Milo Hope is trapped in deep depression and hopelessness since the death of his wife. He lives as a synonym for misfortune and sadness, until one night his pain plunges him into an even deeper pit. In a moment of agony, Milo lets himself be carried away by his emotions and meets Maya Hart, the antithesis of his existence. As their relationship grows, Milo begins to question his view of life and finds a ray of hope in his dark world. His relationship with Maya, which begins as if she were his enemy, little by little becomes a deep desire, until they are unable to continue deceiving themselves and give free rein to their passions.
Epigraph
You don't find love, love finds you.
It has a little bit to do with fate, luck
and what's written in the stars.
Anaïs Nin.
Preface
Ariana has remained motionless lying on the bed for what seems like an eternity, although in reality, only a few minutes have passed. Anxiety eats away at me and I despair; however, I try to remain as calm as I can. Deep in my heart, I know that the unwanted talk must be done, and it can't be postponed any longer.
I get up from the recliner, which remains, on one side, of the bed, and squat down next to her to face her; a small tear rolls down her eye, as she tries not to burst into tears. I brush the bangs off her forehead and then place a tender kiss, just like when we were children.
Her skin is smooth to the touch of my lips, I feel her shudder at the tenderness of a simple act.
"I am here, princess; I am with you. You are not alone. "At my words, she takes my hand, cradling it to her chest, and bursts into tears.
I hug her.
Two days ago, the doctor told us that there were no more tests to be done. That all we had to do was wait for the definitive moment. He advised us to go home, to put everything in order and to enjoy our last days together, so we did.
"I'm scared, Milo," she confesses with sadness in her voice. Then he sniffles as he pulls away and meets my gaze. I don't want to die yet.
"I know baby... "I try to be strong and not cry, to be strong for her" "Don't be afraid, I'm here with you. You're not alone.
"I know I'm not alone, but I don't want to leave you either. "She puts her needle" scarred hand on my cheek and looks at me as if the words are piling up on her tongue. Remember all the plans we had? To go to Ireland, to see the Iguazu Falls..." "She pauses for breath before the crying stops her" "to have children.
The tears fall from her beautiful eyes like water in the rainy season, her perfect eyebrows turn red and so does her nose, and then I hug her. I hold her at this moment so hard, so cruel, so merciless. Whoever said that "there is no medicine that cures what happiness cures", lied. Neither the greatest happiness, nor the most advanced medicine, have been able to narrow that bridge between destiny and life for the woman I love.
Now, the only thing left for me to do is to love her and give her the peace she needs in these desperate times. No matter what I feel, no matter the helplessness, the frustration, the pain, the sadness, the only thing that really has priority in my life, in this life, is her, Ariana.
"Don't think about that, love. Don't torture yourself supposing what could have been, reflect on the now. "I take her hands and kiss them gently, "That we are together, that no matter what happens, if there is one thing you must be sure of, it is not tomorrow, but my love for you. Why I loved you even when I barely knew you, I love you despite seeing your scars and I will love you always, even if you are not by my side. Well, even if everything becomes unbearable, you must be sure that at the end of the road, when you look back, you will see that everything you lived, everything you did, the people you helped, the smiles you had, the tears you shed and everything, all the love you gave me was not in vain. You have marked many lives, you have marked my life, sweetheart, forever.
She holds my gaze with hers, she feeds on my words that little by little are soaking into her and transmitting the peace she needs to calm her fears. She needed me to remind her that I love her, not to tell her that she will not die, for she would be lying, and it is inevitable, but to soothe those waves that rise before her calm, she needed me to remind her that, for love, nothing is in vain.
Arya, needs money for her mother's surgery. Ayden, needs a surrogate mother so as not to lose her company. The only requirement is that she never touches him. “Are you a virgin?” “I mean, if a vibrator counts.” She notices how Ayden swallows hard and struggles to pass the water. “Number of sexual partners?” “Well I've only had a couple of dildos, turns out the latex ones are very sturdy” she replies smiling. Ayden stands up in annoyance and breaks the good mood in the room. “This is not a fucking game, Miss Arya” says the millionaire threateningly. “Get out.” “No, wait, I was just kidding” she clarifies seriously. “I said, what, get out!” he punctuates each word and slams the table. Arya, who sees her only chance, shattered, regrets having joked as she did, she never thought it would have such consequences. She walks devastated to the exit without expecting anything, now she doesn't know what to do or whom to turn to. She sees many cabs coming and tries to hail one, but instead a dark-colored Aston Martin pulls up in front of her. It is Ayden Emory. “Get in,” he asks, but she ignores him. “Is she always so hard-headed? Get in or no deal.” The hope that it wasn't all overtakes hold of her, and she gets into the sexy millionaire's car.
"Ahh!" She was in a moaning mess. She did not want to feel anything for this man. She hated him. His hands began to move all over her body. She gasped when he pulled down the back chain of her dress. The chain stopped at her lower waist, so when he zipped it off, her upper back and waist were exposed. "D-Don't touch m-ummm!" His fingers rolled around her bare back, and she pressed her head against the pillow. His touches were giving her goosebumps all over her body. With a deep angry voice, he whispered in her ear, "I am going to make you forget his touches, kisses, and everything. Every time you touch another man, you will only think of me." - - - Ava Adler was a nerdy omega. People bullied her because they thought she was ugly and unattractive. But Ava secretly loved the bad boy, Ian Dawson. He was the future Alpha of the Mystic Shadow Pack. However, he doesn't give a damn about rules and laws, as he only likes to play around with girls. Ava was unaware of Ian's arrogance until her fate intertwined with his. He neglected her and hurt her deeply. What would happen when Ava turned out to be a beautiful girl who could win over any boy, and Ian looked back and regretted his decisions? What if she had a secret identity that she had yet to discover? What if the tables turned and Ian begged her not to leave him?
"Lucien, let's get a divorce," I said in a peremptory tone that was long overdue, the most decisive farewell to this absurd marriage. We had been married for exactly three years-three years that, for me, were filled with nothing but endless loneliness and torment. For three years, the husband who should have stood by my side through every storm, Lucien Sullivan, had completely disappeared from my life as if he had never existed. He vanished without a trace, leaving me alone to endure this empty, desolate marriage. Today, I finally received his message: "I'm back. Come pick me up at the airport." When I read his words, my heart leapt with joy, and I raced to the airport, thinking that he finally understood my love and was coming back to me. But his cruelty was far worse than I could have ever imagined-he was accompanied by a pregnant woman, and that woman was Carla, my closest and most trusted friend. In that moment, all of my previous excitement, all my hope, and all of our shared laughter and tears turned into the sharpest of daggers, stabbing into my heart and leaving me gasping for air. Now, all I want is to escape from this place that has left me so broken-to lick my wounds in solitude. Even if these wounds will remain with me for the rest of my life, I refuse to have anything to do with him ever again. He should know that it was his own hand that trampled our love underfoot, that his coldness and betrayal created this irreparable situation. But when he heard those words, he desperately clung to this broken, crumbling marriage, unwilling to let it end-almost as though doing so could rewind time and return everything to how it used to be. "Aurora, come back. I regret everything!" Regret? Those simple words stirred no emotion in me-only endless sadness and fury. My heart let out a frantic, desperate scream: It's too late for any of this!
"Is it considered betrayal to develop feelings for your best friend's boyfriend? What about when fate intervenes, and he turns out to be your destined mate? You might think it's luck and thank the moon goddess for such a twist of fate. That's what I believed until the love of my life uttered those dreaded words: 'I want a divorce!' As I stared at the pregnancy test in my hands, I realized it was better to keep my secret to myself. My name is Violet, and this is my story."
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?
Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true origins—a lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. “It's time to reveal your true identity, darling.”
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..." But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"