The Other Lauv

I was vacationing in St. Moritz, Switzerland with my mother when Vivian from the Valenti family office sent me a photo. The woman in it lay on the cold marble floor of the estate, her coat stripped away, her body covered in blood. No one stood near her, as if she had already been set aside like a problem to be dealt with. It was hard to tell if she was still breathing. A voice message followed, her tone sharp and controlled. “Elena, don’t assume that marrying the Don and being called Donna means your small-town family can step onto Valenti property.” “The lakeside estate Mr. Valenti just acquired is a family asset. Letting someone like your mother stay there breaks rules.” “I act on the Don’s behalf. It is my responsibility to remove people who should not be there.” “This is what happens when someone crosses a line.” I went still. Then I looked up at my mother sitting across from me. She held her tea, calm as ever. I lowered my eyes and enlarged the photo. The moment I saw the woman’s face, my chest tightened. It was not my mother. It was Luca’s. I called Vivian immediately. “Have you lost your mind? That’s Luca’s mother.” She gave a light laugh, her tone cool and distant. “Mr. Valenti has always been clear. Your mother is yours. His mother is his.” “The Valenti family does not take in outsiders.” “You may be Donna, but that does not mean your family steps inside with you.”

When my daughter, Ruth Jensen, says for the tenth time that she wants a different mother, I don't get angry. I just calmly ask her who she wants instead. She blurts, "Vivian." She means Vivian Green, her tutor… and also the woman my husband has never been able to forget. At Ruth's birthday party that day, she even openly thanks Vivian, saying Vivian takes care of her like a mother. Looking at Ruth's young, innocent face, I finally understand that she doesn't like me. So, I stop caring for her and my husband the way I used to. Instead, I turn around and join a classified national project. Rather than wasting time on people who aren't worth it, I'd be better off serving my country!

Clara lay on the cold floor bleeding. She stared blankly at the ceiling, and in its reflection, she saw the monster she’d become as her life slipped away. The cruel wife! The “evil stepmother” everyone despised!! She had spent years hurting the people who only wanted her love, her husband, and his children until they stopped looking at her with warmth altogether. And now, in her final moments, the one person she trusted stood above her… holding the knife. Her best friend’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “You should’ve listened, Clara,” she whispered before driving the blade in again. Pain! Regret!! Betrayal!!! Everything Clara had built came crashing down in a pool of her own blood. If only she could turn back time... just once... she would do things differently. She would protect her family. She would stop trusting the wrong people. A lone tear slipped from her eye as her body went still... DEAD! ***** And then... she woke up, gasping for air. Clara’s heart raced as the realization hit her. She had been reborn. Given a second chance. This time, she would not waste it. She would be the mother they needed, the wife he deserved. She will be kind and loving to them. But when the shadows of her past return and the same enemies begin to stir, Clara learns that kindness alone won’t save them. To protect her family, she must become what everyone once feared... An evil stepmother capable of vengeance. Clara died as a villain… and returned to become their savior. Because in her death, she found regret. But in her rebirth, she'd find revenge. They killed her once. They won’t live to do it again. Clara returned from the grave with one goal... to protect her family and vengeance.

Lantaran tuduhan Mario yang tidak benar kepadanya dalam mendapatkan jabatan manajer, Rosie Sarfosa langsung membatalkan rencana pernikahan yang sudah jauh-jauh hari mereka siapkan usai pesta kenaikan jabatan Rosie. Di sisi lain, adik Rosie, Ethan Darius baru saja lulus dari salah satu universitas negeri di Jepang dengan menyandang gelar dokter. Meskipun mendapat gelar dokter, pria dua puluh enam tahun itu malah memilih bekerja paruh waktu di sebuah yayasan bersama gadis yang baru dia kenal, Yunri. Konflik dimulai ketika Ethan mengetahui rencana Mario dan mencuri sebuah dokumen penting untuk menghancurkan kehidupan Rosie. Akankah Rosie hancur karena sebuah dokumen atau malah, Rosie semakin berjaya dalam karir meski mengorbankan Ethan?

Arielle's life turns upside down when her mother marries Charles Salvatore, a wealthy businessman with a dark past. At the wedding, she meets Ian, Charles's handsome but troubled son, with whom she shares a passionate and forbidden night. Unbeknownst to Arielle, Ian is engaged to Savannah Lytehall, a stunning socialite and heiress. As Arielle navigates her complicated feelings for Ian, she uncovers a web of secrets and lies within the Salvatore family. Charles's ruthless ambition and Ian's tortured past threaten to destroy their lives. Torn between loyalty to her mother and her growing attraction to Ian, Arielle must confront the darkness that surrounds them. With its twists and turns, this story explores themes of family, power, and forbidden love. As Arielle and Ian struggle to resist their attraction, they must confront the consequences of their desires and the secrets that bind them.

My dad’s crush came back, and my mom decided to fake her death. “Jane, I’m the main character of a tragic story. If I don’t fake my death now, I’ll end up miserable. “Go tell your dad that Quiana killed me.” In my past life, I had done exactly as she said. My dad had flown into a rage and destroyed the Sullivan family. After that, my mom returned to the land of the living. I thought our family would finally be whole again. Instead, she clung to Dad and cried. “I gave Jane my contact information. How could she say I was dead?” To punish me, my dad locked me in a cold storage room. My mom shot me a cold look. “That’s what you get for calling that woman pretty.” In the cold storage room, at −58°F, I froze to death. When I opened my eyes again, my mom had already faked her death and ran off with her devoted admirer. I looked at my dad and asked with an innocent expression, “Dad, what does eloping mean?”

After Ruelle Altagracia finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with her sister, she goes on to hit his older brother too. Xerces Miller is the epitome of perfection. No wonder her ex envies him so much, for he always gets everything he wants, from his family’s attention since they were kids to personal achievements. Even the girl he used to like ends up liking Xerces and not him. Ruelle thought having Xerces would be the best revenge she could ever give him. The only problem she has is the fact that Xerces isn’t like the other men she can easily win over with her charm and schemes. He seems to be irritated by her presence, as he can’t even keep his eyes on her for more than a second. However, that isn’t enough to discourage her. Determined, Ruelle will do everything she can to get him.

Luz was a well-known stripper in town, but after meeting Leon and saving him from an attack, she becomes the chosen one of this CEO who offers her a deal, a marriage contract so that he can protect his inheritance from the hatawhay family who tries to kill while awaiting the return of his mafioso brother who everyone thinks is dead. But his return was soon after his marriage, and upon finding the light Alessandra, whose one falls in love, a love disguised in a chase and attacks the girl who tries to endure the difficult genius of the man who over time is yielding to the charms of the light that ends up conquering the two men even unintentionally, but only one can win his heart.

“What I want to know is why you were still a virgin.” Raven stiffened. “Was I not supposed to be?” “I’m surprised by the fact but not disappointed. I am the first and the last lover you’ll ever have.” “No, you were merely the first man I’ve taken to my bed. I doubt you’ll be the last.” “I’ll kill any man that thinks he can take what I now have,” Yuri vowed. “I take care of what’s mine. No other man shall have you.” *** For years, Raven has hidden from her brutal past to protect the boy she calls her brother. But when Nicky steals the wallet of Yuri Anatoly—ruthless leader of the Russian Bratva and her boss—she must sneak into his penthouse to fix her mistake. She thinks she’s in and out unseen. She’s wrong. Yuri has never met anyone as quick, fierce, and untamable as Raven. His obsession ignites instantly. But their explosive desire collides with a deadly secret: Nicky is not her brother. He is the stolen heir of the Bratva’s boss, taken by Raven’s own mother twenty years ago. Now their old tormentor hunts them, and Yuri will burn the city down to keep Raven. But to save the boy she loves, she must choose… surrender to the man who owns her heart, or lose everything. Passion. Secrets. A love worth killing for.

At the banquet hall, I refuse to let my adopted twin pups eat the walnut cake. Ivana Lamont—the childhood sweetheart of my mate, Luther Hardwick—chokes up dramatically. She cries accusingly, "Yara, they may not be yours biologically, but you can't abuse them! Why won't you even let them have a slice of cake?" I'm just about to explain that the twins are allergic to nuts, but they point at me and complain in aggrieved voices. "Mommy often doesn't give us food. We never have enough to eat!" With that, I'm unceremoniously driven out of the banquet hall by the host. When I go to look for my mate to talk about it, I accidentally overhear his conversation with a friend. "Alpha Luther, it's been eight years. Are you still not going to mark Yara?" "There's no rush. I'll wait until the kids are a little older. We love each other very much, so it's fine even if I don't mark her." His friend responds disapprovingly, "You've been hiding from her that the twins are actually your and Ivana's pups. Aren't you afraid she may leave in anger if she finds out?" Luther shakes his head and replies with certainty, "She won't. Yara is an orphan, so she has no family. If she leaves me, where else can she go?" The ugly truth causes me to freeze on the spot. It turns out the pups I've loved for eight years were born to my mate and another she-wolf. What I thought was a happy life is nothing but a cold, heartless deception! I touch my belly, thinking of the pup I just conceived. My tears fall like a relentless downpour. In the shadows, I say inaudibly, "You're wrong, Luther. In fact, I found my birth parents three days ago. I just haven't had the chance to tell you. But it doesn't matter now because you don't need to know about that anymore." I have Luther sign the mate bond dissolution agreement before finalizing my withdrawal from the Sharp Teeth pack. Two days later, I give both my mate and the pups to Ivana. With the pup that Luther has never known or laid his eyes on, I disappear from his world forever.