Ruskin Bond

**When society calls you worthless, but one man sees your true value...** Sonia Valencia thought she knew what rock bottom felt like—until she found herself homeless, penniless, and fighting for custody of her son after her husband's betrayal. With scars marring her once-beautiful face and deeper scars on her heart, she never expected salvation to come in the form of a marriage proposal from a stranger. Fabian Martinez, the country's most sought-after billionaire actor, needs a wife to secure custody of his own son. What he doesn't need are complications—but that's exactly what he gets when he meets the scarred woman the world calls ugly, who agrees to his business arrangement. --- *"I need a wife,"* Fabian said bluntly, his piercing blue eyes studying the scars on her face without flinching. *"And you need financial security and a father figure for your son. This could work for both of us."* Sonia stared at the contract in her trembling hands. Six months. A marriage of convenience to a man who could have any supermodel in the world—yet chose her, the woman her own husband called a monster. She should have known better than to trust a contract to contain her heart.

Melissa Jones was rapidly turning into a lady, her womanly features were as pronounced and a sharp cheekbone. One week to her eighteenth birthday,her transformation day,her father broke the news of marrying her off to a powerful alpha from another clan. In a bid to avoid getting married,she runs away and runs into the clan of an egocentric alpha,a ruthless alpha and a very attractive one at that. Sensing danger,she tried to leave but he gave her a condition. Either she stays at his clan as a watch nanny over an ancient beast that has been their hostage for over a long period of time and gets her freedom within a month or she remains in his clan as a captive forever. Angry and ready to tear him down,she speaks harshly to him and he lets her go away. She returns home only to get the news that her suitor would be arriving the next day. What happens when she finds out her suitor is no other person than the alpha she spoke rudely to? What happens when the alpha keeps it in mind to bully and teach his sharp mouthed wife a lesson.

Amidst a birthday celebration filled with cupcakes and Malibu drinks, Rome's night takes an unexpected turn when she drunkenly stumbles into the wrong hotel room The next morning, she woke up naked next to the man she hated the most--- Cayson Montemayor; a gorgeous bachelor and the only heir of Montemayor International Colleges where Rome's entire family was working. He was basically her family's boss, but also the same man who she hated the most for over a decade. They both had no idea how they ended up in the same room, but... something happened to them that crazy, drunken night and they could no longer turn back time to fix what's already done. Due to Rome's embarrassment and Cayson's lack of interest, they both agreed to sweep the incident under the rug. Not until four weeks later. Rome found herself pregnant with DEMONtemayor's baby. In hopes to protect her family from societal judgment and criticism, Rome decided to chase Cayson and force him to step up to the plate. Will there be any chances for them? Only time will tell...

She was supposed to be a just another girl behind the bar. He was never supposed to remember her just another night to forget. But that one night... changed everything. Aria Lane has known pain for as long as she can remember. Orphaned in a tragic accident and taken in by a family that sees her only as a burden with a price tag, she works long hours just to survive. When a mysterious, powerful stranger walks into the bar one stormy evening, she doesn't expect him to notice her. Let alone offer her something that feels both wrong and irresistible. Damien West... young, dangerously handsome, and heir to a billion-dollar empire has secrets buried deeper than his pockets. One night with Aria was supposed to be a mistake he could walk away from. But Aria can’t walk away not when she finds herself pregnant and alone. With no money, no support, and no way to find the man who changed her life with a single touch, she must fight to protect her unborn child... and herself. What happens when their paths collide again? Will the truth tear them apart or bind them forever?

She thought marrying a powerful CEO would bring her happiness. Instead, Liana was neglected, humiliated, and treated as nothing more than a placeholder wife. When her husband openly brought his first love into their home, she finally snapped—throwing the divorce papers in his face and walking away without looking back. Everyone thought she was ruined. But then came the shocking truth: Liana was the long-lost daughter of the influential Carver family. Her three overprotective brothers appeared like a storm to shield her from the world: Leo Carver, the ruthless business tycoon, handed her shares worth billions. Cassian Carver, the sharpest lawyer in the country, swore her ex-husband would crawl out of the divorce with nothing. Dante Carver, the nation’s beloved superstar, announced to millions: “She is my only sister. Whoever dares bully her will answer to me.” From the ashes of betrayal, Liana rose brighter than ever, living like a queen under her brothers’ protection. And when her ex-husband came crawling back, begging for another chance, her brothers only smirked coldly— “Chasing after our sister? You’re not even worthy.”

On the day of my daughter Eleanor Baldwin's second birthday party, my entire family stood nervously by the banquet hall entrance. They were not there to greet guests, but rather to keep me from showing up and causing a scene. Mom's face was written all over with anxiety. "Lucas wouldn't actually crash the party, would he?" Dad's brow stayed tightly furrowed. "Who knows? That disgrace of a son is capable of anything." My younger brother, Cody Baldwin, had his arm wrapped gently around my wife, Kendra Clarkson, trying to reassure her. "Don't worry. If Lucas dares to show up, I'll keep you and Ellie safe." Kendra nodded slowly. "If it really comes to that... maybe we should just let Ellie be his goddaughter. At least then, we're still family..." However, the party came and went, and I never appeared. I had already made up my mind to join a classified national defense research program. Only this time, it was for good.

My husband's childhood sweetheart was diagnosed with a terminal illness. To fulfill her last wishes and let her experience the warmth of family, my husband, Aaron Turner, gave her my necklace. He even let her claim my birthday. Even our son started calling her "Mom" in private. He told me, "Chrishell, Sylvia is dying. Just give in to her, will you?" Whenever I asked him to spare even a little time and affection for me, our son, Lucas, would rush to speak on their behalf. "Mom, didn't you always teach me to be generous? Sylvia is dying. Why do you always make things difficult for her?" Over time, I stopped asking for anything at all. Then one night, I overheard my son speaking to his father after returning from the hospital. "Sylvia is so gentle and graceful. I wish Mom could be more like her." Aaron chuckled and affectionately brushed his hand over our son's hair. "Your mom may be a little strict, but it's all for your own good. Since you like Sylvia so much, how about we let her be your godmother?" So even the child I risked my life to bring into this world didn't like me. I lowered my gaze, quietly closed the bedroom door, and pretended none of it had happened. Since they were both filled with such regret, I'd leave quietly and give them what they wanted.

Vivian Kim spent twenty years on the runway, managed by her mother, a former model who pushed her to the top. Together, they were unstoppable. But when her mother suddenly dies, Vivian’s career crumbles. At twenty-nine, the fashion world calls her too old and too faded to matter. Determined to start over, Vivian moves to Avron, a city of glass towers and endless ambition. She dreams of creating her own fashion brand and living life on her own terms. What she doesn’t expect is to clash with Vincent Evans on her very first day. Vincent is Avron’s cold and powerful billionaire, a man who trusts no one but the girl he adopted. To him, Vivian is nothing but trouble. To her, he is arrogant, impossible, and infuriatingly magnetic. One harmless lie soon spirals into scandal. To protect his empire and her reputation, they agree to a fake dating contract. But as every glance grows hotter and every rule starts to blur, both must face a dangerous question: What happens when pretending is no longer enough?

“You were never just a secret. You were everything I couldn’t admit.” She was his secret. For three years, Aria Hartfield has lived in the shadows, hidden beside Alpha Xander Stone, loved in silence, and slowly breaking. Then she returns to her rumoured mate, and Aria walks away. Pregnant. Determined to start over. But secrets don’t stay buried. And love, even when denied, has a way of clawing back through the darkness. "He chased her once in silence. Now, he’ll tear the world apart to win her back." Now she’s the one thing he can’t afford to lose.

"Before anything, before you allow your inner thoughts to go on an overdrive, know that I love you. I love you so fucking much and I don't care who you currently are, Serena or Rosalia doesn't matter to me, it's just a name. But what I do know is that you are mine and under no circumstances would I do anything to hurt you" ** Rosalia had thought her biggest problem was how to secure a new job after losing her current one, and avoiding the ex convict who seemed to be out to get her. But she wasn't prepared for the sudden intrusion of a certain man who claimed to be her husband! Husband? She didn't even know him!. Worst of all, they already had a daughter who looked exactly like her! Rosalia was thrown into a state of confusion where everything seemed to belong to her but not at the same time. She was determined to find out what had happened to her in the past and how to fix the present which seemed already damaged.