Where Loyalties Lie 소설 & 이야기

For five years of our marriage, Matthew Spark was my entire world. I abandoned my career, severed ties with my family, and molded myself into the perfect wife for him. I believed our love was unshakable, and that our marriage certificate was the ultimate proof of it. Until the day I saw him with my own eyes—holding another woman in his arms as he stepped into our home. “Ava, let me introduce you,” he said, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather. “This is Sophie Spears, and her daughter, Ella. They’ll be living here from now on.” I froze. I had seen her face before—tucked in the drawer of his desk, in his wallet, even as the wallpaper on his phone. And in that instant, I realized the cruel truth: I was the unnecessary outsider. The interloper. The greater insult came when I confronted him. He calmly produced a marriage certificate—his and Sophie’s marriage was three months before ours. That was the moment I learned my marriage had been nothing but a farce. That I wasn’t even significant enough to be a mistress. And in that moment, I laughed. Oh, Matthew. Did you forget who the largest investor in Spark Enterprise was?

"I never thought I’d be able to love someone so intensely, but I love you." This is what Kate Amarantt thought the moment she realized she was in love with her boss, Cassian Belmontt. After fleeing a relationship with constant assaults, Kate left New York, stopping in Toronto, Canada, where she got a job as a cleaning assistant at a major company. She swore she would never be able to fall in love with another man again, but after a masquerade ball, she saw it all change in the blink of an eye. Camouflaged behind a mask of lies, the woman finds herself increasingly involved in a web of feelings and traumas, which even being things of the past, still insist on pursuing and tormenting her. Will she be able to overcome such memories? Will Cassian and Kate’s love really happen?

Prologue. “You are not her,” his deep, dangerously dark voice whispered softly in her ear. “W…what do you mean? I am not who?” holding her breath unconsciously, she stuttered. “My bride. You are not the woman I was supposed to marry. Where is she?” His hoarse voice pierced through her chest like a knife and she felt her knees go weak, and then staggered backward, shivering. “Where is my bride?” === Sapphire Rodriguez's life got turned upside down when she suddenly had to take her twin sister’s spot on her wedding day. When she thought nothing could be worse than the maltreatment she was getting from her family, her twin sister got involved in an accident a day before her wedding which caused her to go into a state of comatose and she had to be the substitute bride until the real bride wakes up to take back her place. When the billionaire who married her was smarter than she had expected, Sapphire knew that her life was never going to be easy because this husband of hers will not believe that she didn't cause her sister’s accident in order to take her place at her wedding.

The night before our wedding anniversary party, my husband—Harvey Clarke—receives constant calls from his first love, Cassie Moss. He responds by holding me closer, and I ask, "Aren't you going to pick up? What if it's urgent?" He firmly shakes his head and says he has already moved on. But when he receives news of her at the party, he breaks down right there and then, oblivious to the room of staring guests. When he tries to leave, I stop him in a panic, but he turns to me with a pure look of disgust. "Cassie's dead. Happy now?" The words hit me like a lightning bolt.

In the heart of New York City, where power is traded like gold and ambition can break you, Lily James is caught between two worlds. By day, she’s the epitome of grace, a picture-perfect heiress to the sprawling James family airline empire, bound by a legacy that stifles her every move. By night, under the cover of darkness, she sheds her delicate persona, becoming a fierce and untamed spirit—a woman who longs to break free from the chains of her family’s expectations. Her carefully curated life shatters when she is thrust into an arranged marriage with Vandaulf Claude Carlston, the cold, calculating CEO of Carlston Architectural Firm and ruthless heir to the rival Carlston real estate dynasty. To him, their union is nothing more than a business transaction, a means to strengthen their family empires. He dismisses Lily as fragile and unworthy of respect. But Lily isn't the meek woman he believes her to be—beneath her exterior burns an undeniable fire. At a Halloween party, fate intervenes. Lily, shedding her refined persona for the night, crosses paths with Vandaulf in the form of a bold, liberated woman he cannot resist. Neither knows the true identity of the other, and a night of passionate recklessness ensues. The consequences are shattering—Lily is pregnant. When she reveals the truth, Vandaulf’s response is cruel and devastating. He denies any involvement, accusing her of manipulation and deceit. His cold rejection cuts deeper than she could have imagined, leaving her shattered but resolute. In this world of power, deceit, and dangerous alliances, Lily and Vandaulf must decide: will they allow their differences to tear them apart, or risk everything to uncover the truth? The ultimate question remains: will Vandaulf ever acknowledge Lily's pregnancy as his own, or will their fragile truce crumble forever?

Ada Okonkwo came to England with a master's degree and a broken heart she never fully acknowledged. Three years later, she is one of Sunridge Care Home's most dedicated workers the one who remembers every resident's favourite biscuit, who sings softly during the morning rounds, who gives love so freely to others that she has forgotten how to receive it herself. When social worker Daniel Osei walks into her care home for a routine assessment, Ada barely notices. But Daniel notices her the fierce way she advocates for her residents, the warmth she carries like a second uniform. Between demanding shifts, late-night phone calls with her mother in Nigeria, and the quiet wisdom of Gerald, an 81-year-old resident who sees Ada more clearly than she sees herself, love finds a way to clock in right on time. A story about care, connection, and the courage it takes to finally let someone take care of you.

Elena Blake never wanted to be part of her father ruthless empire. She wanted a name for herself other than the Mafia Princess but escaping his shadows isn't easy. During her fight for escape, she crosses path with a Billionaire Ethan Calloway, a man seeking justice and revenge against the very empire she was running to abandon. As passion ignites between them, suspicious lingers and her father started paying dangerous games with their emotions. Building distrust and driving emotional wedge between them. Can they overcome the mistrust and betrayal between them and fight the crime lord together? Or will he destroy them both? Read to find out.

They said love was supposed to be beautiful. They lied. Janelle Peters was sold to a man she fears… to pay a debt she never owed. Damian Cooper—ruthless billionaire, cold-hearted, untouchable—doesn’t believe in love. Only control. Their marriage is nothing but a contract. A year. One condition. No escape. But the deeper Janelle is pulled into his world of power and secrets, the more dangerous things become. Because Damian isn’t just hiding enemies… He’s hiding truths that could destroy her. And the closer she gets to him— the harder it becomes to tell if he’s her protector… or her greatest threat.

A town with a strange past. A group of teenagers with secrets to hide. A world inside a box and a man who should no longer exist. Will they ever find out where they truly belong?

Because of a last-minute business trip, my husband missed the Thanksgiving family dinner. I spent the entire day helping out at my in-laws' place in the countryside with our five-year-old son, only to receive a complaint from the downstairs neighbor just before dinner. "Ari, could you please close your kitchen window when you're cooking? I can smell the hot sauce from all the way here. My husband has a lung condition—he can't handle it." My neighbor's words shocked me, and I immediately called my husband, who was allergic to chili peppers. "Honey, did someone break into the house? The neighbor said there was smoke coming from the kitchen." His breathing hitched for a second before he let out a casual laugh. "No break-in. My flight got canceled, so I was home alone cooking. When are you two coming back? I really miss you." I smiled and told him we'd stay a couple more days, but in the middle of the night, I packed up our son and drove straight home.