Blood Is Not Always Thicker Than Water

Lois had decided to use alcohol to numb her pain and forget everything she had gone through. She had caught her boyfriend in bed with another woman, and now the child services agency was threatening to take her sister away from her. To add to her woes, she had also lost her job. As she sat in the bar, she encountered some problems that almost resulted in her being raped. However, Leo came to her rescue and saved her from the manager. He then offered to help Lois, but with a condition: she would have to marry him in return. Desperate for help and without a second thought, Lois accepted Leo's offer.

"This marriage is nothing more than a business deal so don't expect anything more from me" Those were the words my husband threw at me the minute we got married. How do you make an arranged marriage work when your husband has a mistress who has threatened to kick you out? Hazel Reyes found her world turned upside down when she learnt that her father was on his deathbed and that she must marry a stranger as his last dying wish. Atticus Hayland, the brute force of the capitalist world, received an offer to marry a billionaire's daughter for rights to his company. Atticus intends to marry her before tossing her aside, but he is surprised to learn that his new wife will not allow him to use her for her company rights when she demands respect and for him to get rid of all his mistresses. Will Hazel succeed in becoming Atticus's only woman, or will she be tossed out by the other woman?

The morning after their night together, Harper Sullivan froze with a sudden, sickening realization—Ryan Delgado hadn't used protection. Fear coiled tight in her chest, sharp and suffocating. But Ryan just smirked, his voice smooth, teasing, as if this were some kind of game. "Our families are enemies. A baby changes that. Your father would have to accept me. Then I could marry you—properly." Heat rushed to her cheeks. She should have pushed him away, should have demanded answers—but his touch still burned through her resistance, and she gave in to him. Then, like a knife to the ribs, she heard his friend's voice from the next room, laced with cruel amusement. "Ryan, that's genius. Get her pregnant, then dump her. Harper would never recover from the scandal. And her family? Total disgrace." Ryan let out a cold, satisfied laugh. "Serves her right. She stole Olivia's spot as valedictorian, broke her heart, drove her overseas. I'll make sure she pays—this is for Olivia." Harper's body went rigid. Three years. Three years of stolen moments, swallowed secrets, letting him touch her in the dark while her family believed her loyal. And it had all been a lie. Rage and humiliation crashed over her, so violent she nearly choked on it. Her phone buzzed in her trembling hand. Fighting back tears, she answered. "Dad… I'll take the engagement."

Amaraiah “Aya” Reyes’s success as the Senior Marketing Manager of Madriaga Enterprises stands as proof of her skill and dedication. That’s what the public sees—her confident smile, her flawless image. But behind it all, she carries a secret that could change everything. She is secretly married to the company’s CEO, Zedrick “Zed” Madriaga. He was the man she first fell in love with. It was a marriage born from complicated circumstances, a binding agreement that both connects and divides them. Through the years, Aya learned to play the role expected of her—prim, proper, and untouchable even at the cost of her true feelings. But now, Zed wants more than shadows and silence. He wants to live in a world where they no longer have to hide from each other. With Aya’s growing success drawing public attention—and with people ready to expose the truth. So, she must make a choice. Will she keep living the perfect lie, or will she finally fight for who she really is… even if it costs her everything?

God is always fair, but the world is never fair. Sometimes to defeat bad people, you must become a bad one yourself. His bloody hands rested on his knees which were spread apart. His head was bent and he looked perfect for the job. I just offered him my hand."I don't need your help. I can get up on my own."I raised an eyebrow at him and connected my hand with his. I attempted to pull him up. But, he didn't budge. I tried again, but no luck. This time, he growled. "Stop it and get lost. Leave me alone." He pointed his finger at me. I immediately caught hold of the finger and attempted to snap it, but he was quicker than me. He caught my hand which was holding his finger and twisted it so that my arm was strangling my own neck and I was pressed against his chest. We broke into a fight and in the end, we both were breathless and I was straddling him.

**Mature Audience Only** This is a collection of steamy short stories, showing that a relationship does not need to be all about s*x... But its a good start... The first story was about Luke, who had a chance to be a tutor to the girl he was in love with. Will they have happy endings? See and find out.

Noami grew up with an abusive mother, and so when she turned 18, she decided to hunt her ex-stepfather down as he was the only one who ever truly cared about her. She absolutely adores him, and he adores her right back. Can their love survive, albeit changed a drunken reunion, bullies from the past, and unwanted suitors? Or will everything they face tear them apart when they just found each other again? Or will his money play a part in his demise? I tilted my head back as I fell against his chest and he immediately lowered his head to press his lips against mine. Oh, God! Not again. This was bad. I needed to pull away. Why wasn’t I pulling away? Why was I opening my mouth so he could deepen the kiss? And why were my hands going under his shirt to stroke along his muscles? Fuck! I closed my eyes as I leaned against him, enjoying the kiss more than I should. When he finally pulled away, I looked up at him mesmerized by our kiss for the second time. He grinned down at me as his eyes danced merrily. “So, were you serious about what you said?” he asked huskily, confusing me. “What did I say?” I replied. His hands moved down my body until his hands were gripping my ass. “You said you were going to let me have you.” When my mouth dropped open in shock, he groaned. “Or we can start with that if you prefer.” I snapped my mouth shut when what he meant registered in my head. “Oh, God!” He chuckled as he pulled me up his body a little so that I could feel his erection. “Say yes and I’ll make you scream that.” “I-I…yes."

After masking herself with the good, prim, and proper facade, the daughter of the Vela Solana Family, Willow Andromeda Salavieja, uses her pen to reveal her emotions, the only way to express her thoughts and feelings. No one knows that she writes. When she faces an existential crisis, she finds herself on the outskirts of town, where she wanders and wonders about how life is happy and simple there- or so she thought. On the day she crosses the path with Atlas Hussein Elizondo, the truth finally unveils; everything was just a hoax. She found out the poor life of the minority and how it hinders children from reaching their dreams. The moment she opened her lips, words spread and traveled. But then, she can't help but ask and doubt herself if she made the right decision.

They said I was beautiful — but not real. That my smile was perfect — but my past made me broken. I spent years trying to prove I was more than the girl who changed her face to survive the world’s cruelty. I married Julian Vale, believing love would finally see me. I called Serena Blake my sister, trusting her more than my own reflection. And when my world collapsed under secrets, silence, and the weight of never being enough — I disappeared. Then I opened my eyes… Ten years earlier. Before the surgery. Before the vows. Before I forgot who I was beneath the makeup and the mask of confidence. This time, I don’t need to be fixed. This time, I don’t need to be forgiven. I remember every lie. Every betrayal. Every time I silenced my voice to keep the peace. So I’m not here to win back love. I’m not here to punish the past. I’m here to become the woman I was always meant to be — unedited, unafraid, and finally, completely seen. I was more than pretty. This time, I’ll live like I believe it.

The city lights of Valenfort burned bright against the suffocating dark like a gem tainted by blood. Beneath that glittering surface lay nameless alleys where the scent of iron and the echoes of screams intertwined into a symphony of hell. No one remembered the last time they saw a real sunrise for this city had long belonged to the night. Evelyn Cross , a fourth-generation vampire hunter of the secretive order known as The Order of the Thorn , was born in blood and sworn to die for her mission. She had once watched her father torn apart by a pureblood vampire, a creature so fearsome that humans dared only whisper its name in prayer. Since that day, Evelyn lived like a blade cold, unfeeling, and driven by the hunt. Until she met Lucien Draven , the Blood King of Valenfort who ruled the shadows with a calm smile and eyes that could stop a heartbeat. Lucien did not kill Evelyn upon their first encounter. Instead, he saved her from the very comrades who had betrayed her. A vampire saving a hunter such a thing had never happened in the history of either world. Evelyn despised him… yet could not kill him. Lucien desired her… yet knew his love was her death sentence. In Valenfort, a war of blood is rising. The ancient vampire houses are clawing for dominance, while the hunters’ order fractures under betrayal and deceit. Amidst gunfire, betrayal, and desire, Blood War is not merely a battle between species but between the heart and fate itself. “In the world of darkness, truth isn’t written in ink… but in blood.”