Ame To Kusari

Eighteen was supposed to be fun. I was supposed to lose my virginity to the boy of my dreams….but instead, he’s dead. And it’s my fault. Now I’m being dragged to Ravenside Academy, home to the Elite—the four clans who rule this world in shadows. The werewolves, who think themselves kings of the wild. The witches, guardians of nature’s fragile balance. The vampires, as cruel as they are beautiful. And the dragon riders, who believe they’re gods among us. And let’s not even talk about the hybrid. I thought I was ordinary. Human. Powerless. But Ravenside has other plans for me….and so does he. The one boy I should never want. The one whose fire burns hotter than anyone else’s. The one who might just be my ruin or my salvation.

After falling for and marrying one of the most powerful billionaires in New York, Kylian Kincaid, Chloe believed her life was perfect. It truly seemed so until Kylian began to change. The loving man she had married was gone, replaced by a monster she couldn't recognize. Emma, her cousin, became the sole source of love remaining in her life. Heartbroken, Chloe decided to divorce Kylian with the help and support of her dear cousin, Emma, as she attempted to rebuild her life. Little did she know the betrayal she would soon uncover and the horrific incident that would leave her scarred forever. Unintentionally, Chloe caught the attention of another billionaire, Max West, who was even more influential than Kylian. He was used to getting whatever he desired. Max and Kylian had been rivals since high school. What happens when Kylian discovers that his arch-enemy, Max, has fallen madly in love with his ex-wife, Chloe? Kylian swore to get her back from this overly possessive man willing to kill anyone who tried to take Chloe away from him. Chaos ensued as Chloe was torn between these two men while she sought swift revenge on the one woman who had initially ruined her marriage. Who was this mysterious woman?

"What is this?!" Avery's voice trembled with rage, her fists clenched as she stared at the people who betrayed her. "You're marrying me off to some old man?" she spat. Her mother flinched. "Avery, please… it’s the only way to clear the debt." Her father’s voice thundered. "You will marry Sergei Kuznetsov. End of story." Avery Wells was never the obedient daughter—not with her leather boots, smart mouth, and fire-for-blood temper. But nothing prepared her for being thrown into the cold world of Russian mafia royalty. Sergei Kuznetsov: seventy, cruel, and untouchable. Her new husband. Kieran Kuznetsov: his youngest son—illegitimate, exiled, and carved from shadows. In a world full of masks, guns, and buried secrets, Avery has only one rule: never fall for the devil’s son. But the more she fights, the closer the darkness pulls. In this house, freedom is a myth. And love… might just be a death sentence.

When the arrogant and ruthless billionaire and mafia king, Dante Russo and the daughter of a dubious mogul, Vivian Lau enter into a marriage arrangement under duress, orchestrated by a blackmail scheme that threatens Dante's position, Dante is furious. But he has to to protect his reputation and his brother's life. Dante is ruthless and arrogant, initially determined to end the engagement and destroy Vivian's father's company. Vivian, while outwardly compliant and ambitious, finds herself falling for her new husband, which complicates her life and plans. The story follows Vivian's journey from a dutiful daughter to a strong-willed woman who finds her own voice and learns to assert her own desires and boundaries. Dante, through his interactions with Vivian, begins to let his guard down and develops genuine feelings for her. But what happens when there is another scheme that threatens Dante's position and holds more risk and promise of death for his family. Someone is determined to destroy the Russo family, and Vivian stands in his way. And he is more than determined to do anything to bring the Russo empire down, even if it means fulfilling Vivian's death wish...

On my fifth birthday, my parents showed up at my birthday party later than usual. They brought with them a skinny little girl who couldn't seem to speak at all. I rushed over, hoping to hug Mom, only to get knocked down by her. That was how I fell into the ten-foot cake that my parents had specifically picked out for me. Buttercream filled my nose and mouth, suffocating me to no end. When I managed to climb out of the mess, I burst out in tears and asked Dad to cuddle me. But Dad retracted his hands while looking conflicted. "Don't blame your mom, Willow. From now on, you must take good care of Maple, your little sister. As long as Maple is happy, your mom will be happy." Later on, the mean kids in the neighborhood shove Maple Thompson, my new little sister, into a pile of sand. I rush over to protect her immediately. Once we get home, I mimic my parents by drawing a bath so that I can clean Maple up. That's when Mom suddenly barge into the bathroom and slap me heavily across the face. "You've already enjoyed our love for the past five years! Why are you still greedy for more? I can't believe you're trying to drown Maple right now!" Mom's eyes have gone bloodshot. She drags me by the hair and stuffs me into the washing machine. "Only a washing machine is capable of cleanse that filth out of your soul! You can only scramble out of the washing machine and apologize to Maple once you've decided to quit bullying your sister!" In the living room, Dad lowers his voice. "Keep your voice down when you're chewing Willow out. Maple is about to fall asleep. Don't go around waking her up now." Mom doesn't want to look at me anymore. Instead, she slams the lid onto the washing machine forcefully. I can't get out of the machine. What she doesn't know is that the washing machine will activate. "The 212-degree-Fahrenheit wash cycle has been activated." Scalding hot water is soon dumped onto my body. It hurts so much that I gradually lose my consciousness. Will Mom love me again once I'm squeaky clean after the wash cycle?

It was an arranged marriage. She tried her best to please him and make him love her! But what's his problem?!. He's ruthless, arrogant, powerful and even cruel! When he brought home an elegant lady and married her, his action forced his arranged-marriage wife to sign the divorce papers in tears and run away from him. Unfortunately, when his arranged-marriage wife left, she got into an accident and lost almost all her memories!, She left the country and returned 5 years later as a powerful lady– admired by all! But, why was this possessive and powerful CEO chasing after her– and saying nonsense like; “Stop pretending not to know me, Vivianne!”. She doesn't know him, so, what's his problem?!.

Julian Ashford, the golden boy of the city's elite, had his left leg broken by his father with a golf club -- all because of me, a scholarship student. He was stripped of his billion-dollar inheritance and cast out of the family. For three years, he dragged that ruined leg around an auto repair shop, doing backbreaking labor just to scrape together enough for my college tuition. Everyone said I was the luckiest girl alive -- that I'd brought the untouchable heir of a financial empire to his knees, made him willing to live on scraps in the worst part of town. Today was our three-year anniversary. I was carrying the freshly signed Holloway Group inheritance confirmation documents, ready to finally tell him my real identity and pull him out of this misery. I walked down the corridor of The Grand Pavilion, holding a box of vanilla shortbread -- his favorite. Through the half-open door of a private suite, Julian Ashford stood tall on two perfectly healthy legs, dressed in an immaculate tailored suit, sliding a rare pink diamond ring onto the finger of Victoria Sterling -- the city's most celebrated socialite. "Victoria, I used that scholarship girl as a shield to survive three years of my old man's relentless arranged marriage schemes. My body's completely untouched. You've always been the one I was going to marry." I looked down at my own hands, cracked and raw from the cold, and tore the inheritance documents to shreds.

I am the sacrifice. Every wolf that had no hope of having a mate was always sacrificed during the crowning of the Alpha of the pack. And, I was sacrificed to Alpha Damon, the new Alpha to Moon Walker Pack and my step brother. I was never to be touched by any man again. I was to sacrifice my body to the moon goddess. And, no man was allowed to touch me. The punishment for which was death. However, when romance brews between Alpha Damon and I, were we going to face the consequence of death just to prove our love for each other?

Nine years into my "non-cohabiting partnership" with Simon, his father passed away. The first condition in his will was simple: Simon and Ella had to conceive a child. On the day the child turned one month old, Simon would inherit his father's fortune. Simon told me this himself—the night I walked in on them tangled in our bed. Afterward, as he took a slow drag from his cigarette, he murmured, "Lily, just wait a little longer. Once I get the inheritance, I'll marry you." But he went back on his word. From then on, every time Simon planned to meet Ella at our house, he would hang a string of bells on the door. Since his father's passing, those bells had chimed ninety-nine times. After the ninety-ninth, the news arrived—Ella was pregnant, and their engagement party was set. My daughter saw the invitation, hesitated, then softly asked, "Mom, is Daddy's name on this?" I forced a smile and gently smoothed her messy hair into a neat ponytail. "Daddy is marrying the one he loves," I said. "And I'm taking you home." Simon never understood—I never cared about that marriage certificate.

"This wasn't the deal," Reid whispered. His breathing was erratic as he pressed his back against the wall, clenching his fists. "We could make a new one," Killian smirked, trailing his thumb on Reid's lips... "Probably after this kiss." ~~ Bad boy Reid McKenzie will go to jail after being charged with murder. His mother wouldn't be willing to help him; he has ruined their reputation enough and is ready to let him rot behind bars; following the wishes of her second husband, she would wash her hands of Reid for good. But fate intervenes when a mysterious stranger, Killian appears. He offers Reid a deal; Freedom in exchange for a dangerous task. However, Killian's true intentions are far from benevolent. As a powerful demon, he sees Reid as a pawn in a sinister game. With each passing moment, Reid must decide whether to trust the enigmatic stranger or face the consequences of his actions.