11 Minutes Paulo Coelho

Marco Regnante knows what it means to have led a hard life. Taken away from his family and sold to a cartel. Then forced to fend for himself and fight in an underground boxing ring before his teens, only to be thrown onto the road and left to die. He survived due to one reason alone: a group of boys saving his life. Nearly fifteen years later, adopted by the Regnante family, he has grown to be one hell of a man and the protege of the world's most ruthless Mafia Boss. Marco is a man for casual flings to sate his carnal desires, whereas his friends constantly attempt to set him up. Something which he finds irking because it's "Always flings. Never commitment."Now, throw into the mix, the 22-year-old Sofia Giordano, the Mafia daughter who was almost sold as a sex slave, and saved by the enemy, then thrust onto Marco as his responsibility; a direct order from The Boss. He is a man that leaves for work at 9 a.m and returns late at 11 p.m, and all he wants is peace and quiet to help him unwind for the day. But with Sofia around, he can wave peace goodbye, that girl dragging chaos with her wherever she walks. Something...which tests patient Marco's limitations--which happen to be wearing thin. After weeks and months of spending time together, they manage a routine and start to warm up to one another, and just when they think that things couldn't get any better, what happens when they find out Marco isn't who he claims to be? That he is not the man he thinks he is? That his reality is far worse than it actually seems? Forcing him to choose between what is right, and what is most dear.

Athena is a little unorthodox. Always wearing black, baggy clothes and her hair in a messy bun, she isn’t the epitome of femininity. Nor does she share the same interests of her female pack members. She used to be extremely close with the Alpha twins, Jake and Jerry, until they cast her aside like the flip of a switch at the age of 6. The entire pack followed suit, tormenting her on a daily basis. The once friendly, funny and sweet Athena turned into a loner with a grudge and trust issues. Millie is Athena’s best friend and transfers to her pack for the semester. Her carefree and feisty nature, in combination with Athena’s protective instincts, are a recipe for disaster in a pack like blood moon. Especially for the pack outcast. Her beatings and bullying are taken up a notch, until she has been reduced to nothing but a shell of her actual self. Until she finds out that her father is cheating on her mother, that is. Her life starts to spiral, fast, and she finds her self-control slipping. She is no longer able to hide the wolf that she has successfully kept hidden for 11 years. Fleeing her pack and finding refuge at red runner, Athena begins to heal again. While her hatred for blood moon, especially Jake and Jerry, continues to grow, the twins come to find out that not everything turned out to be as it seemed when they started tormenting her. Is it too little, too late? While they now try to fight for her attention, so do the warlock prince and the Lycan prince, who have all taken an interest in the unconventional girl. But what happens when 2 dark, dangerous, and extremely handsome twins join the party?

Orphaned at birth, Lena Warrick spent twenty years locked away in a secluded academy, training to be a warrior. Her heart longed to be free, to escape far away from the village of Lucania! A strange force beckoned her, making her restless to escape! Maybe it was an impossible dream! She was the chosen Luna for Ajax, the future Alpha of the Luceres Pack. His father, Alpha Atticus, promised to divulge her identity only if she gave in. There was no other way than to surrender. However, on the eve of the Luna Ceremony, their pack was attacked by the most powerful group of warriors led by their indomitable Alpha, Zephyrus. In a matter of minutes, he overpowered them, leaving her at his mercy as a war prisoner. After twenty years, Zephyrus Averoff returned to his village, Lucania, to avenge the death of his family and pack at the hands of the ruthless Alpha Atticus. Soon he wiped out the enemy and reclaimed his land, his pack. What about the prisoner he had captured whom his wolf, Zeus, already acknowledged as his mate? To what extent will Lena go to know her true identity? Why couldn’t she accept the mate bond between them? What would Zephyrus do when the dark secrets of her past are out? Would he accept the enemy, reject her, or claim her as his mate? The first book of the Overpowered Series, this story can be read as a standalone book.

Right after I am done with a meeting, I scroll through social media and come across a warning post with my company's location tagged. The title reads, "Avoid this place! Anyone who comes here is a sucker. The company is so stingy that it can't even provide decent snacks." The photos show the Starbucks drinks and five-star desserts I just asked my assistant to distribute to everyone. I frown and tag everyone in the group chat, asking for suggestions about the teatime snacks. A Gen Z intern, Alice Grimes, immediately sends a voice message, "No offense, Ms. Knox, but these mass-produced desserts are full of trans fats. Even dogs wouldn't eat them. A good company would hire Kitchelin chefs to cook on-site. Now that's called having true respect for employees." I laugh in disbelief. My company spends 50 dollars per person on daily tea time, which is considered top-tier in the industry. So, I reply, "Since it's hard to please everyone, we'll cancel teatime from now on and convert it into a cash allowance for everyone." Less than five minutes later, there is a new update in the social media post. "Guys, you won't believe this. I made a reasonable suggestion, and the petty boss just cut our teatime perk! This is how a typical capitalist behaves. They can't handle any honest feedback."

My mother-in-law was rushed to the hospital with sudden chest pain and sent straight into emergency surgery. However, my wife, who was the head of the thoracic department, insisted that her clueless young male apprentice be the lead surgeon instead. The apprentice stood in front of the operating table. He couldn’t even recognize half of the surgical instruments laid out before him. He pouted and fidgeted a little. “I forgot again…” My wife just smiled indulgently at him. Even though the patient’s chest had been opened, she patiently spent ten minutes explaining the instruments to him before the surgery finally began. In the end, the apprentice’s hand trembled, and he accidentally punctured the tumor. Terrified, he let out a sharp scream and threw himself into my wife’s arms. To console him, my mother-in-law’s only chance at survival was gone, and she died right there on the operating table. My wife walked out of the operating room, supporting her badly shaken apprentice, and glanced at me indifferently. “Before you take your mother’s body away, provide an affidavit of non-prosecution to the hospital. Your mom couldn’t have been saved anyway. Anthony is still young. His future can’t be ruined because of your mother.” Only then did I realize that she thought the person lying on that operating table was my mother. I chuckled and said, “I'm afraid I'm not qualified to do that.”

What makes a hero? They say a hero is someone that has given his life to something bigger than himself. I say a hero is no braver than an ordinary man, he is just braver for five minutes longer. All soldiers are brave, it's what they do with their bravery that makes them heroes. Am I a hero? Clayton Jackson dedicated his life to serving his country. Enlisting in the Marine Corps at the young age of eighteen, he never imagined following any other path. However, fate had other plans for him as a life-altering accident during his last deployment left him disabled and forces him to return home. Hiding in the small town he grew up in, Clayton tries to keep his secret from his loved ones at all costs. One day while seeking refuge from his troubled mind, his path crosses with Isabella Jones. Their connection is instantaneous as if the universe conspired to bring them together. Isabella, a mysterious and enigmatic woman, is haunted by the demons from her own past. As their relationship quickly blossoms, the unspoken truths between them threaten to tear them apart. When Clayton is presented with the opportunity to rejoin the Marine Corps, Isabella is faced with a decision: whether to accompany him or remain behind. Caught in this web of secrets and lies, they try to navigate their love through the murky waters, desperately hoping to find solace in each other's arms. But will love be enough to conquer the shadows that lingered in their hearts? Or would the truth ultimately be their undoing?

Right after finishing a meeting, I opened a forum and saw a warning post. The location tag was our company. The title read: “Red flag! What a cheap company. Anyone who joins is a total sucker. They can’t even afford a decent coffee break.” The photo attached showed the expensive coffee and five-star desserts I had just asked my assistant to distribute to everyone. I frowned and tagged the entire group chat, asking if anyone had suggestions about the afternoon tea. A Gen-Z intern who had just joined, Julian Hayes, instantly replied with a voice message: “Boss, no offense, but these assembly-line desserts are full of trans fats. Nobody would eat them.” “A truly humane company hires a Michelin chef to cook and slice everything fresh on site. That’s what real respect for employees looks like.” I laughed in disbelief. Our company’s daily coffee break budget was thirty dollars per person—already considered top-tier in the industry. So I replied, “Since it’s impossible to satisfy everyone’s taste, we’ll cancel afternoon tea from now on and convert the budget into cash for everyone instead.” Less than five minutes later, that post was updated: “Guys, can you believe this? I made a perfectly reasonable suggestion and the lame boss immediately canceled the whole coffee break perk! This is the true face of corporate greed—can’t handle even a little bit of honesty!”

“You smell like mine.” Lyra never believed the legends about Lycans. They said those monstrous, feral creatures with strength far beyond wolves. But when she tries to save a child from a rogue attack, her blood spills on sacred soil… and her hidden bloodline awakens. Miles away, Ares Nightbane, the terrifying Lycan King, turns feral when her scent hits him like a drug. Her pain drags him across kingdoms in minutes. Her fear breaks what little sanity he has left. He finds her bleeding. Shaking. Dying. And the moment his eyes meet hers, the ruthless king loses absolute control. He pins her to the ground with a growl, breath hot on her throat. Not to kill her. Not to save her. But because the bond, the one he swore to destroy has chosen her. “Run if you want,” Ares snarls, lips brushing her ear. “I’ll chase. I’ll devour. I’ll claim every inch of you until the moon rises in your eyes. You are mine, little wolf. Mine to protect. Mine to ruin.” Lyra is poor, brave, and stubborn enough to defy a king. But resisting the Lycan who can cross kingdoms in minutes? The king whose madness is soothed only by her scent? The king who would tear apart the world to keep her? She might survive the monsters outside the palace but surviving the one obsessed with her? That may be impossible.

"I love you, Nate." My head was bent and I was staring at my feet, nervous like a child who had done something wrong and was waiting to be scolded. The man in my embrace froze. He broke the embrace and took three steps backwards. "We are ending this relationship." I finally heard him say after a few minutes of awkward silence. "Huh,why? I thought I still have a month left?" "Why? you breached the contract, that's why." *********************** Aviva Alexander who has just turned twenty-three crossed paths with the arrogant, dominant CEO of Dove's enterprises, Nathan Lewis. Love at first sight? That's what you may call it in Ava's case. Determined, she chases the hot Nathan Lewis and Nathan who had developed feelings for her gives her the privilege of being his contracted girlfriend after she had seen him break up with Camille that night in the garage. “ I knew you were the one when I saw you at the garage” They're writing their love story but will there ever be an happy ever after when Caryn Jones is hellbent on getting her one-time lover, Nathan? “ I love you Ava, I really do. Everything about you drives me insane... Allow me love you, please. Let me love you tonight, princess.” ” There can be no happy ever after... or maybe there is. ” - Ava & Nate

Seven years ago, I ignored my girlfriend's heart-wrenching pleas and ruthlessly severed our relationship. Now, after seven long years, she had risen to the top—and she was back, ready for her wedding. She didn't come home for mere celebration, though. She came for revenge. She obliterated the company my father had spent his entire life building and did not stop until she shattered his leg, forcing him to endure unimaginable pain. It was all so I'd be forced to go to her wedding and beg for forgiveness. But that wasn't enough. She wanted more. She hissed, brandishing a blade, "If Matthew's not here in ten minutes, I'll slice off a finger for every minute he's late." My autistic brother's fingers, the only way he could create art, became a bargaining chip in her sadistic game. Dad's anguished cries filled the air as he pleaded for mercy, but she was not done. She wanted to tear my family apart piece by piece. My mom, fragile and trapped in the haze of Alzheimer's, was next. Her mind, already slipping, crumbled under the relentless torment. She cracked, completely lost to the madness. With tears streaming down his face, Dad said, "My son died the day you left for abroad."