After a scandal shatters her youth, 19-year-old Amara is sold to a powerful CEO under a transactional love contract. She swore never to fall again but she didn't expect her heart to betray her twice. As secrets unravel and enemies close in, Amara must decide: take revenge or risk everything for a second chance at the love that broke her. In a world of scheming billionaires, forbidden lust, and deadly betrayal, mercy might be the most wicked thing of all.
The soft tick of the hospital clock was the only sound in the room, aside from the steady hum of the life support machine. Amara Santiago sat at the edge of the bed, her fingers trembling as she clutched her mother's frail hand. The pale skin that used to be warm and full of life now felt cold and distant-like her mother was already halfway gone.
Amara swallowed the lump in her throat and glanced at the IV bags, then at the machines she didn't understand. Every beep reminded her that time was running out-and money was running out faster.
"You should eat something," the nurse said gently as she stepped into the room with a tray. "It's been hours."
Amara shook her head. "I'm fine, thank you."
The nurse lingered for a moment, then placed the tray down and walked out quietly. The door hadn't even clicked shut before another sound entered the room-one that made Amara's stomach twist.
The heavy footsteps of a man in a suit. Leather shoes. Purposeful. Cold.
She didn't need to look to know who it was.
"I assume you've come to a decision," said the man, his voice like silk stretched over razors.
Kael Donovan.
Billionaire. CEO. And predator in a three-piece suit.
He was younger than most men in his position-thirty-two, maybe thirty-three-but carried himself like someone twice his age. His eyes were sharp, void of warmth, and his expression unreadable.
Amara stood, facing him squarely. She hated that her heart raced in his presence. Not from attraction, but fear. She had researched him enough to know he wasn't a man who took no for an answer. His reputation was both infamous and untouchable.
"I signed the contract," she said, lifting the document from the side table with trembling fingers.
Kael didn't move as she handed it to him. He simply looked at her, one brow slightly raised.
"No second thoughts?"
Amara's lips pressed into a firm line. "You said you'd pay the hospital bills. And clear the debt collectors. I'm trusting you to keep your word."
Kael took the contract from her fingers and examined it. "Trust is a luxury, Miss Santiago. I offer power, money, and silence. Nothing more."
"And what do you want from me?" she asked quietly, already knowing the answer but needing to hear it.
His eyes locked with hers, and for a second, she saw something flicker there. Amusement? Sadness? Hunger?
"You," he said simply. "All of you. Your time, your body, your loyalty. For one year."
Amara forced her chin up. "I'm not some desperate girl looking for a sugar daddy."
Kael stepped closer. "And I'm not a man who plays house. This isn't romance, Miss Santiago. It's survival. For both of us."
She wanted to ask Why me? But she couldn't afford to care.
Not when the hospital had just handed her a final notice. Not when her landlord had already changed the locks on her apartment. Not when her mother could slip away at any moment.
"I'll do it," she said again, her voice harder now. "Just promise me she lives."
Kael folded the contract and slipped it into his coat pocket. "She will. You have my word."
It wasn't comforting. His word was just another tool in a world built on manipulation.
As he turned to leave, she called after him, "Wait. Where are you taking me?"
He glanced over his shoulder. "Your things will be picked up within the hour. You'll be staying at one of my residences. The driver will be downstairs in ten minutes."
"And if I don't come?"
He paused.
"Then you'll wake up tomorrow to a corpse and a ruined name. Your father's debts will crush your future before it even begins. And every man who lent him money will remember your face."
Amara's breath caught.
Her father.
Even in death, he haunted her.
Kael didn't wait for a reply. He walked out, his footsteps echoing like a countdown to the end of everything she used to know.
Ten minutes later, Amara stood on the curb outside the hospital, her only suitcase at her feet. Her long black coat was soaked through with rain, her wet curls sticking to her face. She had no umbrella, no plan, no hope.
Just the name of a devil, and a promise she was about to regret.
The black car pulled up in silence, its tinted windows giving nothing away. A tall man in uniform stepped out and opened the back door for her.
She hesitated, her heart pounding so loudly she thought it might stop.
One year.
Three hundred and sixty-five days.
And I'm his.
She climbed into the car, not realizing she was already crying until the door shut and darkness swallowed her whole.
In the shadows of the modern world, a dangerous game of betrayal, revenge, and secrets unfolds. Darian Blackwood, a billionaire with multiple identities, harbors a dark secret: he is a vampire, cursed to live in the shadows for centuries. Haunted by past sins and driven by a need for vengeance, Darian will stop at nothing to reclaim what was stolen from him. When he crosses paths with Serah, a woman unknowingly tied to his past, their worlds collide in a whirlwind of danger, passion, and discovery. As the echoes of betrayal reverberate through their lives, both must navigate the thin line between redemption and damnation. In a world where the past never truly dies and darkness lurks at every corner, will Darian's thirst for revenge consume him, or will love be his salvation? Crimson Echoes is a tale of power, passion, and the shadows that linger long after the storm has passed.
After three secretive years of marriage, Eliana never met her enigmatic husband until she was served with divorce papers and learned of his extravagant pursuit of another. She snapped back to reality and secured a divorce. Thereafter, Eliana unveiled her various personas: an esteemed doctor, legendary secret agent, master hacker, celebrated designer, adept race car driver, and distinguished scientist. As her diverse talents became known, her ex-husband was consumed by remorse. Desperately, he pleaded, "Eliana, give me another chance! All my properties, even my life, are yours."
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.
After two years of marriage, Kristian dropped a bombshell. "She's back. Let's get divorced. Name your price." Freya didn't argue. She just smiled and made her demands. "I want your most expensive supercar." "Okay." "The villa on the outskirts." "Sure." "And half of the billions we made together." Kristian froze. "Come again?" He thought she was ordinary—but Freya was the genius behind their fortune. And now that she'd gone, he'd do anything to win her back.
In her previous life, Kimberly endured the betrayal of her husband, the cruel machinations of an evil woman, and the endless tyranny of her in-laws. It culminated in the bankruptcy of her family, and ultimately, her death. After being reborn, she resolved to seek retribution against those who had wronged her, and ensure her family's prosperity. To her shock, the most unattainable man from her past suddenly set his sights on her. "You may have overlooked me before, but I shall capture your heart this time around."
A twist of fate bound Allison to Derek in marriage-she, a powerful heiress with countless hidden identities; he, the city's most admired man, now lying silent in a coma. For three years, Allison used her unmatched medical skills to heal him, all while quietly falling in love. But when Derek's long-lost love returned from abroad, he handed Allison divorce papers without a second thought. Resolved to stop chasing shadows, Allison signed the papers and turned her back on love-rising to fame as a dazzling force in business, medicine, and more. Only when she stood high above the world did Derek finally see her worth. He knelt before her, eyes brimming with regret. "Will you take me back?" he whispered.
She was the notorious Alana Wilson, a shameful daughter of the Wilson family. Her reputation went downhill after she broke her engagement with her fiance, Albert Harris. They pointed finger at her, calling her a cheater. However, in truth, who was the cheater here? Alana would do anything she could to have her engagement with Albert broken, even if it meant sacrificing her own reputation. Ten years of abuse she endured in her last life was enough. She made sure that in this life, she would never marry that cheating bastard again. As her previous crush, as well as her brother's best friend, Lorenzo Miller is now back to the country, what would happen to her already messed up life? Especially when her ex-fiance also didn't want to leave her alone. Sequel is out now! Rebirth of the Billionaire's Vengeful Actress Wife