Tempting Heart

"You’re fighting a losing battle,” he says, his voice dangerously low. “I suggest you save yourself the pain and step aside.” I can’t believe my ears. Anger rises up my throat. “You don’t scare me, Mr. D’Amato," I snap. “Erik belongs with me, and I’ll fight for him no matter what it takes.” ***** A grieving aunt. A powerful billionaire. And a baby caught in the middle. When Pamela loses her little sister, she vows to raise her nephew, Erik, all by herself. But Massimo D’Amato has other plans. His proposal is simple: A two-year marriage contract or she'd never see Erik again. As they both fight for Erik’s future, feelings they never expected begin to grow. But love was never part of the deal nor were the secrets that could tear them apart.

To the outside world, Olivia is just a famous doctor who excels in her career. What most people don't know is that she's also married to the CEO of the famous Wellington Group, Theo Wellington. Her marriage life is a unique one. She rarely sees her husband, and they only meet once in a while. After three years of a loveless marriage, Theo finally files for divorce. But can she easily let go when she has loved him her whole life? His first love is back, threatening to snatch her position. When Olivia discovers that she's pregnant, she has a choice to hide it from Theo and protect herself from further heartbreak. Yet, misfortunes never come alone. She is also diagnosed with an illness that might not only end her baby's life but also hers.

It is the final day for the high school students to submit their university application forms, and I find out that someone has swapped out my and Ned Nicholson's application forms for Jafferton College instead. In a panic, I hurry off to find Ned to tell him about it, but I end up overhearing a conversation between him and one of his friends instead. "Ned, you promised Miranda Montez that you would both apply for Hale University together. Why did you secretly swap out both your application forms for Jafferton College instead? Aren't you worried that Miranda's going to make a huge fuss about it?" Ned sounds confident as he replies, "She won't. She'll listen to whatever I say. She'll be fine with it as long as she's still in the same college as I am." He pauses for a while before continuing in an impatient voice. "Scarlett Jordan can't get into Hale University. It's beyond her. She's going to be really scared if she has to go to Westward to study on her own, so I promised her that I'd go to the same college she was going to. "I mean, Jafferton College isn't that bad. Miranda wouldn't mind it at all." I stay silent for a long while before leaving quietly, pretending that I never heard a thing. I withdrew my application form for Jafferton College and submitted a new form for Dayward University instead. We made a promise to each other that we would start dating after getting into university. But since he's breaking his promise for someone else's sake, I decide to leave him quietly and go after my own dreams instead.

The pills I keep by my bedside have been swapped with vitamins. I almost die after getting a heart attack. After the stent surgery, I ask my husband, Evan Whitmore, to find out who did it. I just want the truth. However, he doesn't even look up and just brushes me off. "It was just a mistake. Cecilia probably grabbed the wrong bottle. She bought those vitamins for me. "Don't push this. She has asthma. She can't handle stress." I stare at him in shock, my chest tightening. I can't tell if the pain is from my healing heart or from the words he just threw at me. Cecilia Monroe is his secretary, and he always takes her side. That moment is when I realize that our five years of marriage mean nothing to him at all.

Elena Cordova designed revolutionary algorithms for a multi-million-dollar company. The only formula she couldn't solve? Her own marriage. After seven years of being the invisible wife to a cold billionaire, Elena is finally trading in her wedding ring for her worth. Marcus Ashford married her for obligation, hid her from the world, and replaced her with a woman who played the perfect stepmother. But when he finally pushes her too far, he discovers that the brilliant, betrayed woman he dismissed has been running calculations all along. Now, Elena is back in the boardroom, her mind sharp, her fortune growing, and a handsome rival billionaire watching her every move. She wants revenge. She wants vindication. She wants her daughter back. Marcus thought she was a social climber. He thought she was docile. He thought he could replace her. He was wrong. He used her for her brilliance. Now, she'll use her brilliance to take everything back. Divorce is just the beginning of her beautiful, calculated comeback.

Sophia Grey has spent a decade plotting revenge against Ethan Blackwood, the man she believes destroyed her family. As Sophia's plan unfolds, she becomes entangled in a dangerous game of love and deception. The more she uncovers, the more the lines between revenge and redemption blur.

Asher Faith Villonio is a woman who had to go through with any jobs just to earn for her family and for her to reach her dreams, even if these jobs mean to lose her dignity. She has no time for a relationship and love... but everything changed when Jake Valenzuela, a Mafia heir, came into her life. Binili ni Jake Valenzuela si Asher Villonio para maging kanyang personal escort sa loob ng isang buwan. Sa loob ng ilang araw na sila ay magkasama at sa ilang pagtatalik na kanilang pinagsaluhan, ang kanilang puso'y nagtagpo sa isang pagmamahalang hindi inaasahan. Sumugal si Ash kahit na alam niyang maaari siyang masaktan, at tama nga siya. Jake has made a mistake that broke Ash's heart. Will she forgive Jake for what he has done and welcome him on her life again? Or won't she let the man that has touched her heart once touch it again?

He's her worst enemy. His family took everything from her. He is the source of her downfall. She seeks vengeance. She swore she was going to ruin him, but she accidentally slept with him and now she has his child. She ran away from him, but he found her after five years and now he wants her child to gain his inheritance.

A year ago, my life was simple. I was just Ariel Anthony…a regular college student, cheerleader with decent grades, daughter of a struggling baker, and recently appointed step-sister to a guy I barely knew. Nothing special. Then came the storm. Not just the thunderstorm that trapped me in Professor Grayson's apartment that night, but the storm that followed. The one that's still raging around me, that I created. They don't warn you about men like Luther Grayson in freshman orientation. They don't tell you how a single glance from the right person can make you question everything you thought you knew about yourself. About what you want. About what you'd risk to get it. They also don't warn you about guys like Ethan Cross, with his perfect smile hiding something dark. The kind of guy who's used to getting what he wants and doesn't understand the meaning of the word "no." And no one, absolutely no one…prepares you for what it feels like when the person who's supposed to be your brother looks at you with something else in his eyes. Mom once said I had a gift for making complicated situations worse. If she only knew. My phone buzzed beside me, and I glanced down to see Luther's name on the screen. My heart still jumps every time, even when I'm aware of what could happen if people learned about the two of us. I should ignore it. I should block his number, focus on my classes, help Mom with the bakery, and pretend none of this ever happened. But I'm already reaching for the phone. That's the thing about crossing lines… once you step over them, it's almost impossible to step back. And I've crossed so many lines now, I can't even see where I started.

It's Family Day at my daughter, Hannah Neel's, preschool, but my wife, Samantha Miller, says she has to work and tells both Hannah and me not to go. Seeing the disappointment on Hannah's face breaks my heart, so I bring her to school anyway. As soon as we step through the gates, I see Samantha. She's holding her childhood friend—Oscar Barnett's—hand, with a little boy clutching her other. The three of them look like a perfect family, laughing and chatting, as if they belong together. When Samantha sees us, her smile fades, and she lets go of Oscar's hand. "Zach, it's not what you think. Oscar's raising his son alone. Today's his fifth birthday, and he just wanted to give him a little taste of a mother's love," she says quickly. I study her for a moment, then kneel and gently take Hannah's hand in mine. "Sweetheart, say hello to the lady."