
![[ENG DUB] The Kiss Was Just the First Step](https://acfs3.goodshort.com/dist/src/assets/images/pc/common/f901131c-default-book-cover.png)
Serena Rivers spends three years in prison for a crime she didn't commit and uses every single day of it. She trains under four of the most formidable masters the underworld has ever produced and walks out as something entirely different from the woman who walked in. On her first day of freedom she corners the cold prison warden Xavier Stone against the water dungeon wall and kisses him without apology. He is her insurance policy and she knows it. Outside, the fake heiress has stolen her shares, her younger brother demands she kneel, and her former fiance has already moved on with a new bride. She tears up the rejection notice on the spot. Moments later, the Stone family motorcade arrives, the warden reveals himself as the family patriarch, and he shows up with a hundred billion in betrothal gifts and absolutely no intention of letting anyone touch her again. Together, they dismantle every person who had a hand in her three lost years.

Isabelle, the CEO of New York City’s Weston Group, wants to bring her elderly father, Jerry, from her hometown to the city so she can take care of him. Jerry hence sets out for the Big Apple, but neither father nor daughter expected that this journey would become a nightmare. No one knows that Jerry is Isabelle's father, and instead assume from his plain clothes that he’s a beggar or a pervert. Jerry suffers bullying and abuse by Weston Group’s employees and partners, until Isabelle finally arrives......

Finn Kennedy carries a blood curse that drives him mad every 13th of the month, making him violently dangerous. Only the blood or intimacy of a "Maiden of Pure Soul" can ease his suffering and break the curse. Without finding her, Finn faces death by age 30 or falls victim to his half brother Jax's schemes. When Finn meets Lucia Owens, the curse transfers to her. Though this should have been fatal for Lucia, the combination of Finn's daily acts of kindness, their true love, and the birth of their second child finally breaks the curse completely.

Raena, a top obstetrician, had been married to her husband Matthias for ten years, but she suffered bullying from her mother-in-law Sara due to infertility. Later, Matthias had an affair with a younger woman named Felice and made her pregnant. Raena accidentally discovered the truth at the hospital. Faced with her husband's betrayal, the provocations from the mistress, and the pressure from her mother-in-law, Raena transformed from a passive victim to an empowered fighter. She fought back through legal means, public opinion, and her professional skills, ultimately exposing the true colors of Matthias's family. She reclaimed her property and dignity and started a new life with Romero, a celebrity gossip reporter who had secretly loved her.

Layla Nott has been infatuated with Seth Upton since she was a teenager and even willingly gives him her vast inheritance to help him build Upton Group, transforming the Upton family into one of the most prominent families in Yeldon. However, ever since she married into the Upton family, her health has deteriorated. One day, after a visit for medical treatment, she returns home to find Seth fooling around with her stepsister, Sharon Black. Septh's mother, Susan Upton, is at home and clearly condones the affair. After being humiliated by Sharon and Susan, Layla is left shaken by Seth's confession—he has only ever been interested in her wealth and has never loved her. He has even purchased a massive life insurance policy on her and is now waiting for her death to cash in on the payout. Heartbroken by the revelation, Layla feels her life is pathetic. Impatient for her demise, Seth takes her to the rooftop and pushes her off. As she plunges to her death, Layla swears that if she were given another chance, she would exact her revenge and make sure they pay for their betrayal.

After Reanna lost her parents, Stefan Shawn became her guardian. Though feared by many for his ruthless nature, Stefan had one exception—Reanna. He indulged her every whim, once declaring, 'Nothing comes before my girl.' Even when she stirred up trouble or picked fights, Stefan would only smirk with pride and say, 'That's my Reanna, my rose.'

After running away from a forced high-society marriage, Sophia Lancaster accidentally spends one night with Alexander Sterling, a powerful billionaire who mistakes her for an ordinary woman. Their fake relationship begins as a contract, but as Sophia's hidden heiress identity is exposed and her past catches up with her, Alexander must choose between his family empire and the woman he has truly fallen for.

When I turn 20, my grandfather's old friend—now the richest man in the country—lays out photos of his grandsons in front of me. He says, "Pick one to be your husband." Without hesitation, I choose Nathaniel Chapman. Everyone in the room is stunned. After all, it's no secret I've always been hopelessly in love with George Chapman. I used to swear I'd marry no one but him. In my previous life, I got what I wanted—I married George. And because of that marriage, he inherited the lion's share of his grandfather's wealth. But after the wedding, he started an affair with my sister. My parents were furious and sent her abroad to study. George thought I was the one who exposed them. From then on, he hated me to my very core. Women came and went at his side, each one resembling my sister more than the last. The betrayal crushed me. I fell into deep depression. Later, he secretly replaced my medication with slow-acting poison. I died with a child in my womb—alone, bitter, and betrayed. Now, I've been reborn. This time, I choose to let them have each other. But what I don't expect is that George has been reborn too.

In her previous life, Hannah Watts was granted the highest noble title and lived in glory, while Liliana Watts became a young widow. Consumed by jealousy, Liliana murdered Hannah, but unexpectedly, both sisters were granted rebirth together, returning to the day they were both to be married.This time, Liliana fights to marry the financially ruined Keagan Randall, believing she can swap their destinies, unaware she's sending herself to her doom... In the previous timeline, Liliana suffered as a young widow living in hardship, while her unfavored sister Hannah became a Duke's wife, basking in endless glory. Liliana firmly believes her misfortune stems from marrying the wrong man. So in this second chance at life, Liliana desperately arranges to switch marriage partners with Hannah, thinking she can exchange their fates, not realizing she's walking down a path of no return.

The youngest female investor on Finance District refuses an arranged marriage with the Golden family. After a drunken night and being drugged, she's saved by her secret admirer and actual fiance, Keir Golden. He pretends to be a poor sugar baby, letting Clara "keep" him. A year later, when family business troubles force Clara to accept the arranged marriage, she tries to break it off with Keir, only to discover her sugar baby is actually her powerful fiance who saves her from the scheming McDowell family.

Miriam Kirk, a Venom Priestess from Spinegrove, faces a critical mission: she must conceive an heir within one year to become the next tribal leader. Carrying her mystical mutarite, a supernatural creature, she leaves her homeland searching for her destined partner. Her journey is fraught with unexpected challenges. In a twist of fate, the mutarite unexpectedly enters Bobby Puckett's body, launching Miriam and Bobby into a series of hilariously complicated and bizarre adventures that will test her sacred mission and challenge everything she knows about destiny.

Serena, heiress to the Klein family, married Nathaniel after six years together—unaware their perfect love was his revenge scheme. Years ago, Serena's father Victor stole Nathaniel's father's drug formula, killed him, and built his empire. Nathaniel faked deep affection to get close, plotting his revenge. Serena's world collapsed: her father imprisoned, her mother dead from the shock. On her mother's funeral day, Nathaniel attended an awards ceremony with actress Vanessa. He seized Klein Biotech, served Serena divorce papers, confessed all his lies, and left her with nothing—destroying her faith in love. With friend Sophie's support, Serena rebuilt her life. She worked from the bottom at Sophie's studio while connecting with her mother's lawyer, Alex, determined to uncover the truth and clear her father's name. She faced Vanessa's humiliation but struck back calmly, partnered with veteran journalist Lee, used media pressure against Nathaniel, and hunted for evidence proving her father's frame-up. Nathaniel planned his engagement to Vanessa, but Serena exposed her secrets—turning the celebration into a farce. Desperate, Nathaniel used his power to crush everyone around her. But with help from an old servant, Serena found her mother's clues and located key witness Old John, learning the truth: while Victor had his faults, Nathaniel's father had also stolen Klein's core technology—and Nathaniel's conviction evidence was forged. Armed with proof, Serena launched her final counterattack. Together with Alex, Lee, and Victor's former allies, she exposed Nathaniel's fabricated evidence and illegal financial dealings. Nathaniel landed in prison, Victor's sentence was dramatically reduced. Serena reclaimed Klein Group, became CEO, reformed the company, helped Sophie rebuild her studio, rose from the ashes, and stepped into her own future—free at last.

A zombie, who still retains human consciousness, adopts Ivy Hull, a former empress who's gotten reincarnated as a baby, when the blood moon is over. They keep each other company in their apartment located on the ninth floor. While the zombie dad controls zombie hordes and keeps evolving by devouring cores, Ivy practices the Glazed Breath Method and time control to become stronger so that she can protect her dad. Together, they strive to survive till the end of the apocalypse.

Amber Baker, the Lucia family's adopted daughter, was sweet and pretty-looking, yet she was forced into an absurd arranged marriage with White Group's CEO, who was old enough to be her grandfather. This loveless alliance made her a laughingstock among the elite. But Amber was no helpless damsel. On her wedding day, she ruined her wedding dress and fled, humiliating the Lucias. Enraged, they launched a city-wide manhunt. No one suspected she'd run to Mike Lucia—her adoptive uncle—who now shelters her under his wing.

Elena Jason was pushed into a blind date by her parents, only to unexpectedly meet the mysterious and charismatic Benjamin Gordon. They entered a fake marriage, and Benjamin's constant support whenever Elena faced trouble slowly made her develop real feelings for him. However, Zachary Osborne's manipulations and Emma Wood's schemes led to misunderstandings, making Elena doubt Benjamin. After many twists, Elena discovered Benjamin was the father of her child. In the end, Benjamin went to great lengths to save her, and after overcoming a series of challenges, they finally came together to face the future.

Eight years ago, Roy Jones proved his self-invented fighting style was the best in the world by tearing through twenty-two martial halls across Sealand in a single sweep. The victory cost him his wife. He left everything, moved to the bottom rung of the city, and became a rickshaw driver—anonymous, careful, devoted entirely to raising his infant daughter in peace. The life is hard and he endures it. Then one act of public decency puts him in the crosshairs of Bliz Martial Hall, and his daughter gets pulled into the danger with him. Roy stops enduring. He moves through every obstacle Bliz puts in front of him with the same quiet efficiency that once cleared twenty-two halls, and he brings his daughter home.

In Havenport, Xavier Shane has always been untouchable, shielded by his lawyer wife Zoey Gold, his fighter childhood friend Sarah Penn, and his brilliant younger sister Lydia Shane. But on his 29th birthday, his world shatters when Lydia is brutally assaulted in a dark alley and dies. The real blow comes in court, when Zoey stands for the killer, and Sarah forces Xavier to sign a settlement. Betrayed by the two women he trusted most, Xavier turns to the last thing his grandmother left him—a music box with a mysterious number. The moment he makes that call, the pampered prince starts to become something far more dangerous.

Lucas Brown went to jail for love, yet all he got in return was indifference and betrayal. The fires of rage engulf the heavens and earth... All who dare cross him will soon pay the price!