Real Daughter

Ever since I tied the knot with Connor Steele, he ditched his playboy ways and cut off all his side flings. Everyone thought I had him wrapped around my finger, with our perfect little family. But that all came crashing down on our ninth anniversary when I accidentally saw his group chat with his friends. [Connor, how was that Bentley ride with Ashley yesterday? Pretty wild, huh?] [We tried every spot imaginable. She's totally obsessed with me and can't get enough.] There was a steamy photo of them attached, and the group was blowing up with cheers and congrats, wishing them happiness ever after. I stared at the screen, feeling a sharp stab of pain hit me right in the chest. It turned out that all our happy moments were just a carefully staged performance. I sat there in a daze all night, waiting for him to get home. When he finally walked in with a cake, I let out a cold laugh. "I know everything now. Aren't you sick of faking it?"

On her wedding day, Alpha Princess Leah lost everything. Her groom was killed at the altar. Her father was dragged in chains. And she was thrown at the mercy of the man who hated her bloodline more than anyone. King Ares. He should have killed her. Instead, he claimed her. She was the mate he didn't want but couldn’t resist. Not as his queen. Not as his Luna. But as his breeder. “I’ll make you mine until there’s nothing left of you, Princess. You’ll give me heirs until I’m done, and then, I’ll kill you.” Leah swore she would never bow to him. She would escape with her tortured father, free her people, and watch Ares bleed for what he’s done. But the longer she spends in his grasp, the more the bond between them twists into something far more dangerous. Hate. Obsession. Desire. He wants vengeance. She wants freedom. But between hunger and hatred, one of them will break. And when the Alpha King who swore to ruin her becomes the only man she can’t resist— And the daughter of his greatest enemy becomes the only woman who plagues his mind— A war of bodies and hearts begins. Ruin me, Alpha… or I’ll ruin you.

Everything ended when my parents were killed, the love, the protection, the respect I once had when my parents were alive disappeared. I was cast aside and treated like a nobody, trying to navigate the storm I was made to endure. I found solace in a man I didn't know. He became my very perfection, the only person I yearned for, the air I breathe, and the only person who completes me. But everything changed when I thought I had someone I could rely on. What would happen when I realized the kind of man I had given my soul and body to? When the truth of my existence is revealed, would he still be the same person I've always yearned for?

Eight months pregnant, I had every bank card frozen by my husband’s female secretary. Over the phone, she laughed coldly and said, “From now on, every cent you spend needs my approval. Jack works too hard to waste his money on a useless woman who only knows how to shop.” That same day, I was rushed to the hospital with contractions. Every card I tried was declined. And as if that wasn’t enough, she had also moved my parents out of their private senior suite and into the cheapest room available. Her reason? Two ordinary old people had no right to waste Jack’s money. I laughed. She had no idea those “ordinary old people” were the Don and Donna of the Bellandi family, the couple who had controlled Italy’s underworld for decades. She had no idea Jack’s company, his reputation, his fortune—everything he owned—had come from the Bellandi family. My parents had already planned to retire completely after my child was born. They were going to hand the entire family over to me. And to Jack. Too bad. Jack had allowed her to humiliate the only real power he would ever have the chance to stand beside. Three days later, Jack held a welcome party for his mysterious investor. In front of everyone, his secretary dialed the investor’s number. The next second, my phone rang.

All I've done is say something to my first love, whom I haven't met for many years. Since then, my wife, Linda Weber, demands that I report my whereabouts to her constantly. Otherwise, she won't hesitate to stop paying for our daughter, Lily Colt's medical bills. The first time happened when I was buying groceries. Linda told me to record a video of myself and tell the camera that I was her simp. The second time happened when I was accompanying Lily when she was undergoing a dialysis procedure. Linda demanded that I strip myself naked just so she could check if I was fooling around with other women in the same room. The third time happened when Lily finally got a kidney match. Linda demanded that I travel to the other end of the city just to buy the roasted sweet potatoes she had eaten on our first date together. By the time I have the roasted potatoes delivered to her with sweat drenching my form, I witness Linda giving the kidney source to her first love's mother just because I'm one minute later than the designated time. Only then do I realize that Linda has done all those things to me just so she can please James Harmon by pulling pranks on me purposefully.

On our wedding, my boyfriend of five years, Lucas Hunter, is in the middle of sliding the wedding ring onto my finger when a little boy rushes up to him and hugs his leg. "Daddy, please don't ditch me and Mommy!" At that moment, his first love, Isabella Welch, walks over and shows the paternity test report in front of all the guests. "On the night Lucas and I broke up six years ago, I was already pregnant with his child." Lucas' expression changes drastically. He subconsciously glances at me afterward. "I didn't know about this, Vivian!" "Well, you do now," Isabella cuts him off. "By the way, not only am I your son's biological mother, but I'm also the sole daughter of the richest woman in Andaysia." She then shows Lucas something on her phone. The next moment, his gaze becomes passionate immediately. "I've given up on my marriage alliance just to seek you out, Lucas. I am the woman you should be marrying instead of that…" Isabella eyes me up and down. "Instead of that regular corporate slave." Lucas stays silent only for a moment before retracting the ring that has touched my fingertip. Then, he slides it onto Isabella's finger. I can't believe it. Is this really the man I've loved for the past five years?" "Have you thought this through, Lucas?" Lucas leans in to murmur into my ear, "Vivian, once I've secured the major project in the company with Isabella's help and get custody over my son, I'll give you an even grander wedding." I just chuckle icily in return before leaving the altar without even sparing him a glance. After that, I call Alexander Shaw, an admirer who has loved me for ten years, on the phone. "Are you busy? If not, come here and marry me." Then, I turn back to look at the new couple, who are in the middle of making their vows. Isabelle calls herself the daughter of the richest woman in Andaysia, she says. But how is it possible for me to not know that my mom has swapped me out for another daughter?

"I despise you as much as I love you," Raphael confessed to Winter, his voice laced with bitterness and tenderness all at once. "This connection between us is both a blessing and a curse. It torments us both. Don't you think?" Winter asked him. "That's what I regret. I could not kill you that night because you are my mate," Raphael affirmed. He approached her in a blink of an eye and gripped her throat. "Winter, why are you the daughter of my enemy?" Raphael growled, his head ducked to bury in her neck. He kissed her followed by a lick, which made Winter's knees go weak. "Shall we mate?" Raphael murmured, his breath caressing her ear, igniting a sensual response within Winter. The conflict between their hatred and desire blurred as the allure of their fate became undeniable. ~~~~~~~ Winter, the Princess of the Uriel Kingdom, had endured a lifetime of torment and lacked the love she deserved. However, her life took an unexpected turn when she discovered Raphael Kingston as her mate on her 18th birthday. She hoped that this newfound connection would bring an end to her suffering, but fate had other plans. Raphael, the lone survivor of his pack, had always sought vengeance against the King and his daughter. However, his purpose faltered when he realized Winter was his destined mate. The battle between his hatred and love for her led him to imprison Winter, torn between the desire to protect her and the weight of his animosity. Thus, began a tale of Hate to Love!

To help my husband, Henry Carter, pay off a million-dollar debt, I clean windows and scrub toilets in an office building on Valentine's Day just for the triple pay. After I'm done with the windows, I am about to transfer the last 50 thousand dollars of the debt when a post suddenly pops up on my phone. The title of the post is, "What is something you see in real life that makes you feel sorry for someone, even if they are your enemy?" One of the top comments says, "The person I hate the most is my boyfriend's wife. My boyfriend pretends to be poor to spend money on me and cheats his wife out of over a million. That woman works day and night at a cleaning company just to make money for me! "This has gone on for eight years. That woman has been scrubbing toilets for eight years! Even if she is my enemy, I feel sorry for her." I freeze, and my fingers tremble uncontrollably. No way. It has to be a coincidence. I stare at those words, stunned and unable to recover from the shock. Then, a new comment appears, "Now, my boyfriend plans to fake an illness by telling his wife that he has cancer. He's going to trick her into giving him money to buy me a car." At that exact moment, Henry sends me a message. The instant I open it, I feel my heart skip a beat. It reads, "I'm sorry, honey. I'm sick—I have cancer. The doctor says we need to prepare 80 thousand dollars for treatment. I hate myself for this. Why am I even alive? I'm just dragging you down with me." The words "late-stage liver cancer" in the attached diagnosis report are painful to look at. I think in dismay, "Henry, you do not need to pretend to be sick. You are indeed in the late stage of cancer."

My daughter, Jillian Hamilton, viewed me as a love rival since she was a kid. Every time my husband, Kelvin Hamilton, and I attempted to engage in bedroom activities, she'd rush into our room to split us up. "You slut of a mom! Stop seducing my dad!" When Kelvin placed some food on my plate, Jillian wept loudly while climbing up the rooftop. "I'll jump off the building right now unless you stay away from Mom, Dad!" Even when I was putting on makeup, Jillian would mock me incessantly. "No matter how much you doll yourself up, an old hag like you can never compete against me." Later on, Kelvin got caught cheating on me with another woman. I was worried that Jillian might get bullied by her new stepmother, Maisie Ferrera, so I did everything I could to fight for her custody. But Jillian splashed me with sulphuric acid hysterically. "You can forget about separating me and Dad! Dad can only be mine!" Noting how pitiful I was, the omnipotent being decided to give me a chance to get reborn. This time, I give up on Jillian's custody without hesitation. "From now on, I just want to stay as far as I can from Jillian!"

Rumor had spread through the Vittori family that the daughter they had lost years ago had finally been found. The moment I heard, I left the family branch and rushed back to the main estate. My car had barely stopped when a young woman hurried over and grabbed my hand. “So you’re the Vittori family’s adopted daughter,” she said with a smile that looked painfully sincere. “Your dress is so beautiful. It must cost tens of thousands of dollars. You can tell you’ve never really had to worry about anything before. Unlike me. I grew up in places where even finding my next meal was a problem.” For a second, I didn’t understand what she meant. Then her eyes lowered to the only necklace around her neck. “This is the only thing I have from Mother,” she whispered. “Please don’t hate me for wearing it.” The next second, she suddenly grabbed my hand, dragged it up toward her throat, and yanked hard. The necklace snapped. Pearls scattered across the marble floor. “Why would you do that?” she cried, staring at me in shock. “If you hate seeing Mother’s gift on me, I’ll take it off right now. I won’t stay and make things difficult for you. Just please don’t tell Father and Mother. I don’t want them caught in the middle, and I don’t want this family fighting because of me.” She curled into herself on the marble floor, shaking as she cried, while the guests around us immediately turned to stare. I stood there completely stunned. I had imagined a thousand ways I might meet my daughter again. I never imagined she would look me in the eye, mistake me for someone else, and frame me before I had even spoken. Because I was not Valentina. I was her mother.