Circles Seventeen

With him she is wild; and with her, he is tamed. Roxette Bennett wanted revenge. What she found was passion, obsession, danger... and a love that could destroy them both. She fell first but he fell hard. “Do you like this, baby?” he whispers, brushing his thumb across my hardened nipple, dragging circles over my stomach as my body melts. I bit down on my lip, and a small whimper escapes, feeling a burning sting at the center between my legs. “Oh no Baby, I love your beautiful moans but I will need your full permission. I can’t go further unless you say it,” he breathes, his possessive gaze locked on mine I swallowed. “Please, touch me” I breathe, feeling an aching need for this man. Then a dark growl, “How?” “Anyhow you want to, Daddy.” She’s young, curious, and just 22. He’s 39—intense and a very powerful man.She wanted control--until he took it. After her boyfriend is killed in a hit-and-run, Roxette Bennett is shattered—until she meets the driver, Sarah McLain, a powerful law professor living her best life without any guilt. Roxy wants revenge. She transfers to Gould University to destroy Sarah the only way she knows how—by seducing her cold, brilliant husband, billionaire attorney Aaron West. But Aaron is no pawn—he’s a storm. And once Roxy steps into his world, she can’t escape. Every kiss is a lie. Every touch, a betrayal. And every moment with him pulls her deeper into the fire. And yet, neither of them can walk away. Then there's Nick—wealthy, kind, and everything Aaron isn’t. He offers her safety. Peace and a way out. But when a devastating secret about her late boyfriend and an unexpected pregnancy surface, Roxy must choose: Revenge,love or freedom?

In the coastal quiet of Baler, a studio is born—not of architecture, but of intention.* Founded by Yam, a poet whose words cradle pain gently, and Franc, an artist who paints tenderness into walls, the studio becomes a refuge for those learning to stay—with grief, love, longing, and themselves. As visitors arrive, they leave behind more than footprints: a sigh recorded in bamboo, a poem tucked into the “Found Letters” shelf, a mural painted in crooked lines. Through zines, tea, silence, and sketchbooks, the studio teaches softness as revolution. Ren creates the *Window of Soft Returns*, an installation of anonymous voice recordings—each whisper forming a community of echoes. Drew builds the *Staircase With No Wrong Turns*, inviting people to walk through emotions without shame. Franc offers brushstrokes as brave work, and Yam curates writing circles that map healing in half sentences. Together, they host festivals that feel like hugs, and they begin traveling their archive, letting softness cross oceans. Even those who once left—like Miguel—return, discovering that some doors never truly close. Others, like Tala, capture the studio’s sound and turn it into a podcast of breath and becoming. Over seventy chapters, the studio transforms into something larger than itself: a mural of memory, a sanctuary for second chances, a place where return is sacred and voice is proof of survival. In the final bloom, the studio stands not as a monument—but as a reminder: > *“Staying isn’t easy. > But chosen together, > it becomes home.”*

A seventeen years old Sera Calix was never meant to set a foot in Virelade Academy, the country's most prestigious elite all boys school. But a paperwork error gave her a chance to escape a life of serving the masters and she'll do anything to hold onto it. Even if it means disguising herself as a boy!. The plan was to keep her head down, graduate and disappear but the problem was Kael Ashbourne, her new roommate, her worst nightmare and on top of that he's the son of the president, the same man where her mom works for. As secrets build, Sera struggles to survive a world that was built to shut her out. But the biggest danger wasn't being caught but it's the way Kael looks at her like he already knows she's lying.

“Where have you been, Cosette Blanche Warren?” he whispered darkly. My throat went dry. I could feel his hands roaming down my thighs, his touch possessive. “Someone saw my wife with Franklyn Carrington today,” Yohan continued, his voice deceptively sweet. “Tell me, Mrs. Warren… is that true?” A chill ran through me. His tone wasn’t affectionate—it was laced with something far more dangerous. “Open your eyes.” I jolted at his sudden command and immediately obeyed. My body trembled under the weight of his stare. His fingers curled under my chin, tilting my face closer. Slowly, agonizingly, he licked the corner of my lips before whispering against them. “What did I tell you before, wife?” Tears welled up as I struggled to form words. “I-I’m not allowed to meet…other men,” I stammered. “Hmmm.” His fingers traced lazy circles on my waist before pressing a kiss to my cheek. “Then explain what happened earlier.” “Franklyn is just a friend, Yohan. I-I wasn’t doing anything wro—” “Liar!” he roared. I flinched as tears spilled down my cheeks. A scream tore from my throat when Yohan suddenly lifted me, throwing me onto the bed. My eyes widened in terror as he hovered over me, his expression twisted with something unrecognizable. “No one else can come near you, touch you, or even look at you because you belong to me alone, Cosette Blanche Warren!” His voice was a venomous snarl. “You will never escape me! You will never be happy! Because I won’t allow it!” Then, he laughed. A dark, menacing sound that sent a shiver down my spine. Tears streamed down my face as I squeezed my eyes shut. This was my life now.

As a pawn in her father’s game of loyalty and blood, Rosalia Capello was never meant to be remembered. At seventeen, she only wanted one night of rebellion to feel something real in a world where everything was orchestrated. But what started as a secret meeting with Dominic De Laurentiis, ended in blood and shattered innocence. Now haunted by what was stolen from her and the guilt of falling for the wrong brother, Rosalia is trapped in a web of power, death, and vengeance. Her body may belong to one man, but her soul has always bled for another. When love becomes a curse, loyalty becomes a lie, and the man meant to protect her might be the one who breaks her, what happens when the truth threatens everything? Go ahead and flip those pages to find out> Rated 18+

When 17-year-old Juniper Torres transfers from Barcelona to the elite halls of Daleton Prep, she hopes for a fresh start and a chance to blend in quietly. But from the moment she steps into the historic, high-status school, she realizes she’s anything but invisible. As the only child of a cancer-researcher parents who relocate to New York for a high-stakes medical fellowship, Juniper is immediately overwhelmed by the posh crowd, designer accessories, and the mysterious hierarchy of the school’s students—especially the notorious Daleton Boys, a trio of dangerously charming and powerful guys who seem to rule the campus like kings. Things shift when she befriends Jasmine, a quirky, kind scholarship student who helps her navigate the minefield of social circles, secrets, and silent wars. But Juniper’s curiosity is piqued—especially when she locks eyes with Grayson Barrington, the icy and magnetic leader of the Daleton Boys, rumored to have a dark past and a murder charge lurking in his history. As Juniper gets pulled deeper into their world—balancing friendship, fear, and fascination—she must decide whether to play it safe or risk everything to uncover the truth behind Grayson’s secrets… and maybe her own.

For seventeen years, Azirah has been trapped in Duskhallow Orphanage, a front for dark witchcraft experiments where she is the centerpiece of a sinister plan. Her escape leads her into the world of werewolves, where she encounters Nergal, a tormented Alpha marked by guilt. Their meeting reveals her connection to the Shadowborn prophecy, a warning of an abyss that could consume their world. As Azirah uncovers her powers, she is drawn into a fractured world of rival Alphas. Nergal fights to protect her, Zassan battles his bond with Vesta, a vengeful witch and his mate, and Draven faces betrayal from Gaia, a rogue wolf tied to their enemies. With the blood moon approaching, old grudges and dark forces rise, threatening to plunge the realm into chaos. In a desperate bid to save their world, Azirah and Nergal retrieve the Oracle artifact, but the final battle reveals the Shadowborn clan’s ultimate weapon—Nergal’s shadow-self, a dark manifestation of his fears. To end the abyss, Azirah sacrifices herself, only to be restored by the Moon Goddess, who takes her powers to ensure her safety. As the abyss is sealed and the brothers unite, peace returns to the realm—but Azirah’s visions warn that the shadows may rise again.

His other hand returned to my cl*t, rubbing slow, torturing circles that had my thighs shaking. “Please—” I begged, beyond pride now. “Please what?” He lifted his head, lips swollen from my skin. “Use your words, Cindy.” I hated him. Hated how he made me say it. “Fuck me, Damian. Pleassss……” **** After sacrificing her legs and her freedom to save a stranger, Cindy Hart becomes the crippled wife of a man who only loved her out of guilt. When he brings his ex into their home and throws Cindy aside, she decides she is done being the victim. With her billionaire identity hidden and her brother’s dangerously hot best friend pretending to be her lover, Cindy begins her revenge. But when the lines between fake and real blur with the playboy she once rejected, Cindy finds herself fighting not just for power but for a love she never saw coming.

He leaned in, inhaling her sweet scent as his hands traveled from her back to her waist, and then down to her thigh. She felt her breath hitch as she let out a small gasp. "We shouldn't be doing this." She said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Then tell me to stop." His voice was low, daring, as his fingers traced slow circles on her skin. *** Lucy had always lived life on her own terms, until the night everything changed. One moment, she was free; the next, she was bound to Barry Cooper, a cold, dangerous man who ruled the underworld with an iron fist. She never expected to be trapped in a world of power struggles, deceit, and unspoken desires. But as the lines between captor and captive blur, Lucy realizes she’s caught in a deadly game, one where trust is a luxury and survival is not guaranteed. Will she escape the ruthless mobster who owns her… or will she become his greatest obsession?

Shantali Jackson awakens from cryostasis to discover she's been asleep for over 600 years. A working-class woman from the pre-collapse era, she finds herself in a sterile medical facility, where staff address her as royalty and claim she's the beloved of Prince Costa—a man she barely remembers meeting at Le Glow Club one fateful night. As fragmented memories surface, Shantali learns the devastating truth: she and Costa were never willing participants in the preservation program. After publicly defying their arranged marriages to choose each other, they were declared enemies of the state and forcibly preserved by the Emergency Preservation Committee. They've been awakened seventeen times for six centuries, only to have their memories wiped when they refused to comply with the Council's genetic breeding program. This time is different—the memory suppression technology is failing, and ghostly echowisps (manifestations of psychic trauma) guide them through their escape. With the help of Marcus, a resistance member, they flee to the underground networks where Shantali discovers shocking truths: her half-brother Elliot became a resistance leader, Costa's parents have been working to undermine the Council for centuries, and the outside world has been habitable for generations. The couple escapes to Haven's Gate, one of seven thriving Eastern Sanctuaries where humanity has rebuilt naturally. But freedom is short-lived when they learn Dr. Thorne and other preservation specialists are using extracted consciousness data to create a new form of control—artificial minds programmed for obedience. Refusing to remain passive victims, Shantali and Costa make a bold choice: they'll pose as desperate refugees seeking re-preservation, walking willingly into Dr. Thorne's trap to stop his plans once and for all. Their love story becomes humanity's last hope against a system that would sacrifice free will for genetic perfection. A tale of choice, resistance, and the power of love.