The Obsessive Husband's Golden Prison

The Manhattan skyline glittered like a jewelry box from the rooftop terrace of The Peninsula, a constellation of lights that had always made me feel on top of the world. Tonight, though, those same lights felt like they were watching me—witnessing my complete and utter humiliation. I stood frozen near the champagne tower, my fingers still wrapped around the stem of a flute I hadn't touched in twenty minutes. The silk of my Marchesa gown felt suddenly suffocating, each delicate crystal bead a reminder of how perfectly I'd planned this night. How perfectly I'd planned my entire life. "Ladies and gentlemen," Dalton's voice carried across the terrace through the speakers, and I turned toward him with a smile that felt like glass about to shatter. He looked handsome in his tuxedo, the same way he'd looked handsome since we were sixteen—familiar, safe, the future I'd never questioned. "I have an announcement to make." My heart skipped with anticipation. This was supposed to be our moment—the official announcement of our wedding date, the crowning achievement of our childhood romance. I lifted my champagne slightly, ready to toast to our future.

The marriage between Joslyn and Kade was a union of two prominent families in the city, but it also hid her deep, unrequited love. Five years ago, she believed that Kade had lost his sexual function due to a car accident while saving her, so she willingly accepted a platonic marriage. She even continuously invested the profits of the her family into the his family to ease her guilt. It wasn't until a chance encounter that she discovered Kade's affair with his childhood sweetheart, Scarlett, that she realized the so-called "secret illness" was all a lie. Kade had not only fully recovered but had been spiking her drinks with sleeping pills for a long time. Moreover, due to a misunderstanding from when she returned from being taken away by her uncle-mistakenly deemed as being from a "place of ill repute"-he considered her "dirty" and deliberately kept his distance. More cruelly, the car accident back then was not to save her but because Kade was on his way to pick up Scarlett at the airport. The series of betrayals and schemes finally awakened Joslyn. Under constant threat from Kade and Scarlett, she faced numerous dangers-from being pushed in front of a knife, undergoing skin grafts, to nearly falling off a cliff due to tampered brakes. Ultimately, she decided to sever ties with the past and, with her uncle's assistance, went abroad. Overseas, Joslyn found her true self, pursued a PhD in finance, and took over her family business. Unexpectedly, she encountered Kade again while dealing with gangsters. Kade, now truly remorseful, did everything to protect her from the gang, even sacrificing the his family's interests, yet it couldn't undo the past wounds. Meanwhile, Kade's half-brother, Nicolas, allied with Scarlett to disrupt the family inheritance. In the end, both Nicolas and Kade perished in an explosion. Years later, Joslyn became a CEO. She let go of past love and hatred, established a foundation to support African communities in accordance with Kade's last wish, and shifted her life's focus to greater love and responsibility, embarking on a new chapter truly her own.

Broke chef Olivia and her 5-year-old son Liam move into the Winslow estate’s cramped staff quarters after medical bills destroy their savings. Haughty matriarch Vivian tolerates them only because Olivia will also nanny the senator’s 15-year-old twins. Two months in, Vivian suddenly shrieks that her $250,000 pink-diamond necklace is missing and accuses Olivia, summoning police to ransack their rooms while the staff watch. Liam wets himself in terror; Olivia realizes the necklace was never lost—Vivian staged the raid to humiliate them and assert absolute power.

"C'mon, Dad, we're going to be late for school!" Noel shouted at his father, who lay motionless on his bed. "Daddy! Daddy! I can't find my toothbrush!" Kayla screeched with excitement. No one knew what was so exciting about that. "Dad! Junior just peed on his bed... and he's crying so hard!" Janietta yelled from the baby's room. Mr. Romeo looked completely frustrated as he listened to their complaints. "What!" he shouted weakly, almost in tears. Gosh. These children were a handful. He pried his eyes open a little and gazed at the wall clock. "Fuc—" He cut himself off the moment he remembered the kids were in the room. It was almost 7:00 a.m. And he still needed to get them ready before eight, dress them, prepare their breakfast and lunch, and also get himself to work… all before 8:00 a.m. He quickly jumped out of bed and tied his robe. "The three of you, take off your clothes and line up in the bathroom. I'm bathing all of you at the same time," he instructed before dashing off to attend to his wailing nine-month-old baby. ?????? Meet 30-year-old David Romero. Father of four beautiful kids. And yes, a single dad. His children: Noel, 8; Kayla, 5; Janietta, 10; and Junior, a nine-month-old baby. They are a handful. He lost his precious wife during the delivery of his last baby precisely nine months ago. He has been taking care of his kids ever since, and trust me when I say it has been hell. His kids virtually have minds of their own. It is very hard for David to cope with all of this and his new job as the supervisor of Duvel Company. The responsibilities are simply more than he can handle. Getting a new wife would be hell, because his kids do not want a new mommy. What about a nanny? Duh. They definitely don’t want one either. To them, it’s supposed to be just them and their Daddy. But David is not ready to do this alone. He definitely needs assistance.

I smoothed my navy blue maternity dress over my swollen belly, feeling our baby shift beneath my palm. The catered dinner at my in-laws' home was meant to be a celebration—our last family gathering before I entered my final month of pregnancy. The dining room glowed with soft candlelight, reflecting off the polished silver and crystal glasses. "I'd like to make a toast," I said, raising my sparkling water. My voice trembled slightly as all eyes turned to me. "To new beginnings, to family, and to our little one who will join us soon." Everyone raised their glasses—everyone except Ethan, whose attention was fixed on his vibrating phone. His brow furrowed as he glanced at the screen. "Excuse me," he murmured, pushing back from the table. "I need to take this." I watched as my husband stepped into the hallway, his voice dropping to that soft, concerned tone he reserved exclusively for Marissa. The same tone I hadn't heard directed at me in months.

Bella Danvers aka Isabella Powell is a 20-year-old college student who encountered the hot and ruthless CEO of the Rinaldi Corporation, Gabriel Rinaldi. They had a forgetful one-night stand that took a turn for the worst. Will he be able to find her before he is forced into an arranged marriage? Will she be able to tell him the news? Or will they be forced apart?