But At What Cost Meaning

Mina Mendoza thought her darkest days were behind her. Running her late mentor’s bar in the heart of New York gave her a fragile sense of peace. But all of that shatters one night when a blood-soaked stranger crashes through her doors just before closing time, gun in hand and secrets in his eyes. Luciano is dangerous, wounded, and devastatingly magnetic, the kind of man Mina swore she'd never fall for. But he’s not just any man. He’s tied to the mafia. The kind of ties that leave blood trails and whispered threats. Helping him survive was instinct. Surviving what came next, that’s the real challenge. Drawn to him in dreams that feel too real, haunted by her traumatic past, and stalked by the violent world Luciano can’t outrun, Mina finds herself caught in something far deeper than attraction. She’s entangled in a web of lies, bullets, and power where trust is a gamble, and love might be a fatal mistake. As her world tilts into chaos, Mina must choose: run from the fire, or walk straight into it with the one man who could destroy everything. Because loving him was never part of the agreement. And yet, it might be the only thing that saves them both. Luciano isn’t just trouble, he’s the trouble: the Don of a powerful mafia family, running from a betrayal that could cost him everything. Now, Mina is caught in his storm, haunted by dreams, and tangled in a love that defies logic. She saved him once. But loving him might be the most dangerous thing she’s ever done.

Matt Simpson meets Tess Holloway on a dating app through with the help of his friend Greg. They (Matt and Tess) go out on a coffee date where they bond after which they fall in love. It doesn’t take long before they get married. It doesn’t take long before tragedy strike. Tess dies a few hours after her childbirth throwing Matt into a deep sorrow. This incident leaves Matt totally devasted knowing how heartbroken he has been all his life after he lost his parents at an early age and also a series of heartbreaks. After some time, Matt decides to give Love another shot but after a few dates, he gives up any hope at getting a shot at love and tries to concentrate on raising his son. Just when he thinks he had forgot about the way Love feels, destiny smiles at him in a such a way that he never imagined. Gradually Matt is thrown into the dilemma of coping with stress of being a single Dad and maintaining a relationship with Karen who has just fallen in love with. He has to decided whether to be a father to his son or give up the custody of his son to Joan (Tess’s Mum) just to be with Karen.

After I hand over my five-million-dollar commission to my departmental colleagues, they drag me to a hotel and celebrate with me for three days straight. But when I walk past the bathroom, I overhear a conversation between two of my colleagues that stops me cold. "Have the results of the vote been released yet?" What vote? Confused, I check my phone and find that I've been removed from the Project Department's group chat. "Who else could it be? Our hero, Zane Carter, received 11 votes. It was unanimous, and the motion was passed." "Serves him right. I've never liked him anyway." I freeze. I can't believe that my colleagues would betray me after what I've done for them. After taking a moment to calm down, I immediately decide to resign. The next thing I know, I receive a call from the company chairman, Wilson Smith. "Have you made up your mind? Quitting now would breach your contract. As a result, your five-million-dollar commission would be revoked. "You're also a key technical staff member. If you leave, your entire department would most likely be dismissed. Once that happens, your colleagues will end up unemployed. Are you sure about this?" I lower my gaze and let out a cold laugh. "Absolutely."

To make me "obedient", my parents send me to a reform center. There, I'm tortured until I lose control of my bladder. My mind breaks, and I'm stripped naked. I'm even forced to kneel on the ground and be treated as a chamber pot. Meanwhile, the news plays in the background, broadcasting my younger sister's lavish 18th birthday party on a luxury yacht. It's all because she's naturally cheerful and outgoing, while I'm quiet and aloof—something my parents despise. When I return from the reform center, I am exactly what they wanted. In fact, I'm even more obedient than my sister. I kneel when they speak. Before dawn, I'm up washing their underwear. But now, it's my parents who've gone mad. They keep begging me to change back. "Angelica, we were wrong. Please, go back to how you used to be!"

The sound of glass crashing against a hard surface echoed in the room as I aimed for Ethan’s head, missing by an inch. “Get away from me!” I screamed, but that didn’t seem to do anything as he only rushed towards me before I could grab anything else to chuck at him and hugged me as an attempt to calm me down. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, my husband walked into the room, watching the scene before him, and there was one thing that I knew for sure – he would think I was cheating on him with my ex-husband. ~ Angela Diaz has always dreamed of not just the perfect wedding, but the perfect marriage to her childhood crush – Ethan Ambrose. She always knew that Ethan never liked her back, and he wouldn’t even spare her a glance if she was two feet away from him, but she is shocked when Ethan Ambrose turns around all of a sudden and confesses his hidden feelings for her. Ignoring her parents’ continuous warnings and taking the risk of going from the flamboyant comfort of her parents’ home to Ethan’s family house, Angela is only about to realize that everything about her relationship with Ethan has been a lie, and her “perfect marriage” is nothing but a nightmare in disguise.

WARNING!!! 18+ This book contains explicitly steamy scenes. Read only if you're in for a wild pulsing ride. "Fuck…" He hissed, flexing his muscles against the tied ropes. I purred at the sight of them, at the sight of him, struggling. "Want me to take them off?" I teased, reaching for the straps of my tank top, pulling them tautly against my nipples. He growled, eyes golden and wild as he bared his fangs. "Yes," "Yes what?" I snapped, bringing down the whip on his arm and he groaned hoarsely. So deliciously. "Yes Luna," ***** She is Luna. Wife to the Alpha. An Angel to the pack but a ruthless demon in bed. He is just a guard: A tall, deliciously muscular guard that makes her wetter than Niagara and her true mate. She knows she should reject him. She knows nothing good can come out of it. But Genevieve craves the forbidden. And Thorn cannot resist. There are dark secrets however hiding behind every stolen kiss and escapades. A dying flower, a broken child and a sinister mind in the dark playing the strings. The forbidden flames brewing between Genevieve and Thorn threatens to burn them both but what the Luna wants, She gets.

Aubrey Evans is married to the love of her life,Haden Vanderbilt. However, Haden loathes Aubrey because he is in love with Ivory, his previous girlfriend. He cannot divorce Aubrey because the contract states that they have to be married for atleast three years before they can divorce. What will happen when Ivory suddenly shows up and claims she is pregnant. How will Aubrey feel when Haden decides to spend time with Ivory? But Ivory has a dark secret of her own. Will she tell Haden the truth? Will Haden ever see Aubrey differently and love her?

What's worse than war? High school. At least for super-soldier Nyla Braun it is. Taken off the battlefield against her will, this Menhit must figure out life and love - and how to survive with kids her own age.

Have you ever dreaded living a lifeless life? If not, you probably don't know how excruciating such an existence is. That is what Rue Mallory's life. A life without a meaning. Imagine not wanting to wake up every morning but also not wanting to go to sleep at night. No will to work, excitement to spend, no friends' company to enjoy, and no reason to continue living. How would an eighteen-year old girl live that kind of life? Yes, her life is clearly depressing. That's exactly what you end up feeling without a phone purpose in life. She's alive but not living. There's a huge and deep difference between living, surviving, and being alive. She's not dead, but a ghost with a beating heart. But she wanted to feel alive, to feel what living is. She hoped, wished, prayed but it didn't work. She still remained lifeless. Not until, he came and introduce her what really living is.

Likas na kay Julius ang pagiging babaero. Simula nang tumuntong siya ng high school ay kinahiligan niya na ang pagpapalit-palit ng babae.Laro lang sa kanya ang pakikipag-relasyon, not until he met Ezra; the drop dead gorgeous transferee of their department.Mabilis siyang nahumaling sa dalaga, kaya naman pinagsikapan niyang makuha ang loob nito. Masyado itong tahimik at mailap, kaya naman medyo nahirapan siya sa paglapit palang dito. Pero hindi niya ito sinukuan, hanggang sa tuluyan niya nang makuha ang matamis nitong oo.Pero isang paalala ang sinabi nito sa kanya na binilin nitong huwag na huwag kalilimutan..."Kung ano'ng ibigay mo sa 'kin, gano'n rin ang ibibigay ko sa 'yo, Honey; ng higit pa."At sa hindi niya maipaliwanag na kadahilanan ay parang bigla itong nagbigay ng hindi maipaliwanag na kaba sa kanya.