40 Seconds

What if your brother is in debt of a large amount of money? What is the maximum you'll do to get him out of his debt without him getting caught? Well, in Eliana's situation, she made a deal, and that deal was the beginning of her future. *********************** "It's easy, you got the money you need, now all you need to do is get married" the woman said looking Eliana in the eye, she was rich and spoke power. Eliana knew that it was stupid but she had no other option. "I can leave after the wedding, I don't have to be stuck as his wife, right?" Eliana asked, voicing out her worry. "Oh darling, you can't expect me to want you as my nephew's wife? I get my mansion's keys, and you're free to go wherever you want, don't worry about Alessio, he might cry for a day or two, but that's all" the woman said smiling at Eliana, her eyes studying the girl. "Deal" Eliana breathed after a few seconds of silence. "Alright then, I'll be calling you when I need you"

Tantalizing crimson eyes and jet black hair were all Lily could remember in the features of the enigmatic young man who saved her ten years ago when she was kidnapped. One day, she accidentally saw him again after ten years in the middle of a busy street in an unexplainable situation. Time froze for few seconds, people around her stopped moving, and in his snap of finger defreezes time, as the car in front of him lose control and crashed with the nearby truck. She was left dazed by what had just happened in front of her. The scene shocked her and triggered her memory of him. "The guy who saved me was no human," she murmured staring blankly, remembering their uncanny encounter a decade ago. "Grim Reaper?" Confusion was written on her face. He shook his head. "Non, I am Doom, and I bring death to people." After the street incident, she couldn't forget his face and his lines kept replaying in her dreams like a broken tape which made her wonder if this was part of the after-effects of her trauma or if it was destiny that aligned their stars to collide.

Jasmine Hayes swore she’d never go looking for the father who abandoned her. But when her mother’s life is seconds from slipping away, pride becomes a luxury she can’t afford. He agrees to pay for the surgery—on one condition. She must marry Alexander Phillips, the billionaire heir originally promised to her half-sister. Jasmine doesn’t know him. She doesn’t want him. But she signs away her future to save the only person who ever stayed. Alexander isn’t looking for a wife—he’s looking for a solution. His image is in ruins, his family is pressuring him, and marriage is the quickest way to silence the board. Jasmine is not the bride he expected, but she’s convenient… and temporary. The contract is clear: ✔ No love ✔ No sex ✔ No complications ✔ Ten million dollars after the quiet divorce But nothing about Alexander is safe. Nothing about Jasmine is simple. And nothing about this arrangement is going according to plan. She agreed to marry a stranger to keep her mother alive. He agreed to marry a nobody to keep his empire intact. Neither of them expected the real problem to be each other.

“I want you to be mine, Andrea.” A gasp leaves my mouth. “W-what did you say?” “I want to offer you the life you’re pretending to have. I can clear your family’s debt in one call and pay for your brother’s treatment while you live the life you’ve been faking.” “I don’t understand… why me?” “You walked into a room full of people who would have devoured you and almost held it together perfectly,” he says. “I find that interesting.” Andrea Vale is drowning in debt and secrets, living a life she can’t afford for a family she can’t save. Tristan Hale sees through her in seconds and offers her everything she has ever needed, but at a cost she cannot ignore. One year in his world, under his rules, in his bed. No love, no promises, no future. But what happens when pretending starts to feel real, when survival turns into desire, and when the man who was never meant to keep her becomes the one she cannot walk away from?

“Why did you accept the marriage?” Audrey asked, her fingers drumming impatiently on the table.  Lucas leaned back, his gaze drifting over Audrey as a lazy chuckle escaped his throat. “It's a contract.”  A bitter smile twisted Audrey's lips. “How many months do I have to pay off the debt?” Lucas’ eyes snapped up, his brows furrowing into a shock. He hadn't expected her to be this....bold and unapologetic. He thought she would cry and plead for mercy.  “Twenty million dollars,” he muttered. “A debt even your father can't pay?”    ……………. Desperate to escape the $20 million debt her father leveraged to force her to marry Lucas Erickson, Audrey Sterling struck a deal with Thomas Whiteson, the heir of the Whiteson empire: pretend to be his fiancee for three months, and he'll pay off her debt.  But when she discovered she's an heiress to 40% share of her grandfather's company and can only claim it if she marries a man approved by her father, her world spun.  Thomas suddenly demands marriage, her father only approves of Lucas.  Trapped between loyalty to her grandfather's legacy, a deal with Thomas, and a heart falling for him, Audrey must choose: love or inheritance?

He abruptly snatches me, closing the distance between us, putting his hand on the back of my head. All the hair on my body rises on alert; one wrong move I might shapeshift in here. His masculine scent infiltrated me with so much finesse. Damn, he smells divine. "What the hell--" "Shut your mouth; those thugs are after me; I need your help." His baritone tone is manly, very manly which catches me off guard a little. No one can lay a finger on me; he is the first man ever to touch me. I'm with a stranger in a strange position. How annoying can this night be? "Alright, Mister, I will give you three seconds to let me go, or else you might lose your hands." My tone is cold and dangerous. I’m hoping he heeds my warning. The tall man keeps leaning forward to me, putting our bodies in an intimate, awkward setting. "One, Two, Thre--" He steers his legs forward. My heart was beating a mile per second. I can't believe he is doing this! Feeling his warm palms cupping my face, the next thing I know, he is kissing me. His lips taste like strawberries. I got an entry pass into heaven!

Sometimes it only takes one person to change your life, a few seconds to fall in love and one day to lose everything.For Karolia, it only took one day to lose everything at the age of 19. Her happiness changed to grief and loneliness. Without knowing the reason for her parents' , she fled from Worcester, her hometown to a crowded city, NYC to escape from the nightmares and memories. She is sweet, childish, strong and everything a good girl needs.For him, falling in love is a bad distraction and it only causes heartbreak. Being the CEO of a powerful company, Logan has enough weight on his shoulder. His escape from reality was fighting. He's dangerous, devilishly handsome, and everything a bad boy needs.When these two people cross their path, a whirlwind of emotions breaks apart - Hatred, Love, Happiness, fear, heartbreak, revenge, ... They change each other's lives and perceptions and they are the perfect soulmates. For him, no longer love is a bad distraction, but perfect.But every story has a villain. In this, her past is the one and now she has no escape. Will Logan be able to save her from her nightmare or let her go forever? Be ready for a new adventure, new mysteries, and new memories.After all, Distraction can be good as well as bad. It depends on how we see it.

"I want to be completely yours." I whispered and his lips parted slightly. "You sure-" he cleared his throat. " I mean, are you aware that I'm-" "Would you forgive me then?" I asked and a few seconds later, his gaze met mine which was softened than earlier and nodded his head. "Then take me right away." I whispered and his brows shot up in a bit surprise at my statement but quickly his expression replaced into a faint smile. "B-But I don't want to take advantage of this situation." he muttered. "But I want to." _____________ Isabella White is a talented girl who brought up from a wealthy family. She chose to be a babysitter as she's fond of kids. But she never thought that her dream job would change her life into upside down until she meets him. Christian Roberts is one of the youngest billionaires in the world and he's the guy every girl wanted and every guy wanted to be. Eventhough he's an arrogant beast to the people around him, he's the best dad her daughter could ever ask for. What would happen if the opposite attracts? What would be the consequences when they find out their past lives? ****** Trust me, this story takes you to an emotional rollercoaster ride if you read until the end.

Demi menemukan kalung pusaka keluarga kekasihku, aku rela bertahan di tengah demam 40 derajat celcius, merangkak di tengah hujan selama lima jam penuh. Dengan sisa tenaga yang ada, aku berniat segera pulang untuk beristirahat setelah berhasil menemukannya. Namun, karena khawatir pada kekasihku, aku kembali lagi. Akan tetapi, pemandangan di depan mataku menghancurkan segalanya. Aku melihat kekasihku membuang kalung itu ke tempat sampah dengan santai, lalu tertawa terbahak-bahak bersama teman-temannya. "Kak Gading keren! Demi membalas dendam pada kakaknya Sekar Danantya, kamu sampai tega menyiksa adiknya seperti itu. Kalau kakaknya tahu, dia pasti bakal mati saking marahnya!" "Sekar itu juga bego banget sih, sudah dikerjain 90 kali lebih masih saja nempel kayak perangko. Dia nggak sadar apa, kalau cuma Manda Hapsari yang ada di hati Kak Gading?" "Lagian salah kakaknya Sekar sendiri sih, cari gara-gara sama Gading Bramantyo. Tunggu saja sampai genap 99 kali. Begitu video-video ini dikirim ke kakaknya, wah, fiks bakal kena mental tuh orang!"

There’s a thin line between desperation and destiny ****** Sophia Jenkins has lived her life in the shadows of hardship. At 23, she juggles multiple jobs, trying to lift her family out of debt while caring for her terminally ill mother. Her only dream is to escape the weight of her broken home and rewrite her family’s fate. But fate had other plans. On her birthday, when relentless debt collectors humiliate her and her father, Sophia’s world shatters—until a mysterious man steps out of a sleek black car, commanding the chaos with nothing but his presence. Leonard Morano. At 40, Leonard is the ruthless head of the Morano mafia empire, a billionaire controlling over a hundred businesses and underground casinos. What no one knows is that he was once Martin Jenkins’ best friend—and the man who silently watched Sophia grow from afar before vanishing when she was fifteen. Now, he’s back. And he’s not offering help. He’s demanding marriage. With the chilling words, “Marry me, and I will smash every obstacle in your way,” Leo pulls her into a world of luxury, power, and deadly secrets. But can Sophia survive the dark underworld Leo rules? Can love truly bloom in the cracks of fear, obligation, and a past that refuses to stay buried?