Romance Books for Women
Bestsellers Ongoing Completed
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Ariel And The Cocky Billionaire
ARIEL AND THE COCKY BILLIONAIRE (The Perfect Arranged Marriage) Thirty years old Ariel resolved to live the rest of her life as a virgin and believed she'll never get married due to a teenage experience. For Ariel, working for O'Neil family is all she's ever known cause she practically runs the entire activities in the company on behalf of Ethan. Until the appearance of cocky and intriguing Dante chose to rock her boat sideways and offered a delicious temptation. Twenty five years old Dante is used to getting what he wants. He is the next chairman of the largest and highest grossing pharmacy in New York. Meeting Ariel, she became his most hated personality and also an unwelcome distraction. All of a sudden, the only way he can receive his inheritance is if he gets married to Ariel. Frustration turned to chemistry and resulted into a night of passion. Dante never expected to fall deep in love with any woman-but sometimes the heart always gets what it wants./0/86410/coverorgin.jpg?v=3f655e46e239e1d6ca122720ac5463d8&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Fire That Wasn't An Accident
The smell of fresh paint and new beginnings once filled my home, a modern marvel I'd designed myself. Eight months pregnant, every kick from my baby boy was a promise of the future Ethan and I were building, a future meant to erase the rubble of a past fire that had stolen my family and left me scarred. Then, my husband, Ethan, appeared on national television, not with the triumph of overcoming tragedy, but with a confession: he had been wrong, and my loyalty in defending him all those years ago was "misplaced." His words painted me as a liar who had protected a guilty man, shattering my hard-won peace and leading to the immediate, terrifying loss of my child. Left heartbroken and drugged in the hospital, a hushed conversation revealed an unthinkable betrayal: my deceased baby had been conceived with the eggs of Leah Chen, the very woman Ethan had just publicly wronged, and she spoke of "our daughter" with Ethan, confirming a monstrous deceit. Was my son-my real son-truly gone, or was this yet another layer to the lies woven by the man who claimed to love me? Forced into therapy by Ethan with Leah' s husband, Dr. Ben Carter, I stumbled upon a recording of Ethan confessing his hatred for me, seeing our marriage as punishment, and learned with chilling certainty that the fire that killed my family was no accident, but a consequence of a truth I unknowingly distorted. Publicly shamed and professionally destroyed, I was left discarded, labeled "Crazy Ava," but from the ashes of my broken life, a ferocious determination was born: I would uncover the full extent of their deception and make them burn for what they had done./0/70512/coverorgin.jpg?v=9da21a8218b93e4a753013b95fc85286&imageMogr2/format/webp)
University Passions
After leaving high school, five young people from different backgrounds find themselves in the same university. Between budding friendships, passionate loves and unexpected betrayals, their lives are turned upside down. David, Alice, Chloé, Bruno, and Émilie navigate a world where alliances are formed and unmade. David, from a wealthy family, offers a financial solution for his friends in difficulty , but this triggers growing tensions. The buried secrets, the romances forbidden between teacher and student and the plots to discredit teachers, disrupt their daily lives. As shocking revelations continue, ruthless vengeance and devastating conflicts emerge, making the university's balance more fragile than ever. Throughout their adventures, they will discover the strength of love, friendship, and the price of betrayal./0/92899/coverorgin.jpg?v=ea662cb1ba9ddc6ef4b230b50c8ecaa8&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Bound by Fatal Obsession
Caius glared at me as his jaw clenched. "What the fuck did you just do to my fiancée?" I can feel the rage in his voice. I took the bomb's activator from my bag and showed it to him. "Just one press here, and the bomb beside your woman will explode... All you have to do is sign that paper and we're good. I won't kill her anymore." Caius' lips parted. "You're fucking crazy... What kind of prank is this?! This isn't funny, Ms. Dominguez!" He raised his voice at me. I just smiled and pressed the knife deeper into his neck. I chuckled as if I'm out of my mind. "If you don't want that bitch to die... be my husband, Caius Lettiere." - Luisa met him... Caius Lettiere. She started stalking him, collecting his pictures, she enrolled at the university he's teaching in. She might threaten to bomb his fiancée, forced him to marry her, or even stay under one roof with him. An unhealthy feeling and obsession have bloomed inside her heart. She will do everything just to have him, by hook or by crook. Caius, a professor at a college university, has his eyes on Luisa. However, he pretends to hate her to make her more interested in him. When Caius's secrets are revealed to Luisa, will she change her mind and leave him, or will she become more obsessed and become his companion for life?/0/61103/coverorgin.jpg?v=20240929190015&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Marrying The Mafia Boss
"Stop running around! I'm exhausted chasing after you, Quiy!" I scolded my child. Seriously, he's so hyperactive. It's like he's a worm sprinkled with salt. He's only three years old, but I feel like I won't even make it to his college years because right now, I already feel like giving up. I wanted this, so I guess all I can say is... just bear with it! Instead of listening to me, he became even more aggressive. I might as well carry him in a basket just to keep him quiet. "I'll leave you here, you’ll see," I threatened, but it seemed to have no effect on this little rascal. "If you weren't so heavy, I'd carry you, but you’re heavier than a sack of rice!" I complained, knowing I’d end up doing it anyway. Even though Quiy is a headache, I still love him, of course! Even if I were offered ten million, I’d still choose my child. We always playfully bicker, but of course, it's all for fun. It would be boring if we didn’t talk, right? There are only two of us, so we’d be wasting our words if we stayed silent. If he inherited anything from me, it's my quick tongue. But his seems to be on overdrive. Mine is still manageable... but his? It’s overflowing. "You're too slow, Mommy. I'm speeding up so we don't miss out," he said, rolling his eyes at me. If this kid wasn't just three years old, I might have done something drastic. "How can you miss out? We're in a grocery store. There’s plenty to buy, so you won’t run out," I explained. He let out a heavy sigh, raised an eyebrow, and crossed his arms. "Then why haven’t you found my diapers yet?" he argued, his eyebrow arching even higher. "They said there's no more stock of your diapers, ma'am!" I sarcastically replied. "See, Mommy? We're out of stock because you're too slow. You're like a pregnant lady. I saw earlier that another mom grabbed the last one of my diaper type. I was going to snatch it, but then I saw her husband. He’s so big, so I kept quiet," the little one shrugged. Why does he know so much? Sometimes I think maybe I’m just a joke to the world, that he’s actually the mommy and I’m the child because he knows more than I do. "I'm not pregnant. Where do you get these ideas? You look like a penguin—did you hear me say anything?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "Yes, you just did," he replied. Sometimes, I just want to put him in my pocket. He’s so annoying! He always has something to say! "Quiyana Louise," I called out his full name. Whenever I do that, he usually behaves because he knows I’m about to scold him. "I won't run anymore, Mommy," he said, pressing his lips together tightly. I nodded in relief. Thank goodness. I'm only twenty-four, but I feel like I’m sixty. It’s exhausting taking care of a mischievous child, especially one who’s always cheeky. If I didn’t love him... Even though he's the most mischievous, headache-inducing, and expensive child, I’d still do anything to give him the good life he deserves. I never experienced these things when I was a child because I wasn't born rich. There were even times when my parents couldn’t afford to buy even a kilo of rice, so the solution was to borrow from the neighbors. For me, there’s no shame in coming from such a life. Even now, I sometimes find myself needing to borrow money, but at least I know how to pay it back. I’ll work even harder to give my child a good life. "You’re smiling again, Mommy. I’m not being naughty anymore," I heard him say. That’s why I love this kid. At least he’s affectionate too. A smile slowly formed on my lips. He even clapped when I did. "My mommy is so beautiful..." he praised, something that probably only happens once a month. Most of the time, I just get insults from him. I don’t even know where he got that attitude from—I’m kind... and so are my parents. "Enough with the compliments, Quiy. I already knew that. Do you think complimenting me will make me buy you chocolate?" I looked down at him. "No. Your teeth will fall out," I added, causing his shoulders to droop in disappointment while pouting. He’s already missing teeth, yet he still wants sweets. Of course, I don’t want him wearing dentures at such a young age! Besides, I can’t afford such things. He stayed quiet, so I focused on the shopping list I had written. I’m the type who thinks of many things to buy while at home, but when I’m actually at the store... I forget. So young and already forgetful. I’d almost bought everything. Only Quiy’s diapers and milk were left. I was about to call him when my heart pounded loudly—I didn’t see him in the aisle where I was. I quickly put down the basket I was holding and took quick steps to search for Quiy. My heart raced even faster with every aisle I passed where I didn’t see him. Where could that child have gone?! "Quiy?" I called, but still no response. I had passed several aisles, but still no sign of Quiy. I must have called out every saint I knew, but still nothing. "Quiy, my child?!" I called out agai/0/19898/coverorgin.jpg?v=95d1dcc1cc69678521d1f7207744ba72&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Gone With The Bling
No matter how much you run! You will always comeback to the place that you have tried to run away from, and you will always have to face what you ran away from. The exact happened to the two girls Ada and Peace. They tried to run away from love but it always came around. And when it did, they were not ready for it... A story of how a con artist fell for the guy she wanted to con... “You rejected me once! There will be no second time,” “But what if I say sorry?” “Hah! You think it’s that easy?”/0/45854/coverorgin.jpg?v=ec68315840f05a50e83e35c64ae91fd1&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Intertwined Destinies
Cara is a quiet and demure girl with a sweet personality. She always lives behind her study books, never deviating from them, so that one day she can repay the Griffin family for everything they've done for her. Can has been away from his family for almost 10 years, fearless, he's been through things that few people could bear. There will be a spark that will turn into fire, will Cara and Can Griffin be able to handle such intensity? And when Cara discovers Can's dark world, will she still want him?/0/52343/coverorgin.jpg?v=20240321183927&imageMogr2/format/webp)
His Baby Mama (Be My Woman)
🎈B£ MY WÖMÃN🎈 (His•Baby•Mama...) _______________ PROLOGUE. DON'T COPY OR REPOST ‼️ By: Naomi Cindy B. ★ Rosy Klein did all she could to sponsor herself and her boyfriend through college. She has been dating Stefan since highschool, but immediately they started college, Stefan lost his parents and almost quit school, but Rosy took the responsibility. Stefan is a guy she loves so much, and she couldn't bear watching him drop out, though she's an orphan herself. Part time jobs and illegal gigs brought her the cash she earned, and with that, she was able to sponsor herself and Stefan, but on their graduation day... Stefan proposed to her best friend right in front of her, and her world crumbled. That same day, Roman Lawson planned proposal for his girlfriend, and he was hoping it'd be the best night of their lives. He has been dating Gwen for three years, and though she did nothing for him throughout, but to him, her love was enough. He payed for her mother's yearly surgery even when he's just a struggling youth. He even bought Gwen a car with his first salary, all for love. But on getting to the proposal venue, Gwen turned him down and ran out in tears after confessing that she's currently in love with someone else. Roman's world shattered. The pain of betrayal and heartbreak made him drive to the bar where he drank himself to stupor. There he met Rosy who also came to drink as a result of what Stefan did to her. Fate had it's way, and something huge happened between them that night... Huge enough to change everything about their existence. Who can't wait to find out what the huge something is and how huge it is? Are you ready to be on a rollercoaster of emotions? Join this sweet ride to see what life holds for this two and what future dramas will look like. Trust me, it's a book that'd keep you at the edge of your seat throughout... Don't miss out./0/81868/coverorgin.jpg?v=b85a30302bd613a01acdbbdc8a0afde1&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Game Over, Mr. CEO
My husband Mark and I built DreamWeaver Games from a college dorm room. He was the CEO, I was the lead developer – the one who actually made the games. Our company was our dream, our life, for years. But then, he started spending company money, our money, on lavish gifts and dinners for Chloe, our flirty PR manager. When I questioned the "marketing expenses," he gave me the silent treatment for three months. One morning, he dangled a brochure for a luxury resort, promising a "reconnecting" getaway – only to cancel last minute. He gave my first-class ticket and the entire luxury booking to Chloe, claiming it was for "company business," a crucial publisher meeting. Later that night, Instagram exploded with photos of Mark and Chloe, clinking champagne at my resort suite. They beamed as a "power couple," their captions mocking me and everything we built. It was a punch to the gut, a public humiliation. How could the man I loved, my partner in every sense, so carelessly betray and humiliate me? The silent treatment, the blatant affair, the open mockery – I was bone-tired of fighting, of being dismissed. My heart, once full of dreams for us, felt dead inside, replaced by a cold, sharp clarity. That night, as their "power couple" selfies mocked me from my phone, I knew it was over. No more fighting for him, no more fighting for DreamWeaver. It was time to fight for Sarah, and I already had my first move in motion./0/40663/coverorgin.jpg?v=d45b2a2eb88bacd2f0169b9ea2740a38&imageMogr2/format/webp)
IN HIS CAPTIVE
"please let me go"i cry helplessly getting tired of acting tough when in not. "No Genevieve "I heard his deep voice "But, why? "I asked."I want you "He said simply without emotions. Genevieve Santiago is a beautiful light skinned girl of age 20,she lost her parents on her 15th years old birthday and that led her to move from L. A to NYC She went to club Violante with her best friend Kylee where she met the devil himself who holds her captive. Will she be set free? Or will she accept her fate?./0/91926/coverorgin.jpg?v=721fd651413b05ec1fc31cef3e9a8228&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Cost of Betrayal
Seven years ago, Rhett's company was on the brink of bankruptcy. It was Lorna, the wealthy heiress, who offered her steadfast support, allowing Rhett's company to narrowly escape disaster. Afterward, Rhett and Lorna tied the knot and embraced wedded bliss. Yet, on their wedding night, Rhett unexpectedly revealed an unexpected contract.../0/26063/coverorgin.jpg?v=51cc11365ef9fe8d259ed6b8a0f8eceb&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Billionaire's Wedding Planner
Amelia Theodore is just an ordinary girl, the kind that people say is not very good-looking. The plus-size girl, this nickname has been with her since she was a child. But such a girl has a beautiful and eye-catching good friend. Such a girl also met the school bad boy, the bully who swept the whole school, Ares. What Amelia didn't expect was that the bully was still haunted after she graduated. What she didn't even expect was that she would plan a wedding for her enemy! But everything seems to be under Ares' control. . ./0/42610/coverorgin.jpg?v=7a7b429dc6517ab0d382bb06301acc7d&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Glamorous After Divorce: CEO's Ex-wife Is A Famous Surgeon
Nicole had loved Samuel for five years, but ultimately it was him who brought her pain and cheated on their marriage. And when she had risked her life to carry his baby, Samuel had no regards for her nor her baby! Nicole thought she could win his heart, but a serious fire destroyed her and wiped out her love for him. Five years later, Nicole came back as a cold, unfeeling psychopath . This time around, she was no longer the same lady who lost everything because of love. With her new found strength, she will step on those scums who brought her pain in the past and pretended to be pure in the face of this earth. Now, she wanted to avenge herself and bring Samuel Green down./0/80895/coverorgin.jpg?v=0f802e181cddae34c30fc20ad66e06a3&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Her Truth, Unsung
I married Liam Thorne, the love of my life, wearing a five-dollar thrift store dress. We ate pizza on museum steps, dreaming of a future where our shared music would change the world, just "us against everyone." I sacrificed everything for him: giving up my band's breakthrough gig, draining our meager savings for his mother's emergency surgery, and enduring ugly rumors and public scorn, all to pave the way for Liam's glittering career. My dreams faded, but his soared. As Liam transformed into a global rock superstar, my own life became a carefully constructed demolition. I was manipulated into a humiliating, sexualized music video, publicly branded a "desperate sellout," and then mercilessly blacklisted by the same industry that elevated him. When I was sick and broken, consumed by an autoimmune illness, the man I loved abandoned me, choosing manufactured fame and a new "power couple" over everything we'd built. I died alone, my life dismissed by the media as a tragic "trainwreck," just a footnote in his triumphant story. How could Liam Thorne, the boy who once held my hand and vowed "forever," so casually dismiss me as "unstable" while building his empire on my shattered dreams? Why was my truth buried with me, unheard, while his carefully crafted narrative reigned supreme? But now, my private journals—the raw, unfiltered record of every painful sacrifice, every calculated betrayal—have fallen into the hands of a fearless podcaster. The world is about to hear my voice, finally ready to uncover the shocking truth hidden beneath Liam Thorne's polished facade./0/88033/coverorgin.jpg?v=20250805203122&imageMogr2/format/webp)
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My Grief, His Masterpiece
The phone buzzed, a relentless vibration I tried to ignore, but Sarah' s furious face on the video call told me I couldn' t. My artist husband, Ethan, had unveiled his new exhibition, "Raw Truths," a brutal public dissection of our dead marriage. The centerpiece? A twenty-foot-tall projection of me sleeping, mouth open, drooling. The internet exploded, half calling him a monster, half calling me a willing muse. Then I scrolled to the next piece: a distorted loop of my voice, crying after a fight, packaged and sold as art. My phone buzzed again, Ethan' s name on the caller ID. Sarah, my lawyer, ordered me not to answer, but a primal urge to understand the "why" gripped me. He told me he' d made art, groundbreaking art. I screamed that he was selling my tears, my private grief, for fame. His response? This backlash was hurting his career. Then came the real dagger: he' d bring my devout grandmother into this, expose our secret marriage, destroy her if I didn' t release a public apology calling myself a willing collaborator. My world shattered. How could he? How could he use my deepest fear against me? Before I could even process his threat, my aunt called, sobbing. Grandma had collapsed, she' d seen something on the news. It was too late. He had already destroyed the last innocent part of my life. Lying in the hospital, my grandmother gone, I watched Ethan on TV, publicly mourning, accepting accolades. He had taken everything. My peace, my privacy, my family. A cold, hard resolve settled in my chest. If the world wanted a tragic muse, I' d give them a tragedy they' d never forget. I would erase myself from his world completely./0/21521/coverorgin.jpg?v=cd4ec1fc9b7060149fab01929e8cc738&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Mr. Denver
Mr. Denver Kyle Denver He's controlling, perfectionist and sinfully handsome. He's a workaholic who doesn't really understand how time works. After 9 years of hard work, he got the billionaire title. Instead of enjoying life like all other billionaires do, he keeps working making all his employees work on weekends and holidays. Dakota Lennix Kyle Denver's secretary for 5 years and she's the best secretary that's ever been working with him. She loves her job so much that she sometimes sleeps with her secretary clothes on because she never knows when Kyle will call her. As much as she loves her job, she.. has to quit./0/88682/coverorgin.jpg?v=20260106213344&imageMogr2/format/webp)
A Wife's Ultimate Sacrifice
My sister, Jayda, stumbled at a charity gala, splashing a drink near Diamond Hampton' s prized show dog. It was a simple mistake. The reaction was not. Diamond' s security guards, men built like refrigerators, brutally beat Jayda, leaving her crumpled on the polished floor. My husband, Alex Wade, Diamond' s head of security, blocked me from reaching her. "You need to be quiet, Erica," he said, his face an unreadable mask, as his men dragged my bleeding sister away. He dismissed her injuries, claiming she shouldn' t have startled the dog, and forbade me from calling the police or talking to the press. He even threatened Jayda' s life if I caused a problem for Ms. Hampton. Later, he forced me to play my cello for Diamond until my fingers bled, then smashed the instrument. He then demanded I undergo a hysterectomy to appease Diamond, who claimed she couldn' t have children because of him. I was screaming, "That' s not a debt, Alex. That' s a sacrifice. And you' re not sacrificing yourself. you' re sacrificing me!" He let his men drag me to a private clinic where Diamond, in a white coat, watched as a doctor performed the procedure without anesthetic./0/85762/coverorgin.jpg?v=0c253a59156e35ea2e192cc53462c1e2&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Betrayed By Love, Reborn By Fire
The first cry of my newborn daughter, Lily, echoed in the delivery room, a sound so pure it momentarily erased the exhaustion from my bones. I was a mother, my world finally complete. Then, one of the nurses murmured about a "scandal," and my husband, Daniel, stiffened. A month ago, photos of him with four women in a hotel room had surfaced-a business dinner, he'd claimed, a setup, a corporate sabotage. He was the victim, a saint who' d endured an ice bath all night to protect me and our child. I chose to believe him. I had to. But the moment the door to my private room opened, the truth hit me with sickening force. My four personal assistants, loyal and trusted, stood there, their conditions obvious beneath their uniforms. They were all undeniably pregnant. My mother-in-law swept in, beaming, confirming my worst fear. "These are our surrogate mothers," she announced, beaming. "To ensure the Hayes family line continues." Daniel, my loving husband, had used them, had planned this all along. The world tilted. I pulled divorce papers from my bag, laying them on the pristine white blanket of my hospital bed. He tore them up, his tears and pleas of "accident" a grotesque performance. He held Lily out like a shield. "Are you really going to deprive her of a father?" he pleaded. "If I stay here," I countered, my voice flat, "she will be deprived of a mother. The woman I was will cease to exist." My mother-in-law, a witch in human form, slapped me, screaming about me harming her "grandsons." My assistants, once my confidantes, turned on me, emboldened by her fury. "She' s cruel," Autumn sneered. "She' s not fit to be our boss anymore!" My own pain was a cold, hard stone in my chest. I took Lily from Daniel and walked out, leaving the wreckage behind. My lavish home became a prison. Isolated and grieving, I overheard Summer and Autumn, in the adjoining suite, boasting about co-CEO positions and how they just needed to "manipulate Ava into accepting our status. Make her feel guilty. She' s weak right now." They weren' t victims. They were complicit. I resolved to take Lily and disappear. But then my new assistant burst in, face white. "She' s gone! Lily' s not in her crib!" A primal fear shot through me. I found Summer and Autumn in the backyard, digging. My daughter' s bracelet glinted on the disturbed earth. Frantically, I dug with my bare hands until I uncovered her. Lily. Still. "She just… passed away in her sleep," Summer said, a grotesque parody of sympathy. My mother-in-law arrived, disgusted. "She was just a worthless girl anyway. Her death is insignificant. We have four more chances for a proper heir." Daniel, feigning grief, talked of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, of having "more children." He seemed to believe his own lies. "You' re hysterical, Ava. The grief is making you delusional." He walked away, leaving me with my murdered child. That night, I started sewing a burial gown from my wedding dress. Daniel and Summer' s intimate sounds from next door were a brutal torment. The next morning, Lily's body was gone. Furious barking led me to the backyard, where Autumn stood by aggressive hunting dogs, throwing Lily' s cashmere blanket into the pen. I watched in horror as they tore it to shreds. My world went black. I woke to Autumn' s sneering voice. "She' s so dramatic. Mrs. Hayes Senior just wanted the blanket destroyed. It' s bad luck." Daniel stood over me, offering sedatives. "You and your mother, you killed her!" I screamed. "You murdered my baby and now you' re destroying every last piece of her, as if she never existed!" He left. That night, an echoing scream: "She' s dead! Mrs. Hayes is dead!" Daniel burst into my room, his face a mask of rage. He lunged, hands closing around my throat. "You did this. You killed my mother." I was held captive, called a "witch" by servants. Only Chloe, my loyal assistant, visited, bringing warm bread and tears. "I' ll find evidence. I' ll clear your name." I gave her a silver locket, a secret sign for help from an old friend. "Tell him Ava regrets it." A tiny flicker of hope. Days later, the stench of smoke woke me. The mansion was on fire. My door was locked from the outside. Through the smoke, I saw Summer, a crazed, triumphant smile on her face. "I set the fire, Ava. Daniel' s idea, of course. With you and your bad luck gone, I can finally become the real Mrs. Hayes." She turned the key. "Goodbye, Ava." Just as a massive beam began to fall, the door exploded inward. A familiar, deep voice called my name through the smoke. "Ava! I'm late!" It was Alex Thorne, the son of a powerful senator, a boy I' d once defended. He threw himself over me as a burning beam crashed down. His strength was astonishing; he carried me through the inferno. He' d placed a female body in the fire, fabricating my death. My locket, returned to me, was the signal for help I' d sent him. My plan had been to disappear with Lily. But Lily was gone. "I' m not going back, Alex," I stated. "My daughter died. I was almost killed. I can' t leave without finding out the truth. Without getting justice." I looked him straight in the eye. "Alex, you once told me you hate cowards more than anything. A Reed does not run from a fight." "What do you plan to do?" he asked, admiration in his eyes. "Alex, if I' m not mistaken, you' re still unmarried. Would you still marry me?" Alex' s eyes widened in profound disbelief. "You… are you serious?" he stammered. "I am," I confirmed. "Consider it a transaction. A strategic alliance." I needed power. I needed to become Mrs. Thorne to fight back. He took my hand. "I will marry you, Ava. If you need me, I won' t refuse." Days later, Daniel, mourning his "dead" wife, announced a new marriage at a lavish hotel. He married Winter. Alex confirmed my suspicions. Summer had set the fire at Daniel' s bidding. "Autumn is dead," he said quietly. "An accident." And Summer? "She was flayed. Her body was hung on the wall." Daniel had eliminated his competition. "When do you want to announce our engagement?" Alex asked. "Tomorrow," I said, my resolve hardening into steel. At the Thorne engagement reception, I slowly removed my veil. Daniel recoiled as if struck. "No! This is impossible. Ava is dead!" His shock curdled into alcohol-fueled rage. He grabbed a steak knife. "You' re an imposter! I' ll kill her for you!" He lunged. Alex disarmed him. "Daniel Hayes, are you trying to start a war with me?" "That' s right!" Daniel roared, his facade crumbling. Armed men in tactical gear poured into the ballroom. "Why should I just be a CEO? I want to be the most powerful man in this city!" He was beyond insane. "I never thought you' d be smart enough to fake your own death. You almost fooled me." "Why?" I asked, needing the final truth. "Do you know what I hate most about you, Ava? It' s your aristocratic background. Everything about you made me feel small." His "love" was a performance. He had drugged himself, slept with my assistants, turned them against me, setting in motion the chaos that led to Lily' s death, ruining my reputation, framing me for his mother' s murder. "Ruthlessness is a necessary tool for greatness. My mother was just a sentimental old woman." "You are truly evil. But your time is almost up." He sneered. "With my control over the city' s network, everything here is already mine!" "And where is your control, Daniel?" Alex asked mildly. Daniel fumbled at his belt, his confidence turning to panic. "Where is it?" I stepped forward, pulling a small, sleek device from my clutch. "Are you looking for this?" Panic seized Daniel. He lunged for the device. Alex' s security team moved, subduing him. "How?" Daniel screamed, his face ashen. "Chloe gave it to me," I said, my voice clear. Two days before the fire, I had met Chloe, bruised and broken. She confessed everything: Daniel believed Lily was a boy, planning to use my "son" as leverage for my family' s European assets. He had beaten her after she stole his control device. Her last words were a choked apology for her betrayal. Daniel' s empire crumbled. He and his private army were arrested for treason. Lily was avenged. There was nothing left for me here. Alex drove me to the private airfield. He had been my rock, my ally. He had asked for nothing. "Ava Reed," he said, his voice soft. "Have a safe journey." "Write to me often," I replied, a genuine smile touching my lips. As the jet climbed, I looked down at the city, a place of so much pain and loss. I wasn't leaving as a victim. I was leaving as a survivor. I was leaving as Ava Reed, a woman who had fought back from the ashes and won. The future was mine to write./0/66944/coverorgin.jpg?v=52a531457fe60005e992a55c63995cc8&imageMogr2/format/webp)
