Blue Of Winter

At three in the morning, I stare at the unknown transaction record on my phone screen, my fingertips turning cold. The record is for a payment of 2980 dollars, made for an executive suite at the Wisteria. The time of payment was 8:00 pm last night. My husband, Tristan Griffin, is a detective. He was on the night shift last night. I clutch my phone, my knuckles turning white as I text Tristan, "I just saw your credit card bill for a hotel stay last night. What's up with that?" His reply is instant. "Our team had to work overtime at the last minute, so they put us up at the hotel. I forgot to tell you about it." I scan the text and sputter. The Wisteria is located in the western region of the city, which is on the other end from where his squad is stationed. I don't press him for more details and click on the bank app on my phone. Having found the vendor's address through the payment record, I sent it to my best friend, Rowena Sheffield, who works as a private detective. She replies instantly with an "OK" emoji and follows up with, "Give me a second. I'll find out everything you want in a jiffy!"

At six months pregnant, I joined a moms’ group chat to learn parenting tips from other mothers, and one of them couldn’t resist showing off. "I’m so jealous of you guys, getting to cuddle your babies all day. Not like me—I'm handing mine off to a free nanny right after giving birth!" 'Free nanny? Since when are nannies free?' I tapped on her profile picture—and the sight of that hand draped over her shoulder made cold sweat run down my back.

My guard started lowering and I instantly regretted it, he swiftly turned around, giving such a quick blow to the stomach that it winded me and I lost my balance, landing with a big thud on the floor, which I assume grabbed everyone's attention. "Alexis. Never ever lose focus! " His eyes held something more than anger, it held from what I could tell disappointment, "Don't expect your opposer to take a break. Or give you a chance to breathe. They are always looking for a weak spot, where they can get you down and break you, don't give them the opportunity. Do you understand me?" His tone came out harsh which I suspect was intended, he heaved I could tell he was trying to keep in control of his anger. "I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you." *** Alexis Reign has always been the one, the one to save the world, the one for someone, the one that always feared not just herself but of what she was capable of. She was the key. She was the savior of this world, from the bleak dystopian future that would befall us, all of us, the entire human race. She was our protector. She couldn't falter, she couldn't stumble, she couldn't hesitate. If she did she'd die, if she did we'd die. So, she has to make sacrifices for the greater good of the human race. But at what cost? Join her, join us as we unravel her story, can she save us, can she find herself, can she open up just enough for that special someone? Or will her fear be her downfall, not only for herself but for us all? ***

Dante Matino Cruz is a delivery rider, sweating day and night just to keep food on the table and medicine for his ailing mother. Life is hard, but his pride is harder—no shortcuts, no handouts, no selling himself for money. Celestine Isla Navarro is a CEO who thrives in a world where hesitation means weakness. She’s used to buying what she wants and bending people to her will. But the day she crosses paths with Dante—sun-bronzed, stubborn, and infuriatingly unyielding—something inside her shifts. Her first proposition is reckless: a single night, no strings attached. Dante’s answer? Not for sale. But fate doesn’t end with one rejection. Celestine offers him something else: a job. A dangerous but well-paid position as her personal bodyguard. The money could save his mother, even secure work for his childhood friend, Liza. It’s everything he’s been breaking his back for—served on a silver platter. Now Dante faces a brutal choice: swallow his pride to protect his family, or stand firm against a woman who never takes “no” for an answer. What begins as a battle of wills turns into a dangerous, slow-burning game of temptation. Pride versus desire. Fire against fire. And in this game, someone will surrender. The question is—who will break first?

Chains of Eternity – Synopsis When the Spell descended, Kael was nothing but a street thief—hungry, nameless, and forgotten. But fate brands even the lowest, and he awakens in a world of endless night, where monsters roam the crimson wastes and survival is measured in breaths. Cursed with a living shadow bound by chains, Kael discovers a terrible truth: every kill feeds the void within him, granting strength at the cost of his humanity. As he claws his way through horrors, he learns he is not alone. Other Chosen walk the darkness—rivals, allies, betrayers—each wielding powers as strange and dangerous as his own. Together and apart, they will uncover the secret of the Spell, the price of survival, and the terrible destiny awaiting those who endure. But the longer Kael fights, the more he wonders: does he wield the shadow… or does the shadow wield him? In a realm where hope is a myth and dawn is just a rumor, Kael must decide—become prey, or embrace the hunger and rise as something far worse.

Friends turn lovers romance... Alexis Crawford and Mason Davis are childhood best friends, but over the years since college they have kind of drifted apart but with Alexis moving to New York and living in the same building with Mason they get their friendship back on track. But things change when their feelings for each other resurfaces, they both want and crave each other but they don't want to act on it with the fear of ruining their friendship.. Can a friends with benefits situation work for them or not?

Lain Navier Edevane, an assassin haunted by his past, is on a dangerous mission to avenge the brutal murder of his family. Assigned by the dark tide, an organization that controls assassins worldwide, he has no choice but to carry out their evil commands. Galen, Lain's superior, hands him a picture of a girl, instructing him to eliminate target 0351. Lain, with a smug expression, asks when she should be killed. His superior warns him not to underestimate her, as she is no ordinary girl. Lain has one hour to complete the mission, knowing that failure is not an option, as it would cost him his life. Galen handed Lain a picture of a girl. Lain frowned, disliking dirting hands. His superior ordered him to eliminate target 0351, warning that she was not an ordinary girl. Lain asked when she should be killed, and was given an hour. Failure meant death. Lain recognized the supernatural nature of his target, but his tracking abilities made finding her easy. In the club, he spotted the only redhead. In the dim light, Lain drew his dagger and approached the drunk girl with precision. As he was about to stab her, their eyes met and something awakened within him. “MATE!”

Elisa's day was already sucking, she had been fired from her job as a waitress for throwing a glass of beer at a customer - for the fourth time -, her rent was late and if that wasn't bad enough that day she had forgotten her wallet at home, but when the crazy man who ran her over asks her to have his child, she decides that the universe is clearly pulling her leg. Why, after all this is definitely crazy, she couldn't just accept a crazy request like that, could she? Anthony wanted a child, but had no intention of having a wife, because when you grow up a world like his "trust" is a word that doesn't exist. He was still thinking of a way to solve this problem when the answer literally threw itself in front of his car. Two people with very different worlds and goals, but united by a contract and maybe a feeling.

"Aku tidak peduli dengan semua orang. Karena aku hanya ingin kau yang melayaniku." Pria itu tersenyum tipis. Rasa puas terlihat dari gestur tubuhnya yang santai; duduk menyandarkan punggung, sembari menopang kaki. *** Bella dihadapkan dengan seorang pria angkuh, sombong dan menyebalkan. Namun, sayangnya pria tersebut sanggup membuat detak jantungnya berdegup ribuan kali lebih cepat. Bella tak berkutik dan berusaha mengenyahkan perasaan suka yang meletup dalam hati. Perasaan itu, seperti sensasi kembang api saat meluncur menderasi langit. Apakah cinta Bella dan pria misterius itu akan berakhir, meski Bella pada akhirnya mengetahui kenyataan pahit masa lalunya?

In a world where one's identity is tied to the strength of one's wolf, Athena faces a tough reality, living without this vital companion. Rejected by her mate and betrayed by her cousin, she not only battles with an unjust sentence of death but betrayal. As Athena daringly escapes the grips of her fate, the journey takes an unexpected turn. Amid the chaos and uncertainty, she tries to seek a love that transcends the boundaries of her troubled existence. Will she unravel the mysteries of her identity and dormant powers, all while discovering the profound depths of love that eluded her in the face of hardship? The answers unfold in a tale of strength, self-discovery, and the enduring quest for love in the most unexpected places…