Babel Image Library Novels & Stories

During the third year of our marriage, my husband's ex—whom he dated for eight years—suddenly shares a photo of a ten-million-dollar marital home on her social media. It's captioned, "I've finally gotten a mansion! Who's the best at dating? I am!" I gape at the image—I see my husband swiping his card at the real estate sales office in a corner of the photo. I leave a question mark in the comments. In the next second, my husband calls me to tell me off. "I'm just making good on a promise I made her when we were dating—to buy her a marital home. Why did you have to go insult her like that? Are you evil enough to turn me into a man who goes back on his word?" That evening, his ex shares another photo of a million-dollar renovation bill. I know it's a gift from my husband to appease her, but I don't care anymore…

Grace Hale was raised to be untouchable—the flawless daughter of New York’s most powerful mayor, trained to smile, obey, and survive in silence. Dean Moretti didn’t believe in untouchable. He ruled the city from the shadows, a ruthless mafia heir whose world was built on blood, control, and calculated violence. When he decided Grace would be his wife, it was meant to be a transaction—leverage, protection, necessity. But Grace wasn’t fragile. And she wasn’t obedient. The closer Dean came, the more her perfect image fractured, revealing a woman bound by secrets, fear, and a loyalty that was slowly killing her. Desire ignited where it shouldn’t have. Lines blurred where power once ruled. And obsession turned dangerous when possession began to feel like devotion. Grace and Dean were pushed into a marriage they didn't completely understand, which had the potential to either free or destroy them. Because love blossomed in the dark, it demanded everything rather than asking for permission.

‎ ‎“You keep saying you’re straight… so why do you look at me like that?” ‎ ‎In the glittering, ruthless world of New York’s elite, Steve Vanderbilt has perfected the art of deception charming, untouchable, and always in control. With a carefully crafted image, a strategic girlfriend, and a legacy to protect, there is no room for mistakes. ‎Except Ken Thompson has always been his one. best friends since youth, Ken is everything Steve isn’t grounded, principled, and determined to live a “normal” life. Fresh out of a broken relationship, the last thing Ken needs is Steve’s dangerous attention… or the way it’s starting to feel impossible to ignore. ‎What begins as reckless tension soon spirals into something far more volatile desire tangled with denial, loyalty twisted into betrayal. As their worlds collide through power, family expectations, and buried truths, lines blur and control begins to slip. ‎Because in a game where love is forbidden and power is everything… wanting each other might be the one mistake neither of them can survive. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Emily Carter thought heartbreak would be the end of her story—but it was only the beginning. After catching her long-term boyfriend cheating, she walks away shattered, determined never to look back. But fate has other plans when she crosses paths with Ethan Sinclair—her ex’s older, enigmatic brother—at a high-profile gala. Ethan is everything Daniel wasn’t: powerful, reserved, and dangerously captivating. He’s also off-limits. Yet when a single glance turns into a stolen kiss, Emily finds herself drawn into a world of secrets, passion, and power plays. But in Ethan’s world, nothing is simple. Public image is everything, and Emily quickly learns that being with him means staying hidden in the shadows. As emotions deepen and their secret affair intensifies, Emily must ask herself—how long can she be someone’s secret before she forgets her own worth? A story of forbidden desire, dangerous power, and the cost of loving a man who was never supposed to be hers.

Cora Snow has always been the outcast of the Lincoln Pack. At twenty, her wolf remains dormant, leaving her weak, overlooked, and an easy target for ridicule. She’s invisible, until the night her wolf finally awakens. That same night, Cain, the Alpha’s enigmatic son, returns to the pack, accompanied by Cora’s sister, the golden image of everything Cora is not. Fate strikes cruelly: Cain, her destined mate, rejects her before she can even speak. Humiliated and broken, Cora flees, disappearing into the shadows of the wilderness. And no one, neither her pack nor her own family bats an eye. To them, she has always been nothing. But Cora is far from nothing. What begins as a quiet spark of survival quickly ignites into a force no one could anticipate. The weak wolf they scorned is about to become the most powerful, feared, and untouchable creature the pack has ever known. And when destiny calls, the girl they laughed at will have the power to rewrite everything.....including Cain’s heart.

Brandy:  My husband is disgusted and ashamed of me.  Everyone laughed when I walked down the aisle.  We were forced to marry and all he wants to do is get rid of me. His family resorted to starving me for days so I could lose weight. Once again, I am alone. I just need to keep my head down and stay out of his way.  Storm:  I always knew my father would pick my wife, but her! She is the worst he could do. She is fat, always eating, and messy. She can't do anything right but why is my wife suddenly all I am thinking about? Why am I stroking myself in the shower with only her image bringing me release? I don't want her but I can't stay away. There is something about her that will soon drive me crazy but I will resist at all costs. I have to. 

They were never supposed to be family. And they were never supposed to fall in love. Stephen has it all, he was the football captain, campus god, and dangerously charming. Hayden? He's the rival to his stepbrother, one who stole his girlfriend out of pure spite. After an explosive fight lands them both in detention, one impulsive kiss sets off a chain reaction of forbidden desire, brutal self-discovery, and secrets too dangerous to share. Stephen is bisexual. Hayden is homophobic, or so he claims. But when their mom forces them to share a dorm, the hate turns into heat, and the rivalry into something far more complicated. They can’t stand each other. They can’t escape each other. And the worst part? They don’t want to. Sneaky kisses, heated tension and jerking off to each other when the other can't hear, they end up in a maze of forbidden desires. But in a world where football is king and image is everything, loving each other might be the most dangerous play of all.

At the pack's festival, a witch hands me a crystal orb that reveals the truth. When I ask "why," she says she was entrusted to deliver it and reminds me only to use it when I am alone. As the image in the orb grows clearer, and my mate appears, I forget how to breathe. "Jared Hamilton, do you love me?" a woman asks in her sweetest voice, curling her arms around his neck. "I do. Of course, I do. You're the only one I'll love for the rest of my life, Luciana." My hand slips. Even after the crystal orb hits the floor, I can still hear them talking. "I swear before the sacred Moon Goddess that I'll be with you, Luciana Rose, until my very last breath. If I ever break this oath, may I never know joy again." I feel suffocated. All I can do is stare in disbelief. The woman he vows to love for life is none other than my very best friend.

That night, while scrolling through a secondhand marketplace, I came across a bizarre listing. [Virtual Girlfriend Companion Service — 99.9 dollars/month, premium relationship experience. [Emotionally stable, available on demand, online 24/7, satisfaction guaranteed. [Rave reviews, three customers have already renewed. DM for details.] More than a dozen user reviews were stacked below. [The experience is incredible—more attentive than my ex. Totally worth the money!] [OP, where did you find such a gem? Share the source, please.] [Is this girlfriend AI? She's way too obedient.] [How much to buy her out?] The seller replied: [Real-person service, exclusive source. Tenfold compensation if proven fake. Buyout inquiries via DM.] I frowned, a mix of disbelief and disgust tightening my chest, and was just about to scroll past. Then, by chance, I caught a glimpse of a partially blurred chat background image in the details section. It was something I had drawn myself—the matching profile pictures my long-distance boyfriend and I used.

Thirty days. One month. A single, heartbeat-stopping wager. Benjamin Parker was the sun. A golden-haired scholarship recruit with flour on his hands and a heart that he wore—vulnerable and beating—on his sleeve. He spent weeks chasing the school’s "Ice Prince," offering handmade tarts and a smile that could melt the coldest winter. He thought his persistence finally paid off when Jonathan Hayes—the obsidian-eyed, terrifyingly beautiful heir to a tech empire—pinned him against the school gates and claimed him in front of everyone. But the "Golden Romance" was a lie from the very first kiss. Jonathan didn't choose Benjamin because of his heart; he chose him because he was a convenient target for a cruel poker-room bet. The stakes? A vintage motorcycle. The duration? Thirty days of manufactured affection. Now, the countdown is ticking. Between the silk sheets of Jonathan’s penthouse and the shadows of the St. Jude’s library, the line between the game and reality is blurring. Jonathan is the predator who accidentally caught himself in his own trap, growing addicted to the very light he’s destined to extinguish. Benjamin is the lamb who is slowly realizing the wolf isn't just at the door—he’s in his bed. When the moon turns red and the thirty days are up, the truth will do more than just break Benjamin's heart. It will shatter his soul. One month of sweetness. A lifetime of ruin. In the game of hearts, the house always wins... and Jonathan Hayes never plays fair.