the way we were cast

In a world of advanced martial arts and military prowess, Matthew Gilmore serves three years in the military in place of his brother,rising to Six-Star General. Upon his triumphant return home, his father Benjamin Gilmore coldly demands that Matthew transfer all his military achievements and honors to his favored son Zachary.Heartbroken, Matthew severs all family ties. Benjamin steals Matthew's military credits for Zachary. When Matthew tries to expose this conspiracy, Benjamin uses an enemy invasion as cover, deploying nuclear weapons to kill Matthew and silence him. Matthew survives but loses an arm.Matthew returns and exposes his father's crimes. He then travels to the capital with his close friend for the Star Generals Tournament, fighting his way through each round and emerging as a top-tier general. Having achieved vindication, Matthew protects the nation's peace and begins a happy life with his trusted companion.

Five years ago, Su Li and the fugitive Fu Jiuchen shared a whirlwind, passionate night that led to an instant and deep connection. But they were soon separated. Now, five years later, Li has a sickly son and is at her wit's end. Desperate, she decides to pawn the jade pendant Jiuchen had left her. However, fate takes a strange turn when Jiang Ting acquires the pendant and, using it as a key, infiltrates the Fu household pretending to be Li, bringing her son along. In order to raise money for her son's medical treatment, Li takes up a job as a maid in the Fu residence. Unknowingly to Jiuchen, the woman he has been searching for all this time is living right under his nose. Unable to resist his intense attraction, he finds himself drawn to her once more, repeatedly taking what he desires by force...

Eve Snow was once a SWAT team commander and a bomb-disposal heroine. Because her job was dangerous and she didn't want her family to worry, she resigned and became a clerk.Then,she met Felix Jenkins, also from the SWAT team, and they fell in love. Just as they were about to get married, Eve discovered that Felix had a long-term crush, Wanda Schwartz, who liked to act cute. He wanted to marry Eve because she was independent and brave—the complete opposite of Wanda. He hoped this would help him forget Wanda. After finding out the truth, Eve resolutely married Joseph Lutz, a CEO who had been pursuing her. However, she didn't know that Joseph was a hostage she had once saved during a bomb disposal operation.Meanwhile, Felix didn't know that Wanda had used such tricks to fool many men.

Haley Watson is a financially struggling college student who was supposed to be artificially inseminated with a sperm sample from her ex-boyfriend and professor, Ben Ferguson, but was mistakenly implanted with the sample of her longtime rival, Justin Crosby. According to the plan, Ben was supposed to give Haley a check after the procedure to help her save her brother, but he backed out at the last minute, claiming he would only fulfill his promise if Haley actually got pregnant. Under constant bullying from her classmate Regina and mounting pressure from Ben, Haley was pushed to her limits. At this point, Justin stepped in and actively helped her with kindness and generosity. Haley's perception of him gradually changed, and she began to develop feelings for him, but she never dared to tell him that the child was his. Can they overcome these challenges together and ultimately find their way to each other?

Rachel and Ethan were trapped in a war zone. While trying to save Ethan, Rachel was left with a disfiguring scar on her face. They fell in love and got married, but there was only one evacuation spot. Rachel gave it to the injured Ethan, andEthan promised he would come back for her—unaware that Rachel later discoveredshe was pregnant.Six years later, Rachel returns to the country to save her daughter, Sophie, only to find that Ethan had already married the hospital director ’ sdaughter and started a new family after his return. To protect his reputation andstatus, Ethan even slandered Rachel and Sophie. At this critical moment, Rachel’slong-lost father finds her and reveals that she is actually the daughter of thechairman of the Harrington Medical Group. In the end, the scumbag doctor loseseverything and suffers the consequences of his own actions, while Rachel goes onto live a happy life with her daughter.

Natalia is the daughter of Alpha,as the wolf in the prophecy, she is chased by many forces, to protect her, her father asked her to leave the pack and headed to New York so she could be safe there, two years later,the danger still existed, but her father thought it was time and he asked Natalia to come back and marry Blake Hunter, Alpha of another pack,he believed that Blake could protect Natalia after their marriage, their packs would be union. Natalia never liked Blake,but she would do what her father said for her pack, however she also learned that another powerful pack is rising, the Alpha of the pack is mysterious and ruthless, what would happen if she found out that the ruthless Alpha was her mate? The forces who were chasing Natalia's power didn't stop, what would she do to protect herself and her pack?

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.

In her first life, set against the backdrop of 1970s, Josie Cole married a dependable, simple man who rose to become a respected cultural official, and she stood faithfully beside him. Her cousin Gracie Hill, meanwhile, married into wealth, watched it crumble, fell into ruin, and in a fit of bitter envy, ended up murdering Josie. Reborn on the very day the marriages were being arranged, Josie watches Gracie steal her original match. Josie ends up with the one everyone wrote off as a spoiled playboy, but she’s lived a whole life already; she knows how to read people. Josie and Sam Jordan agree to a cold, transactional marriage and leave it at that, until they don’t. She helps him rebuild his family’s fallen fortune; he becomes someone worth keeping. This time, Josie wins, not by fighting for what she had before, but by building something better.

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.

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.

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.

Leo is fated for disaster—until his master reveals the only way out: marry Wynne, the Sutton family heiress. But his outrageous demand for a 1.88 million dowry nearly makes her lose it. Things take a turn when Leo saves the beautiful CEO Jean, finally earning some respect. Back home, his future mother-in-law objects and pushes her daughter toward her childhood sweetheart, Martin—only for Leo to repeatedly put him in his place. So a deal is made. If Leo can get the Sutton Group into the Sky Trade Union, the marriage is approved. Armed with medical skills, he secures production deals, wins over allies, and even takes in a new disciple. At the Sky Trade Union Conference, Leo crushes his rivals, cures the chairman's decade-old illness, and seals the deal. In the end, with sparks flying, Wynne takes the lead and drags him straight to register their marriage.

"Upon discovering I was pregnant, I excitedly rushed to my husband’s company to put our baby down as our insurance beneficiary. However, I was shocked to read my husband’s file. Partner: Victoria Winston Children: Jack Hudson, Sophia Hudson. I froze. The HR manager said the woman was his legally wedded wife and the heiress to the largest hotel chain on the East Coast. Their children were already seven years old. It felt like my world was crumbling down around me. If she was his wife, what was I? His mistress of five years? His friend with benefits? Even more absurdly, I was now pregnant with his child. A child who would never be acknowledged by their father. An illegitimate child. I nodded dazedly. My whole body felt weak. The man I considered my husband was never mine. Even after death, his gravestone would not have my name!"

In her first life, set against the backdrop of 1970s, Josie Cole married a dependable, simple man who rose to become a respected cultural official, and she stood faithfully beside him. Her cousin Gracie Hill, meanwhile, married into wealth, watched it crumble, fell into ruin, and in a fit of bitter envy, ended up murdering Josie. Reborn on the very day the marriages were being arranged, Josie watches Gracie steal her original match. Josie ends up with the one everyone wrote off as a spoiled playboy, but she’s lived a whole life already; she knows how to read people. Josie and Sam Jordan agree to a cold, transactional marriage and leave it at that, until they don’t. She helps him rebuild his family’s fallen fortune; he becomes someone worth keeping. This time, Josie wins, not by fighting for what she had before, but by building something better.

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.

My father's adopted daughter was only locked in the cramped storage closet for around fifteen minutes, yet he punished me by tying me up and throwing me inside. He even sealed off the ventilation with towels. "As Wendy's older sister, if you can't take care of her, then you should also experience how scared she was," he declared coldly. He knew I was claustrophobic, but my desperate pleas for mercy, my terror, were met with nothing but heartless reprimands. "Let this be a lesson on how to be a good sister." As the last sliver of light disappeared, swallowed by the oppressive darkness, I struggled helplessly. A week passed before my father finally remembered my existence and decided it was time to end my punishment. "Let's hope this week served as a good lesson for you, Jennifer. If this happens again, you will no longer be allowed in this house." He would never know that I had already taken my last breath in that suffocating room. My body had begun to rot in the darkness.

Logan was an orphan with nothing to his name until he was pulled out of the gutter by Hunter, a cold, ruthless business kingpin. Out of loyalty and survival, Logan swore himself to Hunter and became his sharpest weapon. From an elite academy straight into the cutthroat world of corporate warfare, he was forged under Hunter's brutal training, turning sharp and fast. But everything falls apart when Logan gets dragged into the long-buried Linnet family case. A perfectly planned betrayal blows everything up, tearing the two apart. Logan takes the fall for Hunter and ends up doing three years behind bars. When he gets out, he is not the same man anymore. On the surface, he walks straight into the enemy's camp. But behind the scenes, he is back with Hunter, and together they are cooking up a revenge scheme.In the end, the man and the blade stand shoulder to shoulder. What started as use and control turns into trust and protection, and together they claw their way to the very top of the capital's power game.

I wheel myself into the birthday celebration that Wales Price has thrown for me. The atmosphere is originally lively, but a brief silence descends when everyone sees me. The guests are there for different purposes, but celebrating my birthday is not one of them. "Is that Mr. Price's crippled fiancée, Joey Hertza?" "Yeah, but the one he really loves is Anna Giovanni. I saw them kissing in a corner earlier." They use their wine glasses to block their mouths as they speak loudly. They think I'm still the crippled deaf I used to be. They don't know that I regained my hearing last week. I can hear every mocking comment they make. Meanwhile, Wales stands there and allows it to happen. He doesn't stop the guests from talking about me. He seems to have forgotten that I only ended up like this while protecting him. I shoved him away when the accident happened and got trapped underneath the car myself. When I was rescued, Wales swore to stay with me and care for me for life. It's only been three short years since then, but he's already changed. I receive a message on my phone. "Ms. Hertza, the lifelike corpse that you've ordered is now complete. Reply to this message with your confirmation, and your death-faking service will be immediately effective. We will send the corpse to your and Mr. Price's wedding in five days." I don't even hesitate as I reply with my confirmation. Enjoy your wedding, Wales.