Dum Spiro Spero

She had it all—beauty, wealth, and the love of her powerful family. Raised in the lap of luxury, she never questioned the world around her, nor did she imagine the cruelty it could harbor. Her life was a fairytale until she made one unforgivable mistake: she gave her heart to the wrong man. He was nothing like the men from her world—no money, no status, and certainly no respect for her. Yet, his cold indifference lured her in, and she loved him with everything she had, only to find him in bed with her best friend. Betrayed by her lover and best friend, she faces ruin, until a surprising offer comes from the one man she despises—the arrogant playboy who never missed a chance to mock her: a contract marriage, not for love but revenge. As their game of pride and power begins, she discovers there may be more behind his cold exterior—and perhaps, a chance at something real.

Ethan Harper was infatuated with the widow, Grace Bowen, who lived downstairs. She made him special breakfasts and did not mind his hunched back or his loud chewing when he ate. He said, “My old hag of a wife is like an NPC. Whenever I get close to her, she just gives me chores to do. “Not like you. You’re so understanding, and you make me feel like a real person.” He envied her late husband, whom he said was luckier than he was for having married her. I decided to grant him his wish immediately. I was afraid if I waited even a moment longer, he might snap out of it.

I brought my son, who was around a year old, to visit my parents’ graves, only to run into my childhood friend’s mother. She asked me whether I had returned because I was no longer angry. “Yelena, you’re finally back! You must’ve returned to marry Niel. “I’ll make sure your wedding goes smoothly this time. I won’t allow any random person to ruin it!” Niel Stalner was my childhood friend and ex-fiance. During my engagement party, Cloud Stalner, his foster sister, had barged in while wearing the same gown as I did. She also said that she would kill herself if Niel refused to leave with her. The guests burst into a ruckus, and in the end, I was left alone in the venue. Everyone criticized me, and Niel’s family abandoned me. Eventually, I left the country like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs. I smiled at Neil’s mother, Iris, and pushed the baby stroller forward. “Iris, are you seriously telling me that Niel hasn’t married Cloud yet? Anyway, Michael, say hello.”

I secretly sent Lena Parker, my husband Dominic Caballero's mistress, away to Sicara. I'm defying his authority as the Don of Coastwick, New Hudson. That very night, he abducts my parents and younger brother, using their lives to force me to reveal Lena's whereabouts. Dominic pushes his phone in front of me. On the screen, I see my family tied to chairs, the timer of the bombs ticking down. 00:59:59 00:59:58 He sits across from me and taps his fingers softly against the table, like he's closing a business deal. "Alyssa, you have 59 minutes," Dominic says in a calm, almost gentle voice. "Where's Lena?" I freeze, my throat tightening as if strangled. I can't get a word out. This is the third time he's pressed me. The first time, he asked where Lena had gone, but I stayed silent. The second time, he grabbed my chin and said in a low voice, "Alyssa, don't play games." Now, for the third time, he's threatening my family's lives. "Dominic…" I call out, my voice trembling. "They're my family. They're the most important people to me." He chuckles. "Is that so? Then why didn't you think about how important Lena is to me when you sent her away?" I stare at him, feeling how utterly absurd it all is. Important? He told me before that other women were just playthings. Once he got bored, he'd dump them. He swore I was the only one he loved. But now, for Lena, he's willing to kill my family.

When the village chief delivered the items for my wedding, my fiancé's adopted sister, who was the apple of his eye, suddenly burst into tears. She cut my wedding dress and smashed the wardrobe that my older brother made for me. Every time I was about to lose my temper, my fiancé, who was also my childhood sweetheart, would immediately side with her. He claimed that she was still young and did not understand jealousy; she was just insecure. Even my own brother defended her, saying I had a birth brother who doted on me. It would not hurt to give in to her. When an earthquake happened, they both ran to her and protected her tightly beneath their bodies. Meanwhile, I was trapped under the ruins for three days and three nights. My brother and fiancé tried every possible way to cheer up her, leaving the villagers to rescue me instead. When they looked at me with wounds all over my body, they only said, "Don't overthink it. Jenn is timid and frightened. We couldn't leave her alone." I was on bed rest for a month, but not once did I see them. Only the village chief came to see me. He tried to persuade me, saying, "You're the first college student in our village. Are you really going to give up on your studies just to get married? This—" I interrupted him, "I made my decision before you came. I'll report to the college on time!"

"My engagement party is tomorrow," Cecilia said calmly. "But I'm missing one thing." "What?" he asked. She smiled. "A fiancé." "My pleasure," he said, voice low and steady. "Miss Fiancée." *** The night before her engagement party, Cecilia is betrayed by her ex and her own cousin. But humiliation won't be her ending. In a bold move, she picks a devastatingly handsome stranger to play the role of her fiancé. What she doesn't know is--Liam Sinclair isn't someone you simply "choose." He's dangerous, powerful, and far from ordinary. By the time Cecilia realizes who he really is, it's already too late. Because Liam never lets go of what's his.

In the third year the law firm was established, Claire Stone joined the firm as an assistant. From then on, my boyfriend started buying breakfast for her. My childhood friend also drove her to and from work. As for me, I became the wicked woman who bullied the newbie. The repeated disappointments made me decide to expel them from my life. So I agreed to a marriage contract with someone else, and while my boyfriend and childhood friend mocked me, I left the firm we had formed together. Later, they learned that they had been showering all their love and attention on a spy sent by a rival law firm. When they regretted their actions and asked me to go back to them, my husband sent them an invitation to our wedding.

Angelina Winterbourne vowed her union with Alpha Nathaniel Byrne would be eternal. It lasted just long enough to cost her everything—most cruelly, her daughter. When dawn raids left Angelina and Iona bleeding out, Nathaniel chose them again, his dearest friend, her golden son. Survival became her rebellion. Now, divorced and disgraced, Angelina has returned to the Black Widow Pack—and to Alpha Malcolm’s audacious offer, redeem her shattered legacy by revolutionising their famine-ravaged farmlands. But as whispers of sabotage spread, Angelina must decide—will she rebuild the soil, or scorch the lies that poisoned her life?

I met him, the man of my dreams. On the worst day of my life. Catching my boyfriend out was bad. Coming out of the club in a daze, I stumbled upon a situation which was worse. Much worse. And it would have been deadly too, If he wasn’t there to save me. My unsuspecting hero. He was rugged, wild and powerful. The way he looked at me set me on fire. He was wrong for all the right reasons, a bad man with a good heart. And I fell, way too hard. Things started to go amiss and pieces of the puzzle are missing. Why was he there that day, who is he really? I’m so confused. My head and heart are in a battle to the death. Do I leave with my head. Or stay and love with my heart.

Revenge that was supposed to be sweet turned into something else when Ava dumped her ex for cheating on her with her stepsister. She swore she’d never cry over trash again and decided to get her revenge by offering a marriage deal to someone untouchable, handsome and ten times better like the dangerously magnetic billionaire Kylan Kingsley. But payback turns twisted when she learns the man she chose isn’t just rich and ruthless… he’s also her new professor. Desire ignites, rules shatter and a forbidden romance turns addictive. Life is fun, everything is perfect and passion is burning hot until secrets that could ruin them both resurface. And when passion collides with secrets, nothing will ever be the same.