"It is already unholy, why try to make it abominable and nefarious?" When a runaway bride leaves her groom at the altar, her younger sister, Yenisse, is forced to step in and save the day. How will she navigate her unexpected union with Jude Wellington, the charming billionaire, when they are married in name only and their hearts beat for different souls. Will they find a love that's a once-in-a-lifetime chance or will it remain a cold and calculated arrangement where love is a forgotten melody and disdain is the only truth? What will be the fate of a loveless union when a war is waged upon them?
YENISSE
The words that change my life forever tumble from my father's lips, "your sister is gone. You will have to take her place...at the altar." His voice is firm and commanding.
"Dad?" I gasp in disbelief. "Is this some kind of joke?" Because there is no way I am going out there to marry that asshole of a sister's fiance.
"No, sweetheart. It's not a joke. It's the only way to salvage our family's honor."
I feel like I've been punched in the gut. "What? No, Dad, I can't!" I protest, my voice is shaking.
My mother's eyes plead with me to reconsider. "Honey, please understand-"
It's no surprise how nice her tone is as she is about speaking to me and that's because she needs something from me. And I even feel more anger towards her for doing that.
But I cut her off, my mind racing. "How can you even ask me this? It's wrong on so many levels!" I think of my boyfriend, Oliver, who is seated already in the congregation. How will he feel seeing me walk down the aisle with another man?
My father's face hardens. "Your sister's actions have left us no choice. She humiliated our family by running away on her wedding day. You're the only one who can redeem our honor now."
I shake my head, trying to understand why my parents have failed to see reasons with me. "But that's not fair! And what about Oliver? I can't just abandon him like this."
"Worry about your family first. Think about how this would affect your life, our lives. Now is the time to show you're truly a Billing."
What does that even mean? Was being born into the Billing's family not enough to make me a Billing? This is exhausting.
I walk towards the door but my father's words stop me in my tracks. "Your efforts will be futile. There is no running away from this."
"I wasn't running away but there is no way I'm marrying Jude." That is impossible. I don't even love him.
"What's so wrong with marrying Jude?" My mother asks.
"Everything mom. Diana is my sister. Are you forgetting that fact? And he's Diana's fiance. Not just fiance. They have been dating for two years now."
"There is no big deal about that. After all, in the past, if a man's wife is dead, the late wife's sister can marry the husband," says my father.
"Dad!" I yell. "Really? Diana isn't even dead. That is totally not relatable to what's happening here. Besides, that was in the past, not now." I can't believe he is bringing something like sororate marriage up when it's not connected or linked to us, our time or our tradition in any way.
"The past makes way for the present," he voices. "I would love for you to see it like that because she is gone. She is nowhere to be found and you will do as you're told."
I frown, my stomach churning. What exactly is going on? Diana runs away on her wedding day and now I'm being informed that I'm marrying Jude in her stead? This is ridiculous, and there is no way either Jude or Diana would accept this.
I run a hand through my hair, confused. "Have you spoken to Jude yet? Does he even know?"
"Yes. I think he has been informed by his parents."
"And he is okay with this?" Jude hates me, his actions say it, and the way he looks at me says it, so there is no way he would agree to this. In that case, I'm sure of escaping this cruel fate.
"That doesn't matter. The point is, the wedding is happening and you're his bride."
Diana wouldn't do this to Jude. She speaks every day of how much she loves him and there is no way she would be okay with me being his wife. She would really despise that.
I glance at my parents, but neither of them can face me. This... this can't be real. What does this even mean? For me? For Oliver and I?
"Marry him, or our family's reputation is ruined plus there will be no money to fund your business if you try to do anything stupid."
Is he going to pull that card right? He knows how badly I need that investment. I can't believe him right now. My mind sprints with conflicting emotions of shock, anger, and guilt. How could my sister do this to us? To me?
My scolding voice pierces the room. "How could she be so selfish? Leaving us to deal with the consequences of her actions!" My words sting but they know I am hurting. This can't be right.
I grab my phone and ring Diana again for the umpteenth time today but her line is switched off. It was ringing earlier, I'm sure she saw my texts and messages before switching off her phone. Diana had disappeared on her wedding day leaving a "I can't do this. Sorry" note. She was really looking forward to this day so why would she do that? What does she mean by "she can't do this"? Why would she do this to me?
"Let's give it time. It's probably just cold feet. She will get back into her right senses and show up." I try to fight my way out.
"I'm sorry," My mother says. But is she truly sorry? Or is this just her way of disguising her selfish desires? The only thing she cares about is the benefits this marriage provides. "I'm concerned about your sister's behavior, and I hope she doesn't look back on this with regret."
"She will, mom, there is no way Diana would agree to me marrying Jude," I speak with a firm but gentle tone. Of course, they know that. They're just too selfish to let their mind think about that.
"It will be alright, Yenisse," she squeezes my hand.
I scoff. Will it be alright if after the wedding she comes running back to Jude? What would be my fate? Is this another way to sabotage me? No, those questions shouldn't pop into my mind. I am not even entertaining the thought of marrying Jude, not even for a second.
"Can I at least talk to Oliver about this?" I plead with my parents.
"No! There is no time. Jude has been waiting for so long and the congregation is already spewing gibberish."
I feel trapped like my whole world is crashing down around me. Because of Diana's actions, I am going to lose and hurt the only person I ever loved. He is the only man who sees my worth and loves all parts of me. And how could my parents do this to me?
The mirror before me arrests my reflection, encouraging me to run away but there is no way to save myself. No, not with my parents here telling me what to do. Their reputation can as well burn to the ground. I will not sacrifice my life or the one I love for these selfish people who never loved me. I am ready to lose everything, but not Oliver.
"Please, I need a minute to think."
"There is no time." My mother's sharp response.
"Really? This is overwhelming. I just need a moment to myself."
My father looks at my mother and then returns his gaze to me. "Take your one minute and don't try to do anything stupid."
I smirk and nod in response.
"Your phone?" He holds out his palms in front of me and I roll my eyes before handing my phone to him.
As soon as they exit the room, I lock the door. Without even taking a breath, I look through my window and jump out of it - fleeing my fate.
Livia Dumont, a hardworking girl grappling with financial burdens and coupled with the workload of her new job, stumbles into Xavier Lexington in a complicated way. She is unaware that Xavier, is her aloof and seemingly indifferent boss who holds the key to both her professional fate and an unexpected twist in her personal life. Their initial interaction is marked with misunderstanding, and Livia unwittingly finds herself on the wrong foot with the enigmatic figure who signs her paychecks. In this accident of chance, Livia and Xavier learn that sometimes, starting off on the wrong foot can lead to the right kind of love. But is their right kind of love enough to withstand all the drama, secrets, controversies and betrayal that comes with it? Will it be enough to give them a fairy tale ending or will it crash into a tragic ending?
Wealth and Power. Betse Walter is determined to climb the society's highest ladder. As her path intertwined with Kini Belmont, a mysterious billionaire in the realm of a glamorous yet controversial circle of elites, she is faced with love, scandals, betrayal, lies and deception. Will Kini's love for her survive in such a toxic world? Will Betse be able to let go of her desires for love? And will Betse be able to climb to the top of society's ladder?
Alyssa never expected her life to get this bad. A sudden rogue attack wiped off her pack, turning her into a mute and wolfless orphan. She once believed that being mated with her crush Ezekiel was compensation for her miserable life. However, it just made her life worse. What could be more suffering than your fated mate unwanting you and even your child? Ezekiel already picked himself a perfect Luna but fate gave her a mute mate. And owing to his father's last words, he had to marry Alyssa to get his rightful Alpha position. He married her yet kept their relationship unpublized. He hated her but wasn't ready to let her go. Everyone believed Alyssa would bear and wait like she always did until Ezekiel finally could make a decision. He's her husband, her mate, and her Alpha, and taking in everything he wanted without complaining was her duty. No one expected she would be the one who asked for a divorce and even dared to run away carrying his heir. Ezekiel swore to make this little omega pay but why did his heart break when she returned smiling at some other guy?
She thought he was the villain. He was only trying to save his soul. Rena lives in a world of sunshine, sweets, and simple dreams. Until one reckless decision drops her into a dark realm of secrets, curses and werewolves. Kidnapped, heartbroken. She doesn't know who to trust anymore especially not Logan, the arrogant, cruel Alpha who's keeping her as a hostage. Until she discovers his dark secret. He's been hearing her thoughts all along. Now the walls between them are crumbling. And when feelings grow where hatred once lived, a curse demands that blood becomes a love that demands sacrifice. But how can she give her heart to the one who might need it to die?
Betrayed by her mate and sister on the eve of her wedding, Makenna was handed to the ruthless Lycan Princes as a lover, her indifferent father ignoring her plight. Determined to escape and seek revenge, she captured the interest of the three Lycan princes, who desired her exclusively amid many admirers. This complicated her plans, trapping her and making her a rival to the future Lycan queen. Entwined in jealousy and vindictiveness, could Makenna achieve her vengeance in the intricate dance with the three princes?
She was hurt. She was bullied and made fun of. And the only hope that kept her going was finding her mate. She has always been weak. Weak to the world. Why? Because she was a lantern. She didn't have a wolf. That's what everyone thought about her. When she found her mate, he wanted her to be his slut and not a wife. She might be an omega, but it doesn't mean she will take disloyalty and betrayal lightly. So she did something that no one in history ever did. She rejected an Alpha. "I, Alexis Clark, reject Brandon Sterling, the alpha of Black mist pack, and consider myself a free soul until I decide so."; Were her last words before she left that torturous place and became a rogue. A rogue that everyone was fearing and finding. Why? Because she was the rogue that has become one of the biggest problems of almost all the packs in the country. She was Alexis Clark. A rogue that rejected an Alpha, stealth food, kill other rogues, and more than that was living with humans and studying with them. What will happen when her case is given to the world's most dangerous alpha, Sebastian Sinclair, who has taken it upon himself to punish this rogue. The one who hated rogues and omega to a level that was beyond understanding. Why? Because his mate was an omega, who betrayed him with a rogue before dying. How will Alexis tackle this alpha, in whose College she was studying and living under hiding for almost a year? What will Sebastian do when he finds out the new girl he had been talking to is none other than the rogue omega that he had decided to kill? "To love you with all my might was my only wish, but you were the only one who gave me endless suffering. So today, I promise myself to not fall for anyone."; A simple saying that both Alexis and Sebastian had vowed upon. Will they be able to find their love amidst all these problems?
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.
“Do I want a taste?” his voice deeper than he had ever spoken. His eyes pinned on me like I was the only thing that fascinated him. “What do I do?” I thought to myself as he moved closer to me, I wanted to run away, to resist him but I was pinned to the wall by him. “Gosh I hate this man so much” his scent, his body, his beautiful green eyes, he was driving me crazy. I know this is wrong, he has a fiancee and all but that makes me want him even more. “Get on the bed and spread your legs” his cold voice woke me up and then I remembered I was just a maid to him. “Yes master”.