He Who Dares

Maya Anderson, who was later named Mayla, was a girl who met an unfortunate fate of being switched at birth. Things began to sour as her family discovered she was not of their blood or their own. In a quest to find true love later in her life, Mayla ends up having a one-night stand with a man she later finds out is jake. He initially fails to recognize her because of the change in her name. But as time goes on, he begins to fall for her. This sparks jealousy in the eyes of her brother’s real sister, Maria. But a shocking revelation is made concerning Mayla and Maria switching during birth, someone close to them is orchestrating something sinister so they can have the Anderson properties, but who is this? And will they succeed?

Rejected the second time by Marcelo the man she loves, Anaya flees the country. She's determined not to end up like her mom who was continuously begging her scum of a father for love. But what happens when a one night stand four years later leads her back to him? Only that this time, he swears never to let her go, for he realized she was his cure to a weak libido, his breath of fresh air in a very polluted world, he realized she fell first but he had fallen harder. EXTRACT " Have I ever told you that your smile is beautiful?"   " I'm pretty sure all I ever heard from you was that I should stop smiling at your friends, must have been because you were afraid I'd scare them off with my smile." She replied as she laughed out, trying to make the conversation light.   " that's not true_although you're right about one thing."   " You mean the part where I scare them off with my smile?"   " Nope, the part where I was afraid."   " Afraid that I'd scare them off with my smile?"   " Why are you so bent on the scary smile?" He asked while laughing   " Cause I'm sure that's the case." " Well you're wrong, I was afraid that you would stop smiling at me and smile more at my friends.....I was jealous I guess."

Have you ever lived a life that looked perfect—but felt like nothing? Felt yourself slipping away every day… yet still couldn’t call that life your own? Well, Serena Beckett has. The perfect daughter. The perfect wife. Invisible in her own story. Born into a wealth she was never allowed to claim. Married into a life she didn’t choose, but ended up loving endlessly as she thought she could finally have a thing of her own. Until the night her husband walks in with a stranger… and divorce papers. That night, something breaks in her. And something far stronger takes its place. Serena doesn’t crumble. She doesn’t leave. Not until she decides who she really is—beyond the Beckett name, beyond the lies, beyond the mask she’s worn for far too long. Is she the girl her family tried to tame? The wife Eliot thought he could throw away? Or someone neither of them ever saw coming? And when Eliot finally sees her… Will it be too late?

In the seventh year of my marriage to Simon Heath, I finally walk away from him after his 32nd mistress shows up at my door. I join a classified government program and disappear from his world. Now he's falling apart and calling me non-stop. "Lily, I was wrong. Please come back." In the past, a single word of apology from him would have been enough to make me stay. But not this time. This time, he's bound to be disappointed.

I was just a student who couldn't afford tuition. For five years, I was also the secret lover of Mafia Don Dante Costello. Publicly, I was his personal art restorer. In private, he spent his nights making me his, holding me close and kissing me breathless. Then his family arranged his engagement. To Isabella Rossi. A princess from a rival family. At their engagement party, Isabella stabbed the back of my hand with a shard of broken glass. He made me apologize. To her. For making a scene. Fighting back tears, I bowed my head to Isabella. When Isabella lost a bet and had to play Russian Roulette—one bullet, six chambers—he made me take her place. My hand shook as I raised the gun to my head. "You saved my life once," I told him. "Now you can have it back." The moment I vanished from his world, the ruthless Mafia Don who had everything under control...completely lost his mind.

My son was caught in a car accident. My husband said that without a cornea donor, he would be trapped in darkness forever. Heartbroken, I let him sweet-talk me into signing away my corneas. Blind, I overheard my son gloating, "Dad, the plan worked. Mom fell for it, and Rachel's got her sight back. She won't be miserable anymore." "Yeah, now we're a real family with her," replied my husband. The truth gutted me. They'd played me like a fool to save my husband's old flame. When I confronted them, Rachel Huffman shoved me down a staircase, and I died in agony. But when I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of my son's car accident.

I stare at the email on my screen, unable to move my fingers. Tomorrow is our company's crucial product launch, and I just learn that the patent for the algorithm I spent three years developing is now filed under Matthew Ashford's new assistant, Sophie Bennett. I storm into Matthew's office to confront him. Sophie sits on his desk with her legs crossed, looking completely innocent. She claims that she filled out the form by mistake. "It's just a clerical error. The patent still belongs to the company. What's the big deal?" Matthew stands up from his chair, positioning himself in front of Sophie. I can't believe what I am hearing. "Matthew, this is my research!" "Emma, you're thirty-five. Why are you picking a fight with a twenty-three-year-old intern?" He frowns. Then, he turns to Sophie. "Starting tomorrow, you're the new CTO. Emma needs… some time off." I'm utterly stunned. A decade of marriage and five years dedicated to building a company together have been shattered by a few casual words from him. Thirty minutes later, Sophie posts a photo on social media of herself sitting on Matthew's lap. They are both clinking champagne glasses. "So lucky to have the best boss ever. I'll make sure to be his loyal kitten." Below that, Matthew leaves a comment—three red heart emojis. I shut my laptop and pick up my phone. "Hello. Is this Mr. David Langley from Novara Group of Sundale Valley? This is Emma Whitmore. I've changed my mind. I'm ready to join you." I pause. "And by the way, about that unreleased algorithm upgrade, I have the complete technical blueprint. Make me an offer." Later, I fly to Tallisport with an eight-figure check in hand, while Matthew goes frantic trying to find me.

During a company team-building event, I collapse from a seafood allergy. Yet my fiance, Frederick Scott, rushes Beatrice Sutton, who only twisted her ankle, to the hospital. I come close to dying because I don't get treatment in time. Later, Frederick explains, "Beatrice is my best friend's sister. He's seriously ill now, and I promised him I'd take care of his sister. I swear I'll keep my distance from her from now on." This isn't the first time I've heard an excuse like that. On our fifth anniversary, Beatrice accidentally deleted a work file and burst into tears out of worry. When Frederick heard about it, he left me stranded on a mountain and drove back to the office himself. I spent a whole day and night walking home through the rain. On Christmas, Beatrice's house lost power. Frederick was worried that she might be scared of being alone, and he rushed over to her place without even telling me, leaving me out in the snow waiting for him until dawn. These kinds of things have happened countless times. Afterward, he always brushes them off with the same excuse. I've long since lost all faith in him and no longer believe a single word he says. I pick up my phone and call the company that keeps reaching out to me. "I've decided to accept your offer from last time. I'll bring the core technology with me."

I post a wedding photo with my fiance, Miles Kingston, on my Instagram story. But I forgot to hide it from his first love, Chloe Bennett. The very next day, Miles gets his revenge. He puts our wedding night up for auction online. After the wedding ceremony, I find Miles in a private room at the restaurant, holding my phone. Then, I hear him haggling with his buddies. "One million for one night. Not a cent less." "Miles, even if Aria's still a virgin, that price is way too much!" "Too much? She's my wife! I haven't even touched her yet! Push the bid up!" Everyone in the room bursts out laughing. "Seriously? You're ditching your wife on your wedding night? What if she totally flips out?" Miles scoffs. "She showed off our wedding to Chloe and made her upset. It already kills me that I couldn't marry the woman I actually love. Besides..." He holds up a blister pack of white pills and sneers. "With this, she'll be too out of it to even know who's touching her." My phone slips from my hand and hits the floor as tears slide down my cheeks.

Raïssa N'Guessan a 16 ans lorsqu'elle obtint son baccalauréat et accéda au plus grand institut de Côte d'Ivoire au grand plaisir de son père mais cette joie laissera vite place au désespoir lorsqu'aux premiers jours de sa scolarité elle se découvrira enceinte, ce qui était surprenant puisqu'elle savait n'avoir jamais eu de rapport sexuel, de plus ses nuits étaient perturbées par des rêves érotiques d'un déconcertant réalisme. Elle va s'accrocher à tous les indices susceptibles de l'aider à découvrir la vérité sur son état. En attendant, elle devra apprendre à vivre avec cette grossesse, cet enfant… Comment faire face aux répercussions d'un choix qu'on n'a pas fait ? Que s'était-il passé ? Qui est le père de son enfant ?