An Open Mind Is Like A Fortress

Prologue. “You are not her,” his deep, dangerously dark voice whispered softly in her ear. “W…what do you mean? I am not who?” holding her breath unconsciously, she stuttered. “My bride. You are not the woman I was supposed to marry. Where is she?” His hoarse voice pierced through her chest like a knife and she felt her knees go weak, and then staggered backward, shivering. “Where is my bride?” === Sapphire Rodriguez's life got turned upside down when she suddenly had to take her twin sister’s spot on her wedding day. When she thought nothing could be worse than the maltreatment she was getting from her family, her twin sister got involved in an accident a day before her wedding which caused her to go into a state of comatose and she had to be the substitute bride until the real bride wakes up to take back her place. When the billionaire who married her was smarter than she had expected, Sapphire knew that her life was never going to be easy because this husband of hers will not believe that she didn't cause her sister’s accident in order to take her place at her wedding.

The day my family went bankrupt, my fiancée left me and married her first love. I didn't argue or make a scene. Instead, I married Sharon Tomlinson, the woman who had confessed to me when I was at my lowest. After we got married, I took care of Sharon for seven full years while she was paralyzed from the waist down. The day she finally stood up again, I accidentally overheard her speaking Aurelian with her best friend at the dinner table. "Sharon, are you really planning to spend your whole life with him? Aren't you worried you'd hurt your brother's feelings?" Sharon peeled a shrimp for our daughter, Tasha Holden, and answered unhurriedly, "What are you talking about? I know how to deal with them both. I could never bear to make Curtis sad." "Same for me. I like Uncle Curtis. He's handsome, while my dad's an ugly freak," Tasha chimed in beside them, also in Aurelian. They didn't know I spoke the language. Fine. I was sick of Sharon's undercooked pasta, anyway. I would never eat it again for the rest of my life!

Lydia Martins, the smart kid at school, is the constant target of bullies like Emily, the wealthy businessman's daughter, who torments Lydia for getting perfect grades. After Lydia aces another test, Emily and her friends confront Lydia in the bathroom, calling her "Teacher's Pet" and accusing her of only succeeding because of the handsome, young Mr. Derek—the new English teacher. The girls tease and bully Lydia, claiming she's sleeping with Mr. Derek for good grades, before dumping a bucket of water over her head. Humiliated, Lydia soon finds photos from the incident circulating online with vile captions calling her a ‘Slut’ and the ‘Teacher’s Pet’. Enraged, she hatches a plan not to get back at her bullying classmates but to target Mr. Derek instead. She decides that if she can get him fired, the torment over her grades might finally stop.

Liam, my stepbrother, has been a pain in the rear for three years. We fight every time we talk. Every time we see each other, we remember that moment, which we never talk about. The one in the yard behind where our parents had their wedding dinner. The event that almost made everything bad. Our parents are now going for a trip to celebrate their first anniversary, leaving us all alone in the house. Simple plan: we'll stay on different sides, ignore each other, and act like we're working. But then there's a fire on my side of the house, and all of a sudden I have to share a floor, a hallway, and a wall that is too thin to be safe with him. The worst times are at night. I hear him. I can feel him. And every disagreement ends too close. Every stare stays too long. Every breath turns into heat I can’t escape. We’re supposed to protect our parents’ happiness. We’re supposed to act like good brothers. But how do you pretend you hate someone when all you want is to drag him into your bed? Then the holidays arrive with our whole extended family. We’re forced to play perfect boys while nearly pulling each other apart behind locked doors. And just when I think things can’t get worse, Liam’s cheating ex shows up begging to take him back. The jealousy nearly wrecks me… and reveals everything. But the real disaster hits one night with a broken condom and a hurried hospital visit. Two scary weeks that make us imagine a life we’re not supposed to want. A future that feels too good to lose. The test is negative. But the damage is done. We want each other.

June Hanson unintentionally spent a warm night with a man she just met. All she knew was the man's first name, Drake. She vows that one day she will take revenge on the man who slept with her that night and left before she woke up. However, June lost track of him. A year later, fate brought her to meet Drake again. But it was not like June had imagined. It turned out that Drake was the CEO at her new workplace. Drake Burton, that's his name. And what June hated the most was, Drake didn't remember her at all. When Drake begins to be soft on her, fate brings her to Alarick Joseph, the mysterious, gray-eyed man who saved her life from an accident. June had no idea that she was dealing with two dangerous men. The Dragon King and the Werewolf Alpha. Strange events make June realize that she has been caught in a war that began thousands of years ago. Follow my IG: @cindychen06

When Ethan Reed shoves divorce papers across the anniversary dinner Mia Thompson spent hours preparing, he believes he's trading up — swapping his quiet schoolteacher wife for her glamorous best friend and the "power couple" image his investors demand. What he doesn't know: the woman he's throwing away funded his entire empire with her dead parents' life insurance money — and still owns 45% of the company he just sold for $25 million. For six years, Mia paid his loans, wrote his pitch decks, and worked two jobs while he coded his dreams into reality. She loved him enough to carry his child alone for eight weeks, waiting for the perfect moment to tell him. That moment came in a doorway — divorce papers in one hand, her best friend smirking behind him in a red dress. She signed. She walked out. She collapsed in a hospital parking lot and lost the baby no one knew existed. Some men burn down the wrong house. Some women have to lose everything before they realize they were holding the match the whole time. And some betrayals come with a price tag — exactly $25 million, plus interest.

Adrian Royce, once a commanding force in the business world, now hides in the shadows of his fears and a wheelchair. Cynical and broken, he’s forced into a marriage with Serena Cooper, a fiery young woman whose dreams are as big as the struggles she’s endured. A healer at heart, with her grandmother’s ancient remedies and an indomitable spirit, Serena has known heartbreak and betrayal—but never defeat. From their first meeting, sparks fly—not of passion, but of sharp words and clashing wills. “You think I want your money?” Serena snaps when Adrian accuses her of being a gold digger. “No, Mr. Royce. I want a college seat.” Reluctantly, Adrian lets her into his life, and Serena’s presence becomes more than just physical healing. Her selflessness and quiet resilience begin to chip away at his icy walls. Despite himself, Adrian starts waiting for her each evening, sharing meals he once ate in solitude, his heart unknowingly opening to her warmth. As their contract of necessity shifts into something deeper, Serena finds herself captivated by Adrian’s rare smiles and the vulnerability he hides behind his sharp tongue. Serena, who vowed never to trust again, feels her walls crumble under the weight of Adrian’s gaze. His touch sends shivers down her spine, his presence a constant reminder that she isn’t alone. And yet, she fears the same pain that has haunted her past. But as emotions rise, so do the challenges—old flames, family betrayals, and scars from their pasts. Can Serena overcome her fear of losing someone she loves again? Will Adrian be brave enough to fight for her? The Cure Is You, is a heart-stirring tale of resilience, betrayal, and the healing power of love that will leave you breathless until the very last page.

What do you think about karma? Do you believe it? Or is it just a myth? This story is one of the ways to find out. This is a story about two teenage best friends. It’s not your basic cliche love story, but it’s a romantic book that will have a bit of spice with a sweet flavor.

Naomi Venice was a daughter of one of Florence's noble family, Venice. As someone who loves books, she would often go to libraries. While strolling, she passed by an alleyway where she saw a library. She went there with her personal maid, Lillian, to browse for some books when something strange happened. It was gone in an instant and they got home completely fine. Late at night, something strange happened and when Naomi woke up, she found herself in an unknown world and occupying an unknown body. Defenseless and no fighting capabilities to protect herself, she was almost driven to her wits end. Will she be able to survive in an unknown world despite her circumstances?

As they stood atop a cliff, the kidnapper held a knife to her throat, and the throat of his dream girl. “You can choose only one.”“I choose her,” the man said, pointing to his dream girl.Stella’s voice trembled as she said, “Weston… I’m pregnant.”Weston looked at her indifferently. “Gwen has a fear of heights.”Many years passed after that.Rumor had it that Ahn City’s prestigious Mr. Weston Ford was always lingering outside the house of his ex-wife, even breaking boundaries to pamper her, even if she would never bat an eyelid at him.Rumor had it that the night Stella brought a man home with her, Weston almost died at her door. Everyone was envious of Stella, but she smiled politely and said, “Don’t die at my door. I fear germs.”