Novel & Cerita Past Tense Smile

In a world where power is currency and secrets are more valuable than diamonds, Isabella Voss steps into the empire of the ruthless and magnetic Damian Moretti with one purpose—revenge. But beneath the polished marble halls and glittering galas, she discovers that every smile hides an agenda, every alliance conceals betrayal, and every touch carries a price. Their attraction is instant, forbidden, and dangerous. Damian sees in Isabella not just a rival, but an equal—a woman whose intelligence and ambition rival his own. What begins as a calculated partnership to outwit a shared enemy soon spirals into a seductive battle of wits, passion, and strategy. As they rise together through deception and desire, a shocking secret threatens to destroy everything: a hidden heir, born from a past neither fully understands and protected by a web of lies. With enemies closing in, manipulative seductress Selene Varchen weaving psychological traps, and the shadowy mastermind Kane orchestrating their downfall, Damian and Isabella must decide whether love can survive a world built on betrayal—or if they must sacrifice their hearts to keep their empire from burning. In Seduction and Strategy, loyalty is fragile, passion is a weapon, and every kiss could be a trap. Behind every luxury and every whispered promise lies the same truth: in the war for power and love, only the most cunning survive.

Catrina Lombardi never chose Vincenzo Morgano’s world—it seized her. Dragged into the dangerous orbit of a ruthless loan shark and sex club owner, she is trapped between survival and desire. Everyone believes Maria De La Fonte is dead. But when Catrina steps into the powerful De La Fonte empire, the truth refuses to stay buried. A chance encounter with the cold and dangerously powerful billionaire Julian St. Clair pulls her into a world of wealth, secrets, and deadly family politics. To him, she is a mistake… a woman who looks far too much like the ghost of someone he lost. Yet Catrina hides a secret far more dangerous than a resemblance, one that could shake the De La Fonte empire to its core. The woman the world buried… was never supposed to survive. The heir they erased… has finally returned. Enemies are closing in, and powerful men will do anything to keep the past hidden. Julian must decide: is Catrina the greatest threat to his empire… or the only woman who can save it? In a world where power is everything and betrayal hides behind every smile, one truth will destroy them all. The De La Fonte empire was built on a lie.

They said I was beautiful — but not real. That my smile was perfect — but my past made me broken. I spent years trying to prove I was more than the girl who changed her face to survive the world’s cruelty. I married Julian Vale, believing love would finally see me. I called Serena Blake my sister, trusting her more than my own reflection. And when my world collapsed under secrets, silence, and the weight of never being enough — I disappeared. Then I opened my eyes… Ten years earlier. Before the surgery. Before the vows. Before I forgot who I was beneath the makeup and the mask of confidence. This time, I don’t need to be fixed. This time, I don’t need to be forgiven. I remember every lie. Every betrayal. Every time I silenced my voice to keep the peace. So I’m not here to win back love. I’m not here to punish the past. I’m here to become the woman I was always meant to be — unedited, unafraid, and finally, completely seen. I was more than pretty. This time, I’ll live like I believe it.

I have just secured a massive ten-million-dollar deal during the Black Friday Sales. I have endured several days of hectic work, yet I still find myself unable to turn down my girlfriend, Charlotte Ward. We spend the night in passionate abandon and finally fall into a heavy, restful sleep. The next morning, a loud thud jolts me awake. When I open my eyes, I realize that it's my luggage. Charlotte suddenly says, "This is the end for us, Robert. It's time for you to move out. I've already wired the money for your past services, along with your salary. So get going." I find myself caught in a daze and about to move to question her, but she stops me dead, jabbing her fingers into my chest. "Know your place, Robert. You're nothing but a gigolo to me. I might, maybe, let you keep your job in Ward Group if you beg." I almost reach out to grab her wrist but stop myself. Instead, I smile broadly and say, "You've got it all wrong. Your company wouldn't survive without me, Charlotte."

When a sudden 10-hour flight delay leaves Rosie scrambling for a hotel, she and Carter find themselves at the same place at the same time. With only one room available, Carter gives it up for Rosie. As the night unfolds, their chance encounter turns into something more. Sharing a flight to New York, Carter upgrades Rosie to business class. Amidst casual conversation, Rosie reveals her journey to interview at SweetHarvest Delights. Carter conceals his identity, presenting himself as a simple engineer to avoid any professional favoritism. Rosie, skeptical but accepting, lands the job at SweetHarvest Delights. On her first day, the truth unravels—Carter's deception exposed. Hurt and betrayed, Rosie confronts Carter, setting the stage for a tense confrontation. Carter, realizing the gravity of his mistake, grovels in an earnest attempt to salvage their connection. Carter pours his regrets and vulnerabilities, yet the question looms large: Can Rosie forgive a well-intentioned deception that blurred the lines between truth and lies? Will this unexpected connection lead to a sweet love story? Dive into the pages, where trust is tested, hearts are laid bare, and Carter's sincere grovel sets the stage for a resolution that remains tantalizingly uncertain.

The first thing I do after being reborn is secretly keeping six stunning male models behind my wealthy husband’s back. I seduce them and sleep with them for 999 days to get myself pregnant. I do all this because in my past life, my husband found out that he had asthenozoospermia and married me because I am known for being fertile. He wants to carry on the family line so that he will have a successor to inherit the family fortune. I try everything I can to get pregnant, but nothing works. Conversely, my infertile best friend gives birth to twins and triplets within two years after marrying a 70-year-old man. When my wealthy husband hears that my best friend is blessed with children, he is immediately captivated. They get together behind my back and even arrange for someone to run me over with a car when I find out the truth. After my death, I discover that my best friend has bound herself to the child switch system. Any child I am impregnated with is transferred into her womb. My best friend's infertility is transferred to me in return. When I open my eyes again, I find myself back on the day when my husband married me and brought me home. I smile happily when I think about all the things that took place in my past life. My best friend wants lots of children, doesn't she? If so, I will make her experience the joy of having 18 babies in one pregnancy!

On my boyfriend, Draco Leroyce's birthday, I take him to a newly-opened fancy restaurant of my own for his birthday meal. Thinking that we'll be having a birthday cake for dessert later, Draco and I decide to order a set meal that includes a pizza and a plate of pasta. With a smile, I hand the menu over to the waitress. She plasters a fake smile on her face as she grabs the menu. But she secretly calls us "broke ass bastards" in Virellian. I draw my brows into a deep frown instantly. "What did you just say?" The waitress is momentarily stunned. Then, she shoots me another fake smile. "I said I'll prepare your food right away." I just sneer back at the waitress before responding to her in fluent Virellian, "You were calling us broke ass bastards."

Claire, the chosen one by the moon goddess was born to Omega parents and unable to shift at sixteen, she experienced loneliness and exclusion. Alpha Jacob had mated with her and heartlessly dumped her the next morning because she was a human. Upset Claire flees, concealing a three-year-old child. Four years later, destiny reunites them, sparking a story of love, deceit, and a band that could possibly make a comeback. ************************* Mike noticed her with his sharp eyes and enthusiastically yelled, "Momma!" before running towards me. His face lit up with a bright smile as I eagerly embraced him, his happiness infectious and briefly lightening the burden of the difficult situation. While embracing Mike closely, I made eye contact with Alpha Jacob. At that moment, I noticed a spark of recognition in his gaze. He had only just discovered that Mike was his child. Claire who is disguise to be Bella resolve to protect Mike and maintain her new identity, as Bella is tested by Jacob's relentless pursuit and the undeniable connection between him and Mike. The story concludes with an air of uncertainty, as Bella must decide whether to confront her past and potentially reconcile with Jacob, or to continue safeguarding her son and moving forward without him.

In order to take care of my father, who got hurt from a fall, I gave up on my chance to get promoted and even took a week's leave. On the day he gets discharged from the hospital, my dad hands me a mysterious envelope with a wide smile on his face. "Thank you for your trouble over the past few days, Luther. This is a little token of appreciation from me. You can buy yourself a nice pack of smokes." I rub my hands together, feeling warmth surging into my heart. But when I open the envelope, all I see is seven dollars. Still, I comfort myself in thinking that the sum isn't important at all. It's the thought that counts, after all. But the next day, I come across a social media post of my younger brother, Felix Grayson, who never showed his face around the hospital during Dad's hospitalization. It features a photo collage of a luxurious villa, with a photo of the purchasing contract smack dab in the middle of collage. The caption writes, "I bought the top-tier riverside villa for seven million dollars! Thank you so much for your support, Dad!"

"It wouldn't be the first nor the last time any one of you Titan Gods had affairs with ‘Greek Gods’ you know," Thaelia twisted her lips. Lukas face hardened and he tried to keep it like that, but one look at her face and a smile broke out of him and he's laughing hard. She accompanied him and chuckled softly, adorably, and it drove the son of Helios crazy. "Didn't know moon princesses could contain that much spite." "What can I say?" She lowered her voice, licking her lips. Her beauty was much more obvious, with her eyes the color of the sea, lined with gold, and lips rose. It was enough to make him realise he's drowning again, only this time it's on the color of her eyes. "You... inspire me." "Inspire you?" "Yes," She smiled sweetly *** There's two things that strikes Talia as she starts reading the book of her past—Lukas was a reckless son of Helios, Ajaxson was the son of Ajax who's head over heels in love with her while she was a moon princess desired by both of them. To add a Greek Goddess Hera made it impossible for her to stay happy with Lukas. It was just not written in the stars. ***