Squid Fame

“A contract bound them together. A secret could tear them apart.” In the glamorous world of fame, betrayal is the sharpest weapon. Once Stardom Heights' golden girl, Scarlet Elle Sinclair had it all—until the people she trusted most shattered her career, her reputation, and her life. Left with nothing but a tarnished name, she’s offered an unexpected deal by a ruthless billionaire with secrets of his own. His terms? He will help her reclaim her career and exacting revenge— for a price. With Scarlet playing the game of power and deception, the line between ambition and obsession is blurred. And when forbidden desire ignites between her and Grayson, she’ll be forced to ask herself: Is revenge worth the price of love? When the truth is finally revealed, Scarlet will have to make the ultimate decision: redemption or destruction?

At 18 years old, our families offer my best friend—Roxanne Reed—and me to two werewolves. I'm paired with the cold Alpha Lucian Nightshade, while she's matched with the violent warrior Aiden Steele. Despite the elders' opposition, Lucian grants me, a mere human, the position of Luna. Yet on the night of the ceremony, he abandons me at the altar to save Seraphina and form a mate bond with her instead. Aiden similarly delays his ceremony for Seraphina, warning Roxanne to rein in her defiance. We exchange knowing glances and smile. It's time to teach these savage werewolves a lesson. We make our decision on the spot to call off the engagements. With nothing but the jewelry we have, we establish ourselves in Pollyland. I become the film industry's most captivating new star with the most compelling backstory, while Roxanne becomes my formidable ace of an agent. Together, we thrive spectacularly in the world of fame and fortune. Two years later, outside my new movie's celebration party, dozens of Maybachs silently block all exits. I receive a text from an unknown number. "Game over." I tell Roxanne to take everyone and leave through the back door first. As I turn around, I collide with an ice-cold embrace. Lucian lowers his head, his golden eyes now bloodshot. His voice is hoarse and filled with madness as he says, "Eleanor, come back with me."

At the family dinner over the holidays, Elias Barrett has given all of our relatives and their children thick wads of cash. When it's my turn, he just frowns at me. "We've been together for so long. What's the point in going through the motions? You're the one managing the finances, so you can just withdraw what you need from the account." I merely nod without saying anything. But soon, I notice a text message from his bank popping out on the notifications' list. "You have transferred 1,430 dollars to Jamie Sutton. Remark: Babe, happy holidays. XOXO Elias." It turns out that Elias' anti-formalism rule is meant for me, not others. I don't bother starting a fight or throwing a tantrum. Instead, I just cancel the booking on my wedding venue that will be used next month. After that, I shred the kidney donation consent form meant for Elias into pieces. Once the holidays are over, I'm not going to extend Elias' life for him anymore.

My girlfriend, Bethany Olsen, and I are known as the two pillars of the surgical department. Bethany is an extremely skilled surgeon who has developed her own unique surgical method. Meanwhile, I'm well-known for being able to deal with all sorts of complications and side effects, no matter how tough they are. Throughout our five years of relationship, Bethany keeps her guard around me to prevent me from learning her techniques. She refuses to let me watch her surgical footage. Even if we end up in the same surgery, she'll always hide the most critical step from me. She does all this simply because she's afraid that I might steal her job. Later on, my mom becomes terribly ill. Only Bethany is capable of performing a life-saving surgery on her. I get down on my knees and beg Bethany desperately to save my mom. Yet, she refuses to operate on my mom, no matter what. Bethany even sneers at me. "It so happens that your mom falls ill at such a right timing, eh? I think you just want me to operate on her right in front of you so that you can learn my techniques!" In the end, my mom's heart stops beating in the ICU. When I'm dealing with the postmortem process, I accidentally overhear Bethany's conversation with a colleague. "Gregory kneeled before you today, Bethany. I can't believe you still listened to Seth's advice by not performing the surgery on Mdm. Webber." Bethany says nonchalantly, "Actually, I was starting to doubt myself. Thank goodness Seth told me that it's almost time for our work performance to get evaluated. I'm very sure Gregory is trying to seize the opportunity to climb the career ladder. As if I'll let him have his way! "Besides, Gregory isn't my student at all. If anything does happen to his mom, I can take the liberty to let Seth handle it. I've already taught him everything I know, so right now, he lacks a patient to test his skills on." It turns out that Bethany isn't afraid of me stealing her job. It's just that I'll always be an outsider to her. I just turn on my heel and walk away without saying anything. After all, I still have to see my mom off one last time. As for Bethany, she has nothing to do with me the moment she refuses to perform the surgery on my mom.

“I can’t stop myself. You consume me Olivia , all of you!” Olivia Murray finally finds love at a cost after a series of failed relationships and a cheating fiance. She cannot deny her attraction to the one man she knows she can't be with, Leonard Devine, a mysterious man who hides his true identity. A relationship birthed on secrets, lies, and getting revenge, Olivia and Leonard find themselves breaking their one rule- falling in love. Olivia found herself heartbroken again, but decided enough was enough, she sort out for revenge, but it was expensive and it demanded everything from her. From trying to get revenge from her ex fiance who cheated on her to falling in love with one who would ruin her. But will this love stand when she finally learns of the truth about who he really is? And his mission to take down her family for their crimes? Leonard's secret identity turns out to be one of the many secrets kept hidden from her. Or is he truly the one in the dark? “She knew. Fuck!”

Renata has three problems: a sick mother, an unpaid rent notice, and a dream she refuses to let die. A self-taught boxer with raw talent and no formal backing, Renata has been training in secret for months with one goal in mind — winning the city's most prestigious boxing tournament and using the prize money to keep her family from losing everything. The only problem is that Coach Peterston won't let her near the roster. She's a girl, she's untrained on paper, and the rules aren't built for someone like her. When her best friend Edwina reveals that Drent Ardent — the legendary boxer behind the tournament and the most magnetic man in the city — is quietly in town ahead of the finals, Renata sees her only opening. She doesn't expect Drent to see through her in under two minutes. She especially doesn't expect him to be that beautiful. Drent Ardent has everything the world can see and nothing he actually wants. The heir to his family's boxing empire, he's been handed an ultimatum by his father's board — produce a visible, credible relationship before the year ends or forfeit his inheritance. He has come to this city to breathe, to escape the suffocation of expectation, and to run a tournament that was supposed to be simple. Drawn to her in a way he can't explain and unwilling to examine too closely, Drent makes Renata an offer she has every reason to refuse. What begins as a clean transaction between two people who need something from each other refuses to stay clean. Drent is used to wanting things and acquiring them. Renata is used to surviving and nothing else. One year. One deal. One fight that will change both of their lives.