Better Off Dead: A Jack Reacher Novel Mga Nobela at Kwento

"No," I protested, my voice shaking. "I won't go." Derrick's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Oh, but you will," he said. "In fact, you leave in two days." "You can't make me," I said, my voice trembling. Even if I was bound, I would never give in to his request. I would not be another one of the long line of concubines of the devil himself. Derrick leaned forward, his eyes blazing with intensity. "Oh, but I can," he whispered. "And I will." Ariana's life is shattered when her father is brutally murdered and she's forced into a betrothal with the ruthless Alpha King Ryker, a man cursed to kill any woman who bears his child. But as they work through their unfamiliar bond, secrets and lies threaten to destroy them. Can Ariana uncover the truth behind her father's death and Ryker's curse before it's too late, or will their love become the very thing that destroys them?

My brother-in-law, Timmy Lynch, racks up 50 million dollars of illegal gambling debt but leaves my contact information behind. By the time the interest snowballs to 100 million dollars, the debt collectors show up at my doorstep. After I persuade them to leave, my wife, Celia Lynch, and my mother-in-law, Meryl Unwin, finally come out of the room. Celia's face is pale as she says, "Let's get divorced. I'd rather leave with nothing. Your gambling debts are your own problem, so don't even think about dragging me into this." No matter how many times I explain that it was Timmy who bet on an underdog team and lost, she refuses to believe me. Meryl even slaps me across the face and roars, "Not only are you trying to trick my daughter into paying your debt, but you're also slandering my son? Listen to me, Celia—divorce him immediately!" Then, she turns to me and says, "I might as well tell you the truth now. Celia is pregnant, and the baby's father is your buddy. Just give up already and sign the divorce papers." Wait, what? I literally just won a 100-million-dollar prize from winning a World Soccer Tournament bet last night. I was going to ask if they need help covering Timmy's debt. How did this suddenly turn into a full-on divorce? Fine, then. They can pay back his massive debt themselves.

As soon as I come of age, I become the secret lover of Luciano Carlotta, the future Don of his family. The reason why I choose to be with him isn't to covet his money—it's because I love him. To me, he's my savior who has rescued me from my sad, tragic life as an orphan. He even tells me lovingly that it's not my fault that my parents don't want me, and that he will be the one loving me from now on. So, when Luciano wants me to give birth to his child, I say yes. But once the baby is born, I'm only allowed to visit him once per month. Luciano explains, "I'm the future Don, Rosanna. My family wants me to marry a woman of a similar background and social standing. They still find it difficult to accept you at the moment. I have to keep their opinions of you in mind. "Just wait for a little longer. Once I conquer the final turf and become the Don, I'll definitely marry you. Our son shall become my heir. Staying in the Carlotta family is the best option for him, you know." Naturally, I believe Luciano's excuses. On sleepless nights, I just stare at photos of him and our son as I shed tears quietly. One day, I receive great news from my best friend, Sofia Rossi. Apparently, she's about to get married. "Rosanna, I'm getting engaged! My fiance is very handsome, and he loves me with all his heart, too! You must attend my wedding when the time comes!" As I congratulate her, I tap on the photo that she's just sent me. But I find myself staring at Luciano's face instead.

During a company team-building event, I collapse from a seafood allergy. Yet my fiance, Frederick Scott, rushes Beatrice Sutton, who only twisted her ankle, to the hospital. I come close to dying because I don't get treatment in time. Later, Frederick explains, "Beatrice is my best friend's sister. He's seriously ill now, and I promised him I'd take care of his sister. I swear I'll keep my distance from her from now on." This isn't the first time I've heard an excuse like that. On our fifth anniversary, Beatrice accidentally deleted a work file and burst into tears out of worry. When Frederick heard about it, he left me stranded on a mountain and drove back to the office himself. I spent a whole day and night walking home through the rain. On Christmas, Beatrice's house lost power. Frederick was worried that she might be scared of being alone, and he rushed over to her place without even telling me, leaving me out in the snow waiting for him until dawn. These kinds of things have happened countless times. Afterward, he always brushes them off with the same excuse. I've long since lost all faith in him and no longer believe a single word he says. I pick up my phone and call the company that keeps reaching out to me. "I've decided to accept your offer from last time. I'll bring the core technology with me."

Quinn Parker has a system: keep her grades up, keep her feelings private, and absolutely never act like the kind of girl who screams over a boy band, no matter how many NEON ATLAS songs she has memorized. So when the group’s lead singer, Jace Wilder, is chased through the arena hallway before a sold out show, Quinn reacts on pure instinct: she yanks him behind a giant fake pot plant, yells his name, and points the stampede of fans in the wrong direction. Jace disappears with security. Quinn goes back to her life. End of story. Except a week later, Quinn lands an after school cleaning job at a luxury rental and opens the door to find Jace Wilder alone, exhausted, and nothing like his shining, onstage self. He tries to flip the charm back on when he realizes she’s the girl who saved him, but Quinn doesn’t buy it. She makes him a coffee, tells him to sit down, and treats him like a normal person for the first time in a long time. Quinn isn’t falling for a fantasy. She doesn’t even know him. But the more time she spends in his offstage world, between rehearsals, rumours, and the pressure to always smile, the harder it becomes to ignore the quiet, real boy behind the spotlight… and the fact that he’s starting to look at her like she’s the only place he can breathe.

No one knew that three days ago, the aloof CEO in the boardroom, Sophia Monroe, had been tangled up with me in her executive office, going at it for eight intense rounds. I thought Sophia had finally agreed to what I had been asking for. But then she pulled her dress back on, turned around, and disappeared without a trace. She was gone for an entire month. I stayed by Mom's grave for what felt like forever. Suddenly, my phone buzzed with the latest trending news. It was about Sophia's wedding of the century, but I was not the groom. At that moment, I was grateful Mom had not lived long enough to see Sophia's true colors. Before shutting off my phone, I sent her a message. [Monday. Courthouse. Divorce.]

At the beginning of the story Prince Yamato is on a mission to defeat the rebels that terrorize the countryside. Local warlords led by Minamoto family, their representative Minamoto Yorimoto, plan to replace the ruling house Nakatomi with one of their choosing. The plans are set. Prince Yamato waits in the Midwinter Town. In the meantime, Fujiwara Fuhito has his own problems to deal with. Like in every other place in the country, bandits roam in his hold. A mysterious figure slowly walks through a mysterious forest. That figure is Kazuma, a man that runs from his past, try to live the present and hoping for a better future.

I was eight months pregnant, at a charity gala with my husband, Don Massimo, when a rival family hit us. The crowd panicked. I was shoved to the floor, hard. Blood everywhere. Massimo lost his mind, screaming for medics, desperate to save my baby. But when I woke up, they were gone. Both of them. No baby, no Massimo. I remembered the gunfire, Massimo shielding me with his body. A cold dread washed over me. I hauled myself into a wheelchair and raced down the hall. That’s when I heard them—Massimo and the doctor. "Boss, I'm sorry. We did everything we could. The baby… he didn't make it." Tears streamed down my face. They killed my baby. The rival family killed my baby. But his next words shattered my world. "There was only one medical team. I had to make a choice. Bianca… she was carrying my child, too." Massimo sighed, then gave the order. "No one tells Arabella. She'll raise Bianca's son as her own. He will be my only heir." I slapped a hand over my mouth, my vision blurred by tears as I turned away. The man I loved was a lie. Fine. If he wants a war, he'll get one.

Content Warnings ⚠️ Violence BDSM elements Obsessive or possessive behavior Age gap Manipulation Physical fights/assault Torture and trauma (off-page) PTSD Rough sex Family relationships This isn't a sweet, soft love. If you aren't ready for a flawed, morally gray, obsessive character, skip. ~~~~ I started peeling off my clothes right there in the hallway, daring him to look. I wanted to see if the perfect brute my grandfather built has a breaking point. I wanted to see if he was actually human, capable of love, or just a puppet that follows orders. That was the first time I saw the mask slip. That was the night he stopped being my protector and became my predator. Now, we are locked together in a cycle of destruction where his obsession is my only reality. He would rather see me dead than in another man’s arms, and I’m too far gone to want anyone else. Running away from him is the safest option. But why run when his obsessive love is the only thing I'm used to?

Ben Pine thought he was just a normal country guy going to the city for college... until he decides to stay with his uber-rich gaming friend, Nico Woodman... and drink coffee for the first time. Now he has to figure out what it means to live as a model werewolf and maintain his relationship with his friend, but the vampires that originally had his kind as slaves aren't going to make it easy for him. Cover by Modern_Diary.