Ava never expected her job as a restaurant assistant to land her in the heart of Avalon's elite. When she is chosen to work at the prestigious Alexandra estate for the holidays, she steps into a world where wealth and power rule. Tyler Alexandra, a self-made billionaire, has spent years distancing himself from his family's legacy. But when his father announces his retirement, he is forced to return home only to meet Ava, the one person who sees beyond his last name. As sparks fly, their growing connection is threatened by Tyler's ruthless sister, Adriana, and Ava's toxic ex-boyfriend, Nick, who refuses to let her move on. Meanwhile, Tyler's former love, Elora, reappears pregnant and in desperate need of his help.
Ring... Ring... Ring!
The alarm blared for the third time that morning, but Ava still lay buried under her blanket. She groaned, rolling over and slapping the snooze button once again. The warmth of her bed was too tempting to leave, but reality hit her like a thunderclap she was already an hour late for work!
"Holy crap!" she yelped, eyes darting to the clock.
Throwing off the covers, she stumbled out of bed, moving sluggishly like a log of wood. Her entire body ached from exhaustion, and she wished she could call in sick. But she couldn't afford to lose her job not when she had bills to pay.
Ava was a stunning young woman in her early twenties, with golden blonde hair cascading down her shoulders, striking blue eyes, and full, plum lips that gave her an effortlessly alluring charm. Her straight, slender legs added to her elegance, and though she lived alone in a small apartment, she remained close to her mother and younger sister, who resided in the same city.
After rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she dashed into the bathroom, freshened up within minutes, and hurriedly dressed. Thankfully, she had laid out her outfit the night before. Pulling her long hair into a sleek ponytail, she grabbed her bag and rushed out the door.
Mrs. Pat's wrath was something she could never escape.
As she booked a cab and made her way to the restaurant, her heart pounded with anxiety. The moment she arrived and stepped out, she spotted a familiar figure at the back entrance. Madam Pat.
Before Ava could even plead for mercy, a loud smack! echoed through the air.
"You lazy miscreant!" Mrs. Pat fumed, her hands planted firmly on her hips. "Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for you? Two whole hours! Where have you been?!"
"I'm so sorry, ma'am," Ava winced, rubbing her stinging cheek. "I was exhausted from yesterday's shift. We closed really late, and-"
"Enough of your excuses!" Mrs. Pat cut her off. "Now get inside and get to work before I lose my temper even more!"
Ava swallowed her frustration, wiped the forming tears from her eyes, and slipped on her apron. She had been working at the restaurant for seven grueling months, enduring everything from insults to outright abuse. But she had no choice; the pay wasn't great, but it was better than nothing, she has a dream of having her own bakery so she has been saving heavily for it, loosing her job would be really bad for her
As the evening drew closer, she and her colleague Lola began cleaning up, preparing for closing time.
"Lola, can you turn off the gas?" Ava called out from the back.
It was just the two of them left in the restaurant. Mrs. Pat had gone out with some workers to handle catering orders, as the festive season was her busiest time.
Mrs. Pat wasn't just a chef; she was a force to be reckoned with in the culinary world. Her restaurant was one of the most renowned in the city, and she was highly sought after by wealthy clients for home service and large events.
After locking up, Ava bid Lola goodnight and started her usual routine trekking home to save money. It had become a habit: take a cab to work in the morning and walk back at night.
By the time she reached her apartment complex, she was relieved. Having just paid her rent the previous day, she walked in with a sense of satisfaction. But as she approached her door, a sudden wave of unease washed over her.
Her door was slightly open.
Had she forgotten to lock it in the morning?
Heart pounding, she removed one of her shoes and held it like a weapon as she slowly stepped inside. The living room was empty. But then a noise.
From the kitchen.
She crept closer and-boom!
"Nick?!" she gasped, seeing her boyfriend standing over her stove.
He turned with a grin, licking his fingers. "Hey, babe. Nice pottage."
Ava gawked at him in disbelief. "How the hell did you get in here? And what are you doing with my pot?
Nick gave her a lopsided smirk. "Relax, baby. I came to check up on you."
She folded her arms. "Check up on me? You ghosted me for a whole month, Nick! And now you show up acting like nothing happened?"
Nick sighed, setting the pot down. "Come on, babe. I missed you, okay? That's why I'm here."
Ava narrowed her eyes. "How did you even get in?"
Nick grinned mischievously and dangled a spare key in front of her face. "I still have this."
Her jaw clenched. "Nick, we need to talk."
His playful expression faded. "Babe, let's not ruin the moment."
Ava took a deep breath, crossing her arms. She had a bad feeling about this.
Meanwhile...
Across the city, in a grand mansion, a couple sat in their lavish living room.
"Honey," Mrs. Alexandra spoke, turning to her husband. "Don't you think it's time we called the children home? It seems they've forgotten about our Christmas tradition."
Mr. Alexandra, the powerful CEO of Nova Spark, leaned back in his chair. He was one of Avalon's most influential business tycoons, with enterprises spread across the country and beyond.
He chuckled. "Calm down, dear. I'm sure they haven't forgotten. They'll be home soon enough."
Little did they know, this holiday season would be far from ordinary
Sophia , a street-smart pickpocket, makes the wrong move when she steals from a wealthy man at the mall-only to realize too late that he caught her. Instead of turning her in, Ethan Kingston, a billionaire under pressure to marry, offers her an unexpected deal: pose as his fiancée for two weeks to help him secure his inheritance. Thrown into a world of luxury, deception, and hidden family rivalries, Sophia soon realizes she's in way over her head. Jason, Ethan's jealous brother, and Lisa, his manipulative friend, plot against her. Jasmine, Ethan's sharp-tongued sister, is out to make her life miserable-but Sophia holds a secret weapon. Unknown to Jasmine, she saw her steal the family heirloom to frame her. As the charade spirals into chaos, Sophia and Ethan must decide-was this all just a game, or has pretending led to something real?
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
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.
In the previous life, Maggie Johnson was so cowardly, gullible and stupid that she was coaxed by her fiance and stepsister and then broke her legs and lost everything including her fortune, love and even life. However, she was so lucky that she was reborn in the year before everything happened. Since her life restarted, how could she repeat a previous tragedy? Therefore, in this life, she took the opportunity to improve herself and take revenge on the ones who had ever insulted her. Facing the people who had humiliated her previously, she became smart and experienced to break their frames and tricks that had caused her to hurt in the previous life. Finally, no one could stop her pace to amaze the world any more.
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
Three years of marriage couldn't melt Theo's frozen heart. When an art gallery collapsed on Lena, he was off romancing another woman—lavishing her with a private jet. Three steel pins held Lena's shoulder together, but her heart remained broken. She filed for divorce and told everyone that he was impotent. Rising from the rubble, Lena blazed onto the design world's A‑list. She expected him to sail off with his true love—until Theo reappeared at her runway, pressing her against the wall. "Impotent, huh? Care to give it a try?"
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?