Daze Of Deception Part 1

They came to celebrate love, but leave with blood on their hands. Brielle Champagne has it all: beauty, brains, and the perfect fiancé. Or so it seems. Behind the sparkling estate gates, her engagement party is nothing more than a high-society stage for lies, betrayal, and blackmail. Her sister, Draya, is back in town with secrets sharp enough to cut through the family’s carefully crafted image. Her best friend, Monty, is a temptation she can’t quite outrun. And her fiancé, Kannon Maxwell, is hiding the kind of truth that could shatter them both; a truth her powerful father is using to control everyone in the room. By the end of the weekend, hidden affairs will be exposed, old flames will reignite, and one devastating revelation might rip the Champagne family apart for good. Money can buy silence and the perfect party, but it can’t buy forgiveness.

In the eighth year of my marriage to Georgia Snow, her 108th lover, John, showed up and made a scene in front of me. In the past, she would have dealt with anyone this bold before they even reached me. However, she broke from her usual pattern this time. She indulged his behavior and allowed him to taunt me. Georgia even brought him along to high-profile events. She turned a blind eye to all the rumors circulating everywhere. She even dared to skip my family banquet. When I saw the photos my secretary had sent over, Georgia was in a high-end restaurant enjoying a meal with John. The next second, I showed the photos to her mother. Georgia and I were in a business marriage. We had agreed from the start that we could each do as we pleased. With that said, there was an unspoken rule. We had to keep up appearances and maximize the combined interests of both families. Since she refused to follow the rules, I had to ditch her, lest she affected my family business’ stock price.

For as long as I can remember, my family and I have been living in an underground basement that's completely shut off from the outside world. My parents have told me that the zombie apocalypse is terrorizing the outside world. The air is completely plagued with the zombie virus, and we'll die if we ever leave the basement. In order to save the supplies—which are already dwindling, to begin with—I've starved myself to the point I'm all skin and bones despite being only 18 years old. When I realize that there's only one last can of food left, I leave behind a suicide note. "Mom, Dad, now there's one less mouth to feed. You'll last a few more days." After that, I slit my wrist right away. Once I'm dead, my soul phases through the thick and heavy metal door. Bright sunlight illuminates the entire world. It's a beautiful, peaceful world filled with greenery. I can even hear birds chirping in the distance. Mom, Dad, and a bunch of people are throwing a barbecue party on the lawn. The mouth-watering smell of food being grilled permeates the air. So, it turns out that the zombie apocalypse is just a lie that's designated to trap me inside the fortress. I'm the only one who has died in this sunny, peaceful world.

Lily Gray, a woman admired for her perfection, faced a devastating blow when she discovered that her boyfriend had cheated on her. Compounding this emotional turmoil, her family’s company wavered on the brink of bankruptcy. In a desperate bid to save their livelihood, Lily made a bold decision to marry Mykel Frost, her boyfriend's formidable rival. This unexpected alliance set the stage for a complex and tumultuous journey, as Lily navigated the intricacies of love, rivalry, and business. As she strived to restore financial stability and heal her wounded heart, Lily would stop herself from falling in love with her revenge partner. Would she succeed, though?

When I was six months pregnant, I was visiting the hospital when I saw my husband with his childhood friend, who had recently returned to the country. I was left holding my own prenatal checkup report, watching as they celebrated their soon-to-be born child. Still, Kelly Wallace appeared worried and even sounded guilty. "Quentin, you didn't have to come with me—I'm fine alone. If Jolin finds out, she'll definitely have a fight with you. She's pregnant too… it'll affect her mood and the baby." Quentin Smith was confidently nonchalant. "No, she won't—she always obeys me and loves me too much. If she does argue, I'll just divorce her!" My heat broke, tears of misery rushing down my cheek. But it was true. I loved him so much that I couldn't even bear to argue with him and always obeyed him. Even so, that didn't mean I was going to maintain this sham of a marriage after learning about his deceit. Since he didn't want me and our child, then I could raise my baby alone. Wiping away my tears, I called a number I hadn't called for five years. "Dad, can I come home?" "Oh, Jo! You finally called. Of course you're always welcomed home!" Hanging up, I booked a ticket for a flight to Switzerland that was due to depart a week later. I'd be out of his hair, so why was he losing his mind when he couldn't find me?

Everyone thought Stellar Rivers was a fraud—a fake heiress thrown out by the powerful Harlow family. They believed her real parents were supposedly poor nobodies from the countryside. With nowhere else to go, she clung to Percy Moore, the youngest heir of the illustrious Moore family. Try as they might, no one could drive her away. But when Stellar overheard that Percy planned to marry the Harlow family’s true heiress, her lifelong rival, everything changed. Fine, he could have his perfect match. Stellar wasn’t going to waste another moment on someone who didn’t value her. Instead, she turned her back on him and reclaimed the life that had always been hers. A country bumpkin? Hardly. It turned out Stellar’s real family was wealthier and more powerful than anyone could imagine. With four influential uncles showering her with love and protection, she was ready to take the world by storm. And while she believed in playing fair, she also knew one thing: revenge was best served by her own hand. Meanwhile, Percy’s perfect world began to unravel. Without Stellar, his life was a mess—his business floundered, his fiancée’s reputation crumbled, and his carefully constructed future came crashing down. Desperate and full of regret, he showed up at Stellar’s doorstep, begging her to come back. But Stellar only smirked, casually leaning onto the tall, devastatingly handsome man at her side. “Sorry, Percy. I don’t take back what I’ve already let go.” As if that wasn’t enough, Stellar even dismissed the powerful man standing beside her, leaving him in the dust. “I said it before, and I’ll say it again—I don’t go back to what’s already behind me.” Even Stephen Ward, who broken off their engagement before they ever met, found himself on his knees, pleading, “Honey, I was wrong. Please, give me another chance!”

In the third year of our marriage, my wife, Lucy Sloan, asks me to perform a striptease in place of a nightclub host, Oscar Reilly, who loses a dare. She says, "Oscar is too timid. You do it for him!" The crowd erupts in cheers. "Lucy is so generous to let her own husband entertain us!" "I hear Garrett has eight-pack abs! Looks like we are in for a treat." As I listen to the crude remarks around me, I finally break down. In a trembling voice, I say, "Lucy, let's get a divorce..." A glass of red wine splashes straight onto my face. Lucy chuckles mockingly. "The Mueller family has already gone bankrupt. Where could you possibly go without me?" But this time, I am truly exhausted.

Celestia, the world of Celestials, was destroyed and put into great chaos when some celestial mages lusted for great power and summoned demons into their world to acquire magic that can rival a god. However, it turned the other way around. Demons wrecked havoc on their world and made Celestia as a new demon realm. Lumia, the goddess of sky, bestowed her 12 graces of zodiacs to 12 children that will soon restore their land from those filthy creatures. One of these children was Princess Cerina, who has the grace of the Cancer. She is the daughter of an empress with a divine blessing from her deceased parents. At a young age, she was one of the Magic Ministry’s strongest mages who pioneered the founding of Caelum Academy. When she was only 10 years old, an unprecedented event happened as she was possessed by a higher-ranking demon. As a result, Arianna, the mage who adopted her, sacrificed herself just to seal the demon inside her, including her magic. Eventually, Cerina lost her memories and was left in front of a monastery on Earth. 11 years later, an unknown shadow creature attacked her in the middle of the night but luckily, she was saved by one of her co-Celestial Twelve named Raid. Afterwards, many things happened as her memories gradually came back. In order to save her friends, she decided to formed a blood pact with the demon within her. And her grace became a half-curse. And it was called by her demon, Black Zodiac.

In my fifth year of marriage to the Don of a powerful mafia family, I find out that the protection charm he gave me causes me headaches whenever I bring it with me. As a surgeon, this raised my alarm. I retrieved the small sachets I had found inside the amulet and brought them to the toxicology lab at Kosley Hospital.. The doctor inspects the sachet and tells me that it contains a type of slow-acting poison that doesn't just cause harm to the victim's body but also renders them infertile after a while. I cry and exclaim, "But that's impossible! My husband gave this to me! His name is Vincenzo Cursley. He's also the person who owns this hospital!" The doctor looks at me in confusion. "Miss, please stop the nonsense. I know Mr. Cursley and his wife. They're very close and intimate with each other. Also, Mrs. Cursley just gave birth to a baby boy not too long ago. They're both now in the VIP ward, looking at their baby." Then, the doctor shows me a photo on his phone. Vincenzo was wearing his usual black suit with the Cursley family emblem embroidered on it. He was holding a baby in his arms, and as for the woman standing next to him… I know her. Her name is Claudia Henderson. And Vincenzo has always referred to her as his adoptive sister.

When Vivian’s parents died in a tragic accident, her world was shattered. Orphaned and alone at eight years old, she was sent to an orphanage, where her once bright life turned dark, and everything she knew began to fade, including her memories of Jack, the boy who once held her heart. As she approached her 18th birthday and the chance to leave the orphanage behind, Vivian was unexpectedly adopted. But her new life quickly became a nightmare when she was forced to assume the identity of the family's deceased daughter. Bound by secrets and trapped in a role she never chose, Vivian's life spiraled into a web of lies and manipulation. Then, by a twist of fate, she crossed paths with Jack once more. But after all these years, would he still recognize her? "Would she be able to free herself from her new family, or would she be trapped there forever? A story of love, betrayal, romance and suspense. The Billionaire Deception is a gripping and intriguing read that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page.