Informed by her father, Esme Rivera learns she is to marry Ronald Rivera for their family's wealth. Devastated and feeling her life collapse, she finds little solace from her mother. Aware of her future husband's cruelty and power, she is forcibly prepared for marriage. Treated as a possession, she is subjected to strict rules and isolation. Feeling trapped and powerless, she mourns the loss of her freedom and autonomy. With the wedding day approaching, she wakes up to the harsh reality, feeling numb and like her life is ending.
I plan to crown her as my queen. Our agreement includes a wedding, one child, and a duration of five years, for a sum of ten million dollars. These conditions are part of a well-considered, audacious, yet essential contract. Fulfilling a prerequisite for my inheritance requires me to be married. She believes her stipulations will prevent me from getting close to her. However, she's mistaken. The Loughreys dominate, and I stand as their sovereign. My desires always come to fruition, and she is my current desire. I am determined to have her by my side, regardless of the circumstances.
No one knows the criteria for selecting new members to the board of Simmons Banking and Holding, but there are persistent rumors about a mysterious initiation rite. It is said that one woman and nine men vanish into a boardroom for this purpose. This time, the woman chosen for this secretive process is Samantha. The Simmons family, known for owning the eighth largest bank in the world and having substantial influence over their town, including the mortgage on her parents’ mansion, now seems to have set their sights on her. Aiden Simmons, known for his charm, seduction, and ruthlessness, and most notably his deceptive nature, has caught her attention. Despite her body responding with intense desire under his intense scrutiny, she resolutely denies herself any enjoyment in it. Faced with a dire need to save her family, she is prepared to strike a deal with what she perceives as the devil, offering herself to the Simmons. However, she is adamant that while they might claim her in some ways, Aiden Simmons will never possess her heart.
Grace, a bartender at a nightclub, reluctantly agrees to wear a uniform top she's uncomfortable with to appease her manager, Callum. Grace has a photo of her and her mom in her locker, reflecting on their similarities. Grace hides her tattoo, marking her as a werewolf, as best as she can. A customer hits on her and asks about her tattoo, offering money for the story behind it. Grace lies, saying it's a reminder of her mother's murder. Another werewolf enters the bar, and the owner, also a werewolf, questions Grace about her pack. Henry offers to take her to meet the Alpha, and Grace considers running but decides to act normal. She attempts to escape but is caught by Henry. A mysterious man named Zayden appears, revealing himself as the Alpha, and takes Grace to his pack's headquarters.
In the labyrinth of the Academy, where shifting shadows and whispered secrets reign supreme, Mave's world shattered on their very first day. Imagine, being thrust into a realm of towering expectations and clandestine politics, only to find one's destined mate—the revered Alpha's son—callously rejecting them in front of the entire shifter community. But amidst the heartache and the unrelenting pull of the rejected bond, Mave harbored an audacious determination—to defy fate itself. Their journey unfolds not only in the tumultuous world of wolf pack politics but also in the enigmatic presence of a captivating human companion, tangled in their own web of undisclosed truths.
Magnolia, a bride-to-be, is preparing for her wedding to football player William Green. Despite initially thinking he was a jerk, Magnolia has seen a softer side to him. Her best friend Isabella, who is pregnant, is living with them, along with friends Rhiannon, Luna, and Samantha. On the day of the wedding, Magnolia sneaks out to her fiancé's room and discovers him cheating with Isabella. Devastated, she decides to cancel the wedding and escape to New York with her friends. They plan to expose the truth about the cheating scandal by releasing a recorded conversation to the press. Meanwhile, Edison, a hotel owner, sympathizes with Magnolia and they begin to form an emotional connection.
Scarlett Butler and her sister, Emmeline, attend a party at the Bell estate. Scarlett, the introverted sister, feels out of place but agrees to support Emmeline's potential match with Gideon Bell. While seeking solace in a library, Scarlett is watched by someone until she meets Gideon. They have a tense conversation, playfully argue over a book, and Scarlett tries to seduce him. Gideon challenges her claim of being a virgin and they engage in sexual activity in the library. Scarlett is conflicted but ultimately agrees to his demands.
She’s become the unexpected complication in my meticulously controlled life—the wife I never sought, the vulnerability I failed to anticipate. Relentless. Precise. Overconfident. Control is my realm, both in my personal sphere and within the corridors of power. As a billionaire CEO, marriage was never in my plans—until the specter of blackmail coerced me into an alliance with a woman whose acquaintance barely graces my knowledge. Valentina Hall, heiress to a jewelry empire and offspring of my latest adversary. Regardless of her allure or charisma, I will stop at nothing to obliterate any evidence of our forced union. Yet, there's a pressing predicament: now that she's entangled in this web I never wished to weave...I find myself unable to sever the ties. *** Graceful. Driven. Refined. I've been molded into the flawless daughter—a key for my family's ascent into the exclusive circles of high society. Uniting with a pedigreed Russo promises access to realms otherwise off-limits to my nouveau-riche kin. Despite Dante's discourteous demeanor and enigmatic nature—hardly fitting my vision of an ideal partner—I acquiesce to our orchestrated union out of familial obligation. Yearning for his caress never factored into my calculated plans. Nor did I anticipate committing the gravest transgression: finding myself ensnared by affection for my prospective spouse.
Jocelyn From a young age, I knew fairy godmothers were pure fiction. Growing up in foster care teaches you that fast. I'm clawing my way through night school, building my own business without relying on anyone, thank you very much. But when my deadbeat ex pulls off identity theft, racking up an insurmountable debt in my name, my so-called fairy godmother emerges—a feisty septuagenarian armed with Fireball whisky. Her solution for my mess? Marry a brooding jock in a kilt, whose legs rock a skirt better than mine ever could. Matthew I never dreamed of being a place-kicker in a pro football team. Fate just took the reins. Banished from Scotland ten years back, now I'm this athletic sensation, labeled as the 'Man with the Million Dollar Leg' across the league. But when some bureaucratic mess-up jeopardizes my stay before the season kick-starts, I'll go to any lengths to dodge deportation and confront my biggest blunder. Even if it means tying the knot with a lass—pink hair and all—with eyes that seem to pry into everything I'm set on concealing.
Sophia, a young girl with a mysterious mark, is taken from her mother by the High King to be tested for magic. Her mother, Bellamy, desperately tries to save her, but Sophia is raised in the castle. Years later, Sophia is alone in the forest when she encounters a dangerous creature. She manages to kill it, but wonders if the curse that plagued her village is spreading. Returning home, she reflects on the close call and enters a room filled with rare plants collected by her aunt.