one step too far lisa gardner

Dean Smith returned from working in another place, only to hear his wife, Amy Smith, reveal that she had lost the 500,000 dollars after her close friend, Polly Nell, tempted her to gamble. And the money was urgently needed for their daughter's heart surgery. Dean suppressed his overwhelming anger. The cheating tricks he learned in the casino suddenly came flooding back to him. He disguised himself as a rookie gambler and infiltrated the gambling den.With his extraordinary skills and psychological warfare,he set up a trap step by step to make the gambling ringleader and Polly pay a heavy price, determined to reclaim his daughter's chance of survival.

Chloe Anderson will do anything to protect the orphanage she's been supporting—even if it means stepping into a world far beyond her reach. Lucas Davenport, a billionaire who despises gold-diggers more than anyone, never intended to marry, especially not someone like Chloe. Convinced she's after his wealth, Lucas hides his true identity. But the more time he spends with her, the deeper he falls. The catch? Chloe has one rule she’ll never break—she can't forgive lies.

Chloe Anderson will do anything to protect the orphanage she's been supporting—even if it means stepping into a world far beyond her reach. Lucas Davenport, a billionaire who despises gold-diggers more than anyone, never intended to marry, especially not someone like Chloe. Convinced she's after his wealth, Lucas hides his true identity. But the more time he spends with her, the deeper he falls. The catch? Chloe has one rule she’ll never break—she can't forgive lies.

Kiara, a weak Omega with night blindness and no wolf is dumped by her pack, and so decides to promote herself to a stronger wolf with Alpha King Alejandro’s training, and meanwhile, they step into an adventurous relationship journey.

Scarlett's blissful marriage hid dark secrets. A premeditated accident sent her back to the day she divorced her cad husband. Resolute, she signed the divorce and returned to her wealthy family with her child. The husband, back in the past, married his muse, only to find his success was a mirage without Scarlett's support. Realizing too late, no one awaited him, especially not a woman scorned. Scarlett's value transcended marriage, and she soared anew whenever she chose.

Keith's daughter had a lifelong strawberry allergy. After eating a cookie with hidden strawberry ingredients, she died from an allergic reaction.Keith,already battling cancer, found out his wife Hollie was the one who gave her the cookie. To spare her the guilt, he took the blame. But Hollie,believing he killed their daughter, resented him deeply and made him suffer. Only as Keith lay dying did she learn the truth—too late to make things right.

From the moment he awakens to facing the grueling recruitment exam of the Exalted Legion, Kieran Lomir transforms from a belittled underdog into a formidable, independent force. Through relentless trials and challenges, he grows stronger with each step, gradually rising to claim his place as a true powerhouse.

One day, while feeding fish, Yvette accidentally fell into the pond and discovered a life-shattering truth: She had no blood relation with her parents or her five brothers. She was nothing but the Stewart family's false heiress! Faced with the certainty of losing everything, Yvette decided to stop struggling altogether and just enjoy life before being kicked out. But when Harriet, the true heiress, finally returned, her brothers shielded Yvette behind them, pleading, "Harriet, let her stay.She's... not exactly sharp. It's too dangerous for her out there aloneOne day, while feeding fish, Yvette accidentally fell into the pond and discovered a life-shattering truth: She had no blood relation with her parents or her five brothers. She was nothing but the Stewart family's false heiress! Faced with the certainty of losing everything,Yvette decided to stop struggling altogether and just enjoy life before being kicked out. But when Harriet, the true heiress, finally returned, her brothers shielded Yvette behind them, pleading,"Harriet,let her stay.She's... not exactly sharp. It's too dangerous for her out there alone."

In 1976, nine-time world chess champion Mac Sullivan goes to the countryside with his wife and daughter. While foraging for wild vegetables, he stumbles upon two mysterious sages playing an otherworldly game of chess.Mesmerized by their match, Mac steps in to play a few moves, completely losing track of time. When the game finally ends, he discovers that 49 years have passed in the mortal world. To compensate for the lost time, one of the sages gifts him a mystical peach of immortality, but its supernatural power is too strong, and Mac is rejuvenated into a ten-year-old child, now possessing decades of chess mastery in a young boy’s body.

Sage, a young jewelry designer, is happily married to Kohen—until a tragic accident leaves him in a coma. Heartbroken, Sage loses all hope… until Kohen's younger brother, Noah, suddenly wakes up from the same accident.But Noah now acts, speaks, and remembers everything just like Kohen—including intimate details only a husband would know. Even his financial moves mirror Kohen's perfectly. The eerie twist? Noah nearly died in the ring at the exact moment Kohen's condition turned critical.Sage refuses to believe it at first, but signs keep pointing to one impossible truth: is Kohen's soul living in Noah's body?As feelings resurface and lines blur, Sage must face the question:Is this love reborn, or something far more dangerous?

Yvonne Johnson grew up in a rainy city. Despite inheriting all of her grandfather's estate, she was locked away in a wooden attic by the Smith family, forced to feign madness and survive in decay, left to rot on her own. To exact revenge, she escaped the old residence and set her sights on Liam Hanson, using herself as bait, laying trap after trap, drawing him in step by step.

Nicholas Lowe is abandoned by his girlfriend for dressing plainly and looked down upon by everyone around him. However, his true identity is far beyond what any of them could ever aspire to reach.

His name is Brandon Chester. Once the Unstoppable Warlord, he was imprisoned after an unexpected incident. But prison was no ordinary place—every inmate was a legend in their own right.There,he awakened an overwhelming legacy of power. Upon returning to the mortal world, he became the protector of a top campus beauty. With blade drawn again and again, he rose step by step. And when he finally turned back, the world behind him was already bathed in glory!

Brad Lowe is a top player who transmigrates into the fantasy world, the Twilight Continent, the moment he quits the game. He retains every perfected skill—but has zero interest in adventuring. Monsters? Too lazy to fight. Beauties? Too lazy to flirt.Even divine blessings are rejected. Yet fate drags him into wars among adventurers, turning a man who only wants to rest into an unwilling “savior.”

Hera has been abused by her step father for a long time, until she enters the art department of Ston College and meets her classmates Brad and Yoanna. The three of them become good friends by chance. Brad and Yoanna's care for Hera makes her gradually feel the beauty of freedom and gives her the idea to rebel against David and break through the ball cage. But freedom is not easy to come by, and Hera pays a painful price for this new life...

When Lilian Grey is forced into marriage with notorious mafia boss Adam Steel, her life becomes a dangerous game of passion and deception. Her status as a bride turns into that of a maid when Adam’s secret marriage to another woman is revealed. Living under the same roof with Adam’s wife and enigmatic brother, Lilian uncovers family lies, a masquerade ball mystery, and false illnesses, all while navigating forbidden desires. But every step toward love reveals hidden enemies closer than she could ever imagine.

Sierra Lowe, a genius from the future research institute, dies unexpectedly and wakes up 100 years in the past as the fiancée of Commander Ethan Nacht. Her plan is simple: lay low, earn money, and avoid trouble. And when the ninth wife finally rises to power, she’ll happily step aside. But on their wedding day, Commander Ethan hears her inner thoughts loud and clear: “So this is Ethan Nacht, the guy who secretly slept with the ninth wife?”Ethan was baffled: "Father only had eight wives. Where did the ninth come from?"

After a car accident and plastic surgery, a part-time worker wakes up with the face of a wealthy heiress. Living someone else's life, she seizes the chance to get revenge on the man who ruined her. But as she gets tangled with the heiress’s fiancé, an unexpected romance blooms—and so does the question: how far will she go to keep this borrowed life?