June 6th 1944

I suspected my husband was a detached ascetic. Every night, he'd skip to the backyard, muttering prayers under the stars instead of sharing our bed. When I slipped into something slinky, he'd frown and clutch his prayer beads like a lifeline. Now I was done with the cold shoulder, slapping a divorce agreement in his hands. That was when his thoughts started leaking into my head. "She touched me. Her hands are like silk. I'm dying to kiss her. When is she gonna be okay with me being a snake? I just want to cuddle her." "A snake?" I thought. "Does that mean he's packing two things? I have to find out." I leered at his chiseled frame, practically drooling. Before divorcing, I needed to test his things and my limits. I tripped purposefully and fell onto his toned pecs, ready to test the waters. "Whoops!" I gasped, setting the stage.

Xavier Storm was a man who thrived on control. Ruthless in business and merciless in vengeance, he knew exactly where to strike to bring an enemy to their knees. And Marie Lockwood was the perfect target. A seductress, a spy, a woman who played with fire and never got burned—until now. She had destroyed his best friend, and for that, Xavier would make her suffer. But Marie was not the villain he thought she was. Framed by the very man she served, she had become the fall girl for crimes she didn’t commit. Betrayed, hunted, and trapped in a game she never wanted to play, she vowed that no man would ever see her break. Not even Xavier Storm. He wanted revenge, but she wouldn’t beg. He wanted to break her, but she knew how to endure pain. What neither of them expected was the fire that ignited between them, a dark and all-consuming obsession that blurred the lines between hatred and desire. The deeper Xavier dug, the more Marie’s mask began to crack, and with every secret he uncovered, he realized he had miscalculated. Because in shattering her, he was unraveling himself. And by the time the truth came to light, he would have to face the one thing he never saw coming— that he had fallen for her.

My family has always considered me a harbinger of misfortune. It's all because I can see a countdown to my relatives' deaths. I tell them when my grandfather, father, and mother will die. It all comes true due to various accidents. My three brothers hate me to the core because they think I cursed my parents and grandfather. My mother actually dies after giving birth to my younger sister, but my brothers dote on her to no end. They say she's their lucky star because everything goes well for the family after she's born. But didn't Mom die while giving birth to her? On my 18th birthday, I see my death countdown when I look at myself in the mirror. I buy an urn I like and prepare a meal. I want to have one last meal with my brothers, but none of them show up even when the timer hits zero…

Fresh out of the National Research Institute, I loaded up on my wife's favorite snacks and ordered a vibrant bouquet of roses, eager to surprise her. I stashed the treats in her office, then stepped out to grab the flowers. But in those fleeting minutes, a stranger had ripped open every package and devoured everything. I glared at him. "Who gave you permission to touch those?" He shot me a look of pure disdain. "Buzz off, flower boy. Drop your crap and scram!" The secretary at the door snickered. "You heard the man. He's Ms. Bowman's husband. Better run before he leaves a bad review." I pulled out my phone and called my wife. "Who is this guy in your office?"

Lucy Taylor never expected to be loved when she agreed to billionaire CEO, William Ashcroft, in place of her step sister to save her family's reputation. But as she gets to know him, she finds out he's completely different from the man she thought he was. As they grew closer, they realize they're in love. But what happens when trouble lurks around the corner? With a greedy stepsister and a maniac rival on their ends? Will they be able to survive or will their relationship crash under the weight of problems coming their way?

He is my protector, my guardian, my best friend, but what Nathan does not know is that he is also my crush, the love of my life. I have lived in the shadow of my older best friend for so long, the handsome, and ruthless playboy, king of the streets. I have watched him break several women's hearts, using them and dumping them like they don't matter. He calls me his sweet Angel, the only pure thing in his dark world. He does not believe he is capable of loving me the way I deserve to be loved, but I would show Nathan that deep down, he still has a beating heart. Would I find the courage to show him my heart already beats for him? I am VERA.

Aurelio Vivaldi I passionately swore off love and marriage five years ago, after being betrayed by the woman I once loved. Since then, playing hard and working harder with no emotional commitment has been my life motto. Until my mother decided my fate by choosing a bride for me. Now I am left with two choices: Get married or lose Vivaldi's family Villa. Lucy Evans Falling in love is something I promised myself not to indulge in, after watching my Dad fall apart because he loved my mom. Therefore, marrying Aurelio is just an avenue to repay his mother's kindness, a marriage of convenience, nothing more. All we have to do is pretend to be happily married for two years before going our separate ways.

We have been dating for ten years, but Vincent Carter has never been romantic toward me. However, before our wedding, he has someone deliver a delicate bracelet and an elegant dress to me. I take photos of them happily, only to find a card tucked inside the dress that's not addressed to me. Just as I'm about to contact Vincent, I see a post from Emily Foster, his childhood sweetheart, on her social media. "Someone stole something that belongs to me!" That's also how I find out Vincent has also bought her an apartment. The address stated on the card is for the unit downstairs. The gift is meant for unit 701, but it's delivered to me by mistake. I pick up the items and go downstairs, just in time to see Vincent gently comforting her in his arms. The moment he sees me, his face darkens with irritation. "Can you stop overreacting? You're always suspicious for no reason. Emily and I grew up together. If we were going to be together, you wouldn't even be in the picture!" If it were before, I would've been furious and demanded an explanation. But now, I simply let out a chuckle and toss the gifts onto him. "I wish you both the best, then."

Before their fifth wedding anniversary, Ameera Meyer found out her marriage certificate with Marlow Brunsfield was forged. Meanwhile, he was in Anderia, a country where you can only marry once and that was it. There, he was marrying a younger girl he had brought up. His love for her was sincere. The tenderness he had for her was true. However, his heart had the capacity for two women…

I'm severely allergic to many things, so my husband buys a separate villa for me. It's supposed to be sort of a nursing home. When my future daughter-in-law learns about this, she thinks my son is cheating on her. She breaks my bones to vent her anger. When she finds out I'm her future mother-in-law, she caresses her belly and looks at me smugly. "I'm already pregnant with Shawn's child. Think about whether you want this child to make it into this world." What she doesn't know is that the Ziegler family's fortune belongs to me and that Shawn Ziegler is only my adoptive son.