As Good As Dead

Aire finds herself standing at the edge of two forbidden desires: Marcus, the man who feels like stability, danger, and safety all wrapped in one. Jalen, the man who knows her scars, her past, and the girl she used to be. Every choice costs her something. Every secret pushes her closer to exposure. And when the truth finally comes out, someone’s heart—and family—will be destroyed. The question isn’t who does she love… It’s who will she survive losing?

After years of living abroad without children, I decided to return home to handle my inheritance matters. However, before I could step into my house, I was stopped by a group of people at the entrance. The woman leading the group pointed at me and started screaming. "I can't believe someone as young as you is seducing a man old enough to be your father! How disgusting can you be?" I watched her, noticing how much she resembled my older brother, and I was shaking with rage. They pulled out my fingernails, broke my ribs, and slashed my face, dragging me around the neighborhood as I begged for mercy. Yet, they remained indifferent to my pleas. Just as I was on the verge of losing hope, my brother, Edward Grange rushed over.  Through a mouthful of blood, I managed to choke out, "Ed, I’d rather die than let her inherit my inheritance…”

I'm the heiress of an affluent family. The housekeeper's daughter secretly wears my gown prepared for my birthday party, and I'm about to teach her a lesson. Suddenly, I see real-time comments. "This female antagonist is just jealous that the female protagonist looks better in the gown than she does!" "It's fine. The male protagonists are going to show up soon!" "Let's hang on for a bit more. I'd like to see this antagonist continue being so snobby once her family goes bankrupt!" In the next second, my brother and fiancé show up. They shield the housekeeper's daughter in their arms. Sneering, I commanded the staff, "Strip all three of them."

My husband was in the late stages of liver cancer. Afraid of dragging me down, he committed suicide by jumping into the river. I couldn’t swim, but I dove in after him without hesitation. To give him the will to live on, I told him about winning the lottery. He pretended to struggle but took the chance to shove me underwater, drowning me. Before I could rest in peace, he ran off abroad with his first love using my money. Only then did I realize that he had planned to fake his death all along just to get rid of me! When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day he jumped into the river. You wanted to die, huh? Well, let me help you with that!

Four years ago, Aria Santoro traded a mafia throne for a quiet life at Harvard. She buried her name, her past, and the memory of the man who haunted her dreams. But you don't just "quit" the family. When her father falls ill, the world she fled comes crashing back in the form of Luca Moretti. Luca is her father’s most dangerous weapon. He’s cold, possessive, and tasked with bringing the runaway heiress home—by force if necessary. One night of long-awaited passion sparks an obsession neither can control. Luca promises Aria his loyalty and his life. But behind his protective gaze lies a secret that could destroy the Santoro empire. When the truth comes out, Aria is faced with a choice: Walk away from the man she loves, or lose herself to the world she tried so hard to escape.

I was once the strongest warrior of the Cedar Pack. I was Alpha Killian’s fated mate. But Bianca, an omega who had always secretly loved Killian, saw her chance. While I was leading a team to claim new territory, she lured a pack of rogues to ambush me. They severely wounded me and left me for dead in a marsh. She sold our secrets to the rogues. Then she framed me for the slaughter that followed. Everyone thought I betrayed Killian and left. Killian believed it too. Bianca played the part of the gentle woman who saved him. She became his new mate. Three years later, my body was found. The moment Killian saw the pup inside me, his wolf went feral. His eyes bled red.

I volunteer to be the mate of Carl Wood, the Alpha of the Nightfall pack, as a direct measure to resolve the conflict between our two packs. He marks me on a full moon night. His gaze is so fervent in that moment that I interpret his look as a genuine sign of his attraction. Carl personally leads the elite fighters across the border two years later. He grabs my head, making me witness the gruesome dismantling of my mother, father, and brother by the pack; his gaze is alight with vengeful satisfaction. "Did your father show mercy during our youth when he destroyed my pack, Aria? Do you truly believe that having you here is enough to make up for this vengeance?" Carl assumes the position as the most powerful Alpha of the northern region, with Selena Hall established at his side as his Luna. I am kept barely alive, imprisoned in the depths of the dungeon in the pack. If I attempt to end my life, Carl retrieves the bones of a relative from the cemetery and incinerates them right in front of me, bellowing with bloodshot eyes, "You're not allowed to die unless I allow you to, Aria!" I immediately cease all resistance after that. Carl's heart was pierced by a silver-tipped arrow during his escape years ago. I had to implore the dark witch to use dark magic and substitute my sound heart for his. There are only three days left before the poison completely takes hold of me.

Five years after Mom and Dad died, my sister, Miley Jenkinson, sent me away to a residential treatment center to "fix" me. She flung my luggage at me and roared, "You love fighting so much, Delia? Then, stay here. Maybe I'll come back for you once you've learned to behave." Next thing I know, Miley's sworn enemy is beating me senseless. Meanwhile, Miley loses it on the other end of the line. "Fight back! Why aren't you fighting back?" My gaze is blank as I say, "Because you said fighting made me one of the bad ones."

Jade has more than enough on her plate with overbearing parents and a 'little miss perfect' elder sister, to add the psycho leaving threat notes in her locker would be just too much. It could be some stupid prank or she could be in real danger, but she doesn't have the time to figure it out on her own. So when life hands her the possession of her school's bad boy's precious book, she trades it for his help in uncovering the person behind all this. The heat is turned up and things are getting interesting between the bad boy and his good girl as mysteries get solved and hearts learn to love........again!

Three months after the mysterious disappearance of my Alpha mate during his patrol, I found him in a bar near the border. He was cuddling his childhood friend, a she-wolf, laughing smugly. "I wanted to get rid of Bethany for ages! Thanks for giving me the idea to enjoy the freedom I've been looking forward to for a long time." The she-wolf nestled delicately against his chest, feeding him wine with her mouth. She asked him when he was planning to return—his answer was nonchalant. "I'll enjoy myself for another week and go back once Bethany's gone mad. That'll teach her not to be such a micromanager!" His close friends all praised them. "Great move! After this, the Luna will obey your every word." "The witch's disguise potion is so useful. No one recognized you all this time!" No one noticed me hiding in the shadows, watching how carefree he was. I called the pack's elder; using my position as the Luna, I announced that the Alpha was dead and that it was time to prepare for the election of the next Alpha.