Comfortably Numb Pulse

I know I shouldn’t want him. Or them. There’s my best friend’s father, whose low, velvety voice makes my pulse stutter whenever he speaks. My stepbrother, whose accidental touches make my skin burn with unspoken tension. And my sister’s mate, whose cold, lingering gaze betrays a hunger I shouldn’t see. Every glance, every brush of skin, drags me deeper into temptation. Every heartbeat reminds me that wanting them is dangerous, forbidden… and maybe reckless. I’m caught between loyalty, morality, and desire, and every moment I give in only makes the fire stronger. Some lines aren’t meant to be crossed. Some fires are impossible to resist. And I’m learning the hard way… forbidden has never felt this good.

“This is so wrong,” I muttered, trying to pull away. Aziel’s eyes darkened. “Then why are you looking at me like you want me?” My pulse spiked. “I don’t.” “Liar,” he whispered, leaning closer, his voice low and dangerous. Prince Zarek breaks rules for fun. But when he’s forced under the control of Don Aziel...a mafia heir whose reputation is built on bending men to his will...rebellion becomes deadly. Aziel tolerates no weakness. He is cold, calculating, and knows exactly how to get under Zarek’s skin. Zarek should hate him...but hate twists into something hotter, something he cannot ignore. He did not come to submit. He came to destroy the man who ruined his brother. The problem? Getting close to Aziel might be the one mistake that costs him everything…and leaves him wanting more.

‘She was his salvation. He would be her damnation.’ To escape her Father’s choking cage over her, Eve Bianchi didn't need a knight. She needed a monster. And she chose Lucille ‘Hellhound’ Hellfire— a man the Mafia world feared for his madness and cruelty. He agreed to be her husband. He never agreed to be gentle. His obsession is a collar around her soul. He doesn't want her obedience; he wants her surrender. To feel her pulse throb against his palm as he reminds her that every gasp of air is a gift from him. ⸻ Content Warnings: obsession, possession, stalking, manipulation, toxic power dynamics, dubious consent, worship/degradation, breath play, BDSM, violence, cursing, criminal activity, morally grey characters, unhealthy romance and of course, explicit sexual details.

Five years into marriage, Silvia Serra becomes both Dante Valenti's most lethal weapon and his most invisible presence. She shields him from bullets. She crosses a freezing river for him. Her scars accumulate, and his response is an assumption that it is how things are meant to be. In time, Dante grows repulsed by the violence clinging to her. He derides her lack of charm and gives his warmth to another woman instead. He allows others to grind down her dignity, and with a new lover in his arms, he openly stains her name. Silvia tolerates it so she can continue guarding him. Everyone mocks her as if she's numb to it all, driven away again and again, but never truly gone. Then comes the night of pounding rain. Cast aside without ceremony, Silvia erases every sign she was ever there and leaves with finality. Dante treats it as nothing more than sulking, convinced she will return within three days. Later, the once-untouchable Don was seen on his knees at Silvia's feet, stripped of all pride, begging her to turn back and look at him just once.

Mafia Academy Series 1 (Book 1 of Red Duology) Kaytlyn Santiago only hates three things in life: rain, cliffs, and her second name. At a very young age, she had already experienced being kidnapped and tortured, pressured and forced into a life she never wanted in the first place. Kayt lived her life carrying all the hardships alone and blaming herself for the death of her mother. She'd already gone through any possible form of pain, making her heart numb and as cold as ice. She chose to build those walls around her that no one could ever break and wear the mask that was almost as perfect as a white lie. But her life changed when she entered the academy. She never once thought that someone would find a way to break those walls she built in. In a battle where she has to choose between her happiness and her family, who should it be, and was it worth taking the risk? She only has one chance, and the future lies in her hands. She mustn't pick the wrong choice. One decision can change everything. One wrong move and the game is over. *** Disclaimer: This story is written in Tagalog-English.

When my sister, Amelia, and I are waiting to be adopted at the orphanage, a man and a woman come to visit. Ambitious as ever, Amelia instantly sets her sights on the elegantly dressed woman named Charlotte Evans, while I end up being chosen by the man in plain, unremarkable clothes. But to my surprise, the man turns out to be a discreet billionaire. After adopting me, he publicly announces my identity for everyone to see. Meanwhile, Amelia is taken in by Charlotte, who's so harsh it borders on cruel. She constantly scolds and punishes her. Moreover, Amelia is bullied at school and even gets doused in dirty water by her classmates. While she stands there trembling and humiliated, I walk away with friends crowding around me. Consumed by jealousy and resentment, Amelia waits for the perfect moment and pushes me off a tall building when I least expect it. The next time I open my eyes, I find myself back on the day we are supposed to be adopted. I watch as Amelia chooses the man without the slightest hesitation. It's obvious she's come back to this day, just like I have. On the day we part ways, Amelia gives me a knowing smile. "From now on, I'm going to live the high life. If you ever go hungry, maybe I'll spare you a bite or two." Outwardly, I look angry, but inside I am over the moon. In this life, Amelia can enjoy her luxurious life, even if it means living comfortably in a gilded cage.

When I return to the day I discover my husband, David Stone, is cheating on me, I immediately switch shifts with my colleague. In my previous life, David had been fooling around with my best friend, Roxanne Lane, in his car when they got into an accident and were rushed to the hospital. When I received the news, I hurried there at once and saw them tangled together, naked, in the aftermath of the wreck. My colleague operated on them, and both of them survived. However, the shock was too much for me, and I passed out. When I woke up, David sent me divorce papers, demanding that I leave the marriage empty-handed. Citing his affair, I demanded half of his assets. In response, he sneered, "Me? Cheating? Where's the evidence?" That was when I remembered that I had fainted before taking any photos. The hospital's surveillance cameras happened to be down that day, leaving me without a shred of proof. I lost the case and walked out with nothing. On the day of the divorce, broke and numb, I stumbled out of the courthouse and was hit by a car. Now, the moment I open my eyes again, I'm back on the day David and Roxanne are taken to the hospital.

He was meant to be a sacrifice. Instead, he became an obsession. When Elias is cast out of his master’s home, accused of seducing a nobleman’s son, he flees into the forbidden lands of Lucian D’Arcy—the cruel, beautiful vampire lord feared by all. But instead of killing him, Lucian claims him, drawn to Elias in ways neither of them understand. Elias resists the dark temptation Lucian offers, but his body betrays him, his pulse quickening under the vampire’s touch. The longer he stays, the harder it becomes to deny the hunger in Lucian’s gaze—or the sinful desire curling in his own belly.. Lucian swore he wouldn’t break Elias. Wouldn’t ruin him. But as desire turns to obsession, and obsession to possession, one thing becomes terrifyingly clear. He will burn the world to keep him.

Evelyn Rodriguez needs to find who murdered her sister. But her only suspect is sexy as hell and every kind of wrong. Suddenly Evelyn's not sure if it's determination that's got her pulse racing–or something altogether less appropriate. Worse of all, she has to live under the same roof with him. Supernova Jason Lyndon, burnt by experience and casual flings is torn between taking the offer of the man he despises the most or the woman that annoys him the most. Either way, he wasn't about to go to jail for something he didn't do. He realized too late chosing Evelyn's offer was a terrible idea. She didn't only arouse all his sexual antennas but started pulling down the firm wall– he's spent years building– around his heart. Enemies make the best lovers... CRIME. SUSPENSE. ROMANCE.

My mind, my soul, my heart are all stone. Tears, pain and sorrow all dwell in me, inside one body. I'm numb, I'm brusied I'm a broken part. Fifteen years ago, I lost every reason to live. Fifteen years ago the bone crushing hands of the universe fell on my two shoulder. I lost everything!!! Dove...Dove Rivera, I was once a happy, child with my baby brother Kevin by my side. I knew all the happiness in the world. My dad, a prominent and honest politician and my mom a renowned lawyer. A family of four living the best life. But..it all came to a standstill in just one night...one cool night. "Dove!!!" Mom screamed. "Dove wake up" "My dear, the house is on fire" "Run!!!" Mom screamed tearily. Those were the only words , I remembered and she was the only and last person I saw that night. I managed to escape but they didn't. Even as a child...I knew that it was no ordinary fire, it was an attack. And all my nights, days, minutes, hours all I think of is revenge. It whisper in my head every minute "Revenge! Revenge!! Revenge!!!"