Defending Jacob Did He Do It

Ava Nove anos atrás eu fiz uma coisa horrível. Eu não me orgulho disso, mas tive a oportunidade de ter o cara que amei desde pequena e aproveitei. Anos depois, estou cansada de viver em um casamento sem amor. Quero libertar nós dois de um casamento que nunca deveria ter acontecido. Dizem que se você ama alguém… Você tem que dar liberdade.. Eu sei que ele nunca vai me amar e que nunca vou ser a pessoa da vida dele. Seu coração sempre vai ser dela e, apesar dos meus pecados, eu mereço ser amada. RowanNove anos atrás, eu estava tão apaixonado que não conseguia enxergar direito. Estraguei tudo quando cometi o pior erro da minha vida e, no processo, perdi o amor da minha vida. Eu sabia que tinha que assumir minha responsabilidade e foi o que fiz, com uma esposa que não queria. Com a mulher errada. Agora ela mais uma vez mudou minha vida, se divorciando de mim. Para complicar ainda mais as coisas, o amor da minha vida voltou à cidade. Agora, a única questão é: quem é a mulher certa? A garota por quem me apaixonei anos atrás? Ou minha ex-mulher, a mulher que eu nunca quis, mas tive que me casar?

For four years, I worked three jobs to support my husband, Edward Godfrey, while he chased his PhD and battled ALS. And somehow, in all that time, I'd never stepped foot on his campus. Not because I didn't want to. Every time I brought it up, he had some excuse ready. When graduation came, I asked to go to his hooding ceremony. He shut it down fast. "It's just a formality. A bunch of lab nerds. You'd be bored. Once I bring the diploma home, we'll have a candlelight dinner." I didn't argue. Just helped him straighten his doctoral gown. But I couldn't hide how excited I was. So I dressed up. And secretly followed him. Onstage, Edward stood beside his wheelchair, voice thick with emotion. "I want to thank my wife. She stood with me in the lab, even while pregnant, helping me grind out countless precious data points." I froze. My hand pressed against my flat stomach. Cold crept down my spine. For four years, I'd busted myself raw to support his PhD. I went from the girl everyone on campus admired to a fish seller, reeking like seafood every day. Worked so hard I miscarried twice. So who exactly was this "wife" he was thanking?

I'm not only ugly, I'm an idiot. Because, tell me, why would I think that the hottest guy at school would be interested in me? To make it even worse, he was dating my sister. My sister was perfect. She was the golden daughter—perfect at everything, beautiful. So why would I, in my right mind, think that Damien Salvatore would be interested in an ugly duckling like me? That was my first mistake. *** I couldn't believe Damien had just said that to me. Damien wanted me.... Me!? Inner squeal. He cupped my face and kissed me fiercely, catching me by surprise. My body sprang to life, answering to the need in his kiss until it became more, heated, too much. I tore away from him, shaking my head, even as my body throbbed with desire. “Wait...” Why was I stopping this? Am I an idiot? I have dreamt About this since forever.... I have never wanted anything so bad in my life. "Don't you want to kiss me??" He rasped out.

Elena Carter once had everything, a brilliant career, a respected name in medical research, and a family she believed was worth sacrificing everything for. As a pioneering pediatric immunologist, she was on the verge of a breakthrough that could save thousands of children suffering from a rare and deadly genetic disorder. But for love, she walked away from it all… choosing to become a wife, a mother to a fragile child who depended on her for survival. She believed her sacrifice meant something. However, she was wrong. Her husband, Marcus Thorne, lies a truth Elena never dared to see, a truth that begins to unravel the night a stranger sends her a message that changes everything. What starts as suspicion soon turns into something more devastating than betrayal. It isn’t just about another woman. It’s about stolen time. Broken promises. A decision that will cost Elena more than she ever imagined. When tragedy strikes and the truth finally surfaces, Elena is forced to confront a reality so cruel it shatters everything she once believed in love, loyalty, the man she trusted with her life. With nothing left to hold her back, she walks away. But she doesn’t leave empty-handed. She takes with her the one thing that still matters to her. Years later, she returns… no longer the woman he once overlooked, but a force the world cannot ignore. A doctor who saves lives. A woman who rebuilt herself from ashes. Fate brings them face to face again Marcus is left with a truth he can no longer escape: The woman he once took for granted… Is now the only one who can save what he holds dear. But some losses don’t fade. Some wounds don’t heal. And this time. Elena Carter may choose herself.

Nyla Leclair has spent her life putting others first, including marrying Evans Morgan to save her family from ruin. She never imagined the price she would pay for duty was her life. When she discovers she is pregnant, hope finally blooms, until Evans coldly reveals he wants an open marriage, and he had been secretly screwing her best friend. Betrayed by the one she trusted most and pushed over the cliff by her childhood best friend, Nyla’s life nearly ends that night, only to be saved by Kael Arden, a mysterious billionaire who refuses to let her fall. Now awake and determined, Nyla is no longer the woman they could control. With Kael by her side, she begins to reclaim her life, plotting a revenge that is precise, merciless, and impossible to ignore. Those who tried to destroy her will soon understand that the woman they underestimated has risen stronger, smarter, and more fearless than they ever imagined.

I spent five years as Dominic Santoro’s wife in name only. Five years hidden behind closed doors, buried under his sheets, erased from his world. When he finally agreed to take me back to Chicago—to stand beside him, to be seen—I thought I had won. I bought a new dress. Soft. Elegant. Worthy of a Don’s woman. The night before we left, he looked at me through the mirror and said calmly, “Take the makeup off. Change into pants.” I asked why. He adjusted his cufflinks like I was nothing more than background noise. “Juliana Lancaster is back. Tonight is our engagement.” Russian Bratva. Lancaster blood. A marriage alliance. Seeing my silence, he laughed—careless, cruel. “What’s with that look? Didn’t we agree on this when we married? Brotherhood. Loyalty. No love.” Then he turned, eyes sharp and mocking. “Victoria Miller… you didn’t actually fall in love with me, did you?” I stood there, frozen. Because inside the inner pocket of his tailored suit— was my pregnancy report. And the Don of Chicago had no idea the woman he was about to sacrifice was carrying his heir.

He looked right through me. Alpha Damon, my fated mate, saw only a cursed, scentless servant unworthy of his notice. His rejection was a cold blade to the heart. Then, blood and chaos shattered everything. A rogue attack broke the curse binding my true Alpha power, revealing the wolf he’d scorned. Now, he sees me. Now, he wants me. The pursuit has begun – fierce, desperate, possessive. He tries apologies, demands, even force, driven by the bond he denied. But I am not the broken girl he remembers. He will learn that earning forgiveness from the Luna he brutalized means bowing before the power he dismissed. The chase is on, but this time, I set the rules.

I lifted my head from Rhys's arms, his strong chest rising and falling against my cheek. Silk sheets tangled around our naked bodies, the air thick with the scent of our passion. After a passionate night with my childhood friend, the Mafia heir, I was jolted awake at three in the morning by the shrill ring of a phone. It was the Don, ordering me to bring Rhys back to the estate for an arranged marriage. I figured it was just another heiress trying to claw her way into the Griffin family, so I kissed his forehead, pressing myself against him and whispering with a low laugh. "Rhys, what's your plan for this boring princess?" He arched an eyebrow, wrapping a lazy arm around my waist. "Baby, make sure you pick out a good tie for me. I need to make a good impression on my future father-in-law." Seeing me freeze, Rhys sat up and shot me a casual glance, his voice laced with indifference. "Maeve, what's with that reaction? We're just having fun." "You didn't actually think you were going to be the next Donna of the Griffin family, did you?"

The Rossi mafia family followed an ancestral rule. Before marriage, the heir received one chance each year to draw lots. Drawing a fortunate lot meant he could choose his own spouse and avoid an arranged marriage. Dante Rossi drew an unfortunate lot for five consecutive years, and I, who had been dating him for seven years, never managed to marry him. This year marked the sixth year. I overheard his conversation with Marco Valentino, the Underboss. "Mr. Rossi, you drew a fortunate lot again." Dante's voice carried an unprecedented coldness. "Same as always, switch it to an unfortunate lot." Marco hesitated, then tried to persuade him. "Mr. Rossi, you've switched it for five years straight. Aren't you worried Celia will leave? Celia's the most beautiful woman in Nopales. Half the men in the city are chasing her." Dante said with absolute certainty, "She won't. Celia loves me too much. She won't marry anyone else. "Years ago, Livia's father died saving me. His dying wish was for me to stay by her side for five years. After this year ends, I'll give Celia a grand wedding as compensation." My last shred of hope died after I heard those words. Dante probably did not know that the Rossi family had one final ancestral rule. If the heir failed to draw a fortunate lot six times, he would lose the right to choose his own marriage. Moreover, I would soon be marrying someone else.

The night my husband, William Costello, was assassinated by his enemies was supposed to be a celebration—our wedding anniversary. I was dressed in his favorite red dress, waiting for him, when the phone rang. "Mr. Costello was shot at the harbor. The bullet went through the back of his head. He died on the spot." I collapsed to the floor. I clung to his belongings, mourning for a week straight. We even lost our unborn child during this time. Everyone said William and I were true love. Even the Don himself came to the funeral, resting a heavy hand on my shoulder with a sigh. He said, "All of Blackhaven knows you were the only woman he ever loved." Grief nearly destroyed me. I stood at the river's edge, ready to follow William into the afterlife. However, I overheard my sister-in-law, Emily Hawkins, leaning into my brother-in-law, Jones Costello, her voice dripping with a twisted affection. She purred, "William, I love you so much. Between Nina and me, who do you think is sexier?" "Of course it's you, babe!" came the husky reply. I stood frozen, my eyes wide and my body trembling. Why was Emily calling my brother-in-law by my husband's name?