B A T T L E Unscramble

A irmã gêmea de Íris Castelo foi humilhada antes do casamento e morreu. Íris, então, assumiu a missão em um momento crítico: precisou tirar a armadura de guerreira e se casar no lugar da irmã, se tornando a Imperatriz do reino de Gretis. O Imperador tinha um amor falecido, e todo o harém era composto por concubinas que eram “cópias” dessa paixão idealizada. Além disso, ele dedicava todo seu afeto à Consorte Imperial. Como Íris não se parecia em nada com esse amor do passado, todos acreditavam que ela seria desprezada pelo Imperador e logo deposta. E de fato, no segundo ano de casamento, o casal imperial decideu se separar. Mas não era a Imperatriz que seria deposta, era ela quem queria largar o Imperador. Naquela noite, o Imperador se agarrou desesperadamente às roupas da Imperatriz e disse: — Se quiser ir embora, passe por cima do meu cadáver! As concubinas choravam como torneiras, tentando impedi-la: — Imperatriz, não abandone a gente! Se for mesmo partir, nos leve com você!

Fernando Rocha finalmente aceitou meu pedido de casamento. Ele fez questão de me lembrar para me vestir bem, dizendo que ele havia preparado uma surpresa especial para mim. Mas, quando cheguei deslumbrante ao local da cerimônia, não havia noivo no altar. Fernando virou-se para a minha meia-irmã, que estava ao lado dele, e sorriu: — Você sempre disse que casamentos são chatos e cheios de formalidades. Hoje, vou te mostrar como é um casamento divertido. O que acha? O mestre de cerimônias então anunciou, em voz alta: — O casamento está suspenso! O meu amigo de infância puxou o balão de água que já estava estrategicamente preparado acima da minha cabeça, estourando-o e me molhando da cabeça aos pés. Fernando arqueou as sobrancelhas, com um sorriso provocador, e disse: — Nilda, era só uma brincadeira. Você não achou mesmo que eu ia me casar com você, achou? Aquele casamento não passava de uma farsa, uma encenação planejada para animar a minha meia-irmã, que estava lutando contra uma depressão. Ao me ver em silêncio, Fernando continuou com o mesmo tom zombeteiro: — Se você está com tanta pressa para casar, escolha qualquer um dos convidados aqui e case com ele! Mas, quando eu realmente entrei de braços dados com um noivo para celebrar a cerimônia, eles ficaram atordoados.

Na sétima vez em que combinei com Breno Lima de ir ao cartório buscar nossa certidão de casamento e fui deixada esperando, tomei a iniciativa de cortar todos os laços que ainda nos uniam. Se havia um encontro de amigos em que ele estava presente, eu simplesmente deixava de ir. Se ele era convidado para se apresentar na comemoração da escola, eu me retirava antes do início. Se a empresa decidia fechar parceria com ele, eu pedia demissão imediatamente. Até mesmo no Natal, quando ele veio me visitar em casa, inventei uma desculpa para sair e visitar outros amigos. Bloqueei seu número, apaguei-o da lista de contatos, cortei tudo sem deixar rastros. Não o procurei mais, e ele também não conseguiu me ver. Durante os trinta anos anteriores, passei a maior parte da vida apaixonada por ele, cuidando dele com todo o meu empenho. Só depois de ser deixada esperando pela sétima vez no cartório é que despertei. Não queria mais viver assim. Mesmo que fosse para ficar sozinha, não queria passar mais um dia e uma noite guardando uma casa vazia!

My wife dies in an accident, leaving me and our son, who's just started kindergarten, behind. I barely make it through the funeral. However, when I get home, my in-laws come knocking with my wife's brother in tow. They want to take over my wife's fortune, including an old bungalow my parents left me for me in the city. I finally realize that my wife has changed me so much that her family has never seen me tearing people's throats out.

I was just eighteen when I mistook a business deal for a fairy tale, letting a schoolgirl crush blind me to the truth. My prince charming? He turned out to be more of a wolf in an Armani suit. Now, five years and a thousand broken pieces later, I've rebuilt myself into someone I barely recognize, a CEO, a survivor, and most importantly, a mother to my beautiful son Griffin. I thought I'd buried the naive girl who once dreamed in a garden. Apparently, the universe had other plans. My ex-husband's back, claiming he's changed and wanting a second chance. And then there's James Drake, a billionaire with scars that match my own, who makes me wonder if my heart remembers how to beat for something other than revenge. Between poisoned flowers showing up at my office and threats creeping too close to my son, I'm learning that success is the best revenge, if I can stay alive long enough to enjoy it. They say love is sweeter the second time around, but can I trust it when betrayal wore the face of love once before? One thing's certain: I'm not that naive wife anymore. And this time, I'm playing for keeps.

After my parents dead, I was taken in by one of his closest friends—the Draycotts. Kaelen Draycott, their only son, treated me like I was family. And I, stupidly, fell for him. When I confessed, he called me sick. Evil. Disgusting. From that day on, he made my life hell. He brought women home, loud enough for me to hear everything. Just to remind me where I stood. When it came down to it, he saved his fiancée. Left me to be shot, mocked, and forgotten. I knew what he was capable of. So this time, I made the choice. I’m leaving. And knowing how much he hates me— Let my farewell be the best wedding gift he’ll ever get.

“คุณปล่อยฉันไปเถอะ…ฉันจะหาเงินมาใช้หนี้ก้อนนั้นให้เอง" “ฉันมีวิธีที่ดีกว่านั้นอีก” นัยน์ตาหวานวูบไหวระริก ไม่เข้าใจสิ่งที่เขาต้องการจะสื่อ “มันเอาน้องฉันจนท้อง ฉันก็เอาน้องมันคืนบ้าง เธอว่าเป็นไง”

After I finished the Luna training that every she-wolf dreamed, I went to my Alpha, Damien, with a request. To break our mate bond. "All this, just because I missed your ceremony to help my late brother's mate, Lilith, with the rogues in her territory?" A smirk twisted his lips, his voice a low rasp. I nodded, silent. "I gave my brother my word before he died. I swore I would protect Lilith. I can't break that vow! Why can't you understand?" he whispered, sighing heavily. "Stop being so childish! Why can't you be reasonable, like Lilith is?" I pushed him away with a chilling calm. Ten years. For ten years after our bond was confirmed, I gave up everything. Every hobby, every dream… all to learn how to be his Luna. Everyone in the pack thought I was helpless without him. That I couldn't even survive without his protection. But this time, I was done. He didn't know I'd already contacted the neutral packs in another land. I was going somewhere his Alpha scent could never reach me.

He pinned me against the wall. His voice, a low growl in my ear. “You’re trembling, little bird. Fear? Or something else?” His hand burns against my skin. “Your brother would kill me for this... but look me in the eye. Tell me you don’t want me. Tell me you weren’t wet the moment I touched you.” At twenty-one, Elara Stark thought she’d finally escaped the Vipers’ world of blood and leather. Six years later, after her father's murder and her fiancé's betrayal, she's back, only to be trapped under the watch of her brother's Enforcer, Knox. Knox has been secretly obsessed with Elara for years. The girl he once knew is gone, now stands a woman, broken and vulnerable in a way that awakens something dark and possessive in him. He is everything that goes against the moral core and peaceful life she craves, and she knows he's dangerous, but she simply can't resist the temptation. But there's a catch– a rule, no romantic relationship with a Viper or Vipers' families, failure to abide means instant death for the club member. When Elara's pain forces them into a forbidden kiss, the rule doesn't stop them. Will this crushing secret be the final thing to destroy them both? Read to find out what happens when you crave the one thing that will end you.

So you don't remember Lexi?" Piercing blue eyes stare in to mine, I watch as he licks his lips and he takes a sip from his whiskey. "You don't remember how you screamed our names that night?" The deep voice from beside me chuckles and I look in his direction, brown eyes, taking me in from head to toe. "We could always remind you Lex, you just have to say the word" *** 5 years ago after a drunken one night stand with two of the most eligible bachelors in town-Lexi ran away. There's two reasons why - one, they're her brother's best friends and two, it just absolutely can't happen. Now she's back in town and hopes to avoid them like the plague but Damien and Parker have other plans, they've had their share of fun but no one could ever top that night. Their little vixen ran off and they let her but she's back and they have no plans on letting her go again. That night is burned into Lexi's memory and soon these two men are everywhere she goes, in everything she touches and it's only a matter of time till she gives in. Now the only question she needs answered is how long can she avoid this fruit of temptation? And what could possibly go wrong?