Thirty Seven

One day, shortly after I had experienced a miscarriage, Alan brought me a bowl of chicken soup—and a divorce agreement. "Sophia's pregnant," he had said. "So let's just leave each other like mature adults do." Chicken soup had never tasted so bitter in my life. I knew Sophia Mason—he had sponsored her education before. She was also the one who caused my miscarriage. I did not cry. I did not throw a fit. I just asked why. He looked relieved. Then, he looked at me blankly. "The truth is I can't stand you over these seven years. Every time we lie together on our bed, I just can't help but be disgusted by what your body has gone through. "I know you suffered that because of me. But I can't do it. I can't stop remembering how defiled it is. "Our kid is gone. We owe each other nothing now—so let's end it here, right now." So that was it, huh? Hilarious. He had no idea who the "defiled" one was—him. Seven years ago, I inserted a memory chip into his brain to save him. And now, in three days' time, the chip will cease to function. He will remember everything… and he will wish he were long dead.

"I will give you an interest of one million dollars once we regain our lost glory," Nelly promised. "Really? Are you the only one who doesn't know my net worth?" Ivan questioned. "Fine. What do you want, Ivan?" "Marry me." Nelly Stratford was forced to approach her sworn enemy, the proud Ivan Landers, to beg for money. Their family business was dwindling and her father was in a coma. The money to foot the hospital bill was not in sight. Left with no other option, she accepts his marriage proposal.  Nelly spent the next one year proving her worth. She did everything to please Ivan because she had fallen in love with him but his heart was far away. He only loved a certain girl who saved his life seven years ago. Ivan told her to her face that he would never love her.   Two weeks later, he came back to the house he shared with her. He saw the divorce papers she left him alongside the ring he gave the girl who saved him seven years ago. Pain and regret burst out in his chest, but this time, he couldn't find her anywhere. When she returns, its not for love this time, but for vengeance. Will she succeed or will she let her love for Ivan take the upper hand?

Seven years ago, I broke his heart to save his life. I just didn't realize he’d grow up to be the man who owns mine. Ethan Hawke wasn't always the "Ice King of Manhattan." Once, he was just the boy from the wrong side of the tracks who promised me the world. But I left him in the middle of a winter storm, taking a secret with me that changed everything. Now, he’s back. He’s no longer that boy. He’s a billionaire predator with a memory like a steel trap and a heart made of frost. When my father’s debts come due, Ethan is the one holding the check. But the price isn't money. It’s me. The Deal: Move into his penthouse. Wear his ring. Play the happy fiancée until Valentine’s Day. The Catch: He hasn't just been waiting for me. He’s been watching me. As the line between his revenge and his obsession blurs, I realize the "Dirty Secret" isn't the fake engagement. It’s that even after all the pain, his touch is the only thing that makes me feel alive. But when the gala lights go down, I have to decide: Can I love the man who is determined to ruin me? And more importantly... what will he do when he finds out the secret I’ve been keeping for seven years?

I was pregnant. On my way to deliver documents to Tristan Goldberg, a flash flood struck. Desperate, I dialed his number, praying he’d answer. After a few rings, the call connected. But instead of Tristan, a woman’s voice answered. "Tristan, whose number is this? Do you want to answer it?" There was a brief pause, and then Tristan’s voice, cold and indifferent, cut through. "It’s just my maid. Ignore it. Hang up." And just like that, the call disconnected. Staring at the torrent rising around me, my pulse quickened. I texted him, begging for him to send a rescue team. Minutes passed as the waters climbed to my waist, churning and relentless. Then, a message from Tristan finally appeared. Tristan: [What kind of ridiculous story are you making up now?] Tristan: [Emily, do you think you're eighteen, playing these childish games? I want that document in my hands within thirty minutes, or we're getting divorced.] A surge of terror shot through me as I looked up, catching sight of a heavy branch snapping loose and crashing down. In an instant, everything went dark.

“Uh, sir, maybe it's better for you to get dressed first?" Amy said. “No need, Ms. Brooke. I'm more comfortable this way.” Samuel smiled, pulling Amy's hand so her position was closer to him. “Besides, I won't need the towel for much longer.” Amy frowned to hear that. “What do you mean?” “Please, Ms. Brooke, ah, maybe I should call you Amy instead. After this, we will be more intimate. It will be awkward to call each other by our last name. Agree?” *** Amy Brooke (twenty years old), the eldest daughter of Brooke's family, has everything all women want: youth, beauty, wealth, and a great family. However, she will lose all in an event and changes her life immensely. Samuel Hoffner (thirty five years old), a billionaire, has everything all men want: great looks, wealth, popularity, and power. However, he is an anti-commitment guy. When they will meet each other and tie in a marriage contract, what will happen later? Can Amy make Samuel fall in love with her? Will their marriage survive or will it be only a short-term arrangement?

When I drink the amber-colored poisonous wine, I can hear the joyful melody of a toast song coming from the manor. The wedding between Emanuela Romano and my ex-fiance, Benedetto Martini, is being held there right now. The elderly butler, Vincenzo Romano, puts away the wine glass with a blank expression. The way he speaks is as somber as one sounds when they give a speech at a funeral. "You know the Don's will very well, Ms. Andreotti. Five years are officially up, yet neither Mr. Andreotti, Mr. Martini, nor Dr. Foscari is willing to pledge their loyalty to you via the blood vow. According to the rules, you must take your own life within seven days. "The Don had left the Ashwine to you as a means of protecting… what little pride you have." Scorching pain begins spreading from my throat. I just smile at Vincenzo in return. Pride? Does a bastard spawn of a loose Iernian woman deserve to retain pride of any sort in the cruel Andreotti family? I begin making my way toward the banquet hall, which is brightly lit. As I walk past the shimmering waters of the pond in the family garden, I can tell that the waters are insanely cold. Then again, nothing is as cold as my icy heart right now. After taking a deep breath, I fall face-first into the pond… only to feel an iron-clad grip wrenching me backward. As such, I collapse onto the lawn heavily. My older brother, Alessandro Andreotti, has bits of grass covering his expensive suit. Disgust is written all over his handsome face. "Eva!" he grits out through his teeth, his voice lowered. "Must you spoil the mood on Emanuela's big day?" He then scoots closer to me, his alcohol-tinged breath fanning over my face. "You want to die, huh? Go ahead and do that, but can you die somewhere further? Don't stain the Andreotti land!" Alessandro turns to walk in the direction of the radiant lights, leaving me on the lawn, completely covered in mud. I can feel the countdown of my lifespan burning my insides. Seven days… I only have seven days to live. Meanwhile, my very own brother wants me to die somewhere further away.

Three days before my wedding, Adrian canceled it for the fifty-second time. He came to the Palermo workshop to approve my gown’s crest embroidery, but the moment I stepped out from the fitting curtain, he snatched up his holster and radio. “Torino bastards smashed Bianca’s vineyard, surrounded the estate. Lia’s terrified, so I have to go. The wedding is off.” Once, I would have stopped him and demanded to know who mattered more to him, me or Bianca. This time, I simply let him go. Thirty minutes later, Bianca posted an Instagram Story: [You’re the only shelter for me and my daughter.] The photo showed Adrian holding Bianca close, with Lia in his arms, calling him Dad. They looked like a real family. My parents sighed. “Seraphina, is the wedding in Hawaii off again? We’ve already sent the invitations to every renowned Italian family. What will this do to the Bellini family’s honor?” I shook my head, tapping the backup invite. "The wedding goes on.  In three days, I’ll still be a bride. Just not Adrian’s."

Ethan West and I were together for seven years. Because of one promise, I gave up the thrill of being a gold-medal race car driver to become a housewife, tied to the mundane rhythm of pots and pans. Yet, Ethan never changed. His gentle care and thoughtfulness remained constant over the years, and I believed he loved me. Until the day I saw him, madly holding another woman, kissing her as if the world would end. It was then I learned the truth: I was Ethan's wife, but Tara was the unattainable princess he had always longed for.

Lady Olivia Cavendish had resigned herself to spinsterhood after she had been jilted by her fiancé. She's beautiful and rich, her father is the Duke of Devonshire. But she learned the hard way that being the daughter of a Duke does not always guarantee happiness. Mr. Jacob Townshend, a self-made man, rich beyond reason and handsome as the very devil arrives in England after spending seven years on the continent. These past years had turned the once good-natured Jacob into a heartless rogue. Read "Romancing a Spinster" to find out what happens when this heartless rouge romances our spinster.

King Brishor Oighar and his General Chezzal are mates, but their mate bond is incomplete. They have a third mate whom they have been finding for a long time. And when she comes in the form of twenty-one-year old Meryl, their lives take a drastic turn. Meryl was orphaned at a seven and her father bequeathed his estate, Windley, to Lady Judith, her stepmother. Judith wants to sell the estate and has evil plans, but Meryl wants to save it and save her people who live in Judith's fear. Will she be able to save Windley? Will Brishor and Chezzal be able to claim her? Or will she reject them for... Windley?