1987 Pulitzer Prize-winning Novel

I'm ten years older than Vincenzo Corleone. He had just turned 23 years old when he took over the Corleone family as the patriarch. A hint of teenage childishness could still be seen etched onto his youthful features. I was the one who held his hand and helped him calm the turbulence of his family affairs. I blocked three assassination attempts that were made on him. I used five years of my life to help him grow from a useless scion into the fearsome don who wielded the utmost authority in Nowork's underworld. Once, Vincenzo had embraced me in the church. He rested his forehead against my palm as he swore, "Age, identity, or the world's viewpoint of us will never stop us from being together, Freya. I will protect you with my life." But after that, he told his older brother, Marco Corleone, "Freya is too old. She's already 38 years old; I can practically smell the rot of age rolling off her. Even the crinkles in her smile disgust me to no end." Some time later, Vincenzo found himself a mistress who bore some resemblance to me. She was young and vibrant—like a white rose who had never experienced the ugly side of society. While Vincenzo gave me the title of the Donna of the Corleone family, he reserved his gentle, doting, and even passionate side for the mistress named Lina Marino. Vincenzo thinks he can pull everything off flawlessly. What he forgets is that the reason why I can establish my reputation in the underworld isn't because of his protection. I've been relying on my ruthlessness and my sharp sixth sense this whole time. When I slam the signed divorce agreement onto the spot before Vincenzo, I say with a smile, "You've fought by my side for so many years, so you should know very well that I can afford to go for high-stakes risks and withdraw my chips whenever needed. "But once I lose, someone here has to pay the price!"

The day I won the championship in the pro gaming league, my girlfriend, Nina Vale, said she was coming to bring me flowers. Standing on the awards stage, I pulled the ring from my pocket, thrilled and ready to propose to her in front of everyone. However, instead of handing the bouquet to me, she turned and placed the flowers into the hands of her childhood friend, Rowan Cross, who was standing beside me. The pairing of a handsome man and a beautiful woman sent countless fans across the internet into a frenzy, enthusiastically shipping them together and congratulating them. Rowan’s fans tagged me and mocked, "Classic simp. Seven years of licking boots, and you still end up with nothing. Did you congratulate Rowan and Nina yet?" I replied calmly, "Respect and blessings. Enjoy being locked in forever."

“Help me fake my death and arrange a completely new identity.” “Donna,” the man was clearly shocked. “Why? The Don dotes on you. The whole of Sicily knows—” “That’s none of your business,” I interrupted him. “I’m leaving in five days.” Walking out of the black market, the LED screen in the square was still showing footage of my lavish wedding with Don Alexander three years ago, a ceremony that cost over $500 million. Everyone thought Don Alexander loved me deeply, and I thought so too. Until this afternoon, on our third wedding anniversary, I returned to Sicily early, hiding in the lounge of my husband—Don Alexander’s—office, wanting to surprise him. Instead, I saw his secretary hiding under his desk. While the underboss Marco was reporting the losses from the dock smuggling operation, Isabella was kneeling between Alexander’s legs, skillfully unbuttoning his trousers. Her head bobbed up and down. After Marco left, Isabella smiled seductively. “Could your Donna serve you like this during a meeting?” Alexander’s voice was filled with desire. His hands kneaded her breasts. “Sophia is too conventional, too boring. You’re much more exciting in bed, you little slut.” I covered my mouth, completely devastated. But when I actually left, the Don, who had found me boring, was the one who completely broke down.

To the world, Felix and I were fated by the Moon Goddess, an Omega and her destined Alpha. Only I knew how much he despised me. At his Alpha ceremony, he humiliated me before the entire pack by choosing my half-sister, Bianca, over me. “An Omega who plays with herbs? You’ll never be worthy of me.” In my past life, I begged him not to reject me. He didn’t, but he made me suffer instead. My stepmother and Bianca framed me for poisoning the pack. He never defended me. He locked me in heat, then turned around and marked Bianca, like I was nothing. She wore his mark. I wore his shame. I was framed, cast out, and discarded. When he publicly crowned Bianca as his Luna, our bond shattered and so did my wolf. It was then I realized, he had never loved me. But now, I’m back. Back on the day of his Alpha ceremony. In this life, I’d rather suffer than be his mate again. “I, Reiley, rejected you, Felix, as my mate.”

In the seventh year of marrying Don Sebastian Quinn, I finally stopped loving him. After finishing the family business in the afternoon, I found an excuse to go out for coffee; He wanted to take me to attend the family core meeting, but I politely declined by saying I had to fly to Paris to watch a show; When he finally refused his social engagement and tried to get intimate with me, I lied about feeling unwell and slept in a separate room. Even when his lover was wearing my silk nightgown and commanding the housekeepers in the living room, I calmly complimented her good figure. My indifference finally hurt this man. He forcefully grabbed my chin in the middle of the night, his eyes red. "Why aren't you mad seeing another woman sleeping in my bed? Nicola Scott, I'm your husband. Don't you care at all?" I looked at his out-of-control state and only smiled faintly, thinking, 'Sebastian, you've probably forgotten that I loved you the most during the years you punished me by making me kneel and reflect on my actions.'

For six years, I took bullets for him and erased every sharp edge of myself. Because of the way he protected me, outsiders all believed I was the woman closest to his heart. However, when I asked for just one sincere “I love you”, he laughed and refused. “Mafia marriages aren’t about feelings. Know your place.” Then he said, “If Sophia doesn’t like it, don’t even bother.” When the bomb countdown hit thirty seconds, my don husband shoved me aside without hesitation and ran out holding Sophia in his arms. Only then did I understand that after six years of entanglement, I wasn't even worth a single hair of his sister. I slammed the divorce papers into his face. “I’m going to personally send you and your precious sister straight to hell!”

Akhir cerita yang mengecewakan dari game Mystic Horizon membuat Liora, seorang penulis muda, meluapkan emosinya dalam ulasan tajam di komunitas gamer. Namun siapa sangka bahwa tindakannya tersebut akan memicu perjalanan multidimensi yang membuatnya masuk ke dalam dunia Mystic Horizon. Dia terjebak dalam tubuh Lyara Blackthorn, karakter antagonis yang paling dibenci dengan julukan “Pengkhianat Kehancuran.” Dunia yang sebelumnya hanya ia mainkan kini menjadi kenyataan penuh bahaya. Untuk kembali ke dunia nyata Liora harus menyelesaikan misi utama yang diberikan oleh sistem. Di tengah perjuangan itu, Liora harus menghadapi berbagai ancaman dan kegagalan misi. Akankah Liora berhasil menyelesaikan misinya dan kembali ke kehidupannya yang sebenarnya atau justru terjebak selamanya di dunia yang penuh akan intrik ini???

Diana, berusaha untuk terlihat baik-baik saja setelah mengalami kesedihan yang belum lama ini menyesatkannya dalam rasa pahit di hidupnya. Kini ia bertemu seseorang yang pernah menjadi alasannya tak pernah menyukai orang lain hingga sekarang. Mungkinkah itu bisa membuatnya keluar dari kesedihannya? Revan, sedang mencari jati diri dengan merubah tindakan dan perilakunya yang ternyata selalu terikat dengan masa lalunya. Kini ia bertemu seseorang yang mengubah pandangannya tentang dirinya sendiri. Bagaimana mungkin ia masih terikat masa lalu padahal dirinya sudah berubah? Kevin, sifatnya selalu ceria, jahil dan cerewet. Ia juga selalu bisa menerima siapapun menjadi keluarga baginya. Ialah yang lahir dari kesendirian. Kini ia bertemu dengan seseorang yang dibencinya tapi malah sering bersamanya. Apakah memang benar siapapun bisa menjadi keluarganya?

Alisya adalah anak tunggal. Namun dia memiliki cukup banyak kakak tiri dengan beragam karakter. Setelah berhasil lepas dari Axel, kakak tirinya yang cerewet dan protektif, Alisya dihadapkan pada kakak tirinya yang lain. Andra, kakak tirinya yang dingin dan tak banyak bicara, namun diam-diam menghanyutkan. Raditya, kakak tirinya yang ramah dan baik hati. Alisya menganggap mereka sebagai kakak sendiri mulanya. Namun semuanya berubah seiring berjalannya waktu.

Sibuk bekerja membuat aku tidak memedulikan penampilan. Hingga dengan tega suamiku berselingkuh dan menceraikanku. Lalu aku bertekad untuk berubah seperti dulu. Akan kubuat dia menyesal karena telah menyia-nyiakan aku