Finding Hope Where Heartbreak Once Lingered
For three years of their secret relationship, Claire was sure Carsten would never let her down.
But she overestimated herself and underestimated the hold his first love had on him.
Three years of devotion ended with him suggesting she marry someone else, saying, "In six months, after your divorce, I'll marry you."
Heartbroken, Claire walked away and vowed to never betray her new husband.
What started as an arranged marriage blossomed into something real.
Carsten, desperate, searched endlessly for her-only to be met by a nobleman who protected Claire and their unborn child, telling him to let go.
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Chapter 1
A navy sedan tore through the empty highway, slicing open the heavy night as it raced toward the outskirts of the city.
"Claire, don't be afraid. I won't let my parents sell you off to that madman, Logan Carter!" Danny Dale's hands were locked tight around the steering wheel, his jaw clenched, eyes blazing with determination. "I'm taking you straight to the airport. We're leaving right now."
In the back seat, Claire White lay restrained—her wrists and ankles bound with satin ribbons.
She twisted helplessly, struggling against the restraints, her voice low and urgent. "Danny, stop. Turn back. The engagement banquet is about to begin. If we disappear like this, your parents won't be able to cover it up."
Today was supposed to mark the announcement of her engagement to Logan, the eldest son of the Carter family. Instead, she was being forcibly spirited away by Danny, the impulsive second son of the household that had taken her in after her parents' deaths.
At her words, Danny's expression darkened violently. His eyes burned red with fury. "Engagement?" he snapped. "You only live with us temporarily. You are not even a Dale! And now my parents think they can trade you to that infamous lunatic of Fiklens for a business deal?"
One ribbon slipped loose. Claire finally freed one hand. As she worked at the knots, she spoke softly, trying to calm him. "They didn't force me. I agreed to it myself."
Danny laughed sharply, "Then why were you crying backstage?"
He tore through her composure without mercy. "Logan already said he won't even show up today. You'll be standing there alone—turned into a joke in front of the entire city. He hasn't met you once, yet he's already trampling on your dignity. I won't let you marry someone like that."
He glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "You have a boyfriend, don't you? Three years together. Give me his number—I'll call him right now. I'll help you run away with him."
At those words, Claire's chest tightened painfully. Her boyfriend's words echoed in her mind.
"Claire, the Dale family is cornered. The Carters are our only way out. Just endure it for six months. Half a year—I'll come back, explain everything to Mom, Dad, and Danny, and marry you properly."
For three years, she had been secretly involved with Carsten Dale, the family's eldest son. Every time she asked him to make their relationship public, he told her to wait. To be patient. To trust him.
But in the end, he personally pushed her into marrying a stranger—for the sake of his family.
A violent screech of brakes shattered her thoughts. Their car jerked to a halt. A black SUV had cut them off, stopping dead in front of them.
"What the hell—are you trying to die?!" Danny shouted as he shoved open the driver's door. "Are you blind, you—"
He stopped mid-sentence. A cold metal muzzle pressed firmly against his forehead.
Danny went rigid. Blood drained from his face as terror locked his body in place.
A lazy, low voice drifted through the night. "Jackson. Easy. Don't frighten him."
From the SUV stepped a man tall enough to command the darkness itself. His presence was chilling—controlled, lethal, wrapped in quiet authority.
He brushed past his armed bodyguard, opened the sedan door with unhurried elegance, and leaned casually against it. His sharp eyes flicked toward Claire, a trace of mockery curling at their edges. "Running away?" he asked lazily.
The chill in his gaze crawled up Claire's spine. She frowned and glanced at Danny, whose face had gone deathly pale. "Let him go," she said firmly.
The man ignored her. "You haven't answered me."
With a faint, knowing smirk, he turned and strode toward his bodyguard, Jackson Holt.
In a single, seamless motion, he seized the gun, clicked the slide back, and chambered a round.
The cold muzzle settled against Danny's forehead once again.
Danny, arrogant as he was, was only twenty. He had never stared down the barrel of a real gun. His legs shook. "D-don't do this! I'm a Dale!"
The man smiled faintly, eyes flicking back toward Claire. "So?" he drawled. "Are you running away from your engagement ceremony?"
Claire's heart slammed violently against her ribs. Forcing herself to stay calm, she spoke carefully. "He's just a friend. We went out for a drive."
"A drive?" the man echoed coolly. "On the night your engagement ceremony is about to begin?"
Claire slowly lifted her eyes to meet his. Under the dim glow of the streetlights, his features were sharp and domineering—untouchable, dangerous. Her pulse thundered.
If he knew about the engagement… then he must know who her future fiancé was.
She gathered every ounce of courage she had and lifted her chin. "I'm about to become Logan Carter's fiancée," she said sharply. "Do you really dare interfere? Put the gun down and let us go. If he finds out, you won't survive the consequences."
It was a gamble. She was betting on Logan's name.
Silence pressed heavily over the scene. Then the man laughed softly. "Interesting," he said. "Weren't you just trying to escape from marrying Logan?"
"I wasn't." Claire raised an eyebrow coolly. "He's busy tonight and couldn't attend. I asked my friend to take me to him."
She lifted her ribbon-bound hands deliberately. "See this? A surprise. I'm delivering myself to him tonight." Her gaze sharpened. "If you delay me any longer, you won't live long enough to regret it."
The night fell silent once more.
After a long pause, the man spun the pistol effortlessly and tucked it away. His eyes lingered on her, dark with amusement. "So," he said slowly, voice low and dangerous, "you're offering yourself to him tonight?"
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8.7
Lina Carter was just a waitress trying to make ends meet. On the other hand, Alexander Knight was a billionaire who would do anything to safeguard his empire. When he proposes a deal for her to be his fake girlfriend, it seems straightforward, he act like she loves him, stick to the rules, and walk away with a nice payday. No feelings involved. No strings attached. No room for error.
But as they share fake kisses, those moments turn into lingering glances. What starts as cold, business-like orders shifts into a quiet sense of protection. Suddenly, the line between pretense and reality begins to blur.
Then, out of nowhere, his ex-fiancée reappears-gorgeous, ruthless, and hell-bent on ruining Lina's life. When the truth about their arrangement comes to light, Lina finds herself publicly humiliated, tossed aside as if she never mattered at all. She walks away with her pride shattered, but her heart still whole.
Now, the man who once paid her to pretend is realizing he wants her for real. But some betrayals cut too deep... and some love stories start with a lie that's just too painful to forgive. She was brought in to act. He ended up falling for her for real.
7.4
Briony was devastated when her boyfriend proposed to her best friend in front of her. Not only was she betrayed, but she was also publicly humiliated.
Five years later, she became popular after writing her heartbreaking love story into a novel. Her ex-boyfriend was offended. When he condemned her, she swore she would have nothing to do with him anymore.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans. Briony accidentally hit a child with her car, who turned out to be the son of Alexander, her ex-boyfriend! As punishment, she was forced to be his nanny until his cast arm healed.
What would happen next? Could she endure the torture from the ex who secretly still wanted her?
8.1
When the private elevator pinged. That was the moment Eleanor's two-and-a-half years as a billionaire's perfect fake girlfriend abruptly ended.
Julian was terminating her services early because his real first love was moving into the penthouse tomorrow.
His assistant stood by the marble counter, bracing for a screaming match. He handed over a brutal non-disclosure agreement.
He slid a five-million-dollar check across the table, fully expecting her to cry, beg, or throw the money back in his face.
"Miss Palmer... Giselle is moving in tomorrow," he warned.
Instead, Eleanor calmly borrowed his Montblanc pen, signed her name three times without hesitation, and slipped the money into her planner.
"Congratulations to Mr. Caldwell-Prentice on finally getting what he wants," she smiled flawlessly.
They all thought she was just a high-end, emotionless mercenary who felt absolutely nothing for the men she served.
They didn't know she was actually Cara Love, the last surviving heir of the ruined Love Foundation, living under a fake name to avenge her dead father.
For years, she swallowed her burning hatred, playing the perfect emotional substitute to buy dark web intel and hide her unnatural, rapid-healing body from a ruthless medical syndicate.
But now, a tech billionaire client had just uncovered her true identity, and her burner phone flashed with a terrifying emergency alert.
The syndicate had found her.
Eleanor grabbed her suitcase and ordered the private jet back to New York.
The facade was over; it was time to face the deadly storm.
8.6
Kim had thought she could live without Ari. Without the laughter, the late night talks, the quiet warmth of someone who felt like home. But Ari returned changed, apologetic and impossible to ignore. Loving her once nearly Kim. Loving her again might just heal her. Some loves never really end...they just wait.
8.7
My Obsession
8.7
Power. Desire. Blood.
Lauretta Owens has everything-money, beauty, and power that makes even Alphas step back. As CEO of LuneArt Studios, she rules her world with poise and precision. But beneath her confidence lies a secret hunger-to have a little baby of her own though she doesn't care about men or relationships.
One wild night in Manhattan changes everything when she meets Savior Hunt-a devastatingly handsome stranger whose aura screams danger and dominance. Neither of them knows that their encounter will awaken an ancient feud buried in blood.
Lauretta is the daughter of a banished wolf family. Savior is the only heir of the pack that destroyed them.
When passion turns to obsession, and obsession turns to destiny, both must face the truth: they were never meant to love each other... yet they can't stay away.
Torn between duty and desire, loyalty and love, they risk everything to be together-even if it means defying the moon itself.
My Obsession is a dark, seductive werewolf romance filled with explosive chemistry, pack politics, and forbidden passion.
Two powerful souls. One cursed bond.
And a love so dangerous, it could start a war.
8.0
For five years, my husband kept me in a dog cage because he believed I murdered his fiancée, my stepsister Kinsley.
He stripped me of my dignity, my name, and my humanity, all to avenge a woman who wasn't even dead.
When Kinsley finally returned, alive and smiling, I thought my nightmare was over.
Instead, she framed me again.
Right in front of Courtland, she pushed my little brother down the stone steps of the estate.
I held my brother's broken body in the rain, screaming for help.
But Courtland just stood there, shielding Kinsley under his umbrella, looking at me with cold indifference.
He chose the monster over his wife.
That night, I realized love wasn't enough to save me.
So, I stood on the edge of the hospital roof and let gravity take me.
I wanted him to mourn. I wanted him to suffer. I wanted him to burn.
Three years later, at a gala in New York, the Ice King dropped his champagne glass.
He stared at me—the woman in the red dress, the fiancée of his rival.
I looked him dead in the eye and smiled like a stranger.
He cornered me later, his voice trembling with rage and obsession.
"Death is the only divorce in my world, Anastasia. And you are still very much alive."