Chin Up Aesthetics

Indebted to the Mafia Blurb “Well, are you going to do it or not?” I keep my chin held high, but inside, I’m trembling. “Do what?’ the mafia king asks me, a smug look on his face. “What you paid for.” I bite my bottom lip, wondering if I can handle him. I am a virgin, after all. He snickers at me, and then, his mouth is on mine, and he’s taking every penny’s worth. *** Eleni I’d do anything to keep my family safe. When I find out a mobster is trying to kill everyone I love because of a debt, I sacrifice myself and end up on an auction block. When I find myself owned by Dante Cattaneo, I don’t know if I’ve been saved or sent straight to hell. Dante She’s gorgeous and scares as hell, even though she’s trying not to show it. My number one rule is to never let my weakness show, but from the moment I see her face, I know I have to have her. And if anyone finds out how I feel about her, I’m screwed. Dive into this steamy, dark, mafia romance now!

“Look at me.” I didn’t. A finger slid beneath my chin and forced my head up. “I said look at me.” His voice wasn’t loud. It didn’t need to be. The room felt smaller with him in it. Harder to breathe. Harder to think. “You don’t speak?” he asked softly. I shook my head. A slow smile touched his lips. “Good.” After betrayal stole her voice and the hospital stole her hope, she woke up in the back of a moving container… about to be sold. Dragged into Podolskaya territory… a city ruled by mafia bloodlines and silent brutality, she becomes property inside a fortress where fear is currency and mercy doesn’t exist. And at the center of it all stands Rai Mikalov. Cold, untouchable and dangerously observant He doesn’t shout. He doesn’t threaten. He simply decides. Unable to speak, and trapped in a world where weakness is hunted, she quickly learns one thing, silence can be a weapon. Or a death sentence. But Rai didn’t choose her by accident. And the reason why might be far more dangerous than being sold. In a world where fear feeds power and love is a liability… What happens when the most dangerous man in the room becomes obsessed with the one girl who cannot beg?

Di kehidupan sebelumnya, kakakku rela mengantar wanita simpanannya keluar kota hanya karena wanita itu bilang ingin melihat hujan meteor. Dia pun membawa seluruh pengawal di rumah dan mengemudi keluar kota demi menciptakan malam hujan meteor untuk wanita itu. Tak disangka, musuh lama yang pernah dihancurkan oleh kakakku malah memanfaatkan kesempatan itu untuk menyelinap ke rumah. Dia berusaha membantai seluruh keluarga sebagai pembalasan dendamnya. Ibu berjuang mati-matian untuk melindungiku. Dia terluka parah dan nyaris kehilangan nyawa. Aku terus-menerus menelepon kakakku, memohon agar dia segera pulang membawa bantuan. Akhirnya, dia pun terpaksa pulang bersama pengawal. Musuhnya berhasil ditangkap, tapi malah datang kabar buruk dari luar kota. Wanita simpanan itu meninggalkan sepucuk surat dan menghilang. Entah hidup atau mati, tak ada yang tahu. Dalam suratnya, dia menuduhku dengan kejam. Katanya aku sengaja memancing kakakku menjauh darinya, hingga dia disiksa oleh musuh dan memilih mengakhiri hidup. Kakakku hanya membakar surat itu tanpa ekspresi dan menyuruhku jangan memikirkannya. Setelah kejadian itu, kakak pun disalahkan. Ayah memutuskan menyerahkan kendali perusahaan padaku. Namun, di malam perayaan syukuran itu, aku dibunuh oleh kakakku di kamar tidurku sendiri. Wajahnya tanpa emosi dan berkata, “Orang sekejam kamu memang pantas mati.” “Yang seharusnya mati itu kamu! Aku yang seharusnya menjadi pewaris keluarga ini!” Aku mati tak tenang, tapi saat membuka mata kembali, suara pintu vila didobrak oleh para musuh pun terdengar dari luar.

Celene Ramos never planned to cross paths with Luther Montefalco — the ruthless billionaire CEO feared by everyone in the corporate world. She only wanted to prove herself, to work hard and survive the chaos of the city. But one stormy night changed everything. When Luther offered her a ride home under the rain, he unknowingly opened a door he could never close again. Beneath his cold control hides a man consumed by desire — dangerous, possessive, and drawn to Celene in ways he can’t explain. And no matter how hard she tries to stay away, she finds herself falling into his world of power, secrets, and forbidden passion. As their lives intertwine, lines blur between love and obsession, pleasure and pain. He wants to protect her. He wants to own her. But loving a man like Luther Montefalco might come with the greatest price — her heart, her freedom, and everything she thought she knew about herself. A story of desire that burns, love that wounds, and a connection neither of them can escape — even if it leads to ruin.

I want a divorce.” Andy blinked. “Divorce? You’re joking.” But Anna wasn’t smiling. “No, Andy. I’m done. I won’t share a roof with you and your mistress.” Andy scoffed. “Be serious, Anna. You can’t live without me. You need me.” Anna’s smile turned deadly. “Oh, you think so?” She stepped closer, her voice sharp as a dagger. “Watch me, dear husband. I can live without you.” *** She walked away with nothing—except her pride. When Anna Roberts discovers her husband has moved his mistress into their home, she makes the boldest decision of her life: divorce. With only her son and her dignity, she steps into an unfamiliar world determined to start over. Mocked for her weight, underestimated by everyone—including herself—Anna transforms her pain into power. She works, she fights, and she rebuilds. Soon, she’s no longer the woman Andy could belittle… she’s the woman he’ll never deserve again. But then there’s Gerald Smith. Her powerful, disciplined boss. The man who never mixes business with pleasure. Until Anna. What begins as temptation spirals into something dangerous—something forbidden. Gerald knows one wrong step could ruin them both, but walking away from Anna might destroy him more. Anna thought her divorce was the end of her story. But it was only the beginning.

A love that is silent but never a secret. It is a soft scream that echoes over the years. At a young age, Lana Normina Delfin started developing simple admiration towards someone, her classmate, who constantly teased her because she's a transferee. Turns out that this boy had a crush on her and was just trying to get her attention. But right after she realized her admiration on him, he suddenly distanced himself and started treating her like a mere acquaintance. But even after leaving her confused and wondering, she stayed silent and kept her feelings. She was okay admiring him from afar, with few rumors spreading about it, hoping they would reach him. Until he left, leaving the country without any assurance of returning. Was it the end? He already left and there's nothing between them that she could hold on. Should she accept it already and live by? Because it's been years. An undeniably long years.

Suami dan anakku sama sekali tidak menghargaiku. Mereka malah membawa wanita lain yang baru saja bercerai, pulang ke rumah kami. Wanita itu licik dan penuh tipu muslihat. Dia terus mengadu dombaku dan suamiku, membuat kami jadi bertengkar. Karena sudah tidak tahan lagi, aku pun mengusir wanita itu dari rumah. Namun, suami dan anakku justru marah. Suamiku menyebutku cemburu buta dan tidak punya belas kasihan. Dia bahkan menyebutku tidak sebanding dengan wanita itu. Dan kalaupun harus ada yang pergi, akulah yang harus pergi. Bahkan anak yang sudah kukandung selama sembilan bulan pun lebih memihak wanita itu. Dia juga memaksaku minta maaf, kalau tidak, dia enggan menganggapku ibunya lagi. Hatiku hancur melihat suami dan anakku lebih memihak wanita lain. Aku pun memutuskan untuk bercerai. Wanita itu baru menunjukkan dirinya yang sebenarnya di hari aku dan suamiku mau bercerai. Dia sengaja mengunciku di kamar dan meledakkan tabung gas. Ketika suamiku yang merupakan tim pemadam kebakaran tiba, dia malah sibuk menyelamatkan wanita itu karena menganggapku sudah mati terbakar. Suami dan anakku sampai kaget ketika kami bertemu lagi, "Kamu bahkan sampai pura-pura mati demi membuat kami menderita ...."

Putraku tiba-tiba bilang dia terkena leukemia. Keinginan paling utamanya adalah melihat Tante Eva mengenakan gaun pengantin. Suamiku juga ikut menimpali. "Cuma nikah dengan Eva saja. Setelah putra kita menjalani pengobatan dengan tenang, kita baru nikah lagi." Aku pun menyetujui permintaan ini dan bercerai dengan suamiku. Tak lama kemudian, dari unggahan Instagram putraku, aku melihat putraku menghadiri pernikahan suamiku dengan teman masa kecilnya dengan penuh semangat. Judul unggahan itu tertulis : [Aku menjadi saksi dari kebahagiaan ayahku. Hari ini lagi-lagi aku tersentuh oleh perjuangan cinta sejati.] Aku tersenyum dan mematikan ponselku. Sembari memegang tangan orang di sebelahku, aku pun naik pesawat ke Navala.

They buried him under a blood-red moon. Chains of silver and blessed iron pinned his broken body to the earth, sealing his power, erasing his name. To the pack, he was a failed Alpha. To the coven, a cursed vampire. To the world, he was a mistake that deserved to die. But monsters don’t stay dead. When Alpha opened his eyes again, he wasn’t in the grave—he was in the body of his weakest self. Eighteen years old. Rankless. Powerless. His wolf silent. His vampire blood thin and starving. The memories of his execution burned behind his eyes like fresh wounds. Reborn. A second life… and a second chance at vengeance. This time, he felt it—the system etched into his soul, ancient and cruel. [Hybrid Core Detected] Bloodline: Vampire / Werewolf / Unknown Status: Severely Suppressed Level: 1

Tepat di hari peringatan 30 tahun pernikahan kami, suamiku masih dalam perjalanan dinas. Makanan di meja sudah dingin. Di tengah aku masih menunggu kedatangannya, aku menerima notifikasi suamiku reservasi hotel. "Aku masih dinas, bukankah wajar aku menginap di hotel?" Suamiku masih merahasiakan, lalu aku meminta bukti video darinya, tetapi dia tidak membalas pesanku lama. Putraku menyeletuk, "Bu, jangan bertingkah berlebihan. Bukankah Ayah bekerja keras juga untuk kita berdua?" Semua orang menganggap aku adalah ibu rumah tangga yang bahagia karena memiliki suami yang perhatian dan putraku memiliki karier yang sukses. Namun, ketika aku menerima notifikasi reservasi hotel, seketika aku merasa muak. Mereka mengira aku tidak tahu apa-apa. Aku ingin bercerai. Semua pengorbananku selama 30 tahun ini ternyata tidak dihargai. "Kamu bukan anak kecil lagi, berhentilah membuat keributan!" Suamiku memohon agar kami tidak bercerai. Dalam perjalanan pulang di tengah malam, suamiku mengalami kecelakaan mobil. Putraku marah dan mengatakan bahwa aku tidak becus menjadi istri maupun ibu. Melihat anakku emosi dan suamiku yang pura-pura terbaring lemah di ranjang, aku mencibir dalam hati. Kalau kamu suka pura-pura sakit, aku akan membuatmu lumpuh selamanya!'