Love Lost to Illness and Lies

When I was nineteen, during a scorching summer, I left everything behind to run away with Armani. Through tears, young Armani promised he'd never let me down. Seven years later, in the heart of winter, I was diagnosed with cancer while Armani celebrated his childhood friend's birthday. Leaving the hospital, I stepped into the season’s first snowfall, clutching the thin paper with my stomach cancer diagnosis in one hand and my phone in the other, debating whether to call Armani. Our last conversation was still on the screen, dated a week ago. After his childhood friend, Vienna, returned from abroad, we had a big argument and had been giving each other the silent treatment. He barely came home anymore. Staring at my empty contact list, I realized I had no one to turn to. The doctor's words echoed in my mind—I had only a few months left to live. After a long pause, I dialed Armani’s number.

Chapters

Chapter 2

Armani's office was near the private clinic where I had my check-ups. When I arrived, it was late afternoon, yet the company was eerily quiet, with no one at the reception desk. The elevator took me to the top floor, directly to the CEO's office.

The usual stark industrial decor was transformed with pastel balloons and flower petals. Strings of multicolored fairy lights were everywhere. Employees gathered, cheering, with Armani and Vienna at the center, both smiling. Vienna wore a pink, Victorian-style dress topped with a hat shaped like a birthday cake, beaming with joy. They looked so perfect together, like a fairy-tale prince and princess.

Vienna glanced up and noticed me, then looked at Armani, surprised. I stepped inside, breaking the celebratory atmosphere like an uninvited guest.

"Happy birthday, Vienna," I said, then turned to Armani. "Why didn't you tell me it was Vienna's birthday? I didn't bring a gift."

Before Armani could respond, Vienna spoke up with a sweet smile, pulling out a pink scarf adorned with little teddy bears from behind her back.

"No need, Mikayla. Armani already gave me the best birthday present."

I looked at the scarf, which was identical to the one around my neck, except for the color.

Suddenly, a chill swept over me. I gazed at Armani with a sense of melancholy, but Armani merely gave Vienna a resigned smile.

"Don't be upset, Mikayla. Vienna saw your scarf last time and found out that I had knitted it, so she begged me for a long time."

"I figured her birthday was coming up, so I made it for her."

Vienna looked at me with innocent eyes.

"Mikayla, you won't be angry, right? I just thought this scarf suited me so well." She wrapped the scarf around her neck, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Armani.

Suppressing the nausea swirling in my stomach, I forced a smile. "Why would I be angry?"

I yanked the scarf from my neck, leaving a red mark, and casually walked over to Armani. Carefully, I draped the scarf around his neck.

I then smiled at Armani. "See? You both wearing it together looks just right."

Armani frowned with disapproval and removed the scarf, handing it back to me.

"Mikayla, don't make a scene. It's Vienna's birthday."

I didn't reach out to take it. It wasn't special anymore, just like me.

With a steady gaze, I looked at Armani. "I'm not making a scene, Armani. Congratulations to you both for a lifetime of happiness together."

Without waiting for his response, I turned and left.

Funny, even though the first snowfall had stopped, I felt colder than ever.

Continue to next part

I stared at the divorce papers sliding across my mahogany desk, watching them come to rest before me like a death sentence. Except this time, I felt nothing but cold clarity washing through me. This was the sixth time Ryan had demanded a divorce, but today would be different. Today, I wouldn't beg. Across from me sat Lawrence Pritchard, Ryan's attorney, his expression a practiced blend of professional detachment and subtle condescension. The afternoon light filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of our Nob Hill penthouse office, casting long shadows across the polished surfaces. Outside, San Francisco continued its bustling pace, unaware that my decade-long marriage was ending in this sterile exchange. "Mrs. Sterling," Lawrence began, his voice carrying the rehearsed sympathy I'd grown to despise, "Mr. Sterling believes this is the best path forward for both parties.

Billionaire Modern Romance

7.9

After My Alpha Chose Her, I Took His Throne

7.9

The Manhattan night air bit at my skin as I patrolled the territory boundary, my boots crunching softly against the frost-covered earth. This was supposed to be a routine check before tomorrow's mate ceremony—the day I would finally become Luna of the Silverfang Pack, Lucca's official mate after years of waiting. But something felt wrong tonight. Lucca had insisted on handling the northern border himself, claiming he needed to 'sort some pack business.' I'd nodded, accepting his explanation as I always did, but something in his voice had been off. Now, as I inhaled deeply, letting the cold air fill my lungs, my enhanced senses caught something that made my blood freeze. Floral. Musk. A scent that didn't belong here—not in our territory, not mingled with the commanding silver-wolf aura that could only be Lucca's. I stopped walking, my hand instinctively pressing my thumb against my wrist where his mark would soon be permanent. The scent was intimate, entwined with his in a way that spoke of proximity, of shared breath, of a connection that went beyond mere presence.

Modern Romance Werewolf

9.7

After My Husband Gave His Mistress Our Dream Wedding

9.7

I'd been married to Ezra for eight years, but we never had a wedding ceremony. Initially, he said weddings were too much hassle and unnecessary. Later, he claimed we were an old married couple and didn't need all the pretense. Yet on our eighth anniversary, he threw a grand coastal wedding for his childhood sweetheart. I watched the video of my husband in a sharp black suit, gently holding his first love. The guests were laughing and celebrating, full of joy and carefree. I glanced at the dinner table in front of me, with food that had been reheated ten times. With a self-deprecating smile, I left a comment under the video: "Wishing you a lifetime of happiness and lots of kids." Then, I called my lawyer. When Ezra returned, I had just finished the call. He looked exhausted, still wearing the suit from the wedding.

Billionaire Modern Romance

8.2

Back to true love after cheated

8.2

I used to think betrayal would break me quietly. I was wrong. It shattered my world in the most humiliating way possible—finding my husband, Vincent Miller, half-naked in a Paris hotel suite with another woman while I was preparing for the biggest ballet performance of my career. Then fate delivered an even crueler twist. The morning after discovering his affair, I learned I was pregnant with the child doctors once told me I could never have. But before I could tell Vincent, he asked me for something unforgivable—to donate my blood to save his pregnant mistress and the baby he claimed was his heir. That was the moment I realized my marriage had always been a lie. I signed the divorce papers, buried my heartbreak, and lost my baby in the most devastating way imaginable. Just when I thought I had nothing left, the last person I expected appeared to pull me from the ruins—Joseph Miller, Vincent’s cold, dangerous cousin. The man who had secretly watched me from the shadows for years. He offered me revenge. Protection. A second chance at the life I lost. But Joseph has secrets of his own, and the closer I get to him, the more I realize I may have escaped one monster only to fall into the arms of another. This time, if I give my heart away, there may be nothing left of me to save.

Billionaire Modern Romance

8.3

Heiress Rejects the Loser

8.3

As the heiress of a prominent family, I fell in love with Kyle Ford, a man from modest beginnings. My parents proposed a challenge: if I hid my true identity and Kyle proposed before my 25th birthday, they would bless our marriage; otherwise, I had to agree to their arranged dates. On the last day of our agreement, I eagerly waited for Kyle's proposal. "Hattie, will you marry me?" Tears filled my eyes as I was about to extend my hand, only for him to place the ring on another woman’s finger, sparking laughter all around us. With a sneer, he jeered, “How could someone as broke as you think you could land me? It's a pipe dream! Unlike my Ayra, who's classy and sophisticated—we’re a perfect fit.” What he didn't know was that Ayra Castro, who pretended to be the Griffin heiress, was nothing more than a fraud. I was the real heiress. Pointing to the enormous billboard of superstar Alistair White outside the window, I declared, “Sorry, I'm already engaged to him.” At my words, everyone froze in disbelief. They only saw me as the clueless girl hopelessly chasing after Kyle Ford.

Billionaire Modern Romance

9.4

LOVE FOR SALE !

9.4

Benedykta Rebel, known as Ben to her friends, never imagined that her position as the oldest daughter of a wealthy family in New York would come with such a heavy burden. When her grandfather unexpectedly names her as the CEO of New Way Group, Ben is shocked to learn that there is a catch - she must marry a man of her grandfather's choosing in order to inherit the company. Furious at the idea of being forced into a loveless marriage, Ben confronts her grandfather, only to be met with indifference. With her family's company on the brink of bankruptcy, Ben realizes that she has no choice but to comply with her grandfather's demands. Seeking solace and escape from her troubles, Ben finds herself at a night club, where she crosses paths with a mysterious and handsome stranger. Drawn to him in a way she never thought possible, Ben succumbs to a passionate one-night stand, unaware of the consequences that will follow. But when Ben discovers that the man she shared a fleeting connection with is none other than her future father-in-law, her world is turned upside down. Caught between duty and desire, Ben must navigate the treacherous waters of love and loyalty as she comes face to face with the man who unknowingly stole her heart in a single night. Family obligations and forbidden love collide. Will she choose duty and save her family's legacy, or will she risk it all for a chance at true happiness?

Billionaire Modern Romance

Love Lost to Illness and Lies

Chapter 2

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