THE DUKE'S CAPTIVE VELARYN

Kaia Donovan thought she'd escaped the chaos of her past. For years, she lived a quiet life in the bakery her late mother left her, until the day it was sold right out from under her-by her own brother, desperate to settle debts. Her world crumbled as she watched the only piece of her mother's legacy slip away, sold to a mysterious figure: Everett Hudson. Two years later, Kaia has moved on-or so she thought. She's reinvented herself as an artist in the bustling city of Horizon, far from her painful memories. But fate has a way of pulling the strings. When she's thrust into the high-stakes world of art, her abusive boss exploits her talent while hiding her work behind his name. Kaia is a quiet force, though-she bides her time, working in the shadows and avoiding the one thing that still haunts her: Everett Hudson. When a chance encounter leads to her saving a young girl from an assassin's bullet, Kaia is thrust back into Everett's world-and his life. The little girl, Armean, is the daughter of Everett Hudson, and despite Kaia's efforts to distance herself, the girl won't let her go. Their bond deepens, as does the connection between Kaia and Everett, who sees more than just a fleeting attraction in her. The same man who took everything from her now seems to be the one who could help her heal. But the world they live in is dangerous, and secrets about Everett's past and the true reason her bakery was sold begin to surface. As Kaia and Everett are pulled closer into the web of lies, murder, and power, Kaia must decide whether to follow her heart or her survival instinct. The threat of Everett's mafia ties looms large, but so does the attraction that threatens to consume her. She's caught between the man who holds her heart and the shadows of his empire. However, just as Kaia begins to reveal the reality of Everett's history-and her own-the unimaginable occurs. During an intense hug, a familiar voice from her history-one she thought she'd never hear again-resounds in the shadows: "I apologize, Kaia." "However, I had no option." It's her brother. The one who sold her bakery. But there's more-a shocking revelation that will change everything. As Everett reveals a hidden secret of his own, Kaia is left standing at the crossroads of her past and future, unsure of who to trust. As they prepare for a confrontation that could tear their worlds apart, Kaia learns the truth: some legacies can't be outrun... and some loves are destined to collide in the most dangerous of ways. And just as the walls close in, a gunshot rings out. Who is the target? Who will survive? The only thing Kaia knows for sure is that she's not the same girl who used to hide behind her mother's bakery. She's stronger. She's wiser. And now, she's ready to take back everything that was stolen from her. But will it be enough?

Dysis Salmon has spent her life enduring her father's cruelty, a survivor in the shadows of his dark world. Her life, however, takes a terrifying turn when his debts become unmanageable; she is offered as payment to Alexander Levi, the most feared man in the city. Alexander is the untouchable, cold, and cunning ruler of the underworld. To him, Dysis is just another piece in the ruthless game he plays. Yet beneath his icy exterior lies a man haunted by his past-a past that begins to unravel the moment Dysis enters his life. Trapped in Alexander's opulent mansion, Dysis refuses to be a pawn. There is unquestionably tension between them as a result of her resistance to his authority. She learns, however, that Alexander is a guy who conceals suffering while wielding power as she digs deeper into his world. Dysis has to choose between running away from the guy who terrifies her and risking all to reveal the beast's weak spot as dangerous foes close in and hidden secrets threaten to come to light. Dysis and Alexander find themselves entangled in a perverse dance of power, passion, and treachery in a society where love is viewed as a weakness and trust as a luxury. One issue still stands, though, as the stakes are high and the boundaries become hazy: will they save or destroy one another? **There is a cost to everything. And for Dysis, the cost of freedom may be her heart.**

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?

Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”

Belinda thought after divorce, they would part ways for good - he could live his life on his own terms, while she could indulge in the rest of hers. However, fate had other plans in store. "My darling, I was wrong. Would you please come back to me?" The man, whom she once loved deeply, lowered his once proud head humbly. "I beg you to return to me." Belinda coldly pushed away the bouquet of flowers he had offered her and coolly replied, "It's too late. The bridge has been burned, and the ashes have long since scattered to the wind!"

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...

Natalie used to think she could melt Connor’s icy heart, but she was sorely mistaken. When at last she decided to leave, she discovered that she was pregnant. Even so, she chose to quietly leave his world, prompting Connor to mobilize all of his resources and expand his business to a global scale—all in a bid to find her. But there was no trace of Natalie. Connor slowly spiraled into madness, turning the city upside down and leaving chaos in his wake. Natalie finally surfaced years later, with wealth and power of her own, only to find herself entangled with Connor once again.

Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."