the paths of glory lead but to the grave

At seven, Hailey left her mother Claire to avoid burdening her during cancer. Years later, now a billionaire, Claire eventually finds Hailey—betrayed by her fiancé and about to be harmed by his mistress, Claire, furious, pulled out a gun…

As the only daughter of the Merrick family, Kirsty Merrick bears the responsibility of marrying into the prestigious Bartley family to lead the Merrick family to new heights, as carefully orchestrated by her mother Evanna Taylor. Kirsty successfully secures a betrothal with Morgan Bartley, the playboy son of the Bartley family's second heir. Unknown to Kirsty, Morgan has been secretly involved with Jess Merrick, Kirsty's only friend who grew up with her in an orphanage. Years later, when brought back to the Merrick family, the kindhearted Kirsty could not bear to abandon Jess, and thus pleaded with her parents to take Jess in as well. Now, Jess has begun an affair with Kirsty's fiance Morgan. To get back at Morgan, Kirsty designs a plan to seduce and intoxicate Nicolai Bartley, the young CEO of the Bartley Group, leading to the start of a dangerous "underground affair."

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.

Emma is a single mother who's relied on her wits and guts to raise three wonderful sons. On her father's 70th birthday, Emma's mother invites her home... but Emma is greeted with nothing but harassment and bullying from her two jealous sisters and money-grubbing father. Even her eldest son's fiancee humiliates her at a party, and her long-divorced ex-husband and best friend treat her like trash! But Emma ultimately overcomes all the prejudice, finding true love and happiness anew.

Yasmin Sharp was the daughter of the world's richest family. For true love, she hid her identity and married Jacob Lewis. For five years, she devoted herself to her family and raised her son, Zach, to be a prodigy. However, during Zach's promotion party, Yasmin was humiliated by both her husband and son. She realized they were not worth her sacrifice. With the help of Steven Hawks, Yasmin fought back, ensuring that her husband and son received the punishment they deserved. Ultimately, she and Steven formed a powerful alliance and reached the peak of success in their lives.

Tansy West, the eldest daughter of the West family, escapes her political engagement to Edric Byrd, the eldest son of the Byrd family, by running away during the engagement party and disguising herself as a man. In her escape, Tansy accidentally becomes Edric's bodyguard. As they spend time together, they develop feelings for each other. However, Edric, originally biased against his fiancee, mistakenly believes he has fallen for his male bodyguard, causing much humorous confusion. Tansy helps Edric deal with his malicious stepmother and his scheming younger brother. She attends a gathering in her female guise, where her brother and parents recognize her. To ensure the couple's marriage proceeds smoothly, both sets of parents knock them out and send them to the wedding venue. The male lead's younger brother is captivated by Tansy's beauty and wishes to marry her himself. During another escape attempt, Tansy and Edric discover each other's true identities. Edric begins to acknowledge his feelings for Tansy, and they confess their love for each other. With her help, Edric successfully defeats his father, regains control of the Byrd Group that rightfully belongs to his mother, and lives happily ever after with Tansy.