renee carlino before we were strangers

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...

Six years ago, Winni and Chester were a loving couple, until Chester's old friend Ruth returned to the country. Ruth disguised herself with a kind face and became friends with Winni, secretly plotting to replace Winni as Chester's wife. Not long after, Winni became pregnant, but the doctor informed Chester that the child had no blood relationship to him. Chester iced out Winni and gradually grew closer to Ruth. Six years later, Winni's son, Ron, was critically ill with leukemia. Only Chester's bone marrow could save him. In order to please Chester, Winni had to bow down to Ruth. However, during their interaction, she gradually uncovered why Chester thought Ron was an illegitimate child.

In her previous life, during senior year, Hilary Yates discovered that her classmate, Marian Evans, had secretly sabotaged all her classmates' college entrance exam applications,downgrading them to vocational schools. Hilary quietly restored everyone's applications.When Marian's actions were exposed, she ran to the rooftop to plead her innocence but tragically fell to her death. The entire class—including Hilary's boyfriend,Jim Sutton—blamed Hilary for Marian's demise. Consumed by hatred, they unleashed cruel revenge, driving Hilary's parents to a tragic end and beating Hilary herself to death.Now reborn, Hilary refuses to intervene as the same events unfold. This time, she watches coldly and lets them destroy themselves.

At nineteen, Nova Lowell rescued the injured CEO Justin Penn in the mountains, and a fleeting encounter left them intimately connected. After she left, Justin discovered her bracelet and immediately launched a search for her. But before they could reunite, Nova was betrayed by her parents and younger sister Ellie, and wrongfully imprisoned. In prison, she gave birth to a son, Aiden.Six years later, Aiden accidentally encountered Justin's mother at a hospital.Struck by the boy's striking resemblance to her son and his rare medical condition, she secretly arranged a paternity test.Determined to hide the truth, Ellie repeatedly attempted to harm Nova and the child. It wasn't until a singing competition that Aiden's identity was finally revealed, leading to a long-awaited reunion between the father and son.

Janet Driscoll, once the cherished darling of the family, was devastated to discover that she was not her parents' biological daughter. After their real daughter, Jaime, was welcomed home, her once-loving parents and brother began to trust Jaime blindly, hanging on her every word.When Janet was falsely accused of pushing her grandma down the stairs, the Driscoll family, without hesitation, sent her to a harsh reform school. There, she endured three years of inhumane torment that left her with permanent, life-altering disabilities.Three years later, when the family finally brought her home, they were shocked to find that the bright, cheerful Janet they once knew had vanished. In her place stood a cold, distant young woman who had shut them all out.

Janet Driscoll, once the cherished darling of the family, was devastated to discover that she was not her parents' biological daughter. After their real daughter, Jaime, was welcomed home, her once-loving parents and brother began to trust Jaime blindly, hanging on her every word.When Janet was falsely accused of pushing her grandma down the stairs, the Driscoll family, without hesitation, sent her to a harsh reform school. There, she endured three years of inhumane torment that left her with permanent, life-altering disabilities.Three years later, when the family finally brought her home, they were shocked to find that the bright, cheerful Janet they once knew had vanished. In her place stood a cold, distant young woman who had shut them all out.

Fiona Simmons and Xavier Stanley were childhood sweethearts, but a devastating fire led Xavier to mistakenly believe that Fiona had intentionally refused to save him. Haunted by this grudge, He carried resentment toward her love throughout their three-year marriage.Deliberately picking fights, Xavier filed for divorce 100 times,and each time, Fiona swallowed her pride, pleading for forgiveness with undignified devotion. When Xavier filed for the 101st time and they walked out of the civil affairs office, his friends tripped Fiona and mocked her openly. Xavier watched coldly, ignored her injured knee, and left with his friend to attend a welcome party for Jenny Simmons. Heartbroken at last, Fiona decided to let go of their love forever and accepted a mysterious stranger's offer.

George, the heir to a wealthy family, was saved by Melody when they were children. He gave her a lucky necklace and promised to find her when they grew up and repay the favor. After years of searching in vain, George marries a woman with a crippled leg. He lets others bully her, even causing her to miss her mother's last moments. She asks for a divorce, and George discovers too late that she was Melody all along. Realizing how badly he treated her, George decides to get her back. But Melody also runs into trouble when she goes back to her father who always disliked her, and her tormenting stepmother and stepsister. Will Melody be able to get back what she deserves?

Lennox Vesper, the world's greatest gambling master, donates billions before being found by his birth family. His adoptive brother Elliot conspires with Toby Bates the Flashfinger to frame him. Lennox defeats Elliot's defender Marcus Harvey, who flees to Sovereign Hotel. The Demolor Police Force enlists Lennox to go there and retrieve a vital biological chip needed by the nation. He narrowly beats the Sovereign through his gambling skills, brings Elliot and Marcus to justice, and recovers the chip. Afterward, Lennox and his wife Jennifer Ford embark on a honeymoon journey, using his gambling mastery along the way to help victims who have been swindled out of their fortunes, helping them reclaim their money.

Young scientist Sharon Lynd is the leading figure at the Halora Academy of Sciences, pioneering the development of universal synthetic blood. Her groundbreaking work earns her the Nobel Prize in Medicine, yet she remains humble and unpretentious. During a blind date, a conflict arises with her fiancé, Howard Ted's company secretary, Yvette Smith, over a parking spot. Meanwhile, Howard company is on the brink of collapse, and Howard himself, arrogant and snobbish, harbors prejudice toward Sharon before their meeting. At the blind date, Sharon endures public humiliation, her humble gift of fruit is crushed, and Howard demands exorbitant compensation,making her a laughingstock. Having endured enough humiliation, Sharon strikes back with force and refuses to be pushed around.

Jessica and Jason were married through a family arrangement, but their relationship remained distant after the wedding. A sudden car accident leaves Jason with amnesia,his memory frozen four years in the past. Seizing the chance for revenge, Jessica lies to him, claiming his family has gone bankrupt and making him work as a servant in her home.As they spend time together, unexpected feelings begin to blossom between them. Just as their bond deepens, Jessica’s ex-boyfriend Alex reappears, stirring emotional turmoil. The story takes a thrilling turn with kidnappings, false accusations, and workplace crises testing their trust.In the end, Jason regains his memory, the misunderstandings are cleared, and the two reconcile. They find true happiness together and welcome adorable twins into their lives, beginning a sweet new chapter.

Matthew and Xenia spent some time together in an orphanage when they were children. Later, after Xenia became a famous singer, she learned that Matthew had unexpectedly gone blind, so she retired from her singing career to care for him as a caregiver. The two got married and had a child. Ten years later, when Matthew regained his sight, he mistook Sarah for the girl he liked in childhood, leading him to neglect Xenia and their son Calvin. Heartbroken, Xenia decided to divorce him. It was only during Calvin's singing competition and Xenia's comeback concert that Matthew realized Xenia was the girl he liked as a child. However, it was too late. Xenia left with Calvin and Ethan to start a new life.

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!

Luis Earl and his three siblings were born into a poor rural family, where despite their humble existence, they found happiness together. However, tragedy struck when their parents drowned unexpectedly, leaving the already struggling family shattered. At just 10 years old, Luis found himself unable to care for his younger siblings alone. In desperation to ensure their safety, he endured great pain and begged others to take them in, a decision that would separate them for 20 years. Over the next two decades, Luis lost contact with his siblings due to life's changes. Consumed by guilt, regret, and remorse, he blamed himself for their separation and dedicated 20 years to finding them again. Their paths converged once more when Luis's younger sister, Anna, returned as the chairperson of the Earl Group.

Shea had been pressured by her mother to marry her mom's best friend's son. After getting the marriage certificate, she had hardly seen her husband's face before he left. It didn't matter. They had the marriage certificate anyway, and her husband was really that important to her. Soon after, she received a notification about starting her job as a bodyguard in the security department of Lowe Group. Great, she had gotten married, and she even had a job lined up. Shea went to work happily. A year later, when Yancy, the CEO of Lowe Group, returned, Shea had become the CEO's personal bodyguard. Wait a minute! This guy looked familiar. Why did he look like her husband?

This is the captivating tale of Stella Gough, a woman who conceals her identity to sell vegetables in the local market in order to shield her husband from undue stress. Following her divorce, she finds herself adored by her five brothers. The eldest is the scion of the world's wealthiest family, who spurns a billion-dollar deal upon learning of her plight. The second is a globally acclaimed movie star, renowned for his stellar performances and legion of fans, who forgoes a prestigious award ceremony to be by her side. The third is a celebrated underground boxing champion, who, upon discovering her whereabouts, abruptly ends a match with a single punch before departing without a fuss. Who could have imagined that a humble market would bring together three of the nation's most prominent figures?

While delivering food, Miles accidentally walked into a conflict between Clare and her uncle, Baron. Baron coveted Clare's family's goods and intended to seize them. Miles not only ruined his scheme but also selflessly shielded Clare, taking a fatal bullet for her. As a result, Clare developed feelings for Miles, believing he was meant for her. However, Miles was already engaged to Winnie. Winnie and her family were greedy, constantly demanding money in the days leading up to the wedding. Miles' mother, Martha, invested everything she had for her son's marriage but still couldn't satisfy their insatiable greed. After learning that Miles was being tormented by Winnie's family, Clare intervened without hesitation. Using her strength to intimidate everyone, she successfully took Miles away, and they held their wedding.

As the best agent of the Dragon Squad, Sawyer spent three years undercover to gain the trust of one of Kevin's subordinates, securing an opportunity to approach Kevin. During his mission, he unexpectedly encountered his daughter Clara on a train, just as criminals were attempting a robbery. Clara tried to intervene but was overpowered by the criminals. Sawyer wanted to help her but felt conflicted due to his mission to apprehend Kevin. Ultimately, when Clara was in danger, he chose to intervene, but this revealed his identity, causing Kevin to take Clara hostage and flee. After a debriefing with his superior, Sawyer determined that Clara had been taken to Elliott Village by Kevin, prompting him to rush to the rescue. After overcoming numerous obstacles, Sawyer finally succeeded in saving Clara and capturing Kevin along with other criminals.