Carefully Picked

There's nothing more shattering than hearing that you're signed off as a collateral to marry in order to clear off your uncle's stupid debts. "So this is it" I pull the hoodie over my head and grab my duffel bag that is already stuffed with all my important stuff that I need for survival. Carefully I jump down my window into the bushes below skillfully. I've done this a lot of times that I've mastered the art of jumping down my window. Today is different though, I'm not coming back here, never! I cannot accept marrying some rich ass junkie. I dust the leaves off my clothe and with feathery steps, I make out of the driveway. A bright headlight of a car points at me making me freeze in my tracks, another car stops and the door of the car opens. There's always only one option, Run!

Ethan Blake and Julian Cross are Hollywood’s favorite rivals—two A-list actors whose off-screen feud is as legendary as their on-screen performances. For years, the media has played up their animosity, feeding into the narrative of two stars who can’t stand each other. And Ethan is fine with that. Julian is arrogant, reckless, and far too good at getting under his skin. But when they are cast as romantic leads in a high-profile LGBTQ+ blockbuster, everything changes. Forced into close proximity, the lines between performance and reality begin to blur. Heated arguments behind the scenes turn into charged moments neither of them can ignore. A single off-script kiss during filming shatters their carefully constructed walls, sending both their careers—and emotions—into uncharted territory. The media explodes with speculation. Rumors spread like wildfire, and their public feud only adds fuel to the fire. A PR crisis forces them into damage control, but every interview, every staged moment, only makes it harder to deny the truth simmering beneath the surface. As industry backlash looms and personal stakes grow higher, Ethan finds himself at a crossroads. He has spent years playing it safe, hiding behind his carefully curated image. But Julian refuses to be another script he follows. He wants something real. In an industry built on illusion, can two men who were never meant to fall for each other survive the spotlight’s harsh glare? Or will fear and fame tear them apart before they even have a chance? Enemies on screen. Lovers behind the scenes. But can they survive the ultimate Hollywood scandal?

For six years after their marriage, Miranda Stone devoted herself wholeheartedly to being Mrs. Gibson. She only found out later that while he was abroad, Felix Gibson had been secretly keeping his first love by his side. Miranda had once believed that even the coldest heart would eventually warm if she just loved hard enough. But that belief shattered the day his beloved first love won an international award and threw a lavish celebration—while their daughter was being wheeled into a freezing cold operating room. That was the moment Miranda finally woke up. She took back her worthless love, filed for divorce, and walked away with her daughter without ever looking back. Once she picked up her career again, the woman who used to be a stay-at-home wife transformed into one of the most sought-after experts in the medical field. Her research papers were published in top international journals. Her breakthroughs won prestigious awards across countries. When she stepped back into the spotlight, glowing with confidence and ready to give herself another chance at happiness, the man who had always held himself above everyone else—so composed and restrained—finally broke. He lost it completely. His eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse with desperation. He dropped to his knees in front of her, pleading like a man who had lost everything. “Mira, please don’t leave me.”

From the moment Juno Genovese could understand right from wrong, her life was a shadowed existence. Born into the great Genovese dynasty as a twin, she was deemed unimportant, her existence measured solely in service to her younger brother's life and future. Her identity, forged to masquerade as her brother, living as his perfect stand-in, preparing him for his eventual rise as the 'heir' to their family's empire. But fate had other plans. A sudden attack ravaged the world she had known, the walls of the carefully constructed world her parents thrust her into, came crumbling around her. Torn from the hands of her family and thrust into a life-changing situation. Mistaken for the heir apparent, Juno found herself in the clutches of Vito Costello, the enigmatic and fiercely intelligent heir to the rival Costello Conglomerate. Trapped in a web of intrigue and danger, Juno found herself deciding between loyalty to her family and the irresistible pull of a forbidden connection with Vito. And as her bond with Vito deepened, Juno discovered not only her own strength and stability, but also the murky depths of the world she had been thrust into. Betrayal lurked in every corner, secrets whispered like poison, and the thin line between ally and foe blurred more each day. In this immersing tale of deception, hearts, and redemption, Juno Genovese takes the highway as she fights for her freedom, identity, and finally, her own future.

One night stand with her boss brought Anabelle to her downfall. Secretly crushing on her boss for years, Anabelle took advantage of his drunk state and had sex with him with the hope that he would finally notice her. Her hopes were shattered when in the morning of it all, he threw her out and offered to pay for her services like a random whore he had just picked from the street. Unfortunately, her actions got her pregnant and to add to her sorrow, she was kicked out by her parents. Anabelle thought she would struggle and Carter for her baby alone. Five years later, her son's life hung in the balance and there was only one person who could save him and that was the man who had hurt her so deeply years ago and also the father of her son, Hazel De Valle, president and CEO of De Valle's corporation. Will Anabelle put her hurt aside and seek the help of her baby's father? What will Hazel do when he suddenly finds out that he has a son with a woman that he doesn't even remember? Hazel had vowed never to fall in love or ever get married, will that vow be broken or will he just take his son away and use his power to silence Anabelle? Read more to find out.

**18+, A COLLECTION OF ONE SHOT SPICY SHORT STORIES** Meet your match in the Obsidian Suite. "The Obsidian Suite offers something... different." I traced my finger along the edge of the podium. "Book it, and our proprietary algorithm will match you with your perfect partner from within our network. You'll have no idea who they are until you meet them in the suite itself." A woman near the centre raised her champagne flute. "How do we know we'll be compatible with our match?" "Trust the algorithm. We have a 98% success rate. Your preferences, desires, and boundaries are all carefully considered. The algorithm doesn't just match physical attraction, but psychological compatibility. The depth of connection our members report is... extraordinary."

When Travis, Serena's mate, picked her sister over her, she couldn't help but think her fear had come true. She was denied by her mate. Choosing the easy way out of the heartbreak, she ran away with no intention of going back. But, it wasn't that easy when her older brother managed to track her down and demanded for her to come home. And when she does, secrets will pop out and she will find herself in a situation that she never thought would end up in.

“What...who are you?” she asked in fear “I'm a vampire” he replied simply and she burst into laughter “vampire? Really?” she paused and studied him carefully “I believe in angels and demons, I believe in God and Satan but vampires?” she chuckled again before saying “vampires aren't real” He watched her for a long time, shrugged and said “okay” then he vanished Hadassah was a young graduate who still lived with her parents. She works as a detective, she is excellent at her job and loved by all her colleagues. She isn't afraid of getting her job done but recently, people are mysteriously disappearing and many people believe it has something to do with the old cemetery as they claimed they've been seeing a figure of a man standing at the window and dead bodies of people hanging on the rusty gates with mysterious marks on their necks. When Hadassah is appointed to find out the mystery behind the sudden disappearance, she has to decide if she would let her recent dreams, loss or a mysterious pale-looking, handsome stranger get in the way of her job. Aamon has an unexplainable love for the darkness, he frequents an abandoned old house in the cemetery. The house cast a spooky glow on the street it was and it was rumored to be haunted. It was known to host all kinds of wild creatures including a vampire... Every night, Aamon awakens from his coffin of a bed to stare out his window and no he's not just starting into space, he's watching her

Alpha King Theodore 'Theo' Haverford is kind, compassionate and the best Alpha King to the ten packs of Westerlands or so everyone says. When Rhianna Adams first realized she is mated to an Alpha, and a King at that, she thought he would reject her for being weak, but he didn't. He swept her off her feet and become her knight. This is the best gift. This is her fairytale comes true. Now nobody in her pack will mock her and call her a weak runt. Two years later, she caught him cheating on her with her old bully, the same girl who has humiliated her every chance she got, and Rhia realizes the fairytale she has been living in is in fact a nightmare. To the outside world, he is the best. But he hides his devil carefully with a mask of sanity. No one sees the insane side of him. A side that wakes up only when he is with her. He is manipulative, cruel and he wants to control her. Finally Rhianna has enough of his madness, enough of everything that has ever done to her. Her wolf has left her because of him. Rhianna has to be strong for her precious daughter, and so she will become the woman she should have been all along. Someone who stands up for herself, someone who believes in herself. She has been a weakling. But no more. This time she will have her revenge. In this dark life, full of powerful enemies, can the weakest of Omega wolf survive? What will she do when she finds herself falling for the Alpha King's rebellious, bad boy twin brothers who are forbiddenn? Will she ever find her happiness or is revenge is her only goal now?

“Let me help you" I pleaded, my hands gripping her tightly. "Fine. If you're so bent on solving my problems, you can marry me then" the lady snapped in frustration, forcing the engagement ring on my fingers. "Let's go get our marriage certificate then" I urged with a knowing smile. ....... Behind the spotlight, Luisa's life is a complexity of lies and scandals. Haunted by the tragic drowning of her sister, which she blames herself for, she built walls around her heart. Her carefully constructed walls begin to crumble when a compromising video threatening to expose the death of her sister surfaces. As the past and present collide, Luisa has to confront her demons and face the lies that she's told. But there lies another secret Luisa has kept hidden - her marriage to a wealthy CEO, which she forced into a union, which was an attempt to escape the shame of being jilted by her cheating fiancee. Their marriage opens a new chapter where lies, deceit, betrayal, and love entwine. As she navigates the complexity of her flash marriage, will she be able to overcome the hurdles that come her way or will she succumb to the nightmares hunting her?