53 Steps Laurence

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?

“It won’t be a straight death from where you’re standing.” I blink, turning around. “What?” But he doesn’t give me a reply. At least not yet. Instead, he takes hold of my arms in his large, gloved hands, and pulls me to him so that we are standing toe to toe. “What are you doing?” I whisper. This new position has brought us closer. So close that if I stand on my toes, and he dips his head down a bit, I’d probably have the best kiss… “If you fall from here, the possibility of you dying immediately is 98% at the very least,” He begins as I stare at him with my mouth slightly agape. “Falling from where you stood before is about 35% lesser. You’d die eventually, maybe after a night or two of trying to revive your shattered bones, but not immediately.” Having made his point, he steps back from me and climbs down the somewhat elevated platform. “Did you just make way for me to kill myself?” I murmur, feeling like I’m losing my mind all over again. What kind of a man is this? *** Sonia’s life is going great one minute and then takes a spin for the worse when she is betrayed, gets pregnant and worse, is told that she will be getting married to Italian mafia heir, Anthony Romero, who doesn’t mind raising another man’s child. She abhors the idea, but having also recently been disowned by her father, she has no choice but to accept the marriage proposal if she wants protection for herself and her child. But she has questions. Why would a sane man from her world want to raise a child that isn’t his? Surely they’re ulterior motives in play.

When 17-year-old Juniper Torres transfers from Barcelona to the elite halls of Daleton Prep, she hopes for a fresh start and a chance to blend in quietly. But from the moment she steps into the historic, high-status school, she realizes she’s anything but invisible. As the only child of a cancer-researcher parents who relocate to New York for a high-stakes medical fellowship, Juniper is immediately overwhelmed by the posh crowd, designer accessories, and the mysterious hierarchy of the school’s students—especially the notorious Daleton Boys, a trio of dangerously charming and powerful guys who seem to rule the campus like kings. Things shift when she befriends Jasmine, a quirky, kind scholarship student who helps her navigate the minefield of social circles, secrets, and silent wars. But Juniper’s curiosity is piqued—especially when she locks eyes with Grayson Barrington, the icy and magnetic leader of the Daleton Boys, rumored to have a dark past and a murder charge lurking in his history. As Juniper gets pulled deeper into their world—balancing friendship, fear, and fascination—she must decide whether to play it safe or risk everything to uncover the truth behind Grayson’s secrets… and maybe her own.

Avery has spent her life as an omega outcast-beaten down by her cruel stepfamily, surviving only for the love of her fated mate, Ryan, the Alpha of the Red Stone Pack. On the day of their mating ceremony, dressed in white with his silver necklace around her throat, she steps into the chapel ready to claim her future as Luna... Only to find her stepsister, Kira, standing at the altar in her place. Ryan's explanation is merciless: Kira is dying. Her last wish is to be his mate. And Avery? She'll still serve her purpose-just not as his equal! But when Avery is forced into a cold, clinical IVF procedure to carry Ryan's heir, a terrible truth comes to light. Now, Avery has captured the attention of the Alpha known as the king of death, Damon Blackclaw! The most feared Alpha in the territory, a man whose name is spoken in whispers, whose rage could level entire packs. And when Damon storms into the Red Stone Pack, his claws at Ryan's throat and his eyes burning into Avery's, he makes one thing clear: "She's mine. Touch her and die."

She was the temptation they prayed against—and the salvation they didn’t see coming. The story centers on a woman who’s done playing nice. After a betrayal that shattered everything she thought she knew—marriage, motherhood, self-worth—she sheds her shame, steps into her desire, and discovers power in places she was once told were sinful. Her past doesn’t define her. Her pleasure doesn’t shame her. And she’s not asking for permission anymore.

“I’m done with you, Aurora Fernandez—if that’s even your name.” Mia’s voice trembled with rage as she turned for the door. “You’ll regret refusing me,” Aurora snapped behind her. Mia's hand touched the knob—just as it turned on its own. The door creaked open. Her heart dropped. Standing in the doorway was a face she never wanted to see again. Lucius Lovato. The cold, merciless CEO of the department store where she'd once worked. His eyes swept over her with visible disdain. “Who is this little thing, Eva?” he asked, his voice hoarse and biting. And just like that, Mia knew—she was trapped again. Wrongfully accused. Publicly humiliated. Betrayed by the only man she ever loved. Mia Simpson thought she'd hit rock bottom. Then came the offer—escape prison and start over, under one terrifying condition: seduce and marry Lucius Lovato, the mafia heir with a heart of ice and a soul no one dares touch. But Mia isn’t the fragile girl the world thinks she is. She agrees to the deal—on her own terms. Behind her innocent eyes burns a thirst for revenge, and the deeper she steps into the dark world of power, blood, and secrets, the more dangerous she becomes. Lucius, however, is not a man easily fooled. Every attempt to break him only draws him closer. And every secret Mia hides? He already suspects. As enemies close in and her hidden past begins to unravel, Mia discovers a horrifying truth—she is not just a girl caught in the middle of a mafia war. She is the legacy of something much greater… and much more feared. He was her mission. She was his undoing. But in the underworld, love might just be the most dangerous weapon of all.

Sister Reina Valen thought her life was set, hidden behind convent walls, cloaked in the nun habit, and bound by chastity. But everything shatters when she steps into University of California, only to feel her wolf stir for the first time in years. The cause? Professor Julian Maverick, the hot, charming yet cold professor at the podium, her fated mate. What should have been impossible becomes inevitable. He’s not just her professor. Something she soon discovers. He’s a spy agent, sent by the Alpha King to track down the kingdom’s long-lost only heiress to the throne who went missing as a baby. He realizes that this same daughter now wears a nun’s veil and hides the birthmark that could claim a crown. Reina is that heiress. But loving him means breaking every vow. Mating him means going back on her vows. And when a scandal threatens to destroy them both, Reina must choose between duty to the throne or surrendering to a desire that could burn the country down. As secrets unravel, enemies close in. The King is poisoned. The Royal Council plots rebellion. When Reina discovers she's carrying Julian’s child, the greatest taboo of all explodes into the public eye: a nun pregnant by her forbidden mate. In a world ruled by werewolves, tradition, and betrayal, will their love survive the storm—or spark a new era? She was never meant to lead. He was never meant to love her. But fate doesn’t ask. It commands. And as the country trembles on the edge of war, one question remains: Can a nun-turned-Alpha King-to-be rewrite her legacy with her mate by her side or she's cursed to be alone forever? Their bond is sacred. Their love is a crime. And it’s only just begun.

Jessica has always believed she was just an ordinary girl, that is until tragedy befalls her and she has to go back to the hometown she barely remembers. After years of traveling, she returns to live with family following the sudden loss of her parents. But from the moment she steps foot in Lunar Cove, it’s clear that something isn’t right. The town feels different, shrouded in secrets she can’t quite grasp, that is until she finds out that her father was the former beta of a werewolf pack, one he had to leave after falling in love with her mother who was human. Everything changes when she crosses paths with the enigmatic and powerful Alpha of the Lunar Cove pack, Alpha Christopher, her fated mate. But shock engulfs Jessica because Christopher instead of welcoming her, rejects her outright. A weak, ordinary human could never be Luna, especially not when war looms on the horizon. Yet Jessica soon realizes she is far from ordinary. Strange changes begin to stir within her, unlocking a truth that has been hidden from her all along. Determined to prove herself, she embarks on a dangerous quest to awaken her dormant shifter abilities. But with enemies closing in and time running out, she must decide will she fight for her destiny, even if it means risking everything?

Kiana James’s world shatters when she is forced to break the heart of the man she loves-her childhood sweetheart, Calvin. To save her father’s failing business, she agrees to an arranged marriage with the powerful Alexandria Cartwright. Cold, commanding, and devastatingly handsome, Alexandria is a man used to getting what he wants as he is known for his cold demeanor and ruthless deals. To Kiana, it may seem that their marriage is just another contract-a necessary alliance for her father’s business. But as she steps into his world of wealth and intrigue, she finds herself drawn to the man beneath the icy exterior. Passion ignites, blurring the lines between duty and desire, yet shadows from the past threaten to tear them apart. Torn between a love she lost and a fate she never expected, Kiana must decide: fight for the life she once wanted, or surrender to the man who might just be her destiny.

In the middle of Tokyo’s relentless rush, two strangers cross paths—by accident, in the most ridiculous way, and at the most unexpected moment—yet it feels as if the universe had quietly arranged it all. What follows are hesitant steps, faltering words, and small messages that slowly create a warm, quiet space between them. Tokyo Love Letter: Hibiki is a story where silence speaks, where ordinary days suddenly begin to matter, and where someone appears out of nowhere… only to become a place to return to, and a space to simply be oneself. This isn’t a story about falling in love quickly, but about feeling it grow—quietly, unexpectedly—through coincidences, through distance, and through the little things we never meant to hold on to.