Thirty Six

She spent six years loving him. Six years planning forever. But on the eve of her dream wedding, Adrianna Rodriguez is forced to watch it all shatter, her groom, Damien Blackwood, is marrying someone else. Not just anyone. Her dying sister. Katherina’s final wish? To wear the dress Adrianna was supposed to wear and to marry the man she thought was hers. It was supposed to be a sacrifice. It felt like betrayal. Offered half of Damien’s empire as compensation, Adrianna is left broken into pieces and silenced. But broken hearts don’t stay quiet forever. What happens when love demands too much? When family guilt disguises cruelty? When forgiveness is no longer an option? In a world of twisted loyalty and secrets buried as sacrifice, Adrianna must choose walk away quietly… or turn heartbreak into revenge. Extract “She wants to marry me,” Damien said, his voice thick with emotion. “It’s her last wish.” Adrianna’s breath caught in her throat. The perfect wedding, the life they had planned, the vows they were going to say all seemed to fall apart in front of her. “My wedding,” she whispered, her voice trembling with heartbreak, “was supposed to be our day.” Damien stepped closer, desperation in his eyes. “I’m offering you half my properties. Two million dollars. I want you to understand… this isn’t just about money. It’s about family.” Her jaw clenched. Anger began to burn inside her like a wildfire. “Compensation? Is that what I am to you? A deal? A consolation prize?”Something you can pay off?”

Keos Mortem, a young and reckless college professor, impregnates the fearless yet wounded Aaliya Asistio. Terrified that rumors spread like wildfire, his parents bought everyone who knew and shut their mouth. After six long years, Aaliya brought her hemophiliac daughter to the city, wishing to be cured and met again the first man who made her heart skip a beat, but is now a wealthy married president of a pharmaceutical company. In finding the cure for her daughter’s illness, will she be able to find also the cure of her aching heart? Or will both of them let their wounds rotten, fearing the dangerous cure?

Love is twisted. It twists two souls together to form one. When Aviana and Kayden get married due to the blackmail by Adam Walker, they don't expect to find a bond of friendship to form between them. But as the cheerful nature of the young college girl attracts the workaholic and the loyalty of the latter pulls the former closer, they both realize that they both can not just stay away from each other. Aviana and Kayden weren't sure if they would even like to see each other after the six months of marriage. But sometimes, something unexpected is just what you need to have a happily ever after. . .

Evangeline Moreau ran from her powerful family six years ago, hiding as "Emma Sterling" to escape their control. She thought marrying Jason Blackwood would give her the normal life she craved. Instead, she got two years of hell. Beaten by his mother. Humiliated by his mistress. Treated as a servant while her husband stole from his own company and hid his true sexuality behind their marriage. What the Blackwoods never knew? The "nobody" scrubbing their floors was Evangeline, the world's most sought-after fashion designer worth $30 million.

Alexandria Morgan had a one-night stand with a man who turned out to be a billionaire with numerous businesses in America and around the world. This revelation left her mortified. Little did she know that sleeping with him would mark the beginning of a never-ending misery in her life. She got pregnant, was kicked out of her parents' house, and was forced to stop her studies. Six years later, she received a notice from Clyde Harlington, who wanted to claim her son. However, she could avoid it from happening if she agreed to one condition: marrying him without the possibility of divorce.

"Alright, thank you. Mrs. Andres... Or should I call you, Ms. Santos now?” They were married for six years, but Lorain never once felt that the man loved her. Now that she has signed the divorce papers that her husband wants, she chooses to walk away from his life. But what if an unexpected event happened and their path met once again? "How dare you touch my wife?" He said firmly to the man who kissed Lorain. Lorain who was a bit shocked saw her ex-husband laugh sarcastically, “I don’t have a husband."

Cecilia Jones kept a forgiveness notebook. Six months ago, on Cecilia's birthday, Jeff Lawrence abandoned her to meet Yvonne Smith. It was the 93rd time she’d forgiven him. Three months prior, when Yvonne mentioned she was allergic to cat dander, Jeff gave away the cat Cecilia had raised for years. Cecilia forgave him for the 94th time. One month ago, Jeff got drunk and woke up in the same bed as Yvonne. He insisted that nothing had happened and accused Cecilia of having a dirty mind. Cecilia forgave him for the 95th time.

My mother and I pushed ourselves, slaving away to pay for my girlfriend’s debt. The work was too hard on her, and she was soon diagnosed with lung cancer. By the time I arrived at the hospital with money for her treatment, my mother had taken her own life and left behind a note. “I can’t go on, Gab. The money is best put toward settling the debts. Noelle is a good kid. She loves you. She’s just lost her way. That’s all. You two should settle down once the debts are cleared.” I held my mother’s ashes and gave Noelle the thirty thousand dollars she had left behind. Back in the office, I overheard Noelle talking to several creditors. “Ms. Strom, Mr. Lamb has passed your test. What’s next on the agenda for him?” Noelle’s childhood friend, Charles, jumped into the conversation. “Gabriel has proven that he’s willing to be there for you through thick and thin, but will he stick around in wealth? Noelle pursed her lips. “I need to know if he genuinely loves me. If he isn’t blinded by greed when learning about who I am, I’ll marry him.” I stared at my mother’s ashes, tears rolling down my face. “Noelle, my mother was wrong about you, and so was I. I don’t want to marry you anymore.” I thought to myself.

Right after finishing a meeting, I opened a forum and saw a warning post. The location tag was our company. The title read: “Red flag! What a cheap company. Anyone who joins is a total sucker. They can’t even afford a decent coffee break.” The photo attached showed the expensive coffee and five-star desserts I had just asked my assistant to distribute to everyone. I frowned and tagged the entire group chat, asking if anyone had suggestions about the afternoon tea. A Gen-Z intern who had just joined, Julian Hayes, instantly replied with a voice message: “Boss, no offense, but these assembly-line desserts are full of trans fats. Nobody would eat them.” “A truly humane company hires a Michelin chef to cook and slice everything fresh on site. That’s what real respect for employees looks like.” I laughed in disbelief. Our company’s daily coffee break budget was thirty dollars per person—already considered top-tier in the industry. So I replied, “Since it’s impossible to satisfy everyone’s taste, we’ll cancel afternoon tea from now on and convert the budget into cash for everyone instead.” Less than five minutes later, that post was updated: “Guys, can you believe this? I made a perfectly reasonable suggestion and the lame boss immediately canceled the whole coffee break perk! This is the true face of corporate greed—can’t handle even a little bit of honesty!”

It was my sixth year with the Mafia Don. On the night of my birthday, he came home with a young, beautiful stranger by his side. Everyone thought I would break down or fall apart because of his betrayal. Instead, I smiled, my fingertips brushing lightly over the diamond ring on my ring finger. What they didn’t know was that I had come for revenge. Six years ago, he killed my father and my fiancé. So, I remained by his side, waiting for the right moment to send him to hell. How could I have fallen for him?