Blackstone Surround Table

On the fourth day after our son died, I decided to end my military marriage. Before that, I spent three days taking care of what remained of him. On the first day, I tricked my wife into signing the cremation papers. On the second day, I went to my son's school and collected the textbooks he never had the chance to use. On the third day, I prepared a table full of his favorite dishes and begged my wife to come home so we could celebrate his birthday one last time. She agreed. Then she turned around, claimed she had a mission, and spent the entire night setting off fireworks with her childhood sweetheart. That night, I sat beside my son's memorial photo and ate alone. The next day, she came home looking guilty and handed me a brand new backpack. She said it was a gift for our son to use at school. She did not know that our child would never live to see his first day of school.

The plan was simple: move in with my mom, play the dutiful daughter, and count down the days until I could escape back to my real life. I didn’t expect my first night out to end in the parking lot being fucked by a silver fox who looked at me like I was his favorite sin. I thought it was a one-night mistake. A filthy, beautiful secret I’d take to my grave. Until the next morning, when I met my mom’s new husband... and he was him. Now, every family breakfast is a slow-motion panic attack. Every glance across the dinner table is a reminder of his hands on my skin. I can’t tell my mom the truth, but the deeper I sink into the Schmidt estate, the darker the truth becomes. Because in this house, there are no rules. There is no "mine" or "yours." There is only ours. I thought I was falling for a man. I didn’t realize I was being claimed by a bloodline. It turns out I don’t have a husband... I have masters. And they aren't finished sharing.

When I visit my girlfriend's house during the Christmas holidays, her cousin, Antonio Esposito, humiliates me in front of everyone because of a scar on the back of my hand. "This scar looks like a remnant of the crossfire with the mafia! Bianca, why did you think that bringing an ex-convict home was a good idea?" The entire Romano family stares at me in a mixture of horror and shock. My girlfriend, Bianco Romano, even shakes my hand off while staring at me in disgust. Not only does Antonio flip the table, but he also calls over a few hooligans in an attempt to take me to the local police station. "We must teach scumbags like him a lesson!" he declares. After that, Antonio and the hooligans strip off my jacket and strap me to the tree in the courtyard. They then attempt to force me to admit that I'm working for the mafia. I can only gnash my teeth together stubbornly, refusing to yield no matter what. What they don't know is that the scar is a medal from my time in a peacekeeping war as a soldier!

The story revolves around the life of a renowned young female lawyer by the name of Nena Daniels whose career as a public prosecutor has earned her fame and respect in the city. She investigates and represents Miss Lucile Johnson In court on a rape charge against the culprit Mr Bayo Justice Madonna. Nena begins to take the case personal on the grounds of her family ties with the victim Miss Lucile, her cousin , even though she had to work on it simultaneously with an even bigger case. Prior to the case at hand, a government task force had been set up in their city for the indictment and apprehension of the leader of the BMO(Black Mafia Organization); a notorious drug Cartel that has been controlling the streets for a long time. Nena happened to be granted a seat at the table of this task force but the little RICO they constructed around the leader and it's most infamous leader - Maestro , seems to be making no headway and yielding no results . The twist of events that led to the great reveal of the whole case became a mystery that Nena had to unfold. Join her on this journey and see the details hidden behind the lines on this crime thriller.

Angela currently plunges into poverty that forces her to went into prostitution where she sells her body to keep her two younger siblings alive, paying their school fees and put food on their table at least twice a day. Despite experiencing the whip of life, she didn't lose hope. She believes one day she will be freed from prostitution, she will feel loved, respected and cared for. She still believes there's someone who will come to hold her hand and help her to get out of the mud. And the person who's going to save her is her childhood friend who went abroad to study way back seven years ago. What if her childhood friend came back all of the sudden? Is she will going to reveal her secret as a prostitute just to make her save by him? Or hide it just to make her man stay in her life? Is it possible for a prostitute like her to have a happy ever after to a knight shimmering shining armor like in books and fairytales? Let's find out in Magda.

Even before marrying Wayne Cooper, I knew he had a fierce sister-in-law. He would always tell me to never get into a fight with her. After we marry, we spend Christmas Eve at his parents' house for the first time. I'm forced to bustle around in the kitchen as I prepare a feast for over a dozen people. Meanwhile, Wayne's family lounges in the living room. They chatter away while enjoying the fruits I've washed and sliced. As I place the last dish on the table, Wayne's brother and sister-in-law, Kyle Cooper and Lucy Wren, arrive. When I want to take my seat, I discover there isn't one for me. That's when Lucy snorts and says sarcastically, "I heard you're a good wife who's obedient and easygoing, Melanie. I have to say that your cooking is… mediocre, though." This infuriates me. I'm about to retort when she turns to my mother-in-law. She says, "I think you should do the cooking from now on, Gloria. Your food is delicious…"

The first time I attended my girlfriend Joyce's friend gathering, after a few rounds of drinks, her male best friend pulled her onto his lap. With a cigarette dangling between his fingers, he grinned. "Call me daddy!" Instead of getting offended, Joyce leaned into him, helpless but indulgent, and said, "Daddy." I froze, scowling, but she waved me off without a care. "It's just a joke! Lucius always never cared for the rules, and everyone knows we have a father-daughter vibe, okay? Don't get it all twisted, Henry! Aren't you a man?" Lucius became even more provocative, throwing a smoke ring at me. "Yo, son-in-law! Aren't you going to bow to me? Come on, kneel and offer me a drink, and your dad's got your back!" Everyone at the table burst into laughter as they waited to see me lose my temper and make a scene. I just smiled, meeting Joyce's impatient gaze with an excited expression. "That's great! I like the way you think, so why don't you call me daddy too?"

Cora’s life takes an unexpected turn and she finds herself torn between survival and betrayal. Devastated but determined to navigate back her life, she colluded with Keith, her once childhood crush and now a successful billionaire. In order to bring down Elliot, Keith's father, she got entangled with Keith in an arranged marriage. However, as their relationship develops, she must navigate her growing feelings for Keith while also protecting herself from the dangers that surround them. Will she be able to protect herself and her developing relationship with Keith while also solving the mysteries laid in front of her. Cora noticed the difference in how Keith acts towards her and that made her set a trap. She discovers he has a twin who lives in the basement of his house and impersonates him. She was in love with Keith but now she has to discern who she is truly in love with. Keith or his twin, Ted. The day Keith was to confess his love to her, she was stopped by Elliot who told her Keith was adopted and that he was the son of that former international smuggling ring who he killed. He also told her he found out who sent the assassins to her before the wedding and that it was Keith himself. He had the whole scene staged. Ted on the other hand also fell in love with Cora and wanted her for himself. Seeing as she chose Keith, he decided to rape her and make her pregnant with his child. That way, she would be stuck with him. Cora got a strange call from her mother. Denouement Cora's mother called to inform her of her father's death. Keith confronted Elliot and told him he knew he was adopted and that he was aware he killed

Sophia Ward never imagined her life would spiral this way. One moment, she’s struggling to keep her family afloat; the next, she’s kidnapped by Adrian Vale—a ruthless criminal who threatens her family’s very existence if she doesn’t obey his orders. His mission? Infiltrate Blackwood Enterprises and manipulate its enigmatic CEO, Desmond Blackwood, into signing a contract that could change everything. Every choice she makes is a gamble. Every lie she tells is a risk. Desmond Blackwood has always lived by control and calculation. Blind yet unyielding, he’s nothing like the whispers that surround him. And when Sophia steps into his world—fragile, terrified, yet stubbornly brave—he senses a storm in her heart he can’t ignore. Then Sophia Ward walked into his life. Fragile, terrified, yet strangely bold. She carried secrets he didn’t yet understand—and a courage that defied her circumstances. Something about her stirred something in him he hadn’t felt in years. Curiosity. Protection. And perhaps, against all reason, something more. With the fact he knows, she is hiding a dangerous secret of her own— He still leans in more for her to trust him because somehow that matters to him. But in a world where trust is a luxury, Desmond would have to decide: Could he risk believing in her, even if it might cost him everything? And Sophia must navigate love, danger, and deception. Can she protect her family without losing herself—or the one person she never thought she’d trust

One silly dare in a crowded club. One clumsy puff of his cigarette. One choking cough that turned innocent giggles into something dangerous. Grace thought she was just playing a game with her friends. She never expected the man in the shadows, the one with the cold eyes and the lighter that flicked like a promise, would watch her every second after that. Adrian Valente doesn’t chase women. He claims them. Ruthless mafia king. Owner of the night. The kind of man who makes rooms go silent when he walks in, whose name alone is a warning carved in fear. She ran back to her table laughing. He stayed seated, cigarette forgotten, staring at the spot she’d left like she’d stolen something vital from his chest. Now he knows her name. Her laugh. The way her cheeks flush when she’s embarrassed. And Adrian Valente never forgets what belongs to him. One dare started it.One look sealed it. She has no idea the devil just decided she’s his. And devils don’t let go.