Card Room

When Zirelle woke up next to a half-naked stranger in a room dripping with luxury, she had no memory of how she got there—just a surge of panic in her chest and a towel wrapped around her body. The room was too pristine, too extravagant, and far too distant from the broken, desolate life she knew. Her first instinct? Run. But not before stealing his gold, his wallet… and the mysterious silver necklace hanging around his neck. She thought she was escaping to safety, back to the familiar chaos of her world. Instead, she ran straight into carnage. Returning home, she found her parents slaughtered and her own pack baying for her blood. As for the necklace she stole? It’s no ordinary trinket. And the man she stole it from? He’s not just wealthy or dangerous—he’s deadly. What Zirelle doesn’t know is that he’s far more than he seems. He’s the key to the truth she’s been running from her whole life. She thought she had left him behind. But by stealing from him, she’s unknowingly invited an even greater storm into her life. Now, he’s coming for her. And he won’t stop until he finds her.

"You keep saying he died of black magic, but you're not telling me exactly how he died. If what you're saying is true... what happened to him??" I ask her with a raise of my brows. "The magic consumed him. He became power hungry. He started absorbing the powers from members of our coven. He wanted it all for himself. He had to be put down. He had to be stopped" She explains "Mom, what are you saying? Are you insinuating what I think you are? What do you mean he had to be put down??" The windows to her room bang open and cool breeze is rushing in, making the papers in her room fly haphazardly. "Layla, you have to calm down." She motions towards me. "So the coven killed him?? They killed my father and you didn't do anything about it????" I scream at the top of my lungs, the lights still flickering, tears pooling in my eyes and wind blowing in through the windows. "He killed two people from our coven! His eyes were completely black! The magic had completely taken over him. Your dad wasn't there anymore. So yes, we killed him to protect the rest of the coven…"

"You think you will sit on our chest and enjoy all of our money all your life. We don't want you, Zara. Don't ever try to get back here. Remember you are sold and the sold things never get to return back to their original place," Zara rolls down the thick drops of tears as she clutches her clothes with all her might. The line cuts off and there is silence all over the dark room where she is supposed to meet him today. She is scared and she is foreign to the place. She doesn't know who the is the one she is entangled and sold with by her uncle and aunt. Her eyes plays around the room only to find the dark and tall figure standing right behind the door and his blue orbs was only what she could see right now. "Get the out of here or I will make you life just the ," he shouts and her whole body shivers with his hoarse voice. ** He is practically a monster who has always distanced away from people and lived his life completely in an arrogance. He doesn't but he also doesn't love anyone. Will she be able to melt his heart and turn him back to normal young man? Will her lifelong trap be beautiful instead of being a ? Or will it be even worse?**

Conned by Francis Slade, I sold my kidney to raise funds for his failed investment. And the house was bought with all my savings. But now, it had become their love nest. "Ms. Lane, you look like you were rolling around in a mud pit. What happened to you?" Whitney Jones smiled smugly. My already injured body trembled with anger when I saw her smug expression. Forcing myself to remain calm, I answered, "This is my home. What are you doing here?" In response, Francis glared at me angrily. "Whitney caught a cold, so I invited her over to take a hot shower. Can't you even tolerate such small acts of kindness?" Whitney had accidentally stepped on blood that was flowing from my leg. She instinctively grabbed Francis out of fear. With a trembling voice, she told him, "Francis, I think she's injured." I knew Francis thought I was just trying to gain his sympathy again. "Alright now, Whitney will be sleeping in your room tonight. Once you're done with the act, go clean yourself up and set up a bed for her." If she was after my room, she could have it. If she was after the man who never loved me, she could have him.

The room is dimly lit, the air is filled with the smell of sex and alcohol; the guy laying next to the girl is panting heavily. She on the other hand is laying next to him, all curled up; soft whimpers are coming out of her lips. The guy wraps his muscular arms around her waist and pushes her a little away from him. She opens her eyes halfway through and stares at the guy, his hair sticking to his forehead due to the sweat; his dark brown eyes are closed. His sharp features are glistening, when the little rays of the sun hits his face that is coming in through the window. Forwarding her hand, she caresses his thin lower lip with her index finger and closes her eyes. "Get out." He says in a harsh tone from beside her. Her eyes flutter open completely hearing his harsh words; she always thinks why he acts so badly with her? Retracting her hand back to herself she sits up, her lower belly aches in the bitter sweet pain. A groan comes out of her mouth and her hands go straight to on top of her lower belly, to caress it. His clothes and hers are scattered around on the floor. The entire room is a mess, the bed sheet is all crinkled; pillows are off the bed.

En el quinto año después de emigrar, mi esposo, Iván Rodríguez, trajo a su amor de juventud y su hijo a casa directamente, dijo. —Mónica y su hijo acaban de llegar, se quedarán en aquí por unos días. Por eso, tuve una fuerte discusión entre él y yo. En el día de mi cumpleaños, Iván me entregó un acuerdo de divorcio y me apuró: —Fírmalo rápido, Mónica necesita la Green Card de aquí, nos divorciamos temporalmente. Frunció el ceño, queriendo entender bien la situación. Pero Iván me señaló con el dedo en la cara y me dijo que no tenía ni un poco de compasión. Después del rato, vio la publicación de Mónica Gómez en Instagram: “¡Iván se divorció por mí y por mi hijo! Por fin tenemos un lugar donde quedarnos.” Le dio un like en silencio, y después de firmar el acuerdo de divorcio, solicitó a la empresa para regresar a mi país.

Para kay Jiannella, ang buhay ay parang isang salamin na nabasag—mahirap ng ayusin. Sa pagtatangkang ilayo ang kanyang kinikilalang kapatid sa kapahamakan, sumama siya sa kanyang tunay na mga magulang sa Pilipinas. Ngunit ang inaasam niyang tahimik na buhay ay nauwi sa isang malaking drama. Ang kanyang kapatid na si Mika, na anak ng dating yaya, ay labis na pinapaboran ng kanyang ina, na tila nagsisisi pa na dinala siya sa kanilang tahanan. At ang pinakamasakit, ang kanyang fiancé na si Duke, ay labis na umiibig kay Mika at gustong ipagpaliban ang kanilang kasal dahil lamang sa pagbabalik ni Mika mula sa ibang bansa. Sa desperasyon na makatakas sa kanyang pamilya, ipinost niya ang mainit na balita. Ang kanyang fiancé na si Duke, ay may relasyon sa kanyang kapatid na si Mika. Sa kasamaang palad, nagamit niya ang black card na bigay ng kanyang kapatid, at alam niyang anumang oras ay magpapakita ito sa kanyang harapan. Malapit na bang mabunyag ang kanyang madilim na sikreto? Lihim siyang may nararamdaman para sa kanyang kapatid, ngunit pilit itong kinukubli dahil sa takot na ito'y kakaiba.

On the night of her eighteenth birthday, Nyx’s world shattered. Her parents celebrated her twin sister and ignored her entirely, a final insult after years of coldness and favoritism. Humiliated and aching to escape, she walked straight into Basque—the city’s most dangerous club. There, under flashing lights and the pull of reckless music, she caught the eye of a man everyone feared—the ruthless mafia boss who owned the night. One drink, one touch, one reckless decision… and by morning, he was gone. A month later, Nyx learned that she was pregnant. Her family’s rejection turned vicious, and she was cast out with nothing but her shame and the child growing inside her. Six years of struggle followed—cheap apartments, dead-end jobs, and a daughter who became her only reason to fight. Then fate threw him back into her life. A chance encounter. A cold stare. A card pressed into her hand. Days later, tragedy struck—her little girl was left clinging to life after a hit-and-run. Desperate and out of options, Nyx went to the only man who could save her… unaware he was the father. His price? "Give me your body,and I'll give you money" Now, Nyx must decide to sell her body to the devil who destroyed her, or watch the only person she loves slip away. But in the shadows of power and lust, nothing is as simple as a deal. And the devil always collects more than you owe.

Two years into my marriage with Don Dante, my ex came back. Julian, the man who shattered my heart five years ago. He announced he was getting engaged. And he wanted me as his mistress. "I know I hurt you," he said. "My family looks down on mob ties. It was never going to work. But now? I'm marrying Tiffany. I'm taking over the family empire. I can finally afford to keep you." I just sneered at him. "Did it ever occur to you that I might be married?" He scoffed. "What decent family would have you? The daughter of a mob underboss? Don't be ridiculous." His arrogance made me sick. When I refused, he slapped a black card on the table. Told me to buy whatever I wanted. He said he'd pick me up next week. That we could spend every weekend tangled up in his bed. I spat on the floor at his feet. "Get him out," I told my guard. "And take his trash with him." He didn't get it. Not then. But he would. The moment he found out who I married. I didn't just marry anyone. I married the king of the Chicago underworld. A man he could never touch. And when he finally figured it out, he lost his goddamn mind.

"Here she comes, witch!" She hissed before throwing a beautiful black dress at me. I hurriedly grab it before it could land on the floor. She might find fault in that and end up starving for making the dress fall on the floor. Not only for a day but might go on for weeks. I was tempted to ask her what's the dress for but she beat me to it. "Go to your room now and change into this. Your husband to be and his mom will be visiting soon" "W... What?!!!"