Bitter Orange

My mate, Luther Evans, had spent 20 thousand dollars on two first-class tickets for the Moonlight Express to Vespera Coast. Just as we were about to board, he pulled me aside and gave my seat to my foster sister, Zoey Turner. He explained, "There's only one empty seat left on the train, and Zoey's son has never seen the ocean before. This is the perfect chance. Kids can't be separated from their mothers, so I'll take them first and get them settled, then come back for you." I nodded and stepped off the train, watching it disappear into the distance. Once they reached the beach, a friend asked Luther why I hadn't come along. He was busy inflating a pool float for Zoey, answering casually without looking up. "The Moonlight Express runs every three days. Avery Smith can just buy her own ticket and come later. I'll pick up some gifts to make it up to her. She's really understanding and won't stay mad at me." A bitter smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. The whole family had always favored Zoey, and now even my own mate was no different. Since nobody wanted to see me anyway, I decided I would leave in three days.

The day before our wedding, Luke Murray got wasted. On the ride home, he looked right at me and slurred, "Cassie, don't bring the kid to the ceremony. Arya can't know I'm the dad." I hit the brakes. Hard. He smacked into the seatback, halfway sobering up. When he finally realized it was me, he just... froze. Then he said real slow, "Guess you heard. Wedding's off—for now. Cassie doesn't want marriage, but the kid's mine, so I gotta step up. She's your bestie, right? You probably feel bad she's doing this alone. So once he's in school, I'll come back and marry you." I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "...That's fine. I don't mind." He didn't say a word when we got home—just grabbed his suitcase and left. I wiped the last tear off my face, sat on the bed, and just stared at nothing. Then my phone lit up. My childhood friend's voice cracked on the other end. "Arya, don't marry him. Please." I didn't say anything for a sec. "Okay."

" I thought...I..owe you a child only..", Katherine whimpered in pain, several shreds of glasses making their way deeper into her skin. " Yes but now... you owe me your body too, Principessa.", Ace replied with a sly grin, the dark layer of smoke hiding the demons behind his hazel eyes. ********* Twenty years old, Katherine Harper had everything in her life, a perfect grade,sweet boyfriend and an unfulfilled dream of becoming the next top international fashion designer. Returning to her homeland after years spent abroad, Katherine was all ready to settle down with her long time boyfriend, Nathaniel Cooper. But on the day of her engagement ceremony,she never expected to meet her ex-boyfriend, Ace King who had now become the next billionaire in town. Ruthless, Cold, arrogant, Ace wasn't the same like her childhood lover from the past.When she accepted the bitter destiny that they let go of their past, Ace started to influence her emotions mentally and sometimes physically. Secrets were yet to reveal, hatred was yet to turn in love and Katherine had yet to fall in his Devil's Trap. At the end, Katherine had yet to learn that you can never hate a person whom you loved once.

The Ravennites: children of the lost Seluitah tribe and the white refugees from the Old World. For generations their civilization had remained hidden and kept secret from the constant, prying eyes of the Outside. Life as the Ravennites once knew it, however, would soon fall to bitter change when enemies from the Outside world seek to take away from them everything they had always known and loved. Lost and helpless, the Ravennite civilization has all but fallen into ruin. That is, until a young outsider named Alex Lee discovers the hidden culture and the dire situation that has overshadowed them. Suddenly thrown into the middle of the conflict, Alex feels as though he has no choice but to make a stand and help his brave new friends in the fight to take back what is being stolen from them; while along the way gaining an incredible new insight on the life which he had left behind, and developing a powerful bond with a young Ravennite girl. The choice is his to make: to join with the Ravennites in their fight against their greatest enemies, or to fall into darkness along with all that is left of their hidden civilization, running away is no option. Whatever the path he chooses to take, however, what Alex does not yet realize is the exact nature of the mysterious forces which he constantly senses continue to surround him, and that they have had their sights set on his bloodline for a long time.

“Why is Elara always better than me?” The night before her wedding, Hannah Graham vanished, leaving behind a bitter note blaming her sister, Elara, for her death. Damon Blackwood, the cold and powerful CEO of Blackwood Corp, lost the woman he loved—and in his rage, he married Elara instead. Not out of love. Out of hate. For five years, Elara lived in misery. Damon ignored her, let his family humiliate her, and made sure she never forgot she was unwanted. She stayed only for their daughter. Then Hannah came back. Alive. Smiling. And with a son she claimed was Damon’s. Overjoyed, Damon turned his back on Elara completely. He gave all his care to Hannah and the boy, while Elara and her daughter were left to suffer. Even when Elara begged him to believe their child was sick, Damon’s words cut her to pieces: “You’re disgusting, Elara. Using our daughter just to get my attention.” Broken, Elara signed the divorce papers. On their fifth wedding anniversary, she said her final goodbye. But tragedy struck when her car went off a cliff, mother and daughter…gone. Too late, Damon realized the truth: He had fallen for the woman he swore to hate… and destroyed her with his own hands.

Being left behind by the people she cherished, Lura Elise Abejero wants nothing but to end her suffering. Unfortunately, fate brought her broken self to the cold yet ravishingly hot business magnate, Lucio Gavin Cradford—not to fix nor save her but the other way around. After she lost the man she thought she would grow old with, she vowed not to love again. But her heart is indeed stubborn and rapidly beats for her boss. She hardly restrained herself from falling for him. But whenever his deep ocean blue eyes captured hers, all her walls stumbled down. In the end, she accepted defeat and took the risk for the second time. And even though loving him is not easy, still, she is happy. However, destiny was deliberately playful and bitter towards her. Because the man she thought that will make her whole again, will destroy her even more. She's already miserable— ten times than before, and then suddenly, a part of her past mysteriously came back. Would she still hold on to the man who broke her trust and took her love for granted? Or would she rather choose to bring back the love she had long forgotten?

One forbidden mistake. One steamy affair. One secret agenda that could destroy them both. When Jenny Cruz, a struggling 25-year-old woman, lands a housekeeping job in the luxurious estate of Mexico’s most eligible billionaire, Ken Delgado, she knows it’s her last shot at survival. But her first day turns into chaos when she accidentally walks in on her brooding, sexy boss completely naked. She expects to be fired. Instead, she’s kissed… Punished with pleasure… And pulled into a whirlwind affair that blurs the line between lust and love. Ken is rich, ruthless, and always in control — until Jenny crashes into his world. What begins as a simple distraction becomes an obsession. But as their secret relationship deepens, so does the danger lurking in the shadows. Enter Natasha Rivera, Ken’s ex — beautiful, bitter, and hell-bent on destruction. She returns with one mission: destroy Ken, steal his fortune, and vanish with her secret lover. Lies are told. Charges are filed. And a dark secret agenda threatens to take everything from Jenny — including her heart. As betrayal brews, secrets explode, and enemies close in, Jenny must decide: Is love worth the tempest? Can desire survive the fire? Or will the flames of passion burn them both to ashes?

The room is dimly lit, the air is filled with the smell of sex and alcohol; the guy laying next to the girl is panting heavily. She on the other hand is laying next to him, all curled up; soft whimpers are coming out of her lips. The guy wraps his muscular arms around her waist and pushes her a little away from him. She opens her eyes halfway through and stares at the guy, his hair sticking to his forehead due to the sweat; his dark brown eyes are closed. His sharp features are glistening, when the little rays of the sun hits his face that is coming in through the window. Forwarding her hand, she caresses his thin lower lip with her index finger and closes her eyes. "Get out." He says in a harsh tone from beside her. Her eyes flutter open completely hearing his harsh words; she always thinks why he acts so badly with her? Retracting her hand back to herself she sits up, her lower belly aches in the bitter sweet pain. A groan comes out of her mouth and her hands go straight to on top of her lower belly, to caress it. His clothes and hers are scattered around on the floor. The entire room is a mess, the bed sheet is all crinkled; pillows are off the bed.

How painful is it to grow in the oppressive bitter cold? Is it because the desire for revenge is so intense? For the sake of love, Christabel's life became turbulent in an abysmal way. She never knew falling in love was a great crime until she found herself in a situation that made her doubt her love, not giving her a chance, her life was destroyed within the range of five months. She dreaded the emotion 'love' and its accomplice. All hell was let loose when her cunning enemy sent her to a place a sane human will not dare spent a second in. Her stepsister will not stop until she collects something she believed she snatched from her. As if that was not enough, she was accused of murder and was cast out by the person she so much respected. No dulling! Life is hotness for hotness and coldness for coldness. It is a time to be brave and sharp; like the biblical-edged swords. She decided to show the other side of the by taking revenge! Prove her innocence and regain her lost pride. The question here is, is she innocent? Who is the real murderer? Will she be courageous In the face of all these adversities? Will all these come to a full cessation? What is her fate amid this chaos? Will her lovely mum and mentally handicapped sister be able to save her despite them being poor? Will her life be ever meaningful?

In a world ruled by power and betrayal, Blossom is a shy yet stunning young woman trapped under her uncle Alejandro's cruel control after losing her parents. With a deep hatred for her uncle and a burning desire for freedom, she feels like a pawn in a brutal game when her daring sister, Diana, escapes to find love, leaving Blossom to take her place in an arranged marriage to the brooding Alpha Dean. Dean is still haunted by his late wife, Eliza, whose memory looms large over the pack. When he unexpectedly rejects Blossom, she sees an opportunity to break free from Alejandro's grasp. In a bold move, she confronts Dean and convinces him to marry her. As Blossom steps into a new life, she faces hostility from those who resent her presence, including the bitter Liza and Eliza's vengeful sister, Fina. Misunderstandings abound, especially when Blossom misinterprets a moment between Dean and Liza, leaving her heartbroken and questioning her place in the pack. In this captivating tale of love, rivalry, and determination, Blossom must navigate dangerous alliances and complicated relationships. Will she find her true strength and escape the shadows of her past, or will she forever be trapped in a world of schemes and jealousy?