A Slow Fire Burning

【Two Male Leads + Power Dynamics + Slow Burn Romance + Corporate Warfare + 1v1】 "You came to kill me, didn't you?" "That was the original plan, but I've changed my mind." "Oh, what an honor that is." In game theory, when the sum of gains and losses among participants always equals "zero," it's known as a "zero-sum game," where cooperation between the parties is not possible. In the game of love, however, two initially opposing individuals repeatedly break the norms and find their way to each other. A mission sparks their complex relationship, with one falling first, and the other soon succumbing to the fall as well... *Dual-faced, affectionate mastermind ✖️ Undercover agent playing coy *1v1

“You stare like you’re trying to memorize me,” she murmured quietly, without looking up. He stepped closer, voice rough. “I already have. Every inch. Every sigh. But I still feel like I’m starving for you.” He walked up behind her. His fingers trail over her collarbone, slow, reverent. She shivers. “You shouldn’t touch me like that,” she whispered. “Say stop, and I will. But don’t lie.” He leaned down, brushing his lips against the side of her neck. Her breath hitched. “This… this is dangerous.” He murmured, “You’re the most dangerous thing in my life. I’ve killed men with steadier hands than I have when I’m near you.” She turned to face him, their eyes locked. One look—everything trembled between them. “Let me ruin every thought you have of gentleness, Inayat. Let me be the fire you crave but don’t dare name.” He lifted her, gently, set her on the table beside the couch. His hands lingered on her thighs, the tension coiling like smoke in the air. He whispered, “You asked me once why I watch you like I might break. It’s because loving you has become my most violent instinct.” *** When King Agnil is betrayed and slain by his own commander, Samarth, his kingdom falls into chaos—and his daughter, Inayat, becomes the obsession of the man who murdered her father. Years later, the exiled prince, Ayman, returns to reclaim the throne. His plan? Use Samarth’s sister as a weapon of revenge. But as vengeance tangles with emotion, Ayman finds himself torn between justice and the forbidden pull of love. Can he destroy the man who stole everything—without losing the girl who might save him?

Vienna was only nine when her life was stolen from her. She had no memories of her past. Child of the devil. A curse. That was what the pack called her as they sneered, bullied, and beat her. Until one day, a man dragged her into his home and made her a slave. From then on, her days were filled with chains, her nights with torment. But hope flickered when she saw her mate. Alpha Froylan. But the hope was shattered with his cruel words of rejection. Fleeing in despair, Vienna was attacked by vampires but her body erupted in flames, a blaze she never knew she carried, burning the monsters to ash. However, the fire consumed her too, and fell into the abyss. In the mighty Gargantilla Kingdom, the throne of the Royal Lycans, a family mourned the loss of their eldest daughter, stolen from them ten years ago. She was the Crowned Queen Luna, twin to Princess Helena. When the servants found a girl floating in the river, barely alive, the truth came crashing back. Their Luna had returned, scarred, broken, and silenced by suffering. Through the Eye, the royals saw every torment she had endured. They saw the blood, the chains, the rejection. And they gave an order. Vengeance. The task fell upon Princess Helena. Arrogant. Ruthless. A monster in her own right. She would avenge her sister and show the world why she was not a princess to be trifled with. And so Helena began her hunt. With a smile as sharp as her knives, she lured Alpha Froylan into her trap. She made him fall for her, made him believe in love again. When he proposed marriage, she accepted with open arms. But this was not a union. This was the beginning of her revenge.

In a family it is inevitable that someone will deviate in the footsteps of being an entrepreneur. Kalix is the only man in their Dela Vega clan to deviate from the footsteps of his family by being a businessman and he preferred his dream of becoming a medicine student from SMHU and because Kalix choice his dream, his parents pressure that he would have to maintain his highest grades as a dean's lister from his university. So he did everything just to keep his high grades until one day he met a woman studying from LSU, a woman who was naughty, talkative, slow when understanding and a noisy woman who would mess with his life.

Anger, in all shades, blared into his eyes as he pushed me against the wall, growling. “Don’t let any man touch you ever again!” My blood boiled at his audacity as I spat out. “You have already rejected me, Alpha Vincenzo. Now, you can’t …” The rest of my warning died down in my head as he lunged forward and wrapped his hand around my throat. Despite his maddening rage, his gruff voice sounded eerily calm, sending shivers down my spine. “Rejected or not, you are mine, Ashley. Touch another man, and trust me, I’ll make sure you see me tear him to shreds!” … Rejected, banished, and tormented. Ashley’s life was another name of hell as she struggled to survive in the rogue pack every single day. She loathed her ex, Alpha Vincenzo, the reason behind her endless misery. However, life wasn’t exactly a bed of roses for Vincenzo as well. Burning in the fire of regret, his love turned into obsession, driving his wolf to the edge of insanity. His only goal was to bring Ashley back, no matter how long it took. After five years of separation, their paths crossed again in a fateful encounter, entangling their fates with a bizarre backlash of rejection. But Ashley was sure of one thing, she would never forgive Vincenzo! As her hatred clashed with Vincenzo’s obsession, the old feelings surfaced, reigniting the spark. Would she be able to resist the temptation of the bond that still simmered between them? Or the storm of true love would wash away all the grievances of the past?

I moaned out his name. "Damien, you are not trying hard to get me, yet .." He smirked and whispered to my ears. "I like being hard, Not "trying" hard." His hand grazed mine, sending a shiver straight to places I didn’t know I could feel. Damien’s smirk was wicked, his eyes dark with desire, and my body betrayed me with every glance. I wanted him, yet my heart longed for someone gentler, someone who could love me without burning me alive. Ethan’s soft voice behind me made my chest ache, reminding me there was a different way to feel alive...a way that felt safe, tender, and real. Torn between lust and love, every heartbeat became my dangerous game.” *** When Lila Sinclair’s mother is sentenced to life in prison, her world collapses. The only person who can take her in is her mother’s past lover, Sebastian Blackwood; a wealthy, commanding man with a family of his own. Adopted temporarily into his household, Lila finds herself living with two stepbrothers who will change her life forever: Damien, the dark, irresistible older brother who ignites every forbidden desire...and Ethan, the sweet, caring younger brother who makes her heart feel at home.But time is against her. Her adoption isn’t legal, and after one year, Lila must marry one of them to remain in the country. With 365 nights of temptation, passion, and secrets ahead, she must choose between the fire of lust and the warmth of love, knowing that every choice could shatter her world...

My residential area suddenly catches on fire, and the twins my husband had with his first wife are trapped in the room. This time, I call 911 without hesitation. After informing my husband of the fire, I don't stop him from leaving. In my past life, when the fire broke out, my husband was about to leave on a vacation with his ex-wife and true love. The trip was to a deserted island—it was to make up for past regrets. I ripped his flight ticket to shreds, stopping him from leaving the house. We successfully saved the kids. After the fire, my husband hurried to the island. However, he learned his ex-wife was declared missing after being taken away by a strong wave. He was calm and composed after returning, even being extra caring to me. Three months later, I discovered I was pregnant. I wanted to surprise him, but my vision went blurry. I collapsed on the floor while twitching violently. He stood aside and watched me coldly. Then, he placed a photo of his ex-wife before me. "You've gotten your wish, Caroline. Are you happy now that you've killed Sasha? You can accompany her now! No, you don't deserve that. An evil woman like you only deserves to go to the underworld!" I breathe my last breath as my vision clears, allowing me to see the frostiness in his eyes. When I open my eyes again, I'm taken back to the day the fire broke out.

Because my father's childhood sweetheart's daughter was accidentally burned, my father was angry and locked me in the fire house where werewolf criminals were punished. The Beta of the pack, my father, looked at me with disgust written all over his face: "I don't have such a cruel daughter. You'll stay here and reflect on what you've done." I begged loudly for mercy, admitted my mistake, pleading for him to let me out. All I got in return was his merciless command. "Unless she's dead, no one is to release her." The fire house stood isolated at the edge of the territory. No matter how much I screamed for help, no one could hear me. He assigned the housekeeper to set the room to spray fire every 2 hours. The burns were excruciating, my werewolf healing barely keeping me alive between sessions. Ten days later, he finally remembered he had a daughter and decided to let me out. But what he didn't know was that I had already died in that fire house, never to wake again.

Diego has everything; he is a strong alpha leading one of the strongest packs on the continent, and he has a family that loves him unconditionally. However, no matter how many reasons he has, that unfortunate night never lets him be happy. He has tried to drown himself in work and exhaust himself in training to the extent that he was unable to move, but the pain he feels whenever glimpses of "that night" appear are the most agonizing moments of his life. To the world, he is "the hidden alpha," "the ruthless alpha," "the cruel alpha," but no one knows the truth behind those tags except his "addy" and her mate, "Ryan." Diego has a secret that he is unwilling to accept, and he will not reveal it to anyone, not even his mate (whom he has not found yet). Addy believes that once he finds his mate, his wounds will heal themselves automatically, but Diego dreads that moment because he knows that the fire burning inside him is enough to burn anyone who comes close to him. Arya is running...where? She doesn't know. She is running away from her past, her family, her reality, and her undeniable truth no matter how hard she tries. She has been running for five years now, and so far, she has even succeeded in getting away from their clutches, but she can't shake off the feeling that this will not be the case for much longer. However, there is one thing she is sure about: if she ever faces the situation where she is forced to live the life she lived for the first eighteen years of her life, she will kill herself. What will happen when fate throws these two broken souls together? Will their unhealed wounds ever heal?

A billionaire heiress betrayed. Two ruthless Scottish mafia twins who’ll stop at nothing to claim her. Danger, obsession, and a love worth starting a war for. Time to burn it all to the fucking ground.... He was the love of my life. My husband. My mistake. Cole Harrington.... Hollywood's golden boy. The man I pulled from obscurity and handed a career on a silver platter. The man I defended, supported, and loved... until I walked in on him naked in his dressing room, balls deep in his co-star like it was the scene of his life. That was the moment something in me snapped. I'm done being the quiet, supportive wife in the background. My name is Eilidh MacLeod, and I was somebody long before I met him. Scottish Billionaire heiress. Former child star. Acclaimed actress and dancer. The woman who built him... and the one who's going to break him. Now it's my turn. I'm taking back my life, my career, my crown, and I'm burning every bridge, every lie, and every ounce of him to the ground. And somewhere between the chaos, the paparazzi, and the sweet taste of revenge, I meet them. Two men. Twins. Dangerously gorgeous, shamelessly charming, and utterly off limits... except they make me feel more alive than I ever have. They show me what real love is, raw, wild, and unconditional, and they just may run the Scottish Mafia. By the time I'm done, Cole won't just lose me. He'll lose everything. And I'll be walking away with my heart, my freedom... and maybe two men who would set the world on fire just to keep me.