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 3
As though stung by Claire's words, Carsten felt his pupils constrict sharply, and he released her at once.
The air in the dressing room turned suffocating, thick and heavy, as though it stole the breath from their lungs.
Claire paid him no further attention. She turned calmly and sat before the vanity, lifting her gaze to the mirror as she adjusted her makeup with deliberate, unhurried precision.
Carsten remained where he stood behind her, silent, his gaze locked onto her reflection.
After a long, heavy pause, he let out a quiet breath. "Claire… I know I've wronged you. I made so many promises…" His voice faltered. "And I failed every one of them."
He hesitated, then raised his eyes to meet hers through the mirror. "Just give me a little more time. Wait for me. I swear—within six months, I'll settle the Dale family's financial troubles. When that day comes, I'll honor every promise I ever made you. I'll make our relationship public… and I'll marry you."
Claire's hands never wavered as she worked, though a faint crease appeared between her brows.
Promises like these—she had heard them more times than she could remember.
From the very beginning of their secret relationship, he had sworn he would go public soon.
She had waited three months. Then six. Then a year. Until three long years had slipped silently by.
And now, when she was on the verge of marrying someone else, he was still making these empty promises.
The compact snapped shut with a sharp click. Claire lifted her chin, her gaze locking onto his in the mirror. "And Daisy Kirby?" she asked coolly. "In six months… will you truly stop worrying about her?"
The name lingered in the air like the edge of a blade. Silence descended, broken only by the faint rhythm of their breathing.
Daisy—Carsten's former lover. Years ago, she had left him behind to study abroad. When she returned, she sought to rekindle what they had once shared.
By then, Carsten had been with Claire for less than a month.
He had rejected Daisy.
That same night, Daisy—driving under the influence—was involved in a car accident that left her confined to a wheelchair for life.
Carsten bore the weight of that night as though it were a life sentence. He blamed himself for everything she endured, and for three long years, he had cared for her without complaint.
Because he feared upsetting Daisy, he never dared acknowledge his relationship with Claire publicly.
Because Daisy's condition was fragile, whether it was an anniversary or a carefully planned date Claire had poured her heart into, he would abandon everything—abandon Claire—without hesitation, rushing to Daisy the moment she called.
For three years, Daisy had been the unbridgeable chasm between Claire and Carsten. No matter how hard Claire tried, she could never cross it.
And now… she no longer wished to.
After a long silence, Claire turned and walked toward the door, brushing past Carsten without a single glance.
Just as her fingers closed around the doorknob, Carsten stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her from behind.
He began, "I promise—just six more months. I'll care for her only six more months. After that… once you've divorced Logan and returned to the Dale family, I swear I won't concern myself with her ever again."
The warmth of his body pressed against her back. Claire closed her eyes, her voice carrying a quiet, bitter calm. "The last time she had a nosebleed, you left me burning with a fever and told me to drive myself to the hospital—you said it would be the last. And before that, on our dating anniversary, you left me alone in the private room for the entire night, surrounded by flowers and gifts you never even looked at. You told me then that you would never care about her again, too."
Her gaze lowered as she pried his fingers from her waist, one by one. "Carsten… you were the one who agreed to this marriage with Logan on my behalf. And don't forget—starting today, the world knows I am a woman with a fiancé."
She shrugged him off completely. "Show me some respect."
Pain flickered across Carsten's face. "Claire… what do you mean—"
Before he could finish, his phone rang. It was his exclusive ringtone for business calls. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
They stood so close that the name "Logan" flashed unmistakably across the screen before Claire's eyes.
Carsten frowned, hesitated, then put it on speaker.
Afraid Claire might seize the chance to escape, he locked the door without hesitation and braced himself against it. "Mr. Carter," he greeted.
A lazy, arrogant voice drifted through the line. "How are the preparations for my engagement ceremony?"
Carsten's expression darkened. "The ceremony begins in ten minutes. Everything is in place. I'll have my assistant send you photos and videos afterward."
"Good." Logan chuckled softly. "I trust the Dale family won't neglect my soon-to-be fiancée's feelings—or cut corners—simply because I'm not there."
"We wouldn't dare, Mr. Carter. You have my word."
"I've prepared a gift for her. It will arrive shortly. Make sure she receives it."
"Understood."
Claire frowned as she listened. Perhaps it was her imagination—but Logan's voice sounded strangely familiar, as though she had heard it somewhere before.
After Carsten ended the call, he was about to speak when a knock sounded at the door.
Danny's voice came from outside. "Claire, you're only fixing your makeup. Why is the door locked? Open up!"
Claire shot Carsten a cold look. "Move."
He paused, then silently stepped aside, retreating into a dim corner of the room.
An unspoken rule they had followed for three years: to avoid suspicion, no one could ever see them alone together.
Watching him disappear into the shadows with practiced ease, Claire felt a rush of conflicting emotions—bitter amusement laced with sharp irony.
For three years, her love had existed like a stolen secret.
She inhaled deeply, opened the door, and smiled at Danny. "What is it? Are your parents getting impatient?"
"No." Danny hesitated, lowering his voice. "Earlier in the car… didn't I tell you to contact your boyfriend? To have him take you away? Where is he?"
"He's not coming." Claire's gaze drifted briefly toward the shadowed corner, a faint, bitter smile curving her lips. "We broke up."
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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."