I once had a dream of finding my mate and living a peaceful life with him. But the ruthless Alpha broke my dream. I thought the Beta was the best man in the world. But it turned out... Lie and truth, how could I tell the difference?
I once had a dream of finding my mate and living a peaceful life with him. But the ruthless Alpha broke my dream. I thought the Beta was the best man in the world. But it turned out... Lie and truth, how could I tell the difference?
It was raining heavily when I got off work, but I had no time to wait for the rain to stop. I had to go back in time, or there would be severe punishment waiting for me. Last time I was less than five minutes late, and I was beaten so badly that I nearly couldn't lie down on the bed for a week. I didn't want to experience it again.
When I got home, my clothes were soaked. But I didn't go upstairs to change my clothes. Instead, I walked into the living room directly. Gerardo, Kaylie, and Frida were sitting in the living room.
Gerardo was my uncle, my father's younger brother. After my father died, he became the Alpha of Oneal. Kaylie was his wife, and Frida was their younger daughter.
Seeing me come in, Kaylie immediately questioned me with dissatisfaction, "Where have you been? Don't you know the time?"
I lowered my head. "Sorry. It's raining..."
"Stop finding excuses," Frida interrupted me. "And don't show that face again, like you are wronged. I'm really tired of it."
I stopped saying anything. Frida never liked me. No matter what I said or did, she just didn't like me. And so did Kaylie. If it had been a few years ago, I would have explained that I really didn't intend to. But that would irritate them, and eventually, Gerardo would get mad and beat me. And there was still punishment waiting for me after I got beaten.
So, for years, I had learned not to retort or explain. Silence was the best way to get me out of such circumstances. They would have let me go after the reprimand if I had been lucky.
It seemed that I was lucky this time. They didn't want to keep me there long.
"Go wash the dishes. Since you are late home, you don't deserve to have dinner." Kaylie didn't continue but sent me to the kitchen.
I thanked her and immediately ran into the kitchen. Staying in the living room made me unable to breathe. I didn't have time to think of why Kaylie had been so kind and let me go easily because there were a lot of dishes waiting for me to wash.
They didn't intend to wait for me for dinner at all. They knew when I got off work. Even if I did my best to rush home after work, I could never catch up with the dinner. But every time, they said it was because I hung around after work that I didn't have dinner. I could only eat some bread after I finished all the cleaning.
My clothes were still wet, and I shivered. I was hungry, tired, and cold. I was exhausted, but I knew I could not be able to take a warm bath until I finished all the work.
I began to sing. Every time I felt bad or exhausted, I sang. Singing made me feel good. It pumped me up so that I could hang in there. My mother used to say my voice was kissed by Moon Goddess. She taught me a lot of songs. Her voice was beautiful too, and we always sang together. But after she died, Gerardo and Kaylie didn't like my singing. I got beaten every time they heard me sing. So I rarely sang. But I was too tired to hold on. I couldn't help but sing a song my mother had taught me before. It gave me strength.
"I knew it. You pretend to be innocent, but this is how you hook up others."
I was frightened and turned around. Rangel stood next to the door, staring at me with his wretched smile. He sized me up and down.
I suddenly realized that my t-shirt was semi-transparent because of the rain and stuck on my body. I felt uncomfortable under his gaze.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you." I wished Rangel could leave as soon as possible.
But he didn't intend to leave. Instead, he walked toward me.
"I didn't realize you were a big girl now." Rangel was getting closer and closer.
I was scared and didn't know what to do. He was the last one I wanted to meet in the house. He always looked at me with a strange expression, like he was looking at his prey. I got out to work early in the morning and came back late, trying to dodge him. Just now, I didn't see him in the living room. I thought he was out and was relieved. But I didn't expect him to come to the kitchen.
"Would you please excuse me? I still have a lot of work to do." I wanted to step backward, but the sink prevented me.
"Why are you so scared? You will like it." Rangel suddenly reached out his hands and pulled me toward him. He grabbed my wrist so that I couldn't get away. He lowered his head and approached the curl of my neck. I could feel his breath spray on my skin.
My whole body tightened. I used all my strength to try to push him away but failed. He was very strong.
"What are you doing?" It was Frida. I swore that I had never been so glad to see her.
"Mom told you to stay away from her, Rangel. She's a slut." Frida was furious.
Rangel released me reluctantly and turned to Frida with an I-don't-care expression. "Why are you here?" He was annoyed.
"Dad wants Cora to his study."
"Fuck! Now?"
"Yes. Dad said it was urgent."
"You are lucky today." Rangel gave me a ferocious stare and walked out of the kitchen.
I let out a sigh of relief. I had no idea why Gerardo wanted to see me. It was abnormal for him to ask me to go to his study after dinner. But I was still glad that I could get rid of Rangel.
"Mom is right. You are a slut. But you won't be able to seduce anyone soon." Frida glanced at me with disgust and turned around to leave.
I didn't understand what she meant, but I didn't ask. I knew she would not tell me anyway. I just followed her to Gerardo's study.
For three quiet, patient years, Christina kept house, only to be coldly discarded by the man she once trusted. Instead, he paraded a new lover, making her the punchline of every town joke. Liberated, she honed her long-ignored gifts, astonishing the town with triumph after gleaming triumph. Upon discovering she'd been a treasure all along, her ex-husband's regret drove him to pursue her. "Honey, let's get back together!" With a cold smirk, Christina spat, "Fuck off." A silken-suited mogul slipped an arm around her waist. "She's married to me now. Guards, get him the hell out of here!"
Being second best is practically in my DNA. My sister got the love, the attention, the spotlight. And now, even her damn fiancé. Technically, Rhys Granger was my fiancé now-billionaire, devastatingly hot, and a walking Wall Street wet dream. My parents shoved me into the engagement after Catherine disappeared, and honestly? I didn't mind. I'd crushed on Rhys for years. This was my chance, right? My turn to be the chosen one? Wrong. One night, he slapped me. Over a mug. A stupid, chipped, ugly mug my sister gave him years ago. That's when it hit me-he didn't love me. He didn't even see me. I was just a warm-bodied placeholder for the woman he actually wanted. And apparently, I wasn't even worth as much as a glorified coffee cup. So I slapped him right back, dumped his ass, and prepared for disaster-my parents losing their minds, Rhys throwing a billionaire tantrum, his terrifying family plotting my untimely demise. Obviously, I needed alcohol. A lot of alcohol. Enter him. Tall, dangerous, unfairly hot. The kind of man who makes you want to sin just by existing. I'd met him only once before, and that night, he just happened to be at the same bar as my drunk, self-pitying self. So I did the only logical thing: I dragged him into a hotel room and ripped off his clothes. It was reckless. It was stupid. It was completely ill-advised. But it was also: Best. Sex. Of. My. Life. And, as it turned out, the best decision I'd ever made. Because my one-night stand isn't just some random guy. He's richer than Rhys, more powerful than my entire family, and definitely more dangerous than I should be playing with. And now, he's not letting me go.
Arabella, a state-trained prodigy, won freedom after seven brutal years. Back home, she found her aunt basking in her late parents' mansion while her twin sister scrounged for scraps. Fury ignited her genius. She gutted the aunt's business overnight and enrolled in her sister's school, crushing the bullies. When cynics sneered at her "plain background," a prestigious family claimed her and the national lab hailed her. Reporters swarmed, influencers swooned, and jealous rivals watched their fortunes crumble. Even Asher-the rumored ruthless magnate-softened, murmuring, "Fixed your mess-now be mine."
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."
Noelle was the long-lost daughter everyone had been searched for, yet the family brushed her off and fawned over her stand-in. Tired of scorn, she walked away and married a man whose influence could shake the country. Dance phenom, street-race champ, virtuoso composer, master restorer-each secret triumph hit the headlines, and her family's smug smiles cracked. Father charged back from abroad, mother wept for a hug, and five brothers knelt in the rain begging. Beneath the jeweled night sky, her husband pulled her close, his voice a velvet promise. "They're not worth it. Come on, let's just go home."
When Corynn mustered up the courage to tell Elliot about her pregnancy, she unexpectedly found him gallantly helping another woman from his car. Her heart sank as three years of effort to secure his love crumbled before her eyes, compelling her to leave him behind. Three years later, life had taken Corynn down a new path with someone else, while Elliot was left grappling with regret. Seizing a moment of vulnerability, he pleaded, "Corynn, let's get married." Shaking her head with a faint smile, Corynn gently replied, "Sorry, I'm already engaged."
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