Comfort Zone

Within the circle, everyone knew I had been Leo’s most devoted, submissive admirer. For thirteen years, I chased him relentlessly, transforming myself from an uneducated, middle-school-dropout, illegitimate child of a wealthy family into an Ivy League economics master’s graduate. Only then did his mother finally acknowledge me, and I became Mrs. Smith. However, after the wedding, I no longer meddled in Leo’s company, cooked, or served him. While he stayed up late planning strategies for his first love, I traveled the world with friends. He would accompany her to Paris fashion shows, and I celebrated my cat’s birthday at home. I understood that a commercial marriage could never produce love. Everything I had poured my heart into was just my own foolish obsession. In my past life, I handled his company’s internal conflicts for him. Yet, he frowned, scolding, “You’re reaching too far.” I cooked soups for his stomach ailments, only to see him hand them off to his overworked first love, brushing it off, “She works harder than I do.” Even on the day I had a car accident, he lit fireworks across the city just to see her smile. I begged him, but he looked down at me from above. “Nicole, what we have is only a transaction.” Then, I opened my eyes and found myself back at our engagement banquet, watching him leave midway to comfort his heartbroken first love. This time, I did not chase after him. Instead, I picked up the microphone and said before all the guests. “Sorry, everyone. My engagement with Leo is canceled.”

I've gone to the church to pray for my son, Robert Scott. On the way home, my carriage is overturned because the horses suffer from a shock. When I wake up, I look at my family gathering around my bed. Then, I decide to pull a prank on them. "Sorry, but who are you?" I do my best to suppress the smile that threatens to appear on my face. I want to see how my family is going to comfort me now that I have "amnesia". Will Mom and my husband, Jeremy Scott, take my hands comfortingly? Or will Robert lunge at me while crying out to me? What I don't expect is to see my family breathing sighs of relief after their initial shock has faded away. Mom is the first one to speak up with a hint of relief coloring her tone. "Since you've already forgotten all about us, then it's fine. Maisie, you're actually the adopted daughter of the Liddell family. Amber is the actual heiress of the Liddell family." Jeremy points at me while telling Robert, "Robbie, you must address her as Aunt Maisie." Before I can recover from my shock, I see my own son, whom I'm willing to sacrifice my life to protect, running over to hug Amber Liddell, the fake heiress, happily. "Mom, I've spent the whole day playing outside! Oh, I miss you so much!" So, it turns out that my case of amnesia is exactly what this family wants. In that case, I might as well abandon this farce of a family.

When my mother went into kidney failure and needed a transplant, it was Pauline Maynard—on the brink of death herself—who gave my mom a second chance at life. Just before Pauline passed, she gripped my hand tightly and whispered her final words. "Summer, Ricky is my only son. He's rebellious… and fragile. Please, take care of him. Just three years, please?" I gave her my word. Then I moved into their home and gave Ricky everything he needed—love, comfort, a sense of safety. For three years, I stayed true to that promise. By the third year, Ricky had transformed. No longer the wayward boy he once was, he rose to become the Mafia Don Ricky Lenza. And I was carrying his child. As I busied myself with wedding plans, I overheard something I was never meant to hear—his voice, low and mocking, as he wrapped another woman in his arms. "Summer? She's just pretending to love me for the sake of my mother's inheritance and a stupid deal. A gold digger like her dreams of marrying me? What a joke." A sharp pain pierced my chest, like thorns stabbing deep beneath the skin. On the way to a prenatal checkup, we were hit in a crash. My baby didn't make it. And my mother, sitting in the passenger seat, shielded me with her life. When I woke up, I stared blankly at the date on my phone. Three days left. That would've marked the end of the three-year promise. I realized then—I'd paid my debt to Pauline in full. It was time for me to go.

TRIGGER WARNING : THIS BOOK EXPLORES HEAVY THEMES SUCH AS EMOTIONAL ABUSE, MANIPULATION, BDSM AND TORTURE, SEXUAL ABUSE, AND TRAUMA – AS WELL AS STRENGTH, RESILIENCE, AND THE WILL TO RECLAiM ONE’S POWER. IF YOU'RE SENSITIVE TO ANY OF THE THEMES MENTIONED, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ WITH CARE, TAKE BREAKS WHEN NEEDED, OR SKIP IF THIS BOOK IS NOT RIGHT FOR YOU AT THIS TIME. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES (18+) ONLY. Blurb She was the price her father paid. He was the monster no one dared defy. Their marriage was never meant to feel like love – only like survival. Seraphina Houston, the strong-willed daughter of an Alpha Houston; a failing werewolf pack, never imagined her fate would be sealed by a contract… or by the cold hands of a Lycan king. When she’s forced to marry the powerful and ruthless billionaire, Leone Night, to clear her father’s debt, she becomes little more than a pawn in a brutal political game. From the moment she enters the Blackthorn Pack’s palace, Seraphina is silenced, ignored, and betrayed, used as nothing more than a vessel to fulfill a cursed bloodline. Her husband shows her no kindness, his twin brother taunts her with a past she barely escaped, and her only comfort lies in the arms of a gentle palace doctor who offers her something the others never could: a choice. But the deeper she sinks into the lycan world, the more secrets unravel. A mistress with a familiar face. A child with forbidden power. And a prophecy that ties her fate to both Lycan brothers… with deadly consequences. When the time comes to choose between survival, love, and freedom…will Seraphina continue to suffer in silence, or become the rebellion the monsters never saw coming?

EXCERPT. "This cock was the reason you killed my wife, now ride it till it bruises you," Lucien hissed as he tightened his hold around my neck. "You are a bad girl Bambina mia, how can your mouth be watering for my dick?" Don Luciano, my father-in-law, chuckled as he gently rubbed my bruised lips. ...... ...... Despite being the only daughter of a Mafia Lord, Aria had been pampered and hidden all her life, she knew no violence until her 18th birthday. Drugged and miraculously ending up in bed with her cousin's husband, she triggered her death and realized she had no choice but to marry him (her cousin's husband). But Lucien, the head of the largest Mafia syndicate, hated her; he believed she was the reason why the woman he loved died, so he agreed to marry her to torment her. War was brewing but so was sexual desire between the people who claimed to hate one another. Tormented and battered, Aria sought comfort in her favorite popstar, a mysterious, famous, masked singer, Michell Blaze, who didn't scream danger, but Aria soon realized how wrong she was. She thought her father-in-law irritated her but she soon found herself begging for his assault. When the mask fell, Aria realized that she was not only trapped in-between the men who had ruined her peaceful life but also the man who healed and destroyed her. WARNING: RATED 18 FOR THIS BOOK CONTAINS BOTH VIOLENCE AND MATURE SCENES. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK, for it is a dark romance, so you might see stuff that might be triggering, so please proceed with caution

Ma sœur aînée, qui avait toujours détesté les études, a soudain déclaré vouloir passer l'examen d'entrée à l'université. Elle est même allée jusqu'à demander à nos parents de me marier avec le fils d'un haut gradé, afin d'obtenir l'argent pour financer sa scolarité. À ce moment-là, j'ai compris qu'elle aussi s'était réincarnée. Dans ma vie précédente, elle avait toujours pensé que les études ne servaient à rien. À peine diplômée du lycée, elle s'est mariée avec le fils d'un chef militaire venu avec le don généreux. Mais plus tard, lorsque Cédric Blanc a été muté dans une région reculée, elle a trouvé l'environnement trop rude et a refusé de le suivre. De mon côté, je travaillais pour financer mes études, j'ai obtenu mon diplôme et j'ai décroché un emploi stable dans la fonction publique : je suis devenue une véritable citadine au sens plein du terme. Pendant ce temps, ma sœur, installée dans la zone militaire, profitait de l'autorité de son beau-père pour toucher des pots-de-vin. Cette conduite a entraîné une enquête des supérieurs, qui a fait tomber son beau-père de son poste. Elle a finalement été chassée par sa belle-mère. Divorcée, elle a ensuite été dupée et entraînée à Paris pour spéculer en bourse. Quand le marché s'est effondré, elle a perdu non seulement tout, mais aussi les économies de retraite de nos parents. À bout de ressources, elle s'est accrochée à moi. Un jour, armée d'un couteau, elle m'a contrainte à lui remettre toutes mes économies et ma maison pour « relancer sa vie ». Dans la lutte, elle m'a poignardée douze fois. Je suis morte, vidée de mon sang. Quand j'ai rouvert les yeux, ma sœur exigeait de nos parents qu'ils me marient à Cédric. Cette fois-ci, j'ai accepté avec joie — et j'ai abandonné mes études sur-le-champ.

“My eyes flashed open as the chilly air passed through my whole body but it wasn't the cold that woke me up. Grayham was lying next to me and his warm body caressed mine when he turned to me, his eyes shut. His warm breath flushed all over my face. I shut my eyes and imagined the comfort his body would bring to me. Then his legs curled up around mine and an electric shock shot up to my brain. The bulge in my trousers doubled in size. Through the dark, I led my hand into my trousers and when I clasped my dick, it was erect, swollen, and heavy. What if he was touching me? What if my cock was buried into his mouth or what if his hands were the ones doing the stroking? Fuck! I stroked harder as I imagined myself shoving my huge dick down his throat. I spewed on the floor and turned to the bed face down while panting heavily. Then, the warning bells in my head rang! Did I just cum while thinking about my mortal enemy?” *** Miles Kaden lives quietly, fiercely protective of the old building his father once tended. He’s stubborn, grounded, and bound to a place full of history—and secrets. Grayham Wilson is sharp, cold, and disgustingly rich. He builds empires by tearing others down. And now he wants that old building. They were never meant to meet. But one impulsive act changes everything. They wake up in each other’s bodies. What starts as a battle of wills quickly turns into something far more tangled. Because the longer they live each other’s lives, the more blurred the lines become. Two men. One curse. A hundred days to survive it—or risk losing not just their lives, but themselves.

Two men came forward pointing thier guns on Daddy and Bhai. Seeing that, Mom screamed loudly in horror. I wanted to scream too but I had lost my voice with fear especially, when that man's dark orbs were dagered on me. "Wh...what do you all want?! Money? Gold? Anything else....take it...just take it! B....but please... please let them go..." Mom cried out as I just stood thier motionless. I didn't even had the strength to comfort her. Fear was coercing in my veins like blood. "Anything?" The man finally spoke. "Yes!" He looked at me with an amused expression. "Then..." He pointed his gun at me as I was hiding behind my mother shaking like a leaf. "... I'll take this one." My eyes widened. We all looked at him horrified and Mom shielded me behind her. "What's wrong? Didn't you just say I can take anything? Then I'll take your daughter." He winked at me. _______________ Rahina, a simple bubbly girl had it all perfect. A perfect loving family, friends and now a handsome, charming, understanding and gentle fiancé. A perfect man every girl dreams off. All she could think about was being his bride soon and spend the rest of her life with him. But what happens when a mysterious handsome man infiltrates her home suddenly and points his gun at her innocent family kidnapping her in bright daylight? Who is this man? What does he wants? Why is he doing this? Will she be able to fight back to protect her dignity and feelings for her fiancé or...fall deeper into his world, his life and end up falling into something much more dangerous of his..... Love! Dive in to find out....

After a brutal breakup and one too many whiskies, Arielle Lawson makes the mistake she swore she’d never repeat—she calls her ex. She never saved his number; she memorized it. Heart memory. Muscle memory. Bad-decision memory. But the man who answers isn’t Daniel. He’s calm. Controlled. Amused by the drunken stranger ranting about betrayal, wasted years, and ruined wedding plans. Arielle hangs up, mortified, convinced the mistake ends there. It doesn’t. Because the number she dialed belongs to Kael Virelli, the elusive leader of a multi-million-dollar anti-government underground syndicate known as The Black Ledger—a man feared by politicians, hunted by intelligence agencies, and obeyed without question. Kael should forget the call. He should erase the number. Instead, he calls back. What begins as anonymous late-night conversations becomes a dangerous ritual neither of them can break. Arielle finds comfort in the mysterious stranger who listens without judgment and understands her in ways no one ever has. Kael becomes addicted to the only person who speaks to him like he’s human—not a weapon, not a myth. Then fate intervenes. When Arielle unknowingly witnesses a violent operation tied to The Black Ledger, the voice she trusts becomes the name everyone fears. Overnight, she transforms from a stranger into a liability—a loose end that Kael’s world would normally erase without hesitation. But Arielle isn’t just anyone. She’s the woman who called him at his most human… and made him answer. Now Kael must choose between protecting the empire he built in shadows or protecting the girl who accidentally dialed her way into his life. Because in a world of secrets, betrayal, and blood money, the most dangerous mistake he ever made wasn’t answering the call. It was falling for the girl who made it.

[WARNING STRONG MATURED CONTENTS] Beside me, I sensed his movement as he turned towards me, his eyes searching for mine. I purposely avoided meeting his gaze, instead focusing on calming my racing breath. But try as I might, my breath still trembled, betraying my inner turmoil. Despite my rapid blinking, a single tear escaped, making its way down my cheek. I heard the covers rustle as he shifted closer to me. His finger gently brushed against my face, capturing the tear. "I'm sorry, Hailey," his voice resonated in the dimly lit room, both deep and gentle. His touch was followed by a soft stroke through my brunette hair and a tender kiss on the crook of my neck. "I know this isn't what you wanted," he murmured, regret evident in his voice. "It doesn't matter," I replied quietly, my gaze still fixed on the ceiling. His apology felt like a stab to the heart, but I couldn't hold him responsible. Our circumstances were far beyond our control.Swallowing hard, I tried to push down the ache in my chest. "It was unavoidable, it isn't your fault," I muttered, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. He sighed heavily, running a hand through his dark, tousled hair. His arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I allowed my cheek to rest against his strong chest, finding some solace in his comforting presence. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat brought a sliver of comfort to my shattered emotions. "I wish I could have given you more time to get to know me before all of this," he confessed, a touch of bitterness seeping into his words. "But those old Elders insisted on sealing our union immediately."