Burn It Down

Jerome Lin, only child of beauty mogul Miranda Lin, has lived his life beneath the weight of legacy. As managing director of Linéa Cosmetics, he has everything,wealth, power, and a love he thought would last forever. Until he discovers that his girlfriend is secretly involved with Akihiko Tanaka, the man his mother is determined to marry for influence. His trust shattered, Jerome confronts Miranda, only to be dismissed as collateral damage. She marries the man anyway. When Akihiko’s enigmatic son Collins returns to Japan to inherit the Tanaka empire, the two men meet and instantly clash. Their parents expect them to cooperate. Instead, they glare, argue, clash, and burn with a tension neither can explain. But beneath that friction lies something magnetic. Something dangerous. Forced to attend dinners, business meetings, and social events together, hatred turns into curiosity… then slow, forbidden attraction. Their first intimate moment is discovered, and their parents explode into rage, threatening to disown them both. Jerome and Collins choose each other anyway, leading to the bitter collapse of their parents’ marriage. Finally free to be together, they begin planning a future,until Collins’s ex arrives claiming she has his child. Jerome breaks apart, terrified of losing everything again. A DNA test reveals the truth: the child is not Collins’s. His ex fabricated everything to claw her way back into his life. With the truth unveiled, Jerome and Collins reunite stronger than before. Their parents move on…Miranda marrying a rising politician, and Akihiko marrying Jerome’s ex. Meanwhile, Jerome and Collins build an empire of their own, built on love, forgiveness, and the fire that first brought them together. A love story born from hate. A romance they were never meant to have. A destiny they chose anyway.

I loved eating cakes. My dad would bring me one every day after work, and my mom bought a full set of oven and baking tools, patiently learning how to bake them for me. I once thought I was the happiest little princess in the world until the day my parents divorced. The person who came to pick up my dad turned out to be the bakery owner. My mom turned to me, growling, "This is all your fault! If you hadn't asked for cakes every day, your dad never would've cheated!" She stretched out her hands, covered in burn scars, and screamed hysterically, "I slaved away making cakes for you, and these hands have never healed since. What did you do? You both think the stuff from outside is so much better!" She grabbed a baking sheet and smacked me hard with it. I bit my lip, not daring to make a sound. That night, she brought home a little girl. Ignoring the pain all over my body, I begged for her forgiveness. "Mom, I'm sorry. Please don't throw me away. I swear I'll never eat another cake!" She slapped me across the face, but that wasn't enough to quench her anger. She tossed me into the big oven. "I'm not your mom! You love cakes so much? Stay in there and reflect on what you've done! You and your worthless dad both deserve to die!" After she slammed the door and stormed out, the little girl skipped over to the oven, grinning smugly as she hit the switch. "From now on, your mom is gonna be mine!" The oven kicked on, and the temperature began to rise. I smiled bitterly. At least this way, my mom could finally be happy.

R-18 (contains mature content) Verena Layton: He is an irresistible good-looking vampire, a newcomer to our university. So I thought. Well, he actually is a human, as stated by the world. Whatever he is, he is a hundred percent my type. However, he got a damn cocky attitude that really puts me off. I try to keep myself away from him after he knocked the image of harsh reality into my head. But why do I feel such a strong pull toward him? I feel like a moth flying into the fire. This fire might change my life and everything Lorcan Judson: I despise humans - creatures with no morals. Yet, she is one of them: An annoyingly clingy, vampire-enthusiastic human. Astonishingly, her presence shakes me to the core tempting me to abandon my important mission and go after her. I try to keep my distance, but I am so pulled toward her. Her scent entices me to the verge of losing my sanity. I find myself questioning what my next move should be - chase after her or focus on my mission. It makes me wonder if she is truly a human or maybe one of us.

Meet Rylee Parks. JV Cheerleader, kick-ass bowler - and she is in love with her best friend's brother. Meet Aiden Reed. A varsity Football player, he can drink Ireland under the table, and would do anything to protect the friend he sees as a brother. This is Rylee's first year of University and her last year of fawning over a boy who will never look at her the same. But what happens when Aiden is finally woken up to the realization that Rylee won't stay the small and innocent girl she always has been, and his time with her is quickly running out?

Yes, I did it. I buried each piece of him where the city ends- the borders. I was careful. Careful enough that they'll never put him back together. Now I can finally sleep. I remember clearly his last cry, echoing in my ear like a hymn. His eyes pleading. Not for mercy, just for more time. But he didn't give her that. So, I took mine... slowly. Making sure the last thing he saw was that I wasn't sorry.

> I died loving him. I returned to destroy him. Aria Sinclair gave everything to Damon King — her love, her loyalty, her name. But when his betrayal shattered her world and drove her to her death, she swore one thing with her final breath: she would never love him again. Now reborn five years later with a new identity and sharper mind, Aria re-enters Damon’s life as a powerful investor bent on dismantling his empire piece by piece. But Damon isn’t the cold-hearted man she remembers. He's tormented by regret... and still haunted by her memory. As secrets unravel and passion reignites, Aria finds herself caught between the vengeance she craved and the love she once buried. Can she truly ruin the man who still owns her heart? Or will her kiss become his salvation instead of his downfall?

Rachel Lloyd had been by William Lewis' side since she was eighteen. One day, after an accident, she finally regained her hearing, which she had previously lost while saving his life. She couldn't wait to share the good news with him. But when she arrived, she found him holding his first love in his arms and whispering sweet nothings to her. William always knew Rachel loved him deeply—to the point she would give her life for him. She never got angry and never asked for much. But this time, instead of quietly staying by his side, she simply signed a non-disclosure agreement. And when the time came, she completely disappeared from his world. When William first heard that Rachel had vanished, he laughed it off. "She'll be back within a week." But a week passed. Then, a month. Then, three months. And still, Rachel didn't return. Now, as panic set in, William searched for her like a madman. For the first time in his proud, arrogant life, he humbled himself and begged, "Rachel, stop this. It's been long enough." Later, he added, "Come home. I'll give you whatever you want." And finally, he said, "If I were dying… would you at least come say goodbye?" When they met again, he was on his knees. His eyes were red-rimmed as he held out a teacup. "Please have some tea... Aunt Rachel."

Everyone in the mercenary group knew just how deeply Liam Smith loved me and feared losing me. He even suppressed his dark desires to make sure I felt truly safe. No matter how dangerous the mission, he made sure to check in every single day. Worried for his safety, I hid my identity and secretly became his team’s hacker. However, after one mission, I overheard the others joking over the radio: "Chief was in such a rush to pick that lock and go after Wendy. What's so irresistible about her?" Through an unattended monitor, I caught Liam glancing at the camera with a teasing smile. "Didn't I tell you guys that she nearly wrung me dry the last time we did it?" It felt like I had fallen into an ice-cold abyss. My heart shattered, and I summoned the system. [I want to leave this world.] The cold, mechanical voice replied without delay: [Once you leave, all traces of the host in this world will be erased.] [Starting the countdown: Seven days left.]

The seventh time Claire Fisher bailed on our marriage license appointment, I finally cut her out of my life—for good. From then on, if she was at a party, I wasn't. When she was scheduled to perform at our college's anniversary celebration, I made sure to leave early. The moment my company announced a collaboration with hers, I resigned without a second thought. Even on Christmas Eve, when she showed up at my parents' house with gifts, I slipped out with a half-hearted excuse about "visiting a friend." I blocked her number. Deleted her from my contacts. Burned every bridge and salted the earth behind me. No calls. No texts. No social media. I didn't reach out. She couldn't reach me. Simple as that. For the better part of my life, I was hopelessly in love with her—waiting on her, caring for her, putting her first in every way that mattered. I gave her all of me without ever holding back. But after the seventh time she left me sitting alone at the City Hall, something inside me broke. I was done. If that meant spending the rest of my life alone, so be it. Better that than sitting in an empty apartment, listening to the silence, holding on to hope for someone who never planned to show up.

The new intern always claimed to have the company’s best interests at heart, but her actions told a different story. To cut costs, she secretly swapped the two-thousand-dollar gift basket I had prepared for a client with a knockoff version she bought online for just two dollars, shipping included. During a critical overtime session, she turned off the power to save on electricity. Then, she boldly suggested canceling the company’s annual holiday leave. With a self-righteous expression, she declared, “The company doesn’t support freeloaders. I believe the holiday season is the perfect time to boost sales. I propose everyone work unpaid overtime and dedicate themselves selflessly to the company!” While the employees grumbled in frustration, I stepped up to refute her absurd suggestion and spoke out on behalf of the team. But instead of backing down, she accused me of embezzlement in front of everyone and recommended to the boss that I be fired. The shocking part? The boss agreed. Fine. If that was how they wanted it, I couldn’t wait to see how the company would function without me.