pretend synonym

Theodore Thatcher is a man used to getting what he wants—money, power, control. As a self-made billionaire, There's one thing he can't easily claim—his inheritance. To secure it, he must marry before turning 30. With no interest in commitment, Theodore decides to solve the problem his way—by making a deal with Nadia Vaccaro. Nadia, desperate to help her sick brother and pay off mounting medical bills, has no choice but to agree when Theodore offers her a proposition she can’t refuse: pretend to be his wife, and in return, he’ll cover her brother’s medical expenses. It’s a cold, transactional arrangement. No emotions. No complications. Just a game. But as their lives intertwine, the lines between what’s real and what’s fake begin to blur. Nadia finds herself drawn to Theodore, the man who holds her fate in his hands, while Theodore discovers that his feelings toward Nadia might not be as indifferent as he thought. With everything at stake, Nadia must decide: will she remain in Theodore’s game, or will she walk away before it consumes her? And Theodore, for all his wealth and control, must face the truth of what he’s willing to sacrifice to keep the woman who has become more than just a pawn in his game.

Heartbroken. Betrayed. Determined to start over. When aspiring chef Evelyn Hayes discovers her fiancé in bed with her best friend, her world falls apart. Leaving behind her small-town life, she heads to New York City, vowing to focus on her dreams—and never let love get in the way again. But fate has other plans. Enter Damian Blackstone: a billionaire playboy with a ruthless reputation and a family determined to force him into a commitment he’s not ready for. His solution? A deal with Evelyn—pretend to be his girlfriend and help him get his mother off his back, and he’ll jumpstart her culinary career. What begins as a simple arrangement soon sparks undeniable chemistry, testing both their hearts and their limits. As the lines between pretense and passion blur, Evelyn fights to protect her heart, while Damian grapples with feelings he never expected. Will Evelyn and Damian find the courage to embrace the love they never saw coming? Or will their carefully constructed façade crumble under the weight of their growing feelings? The Chef and the Charmer is a slow-burn romance full of betrayal, humor, and the kind of sparks you can’t fake.

Have you met identical twins that are so identical you can hardly tell them apart?  Well?... Imagine getting married to one twin, but due to a string of events beyond your control, you end up in bed with your husband's twin.  Ariana Gray just wanted a night of passion with her husband, hoping to salvage her marriage, which was on the brink of collapse, but she ended up sleeping with her husband's twin.  Ariana thought since the bastard took advantage of her ignorance and had his way with her, they could just pretend it never happened and return to how everything was previously, but what happens when her brother-in-law decides that once isn't enough?  What happens when the jerk blackmails her that he would tell her husband she was the one who seduced him? Would Ariana accept this sinful offer, or would she risk it all and tell her husband the truth? What happens when she becomes pregnant? Who is the father of her baby? ***  Kaden Hunt was the cursed twin of the Hunt family. After a monk told his grandfather, who was very superstitious, that one of the twins would destroy all his legacy and make him bankrupt and that he, Kayden, was the bad seed, he was treated like scum by his family and was always hidden from the outside world.  What happens when Kayden finally gets a chance to leave the shadows? What happens when he becomes the main character of the story? Would he make them pay or would he return back to them a hundredfold of everything they did to him?

Czahryna "Yna" Torres' world shatters when her mother is diagnosed with cancer. Desperate for a lifeline, she strikes an unlikely deal with Julian Piers Ortiz—a billionaire shackled by his father’s demands. Julian offers to fund her mother’s treatment, but in return, she must pretend to be his lover. What starts as a cold arrangement soon turns into something dangerously real. Yna falls hard, and just when she dares to believe in love, the truth is exposed. Betrayed and powerless against Julian’s ruthless father, she vanishes—taking with her a secret that could change everything. Four years later, Yna returns, now a mother to a four-year-old daughter and determined to keep her past buried. But fate has other plans—her new boss is none other than Julian. Worse, he’s engaged to another woman. Julian is torn. The woman who once shattered him is back, reigniting emotions he thought he buried. But when he notices the uncanny resemblance between himself and Yna’s daughter, suspicion turns into obsession. He demands the truth, but Yna refuses to give in. Now, Julian must make a choice—honor the engagement that secures his future or risk everything to reclaim the woman and child who should have been his all along. Love. Lies. Redemption. When the past collides with the present, will Julian fight for his second chance, or will fate rip them apart once more?

Amber Cole is a 31-year-old stripper. With her prime years in the industry slipping away, she’s aware that soon her looks will no longer be enough to make the money she needs to survive. Struggling with her self-worth and looking for a way out, Amber’s world is about to be upended when she meets Ryan Carter, a cold, successful businessman from Chicago. Ryan, reeling from his fiancée's betrayal, is forced into a bizarre deal by a clause in his late grandfather’s will: he must marry and stay married for one year. When his best friend, Tom, suggests he hire a stripper to pretend to be his fiancée, Ryan reluctantly agrees. He picks Amber, offering her $500,000 for her time. Unaware of the deep complexities of her own emotions, Amber agrees, seeing the money as her ticket to a fresh start. Despite their differences — Ryan's polished world of wealth and Amber's gritty, down-to-earth life — they are drawn into a tense, fiery dynamic that forces both to confront their prejudices and assumptions. Amber start their arrangement, initially unaware of the emotional journey she’s about to embark on. As she undergoes a transformation, both physically and emotionally, Ryan begins to question his initial perception of her, discovering that beneath her tough exterior, Amber is more than just a stripper. As the months pass, their relationship evolves from contractual obligation to something far more complicated. Sparks fly, but so do their insecurities. Amber finds herself falling for Ryan, but can she ever be the woman he needs her to be? And can Ryan truly let go of his past and embrace the real, messy woman Amber has become?

"You're here to play nurse, not to pretend you care," he snapped, his cold gaze locking onto hers. "And you are here to waste your life because it's easier than fighting for it," she shot back, her voice shaking but defiant. He wheeled closer, his jaw clenched. "Don't think for a second that you can fix what is so broken." I'm not here to fix you," she whispered, her eyes unrelenting. "I'm here because I believe there's more to you than this bitterness. He was the untouchable golden boy of his family, a magnetic presence destined to inherit a sprawling empire. His charm, his power, and his perfection made him unstoppable until a car crash shattered his life and left him confined to a wheelchair. His once-loyal followers turned their backs, leaving him drowning in the bitterness of betrayal. She was living proof of her family-a forgotten daughter whose dreams of becoming a doctor kept her sane amidst years of neglect. All she wanted in life was freedom, but fate had other plans. Forced into a contract marriage with the epitome of misery, she found herself engulfed in a battle she never asked for. Their worlds collide in a storm of resentment and vulnerability. Underneath his bitterness, though, lies the ruins of a man who had everything to lose-and the dim hope of someone who could help him find it again. As she works her way through his fury, and he pushes against her kindness, a bond forms-a bond neither expected. But with jealous rivals scheming in the shadows and old wounds threatening to tear them apart, their fight for love becomes a war for survival. Can two broken souls find strength in each other, or will the scars of their pasts destroy them both?

"Say you love me," Gabriel growled, his body slamming into mine with brutal force. I bit my lip hard, tears welling in my eyes. ‘No,’ I managed to whisper, my voice barely audible. He thrust harder, as if trying to consume me. "Just say it. Pretend for once." "Never." I swallowed the moan rising in my throat. In the midst of his frantic thrust, we both reached a climax. It was absurd-- two people who hated each other so deeply, yet perfectly attuned in bed. We'd known each other for ten years, but Gabriel’s hatred for me was palpable. He blamed me for the deaths of his mother and brother, making me the scapegoat for his grief and rage. He made things difficult for me, treating me like his personal plaything. But I loved him, secretly. A love poisoned by pain and humiliation, suffocating me all the time. Then, one day, he pressed a trembling kiss to my lips and pleaded, "Camille, don’t leave me. Never."

Hazel, an omega with healing powers, has endured more heartbreak than most can imagine. Orphaned, rejected, and divorced, she was cast out by her husband after curing him of an incurable illness—only to inherit the same sickness herself. Her only chance at survival lies in healing the enigmatic, cold Alpha, Elijah, a man suffering from amnesia and a shattered wolf. To save him, Hazel must pretend to be his missing wife, Anna—a woman he despise. How long can Hazel’s frail body sustain the lie? What will happen when Elijah finds his true mate? And when Hazel’s ex-husband returns, seeking her forgiveness, will she allow him back into her life, or will she finally seek the revenge she’s longed for? Can love truly overcome hatred, destiny, and even death itself?

Selene Carter, a human journalist on a mission to uncover a pack of undercover werewolves who secretly run the city gets killed in the process, under the full moon. She wakes up in the body of Raven Blackwell, the late mate of her murderer, Alpha Kieran Wolfe and is trapped in a dangerous world that she doesn't understand and must pretend to be Raven in order to survive and not be killed for a second time. 

The arrival of a marriage contract is a huge nightmare for Luis, one that will change his life. He will be bound to the woman he despises so much and never wished to marry. And to get the inheritance he longs for, he asked the woman to pretend that they are a happy couple. Along with their pretense, they are also processing the annulment of their marriage. But unfortunately, they will gradually fall in love with each other. Which will prevail, their annulment or their love for each other?