Alan Becker Stick Figures

BLURB ."Ever have that feeling nothing you ever do matters?" This is Lila Vitale's story, being overshadowed by her elder sister all her life no matter the efforts she puts in. Finally, she is put in the spotlight when her elder sister, Lily, abandons her husband because he went blind, and she ( Lila) has to be the replacement by pretending to be her. Lila is not happy about this at first but steps up to the challenge as she is finally seen and relied on by those she cares about. Lucien, a year later regains his eyesight due to surgery. Lila, hopeful to be set free by the truth, gets disappointed when her sister Lily miraculously appears to take back the place she abandoned and the man Lila had grown to love. To make matters worse, Lila realizes she was just a pawn being used all along and overhears death plots about her unborn child. As the betrayal deepens, Lila tries reaching out to Lucien who treats her like a pest, hurting and giving her no choice but to disappear. Not too long after, Lucien figures out the truth and seeks out for her but isn't he too late? Will Lila ever want to let him back into her life again, especially when she is hell-bent on revenge?

Melissa's life is forever changed when she's betrayed by those she trusts the most, her fated Alpha, Rico and her best friend, Lorinda. Melissa walks in on her fated Alpha, Rico cheating on her with her best friend. “I thought you loved me?” she wailed in pain. All she could hear was the growling of her alpha towards her. She was broken, betrayed, humiliated and torn apart by the Alpha she loved. Unknowingly to her, he was being cast under a spell with the dark powers she never thought existed after her mother's death. Melissa was sold into slavery to a ruthless alpha, Troy, who she initially thought would be her redemption. She is forced to endure unimaginable hardships and humiliation even than she had experienced with her fated Alpha after his rejection. As she struggles to survive, she discovers a hidden strength within herself - supernatural powers that could be her ticket to freedom, or her ultimate downfall. As Melissa navigates her way being a slave to Troy, and striving to harness her powers. Will she finally find redemption and reclaim her rightful place when she figures out the truth about her past, or will she become a pawn in Troy's game of dominance?

His hand shot out, gripping her chin tighter, forcing her to meet his eyes “listen carefully and make sure this words stick in your head” “You belong to me, I own you. No matter how far you run.. i will find you and then the next time you try to escape, I will make sure you are in a wheelchair for the rest of your life. Do you understand?” Rosa’s body shook as his words sank in, each one a cold sharp blade, she nodded unable to form words. ******* Sold to Italy's most feared mafia don to repay her father's debt, Rosa's life becomes a prison. Her only way out? Escape - even if it means running while eight months pregnant. But one wrong move leads to betrayal, a bullet, and her disappearance. Years later, Rosa reemerges as Jia - a new name, a new life, a loving husband, and twin children. She's finally free... or so she thinks. When fate brings her face to face with Silvio, the man she fled, Jia must hide the truth at all costs. But with each encounter, danger grows and so does a forbidden attraction

Four years after being kidnapped and changing her name to keep up the ruse of her death, Serenity is forced to return to her old life by her overbearing father Unfortunately for her, along with her dysfunctional Mafia family comes the once love of her life; Alexander Moretti and a mysterious threat intent on killing her Facing an unknown enemy, Serenity and Xander must find a way to navigate the complicated waters of their relationship and keep her alive long enough to get to the bottom of it, but what happens when her family is destroyed leaving Xander no other option but to become the Don of the Mafia? Will Serenity stick around even after she finds out his part in her family's destruction? *** Serenity exited the bathroom clad in a robe with a towel in her wet hair when a chill ran down her spine. The barrel of the gun against her temple made her freeze and let out a shaky breath as the towel dropped from her hands when they raised. Turning slowly, Serenity came face to face with Alexander and just as quick as the panic came, it subsided. Serenity released a heavy breath and Xander's gun fell. "Serenity!” He stared at her with wide eyes

Selene Carp had everything she could have wanted. Food, friends, and a family that promised they loved her and would stick by her. That ended, however, when she rejected the 2nd Lycan Prince's advances on their engagement day. The prince humiliated her in front of everyone. Instead of defending her, her family stated that she disgraced them and kicked her out. Liberated and after six years, she meets the crown Lycan Prince while working at a cafe. He expressed that they shared a bond that was irreplaceable and convinces her to move in with him. She accepted, but not because she wanted to be with him. Selene has her own agenda. The royal family and her family are no longer on good terms, and news of their affair caught the ears of both the crown prince and Selene's enemies faster than they thought. She doesn't mind. Selene has his love, affection and devotion. With a deal set with the Rogue King, who could get in her way? No one can step between a Lycan and his mate, much less in the way of a woman who had been twice scorned. *NOTE* A dark romance, no cheating between the MCs. No abuse. Mentions of de*th, su*cide, and parental neglect.

Aliyah Deguilda is 18 years old and wants to take revenge on the ruthless CEO of VICL. Her mother always kept saying that the CEO of VICL was the culprit in her dad's death; that's the reason why that stuck in Aliyah's mind, so she thought of a way to ruin that CEO of the VICL company, but destiny was playing her. She did not notice that the anger she felt was replaced by what she called love for the man. Will the love she felt for the CEO of VICL be able to stop Aliyah's evil plan? Or will she stick to the plan to destroy the CEO of VICL? Maddix Villaranza, CEO of Villaranza Infinite Cruise Line (VICL). Maddix has a trust issue. He doesn't want to trust anyone other than his family—no more, no one. Everything will change when he meets Aliyah Deguilda. Is it right for him to trust again for a long time? Or will his trust be breached again, just like before? What if Maddix finds out that Aliyah is connected to the person who broke his trust before? Will Aliyah find out more about the reason for her father's death while she takes revenge on Maddix? What could be more powerful? The unexpected love that suddenly blooms Or the anger that has taken root in Aliyah's heart?

"I don't merely experience anger, Hiya. My feelings towards you go beyond that - it's a perpetual hatred. While anger may subside in a moment, this kind of hatred lingers for a lifetime. No matter how much one desires, such hatred cannot be eradicated. I harbor an enduring resentment towards you, Hiya!" The intensity of his words conveyed the depth of his emotions and the complexity of the situation. "You women are truly greedy. And you, Hiya, turned out to be just like that. Did you marry me for anything other than money?" Ahil's eyes became slightly moist as he spoke, but he couldn't contain his silence today. It felt like he was unleashing years of pent-up frustration on one woman. Pausing briefly, he began to roar again, "What do you think of yourself, Hiya? Will you go anywhere without telling, considering yourself the mistress of this house?" Then, after a momentary pause, he yelled, "But don't forget that your place in this house is worse than that of the servants. You are my slave and will always remain so. Because you created this place for yourself... never consider yourself the mistress of this house. And yes, you have no right to question me. Stick to the job you were brought here for and don't try to go beyond that. Otherwise, I will kill you...!"

A case of mistaken identity. A twisted plan. An unexpected love. Isabella Delgado lives a quiet life as a regular office worker in Manila—routine days, instant coffee, and a heart still nursing quiet dreams. But everything changes when she’s suddenly kidnapped off the street by strangers who mistake her for someone else. Her captor? Lance Alonzo, a cold, calculated billionaire with a broken heart and a twisted agenda: to make Sofia Marie Cruz, his ex-girlfriend who betrayed him, fall in love with him again—only to break her heart the way she broke his. But there’s a problem. Isabella isn’t Sofia. She only looks exactly like her. When Lance discovers the mistake, it’s already too late. Isabella knows too much, and letting her go could destroy his reputation. So he keeps her locked in his private estate—just until he figures out what to do. But as days pass and secrets unravel, Lance finds himself drawn to the very woman he never meant to meet. And Isabella? She may be trapped—but her spirit refuses to be broken. Not by a man with a plan. Not by a heart with unfinished business. What started as a revenge scheme becomes a dangerous game of deception, desire, and redemption. Because sometimes, fate doesn’t make mistakes. People do.

On the night of my 30th birthday, I waited until the early hours of the morning, but my husband, Theodore Hawk never showed up. Instead, I came across an Instagram post from his childhood sweetheart, Emily Gallagher. [What romantic is not the starry night, it is having you by my side.] In the picture, she was wearing a delicate, sky-blue camisole that revealed just enough to charm and seduce. A man stood close behind her, his hand firmly gripping her waist. The scene was set in the seaside villa that Theodore had gifted her, their figures intimately entwined under the soft glow of the night. Someone had commented beneath the post: [I can’t stand you two being this lovey-dovey all the time! Just get married already!] Emily had responded with a shy-face emoji. I had just liked the post when Theodore, who I had failed to reach all night, blew up my phone with calls. "Are you out of your mind, Camilla? Emi and I grew up together! If we wanted to be together, we would’ve done so long ago! Why are you being so petty?" Looking at how Theodore gently held her in his arms, comforting her, I realized something. Letting go of someone you’ve loved for seven years... can take only a moment.

I realized my period was two weeks late after going on a trip to the swimming pool with my best friend, Gianna Lowe. Gianna insisted that I take a pregnancy test. I was stunned when I saw the two red lines on the pregnancy stick test. I had a boyfriend, Mitchell Gray, but I was a conservative person, so I still hadn't slept with Mitchell. I couldn't help but wonder whose baby this was. I planned to just terminate the mystery pregnancy, but Mitchell pretended to be worried about my health, offering to marry me and raise the child. It was finally my delivery date. I was lying weakly in the delivery room when Mitchell shoved a pillow over my face and smothered me, roaring, "You slut! Did you think I'd raise another man's child? I'll make you and this illegitimate child pay for everything!" I was too weak to resist since I had just given birth, so Mitchell successfully killed me. I suddenly open my eyes and realize that I have returned to the day I found out about my pregnancy. I am completely determined this time—I have to find out who the father really is!