Having suffered betrayal and injustice from the ones he trusted when he was most vulnerable, Michael Belsky shuts his heart from the subject of love, fully embracing a heritage of violence, affluence, and power, making him a force to be reckoned with in the business and underworld. With his rise to eminence, was also the rise of enemies. By virtue of an old agreement, Michael is compelled to take for himself a bride, but he chooses a stranger, Ivana, in defiance of his father, as she felt indebted to him. With time, Michael found himself falling helplessly for the cheerful and upbeat Ivana. But little did they both know that they both had secrets, and their lives were intertwined way before they ever met. Will their secrets and past come in between the love they've built, breaking them apart? Or will they draw strength and be even more bonded in love, facing the challenges that they encounter?
CHAPTER 1: WHO AM I?
A man slowly opened his eyes, gaining consciousness. He was lying face down on the floor. A sharp pain surged through his head, causing him to squint, groaning in pain.
He was hit with a daze of sudden dizziness, which made him unable to get on his feet as he tried to. So, he sat on the floor gently.
He placed his right hand behind his head where he felt a great deal of pain and a thick warm substance there. Bringing his hand forward, he saw that it was blood.
'What the hell! Why am I bleeding?' he reasoned within himself.
He quickly looked around to see if he would find something to tie around his head to stop the bleeding. He saw the bedsheet on a bed and hurriedly tore a piece from it, and tied it around his head.
He had to be gentle and endure the pain while he did the tying. He groaned and sighed in relief when he was done.
Finally feeling a little bit of comfort, he looked around, observing where he was. He realized he was in a luxurious room. The room was tastefully finished, with state-of-the-art items.
He got up slowly, supporting himself with the king-size bedframe. Where his hand was placed, he felt something sticky there, causing him to look to see what it was.
He saw some blood and a slight crack. He softly placed his hand behind his head, wondering if that was where he might have hit his head. But he couldn't recall.
The place seemed extremely quiet, and it made him wonder where in the world he was.
He saw the door and began walking over to it. Suddenly, he felt the room sway a bit. He reflexively reached out his arms placing them on the wall, steadying himself.
'What was that? An earthquake?' he reasoned within.
'No. It can't be.'
He continued to the door when it got stable and opened it. He saw that there was a staircase leading upwards, so he went up the staircase and arrived at what looked like the living area.
But looking through the glass walls, he saw that he was on the lower deck of a boat, and beyond the glass walls, he could see that the boat was surrounded by water. The boat was brought offshore.
"How the hell did I get here? Where the heck am I?" he asked with a seriously perplexed look.
A surge of pain ran through his head once again, causing him to wince in pain, squinting his eyes as he bent his head.
Lifting his head, he jerked, startled at the sight of a redhead lady.
He noticed she seemed a bit afraid. He could only furrow his brow slightly due to the pain he felt, as he looked at her.
"Hon- Honey. Are you okay?" the lady asked, fidgeting.
He hesitated a bit from responding. He could see a bit of fright in her, but she was also doing her best to conceal it. He also noticed a side of her face was reddish, as though she was hit.
"Do we know each other?" he asked in response.
The lady furrowed her brow, a bit puzzled at his question.
"You mean you don't recognize me?" she inquired. But the man remained silent, observing her. He tried to read her, being a bit cautious.
"We're married. I'm Clarice, your wife," she revealed. "Don't you recognize me?"
"You're my wife?" he asked with wide eyes of surprise, and confusion all at once.
"How don't I remember you?" he asked further.
"You don't?" Clarice asked, furrowing her brow, as she inched towards him slowly.
"No," he answered. "I woke up from the floor with a concussion behind my head, and I didn't know where I-"
"Hey buddy!" a man said walking in on the duo, interrupting them.
Clarice's husband looked at him. One could tell he wondered who the man who walked in on them was.
"Uh- You look, pale man. And why do you have your head tied with that cloth thingy?" the man asked, with a concerned look.
"Do you know me?" Clarice's husband enquired.
"He'll yeah! I'm your best friend, Dan. Don't you remember?"
"No. He doesn't," Clarice replied. "He had a concussion and seems to have lost his memory."
"Jeez! When? How did that happen?" Dan said approaching him. He looked behind and saw his bloodied head.
"Oh my God! You need a doctor," Dan said with a sense of urgency. Clarice quickly grabbed her phone as she put a call across to someone.
"Mmm. Careful there," Clarice's husband groaned, moving his head from Dan's grip.
"Sorry man. But how are you still alive after such impact?"
Clarice's husband didn't give much thought to Dan's question. His head felt heavy so he sat down on the "C" shaped couch.
"The doctor will meet us right when we dock," Clarice said and sat beside her husband. She went ahead to touch his neck, checking his temperature.
"My goodness! You're burning up," she said with concern.
"Who am I?" Clarice's husband asked softly.
"You're Michael. Michael McAlister."
Clarice then looked and reached for a wallet beside her, and pulled out something.
"Here's your ID," she said, handing it to him.
He looked at the ID, and indeed, it was him in the ID. The name Clarice called matched what was in the picture.
"Also have a look at this," she said, handing him her phone.
He looked at the screen and saw that it was a picture of their wedding. They were both smiling generously in each other's arms.
She flipped to the next, and it was also a picture of their wedding, and he saw that Dan was his best man.
Flipping through a couple of more photos of them on vacation and other occasions, Michael was finally convinced that they all did know each other.
"You're my wife," he said, turning towards her.
"And I'm your best friend," Dan playfully added, laughing softly.
"How could I have forgotten everything? Forgotten you?" Michael asked, feeling a bit distressed.
"I don't know honey. But what matters is we're here with you. And we'll be fine," Clarice said hugging him affectionately.
As they broke their hug, Michael looked at her and asked a question.
"Why do you seem scared of me? Was I in any way responsible for the mark on your face?"
Clarice looked away, gulping.
It wouldn't be out of terms to say that the life of the billionaire playboy, Trevor Munroe, was rudely interrupted on a fateful night, by a stranger. But falling in love with that stranger was the least thing he could ever imagine, even in his wildest fantasy. But such was the complication he found himself in. And being given an ultimatum by his father, he is left with no choice but to dance to the tone he had set. With time, secrets gets revealed and truths are laid bare. Will this love stand the test of time as loyalties are tried? Was all this but just a game? And did fate bring them together to tear them apart?
Discharged from the military, Ray Lee finds himself as the bodyguard to the daughter of a wealthy man. He meets a lady whom he discovers he shares a similar past. Will they join forces to avenge their past predicament, or will they choose to move on?
Abandoned as a baby, Trevor Rowe is no stranger to rejection, but he hits rock bottom when he finds out his partner's betrayal. Just trying to get by, he encounters a stranger, and his life turns around for good. Or for bad? Will his new found life and fortune be his undoing, or will he rise above it all and thrive?
A scorned and timid son-in-law of a small family, loving and pampering his wife, was all he wanted to do. Acknowledgement and care from his wife and family, was all he needed and wanted. What did he do when he didn't get what he needed? He endured, all because he was sold off to marriage but had to deal with it. One night, he stumbled on his wife and foster brother and saw what was meant to be kept hidden, but do they really want to keep their acts hidden? He became lost and felt betrayed, he wandered around and finally got to the only place he finds solace. After that night, he changed. He became stinkingly rich and divorced his wife. Wondering how this is a fairy tale? But it was no fairy tale, because with riches came it's tribulations. He had to hone his skills and became extremely cold hearted, controlling the largest mafia group in New York, with a chain of legal businesses. He became a killing machine, trampling his enemies and his ex-wife, wanting to find peace but he couldn't find peace. It was a completely new life for him. What happens when a new ray of light, shines on to his dark world? Will he embrace it? Or will he remain cold-hearted?
For ten years, Daniela showered her ex-husband with unwavering devotion, only to discover she was just his biggest joke. Feeling humiliated yet determined, she finally divorced him. Three months later, Daniela returned in grand style. She was now the hidden CEO of a leading brand, a sought-after designer, and a wealthy mining mogul—her success unveiled at her triumphant comeback. Her ex-husband’s entire family rushed over, desperate to beg for forgiveness and plead for another chance. Yet Daniela, now cherished by the famed Mr. Phillips, regarded them with icy disdain. "I’m out of your league."
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry me?”
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
Janice, the long-forgotten legitimate heiress, made her way back to her family, pouring her heart into winning their hearts. Yet, she had to relinquish her very identity, her academic credentials, and her creative works to her foster sister. In return for her sacrifices, she found no warmth, only deeper neglect. Resolute, Janice vowed to cut off all emotional bonds. Transformed, she now stood as a master of martial arts, adept in eight languages, an esteemed medical expert, and a celebrated designer. With newfound resolve, she declared, "From this day forward, no one in this family shall cross me."
"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?
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.