Smiling Proud Wanderer

Winter, 2025. Seattle is shrouded in the cold mist of its endless rainy season. For the sake of a single recommendation letter to Stanford, Catherine Hale—a destitute but proud art student—knocks on the doors of the Highlands Manor to return a restored Song Dynasty porcelain. She intends to leave as quickly as she came, but instead stumbles into the world of William Sterling, the young, enigmatic patriarch of an old and powerful family. Cold, noble, and unfathomable, William draws her into a game of testing and maneuvering that plays out in the cracks between social class and self-esteem. From their first meeting on a rainy night to a silent rescue amidst the vanity fair of high society, Catherine fights to escape a glittering vortex she doesn't belong to, only to find herself falling step by step into William's gentle trap, lingering with the scent of cold cedar. In this rain-soaked city, a forbidden attraction blooms across the divide, unaware that fate has already secretly marked the price of its gifts.

Out of choice, Tori Alonzo agreed to marry Roux Fuentabela to make her father proud and to save her sister. She hasn't met Roux even once in her life... or so she thought. She vowed to make them regret the marriage. She became the billionaire's stubborn wife. But everything backfired when Roux was done with her stubbornness. Unexpectedly, they became close until someone came back. Then an unexpected event came that wrecked Tori's life. Losing someone important to her was just the tip of the iceberg. Skeletons in the closets were found one by one. Everyone's secret was slowly revealed and no one was ready for the consequences of their actions. Tori ran away, not expecting to have something that would remind her of the past. And when she came back, she faced the biggest disaster of her life in the form of Devroux Fuentabela. Will everything still fall into their right places? Or they will just let the disaster ruin their lives?

Laura and Caleb were best friends when they were little, even if they didn't belong to the same pack. Inseparable. Always together. That changed during their teenage years. The two grew apart: Caleb grew popular, and Laura became a loner. Her early adolescent years were spent hoping Caleb would return to her, but Caleb's family moved away from their hometown without a word. Seven years later, Laura escapes from her arranged marriage, and the person she calls when she is drunk and crying is Caleb. Big mistake. Instead of rekindling what they once had, Caleb decides to kidnap Laura and make her his luna—without her permission! But Caleb is wrong if he thinks Laura will be an easy conquest. She is too proud to fall for the charming face belonging to alpha Caleb! And if she marries him, it sure doesn't mean she loves him... Right?

Can one truly love a man who has faced rejection from all women? Loreen finds herself forced into a marital arrangement with the nation's most controversial figure, Mr. Adepe Peme , also known as "the scarred one," in exchange for financial benefits. Rumors circulate about Adepe , portraying him as a frightful and emotionally scarred individual, both inside and out. His appearance alone is enough to deter women, despite his immense wealth that many covet. He is considered a pariah by society. Thrown into a loveless marriage, how will Leia, a proud and headstrong woman, cope with this situation? And how will Adepe respond to her? Will he attempt to dominate her or passionately court her? Will Loreen accept him despite his physical deformities? Can she rise above her pride and short temper? Will she untie the emotional barriers she has placed around her heart and accept him? Will their union become the envy of high society, or will it be regarded as a tragic failure of the century?

In the second month of my relationship with my best friend Sophie Vaughn's older brother, Elias Vaughn, Thanksgiving arrives. Sophie leans in, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Elias is bringing his girlfriend home for the holiday. Let's see what all the fuss is about." I take my time getting ready, heart fluttering with hope. Just maybe, I'll finally be formally introduced as his girlfriend. But the moment I step inside, I see him with another elegant, beautiful woman, smiling as he introduces her to his parents. "This is my girlfriend," he says. He then inadvertently looks over at me, stiffening for a moment, clearly caught off guard. But just as quickly, he recovers and turns to the woman beside him. "That woman over there is my sister's friend and a part-time student. You could say she's a maid in our household." A maid? As it turns out, I'm nothing more than someone for him to kiss and sleep with. I was never someone worthy of standing by his side publicly. I turn away and board the train back to Ashcroft University, choosing my future over another night in his bedroom.

Anna Whitmore dated Lucas Caldwell, a young heir from New York’s old-money circle, for three years. When the time was right, she decided to reveal who she truly was and formally proposed a strategic marriage. On the day she planned to propose, he made an excuse and walked away. That same night, he was seen at a nightclub, arms wrapped around another woman, openly mocking the idea of marrying someone “without status or value.” Anna saw his true face and walked away for good. If marriage in their world had always been a transaction, then choosing a man with greater power and influence was only fair. So she married his uncle. Later, on the day Lucas Caldwell announced his engagement to the daughter her father chose to acknowledge, he saw her at the banquet. The so-called “unfavored” Whitmore heiress. His former girlfriend. She stood beside his uncle under the spotlight, smiling— calm, radiant, untouchable. The man next to her was the one who truly controlled New York’s upper circle, a level of power Lucas Caldwell would never reach. His uncle spoke lightly, and the entire room fell silent. “She is my wife.”

He worshiped her like a goddess. She let another man make her moan. Duncan Moretti had everything—power, wealth, control. Women wanted him, men feared him. But when Aphrodite walked into his world, she didn’t want his money… she wanted his soul. And he gave it to her. Every kiss, every whispered promise, every desperate moan—he thought they meant something. He planned the perfect proposal, ready to give her forever. Until she didn’t show up. Until she arrived hours late—smiling like she hadn’t just crushed him. Until a man walked in uninvited, laughing, calling her home. And when Duncan followed her, broken and burning, he saw it all with his own eyes—Aphrodite naked under another man, moaning his name like she once moaned his. Now Duncan isn’t the man who fell to his knees. He’s the man who’s rising—with revenge in his blood and nothing left to lose. She wanted to be worshiped? He’ll make sure she remembers exactly how it feels.

To rebel against my family's arranged marriage, I run away from home. Six months later, I decide to return to university and continue my studies, only to be told by a professor that Adam Richmond enrolled six months ago. Not only that, but he and my fiancée have apparently become the campus' picture-perfect couple. I go to confront him, but the woman claiming to be Adam's fiancée drives me away. "You beggar and fraud, how dare you call yourself Mr. Richmond? Besides, I am Erica Wright, the eldest daughter of the Wright family. How could I not recognize my own fiancé?" I stare at the woman before me, unable to hide my doubts. I've never met her, yet I've always heard that the eldest daughter of the Wright family is supposed to be gentle and poised. Could this proud, overbearing woman really be my fiancée?

Lena is bankrupt, her entire family fortunes completely dwindled due to the poor financial choices made by her father. At the age of 23, her family’s future completely depends on her. For a while now she has been closely watching David, the top eligible bachelor in the city of Hue, not only is he the most eligible bachelor in all of Hue, he is also the richest man in Hue. David is the CEO of Spark Enterprise, most people call him proud and haughty, but those that are close to him know it’s just a wall he has learnt to put around himself to protect himself from others. Afterall to be a CEO you need to be careful of people, especially of women who want you only for your status and money. Imagine the shock on everyone's face when the news of his marriage surfaces. Will Lena approach him and change her life and that of her family? Will he accept her or make a public ridicule of her for having such a thought?

"Don't you see? EVERYTHING comes at a price mio il amore" He's not just a man, he is the man. He runs New York nothing comes in without him knowing and nothing will most certainly get out. Ruthless, cocky enigmatic, and assertive. Just a few words to describe him. Talia Cruz- A trauma nurse in one of the richest hospitals in New York. Young and successful and she's so proud of herself. Well, she should be, made an orphan at just 13 her and her older sister Iris, never thought they would make it this far. Now that she's 22 with a supportive job Iris can finally move back to their hometown leaving Talia to take on New York by herself. When Talia sees something that she shouldn't see and is taken captive by Matteo Russo himself, does she crumble and fall or does she stay true her true self and rise even through all the struggles?