Glass Lotus

"Skin once broken ,can never be the same. Just like hearts once betrayed, struggle to beat again." ................................................... A broken piece of glass, a shattered heart. Was all that could define Ethan Lockwood's past. The heir to one of the biggest estates in the country, the most eligible bachelor as the tabloids said. With persona cold as ice and presence authoritative and terrifying ,he was making sure to not let anyone come close to him. Not giving anyone the right over him. Until he met her again. By hands of fate, the very girl he despised more than anything. The girl behind everything. But. What if the girl was no longer that beautiful confident rich man's daughter now? What if behind her beautiful smile she veil's a ugliness that made her insecure every night. What if she has been already punished in the worst way which resembled a nightmare. What if she was scarred beyond repair. Will he be able to see beyond her fascade? Does he have it in him to forgive her after everything? Circumstances change, people change and stereotypes break. But what remains is the beauty that lies within. And that's when my friends the journey of 'his not so beautiful wife 2 begins. *Could be read as a stand alone.

The night before my fiancé, Soren, and I were supposed to leave for Northern Europe to start our new life, the sounds of a lively discussion drifted from his private club. "Christ, Boss, are you insane? Why the sudden marriage alliance with the Rosetti family to make a play for Italy? Didn't you say you were getting out of the life with Abby and heading north?" Soren leaned back into a leather sofa, his voice nonchalant and muffled by a cloud of smoke. "Plans change. Besides, remember, I'm the one who made her who she is." "Once she sees the new empire I'm building, that little canary will come flying right back to my cage. The woman can't live without me." I stood in the shadows of the club, a wine glass in my hand, a dull ache blooming in my chest. The anniversary gift I had so carefully chosen for Soren was still in my purse, waiting for me to give it to him. I slipped out of the smoke-filled club, tossed the gift into the nearest trash can, and booked a one-way ticket to Northern Europe. But what he didn't know was that just as he could betray our future for Monica, I could abandon him for mine. All those years we spent dancing with death were never just for his sake.

Rachel Larson was adamant about marrying me, and she spent ten years stealing my heart. On the night before our wedding, I overheard her conversation with her friend. "You're marrying Leonardo? What about your side piece?" A moment of silence later, Rachel answered, "That guy? He's just a cheap replacement. Leonardo's the real deal. Don't compare my side piece to him. If he stays put and keeps his mouth shut, I might let him stay around. Leonardo's a broad-minded man. He won't mind." The side piece did not stay put. In fact, he caused a scene at the wedding the next day. He shoved me off the stage, but the woman who was supposed to marry me darted over to his side instead. Why? He was holding a piece of broken glass against his throat. Gutturally, he roared, "Choose! Me or him?" Panicked, Rachel kicked me away despite my injuries, and she roared, "Get out of the way! I need to take him to the hospital! If anything happens to him, I'll kill you!" She didn't need to wait that long. My heart died right there and then. … That night, I bought a flight ticket that would take me abroad and left her.

"Work Hard, Play Hard" Archie is never without a beautiful woman or a glass of good scotch in his hand, which drives his ultra-wealthy, conservative parents to distraction. To force him to take life more seriously, his father threatens to name his cousin the CEO of the company Archie helped build from the ground up if he doesn't marry a girl of their choosing. To appease his parents, Archie proposes to Leticia and gives her the family heirloom ring. Archie's best friend Josh thinks he's making a big mistake and invites him for a week's holiday in Ibiza, telling him it's a stag party. With his boyfriend Charlie, Josh aims to convince Archie to face his true self and his long-buried truth. Archie initially clashes with the outgoing, gregarious Charlie, but soon finds himself drawn to him as Charlie returns the attraction, pushing Archie to explore this connection even at the risk of losing Josh's friendship. But Archie's return to the real world makes him realize that his love for Charlie could cost him the CEO position and the love of his parents. Forced to choose between a chance at true love and familial loyalty, Archie makes the ultimate decision, but either one will destroy lives and hearts.

He isn’t just twice my age, he’s also my best friend’s dad. And the man who appears in my steamy dreams every night and satisfies all my wild fantasies… The first time I saw Tony was on my 16th birthday, he was a tall glass of my favorite drink and the moment our eyes met, I was hooked. I wanted him. I yearned for him. But then, he was way out of my league. I was just a 16-year-old naive girl with no clue how to unravel the mystery around him. So I just stood there and watched another woman take him away from me. I thought I had lost him until three years later. I was standing in front of this huge house, and right in front of me was my mystery man. My fantasy s*x god who appears in my hot dreams every night is my best friend’s dad… I should have looked away immediately, I should have remembered the rules, the consequences, and the hurt. But how do you stop your heart from beating for the one it’s chosen? Everything changed with just one kiss. I crossed a line I shouldn’t have crossed, and I had to deal with a temptation too wild to resist.

Could there be anything more painful than witnessing how your best friend and your boyfriend pleasure in each other's company? That's exactly what Summer Hilton experienced when, from a mission, she accidentally found herself against the glass wall of the unit occupied by her unfaithful boyfriend and her bestfriend Wilma. Summer was born with a golden spoon in her mouth and she is princess of the Hilton’s family. Admired and envied by everyone for possessing all the good qualities, including excessive self-confidence, but in a moment, all of that vanished due to the betrayal of two precious people in her life. Hans Zimmer, a successful Hollywood actor, became entangled in a complex situation. Admired by Summer, she took a bold step to get to know him and surprised everyone with a marriage contract. Three months later, as Hans prepared to marry Scarlett, he discovered he was already married into another woman, leading to Scarlett's decision to separate. Hanz searched for his wife named Summer but was dismayed to find in front of him the plus size fan he encountered before. “Love me in three months, and I will give you back your freedom." This was the condition set by his wife, who treated him colder than ice. What if Summer completely falls for her idol, who is now her husband? Will she still be able to give up the freedom he's asking for? Or will she let her heart suffer once again for the second time?"

Roses are red, tequila hits hard, and I danced like I owned the damn night. Now? Everything’s a hot mess. Emily Hart just landed the dream job, personal secretary to the sinfully rich, dangerously fine CEO of Steele Empire. So naturally, she did what any girl with a fat offer letter and a killer dress would do: hit the club, danced like a vixen, and threw back shots until reality blurred and pleasure took the wheel. That’s when he happened. Dominic Steele. Billionaire boss. Ruthless in the boardroom. Untamed in the bedroom. He saw her, hips swaying, lips smirking, black dress clinging like a second skin, and he didn’t ask for a name. He just took. One night. One filthy, breathless, back-arching night. No promises. No names. Just raw heat and moans that echoed past midnight. Until Monday morning happened. Now, the man who made her beg without words is standing behind a glass desk in a tailored suit, And she’s the new secretary who can’t look him in the eye without remembering how he made her scream. She thinks he’s cocky as hell. He thinks she’s the sweetest kind of chaos. But when a missed period makes an unexpected appearance, it’s no longer just business. It’s Daddy, please……. with a whole lot of tension, temptation, and trouble in between.

I was beginning to shed tears, couldn't wait any longer. "All the time I cry just because of you, and it doesn't touch you, you don't love me!" I said wiping off my tears with my hands. He took a sip from his glass cup. "You're mine, so it's your body. Why do you resist? Until then, a man has needs" He said confidently. "Because…" I was going to let it all out, tell him what a jerk he is, but I couldn't, he wasn't one to be messed with. Matt hated being disrespected or intimidated in anyway. "You know what… " I sobbed, Cleared my face "I would rather give another man my body!" "I would kill any man that touches you" he said with a light smile. "You wouldn't give me happiness, and you don't want me to get happiness from somewhere else, what kind of a man are you?" "No, Arianne, don't you dare question my authority." I ignored his words. "I'm a woman, I have needs too." "Come live with me, but you won't. I will make you a queen, give you all you want and—" "You mean make me your sex slave?" ....

Twenty five years old Alexa Martinez was forced by her mother to marry a man who is many years older than her. Without any option, she decided to marry him. At first life was good but as soon as she gave birth, everything changed. The man started to disrespect her in front of the kids and also cheat. Humble and naive, she tried her level best to bear up with his humiliation but her life changed the moment her best friend Bella dragged her in the club. In the club she met a devilishly handsome stranger whom she had a one night stand with. However after this one night stand she instead got "Obsessed with cheating" . MARK WATSON is aggressive and rude. He abused Alexa a lot and things got worse when she gave birth . He began to cheat and disrespect her in front of the kids but then he regretted it later when he realized it that Alexa had finally got a man who is young and richer than him . EXTRACT : " I can't stay in this bar, am married with three kids " , l reprimanded myself as I tried to think of something that I could do to stay the hell away from this temptation. " Let me get out of this club right now , this isn't right " , With my mind warning me , l instantly picked up my half filled up glass and jumped off the velvet leathered stool .

Receiving a glass of wine from her sister on the night before her wedding was the worst mistake Annalisa could have ever made. Unknown to her, the drink had been spiked, setting her up into having a one night stand with a stranger. But the stranger had been none other than Cristiano Morano, a powerful and ruthless man who controlled half of the city's underworld. To make matters worse, he was also the sworn enemy of her fiancé. Annalisa thought she was going to lose it all, her career and her life, when a scandal about her unfaithfulness broke out. Not only that, she found out her fiancé had been cheating with her blood sister. As her family were about to announce their disowning in a press conference, a dashing man from the audience had come out and said he was going to take responsibility for Anna. They got married, but Cristiano had stated a condition in the contract she signed; He would have full control over her life and career. Would a timid girl like Annalisa survive in Cristiano's world? “You’re mine now, Annalisa. And I always get what's mine.” “W-what do you mean?” “I mean I'll break you,” Cristiano said, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “And then, I'll put you back together again, my way.”