


Arya Vitale, the daughter of his sworn enemy was supposed to be a bargaining chip
A pawn in a blood war but from the moment Giovanni De-Santis laid eyes on her, he didn’t see a pawn… he saw his
So he took her
Stole her from her wedding, forced her into a contract marriage, and branded her with his name in every way that mattered
To the world, it was a business strategy
To him she was never meant to be his, it was an obsession
But she isn’t the fragile princess he expected. She’s smart, sharp, hot-headed, sassy, and far too good at making him feel things he buried long ago
And when she runs away he hunts her
Because Giovanni doesn’t lose
Not his empire
Not his war
And never the woman he’s marked as his own
But some wars can’t be won with bullets
Some secrets refuse to stay buried
And the deadliest betrayal may not come from his enemies at all…
What happens when the one thing he can’t control
is the only thing that could destroy him is the only thing that could destroy him?
And a war that demands blood….even if it’s hers. 

Sally Frank thought she had married a mere captain, but was left in shock when she stumbled upon a photo of a mysterious big-shot behind a mega company: her husband, Gabriel Hardy. The next day, while meeting a sponsor, she found Gabriel Hardy smiling at her. How versatile was he? Furious, Sally asked who he really was, to which Gabriel leaned in and whispered, "Your husband." Sally argued back, "A contract marriage doesn't count!" Their son, who had been listening, couldn't bear it anymore and said, "Daddy said contract marriages are made with bad intentions. You should accept your fate." 
Before the divorce, Gloria White was selfish, vicious, and unscrupulous in Jordy Collins' mind! After the divorce, the man, who claimed that only fools would fall in love with her, was broken!"Gloria, I love you. Will you remarry me?""Gloria, I was wrong. Will you forgive me?""Gloria, I'll make it up to you with the rest of my life. Let's remarry!"Gloria snapped, "Will you leave me alone? Stop pestering me like a fly!"Jordy groveled. "Gloria, call me a simp! You're my one and only!"Gloria laughed out loud. Why would she, an elite lawyer, a world-renowned doctor, and a top hacker remarry him and be his pet? "I said no, you wanker, get out of my face!" 
On the way to escape, a stranger took away her virginity. She didn’t expect that the stranger was Jasper Milton, who was rich and powerful, as well as ruthless and cold. It was said that he didn’t love woman. However, it was not true. She was suffering from a sore back after having sex with him every day, and finally she couldn’t stand it, “You don’t need to be responsible for me anymore, and you are free now.” He sat by her bed, pulled her into his arms, and said gently: “Stella, are you mistaken, shouldn’t it be you who is responsible? " Stella Grace:”…" 
As they stood atop a cliff, the kidnapper held a knife to her throat, and the throat of his dream girl. “You can choose only one.”“I choose her,” the man said, pointing to his dream girl.Stella’s voice trembled as she said, “Weston… I’m pregnant.”Weston looked at her indifferently. “Gwen has a fear of heights.”Many years passed after that.Rumor had it that Ahn City’s prestigious Mr. Weston Ford was always lingering outside the house of his ex-wife, even breaking boundaries to pamper her, even if she would never bat an eyelid at him.Rumor had it that the night Stella brought a man home with her, Weston almost died at her door. Everyone was envious of Stella, but she smiled politely and said, “Don’t die at my door. I fear germs.” 


BLURB
."Ever have that feeling nothing you ever do matters?"
This is Lila Vitale's story, being overshadowed by her elder sister all her life no matter the efforts she puts in.
Finally, she is put in the spotlight when her elder sister, Lily, abandons her husband because he went blind, and she ( Lila) has to be the replacement by pretending to be her.
Lila is not happy about this at first but steps up to the challenge as she is finally seen and relied on by those she cares about.
Lucien, a year later regains his eyesight due to surgery. Lila, hopeful to be set free by the truth, gets disappointed when her sister Lily miraculously appears to take back the place she abandoned and the man Lila had grown to love.
To make matters worse, Lila realizes she was just a pawn being used all along and overhears death plots about her unborn child.
As the betrayal deepens, Lila tries reaching out to Lucien who treats her like a pest, hurting and giving her no choice but to disappear. Not too long after, Lucien figures out the truth and seeks out for her but isn't he too late?
Will Lila ever want to let him back into her life again, especially when she is hell-bent on revenge?
EXCERPT.
"You have to come back, Lila. To me. You and our children". He whispered gently, his blue eyes filled with care towards me, his hands on my cheeks, stroking them softly.
I closed my eyes, rubbing my face against his palm, enjoying the texture. How I had longed so much for this.
"Our children? Remember Mr. Knight. I never married you neither are my bastard children yours". I commented, repeating his exact same words five years ago as the side of my lips curled up in disdain. 

I've loved Chris Gildon for a decade, but all he says is, "You're boring as hell. I couldn't be any less interested in you."He turns and spends his days and nights with another woman.We've known each other for ten years, but nothing comes from our relationship. I decide that I don't want to be his second choice anymore.Later, I get engaged to someone else. Chris knocks on my door in the middle of the night. "Maddie…""What can I do for you, Mr. Gildon?"As soon as the words are out of my mouth, a man's sexy voice rings out from the bedroom. "Babe, where did you put my underwear?"Chris staggers and spits a mouthful of blood before me. Sometime after that, I see that he's posted a story on his Instagram. It writes, "Once you miss out on someone, it stays that way for life. She might love you now, but that doesn't mean she'll love you forever. So, appreciate her while you have her." 
After five years of marriage, she thought that she had successfully made him change his mind and have feelings for her.It never occurred to her that he would send her to prison for trusting another woman.She decided to go back to her family along with the baby in her belly.Her brothers were in an uproar!Aaron Mullen, her eldest brother, ordered, "My five younger brothers, listen up! Guarding Amelie and teaching the playboy a lesson is our top priority!"Rex Mullen, her second brother, said, "Amelie, chin up. Here, take this black card. Go ahead and go shopping as long as you are happy."Mark Mullen, her third brother, said, "Jewelry is all I have. Amelie, take as many as you want."Sergio Mullen, her fourth brother, stood up as well.Tyler Mullen, her fifth brother, was the same indignant.And Daron Mullen, her sixth brother, doted on her the same.Everyone went all out, afraid that the apple of their eye would be unhappy.Amelie Mullen smiled heartily.On the contrary, Lamont Byron regretted it so much and set out to get her back. 

At the very beginning, he had said to her, "Wanwan, I shall fill your days with joy and happiness." Later on, he had said, "Ye Wanwan, why don't you go to hell?" As she stood upon the edge of a cliff and looked down into the abyss below, a serene expression settled on her face as she whispered helplessly, "It seems that after everything we've been through, we won't be growing old together after all, my dear Qing." At the moment of her death, however, he felt a twinge of pain in his heart. To whom would his love belong henceforth? 

Eloise Wright was a young lady from a bad background, was ridiculed and tasteless. Dominic Richardson was very dissatisfied with that marriage with her, and he was either with a popular idol or a bikini girl for three days. Eloise Wright yelled all of sudden: “Don’t you like me at all?” “Don’t blabber such meaningless words!” “So, won’t you be loyal to this marriage for the rest of your life?” “As long as it’s you, then never!” Eloise Wright knew that he would not be a good father, so she decided to end the marriage for the sake of the child in her womb, “Then let’s get a divorce!” Six years later, Eloise Wright transferred and returned home. Dominic Richardson pulled her directly into the corner where no one was around, and pressed her against the wall. “Eloise Wright, where are my children?” “Gone! It’s a great idea not to communicate with each other, so it’s a clean break!” Dominic Richardson yelled red-eyed: “Then, give me another set of twins, you owe me!” After saying that, he directly groped her! At that time, the three little kids jumped out, “Daddy, let go of my mommy!” Dominic Richardson felt lost and puzzled. Why was there an extra child? 









On the day of the divorce, Boris Lewis gave Ziana Scott 100 million dollars on the condition that she take the child back to remote mountain.Not long after, the two met again. The ex-wife he identified as poor wore tens of millions of the world's only high-end shoes, and her feet were priceless crystal high-heeled shoes. She brazenly said in front of the camera that she owns a gold mine.Boris Lewis thought, a mere 100 million, why are you pretending to be rich? I'm worth hundreds of billions and I don't dare to brag like that!He and the majority of netizens are waiting for the day when she slaps her in the face.It turns out that her family's gold mines are innumerable, and she is not a poor farm girl, but a genius with super IQ, a master of many sciences, a god-level master, a national chess player, a master of metaphysics...And the savior who he has been looking for for many years.In order to get Ziana Scott back, Boris Lewis made love madly."I want a kiss!""I want a hug!""I can't live without my wife!"The reporter interviewed Ziana Scott, "What is the relationship between Mr. Lewis and you?""Oh, he's my simp ex-husband." She smiled swayingly, "but the next one is better. We’ll never get back together." 
"Chloe's,Do you know that Ethan is getting married too? His wedding is on the same day as yours," Evelyn said as her grip on the steering wheel tightened.A frozen smile appeared on the corner of Chloe's mouth in an instant. In the end, she shook her head and looked out the window.The green light came on, and the car started moving. Evelyn looked ahead, unable to help but recall the past."Back in school, you two were so high-profile. Everyone said that if you two ever separated, neither of you would survive it," she slowly said. "But who would have thought that you would actually break up.""People grow up..." Chloe lowered her eyes, her voice barely audible.Listening to this, Evelyn didn't bring up the topic again.On the way, Chloe opened her mouth several times, wanting to ask who Ethan was marrying, but in the end, she never uttered the question.At the bridal shop, she went to the fitting room to try on wedding dresses, while Evelyn sat on the sofa waiting.Suddenly, a familiar male voice echoed in her ears. "This one will do." The man's tone was casual, his deep and charming voice resonating. Evelyn's expression changed, instantly recognizing the man by his voice. The man was Ethan Blackwood! 
She loved him with all her heart and soul for seven years, and all she had in return was his indifference and framing.Her manuscript was stolen, she was accused of plagiarism by everyone, and her life was ruined.Kristen Stafford, who was forced into a desperate situation, wiped her tears, made up her mind to get a divorce, and left.When she appeared again, she was spirited and charming. The wine glass in her hand made people tingle.Trey Barrett felt his heart ache, and somehow, he regretted it, yet he still appeared to be indifferent and unruly.The truth came out, and Trey immediately went to Kristen, asking for her forgiveness, wanting to get her back. "Honey, would you marry me again?"Kristen turned around decisively and said with a smile, "Piss off!"When he tried to get her back, she already had someone more powerful and fearsome protecting her. When the rivals in love met, who could win her back? 
Three Stories in one. Read about the Warner sisters Sutton, Blair and Keira.
In Bed With Her Shithead Boss - Coming home to find her fiancé in bed with her cousin should have broken her, but Blair refuses to fall apart. She's strong, capable, and determined to move on. What she doesn't plan on is drowning her sorrows in too much of her bosses scotch... or ending up in bed with her ruthless, dangerously charming boss, Roman.
One night. That's all it was supposed to be.
But in the cold light of day, walking away isn't so easy. Roman isn't a man who lets go-especially not when he's decided he wants more. He doesn't just want Blair for a night. He wants her, period.
And he has no intention of letting her go.
CEO's Runaway Mistress - When model “Audrey” discovers she’s pregnant with billionaire Luca De Santis’s baby, she’s terrified to tell him. Their eleven-month affair has been passionate but uncommitted. Before she can find the right moment, Luca brutally ends their relationship, revealing he’s engaged to a teenage heiress and cruelly accusing Audrey of trying to trap him when she reveals her pregnancy.
Heartbroken and alone, Audrey vanishes, returning to her real identity as Sutton Warner. Months later, a twist of fate brings them face-to-face again when Luca acquires the tech company where Sutton works. He’s stunned to discover the truth: not only is she carrying his child, but “Audrey” never existed. She’s actually Sutton, a gifted programmer with a mind as beautiful as her face.
As corporate sabotage threatens to destroy everything they’ve built, Luca and Sutton must navigate their complicated past while fighting their still-burning attraction. But with his cruel rejection still haunting her and her fierce independence at stake, can Luca convince Sutton to give him and their family a second chance before it’s too late? 
Before her doting parents' death, Helen Spencer lives like a princess. But when she comes to the city, she's mistaken for a country bumpkin.Her aunt is an internationally renowned, award-winning actress, and her godfather is the wealthiest man in the world.Not only is Helen a genius who graduates with a double degree at the age of 15, but she's also a mysterious wedding gown designer, the world's best racecar driver, and a top hacker.When Helen meets the five sons of the Newton family, they're all disdainful of her…It's only when her secret identities are revealed one by one that their disdain turns to love, admiration, and boundless respect. 
I've just gotten married to Nathan Rodgers, a scion of Heidorot's elite, in the morning. But in the afternoon, he takes me to the courthouse for a divorce.
As I clutch both the marriage and divorce certificates in my hands, all I can hear is his friends' relentless mocking.
"Wow, Nathan! You actually married and divorced Caroline just because you wanted to cheer Eveline up!"
"Haha! Look at how pale Caroline looks! Don't tell me she's about to cry!"
Nathan wraps an arm around my adopted sister, Eveline Garrix. He says to her in a gentle tone, "Now that both certificates are here, are you willing to flash me a smile now?"
Caroline let out a soft giggle. Her face, which is often fixed with a cold expression, now has a smile blooming on it.
I want to demand answers, but I find myself being restrained by my brothers.
Martin Bergling, my oldest brother who's a CEO, frowns at me.
"Nathan is the only one who can make Caroline laugh. You'd better behave now."
Oscar Bergling, my second brother, who's an award-winning actor, shoves me to the floor.
"Eveline comes from a pitiful background. You, on the other hand, were born with a silver spoon—you have plenty of men to pick from other than Nathan."
Albus Bergling, my third brother who's a biology professor, fixes a cold expression on his face.
"Nathan should've married Eveline a long time ago. Stop bothering them already, Caroline!"
After that, my brothers forcibly push them into a car in an attempt to stop me from ruining their first love's happiness.
That's when the system, which has gone missing for a very long time, returns to me.
"Host, it appears that you've accomplished your mission! Do you want to return to your world right now?"
I sit in the back seat, looking out the window glumly. When I hear the system's voice, I almost break out into laughter.
Finally, the angsty scene I've performed for the sake of my mission is over. From now on, I no longer give a damn about the stupid theatrics those idiots call their lives. 
"Tell me you don't want this, Vivianne..." Noah's breath warmed against my skin, his finger dragging against my aching clit, and his eyes locked on me. "I'll stop if you tell me to..." My waist arch, a soft moan slipping off my lips as he pushed two fingers inside me, a smirk curling at his lips.
I should push him away... I should curse him, but I couldn't. My body betrayed me. I wanted him, I hated to admit it. How could my body want the same man who ruined my life?
"No... Noah..." My breath stuttered, nails digging into the bed as desire washed over me.
"Do... don't... touch... argh! Right ther...e... Fuck! Please don't stop..."
"Where, V... Tell me where you want me to touch." He fingers moved inside me, teasing my inside.
"Ri...right there... Fuck!" My hips jerked up, pussy throbbing with pleasure, walls tightening on his fingers... right before my orgasm tore through me... 
WARNING: THIS BOOK MAY CONTAIN STEAMY AND SEXUAL CONTENT WHICH IS STRICTLY NOT FOR KIDS UNDER +18 "So the rules of the game is simple" he began. "For every glass of drink that I take, you'll remove one piece of clothing from your attire. If I pass out before you get completely naked, then I'll grant you one wish but if I don't, then I'm free to do whatever sinful thing I want with you for the rest of the night. No questions asked. Are you game?" A smile feathered on his lips as he stared at her, waiting for her final decision. He is the handsome, sexy and heartless devil. The sinner.She is the purest, innocent and beautiful angel.Two polar opposites, one single attraction.***Having lived in the convent all her life, Hera Whitson manages to secure a job as a maid in the household of Bryce Donovan. The inhuman sex god that has the entire female population at his feet. He lives for sex, he celebrates and relish the electricity of it with every fibre of his being and sees no better reason for being alive.One look at Hera and Bryce is smitten. She is like an addictive drug, a moth to a flame and he will do anything to get burned by her. Relinquished by her heat.What happens when Hera finds herself battling against her principles and sexual attraction for Bryce? Will she be caught in the web of Bryce's twisted game of lust? 
Emma Wilson, an office assistant at the lower rungs of the corporate ladder, had never imagined that a simple mistyped text could lead to her boss, CEO Michael Brown, standing at her doorstep in the wee hours. They spent the night together, a night Emma wished she could simply erase from her memory. Yet, in a twist straight out of a drama, Michael came forth with a shocking proposition—marriage. Thus, it came to be. Emma, exasperated, counted down, "I have only seven months and six days until I can call it quits." Michael, with a sly grin, retorted, "Oh, but I don't have the slightest intention of letting you go." 



Rose John, a supposed member of the esteemed John family, was widely recognized as an imposter. Expectations ran high for a showdown between the true and false daughters, but the initial round saw the genuine daughter, Molly John, suffer a surprising defeat.Confident in her lineage, Molly confronted Rose, declaring, "I am the real John daughter. Leave the family." Unperturbed, Rose casually discarded the property certificate, asserting her claim, "Sorry, the house is mine. Take your time."Undeterred, Molly retorted, "Your fiancé belongs to me. Step aside. I'm the true daughter." Rose nonchalantly replied, "I don't want that scum. You two are made for each other. I quit."Molly boasted of her wealthy family, but Rose swiftly retorted, "Your father was my father's driver. Who's truly rich and powerful?" Molly flaunted designer works, unaware that those very designers once considered Rose their mentor. While Molly schemed for the Best Actress title, Rose relied on her talent and charm.The public soon realized that whenever the true daughter attempted to deceive or outshine, she faced humiliating setbacks. Since the exposure of the imposter, Molly's reputation suffered, leaving her humiliated and her face metaphorically swollen.In the battle between the real and fake daughters, it became clear that authenticity triumphed over pretense. The saga of the John family continued, as the imposter's exposure forever altered the dynamics of their relationships. 


At the banquet, Dad decides to betroth me to Arthur Cullingham, the finance prodigy whom he has been supporting since the start.
At that time, I have no idea that Arthur's heart already belongs to someone else.
After that, Dad's company is found to be selling counterfeit products. This leads to the stock prices crashing immensely. Not only that, but Dad is also facing criminal charges.
Arthur quickly brings Celeste Snow, his first love, back into our home. He then tells me that he wants to give Celeste a proper title.
My mother-in-law, Rachel Anderson, berates me as well.
"Your family has filed for bankruptcy, not to mention you're an infertile loser! Why shouldn't my son marry another woman?"
Arthur pushes the divorce agreement in my direction. In a flippant tone, he says, "If you sign the agreement right now, I can still keep you around as long as you treat Celeste well."
Meanwhile, I've secretly booked a train ticket that'll take me far away from here.
Just seven more days, and I'll follow Dad southbound. 

Suzy Shirley and George Laine had been married for three years, but the two had never met, and very few people knew about it.At night, Suzy was the president’s wife, lying inside George’s villa, cuddling with his dog and on the sofa that he personally designed. In the daytime, Suzy was the private tutor George hired, who took wages from him, and was at his mercy as he enslaved her.Nonetheless, even though Suzy could be at George’s mercy, others should not dream of it. If someone insulted her, he would be there to support her. If anyone else bullied her, he would beat the person to a pulp and obliterate them!Gradually, everyone noticed that George was treating Suzy differently, a kind of concern and care an elder generation had toward a younger generation, but different. The guy seemed so sweet and filled with adornment toward the girl. George was a devilish tyrant who had left his evil past behind, but for her, he became firm and ruthless once more!Some had even noticed Suzy’s changes as well. For example, as someone from an ordinary family, she actually wore luxurious jewelry worth millions of dollars. Someone even said to her in envy, “Her sugar daddy must be rich!”Yet, Suzy looked back at them in disdain and scorned, “Sorry but this is from my own personal brand!” 
“Do you know how many nights I’ve thought about those? How I imagined sliding your dress up and seeing you in them… in my room, or my office… gagged so you wouldn’t scream my name?”
“Say the word, Renata,” he whispered, voice rough. “And I’ll have you right here… where anyone could knock. Where you could get caught with your husband’s father’s cock inside you.”
She gasped.
But she didn’t say no.
********
One reckless night. A stranger’s touch. Her ruin.
The night before her wedding, Renata surrendered to a man whose name she didn’t know… A man who made her tremble, moan, and beg for more in the shadows.
The next morning, he was at the wedding hall too…Watching her walk down the aisle to his son.
Domingo Serrano.
Powerful. Predatory. Possessive.
And he’s not done with her.
He wants her again. And again.
Once a week. No excuses. No escape.
But Renata isn’t just drowning in lust and shame.
She’s chasing answers. Her parents were murdered under the guise of an auto accident. The killer is hiding behind the walls of the Hidalgo empire.
Santiago, her charming husband, has secrets.
Lady Constanza, his mother, wears lies like pearls.
And Domingo? He’s the darkest of them all.
Now Renata’s playing with fire, and carrying a secret that could burn everyone:
She’s pregnant.
And she doesn’t know if the father is her husband… or his father. 

“Gabriel Bryce, how can you stand being so shameless?” Leonica asked, staring daggers at her atrocious husband and his mistress. “This is the house gifted to my by grandmother, yet you dare bring another woman into it? Aren’t you afraid that grandmother would be disappointed with you actions…? ”Leonica’s words remained unfinished as an enraged Gabriel swung his hand through the air, smacking his palm clean on her left cheek. Leonica held her throbbing cheek, eyes wide and teary as she stared at her husband who glared down at her ferociously. “The nerves of you to mention my grandmother. You have no right to do so!” He spat, taking a step forward and jabbing his index finger painfully into her shoulder, making her take several steps back. “Bare this in mind, Leonica Romero, if not for the wishes of my late grandmother, I’d much rather be dead than associate myself with somebody like you.”*~*~* *~*~*Leonica Romero has always had a long time crush on Gabriel Bryce, CEO of Bryce Empire and Norway’s Business tyrant. Fortunately, at the request of his Ill grandmother, her family’s long time friend, Leonica gets the chance to marry her beloved. Feeling elated, she abandoned her position and dream job in the Romero household and becomes a humble housewife for Gabriel. However, three years later, on the day of Gabriel’s grandmother’s funeral, Leonica is stunned speechless when he demands for a divorce, as his ex girlfriend Angelina Fernandez had suddenly returned, proclaiming her undying love for him. But that wasn’t the only shock Leonica received that day. Hours after Gabriel’s declaration for a divorce, Leonica wakes up in the hospital to a shocking news. She was two months pregnant. And Gabriel knew nothing about this! 

"You left these in my rover," he stated, shoving my panties into my hand. "Thought I should return them to you." "Do you want a thank you?" I snapped, quickly tucking the fabric into my pocket before any of my crew could see.*****Theodora Walker never claimed to be perfect. Especially when it came to her love life. The ex-military gunslinger made a name for herself as a galactic freelancer. Handling jobs from hunting down monsters to finding missing girls on her spaceship, Peacemaker, with her closest friends and the best damn crew she could ever want.As the Captain, she never expected to catch feelings for her mechanic, Mads, and tried to overcorrect it by having a one-night stand with a stranger.Now faced with more complications than she can handle she has to find a way to navigate her heart while also navigating the galaxy.The Captain, the Mechanic and the One Night Stand is created by Claire Wilkins, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author. 







“Amelia Murphy, you will pay what the Murphy family owes me!”The only thought that occupies Jasper Turner’s mind when he threw Amelia Murphy into a mental hospital just to torture and humilate her.Two years later, he married her in order to add more miseries in her life,“Why do you want to marry me now?” She asked him in a teary voice.He stared at her blankly, shook his head in disbelief and then said, “Don’t be delusional, It's just another way to make your life more miserable.”Although he had always hated her, he had never allowed anyone to hurt her except himself.Amelia Murphy endured everything and kept searching for the evidence that will prove the whole Murphy family innocent. Later, after so many hurdles she finally found the evidence of their innocence and threw them on Jasper Turner’s face. Her patience had already left her long back. She took a deep sigh when she got the flashes of her husband’s torturous behavior in front of her watery eyes. With hunched shoulders and defeated voice she told him, “I didn’t owe you anything Mr. Jasper. I never did.” At that moment Jasper realized that Amelia was much more than a mere revenge to him. He didn’t know when she became his whole world. The thought of her leaving him was not less than a nightmare to him. “Amelia, forgive me. I beg you, my love!” He whispered in her ear and then continued.” Don’t leave me, I won’t be able to live without you.”Listening to his plea, she gave a hurtful laugh, “ Do you think I will believe any of your words now?” “Amelia..” He started but she showed him her palm and then mumbled,” None of your theraterical drama will work on me, Jasper Turner.” “Just believe me one last time. Give me one last chance, please.” He folded his hands in front of her. The moment she turned to leave, his words stopped her in her tracks, “ Do you want our children to grow up without their father?” 