An accident compels their destinies to get intertwined. Lily had saved James when he was ruthlessly kidnapped seven years ago. However, it seemed as if fate had other plans for them. When James woke up, he had already gotten out of the country. He'd been sent abroad to seek treatment for his legs. Given that he'd been in a coma, it didn't seem like he had any other choice. He badly wanted to find the girl who had saved his life. But he had no idea who she was. He wasn't even able to obtain her name. It took him seven years of strenuous searching to finally find her. Without any further hesitation, he brought her home. He definitely didn't want to risk losing her again. He'd cherish her as long as he lived!
"From now on, your name is Lilias Ling, and you're staying here."
His cold voice echoed throughout the household as he left. Even as he walked away, Lily still felt as if she were being watched.
Although she'd been expecting this for a long time, she couldn't help but be in awe of the events that had just unfolded. It just felt so unreal.
It was as if he had appeared in thin air to save her, like an angel manifesting from the clouds to reach for her,
and now she found herself sitting at the edge of her bed, at a loss of what to do.
Compared to her measly house, this was like heaven. There was a wide, queen-sized bed propped in the center of the room. Warm sunlight poured in from the floor length windows, and there were even a bunch of stuffed animals propped at the corner of the room for her to play with. The room was filled with innocence and child-like wonder. It was everything she had hoped for as a child,
yet she found herself sitting at the edge of the bed, unable to move. It was everything she had hoped for, that she was afraid that if she touched something, it would break.
He had saved her and brought her to this place. He even gave her a name. She used to be called Lily. However, the name was so common, so he changed it up a bit. Now, her name was Lillias Ling. It was unique, and it had a nice ring to it.
Suddenly, a gentle knock interrupted her thoughts.
"Miss Lillias, Mr. James asked that you have dinner downstairs." Lilly recognized the voice as the servant who had brought her to the villa.
"Okay," she responded, taking a deep breath. Well, it was time she faced the music.
As she arrived in the dining hall, she saw that James Ling was already waiting for her.
"Sit next to me," he said. There was a certain charm wrapped around his velvety voice, and she followed.
In front of her was a plate of steak. She pursed her lips nervously. Lily had only ever used chopsticks. Western utilities like knives and forks were unfamiliar to her. As if he could read her mind, he cut the steak in his plate quietly before placing it on hers.
Having lived a life of coldness and distance, she was never treated like this before. Lily felt touched by his actions. Noticing how silent she was, James Ling turned towards her.
"After dinner, I'll ask Lara to show you around the villa," he said, breaking the silence.
"What?" Lily's eyes widened, craning her head.
"Don't you want to?" he asked, feeling a small thrill when her innocent eyes stared into him.
"No." She waved her hands repeatedly. "I'm just really happy to be here."
"It's time that you familiarize yourself with the villa. Do you like your room?"
"Yes." In fact, she absolutely loved it.
"You can tell Lara what else you'll need, and she could get it for you," he stated. "I can take you out when I have the time, but other than that, you should stay at home for a while."
Her chest warmed at the thought of calling this place her home.
His lips twitched. "Let's eat."
Lily finally regained her composure and began to eat quietly.
Once dinner was over, he rushed to the study to get some documents done. Lily was left with Lara to explore the villa.
"How many years have you lived here?" Lily asked as she followed Lara around.
"Around thirty years. My husband and I have been working for the Ling family since we were young." A faint smile carved her lips.
"Then, uh...about Mr. James," Lily hesitated. "Do you know him well?"
"Mr. James is very kind, especially to us helpers. As long as we don't violate any of his rules, he wouldn't make a fuss about it, but he doesn't talk much. He has a good heart though. When my husband got into a car accident, he arranged a job for him in the villa. Without him, our future would've been done for." At the mention of James Ling, Lara couldn't stop talking.
Lily frowned. 'If he is really kind, has he adopted me due to kindness?' Would she be thrown away if she misbehaved?
"Miss Lillias, you're actually the first person that he'd taken home with him. He loves quietness, so he doesn't have much friends over. He must be happy that you're here." Although Lara didn't know who this woman was, she could tell that Lily didn't have an easy life. However, given that it was James Ling who brought her here, there must be something special about her. She was also very kind.
Lily nodded absently, not listening to Lara's words.
"Miss Lillias? Miss Lillias?" Lara called.
"What?" Lily blinked.
"Miss Lillias, there is a pavilion in the garden over there. You can sit there for a while. I can go and get you slices of cakes. I made them myself, so I'm sure you'll love them."
"Sure, thank you." Lily smiled sweetly.
There were plenty of flowers in the garden that she didn't recognize. It was said that admiring the greeneries could make one happy. Now, as she stared at the plants surrounding her, she could tell that the saying was true.
No matter what reason he had to bring her here, she was happy and thankful for it. All she wanted was to live an ordinary life.
Her mother had passed away when she was ten. After that, she just couldn't leave the place she'd lived with her mother, scared that she wouldn't be able to feel her mother's presence if she strayed. Now, she was eighteen. Lily might not know why James brought her home, but for once in her life, she was actually happy here.
It felt as if everything was falling together. At least, that was what she wanted to believe.
Lara placed a cake in front of her and Lily smiled, feeling as if she were the luckiest girl in the world.
She didn't notice that a man was staring at her from the third floor.
It was James. With a glass of wine in his hand, he stood by the window.
He stared at the two figures down below, swirling the wine glass in his hand. His lips twitched into a small smile.
They had been apart for so long. James had actually been searching for her for seven years,
and now that he found her, he wasn't going to let her go. All kinds of information showed that she was not only his savior but also the daughter of a friend he had known before. Unfortunately, that person had died.
Without another thought, he raised the wine glass to his lips and drank it all up.
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
A man like Travis Sinclair wants nothing more than a woman who matches his sexual prowess and is used to getting everything he wants. A cold-hearted billionaire ,he lives by one rule - no love, no commitment. Ayanna Davies isn't looking for a relationship. She's focused on her work and the financial security it brings. As a high end escort, her client is full of filthy rich men who are willing to pay handsomely for her services. But when Travis Sinclair becomes one of her clients, she begins twice about mixing work with pleasure. Not knowing that he is an old acquaintance whom she despises.
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
"Please trust me, I didn't do anything." "I don't believe you. I am rejecting you as my Queen and giving you the punishment of death." Alina was living outside her pack for five years. Her parents didn't try to contact her and always ignored her. Her best friend convinced her to go back to their pack and she agreed. But she had never imagined what was waiting there for her. She never thought she would meet her mate and had to face betrayal from everywhere. She had to pay for the crime which she never committed. Aaron Robertson is the king of Lycans. He is a very dominant and powerful King who not only rules Lycans but also rules other ranks of werewolves. Everyone is afraid of Lycans and he is the king of them. But who knew that he would get a mate who was just a simple Omega with no powers and strengths? He called her weak all the time but little did he know that his weak Omega would give him the biggest betrayal of his life for which he had to give her the sentence of death.
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."
My marriage to Mathias was supposed to make me the happiest woman in the world. Although I knew he didn't love me, I thought he would fall for me once I showered him with all the love I had to give. Five years passed and Mathias still didn't give a damn about me. Instead, he met his true love and cut all ties with me because of her. He showed her off; something he never did for me. His abandonment pushed me into depression. I was broken in every sense of the word. Even on my deathbed, my so-called husband didn't come to say goodbye to me. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself reborn. I was still Mathias's wife and it was two months before he met his true love. In this life, I refused to be hurt by him again. After talking some sense into my head, I asked him for a divorce in other to escape being heartbroken like I was previously. Mathias tore up the divorce papers time and time again while also shutting me down. "Rylie, stop all this nonsense! Playing hard to get doesn't work anymore!" To show him that I was dead serious, I went ahead to file for divorce. Only then did he panic. He abandoned the "woman of his dreams" and came to my side. "Please give me a second chance, Rylie. I promise to do right by you. You'll be the only woman in my heart from now on. Don't leave me, okay?" A war broke out in my mind after this apology. On one hand, I didn't want to be hurt again. And on the other, I didn't want to let go of the man I loved so dearly. What should I do?!