renee carlino before we were strangers

Orphaned Emily grew up under the care of her master, only to find out one day that he was actually the legendary Mystic Healer. When Arthur Wood, her master, discovers that the son of an old friend, Victor Shaw, is critically ill, he sends Emily down the mountain with an unusual mission: to marry Victor and save his life. After their wedding, Emily confidently vows to be the breadwinner, support her husband, and build a life for them both. Together, they hilariously take on Victor's scheming cousin and his ex-fiancée, with plenty of laughs along the way. Emily not only cures Victor's illness but also turns a tidy profit, building a thriving life for them. Through their time together, they experience warmth, heartfelt moments, and unexpected surprises. Before they know it, Victor and Emily find themselves falling head over heels in love.

Kit Vane is a genius engineer who pulls a malfunctioning robot PWL-000 from the discard pile on instinct, more curiosity than compassion. The robot is technically flawed, classified as a reject, and by every rational measure not worth saving. Kit saves him anyway. What begins as clinical interest quietly becomes something neither of them has a category for. The robot's devotion starts as programmed loyalty and evolves into something that looks unmistakably like longing. Kit, who understands machines better than people, finds herself understood in return in ways she never anticipated. But underneath the robot’s growing attachment lies a secret sealed long before Kit ever found him, a love so vast and so carefully hidden that when it finally surfaces, it reframes everything that came before. Two beings bound by fate neither one chose, falling into feelings neither one was built to name.

Katy Ferguson is a renowned businesswoman in the city who dotes on her biological daughter Naomi Ferguson, giving her everything while remaining cold and distant toward her adopted daughter Alice Ferguson. However, Naomi schemes to steal the family fortune,causing Katy immense suffering. Before dying, Naomi reveals the truth: she's actually a fake daughter! Everything stemmed from butler Howard Adams' conspiracy years ago—he switched his own daughter with Katy's real daughter, deceiving Katy for her entire lifetime. Only in her dying moments does Katy realize that the "biological daughter" she spoiled her whole life wasn't as worthy as the adopted daughter she drove away three years ago. Given a second chance at life, she decides to shower all her love on Alice instead.

George Culkin has one year left to live and descends the mountain with seven marriage contracts, a body full of unmatched medical and martial ability, and absolutely no plan beyond survival. On his first day down he accidentally saves Cindy Ginger, a powerful CEO who pulls him into her world before he can think twice. What was supposed to be a casual detour becomes considerably more complicated. George's seven senior sisters,each formidably powerful in their own right, have strong opinions about his wellbeing and even stronger opinions about anyone who threatens it. When he discovers that the enemy behind his shortened life and his new entanglements is one and the same person, he stops keeping a low profile. He came down the mountain to survive his last year. He ends up fighting for a whole lot more than that.

On my eighteenth birthday, Alpha called me up in front of the whole pack and told me to choose—one of his sons as my mate. Whichever I chose? He'd be the next Alpha. I didn't flinch. I picked Cayce, his eldest. The room went dead silent. Everyone knew I used to be stupidly in love with Kain, the younger one. I'd confessed at every pack dance. Took a silver dagger for him once. Cayce? Coldest, meanest wolf we had. Total menace. No one got close. But they didn't know the truth. In my last life, I was bonded to Kain. On the day of our Bonding Ceremony, he slept with Lena, my cousin. My mom lost it. Shipped Lena off to Duskwolf Pack to get bonded to their Beta. Kain? He blamed me. Paraded in she-wolves with Lena's same ice-blue eyes. When he found out I was carrying his pup, he made sure I saw him with every one of them. It was torture. When labor hit, he locked me in the dungeon. Blocked everyone out. My pup got crushed. I died hating him. Maybe the Moon Goddess felt sorry for me—she gave me a second shot. I came back. This time? I let Kain keep Lena. Didn't think he would ever regret it.

Cecilia Moore gets a second chance at life. In her previous life, she was the legitimate eldest daughter of Lord Moore. The King arranged her marriage to the outstanding third son, Danny Mallin. But on the day of the marriage decree,Danny heroically rescues her cousin Monica Moore from drowning.Under pressure from the Moore family matriarch, Danny takes both Moore sisters as his wives. After Danny ascends the throne, he allows Cecilia to be the Queen for just one day before cruelly poisoning her and their unborn child to death. He then massacres the entire Moore household. It turns out Monica is a transmigrator from another world, and everything was a scheme orchestrated by her and Danny. Now returned to the day of the marriage decree, Cecilia decisively rejects Danny this time and chooses Prince Oscar, the man infamous throughout the capital as the realm’s most notorious playboy.

Corporate slave Lucienne Farrell transmigrates into a matriarchal world where men are subservient, becoming the vicious Second Princess notorious for abusing her four beast husbands. She wakes to find herself broke, despised by four top-tier males, and constantly sabotaged by her elder sister, First Princess Henrieta Farrell. But after awakening the “Godly System,” Lucienne uses her modern-world savvy to turn everything around. She rescues the gravely injured Commander Cecil Windsor of the Wolfdog Legion, wins his loyalty with ten million in cash, and uses an S-rank Spirit Calming Technique to tame the berserk General Xavier Hampton before a massive crowd, proving to the empire that she’s no longer an F-rank failure, but a future queen who controls everything. This is a game of money, power, and emotion. When the elite men who once despised her begin competing for her favor, how will she choose?

After her death, modern-day elite assassin Morgan Calud awakens in the body of a woman who shares her exact name. In this new life, her father died in battle long ago, and to secure their place within the powerful Calud family, her mother raised her as a boy from birth.As Morgan grows older, she is torn between her longing to reclaim her true identity and the constant fear that discovery would bring death upon both her and her mother. Determined to escape this dangerous double life, she plans to flee with her mother before the truth can be exposed.But her plans are derailed when she catches the attention of Shane Burke, the ruthless and immensely powerful prince of a different royal line in the Aetheria Empire. Taken into his residence against her will, Morgan is forced into a perilous game of wits and survival, where one wrong move could cost her everything.

Kit Vane is a genius engineer who pulls a malfunctioning robot PWL-000 from the discard pile on instinct, more curiosity than compassion. The robot is technically flawed, classified as a reject, and by every rational measure not worth saving. Kit saves him anyway. What begins as clinical interest quietly becomes something neither of them has a category for. The robot's devotion starts as programmed loyalty and evolves into something that looks unmistakably like longing. Kit, who understands machines better than people, finds herself understood in return in ways she never anticipated. But underneath the robot’s growing attachment lies a secret sealed long before Kit ever found him, a love so vast and so carefully hidden that when it finally surfaces, it reframes everything that came before. Two beings bound by fate neither one chose, falling into feelings neither one was built to name.

Once cherished as the beloved daughter of the prestigious Chandler family, Claire's life was shattered when she was abducted by a jealous woman named Quintus, who replaced her with her own daughter, Shelly.Raised by Clarence, the master of the Clearheart Temple, Claire grew into a prodigy in the mystical arts.Years later, she was brought back into the Chandler family. Threatened by Claire's return, Shelly conspired with her mother to sabotage her, ultimately leading to Claire's brutal death.But fate had other plans. Reborn through ancient rituals, Claire returned with a burning desire for vengeance.Joining forces with Shawn Jackson, a formidable tycoon with hidden depths,she set out to dismantle the dark sorcery that had controlled her fate. With the support of the Clearheart Temple, Claire revealed the twisted secrets of Shelly and her mother,freeing her biological parents from their evil manipulation.With the darkness behind them, Claire and Shawn embraced the life they were always destined to share.

At the graduation ceremony's class change, when the 3S-rank pillar of light—symbolizing the strongest talent—engulfs me, the entire venue falls silent. My awakened profession is actually "Dragontamer," a class that vanished a century ago along with the dragon race! Amid the mocking laughter, I touch the dim dragon crystal in the principal's arms. In an instant, the crystal shatters, ancient dragon roars echo through the heavens, and legendary skills never before recorded materialize in the void. The next day, I enter the forbidden zone and use my blood as a catalyst to awaken dragon spirits that have slumbered for millennia. Nine massive dragons burst through the sky, their wingspans blocking out the sun. In a globally broadcast ultimate showdown, I softly chant in dragon tongue, and the enemy's million-strong army retreats like a tide. It turns out that what dragontamers tame isn't just dragons—it's the wildest power in this world, the immortal war spirit of the dragon race!

At the graduation ceremony's class change, when the 3S-rank pillar of light—symbolizing the strongest talent—engulfs me, the entire venue falls silent. My awakened profession is actually "Dragontamer," a class that vanished a century ago along with the dragon race! Amid the mocking laughter, I touch the dim dragon crystal in the principal's arms. In an instant, the crystal shatters, ancient dragon roars echo through the heavens, and legendary skills never before recorded materialize in the void. The next day, I enter the forbidden zone and use my blood as a catalyst to awaken dragon spirits that have slumbered for millennia. Nine massive dragons burst through the sky, their wingspans blocking out the sun. In a globally broadcast ultimate showdown, I softly chant in dragon tongue, and the enemy's million-strong army retreats like a tide. It turns out that what dragontamers tame isn't just dragons—it's the wildest power in this world, the immortal war spirit of the dragon race!

On their wedding day, Betty Gibson, an architectural designer, was shown a video of her groom Justin Norton cheating with her best friend. She broke off the engagement on the spot. To get back at him, she decided to marry Justin's disabled uncle, Jason Norton. After marriage, Betty learned that Jason had trouble walking and lived in poverty, so she worked hard to support him. In reality, Jason was the CEO of the famous Morgan Group, pretending to be disabled to investigate a fire ten years ago. Though it was a contract marriage, he walked a tightrope every day to hide his identity. As they overcame various crises together, Jason became increasingly drawn to Betty, and love began to blossom. However, as their relationship deepened, the truth about the fire ten years ago was revealed. The mastermind was none other than Jason's brother Jeff Norton, and the person who saved Jason's life in that fire was Betty herself. In the end, the villains were brought to justice, and the two lovers who cherished each other finally found happiness.

Five years ago, a car accident left Hansel blind in Emerald Town, where he assumed the identity of Hans. He met the kind-hearted Joyce (Lily), and they fell in love. After an accident, Joyce selflessly donated her cornea to restore Hans's sight. Upon recovery, Hans regained his true name, Hansel. Due to blindness and pregnancy, Joyce was married to him by her family with a three-million-dollar dowry. Unaware of each other's identities, they faced misunderstandings and barriers. Joyce gave birth to their daughter, Star, whom Hansel misunderstood due to infidelity suspicions. In a touching moment before Star's death from leukemia, she donated her cornea to restore her mother's sight. Full of sorrow, Hansel and Joyce finally discovered each other's true selves, unveiling Shirley's schemes. Driven by madness, Shirley kidnapped Joyce. To protect their daughter and love, Joyce made a difficult choice. How will this complicated tale end?

Kayla Anson, a top OB-GYN, was just hours away from her wedding when everything fell apart. The night before the ceremony, her adopted sister Elise arrived at the hospital with a ruptured ovary. To Kayla's shock, it was her fiancé, Adrian Fane, who brought Elise in.Relying on her experience, Kayla quickly realized the truth. Adrian and Elise had been having an affair. Without hesitation, she ended the engagement. That same night, she reached out to Rowan Keane, the wealthy heir who had loved her for years, and proposed a flash marriage. Rowan gladly accepted.At the wedding the next day, Kayla stood in front of everyone and announced she would not marry Adrian. As the crowd erupted in confusion, Rowan entered with an extravagant bride price. He exposed Adrian and Elise's betrayal, stood up to Kayla's biased parents, and helped her reclaim her pride in the most unforgettable way.

Julia Miller dies betrayed by her boyfriend, her best friend, and the woman who stole her identity all had a hand in it. In her final moments she learns the truth, that she was switched at birth, her entire life taken before it even started. She comes back furious and binds to the Stealing System, which does exactly what it sounds like. First order of business—every coin in Vivian Lawson’s accounts, gone. Then the system unlocks deeper abilities—steal luck, steal skills, steal the room. From auction houses to hotel lobbies, Julia dismantles her enemies one stolen advantage at a time. The finale lands where it all began. The fake heiress’ mother was the wealthy family’s housekeeper all along, the one who switched two infant girls and walked away. Julia takes back her name, her inheritance, and her life. The people who took from her get exactly what they gave.

Yvette Queen, the hidden heiress of the prestigious Queen family, falls in love with Wendell Lewis, who's from a declining family. Without revealing her true identity, she secretly supports his family while his parents, unaware and looking down on her, push Wendell to marry into the wealthy Lane family. They send Wendell abroad with Sue Lane for further studies. Before leaving, Wendell promises Yvette that he will marry her upon his return. Four years later, however,Wendell comes back and announces his engagement to Sue. Seeing his true colors, Yvette has her family crush both the Lane and Lewis families. The backlash causes Wendell's mother to fall gravely ill. Desperate to secure a hospital director's treatment for her, Wendell seeks out Yvette to reconcile—only to discover she is the legendary Queen heiress. Realizing his mistake, Wendell turns against Sue, and the two betray each other, reaping what they sowed.Meanwhile, Yvette becomes the chairwoman of the Queen Group.

I was slowly dying from Silverthorn Wolfsbane, and there was only one cure—the Miracle Elixir. But my mate, Leo Ashford, bought it and gave it to my adoptive sister, Jane Smith. He did it because he thought I was faking my illness. I gave up on the treatment and swallowed a potent painkiller instead. It would kill me in three days by shutting down my organs. In those three days, I gave up everything. I handed over the fur manufacturing business I built from the ground up to Jane, and my parents praised me for caring about my sister. I offered to sever our mate bond, and Leo praised me for finally being sensible. When I told my son he could call Jane "mommy", he happily said that his new mommy was the best! I transferred all my savings to Jane, and no one seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary. They were just pleased with my "better behavior". "Viola is finally not so bad." I wondered—would they regret it after I was gone?