in the heat of the night: by duty bound

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.

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.

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.

Jade Scott, after being thrust through time, shares a fateful night with Caleb Zane, heir to the Duke of Southvale. Six years later, she returns to the capital with her young son, only to endure relentless humiliation at the hands of the powerful Princess Phoebe Vaughn.Just as her strength begins to waver, Caleb steps forward—shielding her, confronting Phoebe, and turning the tide.As their bond deepens, they realize their hearts had been intertwined long before destiny brought them together again. And the son Caleb has spent years searching for? He's been by his side all along. But the greatest revelation is yet to come: Jade is no ordinary woman—she's the rightful royal princess.

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.

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?

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.

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.

Bryan Jagger takes the blame for his girlfriend,Claire Smith, and spends five years in Darkhold Prison. There, he gains a mysterious Griffin Kidney, greatly increasing his strength. Upon his release, he rushes to reunite with her—only to discover that she has already betrayed him and gotten together with her boss, Perry Wright. His imprisonment was part of their scheme.Heartbroken, Bryan meets Luna Gray,the CEO of Rydor Corp, who hires him as her assistant. As they grow closer, feelings quietly begin to bloom.

Just back from abroad, Thalia Prince receives a marriage certificate from her mother—tying her to a man rumored to have a terrible reputation. Determined to secure a quick divorce, she impulsively spends the night with a supposed escort, only to discover that he is actually her husband…

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.

Working at an adult novelty shop, Nia Turner discovers one day that one of her customers is actually her husband, Marcus Hayes. Worse, he is having an affair with her half-sister, Arielle. Overwhelmed with humiliation, Nia drowns her sorrows in a nightclub, where she crosses paths with Leo Mitchell, a rich tycoon. After they strike a deal and enter into a fake marriage, true romance blossoms despite themselves, and Nia receives valuable support from Leo in her career. As she rises to become a successful CEO of Starlight Entertainment, both her personal and professional lives reach new heights of achievement.