are you choosing me?", I asked him,
"Because every king must have a queen", he replied simply,
"But...", I began still confused as hell,
"Do not question my authority", he growled at me, "You shall be my Luna Queen and that is final", he demanded before stomping away...


Daphne Rosen is an outspoken and crazy twenty two year old. She is in fact a lycan under the Delta family. Alpha King Dwayne Edwards takes a liking towards her and makes her his queen which leaves her wondering... Why her?

●Humans are extinct.
●Children can shift freely once they can walk.
●Women are openly called bitches

Mature content

Three step-brothers all of the same age because of their multimillion dollar father who bedded three women in a year and got all three of them pregnant.

Gabriel O'Connell, the eldest son is the arrogant and serious one of the brothers as he takes everything with perfection.

Alex O'Connell is the brother with the playful attributes and with his megawatt smile can bed any girl he wants.

Kevin O'Connell is the wild one as he gets into fights, goes for crazy parties and owns a boy band with thousands of fans.

These three boys will fall hard for a girl, Tessa Romano who happens to be the daughter of their trusty maid. She falls for all three of them but she knows that she can only select one.

But, who will she choose?

'Do you want me?' Alpha Christopher asked as he straddled me.
My eyes fluttered open, my eyes glazed from his feverish kisses. 'Can't you smell it?' I asked.
'Answer the question, damn it!' he growled, his body tense from his restraint. 'I want to hear you say it and be sure of the twin you are saying it to'. His gaze bored into mine intensely. 'Do you want me?' he repeated.
'Staring into his eyes unflinchingly, I replied huskily, 'I want you, Christopher, so much, it hurts!'
With an agonized growl, he pounced on me....


Millicent was abducted by the Alpha who murdered her parents in cold blood and destroyed her pack. She undergoes the transition from a princess to an Omega in his pack and nursed a great desire to avenge herself and her parents but she never bargained to find love in the pack that held her captive. Was she cursed to be mated not only to the Alpha she hated so much but also to his charming twin brother?
What will she do now?
Will she choose vengeance over love?

I never dreamed I'd marry Art William Jr.—a billionaire CEO, tabloid sensation, and New York's most notorious playboy.
He was sullen, domineering, and barely looked at me—except at night, when he couldn't sleep alone and would sneak into my bed and torture me with stolen kisses like a psychopath.
Our marriage was a sham. I was living in hell of luxury, and he was the prince of that hell. I thought it was going to be boring, until things got complicated—I unexpectedly became pregnant with his child.
I decided to run, to escape it all. But when love and betrayal threatened to destroy everything, could I escape unscathed?

Ella is a 17 year old servant, who has been abused by the alpha and beta of her pack for quite sometimes. After they are killed, a new alpha takes over the pack and Ella tries to run away and start a new life for herself.
However, fate does not allow her to escape into the human world, when she gets caught and taken back to the pack house to be punished by her new alpha for running away.
Alpha Klaus is conflicted about punishing a 17 year old girl who was obviously running away from something, or someone. Yet, he needed to set an example out of her to prove to his new pack that he is not to be crossed with.
Dangerous secrets require alpha Klaus to keep Ella safe and protect her despite her apparent hatred of him. Will she ever be able to trust another alpha again? Will alpha Klaus ever open his heart to someone else after he lost his mate?

"Do you have to force yourself on a woman to exercise your dominance?"

"Who are you?"

But Wren knew who had just spoken. It was the one person she dreaded seeing, but right now, she was jumping with joy at his appearance.

Although Luke was off Wren, she still laid frozen on the ground. She knew he was in town, she knew that despite her efforts to avoid him, she would end up bumping into him. Craigsburg was, after all, a small town.
But she never thought it will be so fast. She never thought he will be standing before her, matter of fact, she never thought she would find herself in this situation.

"Get up, Wren." his calm and collected voice sent shivers down her spine. She was thankful for the dark because then he wouldn't be able to see the shocked look on her face.

******** Wren Austin is a twenty-four-year-old working as a call girl in the most famous spot in Craigsburg. Her life takes a turn at the age of eighteen when she has to take care of her sick mom. However, she didn't expect she would meet that man again. Giovanni, a person who made her feel scared and excited, would he save her?

Dirk wakes up in a magical world with low stats and a bag full of ordinary Earth items. He completes strange quests, gains friends, and uncovers secrets, others begin to realize his hidden power is far beyond anything the realm has ever seen. While Dirk believes he's weak, the truth is—he might be the strongest of them all.

Five years ago, during a passionate sexual encounter, Freya Myers stole sperm from a mysterious and dangerous man, intending to have a genetically superior child. That man was none other than Declan Castle, the ruthless, enigmatic CEO of the globally renowned Castle Group.

Five years later, Freya Myers returns to the city with a pair of exceptionally gifted twins, desperately trying to conceal their existence from the world. But when she interviews for an internship, she unexpectedly encounters Declan Castle—the very same man from years ago—as her interviewer. From then on, Declan Castle becomes a persistent, demonic force haunting her!

Five years ago, a single, desperate mistake changed Freya Myers's life forever. Intending to secure a future with the man of her dreams, she ended up in the wrong room, stealing the 'seed' of the wrong man. That man was Declan Castle—the cold, ruthless, and enigmatic CEO of the world-renowned Castle Group.

Now, Freya has returned to the city as a struggling single mother, hiding a pair of genius twins from the world. When she lands an internship at the Castle Group, she hopes to remain invisible. But fate has other plans. Declan Castle, a man who has remained mysteriously untouched by any woman since that fateful night, instantly senses something familiar about the new designer. He has spent years searching for the woman who 'ruined' him, and now that he has found her, he has no intention of letting her go.

Forced into a high-stakes marriage of convenience with the domineering CEO, Freya must navigate the treacherous waters of high society while desperately guarding her children's true identity. Between a scheming stepmother, jealous socialites, and a series of deadly secrets, the walls are closing in.

What started as a game of cat-and-mouse and a quest for revenge soon ignites into a passion that neither can control. In a world where power is everything and betrayal is a way of life, can Freya protect her heart and her children, or will the relentless Mr. Castle claim everything she’s been trying to hide?

One modern smartphone. Zero social skills. And a world of women who want his "magic."
Arthur lived seventy years as a "good man"a polite way of saying he died a virgin with a literal allergy to women. Touched by his purity, the Goddess Venus offers him a second chance in another realm of Venhus. But thanks to a divine blunder, Arthur wakes up as a 20 year old scrawny, powerless orphan in a world where women rule with magic and steel.
His only lifeline? A Spectral Smartphone that can order anything from Earth...from Glocks and Kevlar to Flamin' Hot Cheetos. The catch: the currency is Venus Points (VP), earned only through physical and romantic intimacy.
For a man who breaks out in hives during a handshake, Arthur is in a comedic hell. To survive greedy queens and demon mages, he must overcome his terror and "farm" points from the very women he’s spent a lifetime avoiding.
Building an empire is easy. Surviving the first kiss is the real boss fight.

EXCERPT:
"You are mine!", he screamed at me with a scowl on his handsome face,
"I wasn't yours when you rejected me that morning", I tried my best to mirror his features but I failed miserably. He placed a small smirk on his face, his scowl leaving as he closed the gap between us and placed his hand on my waist, making a shiver run up my spine,
"You were always mine, Brea", he pulled me closer to him and buried his head in my neck, inhaling my scent and defying my personal space, "And you will always be mine". I felt his teeth scraping my shoulder blade- he was going to mark me and I didn't have the willpower to stop him...
"Mummy!", my son's voice snapped me out of my intoxicated trance and I took a quick step away from the man who had always been a stranger to me. I gathered my boy into my hands and placed him on my hip before looking towards the man again. He had shock written all over his face as he blinked vigorously,
"Is that...", he drew off,
"Ours? Yes", I wanted to lie to him, tell him the child in my arms wasn't his, maybe he would feel the same pain I felt the day he rejected me...


Brea Adler, rejected by her mate and her entire pack is forced to leave after she could not put up with it anymore. She ends up in another pack with an Alpha, Brennon Kane who treats her like a queen and they instantly fall in love.

What happens five years later when her mate and former Alpha, Jax Montero visits her new pack to discuss pack issues? What happens when he finds out she has a child for him?

All of a sudden there was a growl that ripped through the room and the band stopped playing and I heard something smash. Like it was a wooden chair or something.
Everyone looked in that direction and there was a man standing there that I had never noticed before. He would have been in his early 20's, brown hair to his shoulders, a brown goatee, 6-foot 6 at least and very defined muscles that were now tense as his intense gaze was staring directly at me and Mason.
But I didn't know who he was. I was frozen in the spot and this man was just staring at us with pure hatred in his eyes. But then I realized that the hatred was for Mason. Not me.
"Mine." He demanded.

My marriage to Matthew was a transaction, a substitute—everything except love. When his white moonlight came back, I was abandoned, diagnosed with gastric cancer, and carrying his child. His late regret could never bring back my life, nor could it keep our unborn baby.

On our fifth wedding anniversary, I received a bouquet of red roses from my husband He Yu.

The card was filled with sweet nothings I hadn’t heard in a long time, and it invited me to dinner at Cloud Mist Restaurant.

That morning, he had called to tell me he had an emergency meeting at night and couldn’t come home.

So his so-called overtime was just a surprise for me.

I happily brought the flowers to my nose, but the next second I couldn’t stop sneezing five times in a row, my nose turning red and itchy at once. I’m severely allergic to roses, and I’d told He Yu that countless times.

I rubbed my nose and smiled awkwardly at the delivery driver: “Sorry, I’m allergic to roses. My husband must have forgotten in his rush.”

The delivery driver froze for a moment, then hurriedly pulled out a cake and another bouquet of champagne roses from his insulated box: “I’m so sorry, ma’am. This is yours. There were two orders under the same phone number—I didn’t check clearly earlier.”

Two orders, one phone number.

I stood frozen, all the blood in my body turning cold in an instant.

I closed the door, my hands shaking as I dialed Cloud Mist Restaurant, my voice trembling: “Hello, do you have any tables left for Mr. He Yu’s usual spot?”

“Sorry, miss. Mr. He booked our top-floor viewing seat a week in advance. There are no tables left for tonight.”

A chill crawled up my spine. I looked down at the stretch marks still fading on my belly, my hand unconsciously resting on my stomach—where our baby was growing.

I grabbed my coat, slammed the door shut, and took a taxi straight to Cloud Mist Restaurant.

He Yu, if you dare betray me, you can forget about keeping that CEO position!

Every July, my husband left for a business trip to France—so for seven full years of marriage, we never once got to celebrate our wedding anniversary.
This time, I flew all the way to France to surprise him, and mid-flight, I stumbled across a social media post.
My dream girl finally agreed to be with me. How do I make the frumpy, worn-out wife back home file for divorce on her own?
The OP poured out his grievances in the comment section:
When my dream girl suddenly moved abroad, I married her former best friend to keep me company through the hard times, just so I wouldn’t lose touch with her completely.
Now she’s finally said yes to being with me, and I’ve made enough to give her the lavish, privileged life she deserves.
I want my wife to find out about my affair herself so I can get a clean divorce without a fight, but she’s so painfully oblivious. I’ve come home reeking of my dream girl’s perfume on purpose, and every single July I fly here to France for our private time together, watching the lavender bloom in Provence with her. She never noticed a thing.
Perfume. July. France.
Those matching details made my fingers go numb. A deafening buzz exploded in my skull. A bone-deep chill washed over me, and I prayed with everything I had that it was all just a terrible coincidence.
Until I read the final line.
Just got a spending alert from her supplementary credit card—she bought a flight to France. I’m heading to pick up my dream girl now, might as well keep an eye out for her, just in case.
The plane touched down. When I stepped into the arrivals hall, I lifted my head almost instinctively.
There stood Shen Sinian, the man I hadn’t seen in two weeks, in a crisp, tailored suit, a bouquet of roses in his hand, locked in a passionate kiss with a woman with a stunning, willowy figure, her back to me.
He opened his eyes by chance, and through the crowd of travelers, his gaze locked directly with mine.

"Starting price for my wife—one dollar!" James announced, pointing at the dog cage where I lay curled up like a dying animal.

The crowd at the wedding erupted in laughter. "Five dollars!" "Ten!" They threw bids like trash, mocking the woman who used to be Mrs. Windsor. Lillian, wearing my stolen necklace, poked me through the bars with a metal rod. "Look at you, Aurora. You're nothing but filth." I closed my eyes, accepting my fate. My husband had sold me. My dignity was gone.

Suddenly, a cold, authoritative voice cut through the noise.

"Two hundred million."

Silence fell over the hall. Every head turned. Walking through the doors was a man radiating power—Louis Smith, the newly found heir to the Smith empire. The man I had pushed away ten years ago. James turned pale. "Mr. Smith... this is a joke..."

Louis didn't even look at him. He walked straight to the cage, his eyes burning with a terrifying mix of rage and tenderness. He ripped the lock off with his bare hands and pulled me into his arms. James tried to block him. "She's my wife! You can't just take her!"

Louis smirked, his voice dripping with ice. "Your wife? I just bought her. She's mine now."

He once saw her as nothing but a cheap plaything. Four years of closeness was nothing more than “practice before marriage.”
Cast out on a snowy night, publicly humiliated, her career destroyed… She licked her wounds in silence and dialed her family’s satellite phone.
When they met again, she was the largest shareholder of the Corporation. He was forced to bend his pride and call her “Auntie” in a trembling voice.
You took away all my dignity once. Now I make you too low to reach me.

Jonathan’s way of loving was always paying in silence. After we broke up, he cleared my shopping cart, stocked up enough makeup remover to last me three years, trying his best to make up for it. But during those three years when I willingly waited for him to propose, he never said a word. Until one day, he found a small note I’d written in pencil three years ago in that wedding planning book: “It’s okay, I can wait.” He cried all night staring at that line, and the next day, he bought 17 copies of the same book. On the title page of each one, he wrote neatly: “Wait for me.” It turns out, the stupidest person takes three years just to learn to say “I love you.”

For the sake of the so-called family heir, my husband Killian is prepared to kill my child!
That day, Killian locked me in an underground cold storage at ten degrees below zero, all because there is an ironclad rule in the Vittorio family.
The first-born son shall inherit the family’s Mafia empire.
My eldest brother’s wife Ira and I got pregnant at the same time.
To ensure his elder brother’s child is born first, Killian made this insane decision.
"My brother and Ira’s child has to be born first. This is what you owe them!"
He ignored my pleas and forcibly injected me with labor-delaying medicine.
"Allowing this child to be born at all is already the greatest mercy I can grant you."
Killian said to me with undisguised disgust.
I curled up in agony on the icy concrete floor, feeling the little life in my womb fading away bit by bit, shedding tears of utter despair.
"My baby… Mommy is so sorry for you…"

Xie Yijin hated me more than anyone in this world.

He called me vicious as a scorpion, said I schemed about everything, stole all that belonged to Lin Wanwan, and destroyed the one he held dearest.

Xie Yijin shielded Lin Wanwan tightly behind him.
The eyes that once looked at me with such tenderness were now frozen over with unmelting ice.
He pointed straight at me, every word cutting like a blade:

"Shen Zhiyi, why don’t you just die?!"

I froze in place, my fingertips ice-cold.
Unconsciously, I still clutched that crumpled, yellowed candy wrapper.

He had given it to me when he was seven years old,
saying that when I grew up, he would marry me
and buy me candies for the rest of my life.

But now…
he only wanted me dead.

"Jump, Stella. No one wants an ugly monster like you," my mother said coldly, blocking my escape route.

Behind me was the freezing, raging river; in front of me were the people I loved most, now forcing me to die. Jennifer smirked, clutching the trophy that belonged to me. "I'll take good care of Ethan for you," she whispered. I looked at their faces—twisted, cruel, triumphant. I didn't jump to die; I jumped to be reborn. As the icy water filled my lungs, I made a pact with the devil. I will crawl back from hell, and I will drag you all down with me.

During the senior executive meeting, an intern slapped a 15-yuan McDonald's receipt right in my face.
"Vice President Xu has been embezzling company funds for personal meals! A parasite like her, who’s been fleecing the company, must be fired!"
My boyfriend of eight years looked at me with a feigned, agonized expression. "This incident has caused an abysmally bad impact. You will be suspended pending an internal investigation."
I stared at his hand wrapped around the intern's waist, then calmly removed my employee ID badge.
I turned to my assistant and ordered, "Freeze the five million yuan in the company's account. That's just the pocket money I casually deposited there last week."

"Mommy's just a housewife! I don't want Mommy anymore—I want Aunt Jessica!"

Those words from my eight-year-old son, Jimmy, hit harder than any physical blow. I stood frozen in our living room, surrounded by the shards of the vase I’d just smashed. My husband, Robert, didn't even flinch. He just pulled Jessica closer, his hand resting possessively on her waist.

"Stop being dramatic, Scarlett," Robert sneered, his eyes cold. "Jessica is my soulmate. She understands my work. You? You just clean."

Eight years of devotion. Eight years of sacrificing my career to build this home. And now, my husband and son were looking at a stranger with the love that belonged to me.

I tried to reach for Jimmy, but he pushed me away with his small, angry fists. "Bad Mommy! Aunt Jessica buys me candy! You're just an ugly hag!"

My heart twisted until it snapped. I watched them leave for Jessica's award party—an award for a paper I practically wrote but couldn't claim. I was left alone in the silence of the house I paid for, bleeding from the glass cuts on my hands.

Later that night, at the hospital, after I’d been injured by Robert’s own hand, the nurse asked Jimmy who I was. He looked me dead in the eye and said, "I don't know her. Jessica is my mom."

That was the moment the old Scarlett died. I wiped the blood from my face, picked up my phone, and dialed my lawyer.

"Mr. Owens," I whispered, my voice trembling but resolute. "Let's redraft the agreement. I don't want custody. They can have each other."

He broke down the morgue door, his guttural scream echoing off the cold tiles as he yanked open drawer after drawer.

"Emily!"

Ethan's hands shook violently as he pulled it open. She lay inside, a white sheet draped over her face. With trembling fingers, he peeled back the fabric. Her face was paper-white, lips bloodless, her eyelashes casting faint shadows. So still.

This wasn't the Emily he knew. The Emily he knew could smile, could cry, could clumsily try to warm his frozen heart. But now, she was just a corpse. A corpse because of him.

"Cancer... stage four..." he whispered, drowning in a tidal wave of panic.

He remembered all those times she had clutched her stomach in agony, and he had mocked her. He remembered demanding she give her heart to his lover. He remembered her final silent words through the surgical glass: "I hate you."

"AHHH—!!" A raw scream tore from his throat. He slammed his fist into the metal drawer, blood blooming across his knuckles.

He collapsed beside her, pulling her stiff, freezing body into his arms. She was so light. Like holding air.

"Emily, I was wrong. I was so wrong," he choked out, crying for the first time in years. "Wake up. Hit me. Hate me. I'm begging you..."

But death is the most absolute silence of all. How far will a man go when he realizes he murdered his only salvation?

She was spoiled and the only daughter of Italy’s most feared Mafia empire. But I was never supposed to fall for the one man paid to protect me.
Luca Bianchi. My father's most trusted bodyguard. A man with secrets darker than his tailored suits and eyes that have haunted me since I was sixteen. When threats close in and betrayal strikes from inside our mansion, my parents send me away with the one man I swore I hated.
But this isn’t just about stolen glances and red lace. Because someone is hunting me.
And Luca might be the only one who can save me.
He’s the bodyguard. I’m the heiress.
And in this deadly game of bullets and betrayal…
I might just be the one who gets claimed.

My grandfather was a thief.

He did not steal money.

He stole my grandmother's name, her return papers, and the life that should have carried her out of the mountains.

Fifty years later, his granddaughter sat across from me in a law firm interview and smiled like the world already belonged to her.

I opened her file, saw the family name, and closed the folder.

"You didn't pass."

Three years ago, the night before my wedding, I was kidnapped and nearly killed.

When I woke up, Julian was crying over me. "The kidnappers hurt you so badly, Elsie. The doctors—they had to remove your uterus to save you. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

My world shattered.

I cried for a week straight. Cried until I had no voice left, until my eyes couldn't open from the swelling. I'd lost everything—my chance at motherhood, my chance at being whole.

But Julian squeezed my hand. "I love you, Elsie. You're all I need."

He married me anyway. Against his family's wishes, he married this broken woman.

For three years, he was perfect. Gentle. Loving. I thought I was the luckiest woman alive.

Until today.

Today, I learned the truth—

There was no kidnapping. No random attack.

It was all planned. Orchestrated by Julian himself.

For one reason only—to give my uterus to Chloe, my sister who was born unable to have children.

The first birthday after we finally made up.

Shen Linze sent me a menu and told me to cook everything myself.

He invited all his close friends, plus the girl he was chasing, saying it was a birthday party for me.

On the long dining table were the stir-fried dishes I’d spent three hours rushing to make.

Shen Linze picked up a piece of sweet and sour spareribs and carefully held it to the girl’s mouth.

“Yaoyao, have a taste. I asked Su Qingyan to make them specially—they’re all your favorite dishes.”

The girl sitting in the main seat didn’t react at all.

Shen Linze put down his chopsticks and told the servants to wheel out a custom-made multi-layer cake.

“Do you like it? I designed this just for you. It has the place where we first met, your prettiest smile,
your favorite flowers, your favorite color purple, the wedding you’ve always wanted, and the initials of your name: ZY…”

Three months ago, I’d seen that exact cake design in Shen Linze’s office.

After he finished the design, he brought in several top pastry chefs from abroad and spent three months making it.

My birthday was coming soon, and I’d thought the “ZY” on the cake stood for the last characters of both our names.

I never knew it was just my own foolish wishful thinking.

On the day I received my late-stage gastric cancer diagnosis, the business proposal I’d pulled three all-nighters to finish was being fed straight into a paper shredder by my husband, Lu Ting.

Amid the deafening roar of the machine, his voice was cold and unapologetic: “Put Yingying’s name on this plan. She just got permanent employment and needs this achievement to get a firm foothold.”

I said nothing. My fingers crumpled the diagnosis report in my pocket. I turned around, opened the ticket-booking app, and booked a seven-day, six-night ultra-luxury customized honeymoon package for Lu Ting and his mistress Zhou Yingying—an overwater villa in the Maldives, with first-class flights for the entire trip.

When Lu Ting saw the order, he curled the corner of his mouth at me for once, speaking in a patronizing tone: “Finally being sensible. I’ll bring you a bag when I get back.”

I said quietly, “No need.”

You two will never come back.

I had a childhood arranged marriage with the Mu family. My unreliable dad just tossed me a New York address and told me to go inherit the company there.

They only broke the news to me after my plane touched down in New York: I could take over the family business only if I went through with the marriage.

I followed the address, only to be led winding through the streets by the men at the gate and taken to an abandoned construction site.

Along the way, the man guiding me feigned sympathy: “The Mu Group went bankrupt two years ago. They sold their house and company to pay off debts, yet still owe a fortune in loan sharks. Debt collectors hound him every day, and he always brings them here to talk. He works an office job by day and fights in underground boxing matches for cash by night—his life is nothing short of miserable.”

Hardly had he finished speaking when I heard the harsh clanging of steel pipes. A devastatingly handsome man was grappling with a dozen men, a steel pipe gripped in his hand.

His features were sharp, his jaw clenched tight. Blood trickled down his cheek from his temple, mixing with dust, carving out an air of broken ferocity about him.

Hell no—they’re picking on my future husband right in front of me?

The guide tried to say more, but I, a die-hard sucker for good looks, grabbed a steel bar beside me and charged straight in.

The brawlers froze for a split second at my sudden appearance, then plunged back into the fight.

Mu Qingye threw every punch with reckless brutality, and I, a multiple-time taekwondo champion, was no pushover either.

Once we’d chased the debt collectors off, I tossed the steel bar aside and watched Mu Qingye lean against the wall, gasping for breath.

His clothes were frayed and faded, and the bandage on his right leg was soaked through with blood, a glaring, vivid red.

He sat on the ground, lifted his eyelids to glance at me sideways, his eyes as cold as ice.

I stared at his outrageously handsome face, my heart racing wildly: “I’m Meng Shixia. Do you remember me? I—”

“I don’t know you.” He cut me off abruptly, staggered to his feet by leaning on the wall, and shot me another cold glance. “Stay out of my business.”

The day our company successfully went public.

Gu Yun and I slipped away from the staff to celebrate privately in the office.

Just as he unfastened my camisole, a voice sounded from the phone.

“Do you think Sister Su will still be the Sales Director?”

I froze for a second, then smiled and wrapped my arms around his shoulders.

“The company’s announcement was already released—how could there be such a ridiculous guess?”

Gu Yun’s breathing grew heavier as he kissed my lips.

“I forgot to tell you—the announcement’s been retracted.”

“Xu Na said the Sales Director position is quite challenging, and she wants to give it a try.”