Beautifully Cruel

My name is Mia, and I am the middle child of Don and Donna Costa. I am also the black sheep of the family. Or the ugly duckling, as my mother would call me. My shift ended a few hours ago, but it takes me long to get home as I do not have a car like my brother, Leonardo, the oldest, or my sister, Amara, the beautiful one and youngest in the family. As you may gather from my story so far, my parents do not care about me. I walk into the house with a sigh. I have seen the cars in front of our home, and I know my family has friends over. "You have nothing I want! You stole from us, and today I will kill your whole family," I hear an angry voice. I wonder what my father has done this time to piss someone off. "Godfather, give me another chance. You can have my beautiful daughter as your wife," My father begs. Holy shit! My father stole from the godfather? I know the godfather is about thirty, and his name is Riccardo Marina. The Marina family is the most powerful in the American mafia. "I do not like blond blue-eyed sluts. I prefer women with dark hair. Besides, Everyone in town knows Amara Costa! She has been around the block," Riccardo says with disgust. I do not know what to do. Shall I hide? Not many people know my parents have another daughter. I am never invited to their parties as my family is ashamed of me. I do not care for my family, and they can die for all I care. "I have another daughter with dark hair. Maybe you will fancy her," My father begs again. I sigh. Typical!

Life is something unprecedented. Family is a gift which I'm certain any individual would need. At the point when you're a kid, your parents should shield you from whatever might hurt or scare you. They should give you love and let you in on that you have them. As far back as I can recollect, my folks have given me the direct opposite. To be more exact... my mom and stepfather. Rather than wishing me wonderful dreams, they reviled me with bad dreams. As opposed to much love, I got punches and kicks. I don't know what I did wrong for them to give me that treatment and disdain me so much, however I had figured out how to simply manage it. Particularly when a wonderful green-peered child was born into the family. Indeed, on the off chance that you might call us that. At last, I figured out how to move us away from those terrible individuals I called parents. All was great and we were happy, yet happiness doesn't keep going long. He was the beginning of my nightmares. I simply wish somebody would've let me know what my life would come to. Perhaps then I could never have decided to trust him. I wouldn't be hauling my seven-year-old girl out at 2am simply to move away from him... "Come on, bubbles. Rush!" I briskly shout as I pull Daisy towards the vehicle by her hand. "Mom…I dropped Tom!" She cries back to me while I put her in the backseat and immediately lock her in. I would have rather not returned in, terrified of what could occur however she adored Tom. Since I got him for her, she has become very attached to him. So without another thought, I ran once again into the house.

Sonya meets her loving mate on the first day of her new job at her dream company. She is met with a whirlwind of romance, however after she meets with the moon goddess and accepts her place as the Goddess Guardian, she becomes a target to horrific treatment. The danger is brought on by one man, Hades, who will stop at nothing to get what he wants and to take over the world. Hades employs witches who read your biggest fear and uses that against you. For Luna Sonya, that is being sexually assaulted. Luna Sonya and Alpha Jake have to work together with their Beta, Gamma, and their females to defeat Hades. They end up in a love triangle themselves full of sex and love. Will they finally defeat Hades or will he get what he wants and take over the world in the process?

Ardi, pria mapan berusia pertengahan tiga puluhan, menjalani rumah tangga yang terlihat stabil bersama Nisa, istrinya. Namun kesehariannya di kantor berubah saat ia bertemu dengan karyawan baru yang tak lain adalah Rani—sahabat lama Nisa. Awalnya, pertemuan itu terasa biasa. Rani ramah, profesional, dan cepat beradaptasi. Tapi kedekatan kerja yang intens, lembur bersama, hingga percakapan-percakapan personal membuat Ardi merasakan sesuatu yang berbeda. Kehangatan Rani mengisi ruang kosong yang tak pernah berani ia ungkapkan kepada Nisa. Dilema pun muncul: Rani bukan hanya rekan kerja, tapi juga bagian dari lingkaran terdekat rumah tangganya. Di antara rapat, makan siang kantor, dan tatapan-tatapan yang tak terucap, Ardi harus memilih—menjaga kesetiaan pada istrinya, atau menyerah pada godaan yang bisa menghancurkan segalanya. Sementara itu, Rani menyimpan alasan tersembunyi mengapa ia kembali muncul dalam kehidupan Nisa dan Ardi. Alasan yang bisa menjadi jembatan… atau justru bara yang membakar habis persahabatan dan pernikahan.

The story follows a person transported to another world as a dwarf named Karma. While living a quiet life in this new realm, Karma encounters Freya, a succubus Demon Lord, who commands him to undertake a seemingly impossible task: assist her in completing her mission in this world. Freya presents Karma with a stark choice—ascend the Sky Tower of Doom to kill her or remain in the tower and love her for eternity. As Karma grapples with this dilemma, he meets Mirai, the world’s hero, who is desperately hunting him to obtain the Black Crystal embedded in his body. Mirai pleads with Karma to sacrifice his life for the sake of humanity and her mission on this planet. However, when Karma refuses, she offers an alternative: she’ll stop attacking him if he agrees to join her and live peacefully in the city of humans. Caught between the conflicting demands and missions imposed by the goddess on both the Demon Lord and the hero, Karma is thrust into a chaotic, nerve-wracking, and relentless adventure that upends his tranquil existence, forever altering his peaceful life.

My husband asked me if bras were more comfortable without underwire, and I was happy that he had finally become more mature. The next day, his assistant snatched the parcel I received in the mail, saying that it had the wrong address. That night, I saw Samantha Davis post on her social media, with the caption, “My boyfriend bought this for me. Isn’t it pretty?” It was a selfie taken in a hotel mirror, and there was a beautifully decorated box containing a bra lying beside her. So, as it turned out, it was not that men became mature later in life, it was that you weren’t the one they were willing to become mature for. Naturally, I gave the post a like and took a screenshot before sending it to my husband. "What a waste. You could have gotten an 20% discount if you bought the whole set."

"Congratulations, now you are the legal wife of the most handsome billionaire ‘Alexander Harrison’." After hearing these words, my mind was paralyzed. How had my life turned upside down in just one week? How had all my dreams been shattered? How do I become entangled with these heartless people? Thinking about that, my eyes welled up with tears, and I looked around desperately for someone, anyone, to wipe them away. But there was no one; I was alone with these cruel people. "Let's go into the room." I had been sitting still like a statue but these words shook me. I looked at him, with blank eyes. Next moment, I felt a touch on my hand. He was Alexander; he held my hand in front of all the family and signaled me to get up. My body trembled to its core. "I won't go with you. Let go of my hand!" I struggled with all my strength, attempting to break free from his grip. "You will have to come because now, I am your husband." His triumphant smile sent shivers down my spine. I looked at his bright and handsome face and could only think why his heart was so dark? Why does he hate me so much? - The story starts from a scene of forced marriage of Isabella Harrison and Alexander Harrison. Isabella was the granddaughter of the illustrious Harrison family and Alexander was the most handsome and arrogant son of Harrison family. She was forced to marry Alexander Harrison, most rude and arrogant man. He hated her, but strangely he was ready to marry her. She protested, even tried to runaway but he caught her and threatened her to kill her mom. She became weak and this way she was forced to marry him.

In a world ruled by power, fear, and blood, Dante Ricci is nothing short of a walking demon. A powerful mafia boss, he commands respect through sheer brutality, feared by his enemies and even those closest to him. Dante despises weakness, ruthlessly crushing anyone who dares to oppose him or show vulnerability. Cold-hearted, dominant, and cruel, he lives by the law of the underworld—survival of the fittest. On the other side of the city lives Elena Carter, a cheerful and innocent college student. Adopted by parents who despise her, she has always felt out of place in a world that offers her little love. Unbeknownst to her, her real parents were killed years ago, but she knows nothing of the dark secrets that shroud her past. She’s focused on her studies, trying to live a normal life despite her broken family. Fate takes a dark turn when Elena accidentally witnesses Dante in the middle of a brutal murder, crime no innocent eyes should have seen. Dante, always careful to eliminate any loose ends, has no choice but to kidnap her. She’s nothing more than a liability, a weakling in his eyes, and his first instinct is to kill her. As secrets unravel and tension mounts, Dante must confront the demons of his past while Elena fights to survive in a world she never belonged to. Will Dante’s hatred and heartlessness lead him to kill her, or will the unexpected connection between them change their lives forever?

Juliette gave up on her dream of ever gaining Michael's notice the day the senator's daughter, Aria, came into the picture. She'd do anything for the ruthless and sometimes cruel Michael. Even three years later, when he hires her to plan his wedding to Aria. Aria has always been jealous of and hated Juliette. When things start going wrong with the wedding plans, it's Juliette who gets blamed for Aria's tampering. Juliette foolishly allowed Michael to create the contract for the event. When Aria skips out on the wedding. Juliette is forced to be the bride because of a clause in the contract. A five-year contract marriage to the man of her dreams becomes a nightmare when he promises to make her pay for destroying his wedding and reputation. Never mind that Aria ran away on her own or canceled all of Juliette's arrangements. It's Juliette who loses her business and becomes trapped in a loveless marriage. On her third wedding anniversary, the only present Michael ever gave her was divorce papers. Now what will she do when she finds Aria has taken her place? Michael learned early in life, women want money and not the men behind the money. He’s always got an alternate plan, and a five year plan for his future. Blind by anger and the need to lash out, he uses Juliette as a backup bride to pin her down and unleash his revenge upon. It’s only for five years after all. It’s a trial run marriage. Who the bride is doesn’t matter. Will Michael finally learn from his mistakes? Is it too late? What about Leon, Michael's best friend, and who stole Aria from Michael? Can they sort this out before it's too late? Cover by Graziana (@gm_bookcover_design)

I once thought Jareth was the love of my life. He said "Mom's in the hospital," but then turned around and kissed Lily in the VIP seats at the concert; when his bipolar disorder flared up, he was violent with me, but then told Lily, "You’re such a good girl"; he had videos with Lily saved on his phone, and in the chat records, he called me "the cold, emotionless finance robot." Five years of love, ruined in his lies and betrayals. He thought I would cry and scream, but all I did was watch him finish his final act. When he knelt on the ground and said, "I was wrong," what I handed him was the merger agreement: "Sign it. This is the first debt you owe me." Those broken hearts will eventually turn into sharp blades that will pierce him. And I will rise from the ruins, living more beautifully than anyone else.