When Clara Montemayor was forced into an engagement with a man her family had chosen for her, she strongly opposed the idea. To her, arranged marriages had no place in the 21st century—she believed in love, not convenience. But as the only daughter in the Montemayor family, she had little say in the matter, especially since the marriage would bring great benefits to their name. Desperate to make her faceless fiancé—whom she only knew by name—lose interest, she intentionally gained weight and dressed in ways she thought would repel him, hoping he would reject her. But when that plan failed, she took the first chance she got to escape. Leaving home for college, she was determined to live independently and find love on her own terms—love that accepted her flaws, not her family’s wealth. That was when she met Tyler, the ace of their university’s baseball team—the man she thought would love her for who she was. For three years, she believed in their relationship, only to discover that she had been nothing more than a bet to him. Now, years later, Clara returns—not as the timid girl everyone once knew, but as a woman ready for revenge. But halfway through her revenge, she unexpectedly crosses paths with Dexter—the ex-fiancé she once ran away from. .…………………………. This is a slow pace novel, so read at your own risk

When Valis, an otherworldly explorer, crash-lands on Earth after a failed mission, he finds himself stranded in an unfamiliar world with no way home. Meanwhile, Alesha Laurel, a struggling actress desperate for her big break, never expected her fate to change on a rainy night when a sudden appearance of a mysterious spacecraft leaves her face-to-face with Valis—an otherworldly traveler with nowhere to go. With his spaceship beyond repair and with his strange origin, his presence on Earth presents an unexpected complication. Due to Earth’s laws, he can not remain in the world without securing a legal identity. The only way to do so? A formal bond with a native—through marriage. Bound by an unfamiliar law that requires him to marry a native to remain on the planet, Valis has no choice but to rely on Alesha, the first person to discover him. In exchange for food and shelter, he vows to do whatever he can to help her achieve her dreams while secretly searching for a way to fix his ship. –——————————————————— One evening, as Alesha sat on her couch, script in hand, she let out a frustrated sigh. “Ugh, I can’t seem to picture this scene,” she mumbled, slumping over dramatically. “Wish I had someone to script-read with me.…” Valis, who had been casually observing her from across the room, perked up instantly. His eyes widened with excitement. "Don't worry!" he declared with so much confidence, his eyes shimmering with eagerness. "I'll design a holographic training simulation for you!" Alesha blinked at him, momentarily thrown off by his over-the-top enthusiasm. “A….holographic what?” she asked, raising a brow. But before she could question him further, Valis had already locked himself in one of the unused bedrooms in the house. Within four days, the entire room transformed into a lifelike film set. The scenery from her script materialized around them, making Alesha’s jaw drop. –——————————————————— During one of Alesha’s film tapings, Valis—ever the supportive husband—stood just off-camera, holding a large fan. He was earnestly fanning her between takes, clearly determined to keep her comfortable. “Is it still hot?” he asked with genuine concern, tilting his head. “Do you want me to make it a little faster?” Alesha, stifling a laugh, shook her head. "No, you're doing fine," she assured him with a grateful smile. Nearby, a model who had been secretly admiring Valis, approached. Sensing an opportunity, she casually strolled over, hoping to seize the moment. “Hey, Alesha,” the model began with a sweet but calculated smile. “My partner seems to be running late, and we can't afford to waste time. How about letting your boytoy model with me?" Alesha glanced at Valis, giving him the choice. "Do you want to?" she asked softly, leaving the decision to him. Without hesitation, Valis shook his head firmly. "If it’s not with you," he said, his voice unwavering, "then I don’t want to." Alesha’s eyes widened slightly at the sincerity in his tone before she turned to the model, lifting her chin slightly. “He said he didn’t want to," she repeated. "We can’t force him." The model, clearly annoyed, huffed and walked away, leaving Valis and Alesha standing there. –——————————————————— Hi, I'm Skai. I hope you'll support this story! every read means a lot to me! Thank you, and please be patient with any errors I may have missed during editing.