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Jayce Smith randomly meets Evelyn Thomas, who is hiding her identity. After her secret is exposed, he forces her to stay with him. They engage in a battle of wits and courage: Evelyn defies the world, and Jayce vows to spoil her. They are close but each has their own secrets. As the internal struggle of a family gradually comes to light, their unwanted pasts are also revealed. From a small town to New York, from New York to Singapore, they move from fighting each other to becoming friends, ultimately winning the final match-a grand gamble!
Evelyn Thomas was sitting behind the counter reading the newspaper when the casino door was pushed open, allowing a bone-chilling wind to quickly fill the room. An unlucky patron, enraged, roared towards the outside, but upon seeing that the new arrival was Norman, the patron mumbled something under his breath and pretended to continue feeling his cards, no longer daring to shout.
Norman owned a service company that mainly handled 'security', turning protection fees into protection services. Everything seemed legal, and no one in the Tumessa area dared to cross him.
Today was New Year's Eve. The locals had finished their reunion dinners and, with nothing else to do, habitually came to indulge their gambling cravings. Norman also came to scratch his gambling itch. Upon entering, he fixed his gaze on the young woman behind the counter engrossed in her newspaper, smiling as he signaled his men to keep quiet. He took a few steps toward the counter, stretching his arm forward. Just as his fingers were about to touch the girl's cheek, the newspaper in front of her rustled, blocking his hand.
Only then did Evelyn look up, unsurprised, and smile, "Liam, you've arrived. Shall I open a table for you?"
Inside the casino, unlike the snowy world outside, the air conditioning units maintained at twenty-nine degrees Celsius the temperature. Smoke swirled around the card tables, casting a faint peach-colored hue on Evelyn's face. Her long black hair partially covered her collarbones, giving off a lazy and casual vibe. She wore a loose V-neck shirt, indifferent to the snowy conditions outside.
Norman felt his addiction growing stronger. He retracted his hand and, to avoid losing face in front of his men, jokingly said, "Open a table? Will you play with me?"
Evelyn chuckled softly, "Sadly, I've been working here for months and still haven't learned to play French-suited cards."
Evelyn had arrived in Tumessa at the end of summer. The casino was short-staffed and had just posted a job opening when she applied. Norman, not sitting in the private room, had Evelyn set up a table for him near the air conditioner. A television on the wall played a New Year's comedy show. This was the best spot, and Norman was pleased. He asked Evelyn, "A young girl like you, working on New Year's, doesn't your family say anything? Oh, right, where are you from?"
Evelyn poured tea into the cups and served them to the four men, smiling, "Working on New Year's means more bonuses; no one says no to money."
Norman liked money and enjoyed hearing such words, forgetting Evelyn's evasive answer. He then persuaded her to join his service company, offering top-notch salary and benefits. As he spoke, his phone rang inconveniently. Norman answered it angrily, but upon hearing the voice, he jumped up, nearly knocking his chair over. Not knowing who was on the other end, he rarely lowered his head so submissively, said a few words, and hurried out. Evelyn continued to smile as she poured tea for another table.
Norman stepped outside, shivering in the cold, his breath forming into clouds. This year, the city was unimaginably cold.
He was a bit annoyed. "What to do? Didn't they say it would be next week? Why are they here today?"
He walked a few steps, then remembered he should wait until the ignorant men left before rushing to the entrance of Tumessa. Standing in the icy wind for five minutes, he finally saw car lights in the distance and quickly approached, smiling obsequiously as he got into the first car, asking, "Boss, is your boss in the car behind?"
Nathan Lee, sitting alone in the car, glanced at him and said, "Lead the way!" Not another word was spoken. Norman cursed inwardly but kept his face pleasant, leading the way with two curtain-covered cars following closely behind.
Tumessa was remote, untouched by economic planning, with its architecture unchanged for decades. Rows of houses along the river were abandoned, with shops and residences mixed. Despite a significant population, property prices remained low, with no interest from buyers. The streets became wider and houses sparser as they went further, with no streetlights and silence all around. Finally, they arrived. The cars stopped outside a wall. Norman jumped out and opened the gate. A courtyard lit by bright lights revealed an ancient three-story building with white walls and black tiles, featuring a large open balcony on the third floor and a dense tree growing above it, its survival a mystery.
Norman welcomed all the curtain-covered cars into the small courtyard, which soon became crowded. He glanced at the cars while saying to Nathan, "I didn't know you were coming today. The house has been cleaned, and the furniture replaced, but the courtyard hasn't been tidied yet."
As he spoke, two men got out of the third car-one wearing glasses with a refined face, the other short and ordinary-looking. Norman wondered which one was the 'boss' until he saw the driver of the second car get out, slightly bowing as he opened the back door.
A shiny black leather shoe stepped out, followed by long trousers. Half a face appeared, clad in a black overcoat of fine material, with sharp lines. The figure stood tall, adjusting his coat. His powerful frame, tightly pressed lips, and prominent nose were immediately noticeable. As he straightened up, he slightly adjusted his coat and his towering figure loomed, with a sharp gaze sweeping past the dumbfounded Norman. He showed no expression, but his presence was imposing. Norman dared not look directly at him, quickly smiling ingratiatingly but nervously fumbling with the lock.
Nathan had inspected the place from top to bottom, carefully checking the main bedroom on the second floor. Finally, he felt satisfied as he found the bed linens and bedding neatly arranged in the wardrobe, free from any dust. Cutting off Norman's continuous chatter, Nathan said, "General Manager Smith likes peace and quiet. Your men are unnecessary, and keep this quiet!"
Norman said, "I know, I know. That's why I didn't let the guys follow me here. If there's anything else you need, just let me know, and I'll bring it tomorrow!"
As they descended the stairs, the man with glasses was fiddling with the TV, and the short man emerged from the kitchen, saying, "There's no food, so I just boiled some water!"
Nathan looked at Norman. "Do you have anything to eat?"
Her parents had passed away. It was a day when she was twelve years old. Her parents died, and she was about to be killed by shapeshifters. Daenerys was terrified. Her eyes welled up with tears, but they also gleamed with hatred as she looked at them. 'Go to hell!' The moonlight bathed their claws, a silver light flashing in Daenerys's pupils. But she wasn't afraid. Faced with death, her gaze didn't waver; it was filled only with hatred. Just before the moment of life and death, a loud noise suddenly rang out. He appeared like a guardian angel. Each step he took made the moonlight retreat. He approached and saved her. He was the Alpha of the Black Wolf pack. He took Daenerys home, raised her, and cared for her in silence. But she was very afraid of him because this uncle Austin always had the look of 'the Grim Reaper.' Originally, they had an uncle and niece-in-law relationship, but in truth, he wanted more. Will this girl realize his feelings and accept them or not?
Is it true that touching love, playing with it, will burn and hurt, and the only person who gets hurt is yourself? Chloe once lost a daughter, but fate brought her back to meet her child again, which led to entanglement with the man she had secretly loved for many years. But he still despised her, just like in the past. One day, the man coldly said, "Chloe, let's get married. Stop wasting your efforts seducing other men. I can give you what you want."
P-please, I beg you. Come let's go tell Christian I had no hand in whatever happened, p-please." I clutched the lapel of his jacket desperately. "Let's go. You need to tell my husband you were paid." "Young lady, you're harassing me." His tone was cold and his stare granite. But I could care less. "You harassed me first! You had sex with me without my consent, my husband knows and now I'm pregnant with this child he doesn't want. You ruined my marriage! I-I hate you!" ************************************ Caught by her husband with another man on their matrimonial bed the morning after her birthday, Hailey Codza could not defend herself. As though it's not enough, she gets pregnant. Her enraged husband decides to pay her back for her infidelity by having an affair with his ex-girlfriend - Denise Kellers, the family Hailey never knew she had. Losing her family's wealth and company to her husband and his ex (now girlfriend), she is devastated, homeless and penniless as all her credit cards are blocked by her husband. She sees the man who is responsible for her pregnancy. The man she has no idea how he'd found his way to her matrimonial bed - Jared Johnson. Jared is annoyed when this strange woman disrupts his meeting and accuses him of ruining her life, marriage and impregnating her. It affects his business deals and having no choice, he marries her to calm the public whilst engaged to someone else. But he loathes her and allows his family treats her badly. Hailey who has fallen in love with Jared is broken when she can no longer take the humiliation. She signs the divorce papers and leaves, only to arrive six years later to the country as a self-made, secret billionaire and a mother of twins. Now her two ex-husbands are begging to have her back...
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
Julia and Evan were the perfect couple-or so she thought. But everything changed when Evan abruptly ended their relationship, leaving her heartbroken and unable to tell him she was carrying his child. Years later, Julia has built a life for herself and her son, Andy, while Evan has risen to unimaginable wealth and success. Their paths cross again at a chance meeting, but Julia soon discovers Evan has moved on with someone else. Julia is done with the pain. She's fought battles alone, raising a son who deserves the truth about his father, even if Evan doesn't deserve her forgiveness. When Julia told Evan years ago she had something to say, he didn't listen. Now, it's time for him to listen. But is it too late to reclaim what he lost? "We should break up," he'd said, the words cutting through her like glass. The pregnancy test in her pocket stayed hidden, just like the child they would never share. Now, it's Evan's turn to hear the truth-and to face his deepest regret.
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
“Drive this woman out!” "Throw this woman into the sea!” When he doesn’t know Debbie Nelson’s true identity, Carlos Hilton cold-shoulders her. “Mr. Hilton, she is your wife,” Carlos’ secretary reminded him. Hearing that, Carlos gives him a cold stare and complained, “why didn’t you tell me earlier?” From then on, Carlos spoils her rotten. Little did everyone expect that they would get a divorce.
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."