Playing Dumb

When my mother-in-law has a heart attack, my husband, who's a heart surgeon, is busy preparing food for his first love's cat. I call him and urge him to return to save my mother-in-law. He says icily, "What is wrong with you, Esther? How dare you curse my mother just to make me head home!" After that, he hangs up. My mother-in-law dies in surgery, yet he's busy watching a concert with his first love. When he returns the following day to see me holding an urn, he's so angry that he throws the bag he's holding at me. "Look at how Lexie was considerate enough to buy clothes for my mother. All you know how to do is get Mom to pull these dumb acts with you!" I sneer. His mother is already dead—what use are those clothes?

The contract marriage between the CEO and the Mafia brings a unique story where the CEO has an illicit lover and the Mafia has a mental disorder because her fiancee died. Has a sad story, and thousands of mysteries to be solved. Will both of them be able to reach their respective goals and then end the ridiculous relationship? Or slowly love comes over time and makes them reluctant to part? Read more here... This world is a game, if you are not good at playing then you are being played. When playing we need confidence, if we are not good at convincing and impressing people with our intelligence. Confuse them with your stupidity, so they feel they have won.

Arabella Rielle Rivera, a party-goer, energetic, and has a bold personality, puts her life in danger when she accidentally heard the secret of the underground gang, 'The Hawk'. As she ran out of the scene to spare her life, she bumped into someone she never wished to see again. Sean Elijah Dela Fuente, the playboy she dated before, was also the one who caused her first heartbreak. It seems like fate is also playing tricks with them. She keeps on hiding from the playboy to mend her broken heart, but the latter seems to enjoy the game they are playing—Hide and Seek. As the secret unfolds and love arises, will it be a 'game over' once the playboy found her?

MEL – “I won’t be your sex toy”. It was all about the money and revenge. I will stay for the contract, deal with my step brother and disappear forever. So, I can’t possibly be falling in love with him, right? I mean, he is the mafia for goodness’s sake, a sexy one, but still. Then again, I never expected to need his protection from the past I can’t even remember. RIO – I wrap her hands along her lovely neck. “You are mine and don’t you ever forget that.” She was a permanent picture in my head and I craved her badly. So when her dumb brother offers her on a platter to me, I will do anything to make sure she stays and gives herself to me willingly for my pleasure. Now, I think I’m falling for her, which really sucks, as she turns out to be a key to the mystery that haunts me.

A holiday assignment turns into so much more for this grumpy Wyvern. It’s the holiday season, but instead of snowboarding and doing shots of cinnamon vodka off his favorite bartender, Jasper Wessex is given the assignment from hell—literally. Protect a woman on the run from a minor Egyptian Demon--um… who the what now? He wants nothing more than to pass on this nut-ball case till he opens her file. Struck dumb by her picture, his Wyvern scratches against his skin. He can’t resist the owner of those flashing blue eyes. Carolina Moore is in danger. Home from an archeological dig, she’s brought back a seriously unfortunate souvenir--an ancient Egyptian Demon who thinks she is his property! Luckily, she has a friend who has contacts with the mysterious Wyvern Protection Unit. But what can she do when her protector poses more of a threat than the Demon she’s running from?

On our fifth anniversary, Henry Judd—the guy who once swore he'd propose—rented out an entire mall for Cecilia Cheape's birthday. A diamond the size of a pigeon's egg sparkled on her finger. I'd been dumb enough to think it was meant for me. "Cece, I'm gonna give you a birthday you'll never forget," he announced, loud enough for the whole world to hear. Then he yanked the tab off a soda can and handed it to me. "Lulu, those gaudy things don't suit you. You deserve something unique." He slid the can tab onto my finger—his version of a proposal. Cecilia got the dream birthday. I got a piece of trash and a slap of reality. Later, when he found out I was marrying someone else, he got down on one knee with that same ring and begged me to say yes.

My wife cheated on me—with my cousin. The three of us were headed to sign divorce papers when bam—car crash. Next thing I knew, I was back on the day we got our marriage license. This time, no fights, no drama. We both knew it was over. She ditched me for Jason fast and skipped the country with him. I stayed behind, buried in law books and case files. Five years later, she was famous—thanks to Jason pulling strings. Concerts, cash, fans screaming her name. Me? Still grinding at a law firm, backing folks who needed real legal help. Then came the family reunion. She showed up on Jason's arm, smug and shining, throwing shade like it was sport. But when I mentioned I was settling down with someone else? Her face snapped. "I made one dumb mistake! How DARE you move on?!"

My husband's first love posted a video on her social media. In the video, the two of them were passing a playing card with their lips. When the card fell, their lips met in a kiss. They didn't stop—lost in the moment, they kissed passionately for an entire minute. Her caption read: [Still the same clumsy piggy! PS: Steve's skills are as good as ever!] I quietly liked the post and left a comment: [Congrats.] The next second, my husband called, yelling at me furiously, "No other woman is as dramatic as you! I was just playing a game with Lanie. Why are you acting crazy again?" It was then that I realized seven years of love meant nothing. It was time for me to leave.

Our third anniversary trip to Hawaii was supposed to be a new beginning—just me, Tom, and our son. But then she showed up. Blair. Our single, sexy neighbor with a killer smile and a suitcase full of charm. I thought she was just tagging along. I was wrong. One night, I overheard her hiss, “Why the hell didn’t you just let her die?” That’s when it hit me—Blair wasn’t just having an affair with my husband. She had planned to let me drown in the tsunami. I survived. But I kept quiet. I decided to play dumb—to smile, to act fragile, to stay close—for my son’s sake. I needed to know what they really wanted… and how far they’d go. Then, on my son Noah’s birthday, he made a wish. “I want Aunty Blair to be my new mommy.” The candles flickered. My heart cracked. Had Blair already replaced me?

Hailey Carter is used to playing dangerous games, but when her latest target is a devastatingly handsome billionaire, Tristan Agress, passion and deception collide. Will she con his heart—or lose her own?