Smile But Crying

"Are you the hunter, or the hunted?" Aria Strong, codename Spider, is a killer raised by the Black Dahlia mafia group. When she is tasked with assassinating Cyrrus Lied, the rich billionaire with a perfect image, she infiltrates his company and attempts to seduce him — only to find he is all too eager to comply. But the more she gets to know him, the less she understands. Who is he really? What darkness is he hiding underneath that sunny smile? Aria tightens the net around him, but what she doesn't know is that he has her right in his trap...

She coveted everything about me. My possessions, my experiences, and even my men. So one night, my mother pushed me into an older man's bedroom. The next day, she asked with a smug smile, "Nina, how was your night with the older guy?" I rubbed my sore waist, recalling his broad shoulders, long legs, and trim waist from the night before. I smiled as I answered her. "That fiancé of mine is all yours now. Just remember—I’ll be your Aunt-in-law in the future.”

Prologue The cry of a baby is heard and a maid screamed it's a girl, it's a girl. A smile creapt unto the mother's lip as she carries her child in her hands. She kissed the child , prayed for her and blessed her. I name you Alaina meaning light. She gave the child to the maid. "Please take her to a Faraway place where no one can find her, please help me and protect my child. She's our last hope" the maid nodded with a worried face and took the child. "May the spirits be with you Alaina

"Good morning, sir," she said with a smug smile and glanced at the man who was standing in front of the class-Zachary Villarreal, her ex-boyfriend. Angered for her family, Atasha returned to the Philippines after a two-year stay in America. She had heard of her half-sister's upcoming wedding and could not accept it. She could never accept that the people who ruined her life-her unborn child's life-would be happy. She wanted them all to live the same miserable life as hers. "Beg at me, Professor, as you serve my wrath," she mentally noted.

Lucas Ashton and I have secretly dated for five years. We're preparing to announce our relationship during a business dinner. However, he doesn't mention a word of it during the dinner. Instead, he leans close to me and whispers half-jokingly, "I'm sick of sleeping with you and want to call it quits. Shall we not disclose our relationship?" I smile and nod. Then, I point at Emily Lane, his first love. "This is Lucas' girlfriend." In my past life, I pleaded with him not to leave me. All that got me was torment and death.

Sean is a handsome and lovable guy, known for his gorgeous smile that can effortlessly charm anyone in seconds. He secretly harbors feelings for his close female friend, Lareina, but he lacks the courage to confess, fearing that it might ruin their long-time friendship. Everything changes when Lareina enters college and meets Yvo, her new classmate. Yvo is a stoic, cold-faced guy with an intimidating presence that can silence a room with just a glance. He keeps to himself except when it comes to Lareina, something that deeply unsettles Sean. Now, with Yvo in the picture, how will their intertwined lives unfold?

After they pulled me out of the surf, my fiancé, Milo Schneider, looked wrecked—eyes red, breathing all over the place. On impulse, I decided to mess with him. "I think I lost my memory. Where am I?" I kept my face blank. He froze for a second, then shoved his brother, Sean Schneider, toward me. "Sean, take your fiancée to the hospital—now." Yeah. That smile on my face? Gone. Sean pulled me into his arms. "Abigail, I'm your fiancé. Did you forget?"

Gabriella Halim woke up in a luxurious room she didn’t recognize. When she looked in the mirror, she nearly fainted. Her face was still beautiful, but… more mature. She was no longer the twenty-year-old girl she remembered—she had become a thirty-year-old woman. Even more shocking, she had been married to Adryan Lewis for five years, a young, ambitious, and notoriously cold politician. Gabby immediately realized one thing: her husband hated her. Cold glares, cutting words, and an impenetrable distance left her bewildered. What had happened in the past ten years? Rather than crying or pleading for love, Gabby chose a different path: enjoying the luxury she now had. A grand house, wardrobes full of designer dresses, and an unlimited bank account. Why bother chasing love when life could be this comfortable? But the world of politics was never simple. Public scrutiny, rival political intrigues, and scandalous gossip forced Gabby to take on a role far greater than that of a mere “trophy wife.” And as Adryan began to notice the dramatic changes in Gabby, the question remained: would his hatred persist, or could it transform into something he never expected?

Eight years ago, a night of drunken recklessness left me carrying Grayson Ulrich's child. But from that moment on, he began to hate both me and our daughter. He never allowed her to call him "Dad." He wouldn't let me step into his study, either. Because inside that study, every inch of space was filled with traces of another woman—Sandra Wright, the ex-fiancée who had once left him for freedom and happiness, who had gone abroad to marry a rich man. She was the one Grayson could never forget. The one he still loved. On our eighth anniversary, Sandra returned. That night, Grayson got drunk for the first time in years. He held our daughter in his arms and wept until his eyes were red. My daughter looked at me, bewildered. "Mom, why is Uncle crying?" I held back my tears and told her softly, "Because he is very happy. The person he loves has finally come back." Then I said, "So, Mommy's taking you away—so we won't disturb him and the woman he loves, okay?"

“Just stay married to me for three years. After that, we divorce. In return, I’ll help you destroy your husband and the woman who took your child.” I agreed. Not because I was weak. But because I survived. I was once a devoted wife. Obedient. Loyal. Pregnant with a child I believed would save my marriage. Then his first love returned, and everything I trusted turned to blood and betrayal. We were rushed to the same hospital. I was bleeding. She was crying in his arms. There was only one operating room left. He chose her. He wheeled his mistress, his first love, into surgery and left me behind to miscarry alone. I lost my baby on a cold hospital bed while my husband held another woman’s hand. I divorced him. But some wounds do not heal. They sharpen. Now I have a contract marriage, a man with no love to give, and a plan written in patience and pain. I will take everything my ex-husband values, piece by piece, and make him beg for what he threw away. Forgiveness is for the dead. And I am very much alive. Watch out, husband. I will ruin you.