Barely Synonym

When Nicole had Alex in her life, she couldn't wish for anyone better. Barely surviving a heavily bruised past, he's the only person who has made her feel safe in a long time. That is…..until his family rejects her in the worst possible way. And Alex doesn't stop them. Now six years later, she has finally taken control of the reins of her life and made a new woman of herself. But what game does fate have in mind when it lands her right on Alex's lap on an unusual Monday morning? He's no longer the man she knew, but one thing remains certain. He wants her back, and he's not going about it the gentle way. She risks another rejection and most importantly, her heart if she dares open up to him. Will she finally bow to the pressure Alex continues to mount on her as she's forced to work side by side with him? Especially with the secrets of her past fast creeping towards her? The weight of one secret is heavy enough. But what happens when Nicole has two?

After losing her daughter to a cruel betrayal, Evelyn is done being loyal. Her mate—Adrian, the Alpha she once trusted—broke his promise, chose another, and left their daughter to die. When Evelyn discovers the truth, rage takes over. One night of blood and fire forces her to flee her pack, hunted like prey. Wounded, broken, and barely alive, she crosses into forbidden land—territory ruled by the mysterious Lycan King, Damon. The villagers say he’s a monster. That he’s ancient. That he kills without mercy. But when Evelyn sees him for the first time, something deep inside her stirs. It’s not love. It’s not desire. It’s something older. Something dangerous. Known to all as a force to not mess with. Damon isn’t just powerful. He’s watching her. Waiting. And Evelyn begins to wonder if crossing into his world wasn’t a mistake… but fate. He sees the fire still burning in her. She sees the ruin buried in him. And in the ashes of everything she lost, something new begins to rise. A bond neither of them expected. A war neither of them can avoid.

Kingdom of Ash and Blood Book one of the Sicilian Ruin Series She was the fire he thought he had extinguished. He was the ruin she barely escaped. Three years ago Amara Varela vanished without a trace --- betrayed, broken, and hunted by the man who once owned her heart. Now she's back in Sicily, not as the naive girl he left behind, but as a woman forged by survival and secrets. She has a score to settle and Luca Moretti is at the top of her list Luca, the heir to the brutal Moretti empire, never forgives himself for losing her. When he finally finds her alive, everything he buried erupts --- lust, rage, obsession. But the Kingdom he now rules is built on blood, and his bride-to-be is not the one who haunts his dreams. Torn between a crown he never wanted and a woman who could destroy it all, Luca must choose loyalty or desire, power or love. In a world of violent cartels, arranged alliances, and ruthless vendettas, Amara and Luca's reunion is anything but tender. It's a war. And their passion? It could burn Sicily to the ground. Dark. Obsessive. Addictive. This is not a love story. This is a Sicilian ruin.

At 20, Judi thought her life was finally turning around. She and her niece Aria had been struggling for years, barely scraping by in a run down apartment. Then Aria met a man online, a Norwegian billionaire named Aleksander Barginsen and everything changed. Within days, money was pouring in. Gifts, rent paid in full, a luxury penthouse and it felt like a dream. But that dream unraveled fast. Because the man Aria had been talking to wasn’t Aleksander at all. It was his nephew, pretending to be him, spending Aleksander’s fortune behind his back. And when the real billionaire finds out, he shows up furious and ready to press charges. Aria is arrested, and Judi’s world falls apart all over again. But Aleksander offers her a deal: a contract with terms that could get Aria out of jail. It’s risky. It’s complicated. And it comes at a cost Judi isn’t sure she’s ready to pay. Twisted Fate is a gripping story about deception, loyalty, and the impossible choices we make for the people we love.

Tammie Daniels never imagined her life would come to this: marrying a man she barely knows to save her family's business. Raised in a world where independence was her most prized possession, Tammie now looks down on the impossible an arranged marriage to billionaire Collins Blackwood, a man with a reputation as cold as his fortune is vast. Since he was young, Collins hasn't been about anything but building his empire. Love and marriage never came, and quite frankly, he never thought they would, until a promise made to his dying father forces his hand. He has to marry Tammie to secure a deal that will expand his empire. Neither of them anticipated anything more than a business agreement, and Tammie and Collins couldn't be further apart. Lives are shared, and the fire sparks fly: less expectedly, feelings grow, and the boundaries between business and pleasure blur. In a world where one can hardly trust anyone and love is a crapshoot, can two people bound by duty and honor find something real, or was this truly a contract with no heart?

As the most eligible bachelor in Rivenhold, Alex Ye is engrossed in his work and shows no interest in women. One day, due to family pressure, Mr. Ye reluctantly went on a blind date. He had to convince himself, 'I might as well get married, have a child, and live a normal life.’ However, after the date, he was informed that he has a three-year-old daughter. Alex was shocked: “How can this be?!" ----------- One morning, Michelle Xia awoke to find a three-year-old child running a fever beside her, as well as a pile of messy overdue bills scattered around. Staring at her bank book, with a balance barely in double digits, Michelle realized she didn't even have enough to get the child to a doctor. Deep in thought, Michelle weighed her limited options. It didn't take her long to come to a decision. "To avoid the child's fever causing any brain damage," she mused with a hint of mischief, "perhaps I'll just have to interrupt the secondary male lead, who might be on a date with the heroine right now (^_^)."

The night I confessed my love to my girlfriend, she wept so hard she could barely breathe. She said she had seen the future, and she wanted to make a promise with me. I asked her why. She only shook her head and said, "I don't remember… all I know is that in the future I regret something terribly. Frank, no matter what happens, you must give me three chances. Will you?" I was deeply in love with Agnes Grey, so I agreed without hesitation. But later, it was as if she had forgotten all about that night—forgotten it when she clung so intimately to her male assistant. Only then did I understand why she'd made me promise that all those years ago. Because the moment I signed my name on the divorce papers, I heard a familiar voice. It was Agnes at nineteen. Through her sobs, she pleaded, "Frank… you promised me, didn't you? You said you'd give me three chances."

The new project was short on staff. Over everyone's objections, I pulled three former colleagues out of an overlooked department where they'd been warming the bench for years. The four of us became the project's core team. The bonus was generous, the workload light. They all said I was their lucky charm. Three months later, with delivery just around the corner, I passed the break room and overheard them talking. "The biggest credit for this project belongs to the three of us. Why should Chloe get an equal share of the bonus just because she recommended us? She barely did any real work." "Exactly. Let's talk to the director. We'll say all the core work was done by us, that she's not up to the task. We'll apply to have her removed from the contributors list." "Just thinking about not having to split those tens of thousands with her—it feels amazing." I pushed the door open. They stared at me, stunned. I smiled. They wanted to kick me out? Too bad. I was the director who parachuted in to evaluate them.

{Warning: R-18} "No, please don't do this to me," she whispered, her voice trembling with fear. "Have I ever shown mercy to anyone, my dear Mate? Why should you be an exception?" he retorted, his voice oozing with malice. "Please, I beg you, don't do this to me," she pleaded, her words barely audible amidst her sobs,"Why are you doing this? It's so painful. I hate you. Please stop." "How dare you try to escape from me? Do you think you have the courage to defy me?" he snarled, his voice dripping with venomous rage. "I'm sorry, please, I promise I won't repeat this mistake. Please, have mercy," she pleaded, her words forming a desperate melody. "Your begging is like sweet music to my ears, Angel," he taunted, his voice filled with sadistic pleasure,"You dared to run away from our marriage. Today, I am going to show you the extent of my power." "Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!"

Elena Morgan thought she had it all, a loving husband, a bright future but her world began to crumble after learning her terminal illness had reached its final stage. Having to discover her husbands’ affair with her step sister on the night of their wedding anniversary. Betrayed, poisoned, and pushed down the stairs to her death. Elenas’ last thought was a desperate wish: “if I would do it over again, I would choose differently…..I would fight back ... .I would live for myself…..”. Elena wakes up a day to her wedding day, three years in the past. This time Elena refuses to marry the man who murdered her. In a moment of rage, she approaches Damien Carrington, the cold wealthy CEO, a single father who lost his wife who he cared deeply for. Elena barely knew him in her first life but still goes ahead to propose the unthinkable: A Contract Marriage. Can Elena rewrite her fate before death claims her again? And can a marriage that started as a contract become the love story they both deserve.