Things I Never Said Book Novels & Stories

Arielle Santos 24 years old never imagined that her life would be written for her — even her love story. She was raised in a modest family, a dreamer who painted her hopes in colors only she could see. But one evening, her world collapsed when her parents revealed the truth: to save their family from bankruptcy, she had to marry the son of their business partner — Evan Monteverde, the 28 years old, cold and distant heir of one of the country’s most powerful companies. Evan didn’t believe in love. To him, emotions were distractions — weaknesses that could ruin a man. He had long promised himself never to trust feelings again after being betrayed by someone he once loved. So when his father announced his arranged marriage with a woman he barely knew, he didn’t protest for love’s sake — only to end the endless lectures about “duty” and “family legacy.” Their wedding day was perfect — at least in the eyes of the guests. But behind the veil and the smiles, two strangers stood at the altar, reciting vows they didn’t mean. The words “I do”echoed in the church, but neither of them truly did. After the ceremony, they made a deal — they would live together for one year, play their roles for the sake of appearances, and then quietly separate. No love. No expectations. Just peace. But peace was harder to keep than they thought.

A unique video went viral overnight. In the video, on a snow-capped mountain peak, my boyfriend, Ted Moretti, knelt on one knee, his expression tender. Amidst applause, the ring on her finger sparkled; it was the ring of the Moretti family's future bride. Within hours, the video topped various trending charts. People hailed it as the most romantic proposal of the year. Anya Rossi later posted a message. "I've been looking forward to this wedding for so long, and now it's finally happening! Thank you!" The comment section was instantly flooded with excited exclamations. "A Mafia family heir and an ordinary woman? I love it!" "It's like something out of a novel." "So enviable." I went to my boyfriend to confirm. Before I could even speak, I heard him talking to a close friend in the study. “Do I have any other choice?” Ted said, a hint of annoyance in his voice. “If I don’t marry her, her gambler father will sell her off.” His friend hesitated. “But what about Carly? She’s been with you for so many years. Aren’t you worried she might lose her mind?” Ted chuckled, unconcerned. “So what if she’s angry? Carly and I have been together for six years. She won’t leave. She can’t leave.” At that moment, something deep inside me seemed to freeze completely. A month later On the same day Ted and Carly got married, I married another man. Our wedding processions met downtown. According to custom, we exchanged bouquets between the two passing wedding cars, and our windows rolled down simultaneously. That’s when Ted saw me. I was wearing a white wedding dress. Not behind him. But in another man’s arms. After knowing Ted Moretti for so many years, his consistently perfect composure crumbled for the first time.

Cheyenne Morris hadn't planned on coming back home after her first year in college. Her parents however had different plans after she partied a little too hard her freshman year. Once home Cheyenne soon grew bored of the small-town life and looked for anything she could use as a distraction. That's when Nick Griffin walked into her kitchen giving her the perfect target. She was half his age, he was her dad's best friend and business partner, he was perfect. Nick Griffin didn't know that the day he walked into the Morris's kitchen he had walked into a trap. He had been caught off guard by Cheyenne's sudden interest in him and by the time he realized her intentions it was too late. He tried to deter her but soon found himself unable to resist her. She had convinced him there was no harm in having a little fun. No one had to ever know. It was all fun and games until love got involved.

I know I shouldn’t want him. Or them. There’s my best friend’s father, whose low, velvety voice makes my pulse stutter whenever he speaks. My stepbrother, whose accidental touches make my skin burn with unspoken tension. And my sister’s mate, whose cold, lingering gaze betrays a hunger I shouldn’t see. Every glance, every brush of skin, drags me deeper into temptation. Every heartbeat reminds me that wanting them is dangerous, forbidden… and maybe reckless. I’m caught between loyalty, morality, and desire, and every moment I give in only makes the fire stronger. Some lines aren’t meant to be crossed. Some fires are impossible to resist. And I’m learning the hard way… forbidden has never felt this good.

My wife doesn't love me. She doesn't love our child either. On the day our son is born, she doesn't even look at him. She just drops him into my arms. Later, her first love returns. For the first time, the cold, distant woman drinks herself drunk at home. She laughs as she holds our son in her arms, and he wraps his arms around her neck in surprise. "Daddy, what's wrong with Ms. Sutton?" he whispers afterward. I kneel and hold him close. My eyes are red as I explain, "Someone Ms. Sutton loves has come back. We shouldn't bother her anymore. It's time for us to move out."

At the reunion, someone asked when I was getting married. Grinning, I pulled out the invites. "Mid-October. Be there." Cheers broke out. Everyone peeked at the girl next to me. "You've been with Daphne forever, right? Finally making it official?" Daphne hurled her drink at me. "Ethan Everett, is this your idea of pressuring me into marriage?" The room froze. I wiped my face, cool as ever, and opened the invite in front of her. "Maybe check the name. It doesn't say you're the bride."

She took her twin’s place to survive. But falling in love with the man meant to ruin her was never part of the plan. When Layla Ross steps into the shoes of her missing twin, she’s thrust into a marriage with Dominic Foster the dangerously powerful man who married her sister for revenge. But nothing is as it seems. Unknowingly poisoned by Layla herself under her father’s manipulation, Dominic’s life ticks on a secret clock. Layla, a woman with fifteen elite identities and a heart she swore to keep frozen, must find the cure she couldn’t create herself. Love wasn’t supposed to bloom. Secrets weren’t supposed to unravel. But in a city of lies, identity swaps, and deadly desires, one truth could shatter everything. How do you love the man you were sent to destroy… and who might destroy you first?

On the night of her anniversary, Anna Santos walks into her boyfriend’s bedroom wearing the red dress her best friend helped her choose… only to find them together in his bed. Humiliated and betrayed, she runs into the rain—and into the life of Xavier Cortez, a powerful CEO known for his cold control and untouchable reputation. Weeks later, the world is shocked when Xavier announces his bride. No one expected it to be Anna. Not her ex. Not her former best friend. Not even Xavier himself. What begins as a contract marriage soon turns into something far more complicated as Anna steps into a world of power, pressure, and hidden expectations. But when her past resurfaces and threatens everything she’s built… will she remain the wife they never expected— or the woman no one can replace?

While she’s at home preparing dinner for him, he’s out on dates. While she’s drinking with men to secure a business deal for him, he’s announcing his single status to boost his stock. When she drags herself to the hospital with a high fever, he’s there at the same hospital, caring for René—his mistress. She loved him for ten years, gave everything she had, and did everything she could for him. She never believed their love could die. Yet, it did. She doesn’t hate him; she’s simply exhausted, so she decides to leave. Only then does she find a firm chest and a warm embrace that had been waiting for her all along. With her first taste of true love, she realizes how much time she wasted with her ex, a man who never truly loved her. When he comes home one day, he’s shocked to find the woman who had always been there for him is gone. Regret floods him, and he chases after her, only to see another man by her side, taking sacred vows with her, their hands intertwined. In that moment, he realizes he’s lost the innocent girl who once loved him—the most precious treasure he ever had. And now, she’s gone forever.

For seven years, Alina Virelle was the perfect wife. Gentle. Patient. Quietly devoted. She loved Lucien Drax in silence, even when he gave her nothing in return no warmth, no affection, not even a place in his world. But she stayed. Because she believed that one day, he would finally see her. She was wrong. On her birthday, Alina crosses countries just to be with her husband and daughter… only to find herself standing outside a life that no longer includes her. Another woman has already taken her place. And the most painful part? Her daughter doesn’t reach for her. That day, Alina doesn’t cry. She doesn’t beg. She doesn’t fight. She simply lets go. She signs the divorce papers. Walks away from the marriage. And disappears from their lives without looking back. But the woman who returns is no longer the quiet wife who endured everything. She is distant. Untouchable. And far more powerful than anyone remembers. Just as Alina begins to rebuild her life, Lucien starts coming back. More often. Closer than ever. Watching her like she is someone he is only now seeing for the first time. Until the day he discovers the truth. She wants a divorce. And this time… he refuses to let her go. “A divorce?” he says, his calm finally breaking as he traps her against the wall. “You don’t get to leave me… not now.” But what Lucien doesn’t understand is Alina already left him long ago.