Trade 143

My elder sister, Emma Rothschild, longs for a life of luxury. As such, she requests to marry the prince of Northia, Matias Redburn. On the other hand, I'm married off to an elven scholar visiting human territory, Aleron Glintwood. After the wedding with Emma, Matias leaves Northia and visits the giant clan's territory to establish a trade route. He's never heard of again. Meanwhile, I accompany Aleron to Empiria. He obtains a teaching position at the Royal Academy of Magic by virtue of his elven talent for magic. As for me, I become a highly envied professor's wife. Emma continues to live alone in the Northian Frozen Plains. She's later discovered to be having an affair with a human knight. When the Draconian Council of Elders exiles her from their lands, our father—Gareth Rothschild—furiously declares that he's severing ties with her. She's thus forever cut off from the Rothschild family. While I'm on my way home for the festival, Emma forcibly stops my carriage. She begs me to take her home and put in a good word for her. Along the way, she suddenly grabs the reins. As a result, the carriage goes out of control and tumbles over a cliff. When I regain consciousness, I see Emma on the floor. She's crying and demanding a change in engagement plans. At that moment, I realize that she's also been reborn. However, Emma doesn't know that life with the elves isn't as wonderful as she imagines. I immediately begin preparing for the magic academy's entrance exam. This time, I'll spare no effort to be admitted into the academy myself.

My boyfriend's childhood friend, Cassandra Lindth, performs one of the forbidden spells, trading 30 years of her own life just to steal the top spot on the civil service exam from me. She pulls off a 30-day miracle and becomes an internet sensation, her comeback going viral. Meanwhile, I take the fall, get reported for cheating, and am banned from ever taking the exam again. I turn to my boyfriend, Derrick Hayes, for help, but the look he gives me spells pure disbelief. "Have you completely lost it? You couldn't pass on your own, and now you're trying to drag Cassandra's name through the mud? I never imagined you'd stoop this low!" I am speechless, with no way to prove my innocence. Cassandra sues me for defamation, and Derrick shows up in court to testify against me. I have studied for three years straight, and it ends with a three-year prison sentence. My parents are disappointed with me. They go so far as to publish their statement in the newspapers, publicly shaming me. Derrick and Cassandra announce their wedding online and are set to dive into their new jobs as soon as the honeymoon wraps up. With no way to clear my name, I spiral into despair. Disoriented and numb, I fall into the river and drown. When I open my eyes again, I am back to the week before the civil service exam. I toss my exam ticket in the trash and sign up for a three-month temp gig instead. If Cassandra is dumb enough to trade 30 years of her life for my spot, she can have it and choke on it!

Whispers in the underworld mentioned that Jason Marino, heir to the Family with its hands in the cross-continental arms trade, supposedly loved women with slim waists. Since his recent return to the country, his eyes had landed on Sonia Stewart—sworn sister to my fiancé, Andy Black. When Andy found out, he disappeared for three whole days. I finally tracked him down in the Family's club, only to overhear a conversation that shattered my world. "I'm not just going to stand by and watch Sonia marry that playboy Jason," Andy was telling his lieutenant. "On the wedding day, you need to swap Sonia's wedding car with Leona's. No one must find out!" His lieutenant thumped his chest, swearing, "No problem, boss! I'll get it done. But... What about your fiancee, Leona?" Andy let out a confident laugh, as if he were in control of everything. "I'm the Don's hand-picked Consigliere. Jason knows Leona belongs to me, so he won't lay a finger on her. Once I've slept with Sonia, he'll have to give up on her. After that, we'll just send someone to pick Leona up. She won't suspect a thing. Instead, she'll be scared and trembling… Pathetic but adorable nonetheless. She'll come running right back to my arms!" Every word was like a bullet leaving holes in my heart, every tone tearing it apart. I stumbled away as fast as I could, praying they wouldn't hear the sound of my heart breaking. When Andy tried to pick me up according to his plan later on, he broke down.

Reina Carlo was forged by the Stingers, a shadowy organization that raised her to be a weapon. Her memories of a family—a mother’s face or a father’s embrace—were long lost, replaced by the harsh discipline and ruthless training of her surrogate family. To her, the Stingers were everything, until betrayal shattered the fragile foundation of her loyalty. Now, Reina walks the streets as the hunter, her mission deeply personal. A man who dared to strip away her last shred of innocence must face the consequences. Her scars are tools, her training a guide, and by sunrise, her vengeance will be complete. But each kill leaves a stain on her soul, no matter how she rationalizes it. She tells herself the trade is fair: she removes monsters, and the world lets her survive another day. Redemption and forgiveness don’t belong in her world—they are luxuries for those unbroken by life. Yet the nightmares persist, whispering of a stolen past and a family that might still exist. Did they abandon her, or did they think her lost? These thoughts claw at her resolve, forcing her to confront a truth she can’t bury: forgetting isn’t the same as letting go. Her pact with Marco Alessandro—a powerful, calculating man—only adds to her turmoil. Their marriage of convenience grants her the resources to find her family and avenge her past. But Marco’s unrelenting gaze and quiet intensity break through her defenses, challenging the walls she’s built. As vengeance, love, and identity collide, Reina faces a choice: cling to the darkness she knows or risk everything for a future she can’t predict. In this world of shadows and betrayal, Reina Carlo fights not just to survive—but to discover who she truly is.

Anya Who would have thought turning 21 would change my life and send me into the depths of hell and into the arms of a bad man. A very bad man who has a vendetta against my father. He can never know who I am or my life is over before it even begins. I'm kidnapped during my birthday celebration and tossed into the underground of a hotel to be auctioned off, then bought by the very same man who would love to watch me bleed. I do the only thing I can - fake it, if only to survive one more night. I tell him my name is Anika and he seems to buy my excuses. But how long can I hide behind a mask and how long before he learns of my true identity and brutalizes me for revenge? I'll pay for my father's sins. Maybe even with my life. *** Bastien I've never claimed to be a good man. I trade in the dark; anything, save for humans, can be up for sale to the highest bidder. The king of the black market, this city is my playground. All until tonight... All until her… The auction is held at my hotel once every four months with one iron clad rule in place: no trafficking. So to say that I'm shocked to find her on my stage amongst the goods like a precious lamb to the slaughter is putting it lightly. I had to buy her to appease one of my biggest clients, but the more I look at her, the more I realise… That I want her to be mine alone. But who is this little doll truly and why did she end up on my stage, ready to be sold to the highest bidder?

I saved my husband, Raffaello, the Don of the mafia, from the hands of a rival family. In return, he forced me to kneel before his childhood sweetheart, Sofia, and bark like a dog just to cheer her up. Our son, Lorenzo, wandered into the family's chemical plant out of childish curiosity, so I dragged him out with my own hands. Only for him to look me in the eye and said that I wasn't worthy of being his mother. What my husband didn't know was that when the assassins came for him, I had deliberately drew them away, letting them capture me instead. They had injected a virus into body, which burned my throat and destroyed my voice forever. What my son didn't know either was that inside the chemical plant where I rescued him, I had inhaled an overwhelming amount of toxic powder, which later caused me to have severe asthma. That night, when my asthma flared up and my lungs began to fail, I used what little strength I had left to call my husband. He impatiently rebuked me, "Grace, stop bothering me for once. A person who is really dying wouldn't make such a scene. Don't think that I don't know that you're just jealous, trying to compete with Sofia for my attention." I collapsed into the snow, greedily gasping for the final breath of air. Then, everything went still. Later, Raffaello, who never loved me lost his mind. He injected the same virus over and over again into his body, just to feel the pain I once endured. Lorenzo, who refused to acknowledge me, attempted suicide repeatedly, begging fate to trade his life for mine. But, sadly, by then, I no longer loved them.

He pulled back, his hands on either side of her face. “Look at me, sugar.” She opened her eyes. “I’m not a gentle man, Reena, but I can be. I’ll be gentle with you, I promise.” He ran the tip of his finger along her full lower lip, over the tiny scar that Simon’s violence had left there. “I’m not like – like him. I’d never hurt you. Not ever.” “I know.” “Let me take you to my bed and show you, babe. Let me love you.” **** Reena Mackay has been taken advantage of one time too many. This latest betrayal leaves her broke, betrayed, and possibly homeless. So when she’s offered a chance to split rent with Mitch Corrigan – a pro fighter desperate to escape a roach-infested hotel – she takes it. Survival leaves little room for caution. Mitch is dangerous by trade and forged by a brutal past. He expects to want women who look fearless. Instead, he’s blindsided by his attraction to Reena: soft-spoken, blue-eyed, and far stronger than she appears. He wants to protect her. Claim her. Keep her safe from a world that keeps hurting her. But Mitch knows fairy tales aren’t real... and women like Reena don’t choose men like him. He’s wrong. Reena understands violence better than he ever will, and her faith in people is hard-won courage. When a so-called Prince Charming shatters her trust, Mitch is the one who stands between her and the dark. The question is whether she’ll risk her heart one more time... and whether Mitch can be her forever, or at least her now.

"Alessandro's voice was low and husky, his words dripping with desire. 'You're mine now, Sophia. My pet. My toy." Sophia's heart raced as she tried to resist, but her body betrayed her. "N-no, please... I can't do this." Alessandro's laugh was menacing, his eyes gleaming with intense emotions. "You will do as I say, Sophia. You will submit to me, body and soul." Sophia's voice was barely a whisper, her fear and desire evident on her face. "Y-yes, sir..." Alessandro's smiled victoriously before claiming her lips in a kiss that left her breathless and wanting more. "You taste like heaven, Sophia. And soon, you'll be begging for more." Sophia's eyes flashed with defiance, but her body trembled with anticipation. Alessandro is a mafia lord with a hidden past and a thirst for control, while Sophia is a brave and determined woman who dares to confront him. When Sophia's father steals from Alessandro, she agrees to Alessandro’s offer of seducing him within 60 days to save her father’s life. But as she enters Alessandro's world of luxury and violence, she discovers that he is not just a mafia lord, but also someone who she least expected him to be.As Sophia becomes entangled in Alessandro's web of secrets and lies, she must navigate the treacherous world of organized crime and supernatural politics. But as their contract binds them closer together, they sincerely begin to crave each other's touch, and their passion becomes a force that could destroy them all.Will Sophia and Alessandro's love forced out of a forbidden contract survive the darkness that surrounds them, or will their contract expire, leaving them to face the consequences of their pleasure trade?

You have been cheating on me?” I whispered as I stared at my husband who was shamelessly hugging my stepsister in my presence. He shrugged. “You don't call it cheating when I never saw you as my wife. Besides, you are barren.”  "I want a divorce." He blurted out coldly without looking at me. I gasped in shock, my heart breaking into a thousand pieces as tears fell down my cheeks. "You want a divorce after everything?" I choked out, "I gave you my love, my kidney, Liam. I risked my life for you. And you know...  you know I can’t conceive because of that surgery.” He didn’t flinch...  He didn’t even look guilty. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and said with cold finality, “And I gave you a luxury life you could never afford. I think that is enough compensation for whatever you think you have done for me.” His voice was ice, no emotion, no remorse. I pressed a hand to my chest as the pain tightened around my heart. God, He just reduced my sacrifices to a transaction… a trade for comfort. So after everything, that’s all I was to him? A debt he paid off with money? ***************************************************** Aliyah lost her womb after giving her kidney to save her husband’s life. Instead of gratitude, he mocked her, called her barren, cheated on her with her stepsister, and forced her to sign divorce papers in shame. But fate took a turn. Aliyah later married a powerful billionaire tycoon. Now, the very people who betrayed her are on their knees, begging for mercy. Will she forgive them or give them the taste of their own medicine?

“Will you give me your life in exchange for your father's?” He whispered in my ears, as he traced down my face, to the skin on my neck, with the cold edge of his gun. “No… Irene, don't…,” my father begged faintly from where he lay, straining against the grip of Diego’s men. "Yes,” I blurted out, a tremor in my voice. “If that's what it takes, then… Take me!” I surrendered, closing my eyes. *** How far would you go to protect the ones you love? Would you trade your soul to the devil to save theirs? Well, I did. I, Irene Herrera, offered myself to the Mafia Devil, Diego Vargas, in exchange for my father's life. I became his captive bride. He put me through hell, yet… I refused to break. I played his game, but I made my own rules, breaking his. I challenged him at every chance, defying the Almighty Diego. He was captivated by my rebellious spirit. As we drew closer, I started to see the man behind the mask, he was hurt, lonely, and haunted by the ghost of his lost love. I was drawn to his broken heart. Soon, the lines between captor and captive blurred for us, as we lost ourselves in a flaming love affair. But what happens when I learn that my long lost sister was Diego’s ex-lover, involved in a plot to destroy him? This conspiracy arises again and Diego’s life is threatened. I face a choice to either seize this chance to escape, and leave him to die, or stay and protect the man I now love, even if it could cost me my life. Whatever choice I make, Love or survival, am I justified? What would you do if you were in my shoes?