getting close to your heart

At the party for our first wedding anniversary, I hit the floor—face-first on a red carpet, gasping like a fish out of water. Carlo Pipino, my husband, had his arm draped around Gianna Verde, his childhood flame, sipping champagne and laughing. Gianna knew I was allergic to nuts. So, obviously, she bathed everything in hazelnut dressing. One bite and boom—my throat locked, my lungs lit up, and hives popped like confetti. I reached for my allergy meds—came up with a fistful of melted M&Ms instead. Gianna laughed when she saw my face. "Surprise! Carlo swapped your meds. Seriously, Siena, one nut? Dramatic much?" I slid off my chair, wheezing, while the crowd placed bets on how long my "performance" would last. "Carlo... my meds..." I croaked. "Please. I'm gonna die." He sighed, annoyed. "God, you're so dramatic. Why do women always play dead for attention? You know I love you. Just stop this show already." Right then, my heart shattered faster than my lungs could. I stopped begging. Hit the distress signal. Called my real family.

In my previous life, I was adopted by a regular family. My younger sister, Regina Capasso, was taken in by a mafia Don, resulting in her becoming the principessa of Etalia's most powerful mafia family. Unexpectedly, Regina is cast out by the Don in her third year of getting adopted. She was forced to roam the streets as a homeless person till the day she died a terrible death. I, on the other hand, got into a prestigious university thanks to my good grades. Then, I furthered my studies with my adoptive older brother, Dario Bivona. With hard work, I eventually became the rising star of the AI industry who was sought out by all. With my adoptive parents' blessings, Dario and I ended up getting married and having our own children. My life was filled with peace and happiness. After we're given a second chance at the same life, Regina makes an entirely different decision. She rushes into Dario's arms and starts calling him by his name sweetly. Then, she takes my ex-parents' hands while gazing at me gloatingly. ""You should have a taste of what it feels like to be a principessa, Livia. I seriously can't endure another second in that cruel, unforgiving family!"" I look at Dario expectantly, hoping that he'll say something in my defense. But he shields Regina behind him while glaring at me icily. ""Stay away from my sister."" In the end, I slowly make my way toward the Rolls-Royce as Regina continues to look at me smugly.

During a hunting trip, I was mauled by a grizzly bear and rushed to the hospital. Seeing how panicked my boyfriend looked, a playful idea struck me, and I decided to play a little prank on him. “Who are you?” I asked. Toby froze. Just as I was about to laugh and tell him the truth, he suddenly pushed his older brother, Logan, forward. “I’m your boyfriend’s younger brother,” Toby said. The next second, he pulled my best friend, Chloe, into his arms. “And I’m also your best friend’s boyfriend.” My face stiffened. Yet, Logan stepped closer to my bedside. “That’s right. I’m your boyfriend.” I looked at him and smiled. “Okay. Then I’m going home with you.” It was just a boyfriend, after all. If he were defective, I could easily replace him.

I dated my lawyer boyfriend for five years. He canceled our wedding.Fifty-two times.First time? His intern messed up some paperwork. He ditched me at the beach to fix it. I waited all day.Alone.Second time, we were mid-ceremony when he bolted.Heard that intern was getting heat from another lawyer and left me to face the guests and their stares.After that, every time we tried again, there was always some ""emergency"" with her. Always.I finally hit my limit. I was done. Packed up and broke it off.But the day I left Ainsley? He totally lost it trying to find me.

Marcus Jones, a top-tier powerhouse known as the Pluto, returns to the country under a marriage contract to protect Chantal Lawson, the CEO of the Lawson Group. Upon his first encounter with Shayla Anson, captain of the National Security Bureau, he reveals a glimpse of his true identity, and the two unexpectedly share a one-night affair. At a restaurant, Marcus fends off the international assassin Mary, exposes Briana Shelton—Chantal's close friend—as a mole, and repeatedly foils the Harrison family's assassination attempts and business schemes aimed at seizing an anti-cancer project. Facing sniper attacks head-on, subduing Draco of the Axes, and effortlessly crushing the assassin, the Dog, Marcus proves himself an unstoppable force.

"Don't move. Your dress isn't on properly." Alpha Leo Stonewell lifted a hand to adjust my ceremonial gown. But the next second, the words that came out of his mouth sent a chill down my spine. "Layla, let Lilith wear this dress instead. Don't show up at our marking ceremony on the night of the full moon. She'll take your place then." I looked up immediately. "Have you lost your mind?" He sighed softly as if to suggest I was being unreasonable. "Lilith is just an Omega in the pack. I can't bear to let her stay with me without a rightful title. Tomorrow, I'll officially mark her during the ceremony." The northern wind sliced across my face. It felt bitterly cold, but it could hardly compare to the freezing ache in my chest. "We're supposed to become mates tomorrow. If you're going to mark her, then what did the past ten years between us even mean?" Leo frowned. Impatience crept into his voice. "Your wolf spirit has been dormant all this time. To the other werewolves in the pack, you're no different from an Omega. Layla, don't worry. Even if I mark her, I'll still take care of you for the rest of your life. Let her have this marking ceremony. Lilith is young and beautiful. She can't handle being wronged." My face slowly drained of color. If this Alpha thought I wasn't as young or beautiful as Lilith Lambert, then I didn't want him as my mate either.

Talented jewelry designer Ada Prescott's life has hit a low point after her boyfriend cheated on her and her sister falsely accused her of plagiarism. While getting drunk in a bar, she accidentally meets her ex-boyfriend's uncle, Max Worthington, the heir to a powerful plutocracy. By mistake, the two become a contractual couple. At first, Ada doesn't have a crush on Max and wants to end the relationship, but as they get along, Ada gradually falls in love with his thoughtfulness. And Max on Ada is early "premeditation" - Ada has not remembered, years ago in an encounter, he actually fell in love with her at first sight...

Marcus Jones, a top-tier powerhouse known as the Pluto, returns to the country under a marriage contract to protect Chantal Lawson, the CEO of the Lawson Group. Upon his first encounter with Shayla Anson, captain of the National Security Bureau, he reveals a glimpse of his true identity, and the two unexpectedly share a one-night affair. At a restaurant, Marcus fends off the international assassin Mary, exposes Briana Shelton—Chantal's close friend—as a mole, and repeatedly foils the Harrison family's assassination attempts and business schemes aimed at seizing an anti-cancer project. Facing sniper attacks head-on, subduing Draco of the Axes, and effortlessly crushing the assassin, the Dog, Marcus proves himself an unstoppable force.

Everyone thought Wynne Lynch was Nolan Griffin's simp, shielding him from drinks and knives, willing to be the most humble secretary by his side. In truth,Wynne got close to Nolan only because she saw him as a stand-in for her late lover, Nathan Griffin, and also to fulfill his dying wish: to take care of Nolan for seven years. During those seven years, Nolan allowed Rowena Sutter to humiliate and hurt Wynne without restraint. From life-or-death races to high-altitude skydives, Wynne repeatedly risked her life for Nolan. Yet when Nolan finally realized his own feelings, Wynne had already accumulated enough disappointment and resolved to leave.

Everyone thought Wynne Lynch was Nolan Griffin's simp, shielding him from drinks and knives, willing to be the most humble secretary by his side. In truth,Wynne got close to Nolan only because she saw him as a stand-in for her late lover, Nathan Griffin, and also to fulfill his dying wish: to take care of Nolan for seven years. During those seven years, Nolan allowed Rowena Sutter to humiliate and hurt Wynne without restraint. From life-or-death races to high-altitude skydives, Wynne repeatedly risked her life for Nolan. Yet when Nolan finally realized his own feelings, Wynne had already accumulated enough disappointment and resolved to leave.

While they slice me apart, I desperately call my brother, Nathan Slade. He finally picks up as my consciousness starts to slip and answers in an annoyed voice, "What now?" "Nathan, help—" I don't get to finish before he cuts me off. "Can't you ever go a day without drama? Gemma's graduation is at the end of the month. Miss it, and I swear I'll kill you!" Then, he hangs up without a second thought. The agonizing pain swallows me whole, and my eyes close for good, tears still trailing down my cheeks. Well, good news, Nathan… You won't have to kill me because I'm already dead.

Claire Smith, known as the Queen of Volleyball, led Sinoria's volleyball team to consecutive victories for their country. Tragically, she met her end through a setup orchestrated by her own people in collusion with Petalia. Rosalind Ford, daughter of a volleyball legend, inherited exceptional volleyball skills. In the accident that claimed her parents' lives, she was rescued and raised by James Lowe, the Dragon Lord of Sinoria. Under the alias Rose, she became the top player in the volleyball league, admired by everyone. Now, she returns to Sinoria, determined to repay her country, only to find her parents' enemies bullying those close to her. Rosalind eventually avenges her parents and leads the volleyball team to the Olympics, achieving the utmost glory.

Jamie Loxley, a nobleman's daughter, faces a difficult arranged marriage and decides to keep the child but leave the father behind. What she doesn't know is that he has just become the Seventh Prince, the very man she's now contractually bound to marry. Worse? He knows exactly who she is, and he's not hiding. Disguised under a new face, he engineers one "coincidental" meeting after another, pursuing her with shameless, relentless devotion. Jamie watches this sticky, grinning disaster of a man and can only sigh. "Your Highness, where is your dignity?"

In this world where lords reign supreme, your initial unit type is everything. But Rayden Herring awakens the weakest units of all—Skeletons.

You're a university student who's just taken on a part-time job during summer break, yet you've somehow triggered the military's maximum alert. Seeing as you're someone who has once modified a tractor into a tank, you're commanded by Commissar Gilbert Lane to repair J-10, a fighter jet that has been retired from duty, so that it can be displayed at an aerospace exhibition.You intend to craft a replica that looks realistic, but little do you know that you'll end up awakening the Omni-Tech System that allows you to breathe life into everything that you make.Some of your inventions now include nuclear-powered engines, a technology that allows aerocrafts to perform vertical take-offs and landings on the spot, as well as advanced technology that allows aerocrafts to go invisible.On the eve of the aerospace exhibitions, even the most leading experts in the industry are stunned the moment they see your blueprints. After all, these blueprints feature technology and innovations that are considered core secrets of the nation.Witness what it feels like to transform scrap metal into treasure with your hands and build exceptional inventions that shock the entire world.

My brother-in-law, Timmy Lynch, racks up 50 million dollars of illegal gambling debt but leaves my contact information behind. By the time the interest snowballs to 100 million dollars, the debt collectors show up at my doorstep. After I persuade them to leave, my wife, Celia Lynch, and my mother-in-law, Meryl Unwin, finally come out of the room. Celia's face is pale as she says, "Let's get divorced. I'd rather leave with nothing. Your gambling debts are your own problem, so don't even think about dragging me into this." No matter how many times I explain that it was Timmy who bet on an underdog team and lost, she refuses to believe me. Meryl even slaps me across the face and roars, "Not only are you trying to trick my daughter into paying your debt, but you're also slandering my son? Listen to me, Celia—divorce him immediately!" Then, she turns to me and says, "I might as well tell you the truth now. Celia is pregnant, and the baby's father is your buddy. Just give up already and sign the divorce papers." Wait, what? I literally just won a 100-million-dollar prize from winning a World Soccer Tournament bet last night. I was going to ask if they need help covering Timmy's debt. How did this suddenly turn into a full-on divorce? Fine, then. They can pay back his massive debt themselves.

The moment we witness the last surviving child in the safehouse getting pinned to the wall by a zombie before having his guts torn out, all the men in the team break down mentally. "Captain, didn't you claim that Selene kept rambling nonsense because she had gone crazy out of fright toward the zombies? Isn't that why you reassured us to keep watch while you and Madeline watched the sunrise on the summit? "Why is it that my newborn has already gotten devoured by a zombie as soon as I return to the safehouse?" Quinton Morwood goes deathly pale at the accusation. My heart feels as though it's gotten torn into pieces as I stare at the tragedy. In my previous life, when the zombies attacked the safehouse, Quinton, who was the captain of the defence team, had taken the entire team with him just so he could watch the sunrise with Madeline Moore at the mountain summit. I did everything I could to summon everyone back to the base. That was how everyone's lives were spared from the zombie attack. But Madeline was pissed that she did't get to watch the sunrise, so she left the safezone angrily on her own. That was how she got grabbed by a zombie and eaten by a horde. By the time Quinton and his squad killed the entire horde, he just hugged Madeline's femur to his chest without saying a single word. On the day I gave birth to my baby, Quinton hacked my limbs off before throwing me into the roaming hordes of zombies. I could only watch as the zombies tore my flesh off my bones before Quinton saved me again by healing me. The cycle kept going on and on until I witnessed the last piece of flesh being torn off my body. "You're the one who killed Madeline, you wretched woman! Since you like competing with her that much, I'll make sure you'll die a worse death than hers!" When I open my eyes again, I've returned to the day the zombies are attacking the safezone.

Grace Smith's father, Lucas Brown, brings his illegitimate daughter Sophia Brown into the Smith family using a fake paternity test and falsely claims that Grace is not their biological daughter. Grace's birth mother, Helen Smith, never doubts this deception and even tortures and mistreats Grace for Sophia's sake. Sophia schemes to have Grace sleep with a homeless man, but unexpectedly, Grace encounters Eric Moore, a powerful figure in the city. When Grace has nowhere to turn, she seeks Eric's help after discovering she is pregnant with his child. They have a flash marriage, and from then on, Grace enjoys a life of being doted on by her wealthy in-laws while getting revenge on those who wronged her.