renee carlino before we were strangers

Nina Grant has spent five years of marriage chasing the highest honor in dance, a promise made to Ethan Blake’s mother before she was ever truly accepted as his wife. The finish line is finally close. But the marriage that was supposed to be waiting at the end of it has gone quiet in ways Nina can’t name. Ethan is there. He is warm enough.Something essential is simply no longer present in the way he looks at her. Nina keeps dancing because stopping feels like admitting it. But the music is harder to hear over the silence between them.

Chester Joseph and Winifred Sloan were once deeply in love, but a phone call made Chester believe Winifred had another lover and married him only for his wealth. His ex Yvette returned with her daughter, falsely claiming she had battled leukemia, and Chester believed her without question.During a car accident, Chester abandoned the gravely injured Winifred leading to her death. Yvette continued her schemes, pushing Madam Joseph, who knew the truth, into danger, deepening Chester's misunderstandings, and even planning an engagement with him. At the engagement ceremony, Madam Joseph arrived and exposed Yvette's treachery.

To prevent her stepmother from seizing control of the Sullivan Group, Chairman Yvette must secure the 10% company shares left by her grandfather for her future husband. She plans to pick a random candidate for a marriage of convenience, but after discovering a traitor among the suitors, she rejects them all. Instead, she marries the handsomest and poorest man she found at the city hall—Ethan. Soon, Yvette finds him not only diagnosing her poisoning effortlessly, but also nourishing her with rare herbs as if they were ordinary. She wonders, "Ethan claimed to have nothing, but why is everyone secretly calling him 'young master'?"

For three years, Wade Chapman lived in a state of foolishness and dullness—until, at last, he inherited the legacy of an immortal. With a single awakening, he rose like a dragon soaring into the Sky. In one hand, he wielded peerless medical arts—reviving the dead and restoring flesh to bone, leaving nobles and magnates bowing before him. In the other, he held a lethal blade—cleaving through the void itself, forcing even the world's strongest to submit. From that moment on, beauties stood by his side, brothers followed at his back. Roaming the city as he pleased, he sought only the bliss of love.

The U.S. nuclear medical professor Charlie Clare quits his career for family, but is abandoned as his wife and daughter favor his love rival Isaac. After suffering his family’s ignorance, he decides to leave for the Unicorn Project, which he designed for healing his daughter’s neuro-skel birthmark as his life work. But unaware that Charlie’s burning his life for them, his wife and daughter deepen the rift with Charlie upon reunion and eventually destroy everything Charlie left for them with their own hands before realizing their errors, only to find it too late.

After the tragic death of her parents, Yvonne Scott was raised with love and care by the Gordon family. But just before their wedding, Edward Gordon casually suggests they live an open relationship. Heartbroken, she stumbles into a pool, only to be rescued by her fiancé's best friend, Calvin Foster.Having secretly loved Yvonne since childhood, Calvin's feelings flood back when they meet again. With charm and subtle manipulation, he teases, tempts, and plays hot and cold, fighting fiercely for her love. As she slowly succumbs to his persistence, Yvonne finds herself on the path to true happiness.

Esme Olsen and Nate Blair are childhood sweethearts, destined to be together—until the real Lane heir returns, forcing Nate out. They vow to reunite, but the next day, Esme is diagnosed with leukemia. Afraid of holding him back, she chooses to recover before seeking him out or quietly disappear. Unaware of her illness, her greedy father hires thugs to attack Nate and convinces him that Esme no longer loves him. Five years later, he returns as a powerful tycoon, determined to claim her as his own. Love and resentment clash, but in the end, the truth sets them free.

After 10 years of marriage, Kate Seth and Tyler Finn were unexpectedly reborn. They both pretended not to know each other. Tyler chose to return to his hometown with his childhood sweetheart. Kate stayed local and accepted a family-arranged marriage. They met again 5 years later, at Kate's charity auction. Tyler splashed out for his childhood sweetheart, basking in the limelight. The long-awaited richest young master pulled Kate into his arms, thanking Tyler for his support of the charity. The usually reserved and composed Tyler lost his composure. He began to realize that after all these years apart, Kate seemed to be over him.

To prevent her stepmother from seizing control of the Sullivan Group, Chairman Yvette must secure the 10% company shares left by her grandfather for her future husband. She plans to pick a random candidate for a marriage of convenience, but after discovering a traitor among the suitors, she rejects them all. Instead, she marries the handsomest and poorest man she found at the city hall—Ethan. Soon, Yvette finds him not only diagnosing her poisoning effortlessly, but also nourishing her with rare herbs as if they were ordinary. She wonders, "Ethan claimed to have nothing, but why is everyone secretly calling him 'young master'?"

Ten years after Yancy Stuart vanished in a tragic hiking accident, her brother Jeffery finally found her, only to learn she had no memory of him. When Jeffery rescued Yancy from an abusive boyfriend, they agreed to reconnect despite her lost memories. Driven by guilt for not protecting her before, Jeffery worked to improve her life, but rebuilding their bond proved challenging. As they grew closer, Jeffery discovered they weren't biologically related. Embracing his feelings, he confessed his love. Together, they overcame adversaries, media scrutiny, and personal struggles, ultimately forming a strong and loving family.

Luke Moore, a business prodigy, made a name for himself when he was 18 years old and returned to his country, founding Moor Corp at the age of 21. However, after being betrayed by his family, he conceals his identity and works as a food delivery rider. When he learns that his girlfriend has cheated on him, he finds himself being pursued. Fortunately, Lena King, someone he met during his childhood, rescues him. Because of the promise they made when they were young, she pressures him to marry her. With Lena's protection and companionship, Luke gradually leaves the past behind and embraces the future with her.

Helen Croft was betrayed by her childhood sweetheart Alan Blake and her best friend Lisa Ruth. Her mother died because of it. After the divorce, she had nothing, so she left for Monaland and sold paintings on the street.There she met Tony Rusk, who had loved her quietly for years. His love and care gave her a new life.Five years later, she returned. Seeing her dressed simply, her ex-husband and Lisa mocked her, saying she must have married badly. Calmly, Helen revealed that her husband was the richest man in Amia City. The people who once humiliated her were instantly speechless.

Grace chooses mahjong over her granddaughter, leaving Coco in the kitchen. Coco manages a brief call to her mother Rita before her smartwatch dies, during which Rita senses something is wrong. Desperate, Rita repeatedly calls her mother-in-law, but the noise of the mahjong table drowns out her calls. She then contacts her husband Leo, only to be dismissed while he is with his first love. By the time Rita finds Coco, the child has succumbed to gas poisoning. Leo refuses to accept the tragedy born of neglect and misplaced loyalty until he sees Coco's portrait at the funeral home.

By chance, Tessa, an emergency room nurse, saved Victor, a dangerous and charming gang boss, but was strongly targeted by him. He was closing in on her, and she was running for her life—until fate tore away her last hope. Her brother was dying, and the sky-high medical bills were crushing her. Victor narrowed his cold eyes and said, "Be my woman, and I'll save him." She was forced to sign a marriage contract. She resisted his world but indulged in his protection and tenderness. When she found out that the mysterious man who saved her on the rainy night five years ago was actually him, the boundary between hate and love completely collapsed...

Five years ago, Jeffrey Reid's wife betrayed him, his parents were murdered, his sister was abducted, his family destroyed. He barely escaped with his life. Five years later, he returns after martial training, carrying the oath "A World Without Darkness" as he infiltrates Rising Dragons. At a funeral, Jeffrey defeats assassins barehanded and becomes famous overnight, rising to a head. Jeffrey uses violence to fight violence, eliminating evil wherever he finds it. As his enemies fall one by one and the mastermind behind everything surfaces, he will use his own methods to restore peace to Houndvale City and honor his fallen family.

After experiencing a gruesome death in the blizzard apocalypse that had transpired in her previous life,Wendy Levine has been reborn to the timeframe that's set 30 days before the start of the apocalypse.But this plot is different from the usual ""superpower"" or ""possessing a spatial ability"" trope. The Levines have gotten reborn together, with the exception of Jenny Levine, the traitorous younger sister. Not to mention, they don't have any physics-defying abilities that can help them out.Armed with just the knowledge of their past lives, the Levines sell all of their assets decisively in exchange for tens of millions of dollars in cash. Then, they use the patriarch, Alex Levine's knowledge in engineering to build a top-tier apocalyptic bunker that obeys the laws of physics.

After experiencing a gruesome death in the blizzard apocalypse that had transpired in her previous life,Wendy Levine has been reborn to the timeframe that's set 30 days before the start of the apocalypse.But this plot is different from the usual ""superpower"" or ""possessing a spatial ability"" trope. The Levines have gotten reborn together, with the exception of Jenny Levine, the traitorous younger sister. Not to mention, they don't have any physics-defying abilities that can help them out.Armed with just the knowledge of their past lives, the Levines sell all of their assets decisively in exchange for tens of millions of dollars in cash. Then, they use the patriarch, Alex Levine's knowledge in engineering to build a top-tier apocalyptic bunker that obeys the laws of physics.

Five years ago, Jeffrey Reid's wife betrayed him, his parents were murdered, his sister was abducted, his family destroyed. He barely escaped with his life. Five years later, he returns after martial training, carrying the oath "A World Without Darkness" as he infiltrates Rising Dragons. At a funeral, Jeffrey defeats assassins barehanded and becomes famous overnight, rising to a head. Jeffrey uses violence to fight violence, eliminating evil wherever he finds it. As his enemies fall one by one and the mastermind behind everything surfaces, he will use his own methods to restore peace to Houndvale City and honor his fallen family.