Who Was Mister Rogers?

A knock on my office door startled me and I looked up just in time to see the last person I expected in my workspace. "Hello, dolcezza. How's your day going?" He invited himself in without asking me for permission as he knew that he rendered me speechless from the unexpected appearance he made of himself at my office. He settled down comfortably on the couch and smiled softly at me like we were in a healthy, happy relationship and he just came here to give his lover a surprise visit! Damn him… "What the hell are you doing here?" I asked coldly and he shook his head in amusement. "Last time after you asked the same question, I made love to you on your couch!" He winked at me. x------------x "Isabella, a hard-working architect who wants nothing more but to get rid of her past.... --- Alexander, an arrogant billionaire who wants nothing more but to make Isabella never forget her past!"

On the day I came of age, my grandfather, Wilson Saddler, laid out photos of the most eligible bachelors from elite families in the capital, asking me to choose one for an arranged marriage. Without hesitation, I chose the eldest son of the Sullivan family, Ethan Sullivan. Everyone present was stunned. After all, everyone in our circle knew that I, Sabrina Saddler, eldest daughter of the powerful Saddler family, had always liked Aaron Johansen, the young heir of the Johansen family. Ever since I was little, I’d followed Aaron around, declaring I would marry him when I grew up. In my previous life, I did marry Aaron as I wished. But after the wedding, he told me he had always loved my younger sister, Rachel Saddler, and would remain a virgin for her. He made me sleep alone for three months. When my father found out, he married Rachel off to the son of a business partner. Aaron thought I was the one who meddled and forced Rachel to leave. From then on, he stayed out every night, indulging in nightlife, sometimes even flaunting women in front of me. In the end, I was pushed into traffic by Rachel and Aaron, and I died at an intersection. Given a second chance at life, I decided to stay far away from him. I gave him and Rachel my blessing. I never expected that at my engagement party with Ethan, he would completely lose control and try to crash the wedding.

In that little town on the island, there was one family more rich and powerful than the rest, the Dankworths. And Jana knew that all too well. She was a pretty fifteen-year-old girl from the other side of town. Her family were outcasts, nobodies, seen as part of the lowlifes. But even so, she had eyes only for Lawrence Dankworth, one of the Dankworth sons. He became the center of her universe, though she had to keep it a secret. If people ever found out about her ultimate crush on him, she would become the laughingstock of the town. Lawrence held nothing but hatred for her family. It even came to the point where he showed up at their home and ordered them to leave. She was too shocked to comprehend the hatred in his eyes, too stunned as their house burned under his command, before she could even pack what little they owned. They had no choice but to leave the island. But Jana carried the memory of that day deep in her heart. Years passed. And now, she has decided to return.

"I'll build you thousands of empires and mansions, adore you with precious pieces of jewelry, you will be the only known queen of this ruthless man," Azrael Thorn Execroz whispered words that marked Andromeda's heart. His minty breath lingers in her senses, particularly in her nose. She wanted to be consumed by the fire of his heart, deep until they can no longer grasp for air. His shoulder shuddered in the darkness, while his body remains to cage the woman who captivated his iron heart. "Azrael..." she said softly with her heart beating erratically. "I...I don't desire your wealth nor your heart," she replied, slightly shivering. She was lying to the young man but mostly to herself. "Then what do you want?" he replied with his eyes beginning to shine as the tears warn to fall. He is breaking. "Let me leave," Andromeda spoke, each word like an arrow piercing through his heart. Sliding her right arm to his chest, she tiptoed momentarily to whisper what ended them. "Free me." And with that, the mighty and dignified Azrael Execroz felt his world crumble into small shards of glass. She tamed him. She was his escape. His solace. And now, she's gone.

When Iris loses everything due to her father’s reckless decisions, she’s forced to leave behind her old life and move into the home of her dad's mysterious childhood friend, Jackson Kim. Expecting nothing but discomfort in an unfamiliar place, Iris instead finds herself drawn to the quiet charm of their new home and dangerously captivated by the man who owns it. "Who was the guy who dropped you off today?" he asked when I stopped giving him any attention. I ignored him as if I hadn’t heard. "I’m asking you something," he pressed, clearly irritated by my silence. I said nothing. He’d had enough. Grabbing my shoulders, he spun me around to face him. His eyes locked onto mine, sharp and intense. I caught a flicker of jealousy in them and somehow, that made me feel a little better. "I said, who is the guy?" he demanded again. I held his gaze for a few seconds before replying nonchalantly, "Someone my age. Didn’t you tell me to find someone my age instead of going after a man yours?"

Katalina’s writing career has stagnated since she moved to another city. Her editor gave her an unusual project, she hopes this is her big break. What is the task? An exposé on a bachelor billionaire tycoon who is the buzz of the town. The idea is to expose something shady about his past and harm his reputation. She feels awful about it, but if this is the cost of success, she decides to accept it. After all, the public deserves to know the truth, right? Katalina Robbins pretended to be a high-end real estate agent and have some time with Hunter Collins, she discovered that he was brilliant, engaging, and considerate. He's not what she expected. The more time she spends with him, the stronger her feelings become until Katalina realizes she can't finish her project. Their fledgling relationship would be destroyed if he ever found out about her dark origins.