Chapter 10 Summary Things Fall Apart

文化財修復コンテストまであと一週間という頃、高橋美咲（たかはし みさき）は石井グループとの機密保持契約にサインした。 契約が発効すれば、これから三年間、誰ひとりとして彼女の行方を突き止めることはできない。 町中では、美咲が中村悠真（なかむら ゆうま）の溺愛する婚約者だということを知らない者はいなかった。 十八歳のとき、悠真は満天の星空の下で彼女に永遠の愛を誓った。 だが、あの日――美咲は偶然、悠真とその仲間たちの会話を耳にしてしまった。 「悠真、お前、美咲さんのコンテスト用の陶器をすり替えるなんて……バレたら別れられるかもって思わないのかよ？」 悠真は秘書を抱きながら、軽く笑って答えた。 「何を心配するんだよ。美咲は俺のことが好きすぎて、離れられるわけがない。 花音が優勝したいって言うなら、当然叶えてやるさ」 その瞬間、美咲は十年分の想いを手放し、彼の世界から、完全に消えることを決意した。

As if Lena's day couldn't be any worse, a car sped past her, sending filthy water over her, and the driver didn't even have the courtesy to stop and apologize! One thing Lena knew was that the driver was related to the Josh family and that she despised him. Upon returning home, Lena gets news that her fiance is cheating on her and when she confronts him, he doesn't deny it. Heartbroken, Lena goes to a club to quell her emotions and ends up having a one-night stand with a stranger who happens to be the driver. It wasn't until a week later that Lena got to realize the stranger was Asher Josh, a friend of her fiance. On the day of Lena's wedding, she discovers her fiance eloped with another woman. Lena is once again heartbroken and she is about to call off the wedding when Asher offers to take her fiance's place. Lena is adamant but agrees and when she marries Asher, she receives shocking news. Will this news cause loopholes in their married life or will it be the very thing that breaks off their hatred for one another and bring them closer to each other?

My mother-in-law, Barbara Morris, insisted that a load-bearing wall was blocking our home's good energy. She even hired someone to tear it down for a panoramic floor-to-ceiling window. The contractor, Peter Stone, kept refusing. "Ma'am, we really can't do this. If we take this wall down, the whole building will collapse." In my past life, I fought desperately to stop them, even getting on my knees and begging them not to touch this wall that held the entire building together. My husband, Tom Williams, thought I was embarrassing him. He slapped me so hard that my left ear went deaf, and he forced them to demolish the wall anyway. That night, the entire building suffered a catastrophic structural failure. I was trapped under the rubble for seven days and nights with ruptured internal organs. Right before I died, I heard Tom shouting at the rescue team. "Save my mom first! That other woman has insurance. If she dies, we'll get the payout and buy a new place!" At that moment, the resentment inside me hardened. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the moment when the construction crew had just arrived. Looking at that thick load-bearing wall and Tom's hand about to rise up and strike me, I smiled and handed him the eighty-pound sledgehammer nearby. I said, "Mom's absolutely right. Once we knock down this wall, our place will turn into a luxurious river-view apartment. Anyone who tries to stop us is a complete idiot."

BLURB: The night Isabel thought she'd finally be chosen turned out to be the night she lost everything. One deliberate lie took away the partner destiny had promised her, depriving her of her position, pride, and the fragile life she had built. Cast aside and forgotten, Isabel discovers a strength she never knew she possessed, one powerful enough to catch the attention of a king. But trust comes at a high price, and if the Lycan King dares to claim her again, he will have to face the very storm he created. When fate brings them together again, will they be bonded mates or sworn enemies?

The Shermans are the richest family in town, and both of the Sherman daughters are about to get married on the same day. I, the older of the two sisters, am about to marry Andrew Hammond, a wealthy scion and the man I've loved for many years now. Meanwhile, my younger sister, Celine Sherman, is set to marry the heir of the Wright family. The upcoming wedding fills me with joy and anticipation, but suddenly, Andrew disappears for three whole days. When I go to confront him about it, I end up overhearing a conversation between him and his friends. "On the wedding day in three days, you guys must ensure that the wedding cars are switched, so that it's Celine's car that comes to the Sherman residence instead. "That illegitimate son of the Wright family is a cold, heartless man. I can't let Celine suffer by marrying him!" "Relax," one of his friends replies. "We've made all the arrangements with the drivers and everything. But what about Joanna?" Brimming with confidence, Andrew declares, "The Sherman family has the Wright family's business by the throat, and everyone knows that Joanna is mine. There's no way the Wright family would dare to do anything to her. "When the time comes, I'll send Celine off and bring Joanna back for the wedding ceremony. I'm sure the Wrights won't dare to say a single word." The initial shock leaves me on the verge of a breakdown, but eventually, it morphs into the stillness of despair. In the end, I decide to go along with the plan, letting Andrew and Celine get their happy ending. Thus, when Andrew proceeds with the next part of his plan and arrives to pick me up, all he's greeted with is the sight of my cold dead body.

Sienna had only her mother to rely on when growing up. Life was not easy but it was nice. A nice job, a loving mother and some real friends. But with the death of her mother, the hospital bills pilling up, suddently she can’t afford rent anymore. Her friend suggests a fake marriage with a hockey player that needs a greencard. It was supposed to be an easy task but little by little the grumpy hockey player manages to carv himself inside her heart. And she will have to protect herself for the heartbreak when after the end of the hockey season they get a divorce.

A story about two people using each other and how they end up in love instead. After killing her parents, Katherine's cousin sends her to an earl of the enemy nation for marriage. Of course, she doesn't want to be a plaything – neither of the earl nor her murderous cousin – but what can she do being a seventeen-year-old girl in a men-controlled country? Having healing as her magic, while all other have some awesome attacking skills? Katherine vows to get her revenge anyway, and the first hurdle to a self-determined life is to seduce the earl to get his resources and connections. It couldn't be that hard, right? Just that after arriving in the earl's territory he tells her that he doesn't even want to marry her but only wants her to work for him. No, no, that can't be! She needs to make him change his mind!

In a world where family ties and business deals are intertwined, Ivy Smith finds herself trapped in a nightmare. Her father's company is struggling, and the only way to save it is by forming an alliance with the powerful Blackwood family. The cost? Ivy's hand in marriage to Victor Blackwood, a ruthless and cunning man with a reputation for getting what he wants, no matter the cost. Ivy is devastated. She's always been a strong-willed and independent person, and the thought of being tied to someone like Victor is unbearable. But her family's situation is dire, and she feels she has no choice but to accept the arrangement. As the wedding preparations begin, Ivy's brothers - Ethan, Lucas, and Julian - are fiercely protective of her. They know Victor's true nature and are determined to keep her safe. But they're also bound by the agreement, and their hands are tied. Victor, on the other hand, is determined to break Ivy's spirit. He's cruel, manipulative, and has a hidden agenda. He sees Ivy as a trophy, a way to solidify his family's power and control. And he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants. As Ivy navigates her new reality, she must find a way to survive Victor's abuse and manipulation. She's trapped in a gilded cage, with no escape in sight. But she's determined to fight back, to find a way out of this nightmare and take control of her own destiny. The story is a dark, twisted tale of love, family, and power. It's a tale of survival and rebellion, of one woman's fight against the forces that seek to control her. Will Ivy find a way to escape Victor's clutches, or will she be forever trapped in this living hell?

Caleb Da Stephano is the illegitimate son of the powerful Russ DA Stephano and grandson of Gus Da Stephano. After Caleb's companies gets taken from him as the heir by Gus Da Stephano following his reckless lifestyle, he is forced into depression which leads him to a one night stand with the woman he never imagined he would be seeing in his life again, talk more of sleeping with. His elementary school nemesis. After catching her boyfriend sleeping with her Co worker at their apartment while trying to make it to the hospital on time before her mother dies of cancer, Mabel Lora finds her life crumbling, leaving her numb, only to find solace at a bar, in an unknown part of the city where only the stinking rich belonged. She's saved from holligans by Caleb, subjecting them to a one night stand. Unknown to the two of them, fate had brought two enemies together once again for a purpose. He’s dangerous, addictive, and Her newest assignment. The future she desperately hopes for rests in the palm of his hands. Breathtakingly handsome and painfully private, he’s the sinner who killed a saint. That’s what the world sees when they catch a glimpse of Caleb Da Stephano. Her job is to understand him. His goal is to break her. Only one of their hearts will survive. Let the cruel games begin.

" Your father?? Bryan is your father?? " Ava asked, stunned. Jayden nodded, his face expressionless " Yeah " Bryan stared between his son and his own girlfriend, who happened to be his son's ex. And he wanted her back, he knew his son too well and he could see that Jayden wanted Ava back. Jayden turned to his father " Dad, is she your girlfriend? " He asked, desperately hoping it wasn't true but his hope was dashed when his father nodded. " Sh*t " Came out of his mouth as he hit his fist on the wall in suppressed anger. He turned to his father " She's my girlfriend, Dad " he declared. " Ex girlfriend " Ava corrected, her nose flaring in anger.