Clockwork Orange

I was in a temporary shock from an allergic reaction. The two guys I had grown up with didn't even look my way. One of them was busy helping Vivian Byrd carry a pile of gifts, while the other was snapping pictures of her at some popular social media spot. It was a stranger passing by who called an ambulance and got me to the hospital, saving my life. The next day, Vivian called, her tone almost smug. "Trish, Zeke and Hendrick were so exhausted after shopping with me yesterday. I heard you threw a tantrum and ended up in the hospital. Should I come visit you?" I simply replied, "No need." Zeke Benson and Hendrick Peay were my childhood friends. They once treated me like I was everything to them—promising to pluck the moon and stars from the sky and to protect me forever. But ever since Vivian came into the picture, their world no longer revolved around me. I thought for a moment and then dialed my mother's number. "Mom, I'll accept the marriage arrangement."

Isang video ng boyfriend ko na nagpo-propose sa kanyang secretary ang nag-trending. Lahat ay kilig na kilig at sinasabing napaka-romantic at nakakaantig ang eksena. Nag-post pa mismo ang secretary niya sa social media: "Matagal kitang hinintay, at buti na lang hindi ako sumuko. Ipagkakatiwala ko ang buhay ko sayo, Mr. Emerson." Isa sa mga komento ang nagsabi: "Diyos ko, sobrang sweet nito! CEO at secretary—bagay na bagay sila!" Hindi ako umiyak o nag-eskandalo. Sa halip, tahimik kong isinara ang webpage at hinarap ang nobyo ko para humingi ng paliwanag. Doon ko siya narinig na nakikipag-usap sa mga kaibigan niya. "Wala akong choice. Mapipilitan siyang pakasalan ang isang taong hindi niya mahal kung hindi ko siya tinulungan." "Eh si Vicky? Siya ang totoong girlfriend mo. Hindi ka ba natatakot na magalit siya?" "Eh ano naman kung magalit siya? Pitong taon na kaming magkasama—hindi niya ako kayang iwan." Sa huli, ikinasal ako sa parehong araw ng kasal nila. Nang magkasalubong ang aming mga sasakyan, nagpalitan kami ng bouquet ng kanyang secretary. Nang makita niya ako, labis siyang nasaktan at humagulgol.

I secured a big deal for the company and was promoted to manager. However, I overheard my boss' secretary gossiping in the pantry, saying that I was brainless and only got where I was by using my body. I was so angry that I wanted to report it to the police. Surprisingly, her husband stopped me and forced his wife to bow and apologize to me, begging for forgiveness. Things got worse on the next day. Someone shared my inappropriate photos in the company group chat along with records of me supposedly checking into a hotel with a man. My colleagues looked at me with contempt, as if they all knew what was happening but refused to speak up. Even my boss fired me, saying I had moral issues. My husband immediately divorced me when he found out, took our daughter away, and left me with nothing. Neighbors pointed fingers and whispered about me. I was so overwhelmed that I lost my senses and was killed by a car crash. When I opened my eyes, I returned to the day I was promoted.

Yung bata na iniligtas ko noong maliliit pa kami ay lumaking isang possessive at obsessive na CEO. Sampung taon niya akong kinontrol, gamit ang sakit ng lola ko bilang pang-blackmail para pilitin akong magpakasal sa kanya. Sinubukan niyang gawin ang lahat para makuha ang loob ko—kahit anong paraan, ginawa niya,pero hindi ko siya kailanman minahal. Dahil sa sobrang galit, nakahanap siya ng babaeng halos kamukha ko para pumalit sa akin. Ipinagmalaki nila ang relasyon nila sa harap ng lahat, at may mga bulung-bulungan na natagpuan na raw ng CEO ang tunay niyang pag-ibig. Pero isang araw, dumating ang babaeng iyon sa villa kasama ang mga alipores niya, gamit ang atensyon at pagmamahal ng CEO bilang lakas ng loob. Isa-isa niyang binali ang mga daliri ko, sinugatan ang mukha ko gamit ang utility knife, at inalis ang damit ko para ipahiya ako. “Kahit nagparetoke ka pa para magmukhang ako, palalagpasin ko na ‘yun. Pero natuto ka pang magpinta nang kagaya ko? Grabe kang mag-aral! Tignan natin kung paano ka makakaakit ng mga lalaki ngayon!” Habang duguan na ako at halos mawalan ng malay, sa wakas dumating ‘yung obsessive na CEO. Hinila ako ng babae sa harapan niya at mayabang na nagsumbong, “Honey, itong babaeng ‘to ay nagtatago rito sa villa, tinatangkang akitin ka. Siniguro kong hindi siya magtatagumpay!”

Nilagyan ng mga gamot na pampatulog ng asawa ko ang formula ng aming anak para makatakas siya para makipag-Christmad date sa assistant niya. Habang takot na takot akong isinugod ang aking nilalagnat na anak sa ospital, hindi ko inaasahang makita ang asawa ko na karga ang kanyang assistant sa itaas. "Napilipit ni Peyton yung paa niya, kaya andito ako pata tulungan siya ipasuri ‘to!" Kahit na ang aming anak ay nasa operating room na nakikipaglaban para sa kanyang buhay, hindi siya gaanong tumingin sa kanyang direksyon. Hinigpitan ko ang hawak ko sa sampung milyong dolyar na napanalunan sa lottery ticket sa aking bulsa. Oras na para tapusin ang pitong taong pagsasama na ‘to.

Zannicus Zer Zor-ester~Omega (Prime) A young wolf who's background was unknown, a young wolf who's the only one in his pack that has striking orange eyes (almost red) He shifted earlier than the other wolves but kept it a secret and pretended to be a human. Only two of his best friends knew his true identity. He was left as a baby in the borders of the pack. Ronan Ver Solas Soon-to-be-alpha of the Mist moon pack. He and his friends along with the the rest of the pack torments Zannicus because they thought he was a human or his wolf didn't come out. They beat him for every single thing he does wrong, but he still stays strong. He doesn't get easily intimidated by them though. Whenever he talks back or fights back, they find themselves backing down or somehow submitting, even the alpha himself, and they don't know why. Zannicus thought his parents didn't want him. But he's not just any normal werewolf or a mere omega.There's more. But.......What happens if they push him too far? Why does one of the councilmen members always visit their pack? What if there's more to Zannicus' history than they thought? What happens if Ronan and Zannicus happens to be mates? What happens if the young man they knew suddenly became one of the most feared ranks of wolves? What happens if Ronan finds himself falling for Zannicus? Will Zannicus accept? or reject? Will he forgive him and the pack? Their pack seems to be a magnet for rogues, but one day, what happens if they were outnumbered? Will he save them? He was belittled. He was abused. Never judge a book by its cover. You never know what they are capable of.

“Can I please have my underwear back?” He looked at the piece of orange fabric bunched up in his hand. “You mean this?” and then he did the most surprising thing. He brought my underwear to his nose and took a long whiff. Maybe it was the way he closed his eyes in blissful satisfaction or the way he half groaned and half moaned, but I was reminded of how he had shed my clothes earlier on and fucked my senses to oblivion. “I’m sorry, but I can’t give you back.” “Why?” I whispered. He crossed the room in large, languid strides and stood before me. “Because I need this as proof that I just had the sweetest fuck of my life, and it wasn’t all in my head.” ********************************************* Iris Carter is a disgraced journalist plagued by a terrible past and just wants to pay off her family's debt. Alessandro 'Les' Scavo is New York's most eligible billionaire bachelor running away from a dark past. He's back in town to bury his father and go back to New York as soon as possible. What happens when he has a one night stand with Iris and becomes obsessed with her? Will he leave her behind and go back to New York or will he embrace his dark past and go toe to toe with Hills' most ruthless Mafia Don over her? What happens when Iris' stumbles upon a deadly secret that can be the downfall of the whole underground crime world and is also the reason why Les left town in the first place? Will she run like she did in the past or will she stay and fight against the powerful organization that destroyed her life and murdered her best friend?

Sarah Killian is not your average thirty-year-old single woman. Foul-mouthed, mean-spirited, and a text-book-case loner. Also, she is a Professional Serial Killer. But a wrench is thrown into the clockwork of Sarah's comfortable lifestyle when, on her latest assignment, she is forced to take on an apprentice, Bethany—a bubbly, perky, blonde with a severe case of verbal-vomit. In short, Bethany is everything Sarah is not. Will Sarah be able to adjust and work with her new apprentice, or will she break her contract with T.H.E.M. and murder the buxom bimbo? ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

❝and like clockwork, she always found her way back to him❞Noorul-Huda Al'amir Belko has always viewed life with indifference after an event that changed her life. She is given a chance at redemption after a handful of scandals that led her to a downward spiral.After a chance encounter led to an inevitable heartache, she's faced with a dilemma; choosing between two men she cared about without destroying them all.

After years of suffering abuse at the hands of her mate, Blair Gaines resorts to desperate measures to escape. To disguise herself, she uses a witch's charm to cloak her shifter scent and moves to Orange, California, in hopes of starting a new life and picking up the pieces of her broken self. Hurt, broke and on the verge of despair, she gets some relief when she finds a job, and things are finally starting to look up until she meets the CEO, Mac Walsh. Her wolf declares Mac is her mate, but that can't be true because she already has a mate and as far she knows, wolf shifters only mate once in a lifetime. No second chances. Plus, Mac is everything Blair despises; an alpha male, loud, brash and grumpy. But then, she soon begins to see a side of Mac that affects her more than she cares to admit. Could fate be playing games or is something more sinister happening under the surface?