I refuse to divorce

Astrid waited for Joshua all night as she usually did... And the first thing she received, instead of a cold greeting, was the divorce papers. "Why?" were her only words when she saw the agreement. Joshua looked at her indifferently. "It's enough. It's a waste of time to continue this marriage. In the first place, if it weren't for my grandfather, I wouldn't have married you... Sign it!" he shouted. Astrid, her eyes filled with tears, hurriedly took the divorce agreement and put it in her mouth. "I don't want a divorce!" Astrid cried. Joshua didn't respond, he just looked at her and walked away. After all, it was difficult to get into the heart of someone like Joshua. She stood firm in her decision. She had married to take care of her mother's health... Until she lost her too, leaving her with nothing left to hold on to. "He doesn't feel anything for me," she said, wiping her teary eyes. "In the future, I will never appear in front of him again." She took her luggage and, accompanied by a heavy snowfall, disappeared along with her footprints in the snow. She left behind only her signature on the divorce agreement. With a trembling body, she escaped. Five years later, a little boy reminded her of the person she tried to forget.

Chapters

Chapter 2

Back in her room, she wrapped her arms around herself silently, unable to stop the tears from flowing again. Only in this room could she cry uncontrollably, because Joshua never came here, never even looked at this room.

In fact, over the past three years, she could feel Joshua's growing indifference towards her, but she stubbornly thought that as long as she stayed by his side, one day it would be as good as it had been in the beginning. But the divorce agreement that night seemed to have broken her last line of defense.

She was truly on the verge of not being able to take it anymore.

Astrid sat quietly through the night until a ray of sunlight crept into the house early in the morning. The sunlight during winter was still blinding, and Astrid realized that her breath seemed a little warm, but now she couldn't care less. She hurriedly glanced at the clock; it was already 6:30 a.m. In ten minutes, Joshua would be getting up. If she didn't hurry up and make breakfast, Joshua would get angry.

She got up reluctantly, her head feeling a little dizzy. Astrid didn't bother about this; she would go and get some rest after cooking.

The moment she pushed open the door, she felt her body go light, and the next moment, it was darkness.

In her dream, Joshua left without looking back. Astrid desperately tried to catch up with him, but it was as if Joshua didn't see her. Walking further and further away, she shouted Joshua's name repeatedly, but in the distance, it was as if he couldn't hear her.

"Joshua!" Astrid struggled to open her eyes, gasping slightly, her heart beating nonstop.

And suddenly Joshua's familiar, pleasant voice rang in her ears. "Since you're awake, I should go to work." After saying that, he was ready to leave, but suddenly, his arm was grabbed by a soft hand.

When she looked at Joshua again, Astrid almost screamed again. That's good, it was really great. Joshua was still there. It's good. It's so good. She could still feel Joshua's warmth in her small hand. The dream she had just had made her think that Joshua had disappeared from her world forever, and seeing Joshua again made Astrid's happiness overflow.

"Please don't go, stay with me for a while, okay?" Astrid's two clear eyes looked expectantly at Joshua, still a little sleepy from the fact that she had just woken up, she looked like a little kitten.

In fact, Astrid didn't have much hope of getting an affirmation, but if Joshua promised her, she would feel more at ease.

Seeing Astrid ask for things in such a way, Joshua felt a certain tolerance toward her. Perhaps because he had despised her for so long, he felt a certain guilt in his heart.

He sighed and said, "When you finish drinking the medicine, I'll leave."

Astrid's heart was thrilled, but it didn't last long.

Joshua's phone rang. It was a message, and as he read it, Joshua's beautiful eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Looking at Joshua, Astrid had a bad feeling. "Joshua?" she called out.

As if he hadn't heard her, Joshua walked to the door to leave Astrid's room, his voice turning cold again. "Something has happened at the company. I won't be accompanying you. The medicine is next to you. Remember to take it. You should get some more sleep."

"Joshua?" Astrid called out quickly. He stopped before leaving the room, but did not turn to look at her, only waiting silently. The room was dark, and Astrid could only see his silhouette. This scene was so similar to her nightmares. "You'll come back, right?" Like a plea, Astrid clutched the corner of the blanket tightly, forcing herself to contain the tremors and fears in her body as she asked Joshua.

She felt the air around her gradually heating up so much that she could faint, but this was not the time. Astrid was waiting for Joshua's answer before she could do so; otherwise, she would not even be able to think clearly.

"Of course," came the answer without hesitation. With a click followed by soft footsteps, the door closed, leaving only the sound of the clock in the room.

After Joshua's answer, Astrid let out a sigh of relief, her body gradually relaxing as well. The temperature around her slowly dropped; there was neither cold nor heat in the air.

Was there any chance that Joshua cared about her a little? If nothing had happened at the company, would he have stayed with her a little longer? Normally, when she begged him, he would just give her a cold look and then turn away, but today he hadn't left as usual.

Perhaps, if he held out a little longer, he would gradually fall in love with her. The time would come when he would notice her. Astrid got up slowly and with great difficulty. Joshua had told her to take her medicine. He was looking after her, so she had to be obedient and drink the medicine so that when Joshua returned, she would be healthy.

The medicine touched her lips and tongue, slowly sliding down her throat. It was extremely bitter, so bitter that her eyes turned red. She had hated taking medicine since she was a child, especially medicine that was so bitter.

In the past, it was her mother who coaxed her into taking the medicine, waiting patiently for her to finish before putting a piece of candy in her mouth and gently stroking her back as she cried.

Since she married Joshua, she had never cried again while taking medicine because Joshua had said that an adult should not be bothered by the bitterness of medicine and should drink it easily.

So whenever she got sick, she pretended that nothing was wrong and drank the bitter medicine, hoping that Joshua would notice and approve.

But Joshua never said a word. He never even took the initiative to give her the medicine, nor did he ever see her drink it. So she kept all the bitterness of these three long years to herself.

After drinking the medicine, Astrid wiped her mouth. She had endured it well and wondered if her mother would be happy to see her so strong now.

Speaking of her mother, Astrid thought again about intensive care. How long had it been since she visited her? When she recovers this time, she must take Joshua with her. The last time she told her mother that next time she would take him with her to visit.

Three years had passed, and she never woke up, only the sound of dripping instruments showing that she was still alive. If it weren't for that accident, wouldn't that be the case? But... if it weren't for that accident, wouldn't she and Joshua have met?

Thinking about that made Astrid's heart ache. She didn't want this, she didn't want that, but she also didn't want her mother to become like this.

If her mother could wake up, she would have no more wishes. Even if Joshua never fell in love with her in this life, if she could remain quietly by his side, that would be fine, she would be satisfied.

Continue to next part

For four years, Ember traced the bullet scar on Chace's chest, believing it proved his unwavering protection. Their anniversary gala was supposed to be the night he finally proposed, a symbol of their future. Instead, she stood frozen, watching him slide his mother's sapphire onto Karyn Warren's finger—the daughter of a rival family. His voice, amplified by the silent ballroom, declared, "Karyn is for power. Ember is for pleasure. Don't confuse the assets." Her heart incinerated. Publicly humiliated, she was ordered to remain his mistress, threatened with her dead mother's grave. Chace, confident her father's debts trapped her, forced her from their shared penthouse. He then used a fake "Help. Sick." text to lure Ember to a club, only to humiliate her further, calling her "loyal like a dog." Karyn ordered a soldier to "touch" Ember while Chace watched, indifferent. With no other choice, Ember drank a punishment cup containing wine she was severely allergic to. She collapsed, suffocating on the club floor, as Chace and Karyn watched, annoyed. Waking in a sterile hospital room, her throat raw, she faced Chace's cold relief and Karyn's dismissive cruelty. The betrayal was absolute, the injustice sickening. But moments before, in her despair, Ember had invoked a Blood Oath. She texted Keith Mosley, the ruthless Don, accepting his price for her father's debt: marriage. She would become his, and she was ready to pay.

Mafia Modern Romance

7.5

Betrayed, Then Claimed by the Mafia King (18+)

7.5

"I'm going to fuck all of Vincent's memory out of you," he murmurs. "You're Carter's woman now." ★★★★★ At just 21, Lyla Rose thought she had it all; a loving husband, a powerful mafia family, and a future she believed was secure. But everything comes crashing down when a medical report reveals she's infertile. Vincent Ricci, her ruthless mafia husband, can't tolerate that one imperfection. In a brutal, heartless move, he divorces her and replaces her with Maria, the fertile woman who can give him the heir Lyla never could. But that's just the beginning. Refusing to be discarded so easily, Lyla struggles to let go. But when Vincent plans to lock her away in a basement, everything changes. Carter Ricci, Vincent's cold, calculating uncle, steps in. He takes her to his penthouse, promising to protect her, cherish her, and vowing he's nothing like his nephew. But Carter has his own dark secrets. And once they're revealed, everything Lyla thought she knew about him will be shattered. When Vincent realizes the mistake he's made, regret consumes him and he comes to take her back. But Carter has no intention of letting her go. He's claimed her, body and soul. Now Lyla must choose: Will she return to the man who shattered her, or stay with the one who trapped her in a web of lies and manipulation? And can Carter really hold onto the woman he took through deceit, or will his dark past destroy everything they've built? ★★★★★ TROPES YOU'LL LOVE ✔️ Ex-husband's uncle ✔️ Mafia x secrets ✔️ Betrayal & forbidden love ✔️ Innocent x ruthless ✔️ Age gap ✔️ Dominant x submissive ✔️ Dark obsession ✔️ Lies & twisted romance

Mafia Modern Romance

7.8

Escaping The Cheater For My Hitman Stepbrother

7.8

After catching her fiancé in the act of betrayal, a devastated woman turns to the one person she was always told to avoid: her dangerous stepbrother. As a lethal hitman for the mafia, he offers her a dark sanctuary from her heartbreak. Their reunion ignites a forbidden attraction that blurs the lines of family and loyalty. Trapped between a cheating ex and a cold-blooded killer, she must navigate a world of violence to find true devotion.

Action Mafia Romance

8.6

He Chose First Love, I Chose the Alpha King

8.6

I gave him three years of silent devotion behind a mask I never wanted to wear. I made a wager for our bond-he paid me off like a mistress. "Chloe's back," Zane said coldly. "It's over." I laughed, poured wine on his face, and walked away from the only love I'd ever known. "What now?" my best friend asked. I smiled. "The real me returns." But fate wasn't finished yet. That same night, Caesar Conrad-the Alpha every wolf feared-opened his car door and whispered, "Get in." Our gazes collided. The bond awakened. No games. No pretending. Just raw, unstoppable power. "Don't regret this," he warned, lips brushing mine. But I didn't. Because the mate I'd been chasing never saw me. And the one who did? He's ready to burn the world for me.

Mafia Romance Werewolf

8.5

His Obsession, My Revenge: A Mafia Second Life

8.5

I woke up in the tangled black silk sheets of the Mafia Don's bed, my skin still burning from his ruthless touch in the dark. The heavy door burst open, and his pristine wife, Bianca, looked at my bruised collarbones with visceral hatred. Instead of having me killed for soiling her husband's bed, she offered a devil's bargain. "You will take my place in his bed. You will be a shadow in the dark." In my past life, I foolishly accepted, thinking her money would pay for my dying mother's hospital bills. I didn't realize the untouchable Mafia Queen was barren and just needed a disposable incubator. After I endured the Don's violent possession and birthed the Moretti heir, they cut off my mother's medicine. Then, they dragged me to a remote warehouse and suffocated me with a wet mattress to bury their dirty secret forever. Until my last agonizing breath, I didn't understand why my absolute submission and suffering were rewarded with such a brutal, meaningless death. Opening my eyes again, I was back on the morning after the Don first claimed me. I knelt on the Persian rug, weeping tears of fake gratitude as Bianca handed me the cash. But the moment my escort looked away, I didn't take her fertility herbs. I bought a bitter root from an alley witch to keep my womb empty. This time, I won't give the Don a child. I'll become his darkest obsession, and use his lethal power to burn this entire family to the ground.

Action Mafia Modern

8.2

I Left The Jester For The King

8.2

"Little Siren: I miss your hands on me." That message lit up the screen of a burner phone I found in my fiancé's jacket pocket while he was in the shower. Franco Moretti, the rising star of the Vitiello crime family, treated me like a fragile glass doll. He claimed he was "saving himself" for our wedding night out of respect. But the phone told a different story. I unlocked it and found three years of betrayal. It wasn't just a fling. It was Camilla, a girl from high school I had befriended out of pity. I watched their history unfold. He complained that I was cold. He called me a statue. Then I saw the invoice. He had bought two identical pink diamond engagement rings. One for me, and one for her. Worse, he had stolen my grandmother' s heirloom jade bracelet-a piece of history meant for his bride-and given it to his mistress. "I need her name to get the chair," he texted her. "You are my true Queen." I didn't cry. I didn't scream. I realized I wasn't a person to him; I was a ladder. Leaving him would be too easy. Leaving is what victims do. I walked to my laptop and opened a new document. I wasn't just going to cancel the wedding. I was going to broadcast his ruin to the entire underworld, and our wedding would be my stage. Then, I picked up the phone and dialed the one number my father forbade me to call. "I accept," I told the deep voice on the other end. "You understand what you are agreeing to, Gianna?" Enzo Falcone asked. "I understand," I said, looking at the New York skyline. "You want an alliance. I want a weapon."

Mafia Modern Romance

I refuse to divorce

Chapter 2

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