Behind Her Highness's Smile Chapter 8 Novels & Stories

Fresh out of college, Clara Stewart asked me to take on a $500,000 mortgage for her. When I refused, she turned around and bought an $800,000 villa in full, for another guy. Holding up the property deed, she told me: "Jayden, the truth is, I'm actually rich. I've been pretending to be poor to test you. Unfortunately, you failed. I'm disappointed in you. Let's break up." I simply smiled and walked away without a second thought. The irony? I'm the son of the richest man in the country. I was pretending to be broke, too. Fast forward four years, we met again at the National Wealth Summit. Clara had just barely made it into the top 50 on the list, clinging to the arm of Henry Brown as they entered. She spotted me in simple clothes with no visible brand, holding a child in one arm and the keys to a Porsche Cayenne in the other. Thinking I was someone's driver, she sneered: "Jayden, you really went all out just to see me again? Let's be real, you're just a driver now, and I'm on the wealth list. We live in completely different worlds. Don't waste your time fantasizing." I did not bother replying. Honestly, I was only there because my billionaire dad insisted. I had finally cleared a day to spend with my son and now I had to waste it on that.

After a devastating fire ends her career and fractures her memory, famed concert pianist Mila Renard retreats to the Halden Institute, a luxurious psychiatric clinic hidden in the Swiss Alps. Her goal is simple: disappear into silence, avoid the past, and never ask questions. But Halden is not the safe haven it pretends to be. Files vanish. Patients whisper. And her assigned psychiatrist, Dr. Adrien Kael, is as enigmatic as he is unorthodox. Drawn to Mila’s haunting music and unreadable silence, Adrien begins to suspect her amnesia is no accident. When strange accidents start to occur and fragments of that lost night resurface, Mila realizes she didn’t come to Halden by chance—she was brought here. Now, every answer uncovers a new danger. Because some memories were buried for a reason. And someone is watching, waiting, and willing to do anything to make sure the truth stays dead.

Athena Jade Calderon, girlfriend of Gabriel Venturri, who died seven years ago for unreasonably cause of death. She was abused and gang raped by gangsters. She was able to survived in that rape incident but the marks of abused haunted her every night. She got her justice when the suspects were sentenced in life imprisonment. After that incident, Athena lost everything, her pride, dignity, and even her obsessed love for Emmerson Rafique. The love that she's fighting for, but the reason now living a hell of misery. Only Gabriel Venturri and Ysabelle Fernandez who were there besides her giving love and moral support. But Emmerson leaving her behind just to avoid the scandal. Out of depression, Athena committed suicide because she wanted to end the pain and sufferings. When Athena died, Gabriel Venturri, her devoted boyfriend, almost lost his senses. Out of love and hatred, he wanted to take revenge against Emmerson Rafique by all means. When Arthur James Fernandez, his mentor and guardian, died in a car accident, Gabriel inherited the family business and become the guardian of his cousin, Ysabelle. Finally, knowing the whereabouts of Emmerson Rafique, in Tagaytay Elite Club, as one of the powerful members there. With the help of Brandt James Salvatierra, his business partner, was his great edge to meet and encounter with Albie Salvatierra, the owner of Tagaytay Elite Club. Through their powerful partnership, it's an easy access to the real target. With the help of Ysabelle Fernandez and Dennise Althea Salcedo, his plans for revenge against Emmerson Rafique was successful but became complicated afterwards. So, he must be facing the consequences of all his actions and wrong decisions. Would he be ready to face LOVE again at the most unexpected moment? With the least woman, that he could felt love and desires.

During summer break, I took my son, Luke Thorne, diving at our private beach. Ralph Foster, a hotshot TV actor, suddenly showed up with a whole entourage and barged in. "This is a private beach that Gloria personally secured for me to entertain VIPs. You two nobodies had better get lost right now!" He threw his weight around and even dragged my wife, Gloria Stokes, out as a threat. When he learned who I was, he went a step further and mocked me as a kept man living off my wife. I actually laughed. I was the head of the Thornes, the most powerful family in Frenkinston. Since when did I become some freeloading, useless husband? On top of that, Gloria's film studio and every bit of her backing came from me. But when Gloria arrived, she sided with Ralph and actually tried to force Luke to put on a show for some sleazy investors. Sneering, I made a call that only the head of the Thornes had the authority to make. "Shark Vanguard, clear Crescent Bay. Now."

After being cheated on by her boyfriend Gabriel, Alice ran away to start a new life without saying she was pregnant. Six years later she comes back to Mexico where her past stood still waiting for her to say the truth. But what she didn't know is someone else was waiting for her, Ian, the one whom she gave strength to walk out on his religion to pursue his dreams. What's going to happen when her old boyfriend decides to fight against anything to conquer her heart again? Gabriel said he was going to love her forever but, is he going to fulfill his promise even if she's pregnant with another man's baby?

I’m getting married, but my CEO fiancé, whom I had been engaged to for ten years, had no idea. Thanks to his new personal maid, the man has no time to spare for me. The two of them always shadowed one another, and they might as well be sleeping in the same bed. My fiancé even bought a yacht and brought her to the Arctic to see the aurora when she was in a bad mood, completely forgetting that we were supposed to be picking out wedding gowns that day. I spent the entire day waiting in that bridal shop, waiting for a man who would never show up. So I called my dad, “I’m marrying someone else.”

“Get away from me,” Aria said, her voice unsteady. Aston didn’t move away. No, he leaned in, the blade she held against his neck piercing through just enough to draw a thin line of red. He smiled. “Careful, my lady,” he murmured. “Your hands are shaking.” Her grip tightened on the hilt. “Now look at him,” Aston continued softly. “Look at your son… and tell me whose eyes he has.” There was absolute silence. “Your stepbrother’s?” His smile sharpened. “Or the man that claimed you that night?” ~ Five years ago, all Aria wanted was for her stepbrother, Liam, to say “take my hand” and defend her. Instead she woke up in his bed; drugged, disgraced, and left to carry the blame and the label of a ‘whore’. Now she’s back with a child, but to regain her reputation, she has to marry Aston Beaumont, a ghost with a million layers, a murderer, and the man about to betray her grandfather. It should have been simple. Save her grandfather. Restore her reputation. Then leave. That is, until her stepbrother returns, not with guilt or shame, but with obsession, dangerously wanting her back like he never let her go. And the more he pushes, the more dangerous Aston becomes. Because Aston Beaumont doesn’t chase. He takes.

My mother was the president of a listed corporation, she was both rich and powerful. More importantly, she loved me more than anything in the world. Meanwhile, my father was a man who cheated on her. When he found out his mistress was pregnant with a girl, he beat her until she miscarried and ended up in prison. So when the judge publicly asked me to choose between my mother and my father, everyone assumed the custody battle was just a formality. That was until I walked past my mother's trembling, outstretched hand and firmly chose my father instead. Everyone was shocked into speechlessness. In my previous life, I had chosen my mother, the one who spoiled me rotten. She was the type to buy the whole bakery just because I casually mentioned I wanted their cake. When I complained it was too sunny, she immediately arranged for four helicopters to put up a sunshade cloth and shade me. She even deposited a hundred thousand dollars on my school meal card because she was worried I wasn't eating well. Even though she spoiled me like a true princess and paved the way for me through life, I don't want anything to do with her in this life.

Freya loved the wrong Alpha for eight years. She gave him her body, her loyalty, her soul—and in return, he kissed her with someone else's name. When she finally walked away, she believed she'd found peace—and love—in Silvano, the Alpha who saved her. But years later, on her birthday, silence greeted her again. “Bella,” she whispered to her daughter, “did you forget Mommy’s birthday?” “Not now, Mommy. I'm making a gift for Aunt Aurora. Daddy helped.” The name landed like a wound reopening. Freya once survived being ‘the other woman’. Now, fate flipped the roles—and the silence, late-night absences, and missed calls feel all too familiar. As betrayal knocks again, she must choose: bury herself in heartbreak once more—or rise, not for love, but for herself. When even your mate forgets your worth, how many times must you walk away before you stop coming back? This time—maybe for the last time—she won’t look back.

William Graham and Jasmine Spencer had been at odds since they were kids. But that year, fate played a trick on them—out of all the eligible matches in their circle, only the two of them were left. William swore he would rather die than marry Jasmine. That piqued her interest. She said, "Great. Then I guess I'm definitely marrying you. Go ahead and drop dead." On their wedding day, William humiliated her by releasing dozens of chickens at the ceremony. With a flat look, Jasmine picked one up and called it "Darling". Just like that, William lost all interest in the joke. He looked at the woman who insisted on marrying him and sneered. "You'll regret this." Three years into the marriage, Jasmine caught William cheating for the ninety-ninth time. It was only then that she finally understood— So this was the kind of regret William had meant.