Courting Stage

On the night that Charlotte Slate was betrayed by her husband Andy, she has a one-night stand with a mysterious stranger. Little did she know, her one-night stand was none other than billionaire CEO Micah McKaine, also known as Kingpin Kane, the most dangerous man on the West Coast. When Charlotte becomes an exotic dancer to make ends meet, a twist of fate brings these two back together as their paths cross unexpectedly under the stage lights. When Micah sees her perform for the first time, his passion is rekindled and he is even more determined than ever to make her his--especially when he learns that she is the wife of double-crossing protege Andy, Micah devises a plan involving her to take down a common enemy. Can Micah convince this “good girl” to be his avenging angel? _____ "Charlotte," he whispers into my hair as he holds me close. "Please just let me hold you. Just this once. I know you aren't free to love me, but I want something more to remember before we need to play it safe. Please, cher." "Oh Micah," I melt into him, needing his touch just as much as he needs mine. "We can't do this." What starts as a gentle embrace starts to become something else as he pulls my head back to stare directly into my eyes. Bringing his head down slowly, his lips hover above mine, not quite touching. "Is that so?" He licks my lips and I feel my core release, wet and ready for so much more. This man that just a moment ago induced so much fear in me, is igniting my passion beyond reason. "Give me one good reason why I should kiss you right now and have my way with you in the back of this car."

In the second year after dropping out of school, I decide to cosplay as a dancer and stage a chance encounter with my husband, Don Vincenzo Rossi, in order to give him a surprise. However, I happen to run into my old classmates in the club. When they see me pole dancing in a skimpy outfit, they burst into laughter immediately. Tatiana Lazzari, the one who's throwing the party and was my former bully at school, mocks me for being a lowly, slutty bitch. My ex-boyfriend, Cristian Paleno, who had cheated on me with Tatiana back then, has his brows drawn into a tight frown. He seems to feel sorry for me. "If you didn't insist on breaking up with me back then, Aria, you wouldn't have gotten reduced to having to work as a stripper." In order to spice up the party, they drag me into their private room and force me to strip in front of them. When I reject them, they dump all sorts of alcohol and beverages onto my exposed skin and my thin, skimpy clothes. Then, they force me to kneel between Cristian's legs in submission. As Cristian leans in close to my ear, I can see the lust brimming in his eyes. "Come back to me, Aria. Otherwise, you can only remain as a horny bitch for the rest of your life." Out of sheer jealousy and rage, Tatiana kicks me in the gut right away. That's when Vincenzo hurries to my side and scoops me into his arms. By then, I'm in so much pain that I'm all curled up. He then glares at everyone else, whose faces have gone white from terror. "How dare you harm my wife and our unborn child! You can forget about leaving this room today!"

"I bought you, Aurora… and now, you’re mine. Be my private dancer… dance only for me." For Aurora Brooks, love is a fake currency that doesn’t buy bread. Love didn’t save her Momy from her Daddy’s violent grip, and it didn’t pay off the gambling debts chasing them. The only way to survive is money—and money is found in one place: on the stage of Roth’s Night Club, where she sells her dance to the rich to buy her family’s safety. But one night in Alexander Roth’s private suite changed everything. Alexander isn’t just a billionaire; he’s the port’s emperor, a cold widower with power that makes men tremble and women kneel. He offered her a deal she couldn’t refuse: "I will be your protection… in exchange for becoming my private possession." Aurora thought she had escaped her Daddy’s hell, only to find herself in a golden prison ruled by a man who refuses to touch her but watches her every breath with deadly jealousy. A man who worships the memory of his late wife yet hunts Aurora with looks that burn her skin. But the real shock wasn’t in his darkness… it was in his identity. When Aurora discovers that the “beast” sleeping in the next room—the man she signed her ownership contract to—is the same man who is her sister’s fiancé’s Daddy. He is the fever who will stand at her sister’s wedding to bless the family… while secretly forcing her to be his private dancer behind closed doors. Now, Aurora is trapped in a forbidden game. If she runs, she destroys her sister’s future. If she stays, she loses her soul to a forbidden man.

All Sophia Carter ever wanted was to dance—to feel the stage lights, the music, the spotlight—her dream was to become a national champion. And marriage? That was never part of her plan. Especially not to Ethan Blackwood—the arrogant playboy billionaire who didn’t even show up to their wedding, but sent someone else in his place!!!! But their parents didn’t care. The two been forced into a deal they never wanted strike a deal— stay marrief for 6 months and divorce. At first, it was war—silent arguments, cold stares, distance and chaos! But slowly… something started to happen…… Something real. Something powerful. Something undeniable Ethan who was struggling with his feelings, hated been trapped. He missed his freedom, his old carefree life. One night, in anger, he told his best friend— "I wish she would just disappear from the earth forever." It was just a harmless joke but not all words are to be joked with because his words came to pass just a week after. Sophia really vanished from earth. Her car reportedly crashed off a bridge. No body. No trace. Nothing. Ethan became a prime suspect especially when his car was seen at the scene an hour before the crash, and with that dark joke he made earlier… the world started asking— Did Ethan really do what he wished for? Or did Sophia fake her own death to escape the marriage? There’s another problem too—Vivian, Ethan's ex. The one who said she came to help… but started wearing Sophia’s clothes,Sophia’s jewelry and Sophia cars. So now the questions multiply— Is Sophia alive and held hostage somewhere? Why does Vivian look a little too happy that Sophia’s gone? Did she and Ethan plan the whole thing to take Sophia out of the picture?

After completing the quest, I insisted on staying in that world, foregoing the lucrative rewards. It was because I had a happy and perfect family there. My brother was a genius world-renowned scientist, and all his research achievements were named after me. My father was the world's richest man, and all his wealth was under my name. My mother was an extraordinarily talented dancer, but she gave up the stage just to spend more time with me. My family pampered me. I was the most envied pampered daughter in the world… until the day their real daughter, Carrie Langford, showed up at our door. Their love for me vanished overnight. From then on, I became inconsequential. Carrie orchestrated her own fall down the stairs, and my mother was so angry that she broke my leg. I ate a small bite of the cake Carrie threw away, so my father locked me in a dog cage for three days to dine with the dogs. He also made a golden cake for Carrie to make her feel better. Just because Carrie complained that her heart hurt, my brother dug out my heart for her and replaced it with an artificial heart. "It's just a heart. You've always been healthy. Carrie needs it more than you do." Calmly, my brother stood to the side, analyzing the data. "Don't worry, artificial heart technology is already very advanced, so the theoretical survival rate is very high. You won't die." After my soul left my body, I saw Carrie casually throw my heart into a trash can. The long-dormant system was awakened. [Would you like to take back everything you've given them, including your father's wealth, your mother's dancing talent, and your brother's intelligence, in exchange for a chance to revive?]

"Allow me to introduce my wife, Nicole Hales, mother of our twins. I have loved this amazing woman for years, starting from our college days." His voice dripped with adoration, each word a dagger to her heart. Tears streamed down her cheeks as the painful truth hit her, while she had devoted herself to making his dreams a reality, he had been building a life with someone else. Eight years, eight whole years and she ended up a mistress. Alexa had sacrificed her fully paid college scholarship to support Steven's dreams, she had even taken on the role of a mother to the twins he had claimed were adopted, And now, he was ready to discard her like trash. She had built the stage where they stood in blood and sweat, she would ensure it burned to ashes. Luke was cast aside as a child by his father, Owen Hales, who had married Luke's mother only for her wealth and inheritance. After exploiting her, he brutally murdered her. Luke, who was a young boy then was thrown into an orphanage and left to fend for himself. After years of hardship and struggle, Luke was now one of the most powerful men globally and he was back for revenge determined to make Owen and his family pay. Luke observed the scene unfolding before him with great interest. His nephew, Steven, was being crowned the new CEO of Hales Enterprises, but what caught Luke's attention was the young lady who slipped past him, her eyes brimming with tears. He smiled, Steven had made a grave mistake. He had chosen the wrong woman. Amidst the tangled web of revenge and deceit, could love be found or would they be destroyed by the hatred that drove them?

Bianca is dying. Acute myeloid leukemia, stage three. The family doctor told me on the phone—bone marrow transplant, only option, perfect match. Identical twins share ninety-nine percent compatibility. I crushed the diagnosis report. My name was at the top: Gemma Blackwell. But the doctor trembled, whispering apologies. A clerical error. The sick twin was Bianca. The cure was me. I had to get home. Rain lashed the taxi windows. I rehearsed the scene: Father setting down his cigar, Mother gasping, me explaining the mix-up. The report has my name, but the blood work is Bianca's. I can fix this before it's too late. My phone lit up. Family group chat. Father's message was short: [Gemma is terminal. Bianca forbidden from donation. Family decision.] My blood turned to ice. They had seen the misdelivered file. They thought I was the one dying—and they had voted to let me rot. When I pushed open the door and saw Father, I felt it— the temperature drop, the world freezing around me. Tears burned my eyes. I couldn't stop them. "Father," I said, my voice barely steady. "I have a question for you." He looked up from his cigar, annoyed. "If it were Bianca dying," I whispered. "Would you have made me give her my marrow?" The room went silent. He set down the cigar. A long pause. "No," he said finally. "Of course. We have resources. We would find another donor. We would never ask you to take that risk." I smiled a little. Just a small, sad smile. "Good," I said softly. "That's exactly what you said. Don't regret this."

My name is Melanie Sutton. The moment I'm reborn, the first thing I do is scatter the "ashes" of my best friend, Helen Doyle. In my last life, she got pregnant before marriage and was abandoned by both her boyfriend and her family. She struggled alone all the way through childbirth, only to suffer massive bleeding in the delivery room. With her last breath, she begged me to adopt her son. I agreed out of pity. To raise the child, I fell behind in my studies and was forced to drop out of school. With no choice, I took my adopted son, Aidan Sutton, with me to work, enduring endless humiliation and cold stares. Finally, when he turned 18, a talent scout discovered him. One movie later, he became an overnight sensation and won Best Actor. At the awards ceremony, Helen, whom I watched die 18 years ago, entered arm in arm with my ex-boyfriend, Joe Shepherd. Stunned, I rushed forward to confront her. She only smiled at me. "Congratulations, you passed the test." I stood there in shock as Joe explained proudly, "Helen is the daughter of the richest man. Who knows if you got close to her for her money? "Since you've raised our son well, you can be her ordinary friend. If you raise him until he gets married and has kids, then you can become Helen's best friend." My mind exploded. As if I wanted to be her friend. That was 18 years of my life! Overwhelmed by fury and hurt, I lunged at the two of them with bloodshot eyes. But Aidan suddenly rushed down from the stage and shoved me hard. "Are you crazy? How dare you hurt my parents?" Anger rushed to my head, and I passed out right then and there. When I open my eyes again, I'm back to the day Helen goes into labor.

Disclaimer: This story has 18+ Sexual Theme and Violence, no one under 18 is allowed to read this. *"Are you sure you're ready for this? Are you willing to give yourself to me?" The intensity of his gaze made me want to do anything for him. His eyelids were heavy, his breath wild and thirsty for me—exactly what I had always wanted, for him to be crazy for me. "I give you all of myself, as long as you'll have me," I whispered in his ear, kissing his neck. His hand moved up my back, slowly unhooking my bra, caressing my neck with the back of his fingers. As my bra fell away, he took a moment to look at me, sighing in amazement. "You are beautiful, Julia," he murmured, kissing my neck. I tilted my head back, heart pounding as he whispered against the skin of my chest, "You are mine, Julia." He pressed his ear to my chest. "Did you hear that? That heartbeat calls my name!"* *Growing up in my childhood town, it was my dream to pursue my Music Career. Like any ordinary teenager, I had millions of dreams: To go on a world tour, perform on stage, to become famous. I couldn't have thought I was cursed decades before I was even born, and then I had to come back to my mother's hometown, thinking I might escape him, while accidentally landing in his trap. And then, I met them - two captivating men who stole my heart with their charismatic presence and mysterious allure. Now I'm torn between them in a world where I'm not allowed to fall in love. --- I'm Julia Murphy, and I'm marked by a demon, who won't stop at anything until he gets his claws on me.*

On campus, he was the most well-behaved student in the entire department. Oversized hoodies, black-rimmed glasses, quiet enough to fade into the background. Even when facing the notoriously strict Professor Elliott, he would only lower his head, clutch his books, and murmur a timid, “Professor.” At night, he became the most intoxicating dancer in the club. He wrapped himself around the pole, bent low, rolled his hips—each movement driving the men below into a frenzy. Bills were stuffed into the strap around his thigh as they shouted his name. To cover his obscene tuition fees, he took a private party offering an equally obscene payout. Inside the VIP room, he straddled the pole, bathed in dim, hazy light, fingers reaching for the final restraint he was meant to undo. Suddenly, the man lounging on the sofa stubbed out his cigar and stood. The light swept across his face— It was Elliott. The very man he feared most by day. He walked onto the stage step by step, then slammed him hard against the pole in full view of everyone. “Can’t even breathe in front of me during the day,” Elliott sneered, “but at night you’re here shaking your ass, begging men to f*k you?” His mentor wrenched his arms behind his back. Hot lips brushed his trembling earlobe, his voice low and dangerous. “Noah,” he murmured, “if you’re that desperate for money… why didn’t you just come to me? How much—per night?” He panicked and tried to struggle, but Elliott forced his legs apart with his knee, pinning him against the cold metal. “Don’t hide,” Elliott said softly. “Now. Take off the rest—right in front of me. And if you perform well…” A pause, deliberate. “I’ll pay you ten times tonight’s fee