Bessie Cousain

One childhood crush. One unbreakable rule. One mansion where every hallway feels like a trap. For fifteen years, Leighton Hayes has loved Noah Knight from afar, the untouchable older brother of her best friend Chloe. Now twenty-three, broke, and freshly homeless, Leighton has nowhere to go but the sprawling estate of the man who once barely noticed her. Noah remembers her all too well. The billionaire who built an empire from nothing has spent the last six months trying to become a better man, and the shy girl in oversized hoodies who just moved into his guest wing is the most dangerous temptation he’s ever faced. Chloe’s single rule was always clear: her friends are off-limits. Especially to Noah, the reformed Playboy who used to burn through supermodels and headlines. But late nights, shared secrets, and one stolen shirt ignite a fire neither of them can extinguish. What begins as whispered confessions and almost-kisses explodes into a secret affair neither wants to end, even as the lies stack higher. When Chloe discovers the truth, the betrayal threatens to destroy the only family each of them has ever known. Leighton must decide if love is worth losing her best friend. Noah must prove he’s finally ready to risk everything for the one woman he swore he’d never touch. Some rules are made to be broken. Some hearts refuse to stay forbidden.

"Apologize!” Ethan coughed repeatedly. “My wife is the one who deserves your apology, it’s her forgiveness that you need!” “I told you, you’re mine now, and I will not let anyone hurt you. I’ll get them to apologize on their knees”. --- Jane Fitzergald, a 22-year-old medical student and the illegitimate daughter of the Harrison family, was forced to take her half-sister’s place as a substitute bride to the eldest son of the Harrington family, Ethan, a deformed cripple with less than 6 months to live. She dealt with mockery right from her wedding from everyone and was a victim of vicious plots due to her naivety which caused a strain on the relationship with her new husband whom she had already decided to be on good terms with. Unbeknownst to her and everyone else who looked down on her husband, he was not what he seemed. Ethan Harrington knew that she was not his bride but he didn’t mind as long as she stuck to his words, his known health status was a front to cover his escapades. He’s set to unmask some plots but what happens when he starts to fall for his naive wife who shows him the love and care he never got? Will their budding love be cut off or will they weather the storm together?

“I can’t believe you’re back after all these years, Aria. Still haven’t learned your lesson?” Jessica sneered. Aria met her sister’s venomous stare without flinching. “Oh, I learned. Never underestimate a woman protecting her rightful heirs.” Eight years ago, Aria’s life crumbled the moment she caught her billionaire husband, Michael, tangled in the arms of her own sister. With nothing but a shattered heart and a few dollars to her name, she vanished from the world that betrayed her. Now she’s back—with power, confidence… and twin sons no one knows about. As secrets boil to the surface and old enemies circle like vultures, Michael begins to realize his biggest mistake wasn’t the affair—it was losing the only woman who ever truly saw him. Can Aria survive the cutthroat games of betrayal, lies, and elite legacy? Or will the powerful Walton family crush her before she can reclaim what’s rightfully hers?

"Haley Reed thought she had the perfect life—a devoted husband, a sweet son, and a home filled with love. But when her husband’s ex-lover, Joye, slithers back into their lives, determined to steal everything Haley holds dear, her world shatters. The ultimate betrayal? Her own son turning against her, demanding she leave, and claiming that he wanted Joey instead of her to be his mother! Cast out with nothing—no money, no safety net—Haley collapses on the streets, broken… until crosses paths with Logan Hartwell, a powerful Billionaire with a guarded heart, and his fragile, enchanting daughter, Lily, who clings to Haley with a desperate hope: ""Will you be my mommy?"" However, as Haley rebuilds her life, chilling connections emerge—between Logan’s mysterious past and Joey, the woman who destroyed her marriage. ""Did you choose me to hurt her?"" she demands, but Logan couldn't give her a satisfactory answer. Realizing her world was surrounded with lies, Haley transforms into the powerful woman she was meant to be—wealth, influence, and hard-won independence at her fingertips—her past comes begging. Her ex-husband. Her lost son. The life that failed her. Will she return to the love that broke her… or claim the family that truly sees her worth?"

Harriett Edwards has been in love with Damien Daniels since childhood, so when both their parents arrange for them to be married, she gladly accepts even though she was well aware that it wasn’t what Damien wanted. For the three years of their marriage, she devoted her life to him with the hope that she would be able to change his mind and eventually get him to fall in love with her. It all comes crashing down when someone fabricates a picture of her cheating with Damien’s brother, Adrian. After seeing the pictures, he coldly said. “I want a divorce!” And even when she confessed her love to him, his reply was cold and hurtful. “I know. It doesn’t matter. I don’t love you.” What he didn’t know was that in her hand were pregnancy test results from a mistake he made due to his drunken state. Years later, they both meet at a friend’s wedding and he is shocked to see her with a set of identical twins that looked just like him. “Are they mine?” He asked. Harriett laughed and replied, remembering his own words. “It doesn’t matter, Damien. They don’t need a father.”

Avena Cross never believed in fairytales. Life taught her the hard way that love doesn't pay the bills, and dreams don’t put food on the table. As a literature student and struggling writer, she barely keeps herself and her sick father afloat, pouring every ounce of her energy into maintaining her scholarship and selling books to cover medical expenses. Damian Carter doesn’t believe in love. Cold, ruthless, and powerful, he built his billion-dollar empire by following one rule: emotions have no place in business. When his grandfather—his only family—gives him a shocking ultimatum before his supposed impending death, Damian signs a contract that goes against everything he stands for: he has three months to fall in love and get married. When fate throws them together in the most unexpected way—a fiery confrontation at a university lecture—Damian finds himself intrigued by the one woman who doesn’t fall at his feet. Avena challenges him, frustrates him, fascinates him. She’s a brilliant writer, a sharp mind, and the perfect candidate for a position he needs to fill. But what if she’s perfect for something more? When Avena’s world crumbles, and Damian presents an offer she can’t refuse—one year as his wife in exchange for more money than she’s ever dreamed of—she steps into a contract that will change everything. She swore she wouldn’t fall for him. He swore love wasn’t real. But when the lines between pretend and reality blur, when stolen glances become something deeper, and when fake kisses start feeling dangerously real… What happens when a contract becomes a promise? And what happens when breaking the rules means risking everything? Because in the end, the only thing more dangerous than signing the contract… is wanting to tear it apart.

"Scarlett was left betrayed and broken beyond repair when her best friend Megan set her up with the male escort who stole her virginity...Or at least, that's what she thought he was. There was something odd about the strong and strikingly beautiful man that she spent a night with. Despite the pure hatred she felt for him, the deals he ended up offering wasn't one she could refuse. Scarlett always thought she'd marry her soulmate but turns out, that won't be the case for her. But could her mysterious husband make his way through her broken heart and fix it? It's hard to imagine but love has funny ways to manifest in places where it's least expected...."

“You would do anything or money, won’t you?” He looked at her in disgust. “And you will always believe that money can buy anything, won’t you?” She kept her chin high even when her flimsy costume was making her resolve to fight weak. He took slow predatory steps towards her and yanked her hair, “Things like you can easily be bought. And I will.” He sniffed her scent and she pushed him away. He jerked her towards him and looked into her eyes, “A wh*r* will always be a wh*r*.” “And men will always be men.” She cursed him as he left her crying.

"You feel so f**king good." a deep voice, one I knew all too well, grunted. I watched my husband Daniel and my assistant Esme banging each other right on my table. My hands flew to my mouth as realization dawned on me, the shock from seeing and hearing them made me shift back, stumbling against the table, and I pushed the chair backward. "Did you hear that?" I quickly dodged and stepped back from the glass view. "What?" Daniel hissed impatiently. "I think I heard-" Esme trailed off, "Never mind, just hurry up already." "No need to rush, there is still time before the b*tch lands." His statement was like a slap to my face, my ears were ringing. "Really?" "Yes, baby, a few more rounds for us." "Once she's back, I can't have you." "I know, but it's just for a while, you know it's you I love, it's her money that's keeping me." Their mixed chuckle ran across the room, traveled up my nerves, and made my heart sink to my stomach. *** When Elsie uncovers the affair between her husband and her trusted assistant, her world shatters. The dual betrayal by the man she loved for years and the assistant she relied on leave her devastated and nearly hopeless. But after the initial shock, Elsie regains her strength. She contacts a lawyer to prepare for divorce and makes a bold move- switching jobs and joining the company of her longtime rival, Albie. What starts as a search for solace turns into something much more dangerous. Albie's relentless pursuit leaves Elsie feeling increasingly drawn to him, despite her resolve. Will she lose herself in a passion she never expected, or find a new path to healing?

Seven years ago, Emerald Hutton had left her family and friends behind for high school in New York City, cradling her broken heart in her hands, to escape just one person. Her brother's best friend, whom she loved from the day he had saved her from bullies at the age of seven. Broken by the boy of her dreams and betrayed by her loved ones, Emerald had learned to bury the pieces of her heart in the deepest corner of her memories. Until seven years later, she has to come back to her hometown after finishing her college. The place where now the cold-hearted stone of a billionaire resides, whom her dead heart once used to beat for. Scarred by his past, Achilles Valencian had turned into the man everyone feared. The scorch of his life had filled his heart with bottomless darkness. And the only light that had kept him sane, was his Rosebud. A girl with freckles and turquoise eyes he'd adored all his life. His best friend's little sister. After years of distance, when the time has finally come to capture his light into his territory, Achilles Valencian will play his game. A game to claim what's his. Will Emerald be able to distinguish the flames of love and desire to keep her heart safe? Or she will let the devil lure her into his trap? Because no one ever could escape his games. He gets what he wants. And this game is called... The trap of Ace.

Liesl McGrath is an up-and-coming artist but for eight years she focuses on her husband as a devoted partner, adjusting her life and her career around him achieving his goal of becoming CEO by the age of thirty. Her life is perfect until her glass castle crashes down. Her husband admits to infidelity with none other than her own sister and there is a child coming. Liesl decides the best way to mend her shattered heart is by destroying the one thing he holds more important than anything else: his career. Isaias Machado is a billionaire first generation American he knows the value of hard work and doing what it takes to survive. His entire life has been geared to the moment he can take the McGrath company away from the corrupted men who once left his family homeless. When Liesl McGrath approaches the billionaire to bribe him with information set to ruin her ex-husband, Isaias Machado is chomping at the bit to take everything the McGrath’s prize including Liesl. A story of love, revenge and healing needs to start somewhere and Liesl’s pain is the catalyst to the wildest rollercoaster ride of her life. Let the bribery begin.

I despised Dante Moretti long before he slid that ring onto my finger. Arrogant. Controlling. The kind of boss who could ruin my day with a single clipped order. I hated the way he spoke to me. I hated the way he watched me more. But walking into my hometown with his ring and watching my ex-husband’s face drain of color felt wickedly perfect. The elders wanted to see real love before selling their land. So Dante and I lied. We played the sweet couple. Except Dante didn’t touch me like a man pretending. At the Christmas market, his hand slid down my spine and stopped right where it shouldn’t. At dinner, he whispered against my ear, “If he’s watching, spread your legs a little. Let him see who owns you now.” I should have slapped him. Instead, my body answered him before I could breathe. He kissed my temple too slow and held my waist too tight. When the lights dimmed, he murmured, “Open for me.” “Keep your eyes on me.” “I want you shaking for me, not for him.” Somewhere between hating him and wanting him to wreck me, everything blurred. Because the man who barked orders in boardrooms had me whispering his name in the dark, Christmas lights flickering over his bare shoulders while he swallowed every sound I made. My ex wanted me broken. Dante wanted me ruined, but only beneath him. And the worst part was how easily I let him. Santa didn’t bring me a miracle. He gave me a sin in a three piece suit and I tore the wrapping off with trembling hands.

[This year I will make friends, this year I will find a boyfriend, and by the end of this year, I hope to be a virgin no longer] Bullied without friends her entire life, Alice Grey hopes her college time will be different. She wishes to start over and make friends. But her hope shatters when it appears Nathan Douglas, her bully for six years, will attend the same college. Nathan Douglas is a promising future NHL player. His fans expect him to be picked up fast, but Nathan isn't sure if a hockey player career is what he wants. He is a complete player on campus and finds pleasure in teasing Alice Grey for being a virgin. Her embarrassment is his delight. But Nathan soon runs into a slight problem—every night, Nathan experiences super realistic dreams where Alice is his future wife. Due to his dreams, Nathan begins to see Alice in a different light, but is there a happy ending when you catch feelings for the person who fears you more than death?