11 Minutes

Two ancient royal bloodlines survived the fall of empires — not in castles or crowns, but in billion-dollar corporations and global influence. In the dazzling metropolis of Aurora Country, the Vale and Albourne families remain as symbols of wealth, power, and legacy. Bound by a centuries-old friendship, their alliance is now cemented in secret: a marriage contract between their only heirs. Valerie Vale, 22, the unseen princess, lives quietly as a team leader in the creative design department at AV Tech, the flagship company owned by both families. Free-spirited, bright, and hidden from the public to protect her rare lineage, she loves her ordinary life — and has no plans to give it up. Leon Albourne, 23, is Aurora’s golden boy. Nicknamed “The Perfect Prince,” he’s admired for his brilliance, composure, and leadership. Every move he makes is under scrutiny — except the most important one of all: marrying Valerie Vale in secret, on the eve of her 23rd birthday. Now, they must live together under one roof. To the world, Leon is married — but no one knows to whom. To each other, they are bound by duty — and three house rules. But behind Leon’s cold gaze is a truth hidden for 11 years — he’s loved Valerie since the moment they met. And now, the game begins.

13 years ago, she was a naive, innocent, bubbly girl who fell in love with her senior and wrote a love letter to him in her diary, 'You are the most handsome person I've ever met. Uhm... My brother is also handsome but he is my brother. So, let us get back to the point. Since you are so good-looking, I feel like I'm in love. How about I marry you after growing up? Won't you consider yourself lucky?' 13 years later, she was referred to as a demoness; she was way too cold, no longer the naive girl she used to be, she has become a mystery that people spoke of but no one has ever seen. But in all these circumstances, what remained the same was that the little girl in her memory was as narcissistic as the adult who proposed to a stranger, 'Let's get married, I'm a goddess, you know?' So, where did her usual aloof self go? Was it because handsome men were her weakness? Or was it just that one man?! ... Out of nowhere, Tang Li proposed marriage to a stranger she’d met just 15 minutes ago. Confident and quirky, she called herself a one-in-a-million goddess and offered him a carefree life as her househusband. Stunned but intrigued, he asked, “Why me?” She simply said he pleased her pretty eyes. His heart skipped a beat as he replied, “Only if you take no concubines.” Tang Li, a beautiful woman with breathtaking black long hair and hazel eyes, everyone talks about but no one’s seen, just stunned Mo Yuhan, the hot and happening CEO of Mo Empires and the most eligible bachelor...Cold? No, he is a thousand-year-old iceberg..... But what happens when Miss Mystery proposes to Mr. CEO...?

My husband, Alex Walter, was the head of the Bodyguard Association. When I was about to be killed by the kidnappers, he was comforting his childhood crush, Susan Miller, who was sobbing in his arms. While the kidnappers stopped for a meal, I called Alex five times calmly. He was angry when he finally answered. "Susan was just rescued from the kidnappers, and she needs me. If you want me to come home, stop using your own kidnapping as some excuse to compete for attention. It is pathetic!" Hearing Susan's sweet and delicate voice in the background, I had no time to argue with him. Instead, I called the Bodyguard Association. The operator informed me that Alex had pulled all the city's bodyguards away thirty minutes earlier to rescue Susan. When the kidnappers returned, they mocked Alex's heroic efforts to save Susan, mobilizing the entire force for her. If I remember correctly, this was Susan's twenty-eighth kidnapping this month. As the kidnappers approached me with guns and tasers, I closed my eyes in despair. Before I died, I used all my strength to send Alex one last text message, [No matter what, I loved you. Move on from me.]

“Let’s get this over with, I have things to do. Just so you understand, I need a strong and BEAUTIFUL Luna by my side. I, Alpha Cullen Niles, of the Ironclaw Pack, reject you, Rebel Lawson, as my mate and Luna.” Instantly, my chest feels like it is ripped open and gutted. The pain is the worst I’ve ever felt. But I refuse to show pain in front of Alpha Cullen. I stay rigid and force my face not to react. Roxie is howling in desperation, because she wants her mate and he just rejected us, causing her immense pain too. The sooner I accept, the sooner we can move on. “I, Rebel Lawson, accept your rejection.” It was like a final death blow. I see Alpha Cullen grab his chest, taking deep breaths. Then after a couple of minutes he stood straight up. I still haven’t moved. Bearing all the pain until Roxie and I can be alone. “You will not mention this to anyone, do you understand?” As much pain as I was in, I couldn’t muster up the strength to say yes, so I just nodded. “Good, I can’t have people knowing I was mated to such a she-wolf.” With that, he turned and walked away. I turned and went back to the lake, sat down next to my guitar and then the barriers crumbled. I held on to my chest and cried for hours. Roxie feeling weak from the rejection, retreated to the back of my mind. She was still talking to me, but it was much quieter. I felt so incredibly alone. Fated mates were supposed to love each other, no matter what. He was supposed to protect, cherish and love me. However, I never felt more unwanted and alone.

“We didn’t say a word before we both crashed into each other’s arms and started making out. I jumped on him, and he grabbed me. We barely made it to the bed before we started tearing each other apart. It was wild. It was intense. And I didn’t want it to end. For about twenty minutes, he did things to me that had me screaming until my voice gave out, and I passed out. The next time I opened my eyes, it was morning. I was sober again... but I had no idea what a naked stranger was doing in my bed!” Viola Sterling is a billionaire heiress whose life suddenly takes a hit when her family goes bankrupt. She becomes homeless, and as if that isn't enough, she catches her boyfriend cheating the very same day. Heartbroken and drunk, she tries to numb the pain… only to wake up the next morning with a naked stranger in her bed. Turns out, he’s a billionaire who couldn’t afford a scandal. He arrogantly pays her for her silence and disappears, leaving her embarrassed. She thinks that’s the end of it until she turns up at her new guardian’s house and gets the shock of her life. The naked stranger? He’s their son. They vow to remain strangers. But when Viola discovers she’s pregnant, everything changes. To protect their families' reputations, they agree to marry. To their families, it’s an arranged marriage. To them, it’s a contract, strictly business. And it comes with just a rule… Never to fall in love!

Emma Hart thought she led an ordinary life—until a single mysterious message changes everything. When her phone flashes a countdown and a distorted voice warns her not to look outside, Emma realizes she’s caught in a deadly game she doesn’t understand. Shadows move faster than any human, storms rage with unnatural fury, and the city she calls home becomes a maze of fear and secrets. With only twelve minutes to act, Emma must uncover who—or what—is hunting her, why she was chosen, and how to survive when time itself seems to be against her. Racing against a relentless enemy, she discovers hidden powers, buried truths, and the shocking revelation that the world is far more dangerous than anyone could imagine. The Last Signal is a pulse-pounding thriller that blends suspense, supernatural mystery, and heart-stopping tension, asking one question: when the clock is ticking, who can you trust—and who is already watching from the shadows?

Imagine standing in your white dress, 20 minutes to your wedding and your boyfriend of 4 years and supposed soon to be husband walks in and tells you it was all a mistake and he doesn't want to marry you anymore. You're devastated, because everyone is in the hall waiting for you, both the same people that have mocked you for being in a relationship that was heading nowhere; you should have listened to them. Now you run out crying, after begging him in tears to please consider taking you back (I'm such a fool) You're in the garden crying and you meet his hot half brother and you both share his cigarette. Now he has a proposal. To save you from shame and for personal reasons for him; He's asking you marry him. But it doesn't end there, because you never knew that he was in the Mafia, a top ranker at that, and he has obsession issues. He will literally kill anyone he dares to look at you, he will protect you, even take a bullet or two for you, but there's a catch. You must not fall in love with him. Sounds crazy right? Well let's go

She stripped herself naked before him, baring not just her body but whatever it was left of her dignity. "Isn't this what you wanted, like all the other Alphas?" She asked him, her voice trembling with pain and contempt. He stood frozen as he beheld the figure before him. And after a few minutes, picked up her robe and wrapped it gently around her. Then he walked away. She wasn't just a woman and her body which he had just seen was a sin - the kind that made time pause and had men under it's hypnotic influence. And for the first time in his life, he had felt something stir within him. His body had betrayed him, rising with a hunger that terrified him. It wasn’t just lust. It was raw and ferocious. For her and only her… his desire finally woke up. --- They say the Bloodmoon brings out the worst in beasts. For him, it made him Alpha. For me, it made me hunted. When I was chosen as a tribute to the Bloodmoon Hunt, I expected to finally have a mate. After being rejected five times by my previous ones. But what I didn't expect... was it to be him. Alpha Denzel: brutal, cold and cursed by the moon itself. Everyone fears him. They say he's unlovable and untamable. Because of his tyranny. But I’m not everyone. And I’ve got a beast of my own. That beast of an Alpha is mine to tame. Or destroy. Whichever comes first.

My girlfriend was a police officer. One day, I got kidnapped, and the explosives on my body were ten minutes away from detonating when the kidnappers ordered me to call her. Instead of worry, all I got was relentless scorn and a tongue-lashing. "Caleb, are you seriously doing this right now? How could you be so petty and jealous when a life is on the line?! Lucas' cat is in danger. It has been stuck on a tree for three days, and that cat is as important to him as his own life! "If I don't save them in time, you'll be the one at fault!" Over the line, I heard the voice of a young man that sounded, to my ears, anything but genuine. "Thank you Jamie, you're the best!" That man was my girlfriend's childhood friend, Lucas White. Before the bomb exploded, I sent her a final message. [I hope we never see each other again. Not in this life, and not in the next.]

It was finally the day of the auction "And now we are presented with a human who looks a little unkempt right now, but with a little care from her owner would be as good as new" the hosts voice rang over the speakers in what seemed like a dungeon used for illegal gambling. But I couldn't look much, being locked in a basement for three months without any form of light coming in, and suddenly being on stage where all attention and the center light was on me was enough to just make me shut my eyes and wait for what was to come. "We'll start with $25,000" is that really my worth. Do I really amount to nothing, that I have to be sold at an auction. "$26,000" "$26,500" "$30,000" "$30,000, is there anyone who wants to bid higher? Going once, going twice... This went in for a few more minutes and I gave up hope. This was it, this is where my life journey ends. I will get sold here then if my buyer is an organ trafficker he would probably kill me and sell off my organs. "Five hundred million dollars" a deep manly voice grunted from the corner of the room "Wow that's a very high bid...I doubt if anyone is willing to go higher than that. Going once, going twice, sold. Congratulations Mr Jimmie Hendrix, you just won yourself a hot looking toy...everyone is left to wonder what you will be doing with her tonight." Jimmie who was sitting in a dark corner of the room gave a sinister smirk and uttered under his breath "Found you!!!"