St-charles Library Hours Novels & Stories

Yesterday she was nobody, but today she had the chance to be the queen of the town.  Yesterday she was just a normal twenty-five-year-old with a lot of responsibility and debt that was greater than the hours she worked, but today the opportunity was right in front of her that would alleviate all of her financial worries. The only thing she needed to do was to say "Yes" to her boss and the world would be on her feet. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that held the power to change her miserable fate. This was her second and last chance to say yes to happiness, life, and love. The only problem was she needed to marry her ruthless, cold, heartless billionaire CEO, whom she loathed more than the one-bedroom trash apartment she was sharing with her sister. Now the decision depends on the next word she was going to say. The next morning, either she would have another world in her palm, or she would continue to have this pathetic life. Only time will tell.

My mother loved a billionaire once. He destroyed her quietly, with power and control and the particular cruelty of a man who knew nobody would believe his wife's pain. She left him with nothing but the clothes on her back and a warning she planted deep inside me before I could even walk. *Never marry a billionaire.* I believed her. I built my own empire. I refused every wealthy, charming, well-suited man who came to my table with a ring and a rehearsed smile. Then I walked into The Harlow Hotel and saw a waiter. No charm. No performance. Just steady eyes that looked at me like I had startled him and then looked away first. Shyly. His name was Charles Dick. Simple. Honest. Real. Everything my mother's warning was never about. I pursued him. I provided for him. I loved him completely. Five days before our wedding he told me the truth. And everything collapsed in sixty seconds. Because the most dangerous love stories are not the ones that begin with lies. They are the ones where two people lie to protect themselves from the very love they have been searching for their entire lives. .... Vivienne Donald had sworn she would never marry a billionaire. She kept her word. She married something far greater.

Chloe Bishop was the city’s golden girl—the "First Lady" of high society. Wealthy, breathtakingly beautiful, and deeply in love, she was the envy of everyone. When Liam was a broken outcast who had lost everything, Chloe was the one who reached out, pulling him from the wreckage of his life. She gave him her heart, her family’s status, and six devoted years. But on the morning of their lavish, multi-million dollar wedding, the dream shatters. Instead of an "I do," Liam leaves her at the altar, delivering a cold confession that pierces like a knife: “The one I’ve always loved is Sara Jay.” Overnight, the city's golden girl becomes its biggest laughingstock. Betrayed by her fiancé and haunted by a dark secret involving her father, Charles, Chloe is expected to crumble. But as the world waits for her to beg for his return, Chloe wipes her tears and offers a chilling smile. "I know he’ll come back crawling eventually," she whispers, stripping off her silk veil. "But this time, I’m done waiting. It's time for the world to see what happens when a 'perfect' woman stops being nice." He broke her heart. Now, she’s going to break his empire.

Alexandra Kingsley was a wealthy Californian heiress who seemed to have it all. At just twenty-two, she was running her own company and was about to marry the love of her life. But just hours before the wedding, Alexandra overheard her fiancé, Albert Blackwell, plotting to kill her. With no other choice, she faked her own death and disappeared. A year later, she returned with a new identity and a single goal: destroy everyone who had betrayed her. But to reclaim her fortune and take revenge, she needed the help of the one man Albert feared—Scott Hamilton, the ruthless CEO with a terrifying reputation. He was dangerous. Cold. Unforgiving. Everyone said the same: he was a monster. But Alexandra was determined to win him over. The problem? He was a ticking time bomb, and she had a talent for setting him off every five minutes. So what would happen when he had no choice but to marry her?

“Hey, Stranger… You look dangerously delicious tonight. Want to get wild?” That's what Brinda says to a handsome stranger in a club— just hours after discovering her fiancé in bed with her sister on their wedding day. The betrayal cuts deep, but nothing numbs the pain like a wild night with Las Vegas’ most notorious billionaire playboy, Jason Adam. But when a pregnancy test changes everything, Jason makes her an offer: leave behind her life as a sex worker and live under the roof. No strings… or so she thought. As Brinda struggles with secrets from her past, Jason is hiding demons of his own. When dangerous enemies resurfaces and a shocking truth about her parent's death is unconvered, Brinda must decide if the man who broke her walls down is also the one who can save her. Will love be enough to heal two broken souls? Or will lust, lies, and betrayal tear them apart forever?

After I got pregnant, my husband started driving for Uber after work to help with household expenses. He wouldn't return home until the early hours of the morning. Then, on Valentine's Day, I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my belly. I called an ambulance to take me to the hospital. When I arrived, I saw my husband entangled with another woman. Both of them were being wheeled into the emergency room. "Tsk, these two really have no shame, going at it right out in public," someone muttered. "They probably wrecked the car in the process, don't you think?" another chimed in. "What's even worse," a voice added with a hint of horror, "is that guy has a wife!" The bystanders gasped in unison. "His wife must be devastated." Whether his wife is devastated or not, I don't know. But one thing is certain—he'll be going straight to hell for this!

One night. One kiss. One viral humiliation. Livia Harper built Theo Whitford’s dying company into a billion-dollar empire while carrying his child in secret. On their second anniversary, in front of two hundred cameras, Theo introduced his college sweetheart as “the woman I’ve always loved” and kissed her like Livia never existed. Twenty-four hours later Livia is Mrs. Alexander Kane (the most ruthless billionaire in America and Theo’s oldest enemy). The contract is simple: one year of fake marriage, seventy-five million dollars, and the total annihilation of Theo Whitford’s life. Rules: No feelings. The baby stays a secret. When the year ends, she disappears forever. But contracts weren’t made for the kind of fire that ignites when the woman who has nothing left to lose marries the man who’s never lost anything. Some vows are made to be broken. Others are made to burn the world down.

I died on the day I was supposed to receive the Pack’s Distinguished Service Award. Three hours after I died, my parents, my brother, and my mate were just wrapping up the graduation party they’d thrown for my sister. While my sister, Ella, was posting a cozy family photo on Instagram, I was locked in our basement, using my tongue to swipe on my phone and call for help. The only person who answered was my mate, Ryan. All he said was, "Sophie, cut the drama. Ella's graduation party is important. Enough with the tantrums!" This was the ninety-ninth time they had let me down. And the last. I lay in a pool of my own blood, my lungs still. They thought I was just throwing a fit, hiding somewhere. That if they taught me a lesson, I’d come crawling back. But they didn't know. I was home the whole time. I was already dead.

Her world was crumbling under the betrayal of her fiance and sister, spurred on by her parents’ favoritism, when he appeared before her. He was her guardian angel in her darkest hour. This man could change the Brookville city’s destiny with just a glance, yet he chose her. “"Marry me. I'll bring you unimaginable happiness!" After marriage: "Sir, her elder sister's been terrible to her!" “Get that agency contract signed and make my wife the boss instead!" "Sir, your grandfather is offering the lady money to leave you!" "Did she take it?" "Yes, but she claims it's not nearly enough!" "Well, then let's double it," he said, pausing thoughtfully. "Get the extra from Granddad." "Sir, everyone’s whispering about how she's not good enough for you!" "Well, they've got it wrong. It's me who strives to be worthy of her presence." As time went on, all of Brookville came to know of Charles Hoffman and the wife he cherished beyond reason, doting on her to the point of wild abandon. However, not a single one of them knew about that fateful summer day she leaped into his embrace under the rustling trees. In that moment, their love was sealed for eternity.

During a business trip to Canada, Ethan Thomas is staged by an enemy, accused of raping an underage girl. In order to save Ethan Thomas from the law, Ethan's lawyer came up with a solution, suggesting that Ethan marry the girl he slept with. However, a few hours before the wedding, Mila escaped from the wedding with a huge amount of money that she appropriated from Ethan. Because the amount of money Mila appropriated from Ethan is too large, Mila's family is not able to repay the money to Ethan. So they forced Ula to replace Mila to marry Ethan. In retaliation for the care of her foster parents over the years, Ula has agreed to marry Ethan in order to erase the huge amount of money that Mila has seized. She accepts to marry a stranger she doesn't love. Will this unexpected marriage lead to a good outcome? Or is this marriage just a disguise in exchange for Ethan's freedom? Will the love between Ethan and Ula be born? Or is this just a marriage contract between two people?