Novel & Cerita Aqua Smiles

My boy friend Caleb Ford's childhood sweetheart, Julia Leclair, is losing her hair from chemotherapy. So, he orders me to cut mine off and make her a wig. "Julia's allergic to synthetic wigs. You've been growing your hair for ten years—it's perfect." I refuse, but his friends tie me down. Someone shaves my head to the scalp, buzzing through my thick, glossy hair until nothing's left but a butchered mess. Julia sits in her wheelchair and laughs, saying I look like a toad. Caleb smiles and nods in agreement. He adds with a chuckle, "It's just some hair. Was that really necessary?" But back when I was bullied for having uneven, choppy short hair for six straight years, it was he who stood in front of me. He had his arms spread wide as he shielded me from harm. Now he's the one wielding the blade. One by one, their little circle chimes in. They tell me not to hold a grudge against someone who's sick. Caleb snaps impatiently, "Stop trying to talk sense into her. She can get lost! Did you see that fit she threw over a few strands of hair? It's not like they won't grow back." I turn around and walk away. I never look back. Later, I hear that Caleb begs for my forgiveness by kneeling his way up 9000 steps until his knees are ruined.

After my girlfriend returns from a month-long business trip with her first love, she notices that I've changed. She sides with him to take over my project, but I don't quit in anger. Instead, I throw myself into helping him, even drafting proposals for him. She destroys the design I worked so hard on to help him snag the year-end bonus, yet I don't try to defend myself. I take all the blame and let her punish me however she likes. Even when she goes as far as to promote him to general manager against the rules, I don't get upset. I hand over all my shares, letting her distribute them as she wishes. My girlfriend wonders why I've suddenly become so submissive, while her first love just grins smugly. "See? I told you—giving him the cold shoulder works. Once he's afraid of losing you, he'll fall in line," he says. It clicks for my girlfriend. She smiles, tells me I've been good, and offers me a promotion. Then, she unexpectedly asks me to propose. But she doesn't seem to realize that while we weren't speaking, she has already signed my resignation papers. And I've already broken up with her. From this moment on, I sever all ties with her, and we no longer have anything to do with each other.

Thanks to Sofia Columbo, Luca Vitale and I keep breaking up and getting back together for three years. Exhausted and desperate to get out of this situation, I end up choosing to be with Don Marco Rossi, who has been pursuing me for many years. Since then, we've been together for five years. His love for me never wavers, and I truly believe that I've chosen the right man to be with. But at the bachelor's party that takes place one week before the wedding, Marco's Underboss, Enzo Ferrari, begins running his mouth without any filter whatsoever after he gets completely wasted. "Don Rossi, Anna actually fell in love with you for real! Does she even know that you're only marrying her just so Sofia can be with Luca?" Marco just smiles without denying the allegations. He merely says, "As long as Sofia can be with Luca, I'm fine with marrying whoever. Honestly speaking, I did get close to Anna with ulterior motives at first, but I still ended up falling in love with her for real. "By the way, do not let Anna find out about this, no matter what. You know how much she hates it when people lie to her. If she ever finds out, she'll leave me just like how she left Luca. That mustn't happen at all." After wiping my tears, I tell my father that I wish to marry the man he has picked out for me.

He was the embodiment of her desires, a dream man who had captured her heart at first glance. From the moment Trevor entered her life, Emma knew he was the one for her. For five years, she had been exclusively committed to him, never once questioning his love until her entire world came crumbling before her eyes. Emma realized that his love for her had all been an elaborate deception. His words, his actions, his smiles, his compliments, they were all carefully constructed web of lies. "I can't continue like this," Trevor's words resounded in the room, causing Emma's stomach to twist in knots of tension. Fear gripped her heart, crawling up her throat and threatening to escape in a scream of despair. "I never loved you." With one sentence, Trevor shattered Emma's heart into a million pieces without remorse. Her cries and pleas for a chance for them to salvage their five-year relationship and fairy tale ending fell upon deaf ears. As she realized she had been cheated on for five years, Emma became the outcast in her own story. Determined to make Trevor pay for his betrayal and beg for her mercy, Emma went after the most important person in Trevor's life. The moment her eyes locked with Mr. Ethan Maddox, Trevor's billionaire father, at a get-together party, Emma knew her revenge would be both delicious and swift. Not only would she bring down Trevor, but she would also topple his powerful father from his pedestal.

Blurb _“Rejecting the most powerful boy in school was my first mistake… surviving his obsession might be my last.”_ Isabella has spent years hiding the truth behind quiet smiles and long sleeves. At home, her older brother Victor controls every part of her life with fear and violence, leaving her with scars no one else can see. Transferring to Ravenwood High was supposed to be her escape. Instead, it becomes the beginning of something far more dangerous. When Nate, the school’s powerful and ruthless king, sets his sights on her, Isabella becomes the center of an obsession she cannot escape. Nate believes she belongs to him. But Jacey, Nate’s mysterious rival, sees something different in Isabella...someone worth protecting. As Nate’s obsession grows darker and Jacey’s hidden world begins pulling Isabella deeper into danger, the secrets she tried so hard to bury begin to surface. And when the truth about the abuse she has suffered finally comes out, Isabella realizes that surviving her past may only be the beginning of her fight. Because in a world where love can become possession… And protection can hide dangerous secrets… Isabella must decide who she can truly trust. Before her scars destroy everything. Trapped between obsession and protection, Isabella must face the truth about her past before it destroys her future. Because some scars never heal. And some people will burn the world down just to own you.

Mila Santiago has spent five years climbing the ladder at Prime Sports Agency, dreaming of becoming a full agent while hiding two secrets: her estranged father is a beloved hockey broadcasting legend, and she used to have a massive crush on the team's star goalie. When her boss assigns her to babysit that very goalie, the infuriating, gorgeous, tattooed Jax Kingston. After he throws her iced coffee at a fan, Mila's carefully ordered life implodes. Jax has been spiraling since his sister's overdose, showing up late, yelling at reporters, and earning trade rumors. He doesn't need a babysitter, especially not some peppy junior agent in bright heels who smiles too much. But when his career hangs in the balance, he has no choice. What starts as forced proximity turns into late night talks on hotel rooftops, skating on frozen ponds, and a New Year's kiss that breaks all their rules. But Mila's father threatens to expose their relationship and destroy her career. Jax's guilt over choosing hockey over family threatens to push her away. And when an anonymous photo surfaces, Mila is suspended from her job just as she's about to get the promotion she's worked her whole life for. With the trade deadline approaching and everything on the line, Mila and Jax must decide: play it safe and walk away, or risk it all for a love that comes once in a blue moon.

He was the richest man in the country, yet his cold heart was shrouded by pain and grief. Her life was in the captivity of four walls but she smiles brighter than the sun. What happens when two unlikely souls meet under the strangest circumstances? The mighty CEO Jason Cho finds himself in a predicament when his estranged older sister dies and gives him the custody of her little daughter, Alina. Hiding the scars of his abusive past and shrouding himself behind a wall of anger, he neglects his niece who serves as a reminder of his nightmares. Neglected by her uncle and saddened over her parents’ deaths, Alina resents her uncle for his indifference. But everything changes when a mysterious girl named Alya enters their lives like a wrecking ball. Highly optimistic and naive, Alya's bright outlook begins to clash with the cynical Jason while Alina is delighted to have a companion. Alya's positive influence bridges the gap between the uncle and niece. Jason, too, finds himself drawn to the girl who was determined to break his fences. Alya was also attracted to his inherent goodness, her heart beating erratically whenever he was near. But the deep rooted secret Alya hid was going to endanger Jason’s life. The secret which had made little Alina’s parents the target of a sinister man and led to their deaths. That Alya was not a human being. She was a mermaid. Can Jason accept Alya after knowing the truth? Can Alya protect her newfound family from the man who is hellbent to recapture her and throw her back into captivity? Can the powerful CEO save his lady love from those who are threatening to destroy their happiness?

Ruchee had long forgotten what it meant to live for herself. Since the day life stole both parents from her and left a fragile little sister in her trembling hands, she became everything at once, mother, father, shield, and sacrifice. She built her world from sleepless nights, ruthless decisions, and endless risks, caring for no one beyond the thin line of blood that tied her to the only family she had left. People were distractions. Friendship was unnecessary. Love was a luxury she could never afford. For Ruchee, survival was simple: keep moving, keep fighting, and never let anyone close enough to become another weakness. Until one night, everything was ripped away. Abducted without warning, Ruchee woke up inside a world she never knew existed, a lavish empire drenched in money, sin, and human desperation. There, beneath crystal chandeliers and behind the smiles of monsters dressed in silk, she was no longer a woman. She was merchandise. A rare prize. One of the highest-valued items in the most notorious underground auction where the powerful came not to bid for possessions, but for people. Men with blood-stained fortunes and godlike influence watched her like hungry predators, each number called dragging her closer to a fate worse than death. But among them stood one man. An extraordinary billionaire feared even by the underworld itself. Untouchable. Merciless. A collector of dangerous things. And the moment his eyes settled on her, Ruchee realized the auction was only the beginning. Will she find a way to escape before her freedom is sold to the highest bidder? Or will she become the most prized possession of the one man no one dares to refuse?

"I love you," he gazed at her eyes which are dropped on the floor while he cups her cheeks with his palm. She doesn't look at his eyes. She seems scared. But with what he doesn't understand. "Do you not like me? Even a little bit?" his voice enunciates but she doesn't response to it. He waits for her answer but she doesn't reply him. He tries to back away from her. But as he is leaving, she holds his hands suddenly. "I don't know. I don't know whether I like you or not. I just don't want you to go away. I just don't want you to leave me," she says with the tears sparkling on her eyes. "Esther!" He presses his forehead against her as his breaths fasten. He can feel that along with his, her breaths are quickened as well. He realizes that the fire is burning on both side and she is equally anxious as she is. A smile creeps on his lips as he feels that. "I love you, Esther. You're made for me and I am made for you. We are made for each other," he smiles and presses his lips against her. "You're day dreaming one more time? What the fuck are you dreaming about Esther? Is it about my old man? Are you dreaming about him?" He pushes her against the wall and punches hard on the wall making his knuckles be red and bleed. "Nooo...Nooo... Caden! You're wrong," she cries.

"I thought you were the man who saved me. I didn't know you were the one who set the fire." The day my father gambled away my life was the day I learned that some monsters don't have claws—they wear tailored suits and drink vintage scotch. To the world, Abram is a philanthropist, a billionaire, and the undisputed King of the Lycan Underground. To me, he is the man who bought my freedom for the price of a debt he secretly engineered. He calls me his "Little Wolf." He dresses me in diamonds that feel like cold chains and keeps me in a soundproof penthouse where my screams are just background music to his obsession. He is the Gentle Gaslighter. He whispers that he loves me while he wipes the blood of my past from his hands. He tells me I have nowhere else to go, forgetting that he was the one who burned every bridge behind me. But Abram made one fatal mistake: He taught me how to survive him. Underneath my silk gowns and practiced smiles, the girl he "broke" is dead. In her place is a master manipulator who has learned to weaponize his own obsession against him. I will let him mark me. I will let him believe he won. And when he is at his highest, I will show him that a velvet noose still strangles just as surely as a hemp one. He told me I was his entire world. Now, I’m going to end it. Tropes: * Mafia Alpha x Captive Omega * Age Gap (42 & 20) * He Falls First (Obsession) * Vengeance/Revenge Rebirth * Betrayal & Tragic Twist