Who Tricked Harry Into Breaking The Rules?

"If I touched you, you’d never go back to him." Arden's words rang in my head. My breath caught. Now that I was out of the palace, nothing stood between us. No gilded cages. No cameras in every corner. No Ivana breathing down my neck. Nothing to stop him from making good on those words. And the worst part? A traitorous part of me was curious. What if he was right? Arden was Richard’s brother. The wrong man. The forbidden man. And yet my body betrayed me. My heart beat harder just thinking about him. My lips tingled at the memory of his voice, his smirk, the way his eyes had lingered on me like he saw everything I tried to hide.

Evelyn Hart thought she had it all figured out. A dream job at a top marketing firm, a handsome fiancé, and a future that sparkled with promise. But dreams shatter in an instant. Walking into her apartment early from a business trip, she finds Anthony in bed with the last person she ever expected. Her own cousin, Sylvia. The betrayal cuts deeper than any knife, leaving her broken and gasping for air in a world that suddenly makes no sense. Desperate to forget, to feel anything other than the crushing pain, Evelyn finds herself at an exclusive lounge where LA's elite gather. One drink leads to another, and then she sees him. Richard Westwood. Powerful, magnetic, dangerous. He is everything she should avoid. At 42, he is nearly twice her age and her fiancé's mentor in the business world. But tonight, none of that matters. Tonight, she just wants to feel alive again. One night of passion changes everything. When morning comes, Evelyn discovers the mysterious stranger who made her forget her name is the one man she should never have touched. Richard Westwood does not do relationships. He does not get messy but something about Evelyn has awakened a hunger he thought long dead. Now, caught between revenge and desire, Evelyn must decide: walk away from the forbidden, or break every rule for a chance at real love?

Ava Sinclair has one rule—stay away from jocks. They’re arrogant, they’re reckless, and they’re nothing but distractions. As Westbridge University’s top student, she has a strict schedule of study sessions, internships, and zero tolerance for football players, especially Logan Carter. Logan, on the other hand, thrives on breaking rules. When his teammates make a bet date the nerdy girl who’s never fallen for a jock he takes it as a challenge. After all, no one resists Logan Carter. But Ava does. Every time he flirts, she shuts him down but Logan isn’t one to back down, so he ups his game. But somewhere between the chaos, the teasing, and the forced proximity thanks to Ava's eviction that makes them neighbors, Logan starts falling for the very girl he was supposed to play. When Ava discovers the bet, will Logan be able to prove that this game stopped being a game a long time ago? Or will she show him that, for the first time, Logan Carter has met his match?

Caroline Matthews has three rules of friendship with Maverick Thompson, her best friend since third grade: One: Always come when the other calls, no matter what. Two: Always tell the truth and never keep secrets. Three: Never fall in love with each other. She's already broken two of them. For three years, Caroline has been in love with Maverick, hiding her feelings while watching him date other girls, break up, and come crying to her every single time. She's the best friend. The safe one. The girl who's always there but never seen. When they both get into Kalewood University, Caroline decides it's time. New beginning, fresh start, perfect moment to finally confess her feelings and break the third rule. Then Riley shows up, Maverick's ex-girlfriend, the one who broke his heart, the girl he never got over and ruins everything with a single kiss. Harry, who is Maverick’s estranged older stepbrother from the family, a campus legend, and the frontman of the hottest band, is dangerous, damaged, and exactly the kind of guy Caroline has spent her entire life avoiding. Harry has a proposition: fake date him to make his ex and obsessive fans back off, and maybe, just maybe, make Maverick realize what he's been missing all along.

In the final minute before the exam, my childhood friend, the one who was supposed to bring both of our exam documents, handed in only his own admission ticket. When it was my turn, his hands were empty. He said matter-of-factly, “Your exam ticket and ID aren’t here. Skip a subject and give your Cornell slot to Summer.” I froze. I couldn’t believe he would sabotage my college exam just to help Summer. Summer Hayes was the class beauty, but my grades had consistently outshined hers throughout high school. I looked at the boy I had known for eighteen years. Anger and disbelief bubbled up, making me laugh bitterly. Then I turned and walked away. Behind me, Jason Turner shouted, exasperated. “You are so good at school. So what if you repeat a year? “And now you are skipping the exam on a whim. How will that make Summer look? Are you really letting everyone think she forced you?” I didn’t even glance back. Skipping the exam on a whim. He had no idea. Two weeks ago, I had already secured an Early Admission spot in Harvard’s Physics Talent Program. Coming to the college entrance exam today was just a gesture of our eighteen-year friendship, going through the motions with him. Since he didn’t care, that friendship ended here.

The night before I officially registered my marriage, my friends convinced everyone to play a "mystery box game." The female guests each placed a gift into a box, and the gifts were randomly given to the men at the party. Everyone said it was the fairest way. When I opened my box, there was only a thin card inside. It said, "Thanks for participating." The entire room instantly went silent. Some people couldn't hold back their laughter. My fiancée, Charlotte Kilbourn, reached over and straightened my collar. "Your luck is still terrible." Lyra Sharpe, my childhood friend who grew up with me, whispered, "Just smile. Don't make people think you're a sore loser." Meanwhile, Connor Winfield got the hidden prize in the same round. Inside were a limited-edition mechanical watch personally chosen by Charlotte, a couples' island vacation package I had dreamed about for three years, and a handwritten note from Lyra that said, "We'll always protect you." I forced myself to laugh along, then placed the card back into the empty box. I thought winning a game was just about luck. But when I went to the restroom, I overheard the host checking the prize list in the lounge. "Ms. Kilbourn, you didn't give out the prizes wrong, did you? The hidden prize went to Mr. Winfield, and the participation prize went to Mr. Rayner." Charlotte answered calmly. Lyra laughed and added, "That's right. He won't take it seriously." Standing outside the door, I suddenly remembered the night I turned 18, when I stood in the rain waiting for the midnight fireworks at my debut party. Charlotte and Lyra had given the only umbrella to Connor. Then they turned back and told me, "George, you're closer. Just run a few steps and you'll be fine." That night, after I walked home soaked in the rain, I still believed I was just unlucky. But tonight, I finally understood the truth. They had never planned to give me that umbrella from the beginning. So this time, I tore the card into pieces and canceled my marriage registration appointment. I didn't want to play a "lucky game" they had already planned for me anymore.