Pretend Marriage

Relationships? Only platonic! Love and marriage? Never! Count Stotsky is a man with a dark past and a notorious seducer, and the owner of the hat salon is the only one who can help him escape his debts. Will there be room for love in the impregnable heart of this rake? - So, I shouldn't call you 'My darling'?" - Absolutely not. -'My sweet Natalie' is forbidden too? 'My beauty'? 'Sweet bun'?" - Stop it!" she moved threateningly towards her guest. - I understand you, Mademoiselle Viardo, don't pull out your weapon, or God forbid I'll see your shapely leg!"

“Who are you?” I asked, confused. “The fiancé… of the girl who’s cheating on me with your fiancé.” On the day of my forced wedding, the last thing I expected was a stranger showing up with a claim like that. But when he realized I was being married off against my will, things took an unexpected turn. He gave me a choice — offering me both shelter and revenge. What I didn’t expect was that our union was already the ultimate act of vengeance. Because this stranger had just taken the prized bride from the enemy of his family.

Dorian Hayes is a former soldier with a turbulent past, haunted by both physical and mental scars. Sabine Astoria is a young woman accustomed to luxury and the trivialities of life, seemingly indifferent to everything. When their paths collide, everything becomes a battle between obsession and desire. Their relationship turns into a power game where neither is willing to lose. Will they be able to forge a bond strong enough to keep them together, or will they end up destroying each other? Can love heal the deepest wounds, or will it simply open new ones?

"You want me to pretend to be your wife?" Kira wasn’t just surprised — she was downright shocked by what she heard. "And you want me to actually, I mean officially, marry you?" "Exactly," Timur confirmed. "You'll be my legal wife for a while. Then, when we return to Ukraine, we'll get divorced and go our separate ways." "And what makes you think I’d be interested in this? That I’d agree to take part in your little scheme? Don’t you have anyone else to ask?" "Your help won’t be for free," Timur quickly assured her, following Kira back to his car. "The hotel I’ll build in your town will be yours. And I’ll pay off all your uncle’s debts so he can keep his position as mayor. He’s counting on you to be reasonable."

She was young and inexperienced when she met him. Tall, handsome, confident, and charming. He possessed a mischievous smile that made her knees buckle. For her, it was love at first sight. For him, it was just a fling on his vacation trip. She gave herself over with love and passion. Fascinated by all the emotions and sensations that awoke in her body, she didn't stop to consider the consequences her actions could bring. Weeks later, sitting in front of the toilet, expelling everything that entered her stomach, she began to understand that there are decisions that mark us and that once made, there is no going back, because when his mother finds out about the fruit growing in her womb, she will consider it a disgrace to her family's good name and will do everything to cover up the offense.

Overwhelmed by a storm of emotions, my wings burst forth at the worst possible moment of my life. I had no choice but to flee through the blood-soaked forest, hunted by those I once called friends, praying the woods would show me mercy. What came next was no kinder—taken captive by a cave ogre, I faced the unknown as a girl torn from everything I knew. But that was only the beginning of my long, twisted tale of shapeshifters, sorcerers, and wild magic. And yet, the most important part of my journey? I found a protector—someone who sees me not just as a creature of fate, but as a woman worth saving.