in the heat of the night: by duty bound

Trapped by her adoptive father, Lynette was forced to live under the name Aerith,the hidden hand behind her sister Colette's fame. Her brilliance fed the family's vanity while she remained a shadow.Just as the Shermans prepared to ruin her for their own gain, fate led her into the arms of Asher Herring, the city's most powerful man. One night of unexpected passion marked the beginning of her reckoning.From that moment on, Asher was no longer a distant figure. He tore into the chains that bound her, shielding her from the Shermans' manipulation and exposing the family's twisted schemes.Together, they reclaimed her name, her freedom—and built a love strong enough to last a lifetime.

The whole city is buzzing with gossip about CEO Natalie Adams, whose "perfect man" abandoned her on their wedding day. But she shocks everyone by declaring, "A woman thrives better without a man!" Celebrating her newfound freedom, she hires a male escort for a night of fun, only to discover she's accidentally "claimed" the most powerful man in the city, the formidable Felix Morgan—and even left him a five-star review.Thinking that would be the last of him, she soon finds herself caught in his elaborate trap. When she finally falls into his arms, she realizes their first encounter was no accident—it was all part of his master plan.

On the night before her engagement, Clara made a daring escape from her cheating ex and her toxic, sexist family. Fate took an unexpected turn when she discovered she was carrying the child of Cary Sampson—the nation's wealthiest and most powerful man. Before she could catch her breath, Cary bought out the hotel where she worked, determined to keep her in his life. But Clara wasn't about to let anyone derail her dreams. She worked tirelessly to prove her worth, resisting Cary's advances at every step. Yet, his persistence and devotion slowly melted her defenses. In the end, Clara not only built a thriving career but also became the center of Cary's world, cherished and adored like never before.

The trillion-dollar fortune group, Horizon Group's boss, Toby Brook, stepped back from the limelight and lived in the countryside. He came to the city specially for his son's engagement, bringing not only valuable gifts but also intending to hand over Horizon Group to his son. However, he was falsely accused of rape due to a spring dream of his future daughter-in-law. His son,under the influence of that woman, her family, and the forged evidence,joined her in suing Toby, and made him go to prison. Fortunately, the group's lawyer uncovered the truth. Toby's son realized that it was all a conspiracy and felt completely devastated and full of regret.

Seven years ago, Penelope walked into the wrong hotel room and straight into billionaire Cassian’s bed. One Unforgettable night left he pregnant and cast out of her family. Now she’s back in L.A. with her daughter——only to discover the twin stolen at birth has been raised by Cassian himself. When the twins secretly swap places to reunite their parents, sparks fly, tempers flare, and love refuses to stay buried.

Poisoned by her husband and stepsister, Natalie Ashton sees Scott Newman—gravely injured while seeking her cure—reveal his true love. Reborn, she shocks everyone on her wedding day by rejecting the crown prince and choosing Scott instead.Confused but protective, Scott agrees, while Natalie struggles to explain her rebirth.

Betrayed by my mate and left to die in chains, I was rescued by the one man who shouldn't have cared—the Alpha King. I’ve survived the dungeon and escaped my past, but as I stand by his side, can a broken soul like mine ever truly find love again?

Vivian saves Enrique, the CEO of York Group, and unexpectedly gets pregnant, resulting in a lame leg.Eight months later, she gives birth prematurely to a baby boy.To pay for her son's medical expenses, Vivian works tirelessly to earn money. Meanwhile, Enrique is also searching for Vivian, vowing to lavish her with all his love!

Evelyn, heartbroken by her boyfriend's infidelity, drowned her sorrows in alcohol and unexpectedly had a one-night stand with renowned pilot Grayson. Afterward, fate kept them apart. Evelyn forgot what Grayson looked like, but Grayson fell head over heels for her at first sight. He found her lost employee badge and sent his assistant to track her down. Unfortunately, the assistant made a mistake—Evelyn's coworker Katie claimed the badge and impersonated her, sparking a series of misunderstandings and conflicts between Evelyn and Grayson. Finally, heartbroken and disillusioned, Evelyn accepts her friend Liam's proposal for a fake marriage to comfort her ailing grandmother. Just then, Grayson returns and publicly steals the bride...‍

In her past life, Amanda Parker cared for her in-laws for fifty years, only discovering before her death that her husband had deceived her—he gave her university spot to his widowed sister-in-law, who even impersonated Amanda’s military commander parents! Reborn with bitter resentment, Amanda refuses to be a doormat this time. She exposes her scumbag husband, his mistress, and her terrible in-laws. Eventually, Amanda not only gets her revenge but marries a high-ranking official and lives happily ever after.

Colette appears to be a quiet, obedient woman. But secretly,she's Leader of the Night Phoenix, a martial arts master who punishes the wicked. When her ailing grandfather arranges a marriage before his death, she reluctantly agrees to ease his final wish. But her new husband, Marc Newton, turns out to be a cruel scoundrel. On their wedding night, he parties with his reckless friends. When Colette confronts them, they humiliate her and capture her loyal bodyguard Martin, who sacrifices himself to protect her. Enraged yet disciplined, Colette hunts them down one by one—bringing them to justice without crossing the law.

Five years ago, Su Li and the fugitive Fu Jiuchen shared a whirlwind, passionate night that led to an instant and deep connection. But they were soon separated. Now, five years later, Li has a sickly son and is at her wit's end. Desperate, she decides to pawn the jade pendant Jiuchen had left her. However, fate takes a strange turn when Jiang Ting acquires the pendant and, using it as a key, infiltrates the Fu household pretending to be Li, bringing her son along. In order to raise money for her son's medical treatment, Li takes up a job as a maid in the Fu residence. Unknowingly to Jiuchen, the woman he has been searching for all this time is living right under his nose. Unable to resist his intense attraction, he finds himself drawn to her once more, repeatedly taking what he desires by force...

Five years ago, hotel attendant Regina Gentry had an unexpected encounter with Isaac Conner, the CEO of the Conner Group. But due to a mix-up by the butler, her friend Amelie was mistakenly taken in her place, living a life of luxury as Isaac's lover. Meanwhile, Regina, left behind and pregnant, gave birth to twins and struggled to raise them alone.Years later, Regina begins working at the Conner Group, where Isaac, assuming.she's a gold-digger, treats her with disdain. Yet, as they spend more time together, he finds himself drawn to her resilience and kindness. Consumed by jealousy, Amelie repeatedly schemes against Regina, even harming her children.When the truth finally comes to light, Regina's intelligence and courage win her the love she deserves, reuniting her family at last.

Anne Cooke is about to get married when she discovers her fiance has been cheating. With her mother gravely ill and five years of love too heavy to just drop, she swallows it, until the sleeplessness becomes unbearable and she wanders into a traditional medicine clinic. There she meets James Young,and something shifts. On impulse she propositions him. Just one night. What she doesn't know is that James already knows exactly who she is, and has quietly decided to help her find her way back to herself. Through carefully prescribed remedies and steadier conversations, he walks beside her as she slowly remembers she has a spine. On her wedding day, she exposes her fiance in front of everyone and walks away with her head up. By then the feelings between Anne and James have long stopped being subtle, and the revelation that he comes from money and that his mother once knew hers feels less like a plot twist and more like something that was always going to happen. He proposes in the same clinic where they first met.

Aspiring painter Celine Anderson catches boyfriend Daniel cheating with her half sister Bella at a banquet. Seeking revenge, she kisses a stranger, Theodore Kane, who happens to be a major art investor and a billionaire. Theodore proposes marriage to appease his mother for her surgery, and Celine agrees if he grants her three wishes. Theodore must marry by 35 to inherit his family's fortune, and his siblings try to thwart the union. Amidst the chaos, Celine discovers her true identity.

I was reborn on the very day my sister Tilda Wright and I were supposed to pick our husbands. And that was when I unlocked an incredible ability—I could hear everyone’s inner thoughts. I caught Tilda’s greedy voice in my head: This time, I’m definitely snatching the best husband for myself first! Before I could even react, she dashed over and stole the sweet man I’d married in my past life. Meanwhile, I was stuck with the abusive brute who’d beaten her black and blue every single day back then. I let out a cold, mocking laugh. Did she really think the man I once married was some flawless prince charming? How naive.

The night before his wedding, while decorating the venue, Scott Brawley receives a fire alarm call from their new house. Rushing over, he discovers his fiancee Alison Ritchie in bed with her stepbrother. Alison shamelessly claims it's just "sibling affection" that won't affect tomorrow's wedding. Reflecting on the past,Scott realizes how many times Alison has hurt him for her stepbrother's sake. He always thought marriage would fix things, but seeing the ambiguous kiss marks on Alison's body,Scott finally wakes up. He agrees to his grandfather's arrangement. Tomorrow, he'll marry the arranged bride instead.

Elite lawyer Kylin Taylor walks into a cafe and finds her fiance Zane Walker attending tenderly to his mistress. She doesn't make a scene. That night, she slides a condom into a legal contract and hands it to Zane's closest friend, David Evans, Eryland's most talked-about playboy. "Hotel tonight? It's on me." What begins as cold, surgical revenge becomes something stranger: she uses David to deliver Zane a humiliation; David plays along with every sign of enjoying himself.But as the game deepens, he drops the act entirely and and starts betting everything he has on her instead of the thrill. Kylin realizes, with a jolt, that she never had control of this board to begin with. Someone laid these pieces into position ten years ago, and it wasn't her.