Apple Blossom

He's the beast, she's the prey. But she's bound to own his heart. Betrayed and humiliated, Chloe Hathaway, heiress of the Hathaway Empire, was deceived by the two people she loved most—her best friend and her fiancé. Publicly rejecting her fiancé on their wedding day, Chloe exposed their betrayal, only to have him vow revenge by linking her family’s company to a money laundering scheme. On the brink of losing everything her family had built, Chloe sought a savior and found Ethan Holmes, a potential investor with a chilling proposal. Years ago, she had dismissed him as a mere street rat. Now, he offered salvation with a humiliating twist: she would be his plaything for a year. Torn between her pride and the need to save her family, Chloe agreed, plunging into a world where Ethan sought to dismantle her remaining arrogance. Yet, as he set out to humble her, unexpected feelings began to stir within him. What happens when the beast starts to fall for the prey? Can love blossom amidst revenge and humiliation, or will their past actions forever shadow their future?

"He is not yours!" She affirms with a confident and unwavering look. "Whose child is he, then?" I question, my eyes wandering to the boy with piercing blue eyes like mine. Celine narrows her eyes with her hands clenched. "He is mine!" "What about his father? Who is he?" I drop my hands lazily and watch her intensely. "That is none of your business." She says defensively. "It means he is mine and I am taking him", I conclude with a smile and walk past her to pick up the child who is already dozing off. "No, no, no!" Celine chants, blocking my way. "Please, don't take him. I beg you!" **** After realizing she was pregnant which was not part of the deal she made with Billionaire Bryan Martinez, Celine left his mansion before the end of the contract. When they meet again and he discovered the secret she was hiding from him, he decided to punish her by taking custody of the child. What will happen when the baby wants his mother close to him? Will this reunion blossom the love between them before her departure? How sweet will Bryan's revenge be for Celine?

Lanaya lost her parents in a horrific car accident when she was a baby, tennis stars sent her to live with them as a kind of repayment. It took fifteen years of cruelty and neglect before she was ultimately saved by a guy more dangerous than her foster parents on the night of her 18th birthday. His place in the Marchetti line of succession means he has little time for women, let alone women who faint when they see trouble. When he wants something, he does whatever it takes to get it, and if people have to die in the process, what? Why is his touch so kind when he's with a certain abused princess, a buddy of violence and death? In the wake of her rescue, Lanaya is eager to begin a new life, but owing to the Mafia is a significant undertaking. The Underboss seemed to be interested in her as well. Secrets, deception, and death taint their relationship. She may not be able to tolerate finding out the truth about her parents' accident or lack soon. Despite this, Salvetti and Lanaya's unusual sentiments blossom, and she's determined to battle for happiness by letting them grow. A difficult one, including a great deal of suffering, healing, and even some violence.

On the day of my seventh wedding anniversary, my husband's lover gave my son a pet cat. My pregnancy made me allergic to cat fur, and rashes appeared all over my body. Sensing that it might lead to a miscarriage, I told my son to return the cat. "I'm keeping it!" my five-year-old son, Zachary, protested. He pushed me and said, "I hate having you as my mom! I want Aunt Lynn to be my mom!" My husband, Quinton Locke, tore into me. "Why did you have to develop an allergy now, out of all times? Is your jealousy blinding you to the point where you won't even consider your son 's feelings? You're being unreasonable!" He carried Zachary up and left with the cat. They had eschewed me in favor of Lynn Shelbert, Quinton's lover and the 'apple of his eye'. I collapsed on the ground, watching as blood began to soak my pants. At that moment, I knew I had suffered a miscarriage. I felt an unimaginable pain while I was in the hospital. My husband and son went traveling with Lynn, resembling a happy family of three. Lynn sent me a message. [Do you know why Quinton married you even though he's hopelessly in love with me? Well, I wanted a son and a daughter, but I didn't want to bear the risks that come with pregnancy. It's a shame you had a miscarriage.] Despair engulfed me that very instant. I hired a lawyer to prepare the divorce papers and took a flight back to my hometown. My sole wish was to never see Quinton and Zachary again.

She opened the door, and when she stepped inside, someone else closed it behind her. She jolted. Her head spun in shock to see him standing there. Her nerves felt jittery. He couldn’t possibly kill her now, could he? “W-what do you want?” Anna stuttered. The usual smirk wasn’t on his lips as he glared at her. “One thing I hate is when things don’t go as I planned. Silly little loopholes,” he said, pushing away from the doorframe. Her heart rippled when he took a step toward her. He was tall and large—she felt like a little girl compared to him. “I will scream,” Anna breathed, cold sweat rolling down her back. He held her chin. His hold was gentle as he caressed her jawline. Anna shivered. Then his lips tilted into a smirk—not enigmatic like the ones she had usually seen. This one was… sinister. One that told her he didn’t have good plans for her. “Careful there. We wouldn’t want you ending up with a broken spinal cord now, do we?” His large palm flew to her throat, his thumb gently caressing it. Tears brimmed in her eyes. “What do you want?” Her voice came out as a low whisper. “Your body,” he deadpanned. “As manure for my apple tree.” After being thrown to the wolves by her own father, Annalisa must make the ultimate choice—follow her heart or destroy the man she’s come to love.

Mumbai. The city of dreams. Shining bright with impressive skyscrapers, glamorous filmstars, and glittering malls. Standing tall on the shimmering coast of the Arabian Sea. Everywhere Sun hits here, this city dazzles. But beneath this warm dazzle, there is another Mumbai. The cold Mumbai. The dark Mumbai. The stronghold of the mafia. Where narrow alleys are splattered with gun-powder and blood. Where lives are discarded like tissue papers. Where an obscene amount of money circulates unaudited. And since years now, this formidable underworld is under Lala Amarnath Vaghela's thumb. The powerful mafia kingpin who started his ascent from the slums of Dharavi years back, today he controls most of the Indian subcontinent's illegal dealings and organized crime with an iron fist. But not without help. Kunal Ranjan Vaghela. Lalaji's grandson and his heir apparent. Apple of his grandfather's eyes, he is calculative, sly, and cold-blooded. Samar Jagtap. Lalaji's ruthless and cunning protege. Indispensable, he is as unapologetic as they come in this business. Everything is working smoothly in Lalaji's world. Like a well-oiled machine. Or is it? Because apart from sharing Lalaji's trust, apparently these two capable young men also share an undisguised hatred for each other. Not above playing dirty in this high-stakes arena, both are merely bidding their time to tear one another down. But no matter who emerges the winner out of the two, there is someone who will only lose. A torn heart that refuses to take sides. A girl who dared to love them both. Stubborn and loyal-to-a-fault Maahi. Full name Maahi Ranjan Vaghela. Kunal Vaghela's beloved baby sister. And the beautiful confusion of Samar Jagtap's life.

In the shadowy depths of the Crescent Moon Pack, an unexpected romance brews amidst deception and power struggles. Elena, an Omega who is wolfless, faced rejection and disgrace. However, she contested it with all her might. When Prince Adrian was crowned as the new Alpha, he introduced his chosen Luna, igniting Elena's outrage. She boldly declared to the entire pack that she was his true Luna, only to be met with disbelief and scorn. Alpha Gregory, puzzled by Elena's claims, questioned Prince Adrian, who vehemently denied any connection. Humiliated and heartbroken, Elena resigned herself to her fate, remaining a maid in the grand palace. Yet, Adrian couldn't resist his growing feelings for her. Just as their forbidden love began to blossom, a mysterious curse stripped Adrian of his werewolf abilities. The truth came to light when Alpha Gregory discovered Elena was indeed Adrian's true Luna. In a twist of fate, he forced them into marriage. But danger lurks around every corner, and the bond between Elena and Adrian is tested like never before. Can they overcome the shadows of betrayal and embrace their destined love? Or will the dark forces conspiring against them succeed in tearing them apart forever?

Forced to marry her abusive ex-boyfriend, Jayden Warner, future Luna Anastasia Lasko has no choice but to flee from her home. With the help of her wolf and her magical ability, which she’s kept secret her entire life, she manages to stay on the run for three long years. Everything changes on one fateful night when a horrible mistake leaves her in the clutches of the heartless Alpha Caius Blackwell. Hatred and desire blossom between the two immediately, along with a connection deeper than either could have ever anticipated. Despite their conflicted feelings, Anastasia and Alpha Caius realize they need one another. All across the country werewolves with unique abilities are going missing, and Alpha Caius needs soldiers if he’s going to uncover the truth. All Anastasia wants is to step up as Luna to her pack, but she’s forbidden from doing so until she takes a husband. The two come together and form a marriage contract that would make them husband and wife for three hundred and sixty-five days. Lives and hearts are on the line, and nothing is what it seems. Can both stay whole when secrets come to light and a mate-bond is thrown into the mix? ** Set in the same world as Alpha Nox! **

OUT of boredom, Apple thought of sketching a teddy bear on the blank side of a contract in front of her, without her realizing that it was actually a contract and her sketch would be counted as her signature. Nakasaad ditong kailangan n'yang samahan si Dravour Ichigo Forestier, isang sikat na modelo, sa loob ng isang taon, hindi lamang upang maging alila nito kundi upang paibigin ito bago matapos ang kontrata. Sa kabilang banda, kontrata ang naisip na paraan ni Dravour upang makahanap ng babaeng ihaharap sa kaniyang ina. Ito ay bilang pagtutol niya sa kagustuhan nitong ipakasal siya sa kaniyang kababatang si Shantall na hindi naman niya mahal. Ang kaibigang sina Hiro at Kio ang tumutulong sa kan'ya sa paghahanap ng babae, at kapag hindi n'ya ito nagugustuhan ay s'ya na mismo ang tumatapos sa kontrata. Bagama't mas'yadong isip-bata at 'weird' ang dalaga ay hindi kaagad tinapos ni Dravour ang kasunduan kahit na malaya siyang gawin iyon sa simula pa lamang. Hindi n'ya rin magawang ipakita sa babae ang kaniyang tunay at itinatagong kondisyon dahil sa takot — takot na iwan din s'ya nito katulad ng ginawa ng mga naunang babaeng kaniya ring pinaperma. Sa kabila ng mga balakid at problemang idinulot ng kontratang iyon, pipiliin pa rin ba nila na ipagpatuloy ito? O sila na rin mismo ang kaagad na tatapos dito?

*Excerpt* My gaze met Sergio's. He didn't look away. I couldn't look away either. It felt like there was an invisible magnet pulling us towards each other. He looked away, breaking us from the trance. "Are you sure you're okay, Nicole?" "Come inside." He shook his head. "I was worried, and—" "Come inside, let's talk." He shook his head again, unyieldingly. "We're already talking." "Are you scared?" I asked in a challenging voice, my gazed fixed on him. "What are you so scared of?" "Nicole..." "To answer your question, no, Sergio, I'm not okay." "What's bothering you?" The vulnerability in his eyes towards me was palpable. It was my chance to act. I couldn't afford to waste it. "You," I replied, my gaze still boring into his. "And your fiancee. I couldn't bear watching you together." Sergio swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. "I was jealous, Sergio." • *Blurb* In a turn of events, Juliana bears witness to the brutal murder of her father—a sight she never thought she'd witness. Amidst the turmoil, she finds out she's their next target, but somehow, she manages to evade them. Determined to seek closure and justice for what happened to her father, Juliana takes on a new identity as Nicole and embarks on a quest for vengeance against the masterminds. With a heart hardened by grief, she takes on the journey. A journey that would test her limits and push her to do unthinkable things. Will she succeed? Follow her on this journey as she confronts the demon of her past.