Bitter Chocolate

What does the underboss of an infamous crime family have in common with a spirited primary school teacher? Absolutely nothing, except a marriage of convenience, of course. When Lionel Tyson defaults on a gambling debt and offers his most prized possession as collateral, Austin Hawthorne is underwhelmed. But in desperate need of a housekeeper and permanent child minder, he knows he’d be an idiot to look a gift horse in the mouth. So, against his better judgement, he accepts an offer he should absolutely refuse. Marybeth Tyson is horrified to learn that not only is her father wanted by loan sharks, but he has also sold her off to a mafia boss. Bound by duty and pushed by guilt, she agrees to give Austin Hawthorne one year of her life, despite common sense screaming at her to run the other way. After all, how hard can pretending to be madly in love with someone be? It’s all fun and games until play pretend becomes all too real, and an earth-shattering secret from Austin’s past comes to light, threatening to destroy his second chance at love with his dogged pursuit for answers. Betrayal, especially at the hands of his older brother Blake and long-time friend, Andrei Ivanov, is a bitter pill to swallow for Austin, and letting them off scot-free is not an option. Driven by his unquenchable thirst for revenge, Austin will stop at nothing to get to the truth, even if it means destroying decade-old friendships and fragile ties to The Corporation. 2022 Val Sims. All rights reserved. No part of this novel may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author and publishers.

Ember Thorne grew up knowing the bitter truth: weakness is a death sentence. ​On her sixteenth birthday, when the primal surge of the Shift should have remade her, she was left agonizingly human. Her failure transformed her from the beloved Beta-elect’s daughter into a pariah—a fragile, scentless Omega in the unforgiving Shadow Creek pack. For two years, she has endured the endless grind of servitude and the crushing cruelty of her Alpha, surviving only by the protective shadows cast by her twin, Elias. ​She has accepted her fate: no wolf, no mate, no escape. ​But when Alpha Kael Blackwood, the ruthless leader of the legendary Silver Moon pack, arrives for a surprise alliance meeting, he doesn't see the broken servant the pack sees. He sees her. ​He hauled me against his armored chest, the sheer force of his presence sucking the air from the room. His eyes, the color of storm clouds, bored into mine. ​“You think you can reject me?” His voice was a lethal rumble, closer than a whisper, yet loud enough to shake the walls. “You are a scentless, wolf-less weakling. Yet, you carry my soul.” ​I tried to swallow, but my throat was dust. “I am nothing. You are the Silver Moon Alpha. Reject me and spare us both the ridicule.” ​A dark smile, devoid of kindness, stretched across his face. He leaned down, his lips brushing my ear, sending a jolt of fire and fear straight through me. ​“I won't reject you. You will be claimed, protected, and possessed. You are no longer Shadow Creek's shame. You are mine, Ember Thorne. And you will be the envy, the obsession, and the absolute focus of every enemy I have.”

"LOVE IS MAGIC." Not Just any magic, the most powerful magic of all. When we start falling in love, we can't stop ourselves from falling into the depths of Love. The same happens with Levi and Aurora. They weren't fated for each other but their true love for each other change their fate itself. Levi Wood is a Devil blessed with the face of an angel. Driven by a tragedy that has turned him into a very ruthless, dangerous, and unapologetic person. Aurora Bloom is such a kind of supernatural that is a threat to the other supernaturals. Season- 2 THERE IS NO LIMIT IN LOVE, LOVE IS INFINITE. And my love for her is more than wild. I can even sacrifice my life for her love and I can also sacrifice millions of lives to save that love. People can call it madness but I call it love. She's my passion. She belongs to me. She's mine. No one can separate us. For her, I can destroy the whole world. _Liam. LOVE IS THE MOST SACRED WORD IN THIS WORLD. AND COMPLEX TOO. Love is not visible and can't even touch it. Neither does it have a fragrance. It's just a feeling. A feeling that cannot be expressed in words, can only be felt. Loveless life feels like a piece of your heart is missing. And the missing piece of my heart is Liam. What is true love, I have learned from it. _Annastasia. Liam Wood, the powerful hybrid flying wolf, with unique powers. And he comes to know that his mate is none other than The Vampire Princess. Their bitter enemy's daughter. But he doesn't care about the clash between the two realms. What matters to him is that he loves her. But can they be together?

Ava and her twin brother, Aiden, have endured years of cruelty under the care of their bitter Uncle Peter and his jealous wife. But what they don’t know is that they aren’t omegas—Ava and Aiden are the lost children of an Alpha, stolen as infants, and left to be raised by another family after a failed kidnapping. On the night of the Moonlight Festival, Ava is heartbroken when Liam rejects her as his mate and chooses Riley, who’s pregnant with his child. Desperate to escape the pain, Ava spends a passionate night with a stranger she met at a nightclub. But when she returns home, she’s met with tragedy—Aiden is dead, and she’s blamed for his murder. Banished from her pack, Ava’s life is shattered. Just when things couldn’t get worse, Ava was run over by a hit and run driver, only to wake up in the arms of the Alpha King, Edward. After hearing her story, he offers her a deal—a one-year marriage for political reasons, during which he’ll help her uncover the truth about Aiden’s death. As Ava is crowned Luna Queen beside Edward, her uncle and his family, including Liam, her ex mate, is shocked by her unexpected transformation. Meanwhile, Ava learns she’s pregnant, but she doesn’t know whether Liam or Edward is the father. And things only get more complicated as Ava and Edward navigate their strained marriage, each hiding secrets from the other. But when the truth about Aiden’s death comes to light, it’s more devastating than Ava could have imagined. Will Ava get her revenge, find peace, and finally claim the love she deserves, or will her past tear her apart?

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 1 : 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫-𝐈𝐧-𝐋𝐚𝐰'𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 (𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐃 !! 1-103 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬) “Mahal pa rin kita, Ara. Kahit pa pareho na tayong kasal sa iba.” Limang taon ang lumipas matapos iwan ng walang paliwanag ni Arabelle ang kan’yang ex-boyfriend na si Logan Castillano, at di inaasahang muli niya itong makikita sa kasal ng kan’yang sister-in-law bilang groom. Ngayon, pareho nang nakatali ang dalawa sa iba. Ngunit paano kung ang affection nila sa isa’t-isa ay hindi nawala at mas lalong sumihidhi bilang forbidden love. Makakaya kaya nilang suwayin ang tawag ng kanilang mga damdamin? At paano nila matatakasan ang galit ng kani-kanilang kabiyak, if Arabelle is — Carrying her brother-in-law’s Child? 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 2: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐞 (𝐎𝐍-𝐆𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆!! 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 104 and so on...!!) “Contracted to be a bedwarmer of a billionaire I’ve never thought to be my unknown uncle,” Micaiah Vergara was raised on her father’s bitter stories of betrayal. Michael Vergara died with one final command: Never bow down to the Castillanos, especially to the "golden son," Gabriel. But when Micaiah is betrayed by her fiancé, Arkin, on their wedding day, and her father’s company faces total collapse, she is forced to make a deal with the devil. Craige, isang 38-anyos na bilyonaryong may malamig at mapang-utos na awtoridad. One billion pesos to save her legacy, in exchange for a year of "Contracted Pleasure." Micaiah becomes his property, a "bedwarmer", bound by a contract she cannot escape. Makakaya kaya nila ang rebelasyon at katotohanan lalo na kung unti-unti nang nabubuo ang isang pagtitinginan?

“The Rossellinis are to the Mahonnas what the Montagues are to the Capulets, sworn enemies bound by years of feud that fuels hatred and bitter rivalry. In summary, the man standing beside me, the man who I just said my vows to, is my father’s archenemy.” *** When Marco Rossellini, a ruthless Mafia boss, feared and respected in the underground world kidnaps Vienna’s husband-to-be on her wedding day, and forces her to marry him as an act of revenge against her father, she is trapped under the painful existence of being married to a man as cold as ice. As they navigate through the stormy waters of hate and the treacherous landscape of mafia politics, Vienna is torn between loyalty to her father and the growing feelings for the man who married her as an act of revenge. But can she trust Marco, or will his vendetta against her family shatter her into a thousand broken pieces beyond repair? *** All his life, Marco has only wanted one thing - vengeance against the man who wronged his family. What better way to get back at Daniello Mahonnas than taking away his most prized treasure, right underneath his nose in one calculated move? Marriage to the beautiful Vienna was supposed to be an act of revenge, a genius move that will bring the Mahonnas down on their knees, pleading for his mercy. But with every banter, with every smile she sends his way, every heated kiss and stolen passion, she chips away at his icy exterior, leaving him bare, vulnerable and worst – in love. Will he be able to move past his vendetta and love her the way his heart wants or will those eyes staring back at him remind him more of his past than he ever wanted?

After a century of war between humans and the Otherkin, both sides finally agree to a ceasefire. To preserve peace and coexistence, an intermarriage pact is established—every hundred years, humans and the Otherkin must marry. The first Otherkin to produce an Otherkin child will become the chairman of the Otherkin Alliance. In my last life, I married Kevin Walker, the famously devoted Alpha of the Whitefang pack. One year after our wedding, I gave birth to a wolf pup, and Kevin ascended smoothly to the chairman of the alliance. My sister, Meredith Singer—driven by vanity and a thirst for power—married Simon Lynch, the leader of the vampires. However, she didn't expect his chaotic private life, overflowing with mistresses, to leave her with a disease that robbed her of her ability to bear children. Bitter over her ruined life, Meredith blamed everything on me. She drugged both me and my pup before setting a fire that burned us alive. "Annabelle, everything you have should've been mine! I should be the one married to the Alpha! I should be the chairman's mate! You're nothing!" As the fire roared around us, I clutched my pup tightly in my arms. He sobbed against my chest. "Mom... it hurts..." I couldn't do anything but watch as the flames consumed us both. In the final moments of my life, I saw someone I never expected—the zombie king, Landon Zeller. Without hesitation, he charged into the inferno, cradling me and my pup in his arms, trying desperately to save us. However, it was too late. We'd already taken our last breaths.

"You wanted me to fail," she yelled, her voice shaking with rage and desperation. "You wanted me to prove you right." "No." My voice was a low, feral growl. "I wanted to know if you'd stand your ground. And you did." You stood your ground, held my life in your hand, and chose to keep it breathing. That was all I needed to see. Her defiance was a thin wall, her trembling betraying her. "This doesn't make me yours." I leaned in, my lips a hair's breadth from hers. The scent of her… of wood smoke and sweat, and something wild and unmistakably Lyra… filled my senses. "You already are," I whispered against her lips. "Even in your hate." *************************************** Lyra, the last warrior-heir of Ravengarde, detests Kael, the cruel enemy alpha who murdered her family, burned her castle, and claimed her as his ruthless spoils. Imprisoned in his domineering Shadowfen Keep, her rage is a burning blaze, battling the forbidden, wild linkage that brings her closer with each bitter glance and each jealous touch. She promises to kill him, break free from his shadow magic, even as his control ignites a deadly, forbidden desire in her. But when Lyra learns the horrible truth… that the betrayal that had destroyed her clan was not schemed by Kael, but by her own ruthless bloodline in a lust for power… her world shatters. Every sadistic phrase, every brutal touch she endured under Kael's command now bears an abject truth: the enemy that she had sworn to kill was, in reality, protecting her, and is now very likely the only one who can save her from a much darker fate than his claim.

After claiming another pack, Kyler Vaughn of the Frostfang Pack was now the most powerful Alpha in the western region. But in all that glory, he seemed to have forgotten someone. Me, his destined mate, Elsa Thorne. Seven years ago, I took a poisoned strike meant for him. Because of that, I never awakened my wolf and was left a weak Omega. A year ago, he promised that once he became the strongest Alpha in the west, we would hold our bonding ceremony. Now that he had achieved it, my heart leapt as I ran to his study, full of hope. The door was slightly open, and I heard his voice. "We'll move forward with the plan tomorrow. Split into two teams, one for the Ember Pack and the other for the Shadow Pack." Another voice hesitated. "But Ms. Thorne..." "Why mention that useless Omega? She'll only slow us down. Enough of her." I froze outside the door, my excitement twisting into a bitter ache. I remembered the times he went on missions, while I could only wait in our territory for his return. So, this was how he actually saw me. A stubborn fire rose in me. I would go to the new territories and prove I wasn't useless. The next day, I disguised myself as a Warrior and stood at the rally point. When asked which team I wanted, the names Shadow Pack and Ember Pack spun in my mind. His disdainful gaze leaving me flustered, I blurted out, "The Ember Pack! I want to go to the Ember Pack!" I didn't know that my rushed choice would throw me headfirst into an unknown whirlpool...

After a full week of night shifts, I make a fatal mistake—injecting my son, Ricky Lambert, with phenobarbital, mistaking it for an antibiotic. The injection stops his breathing instantly, and the hospital soon declares him brain-dead. My husband, Terence Lambert, completely falls apart when he hears the news. The only thing that calms him is holding his nephew, Ryan Lambert, who looks so much like Ricky. So, I give up my transfer to Harborstone to Wendy Larson, my brother-in-law's wife. I even agree to adopt her son. Because of that mistake, I work hard and endure Terence's coldness day after day without a word of complaint. Ten years later, when Wendy returns home a success, that's when I accidentally overhear her speaking with Terence. "Back then, to help me get residency at Harborstone, you swapped the medicine and killed your own son. Do you really not regret it?" Terence sneers. "Of course not. I promised I'd help you rise above the rest. And I know Rosalie too well. If she knows there is a chance to go back to Harborstone, she'll fight you for it to the bitter end. "I have to use Ricky's death to trap her for good. It also gives me the perfect excuse to make her raise our son, so you can focus on your career without any burden." I can't believe what I'm hearing. I run out the door and accidentally fall into a raging river. When I open my eyes again, I've returned to the very day the hospital declares Ricky dead.