Even If It Hurts Sam Mariano

Anita Richardson, a top model in New York City, got entangled in a scandal that threatened to end her career. She had to seek refuge from none other than the famous, Mr. Rivers, CEO of Opulence Entertainment. What happens after she made a deal with him even though several details weren't made clear to her? Something that had to do with her being a substitute mom for his twin kids, aside from her being a substitute for his runaway wife... With a past as dark as night she was desperate to keep hidden and protect, how was she to take care of others when she wasn't really doing well in taking care of herself? When love's shackles threatened to stand in the way of her plans, Anita finds herself caged between her past and present. Was she going to ignore the hurt of the past with its scars, and let love guide her? Or would she make good use of her situation to avenge her broken self and get back what had been originally hers?

‘You think you can just walk away from me?’ Xavier’s voice was cold, dangerous. ‘Watch me.’ Harper whispered, tears burning her eyes. He stepped closer, his gaze darkening. “You signed a contract, Harper. You’re mine.” Harper Williams thought she’d left her past behind when she agreed to a fake engagement with billionaire CEO, Xavier Blackwood. But one dinner changes everything- her ex-husband sitting across the table, and Xavier revealed to be his brother. What begins as a business deal spirals into a web of lies, obsession, and betrayal. When a shocking death drags Harper into a storm of scandal, she becomes the target of someone who wants her gone for good. And just when she thinks she’s free, she vanishes. A contract, a secret and a love that could destroy them both. Dive into a world of passion, power, and danger in this addictive billionaire romance.

Aurora’s family was on the verge of bankruptcy. Forced by circumstances, she entered a secret shotgun marriage with Leon Kingsley, a friend from her childhood with whom she has slowly drifted apart. Leon proposed to give Aurora a comfortable lifestyle if she would marry him to get his family off his back, manage his family obligations and ward off the advances of his admirers. Aurora agreed to a three-year fake marriage with him, wherein they maintain the illusion of a joyful couple in front of their family, friends and relatives, but everything goes haywire when Aurora’s rumored crush, Owen, along with Claire, the woman who holds a special place in Leon’s heart, return from overseas, sending ripples in the fake pair’s relationship, leading them to abandon all pretense of affection, reducing their marriage to a hollow performance. Aurora signed. “Leon, let’s get a divorce. It's time for us to find our own happiness.” Leon growled. “Not a chance! I’m not letting you go!”

After being married for five years, my husband, Harvey Jepson, brings his first love, Debbie Grayson, home after a six-month business trip. Debbie is over three months pregnant. Harvey says it's hard for her alone, so she's temporarily living with us. I say no, and Harvey warns me to know my place. His scornful tone seems to hint that he's forgotten this villa was a wedding gift to me. He and his family have been leeching off me for the past five years. This time, I'm cutting all of them off. I smile and call my assistant. "Draw up a divorce agreement for me now. To think a live-in husband would have the nerve to bring his mistress home so boldly."

Life can be very unpredictable and upsetting. That's what happened to Shanon Wilson. Her sister was sold to a rich man to pay off her stepmother's debts. But, her sister had an accident and was declared in a coma. As her younger sister, Shanon had to replace Avery in marrying the rich man. And in an instant, she was completely the bride of a stranger. While walking down the aisle, Shanon was shocked to find out that her groom was Anthony Bruce, her professor. He is famous as a handsome young professor on her campus and all of Shanon's friends adore him. Shanon hid her face behind a veil during the wedding process until the priest asked Anthony to kiss his bride... Shanon knew she was in big trouble.

After the hot sex, the boss asks the secretary to decide whether to be mistress or secretary. She liked him silently for a year, so decide the first. Everything's fine till the baby comes along.

My sister abruptly returns to the country on the day of my wedding. My parents, brother, and fiancé abandon me to pick her up at the airport. She shares a photo of them on her social media, bragging about how she's so loved. Meanwhile, all the calls I make are rejected. My fiancé is the only one who answers, but all he tells me is not to kick up a fuss. We can always have our wedding some other day. They turn me into a laughingstock on the day I've looked forward to all my life. Everyone points at me and laughs in my face. I calmly deal with everything before writing a new number in my journal—99. This is their 99th time disappointing me; I won't wish for them to love me anymore. I fill in a request to study abroad and pack my luggage. They think I've learned to be obedient, but I'm actually about to leave forever.

The richest man in the country, Sebastian Vance, has a ring custom-made to my exact measurements, worth billions of dollars, for the woman who will be his bride. In the first life, my stepsister, Mia Lowe, slips on the ring and marries him. Sebastian claws her face, shouting, "She's not the one!" In the second life, my other stepsister, Lorraine Lowe, loses 30 pounds before marrying him. He shoves her down the stairs anyway and says, "She's not the one either." In the third life, my stepmother, Vivian Cole, grits her teeth and slices off a piece of her own flesh just to force the ring onto her finger. Sebastian sneers and pushes her under the bathwater, holding her down until her body goes limp. By the fourth life, out of options and terrified, they finally send me. I slide the ring on, and it fits perfectly. My entire family lets out a sigh of relief. But the second Sebastian lays his eyes on me, he draws a knife and stabs me to death. "Why is it still not her? Where is she?" In the last life, he has his assistant, Owen Hayes, deliver a ring to us. All four of us insist that it won't fit. Owen shoots us a strange look. "Mr. Vance said the rightful owner of this ring is among you."

Meet Emily Collins, the devoted secretary with a knack for mismatched fashion, and Oliver Sterling, the brilliant but enigmatic CEO. Their worlds collide when Oliver, facing an unexpected ultimatum from his grandfather, turns to Emily for an unconventional solution. While Emily dreams of saving a million dollars and bidding goodbye to her corporate life, Oliver's goal is to introduce his secret actress girlfriend to his family. Caught between family expectations and a reluctant girlfriend, Oliver proposes a daring deal to Emily: a six-month contract where she pretends to be his girlfriend. The offer comes with a tempting promise—enough money to fast-track Emily's savings goal. As the two plunge into their fake romance, cue the funny twist—Emily knows every quirk and detail about Oliver, right down to the size of his ring finger, but Oliver doesn't know a thing about Emily. With the lines between reality and pretense blurring, the stage is set for a romantic collision where one is poised to fall in love, and the other is destined to fall even harder.

My mother is gravely ill and needs a million dollars for surgery. I run all over the city, desperately trying to borrow the money. Just when I'm at my breaking point, my childhood friend shows up, holding a check for one million dollars. His condition? He wants to marry me. Everyone's waiting for me to say yes, but I calmly refuse. Because in my last life, even after I married him, my mother still died. Her surgery failed. Later, I accidentally overhear a conversation between him and a doctor. "Christopher, you sabotaged the surgery just to transplant Alice's mom's kidney into Jennifer? Was it worth it? If Alice finds out, you’re done." "I just want Jennifer to live. And honestly, marrying someone like Alice? My life is already over." That's when I realize our entire marriage was nothing but a carefully woven lie. He did it all for the woman he truly loved.