Rule No 5

Sam and Nora were childhood friends whose bond was sealed with an arranged marriage. But soon after, Sam’s warmth fades, leaving Nora alone in a cold, distant relationship. His connection to Isabella, a woman from his past, casts a shadow over their marriage, fueling suspicions and driving them apart. After a heartbreaking divorce, Nora tries to rebuild her life, and just as her high school crush, Daniel, reappears, offering hope for a fresh start, Nora finds herself entangled in a secret that could change everything. As past emotions resurface and new complications arise, Nora must navigate the tangled web of love, loyalty, and deception. Can she move on from Sam, or is their story far from over?

For sixty-six full moons, Alpha Zephyr showered me with lavish courtship rituals, begging me to be his mate. On the sixty-seventh, I finally said yes. On our bonding night, I gave him an enchanted pouch with sixty-six moonlight crystals. We made a deal. Every time he broke my heart, I would crush one. It was the price of my forgiveness. In the six years since we mated, he has broken my heart over and over for his childhood friend, Chloe. Each time, I crushed a crystal. After the sixty-fourth crystal turned to dust, Zephyr finally seemed to notice something was off. I stopped telling him to keep his distance from Chloe. I stopped needing him around. But when he tried to leave me for that Omega one more time, I grabbed his arm. “You’re going to her. Should I crush another crystal for this?” Zephyr froze, his expression weary. “Do what you want. You have plenty left anyway.” I just nodded, watching his back as he disappeared. He still thought the moonlight crystals were endless. He had no idea there were only two left in the pouch.

I married Don Matteo in secret. Every time he fucked his childhood sweetheart, he promised me a real wedding，in front of the Five Families. For five years, Matteo promised me ninety-nine times. And ninety-nine times, he left me at the altar. The first time, Cecilia’s prize-winning show cat died. To comfort her, he postponed the wedding for three months. I stood at the altar alone, eyes red, trying to calm down the family elders. The second time, Cecilia threw a tantrum at a casino and shattered a hundred-million-dollar antique vase. He diverted the private jet meant for their wedding and rushed through the night to clean up her mess. And every time, right before our wedding, his childhood sweetheart would have some kind of emergency. I cried. I screamed. I even held a gun to his head. But Matteo would just pin me against the wall and shut me up with a cold, hard kiss. “She’s just a fuck. You are Mrs. Falcone. Have some goddamn class.” After the ninety-ninth time, I was finally done. I slid the papers across the table. The ink was still wet, the Falcone family seal stamped at the bottom. “Our marriage, our alliance—it’s over.”

My name is Cedric Bainbridge. For six years, I've been hiding the fact that I'm married to Beatrice Thorne, the CEO. Despite everything, she won't allow our son to call her "Mom". Once again, his birthday slips her mind. Her thoughts are entirely consumed by her male secretary. I've had enough. I sign the divorce papers and walk away with our child for good. For the first time, Beatrice, who is always so calm, completely loses control. She storms into my office, demanding to know where I've gone. But this time, neither my son nor I will ever look back.

Dos semanas antes de la boda, Nelson decidió posponerla una vez más. —Ivana inaugura su primera exposición de arte ese día —me dijo—. Estará sola y nerviosa. Tengo que estar ahí para apoyarla. Al final, tú y yo ya estamos juntos, ¿qué más da casarnos un día antes o después? Pero ya era la tercera vez que aplazaba nuestra boda por aquella mujer. La primera, Ivana acababa de operarse y sentía nostalgia de la comida de su tierra, por lo que Nelson no dudó en viajar al extranjero y quedarse con ella durante dos meses. La segunda, Ivana decidió irse al bosque en busca de inspiración para pintar y él, preocupado por su seguridad, fue tras ella. Esta era la tercera. Colgué la llamada y miré a César, mi amigo de toda la vida, quien se encontraba sentado frente a mí, relajado, jugando con su bastón de esmeralda, cuyo golpeteo en el piso de mármol rompía el silencio entre nosotros. —¿Todavía necesitas esposa? —le pregunté, sonriendo con picardía. El día de mi boda, Ivana sonreía radiante, copa en mano, esperando el brindis del hombre a su lado. Pero él, con los ojos rojos, observaba en silencio la transmisión en vivo de la boda del heredero del Grupo Santos, el imperio inmobiliario más grande del país.

Once, I was their princess. And then Kylee showed up. Having been in the foster system the majority of her childhood, my parents treated her like a charity case and gave her everything. At 13 years old, Kylee was adopted. Then the "accidents" started happening. Kylee would be walking past me and would suddenly fall over. "Oh, Mom! Sarah didn't mean it! Shes just having a hard time adjusting to her new sister!" Eventually, her little accusations turned into straight out bullying and, well, I'm sure you can figure out the rest. I did my best to ignore Kylee. I got a job as early as the law would allow. I saved my money. I got the best grades in school, becoming the class valedictorian. My parents didn't notice, though. They were too busy playing into Kylee's 5-year-long pity party. Don't worry, though. Soon I'll be gone to Harvard and you can have the happy family you wanted. I don't need you, anyways.

“Ella is only a housekeeper, that is not my mother!” I heard the contemptuous words coming from the mouth of the child I had loved and cared for like my own for ten whole years. My husband did not love me, and his two children only regarded me as someone who served them. Until the moment I opened my eyes once again and was reborn at the age of twenty-two. And once again, the Oliver family forced me into a political marriage with Leo Dominic. “I agree, but only if I receive five million dollars.” I realized one thing: in this world, the most reliable thing is only money. When I met Leo Dominic, I received the marriage contract exactly as I wished. As long as I remained his wife for three years, I would receive freedom and one billion dollars! But suddenly, when I divorced and lived a carefree life, enjoying luxury, those people began trailing behind me and asking for love. “I’m sorry, Mom, I want you to come back home!” The children cried until they developed fevers and fainted, and the ruthless billionaire who had never once looked at his contract wife stood outside the million-dollar villa I had just moved into with my best friend all night. What should I do now, when I am clearly living a new life after divorce and happily spending money?

“It’s not my fault you keep losing our babies!” Jasper snapped. “And instead of being jealous of Lillian, you should be grateful to her!” ~ ~ ~ Rose Ashford’s marriage to Jasper Thompson had been a happy one but too many miscarriages led to one decision that would shake the foundation of the love they once shared. Lillian, Rose’s best friend volunteered to be their surrogate and that’s when things changed for the worse. Rose was kicked aside and disrespected by her husband, shamed and abused by her in-laws, and constantly received shady remarks from her so-called best friend. For the sake of Rose’s baby that Lillian was carrying, she was willing to endure it all until she a shocking revelation shatters her heart into a million pieces. She demanded a divorce, but Jasper isn't willing, he called her dramatic and said she couldn't live without him. Desperate for revenge, she teamed up with Jasper’s rival, Kaiser Montclair. Gone was the meek woman who worshipped her husband and loved her best friend, she was out for their downfall. On this journey of revenge, secrets and lies are uncovered.

Después de renacer, hice todo lo posible por evitar cualquier cruce con Sebastián Luján. Él se inscribió en la universidad más prestigiosa del país. Yo elegí irme a estudiar en el extranjero . Cuando viajó hasta Grandoria para buscarme, me fui todavía más lejos, acepté trabajos como reportera en zonas de conflicto. Años después, regresé a mi país tomada de la mano del hombre que amaba, para celebrar nuestra boda. Sebastián fue detenido en la entrada del lugar, sus ojos estaban enrojecidos, y sólo decía: —¿Por qué… por qué dejaste de amarme?

Le salvé la vida a Don Stefano Marino, de la familia Marino. En el momento en que una bala estaba a punto de alcanzarlo, fui yo quien lo protegió con mi cuerpo. Debido a la deuda de vida que tenía conmigo, Stefano decidió que sería yo quien se casara con él, en lugar de mi hermana mayor, Anna Costa, en la alianza matrimonial. Pero en nuestra noche de bodas, Stefano prefirió beber hasta quedar inconsciente en algún lugar de la ciudad antes que consumar nuestro matrimonio conmigo. Como una tonta ingenua, pensé que algún día sería capaz de derretir su corazón de hielo con mi amor. Pero no habían pasado ni cinco años cuando Stefano regresó con un niño que se parecía a él y a Anna. —Anna ha sufrido tremendamente durante su tiempo en el extranjero mientras intentaba criar a su hijo sola. Necesito compensárselo. Entonces, Stefano me entregó el acuerdo de divorcio. —Has acaparado el puesto de Donna durante muchos años. Es hora de que se lo devuelvas a ella. Solo entonces descubrí que, en realidad, Stefano había pasado esa noche con Anna, la misma noche de nuestra boda. Saqué el informe de embarazo con el que pensaba sorprender a Stefano, solo para que él lo rompiera en mil pedazos. —No necesito otro hijo. Una vez que esas frías palabras cayeron, me enviaron por la fuerza al quirófano, donde sufrí un sangrado intenso después, lo que resultó en mi muerte y la de mi bebé no nacido. Cuando desperté de nuevo, vi a Stefano, que estaba a punto de recibir un disparo. Esta vez, empujé a Anna en su dirección.