Joanna was sabotaged by her sister and ended up in a stranger's bed. Despised by her boyfriend and pressured by her family, she was forced to marry a wealthy scoundrel, Rhys. Rhys' young adoptive father was the richest man in town, but was also said to be violent. Everyone thought Joanna was doomed, but Owen favored her and condemned her bullies. Joanna secretly loved Owen, but after a night of passion, he began to withdraw from her. Heartbroken, she entertained other men. She was on a date when Owen suddenly barged in. "You said you loved me!" Joanna smirked. "Too late. You'll have to get in line."
The room was dim, casting shadows over two figures locked in a passionate embrace.
The man gripped the girl's hands, his lips gently brushing her neck. His voice was low and rough. "I'll ask you one more time. Are you sure you won't regret this?"
The girl's gaze was distant, her mind clearly clouded.
Her body arched instinctively, a soft invitation slipping from her lips. "I want you..."
The man chuckled quietly. "You asked for it."
He then tilted her head and kissed her deeply.
Later that night, Joanna Powell was jolted awake by the shrill ringing of her phone.
Her head pounded from the hangover, and she rubbed her temples, feeling a rush of embarrassment.
In her dream, she had slept with her boyfriend, Mathew Higgins.
In the dream, Mathew had been forceful and dominant. She had only kissed him, but he had taken control, pinning her down-nothing like the polite, respectful guy she knew.
There was no denying that this side of him had a magnetic pull.
Joanna smiled sheepishly, turned on the bedside lamp, and reached for her phone to answer the call. But then she stopped dead in her tracks-she was completely naked!
Pink hickeys marked her skin, each one telling the story of the previous night.
She glanced down and noticed a man's arm wrapped tightly around her waist.
Joanna's mind went blank.
It wasn't Mathew's arm.
She turned her head slowly and then fell back onto the bed.
The man next to her wasn't Mathew.
He was a stranger, someone she had never met before.
The color drained from her face, leaving her pale and shocked.
How had this happened?
The night before, there had been a school event, and everyone had booked rooms at the hotel to rest.
But why was there a stranger in her room?
"Miss, are you still there?" The nurse's voice crackled through the phone.
Joanna, still in a daze, wasn't sure how she even managed to lift the phone to her ear. "Yes, I'm here."
The nurse went on, "You're related to Martha Russell, right? She had a sudden heart attack and was just brought to the hospital. We need you here right away."
Joanna's eyes widened in panic, her voice shaking. "A heart attack?"
"Yes, it's critical. She's waiting for surgery, and you need to sign the papers quickly!" The nurse gave her the hospital's address before hanging up.
The blows had left Joanna feeling dizzy. She pinched her thigh hard, the sharp sting proving it wasn't just a dream.
She couldn't afford to wait any longer. She quickly jumped out of bed and got dressed.
Before leaving, she cast a final look at the man still asleep on the bed, her eyes filled with bitterness.
She grabbed a pen and paper, wrote a quick note, and hurried out of the room.
Not long after she left, the man on the bed slowly woke up. He reached out, but his hand only found the warm, empty sheets.
He paused, then tossed off the covers.
The bed was vacant.
If it hadn't been for the red stain on the sheets, he might have thought the woman from last night was just a product of his imagination.
He had returned to the country the night before, drunk from a heavy night of drinking. When he collapsed onto the bed, he found a woman already lying there.
He had encountered countless women throwing themselves at him, but one bold enough to slip into his bed without being invited? That was a first.
Normally, he would've kicked her out without hesitation.
But when she clung to him, maybe it was the alcohol messing with his head, but he didn't push her away.
To his surprise, she had been a virgin.
But it didn't really matter to him.
A brief fling was never something he'd bother to remember.
He lazily swung his legs out of bed, his tall frame heading toward the bathroom. That was when he noticed a piece of paper on the floor.
He picked it up, and the moment he read it, his face darkened.
For three years, Shane and Yvonne were wed, sharing heated nights, while his devotion clung to his ex. Yvonne strove to be a dutiful wife, yet their marriage felt hollow, built on desire rather than real warmth. All changed when she became pregnant, only for Shane to thrust her onto the operating table, warning, “Either you or the baby survives!” Broken by his cruelty, she vanished in grief and later returned, radiantly accomplished, leaving everyone awestruck. Haunted by remorse, Shane begged for another chance, but Yvonne only smiled and replied, “I’m sorry, men no longer interest me.”
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."
Sawyer, the world's top arms dealer, stunned everyone by falling for Maren—the worthless girl no one respected. People scoffed. Why chase a useless pretty face? But when powerful elites began gathering around her, jaws dropped. "She's not even married to him yet—already cashing in on his power?" they assumed. Curious eyes dug into Maren's past... only to find she was a scientific genius, a world-renowned medical expert, and heiress to a mafia empire. Later, Sawyer posted online. "My wife treats me like the enemy. Any advice?"
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"
Trigger warning!!! Intended for mature readers who enjoy morally complex, slow-burn, poseesive, forbidden, dark romance that pushes boundaries. ***EXCERPT*** Blood everywhere. Trembling hands. "No!" My eyes blurred. His lifeless eyes stared back at me, his blood pooling at my feet. The man I loved-dead. Killed by the one person I could never escape - my stepbrother. *** Kasmine's life was never hers to begin with. Kester, her stepbrother, controlled and monitored her every move. At first, it was all sweet and brotherly until it began to turn into an obsession. Kester was the Alpha, and his word was law. No close friends. No boyfriends. No freedom. The only consolation Kasmine had was her twenty-first birthday, which was supposed to change everything. She dreamt of finding her mate, escaping the sickening control of Kester, and finally claiming her own life. But fate had other plans for her. On the night of her birthday, not only was she disappointed that she wasn't mated to the love of her life, but she found out that her mate was none other than him - Her tormentor. Her stepbrother. She'd rather die than be mated to a man whom she had known as her big brother all her life. A man who would do just anything to make sure she was his. But when love turns to obsession, and obsession turns to blood, how far can one girl run before she realizes there is nowhere else to run to?
Charlee was left at the altar and became a laughingstock. She tried to keep her head high, but ultimately lost it when she received a sex tape of her fiance and her half-sister. Devastated, she ended up spending a wild night with a hot stranger. It was supposed to be one-time thing, but he kept popping up, helping her with projects and revenge, all while flirting with her constantly. Charlee soon realized that it was nice having him around, until her ex suddenly appeared at her door, begging for another chance. Her tycoon lover asked, “Who will you choose? Think carefully before you answer.”