in the heat of the night: by duty bound

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.

Driven to the edge, Rachel Yale makes a desperate gamble—using herself as bait to draw close to Louis Brown, Newfork's most untouchable power figure. He is ruthless, distant, a man said to have no heart. He sees her motives clearly—yet allows her closer. What begins as disdain and indulgent play turns into dangerous attraction. The god of power falls from his pedestal, becoming her shield, her storm, and her only refuge.

Mandy's son and daughter-in-law, eager to make money from a bride price, pressured and threatened her—a widow for many years—into marrying Seth, a man in a vegetative state due to a car accident. With no way to refuse, Mandy went through with the marriage, feeling scared and reluctant. However, she was surprised to be warmly welcomed and treated kindly by Seth's daughter, Kira. At first, Mandy resisted the idea of staying, but over time, she grew more willing to remain by Seth's side. What she didn't realize was that Seth was slowly regaining awareness, deeply touched by her presence and care...

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.

Claire’s one-night with billionaire Ethan leads to twins—but her scheming stepsister steals her daughter. Six years later, she returns with her son, crossing paths with her lost child—and the man she never forgot. To find her again, Ethan hides his identity… even letting her believe he’s just a gigolo, all to stay close and win her back.

Professional male model Nathan Reed transmigrated three years ago into a world where humans and ghosts coexist. To survive, he returns to his old profession as a mortuary model for the dead. He even binds himself to multiple ghost wives just to stay alive. But an unexpected incident pulls him into a dungeon competing for national fortune, and the dungeon boss turns out to be one of his bound ghost wives.

Leo is fated for disaster—until his master reveals the only way out: marry Wynne, the Sutton family heiress. But his outrageous demand for a 1.88 million dowry nearly makes her lose it. Things take a turn when Leo saves the beautiful CEO Jean, finally earning some respect. Back home, his future mother-in-law objects and pushes her daughter toward her childhood sweetheart, Martin—only for Leo to repeatedly put him in his place. So a deal is made. If Leo can get the Sutton Group into the Sky Trade Union, the marriage is approved. Armed with medical skills, he secures production deals, wins over allies, and even takes in a new disciple. At the Sky Trade Union Conference, Leo crushes his rivals, cures the chairman's decade-old illness, and seals the deal. In the end, with sparks flying, Wynne takes the lead and drags him straight to register their marriage.

I open my eyes to a twisted corridor, the air thick with rot and roses. I'm thrown into a deadly game with 99% mortality, forced by a system to court non-human beings—a crying stitched monster, a time-controlling puppeteer, an abyss lord who feeds on fear. While others flee, I read love poems to vengeful spirits and dance with skeletons. Fail, I die; succeed, I survive. But when romance meets horror, can I trust my heart?

After the great war between humans, vampires, werewolves, and elves, an agreement was made that hybrid offspring would rule the world. Every century, alliances through marriage between humans and those three clans would decide the next ruler. Whoever bore the first hybrid child would claim power for their line. In my previous life, I chose to marry Jax, the eldest son of the werewolf pack, known for his fierce loyalty. I gave birth to our hybrid son, a white-furred pup we named Zeal. Our child became the next world ruler, and Jax gained immense power. My sister had lusted after the elves' beauty and married into their clan. But the elf prince slept with every female in the forest. In the end, my sister caught a disease that left her barren. Jealous and bitter, she set a fire that burned me and my young pup alive. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the racial alliances. My sister had already slept with Jax first. I knew she had been reborn too. But she didn't know that Jax was brutally savage with his mates, having torn countless she-wolves apart in his bed during his ruts.

Jana was the ultimate admirer of the school heartthrob Zell for three long years. She brought him breakfast, bought him medicine,and was on call 24/7, 365 days a year. On New Year's Eve, after her 1,081st confession was publicly humiliated, she declared "game over" and walked away. It turned out that she was actually the heir to the Carter Group. Three years ago, to win a bet with her childhood friend Zed, Jana had pretended to be a poor girl to pursue Zell. Three years later, with the bet concluded, Jana reclaimed her identity and left Zell. When Zell learned the truth, he was filled with regret. He teamed up with the malicious Wendy to seek revenge at Jana and Zed's wedding, but their plan backfired and they were utterly defeated!

On her first night in LA, Mexican girl Lucía is sold by her best friend Consuelo—only to be rescued by billionaire Julian. They share one passionate night, but neither remembers the other’s face. Consuelo steals her identity, claiming she was the one with Julian. When Lucía’s family faces deportation, she must fight for love, truth, and her place in America.

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.

Lydia Steele arrives at the Golden Glow Awards as its celebrated, veiled screenwriter. The night turns brutal when she’s publicly humiliated as a “mistress” and betrayed by her own husband. But the shocking truth is—she is not just a genius writer, but also the secret heir to the all-powerful Everworld empire. With her brother’s arrival, the tables turn. Now, every betrayer will pay.

After discovering her relationship with the school heartthrob was merely a $500 bet, the timid Oliver has a one-night stand with a mysterious stranger. Her world is turned upside down the next day when he transfers into her class. He's not just an Olympic gold medalist; he's the boy whose life she ruined by reporting him in their childhood.

Jana was the ultimate admirer of the school heartthrob Zell for three long years. She brought him breakfast, bought him medicine,and was on call 24/7, 365 days a year. On New Year's Eve, after her 1,081st confession was publicly humiliated, she declared "game over" and walked away. It turned out that she was actually the heir to the Carter Group. Three years ago, to win a bet with her childhood friend Zed, Jana had pretended to be a poor girl to pursue Zell. Three years later, with the bet concluded, Jana reclaimed her identity and left Zell. When Zell learned the truth, he was filled with regret. He teamed up with the malicious Wendy to seek revenge at Jana and Zed's wedding, but their plan backfired and they were utterly defeated!

He used to be an illegitimate kid of an influential family, while she used to be kicked out from a wealthy family. Rosalee Chase thought her encounter with Ciaran Laurent was an accident. But three years later,Ciaran tried every possible way to get close to her and help her get back what was taken away from her. But, one day, he overheard that she said she couldn't fall for her.

Five years ago, waitress Willow Shelby spent a night together with a drugged CEO, Marcus Ives, and bore his heterochromatic twins. When their unusual eyes spark suspicion, Willow and her sons face humiliation, expulsion, and kidnapping. Marcus rescues them, exposes his fiancée’s scheme, and reunites the family. In the end, love and justice prevail, promising a future full of happiness.