Benjamin Card

When fate played a cruel card on me, I was forced to shed my way of life and become someone I hardly recognised to survive in my new world. Only one thing was clear: Everyone who hurt me would feel the wrath of my anger. Dever, my ex-mate, for betraying. The Gray brothers, for taking a life from me. I had a plan. I made new alliances. But little did I know, fate wasn’t done playing its hand. My wolf recognizes her fated mate in one of the brothers. Now I’m caught between two cursed brothers—dangerous, possessive, and broken in ways I can’t begin to understand. Klaus, with eyes that see too much and walls I can’t break through. Kade, with a wicked smile that masks the storm raging inside him. I wanted revenge. But the deeper I fall into their world, the harder it is to tell where my pain stops... and where my heart begins. I must decide this time, to take what I’m owed or let fate take its course… even if it means losing my life.

On the first day of my husband's business trip, an unknown number calls me. It belongs to an employee of a pharmacy. The employee sounds very anxious over the phone. "Hello, are you related to Mr. Yates by any chance? He came to the pharmacy this afternoon to buy a box of morning-after pills, but he left right away without paying for the pills. Please pay the bill right now." My mind buzzes at the news. Morning-after pills? I suppress my emotions immediately before calling Zachary. I begin probing him afterward. "Where did you go this afternoon, honey? Your credit card statement shows that the payment you've made at a pharmacy has failed to go through." Zachary pauses for half a second before letting out a soft chuckle. "Ah, I bought the pills for a new intern in my department. She's a young woman who gets flustered easily, so I ran an errand for her." I just smile while saying "okay" to Zachary. After ending the call, I call the pharmacy once again, this time in a cold voice. "Send me your pharmacy's address. I'll head over and pay the bill in person."

When Mabel Jordan, a bartender scarred by a past betrayal, meets Steve Harrison, the billionaire CEO of Ryder Enterprises, the chemistry is instant and dangerous. Steve is a man who never loses control, but Mabel is the wild card he never saw coming. Unwilling to let go of her, yet terrified of the vulnerability she represents, he creates a single rule to protect himself from the very thing he desires most. "I can't give you the perfect relationship you want, Mabel. But I also can't let you go." He makes her an offer that is both selfish and brutal: an exclusive, no-strings-attached arrangement. "I want a relationship with no strings attached. Just sex. Only with you, no other woman." The rules are simple, but the most devastating one is a lie they both hope to believe. "You can’t fall in love with me, Mabel. If you do, it will be over." What begins as a reckless game quickly becomes a battle of wills and raw desire, where every touch is a lie and every kiss is a risk. Mabel struggles to guard her heart, while Steve fights to keep a soul he swore was dead. Can they survive a game with only one rule? Or will they be destroyed by the very feelings they swore to avoid?

Park Dae-Ho, seorang playboy yang tak pernah benar-benar jatuh cinta. Baginya, cinta hanya kesenangan tanpa melibatkan perasaan. Suatu hari, sepulang dari kelab malam, ia tidur dengan seorang perempuan dalam keadaan mabuk. Sejak itu ia jatuh cinta pada perempuan itu. Sayang, keadaannya yang mabuk di malam tersebut membuatnya tak mampu mengingat jelas, kecuali tanda lahirnya. Ia juga menemukan access card perusahaan Byeoul yang tertinggal di kamar hotel dan bisa menjadi petunjuk. Suatu ketika, kesempatan untuk menemukannya terbuka. Dae-Ho ditawari pekerjaan untuk menyusup ke dalam Byeoul dan mencuri data keuangannya. Ia juga akan diberi identitas baru dan secara otomatis menjadi karyawan di sana. Meski tidak tahu tujuan orang yang menawarinya, Dae-Ho setuju demi menemukan perempuan pujaannya. Siapakah orang yang memberinya pekerjaan di Byeol? Mengapa orang tersebut mudah memalsukan identitas Dae-Ho sebagai karyawan Byeol? Apa tujuan sebenarnya? Dan dapatkah Dae-Ho menemukan gadis tersebut? Temukan semua jawabannya dalam "Cliche"!

On the night before I'm set to officially marry Shawn Ford, he keeps losing to his godsister, Tiffany Lynch, at the poker table on purpose. "We're just playing for fun. Aren't we a family? Everyone here knows that Tiffany and I are as thick as thieves since young." Tiffany plays with a poker card absent-mindedly. "Surely you don't mind, right? Shawn told me that if I were to win this round, he'd give me the funds meant to renovate your marital home so that I can buy myself some bags." The other players begin to cheer on Tiffany at that moment. "Hell yeah! Tiffany is really lucky when it comes to poker! Joanna, there's no use saving that meager salary of yours. Why don't you just bet everything on the table to spice things up?" I don't bother speaking afterward. All I do is pull out a chair and sit across from Shawn. Then, I dig out a property deed from my bag. "You wanted to spice things up, right? I just bought this property at full price. Do you have the guts to put everything you have on the stake?"

When I'm scouring for food in the dumpster, I get recognized and taken home by the richest man in the city, Maverick Clark. As soon as I get home, Camila Clark, the fake heiress who has taken my spot for many years, asks our parents with an aggrieved look, "Mom, Dad, now that the actual heiress is home, does that mean I have to leave now?" Upon noticing the frowns on my parents' faces, I quickly sink down on my knees and begin pleading to them pitifully. "Mom, Dad, if you don't like me, I'll just go back to the alley you found me at." Camila Clark, you stole my identity and the affection meant for me by pretending to be frail and weak in the previous life. That was how I ended up dying on the streets from starvation. This time, not only will I kick you out of the Clark family, but I'll also take back the assets and identity you've swindled from my parents by playing the pity card! Aren't you the most skilled in acting pitiful? Let's see who's better at tricking the Clarks into voluntarily giving away their assets and social standing on a silver platter!

Felicia Eviana, a girl with a sweet face and a smart mind, must experience the feeling of being put down by junior level. Only because they know she is one year older than them but still taking the same courses. “Her ID Card is old but how come she's still taking this course? It must be stupid until she repeat it.” It was a sentence she often heard and she was lazy to explain, let alone respond. Jayden Jordan, a handsome man in Felicia's class, they even joined the same thesis project team. The man who had been watching Felicia from afar. Shitty but smart man. Ansel Bastian, ex-boyfriend of Felicia who is now a laboratory assistant at the campus laboratory since graduating. For the sake of being able to continue to see his ex and hope to get back together again as before. Harumi Haida, a student with glasses and nothing special. Join the thesis project with Jayden and Felicia. The type who wants to immediately graduate and complete research ahead of her teammates. Selfish and cunning. How is the story of Felicia spending her final semester on campus after returning from leave? Was her relationship with Jayden just a partner or something more? Also, will she return to Ansel who she secretly loves?

I was the son of the wealthiest man in Capital City, but I had never enjoyed the flattery and fake smiles that came with that title. All I had ever wanted was a normal life. Now that I was pushing twenty-eight and still single, my mom finally lost her patience. She gave me an ultimatum: go on a blind date or she’d disown me. On my way to the date, I passed by a luxury boutique and spotted a watch that immediately caught my eye. I was just about to pay for it when, out of nowhere, a man barged in from behind and slapped a black card down on the counter. “I’ll take this watch. Wrap it up for me,” he said. I stayed calm and said politely, “Sir, I saw this watch first.” However, he just scoffed and snapped back, full of arrogance, “A broke nobody like you can look but not afford it. Get lost. I’m the assistant to Ms. Jackson, the CEO of Jackson Group. In this city, if I want something, no one will fight me for it.” Ms. Jackson? Isn’t that the exact woman I was supposed to be meeting for the blind date? Without another word, I pulled out my phone and dialed her number. “Selena,” I said calmly, “do you know your assistant is out here throwing your name around to bully people?”

At three in the morning, I stare at the unknown transaction record on my phone screen, my fingertips turning cold. The record is for a payment of 2980 dollars, made for an executive suite at the Wisteria. The time of payment was 8:00 pm last night. My husband, Tristan Griffin, is a detective. He was on the night shift last night. I clutch my phone, my knuckles turning white as I text Tristan, "I just saw your credit card bill for a hotel stay last night. What's up with that?" His reply is instant. "Our team had to work overtime at the last minute, so they put us up at the hotel. I forgot to tell you about it." I scan the text and sputter. The Wisteria is located in the western region of the city, which is on the other end from where his squad is stationed. I don't press him for more details and click on the bank app on my phone. Having found the vendor's address through the payment record, I sent it to my best friend, Rowena Sheffield, who works as a private detective. She replies instantly with an "OK" emoji and follows up with, "Give me a second. I'll find out everything you want in a jiffy!"

The supplementary card I've issued for my grandmother shows that an eight-thousand-dollar purchase has taken place in another city. But the transaction records show that the money is used on hymenoplasty. I'm shell-shocked, to say the least. Grandma is 84 years old this year. She's been bedridden and paralyzed for years. Why would she even get hymenoplasty done on her, to begin with? But when my investigation leads me to a plastic surgery hospital, I find out that my wife, Stella Watson, is actually the lead doctor of said clinic. So, I call her to demand answers from her. However, Stella refuses to answer my questions properly. "Don't worry, honey. Something's most likely wrong with the system. Betsy is already this old—why would she have her hymen repaired?" That's just a bullshit answer coming from her. She seriously thinks I'm gullible enough to believe her. I merely huff coldly in return before calling my dad, who works in the Department of Commerce. "Dad, Stella is most likely cheating on me. I want her plastic surgery hospital as compensation for my impending divorce!"