Quote Independence

After her first love died, Sophia Hayes hated me for ten years. I tried to win back her favor every day, but she only responded with cold sneers. "If you really want to make me happy, why don't you just die?" Her words were like daggers to my heart. It was a shock when she died in a pool of blood while trying to save me from an oncoming truck. With her final gaze fixed on me, she whispered, "If only I had never met you." Her mother was inconsolable with grief at the funeral. "I should have let Sophia be with Ethan Brooks. I never should have forced her to marry you!" Her father also looked at me with hatred in his eyes. "Sophia saved your life three times. She was such a wonderful person. Why couldn't it have been you who died instead?" Everyone regretted that Sophia had married me—myself included. I was driven away from the funeral, completely devastated. Three years later, I traveled back to the past after a time machine was invented. This time, I chose to sever all connections with Sophia, giving everyone the version of history they truly desired.

When I was 14, my brother, Cole Maxwell, brought home an orphan girl, Jennifer Burke, to repay a debt of gratitude. From that moment on, my life had always taken a backseat to hers. After Jennifer falsely accused me of intending to ruin her reputation and forcing her to commit suicide, Cole slapped me hard across the face before driving me out of the house. "Get out! I don't have a sister like you!" He even gave her the job that was supposed to be mine and the only heirloom our parents left me, just to make her smile. The more I argued with him, the colder he became towards me. When Cole took Jennifer to visit the city without telling me, I chose to say nothing this time, leaving quietly with nothing but a suitcase. When he learned I'd been accepted into Brightmoor Aeronautical University and would never return, he fell apart.

In the five years of their marriage, Kimberly bore a son for Daniel, believing their life together would last. Then Siena returned to the country. Kimberly finally realized she was nothing but an outsider the whole time. Daniel repeatedly chose Siena over her, and even her son grew attached to Siena. Fortunately, their marriage was just a contract, and in seven days, she would be free to leave.

After dating Scott Kenta for 10 years, I said to him, "Scott, I'm pregnant." The file in his hands slipped and hit the floor. He frowned, clearly irritated. "Don't be ridiculous," he said. "This is a critical moment—my company's going public. I never planned on having a child." "It's fine. Your career matters more," I said, smiling gently. He didn't catch the meaning behind my words. I was pregnant, yes. But he wasn't the father.

In the seven years that I have been bound to my Alpha heir mate Garrett, he had slept with every single friend around me. I pretended I saw nothing. I kept fulfilling my duties as the future Luna. Until the day I gave birth, his new mistress led rogue wolves straight to me. Their claws pierced through my belly with cruel precision. My mother was even killed by them when she tried to save me. In that desperate moment, I used the mind link to contact Garrett and begged him to save us. "Aria, when did you learn to pull these tricks? Don't think your pathetic acting will make me care about you." After saying that, he shut down the mind link. But he did send a car—to pick up his new mistress. By the time the patrol found me and rushed me to the hospital, the baby in my belly had been clawed out. My mother died too. The rogue wolves' poison coursed through her wounds until her body gave up. When I woke up, I stared numbly at Garrett's grandfather, the current Alpha of the Shadowmoon Pack. "Let me go," I said flatly. "Whatever I owed your pack, I've paid it back with my life."

The company had just taken off when a project my wife, Lenora Peterson, was in charge of ran into trouble. To ease her mind during her pregnancy, I went overseas in her stead, spending ten perilous years abroad before finally returning home, barely alive. Instead of the joyful reunion I had imagined, she greeted me with cold detachment and thinly veiled disgust. "Why are you back?" Lenora asked. "Today is Nathan’s housewarming party," she added. "Let’s head there first—we’ll talk later." We rode in silence the entire way. When we arrived, a ten-year-old girl came dashing over and clung to Lenora affectionately. “Mommy, why did you take so long? Daddy’s been waiting for you forever!” Daddy? My eyes burned with rage—until I saw my old friend Nathan Grant stepping out to greet us with a smile. "Lily, come to Daddy. Mommy’s tired—don’t bother her now." When I met Lenora’s eyes, the guilt I saw there told me everything I needed to know. I turned away and texted my assistant, Morgan Williamson, to begin acquiring the company that, by right, had always belonged to me. He soon reported back. "Mr. Brooke, the acquisition process will be completed in three days."

Fiery redhead Lily is known for her fierce independence and untamed spirit. But when her brother gets into deep trouble with the notorious Black Ravens, she finds herself caught in a dangerous bind. The only way to repay his debt and keep him alive is to entangle herself with the gang's arrogantly charming leader, Ryker. Ryker, with his piercing eyes and commanding presence, rules his territory with an iron fist. Arrogant and unyielding, he's used to getting what he wants-and now, he wants Lily. Forced into his world, their clashing tempers and undeniable chemistry ignite a dark romance. As Lily found herself thrust into a world of rival gangs and hidden secrets, she realizes that her fiery spirit might be the perfect match for Ryker ruthless ambition. But with danger lurking at every turn, they must decide if their passionate connection can survive the risky game they're playing.

When a billionaire Victor Huxley sets his eyes on Olivia Hayes, a young artist, it’s not just her beauty that captivates him, but an undefined desire that borders on obsession. Victor is a man used to get what he wants, and from the moment he first sees Olivia, he knows she must be his, at any cost. Olivia, on the other hand, is determined to make it on her own terms, and the last thing she wants is to be tied down to a man like Victor who is ruthless, domineering, and possessive. But when Victor uses his power to force her into a contractual marriage, Olivia finds herself trapped in a world of wealth and darkness, where escape seems impossible. As Victor's dark desires unravel, Olivia becomes both a captive and his obsession. She fights for her independence, while Victor struggles with his own conflicting feelings—torn between his dark need to possess her and a growing sense of genuine love. What starts as hate evolves into a twisted form of love as Olivia slowly begins to see cracks in Victor's cold demeanor. But as their relationship grows more complicated, dangerous forces and hidden pasts threaten to tear both of them apart. Will Victor be able to let go of his control, or will his obsession consume them both? And can Olivia ever forgive the man who stole her freedom, even as he becomes the only person who can truly save her? What will happen?

Claire longs for independence, but her father's controlling nature obstructs her aspirations. Her life takes a tumultuous turn with the arrival of the Blackwoods, infamous hunters of the supernatural, in her town. In a twist of fate, she meets Nate, the youngest son of the Blackwoods, and they fall deeply in love. However, their families' conflicting interests put their relationship in peril. As tensions mount and betrayals surface, Claire must navigate her way while also dealing with a rogue werewolf who is vying for the Alpha position. Will Claire and Nate's love be enough to overcome the obstacles they face, or will they succumb to the forces pulling them apart? Find out yourself. But one thing's for sure, their journey is sure to be a wild ride, filled with plenty of twists and turns along the way

Pagkatapos ng tatlong taon naming pagdadate ni Nathan Foster, inakala kong alam ko na kung saan kami tutungo. Pero hindi siya kailanman nagpropose sa akin. At sa halip ay nagawa pa niyang malove at first sight sa aking stepsister. Naging direkta at walang tigil ang ginawa niyang panliligaw dito na hindi nagiwan ng pagdadalawang isip sa aking isipan. Pero sa pagkakataong ito, hindi na ako nagbreakdown o naghintay pa sa mga mangyayari habang umaasa na babalik pa siya gaya noon. Napagdesisyunan ko nang makipaghiwalay. Itinapon ko ang lahat ng regalo niya sa akin, pinagpunit punit ko rin ang wedding dress na lihim kong binili at noong kaniyang kaarawan, iniwan ko sa aking nakaraan ang Riverdale. Nang sasakay na ako sa aking flight, nagmessage si Nathan sa akin: “Nasaan ka na? Hinihintay ka ng lahat.” Ngumiti ako, pero na ako nagreply sa kaniya habang binoblock ko siya sa bawat platform. Wala siyang ideya na dalawang linggo na ang nakalilipas mula noong tanggapin ko ang proposal ng aking college senior na si Eustace Cooper. Nang lumapag ang eroplano sa bagong siyudad na aking titirhan, nakahanda na kami ni Eustace na simulan ang bagong yugto ng aming mga buhay nang magkasama—bilang magasawa.